Those of us who love cruising love it for many reasons, ease of schedule, impeccable service, fun activities, varied ports and of course the open blue ocean.... But it is obvious so much thought went into Virgin Voyages to avoid the typical drawbacks of traditional cruises from their dining experiences to decor to policies....

To be clear, I didn't expect to like this cruise as a 43 year old somewhat-boring mom of 2 young kids as I truly thought it was for hot 20-somethings millennials to party and enjoy but got an opportunity to sail on the maiden voyage from Miami in October, 2021. As a Florida resident, and an avid cruiser, I have visited every Caribbean cruise port via every cruise boat that leaves out of South Florida including all of the major cruise lines. Based off of my own perceptions, I thought this cruise was going to be a lot of wild partying with club music for very hip and trendy millennials, maybe late 20-somethings who are much cooler, fitter and hipper than I am. I typically consider 11pm bedtime and trips to Costco as entertainment. Still, I love to relax, have some wine, listen to music and even, on occasion, sing a small concert in the car - so I consider myself fun, lol. And I love being on the ocean and new adventures.

I went into Scarlet Lady just to relax and experience, with expectations to finish my book and say I did this maiden voyage. I didn't expect to absolutely love it so much. It is a completely new cruise feeling, a completely new experience from every other cruise I've ever been on. They've taken all of the good and mitigated all of the bad. I didn't think I'd be so okay leaving my two kids behind but I have to say, knowing there aren't any kids around truly is relaxing.....Remember who you were before you were a slave to miniature 3-foot tall people. Read more