Scarlet Lady

The Creativity Onboard: Virgin Voyages founder Richard Branson — the British music, lifestyle, and travel magnate who began his career with Virgin Records in 1972, took to the skies with Virgin Atlantic in 1984, and ventured into space with Virgin Galactic in 2021 — has never shied away from original concepts. So it's hardly a surprise that Scarlet Lady's music venue is called The Red Room and its karaoke bar is called The Groupie. There's a record store (of course) named Voyage Vinyl and 20 novel restaurants, including Razzle Dazzle (for veggie-forward dining), The Test Kitchen (for experimental menus), and Gunbae (for Korean barbecue). And, all cabins and suites with a balcony have a red hammock (red is Virgin's signature color) rather than a chaise.

The Adults-Only Policy: When adults let loose on vacation and end up behaving like unfiltered tweens or teens, it’s best not to have actual adolescents nearby. All Virgin Voyages ships — a total of four “Lady Ships” are planned at the moment — require passengers to be at least 18 years old.

The Innovative Stateroom Design:  Rockstar Quarters, Scarlet Lady’s poshest and priciest accommodations, were designed by British interior design guru Tom Dixon and feature not only record players and fully-stocked bars but also Peek-a-Boo showers in the bathrooms and Peek-a-View outdoor showers on the terraces. Even the most basic cabins are designed with novel bed configurations for up to four friends to share. The only caveat: Bathrooms in these cabins are snug and don’t feature adequate storage space. 

Shaking Things Up in the Cruise Industry: From its adults-only format to its 20 dining concepts, Scarlet Lady is unlike any cruise ship on the ocean today — a megayacht designed for wannabe rockers and music fans who aspire to the luxury and glamor of nights spent basking in the limelight. The experience might not be for everyone, but Virgin Voyages is targeting a market that has yet to fully embrace traditional cruising: the cool kids (and the still-kids-at-heart cruisers who forever embrace cool).  

Having a Tattoo Studio Onboard: Fancy a lasting memento of your time aboard Scarlet Lady? Don't settle for a t-shirt when you can add to the sleeve of tattoos on your arm or expose your skin for a more discreet souvenir at Squid Ink, the first-ever tattoo studio at sea.

Short-Attention-Span Cruisers: The ship’s four- and five-day Caribbean itineraries are ideal for testing the waters of cruising in a modern, high-energy environment at a cost that's well within reach of most young adults in their twenties and thirties. Fares on most shorter cruises start around $800 per person.

The Passenger Mix Can Be Interesting: While Millennials and tail-end Gen Xers are Scarlet Lady's target market, you’ll also be cruising with aging hipster Boomers — like Branson himself, born in 1950 — who can afford Rockstar Quarters and want to get in on the fun. No matter the demographics, this ship is designed to inspire late nights and countless hangovers.