By: Allison DePesa, a Marvelous Mouse Travels agent
I just got off Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady and it was the best time I’ve ever had at sea. A big part of that was the incredible food featured on this cruise.
Virgin has put an incredibly welcome fresh spin on cruise dining. No main dining rooms, buffets or seating times. The Scarlet Lady has over 20 unique dining options and they are all included with you cruise fare. With menus designed by Michelin starred chefs, dining aboard Virgin Voyages is a foodie’s delight.
On embarkation night we dined at The Wake, and it was the perfect experience to kick off our sailing. You enter the restaurant via a golden grand staircase and are treated to beautiful views of, you guessed it, the wake of the ship! Steaks, seafood and craft cocktails all made to order, and our server brought us every single side from the menu. I don’t know what they put in those potatoes, but I’m still dreaming about them.
There are several restaurants on board that are sit down, and reservations are recommended. This can be done via the app before your voyage, or once on board. Virgin also reserves space for walk ups. We had no issues eating where and whenever we wanted to!
The Galley is Virgin’s answer for your quick meal. Think of it as floating fresh food market. You can sit down and order with a server via the app, or grab something yourself. You can take it to go and head back to the pool or sit down and enjoy the incredible views. With more than 10 different international eateries (all included), food is made fresh to order, so it’s always delicious. From light bites and burgers to noodles, tacos, sushi and more, you won’t ever go hungry onboard Virgin Voyages.
My favorite dining experience on board was at The Test Kitchen. This is part culinary school, part eatery.
The setting is laboratory-like and a tasting menu is offered. The menu is presented more like a list of ingredients, and it’s fun and interactive and like nothing I have ever experienced on land or at sea.
One thing I absolutely adored onboard the Scarlet Lady were the Quickees options. Stations were set up around the ship to grab a pre-assembled snack or treat. At the Pizza Place, where you can choose from several different specialty pies or create your own, you could grab a variety of salads to accompany your pizza. They had charcuterie you could take outside with your cocktail and gaze at the stars. A slice of cheesecake if you’re craving something sweet. Virgin really has thought of everything.
Other highlights from my week on board included Pink Agave for elevated Mexican (the coconut aqua fresca was vacation in a glass), Extra Virgin for insanely enjoyable Italian (don’t tell my grandma but the meatballs were the best I have ever had) and Dockside, where you raise your flag and suddenly a mezze cart arrives with impressive Mediterranean bites.
It was a 5-night sailing, so we didn’t try everything, but I can’t wait to get back on board to enjoy Razzle Dazzle, a veggie/vegan forward restaurant with meat “cheats” and Gunbae, the Korean hot pot restaurant that includes tableside drinking games!
I practically had to be rolled off the ship, but it was worth it. If you think excellent food makes for a great vacation, then you definitely have to sail on Virgin Voyages!
Please reach out to Allison, an agent with Marvelous Mouse Travels to plan your next vacation or you may contact Marvelous Mouse Travels.
