SHAKING THINGS UP A BIT found my friend of over 50 years, Debbie, trading her winter boots for flip flops as we boarded Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady at the Port of Miami. The home port for Virgin is just a few hours south of our campsite at Fort Wilderness, where Jim literally held down the fort with the dawgs while I traded one little house for another, but oh what a house! While I have a few cruises under my belt, my only experience has been on Disney’s ships with the g’kids, so Richard Branson’s new cruise line was amazingly alluring as this ship sets sail for those 21 years old and up.
Launched in 2020 with a crew of 1,200, the Scarlet Lady holds 2,700 guests and held an almost equal number of surprises for me. Gone are the two dinner settings in themed restaurants with an enormous number of fellow travelers and in its place, no less than 20 delicious eateries around the ship to choose from. With reservations made ahead of time at four of the restaurants including the Pink Agave, the Test Kitchen, Extra Virgin and The Wake, we dined on the most creative dishes in wonderfully appointed restaurants, with food plated so beautifully that it looked like art. The customer focus and service aboard the ship, I am happy to share, was extraordinarily superb and no tipping allowed, ever.
First stop, Key West where we had a day to enjoy the island. Here, I was happy to play tour guide with Debbie and share my favorites stops where we bellied up to the bar for lunch at Blue Heaven, then toured the Hemingway House and the Light Keeper’s Museum before heading to the shops on my favorite tropical island. Having recently spent three months in Key West, it was fun to see the island from my perch on 13th deck of a cruise ship, the highest point (just off) the island. In fact, my love for this sweet & salty town began in 2019 when our Disney ship pulled into port and it continues to hold my heart today.
The next day was spent sailing which is always my favorite as it gives you time to explore the ship, take in a show, shop some (slightly!) extravagant stores and even get a little ‘ink’ at The Squid, if you are so inclined. Remember Virgin Records? Yes, you can still purchase albums. One of my favorite indulgences was the ice cream store on ship where I discovered orange ricotta ice cream. Along with the beautiful turquoise Caribbean waters, this is one thing that clearly remains in my memory! While exploring the ship I was really taken with the variety of intimate spaces available for guests, or sailors, as we are called on board; spaces to relax, alone; gather with friends; play board games, or to enjoy a cocktail. And one space that I utilized most often, the beautiful, bright red hammock hanging on our terrace.
Our final day was spent on the island of Bimini, known as the Gateway to the Bahamas and located a short 50 miles off the coast of Miami. Our Bimini Heritage and Food tour took us across the island and introduced us to conch harvesting; the Dolphin House Museum; local music and dance; and finished with a Bimini bread and conch salad tasting along with island punch. From there we jumped on a trolley and headed to The Beach Club spread across an enormous, white sand beach, which Virgin sailors have exclusive use to while in port. Virgin employees seem to always be on the job and provided some great dance entertainment which got the crowd on their feet or onto the numerous floaties in the pool. High five to Sir Richard Branson who had an Airstream trailer for his crew’s hangout at The Beach Club. Obviously, he has good taste in travel trailers!
We returned to the Port of Miami and made our way back to Orlando as we continued to catch up on our high school days, the great experiences we had on board the Scarlet Lady and the adventures we’re looking ahead to this summer. Cheers to my friend, Debbie, who provided me with smiles and friendship not only on this journey but in life.
Camp Dawg 