The cruise industry came to a squealing halt in 2020 thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. For nearly a year and a half, the world’s most popular ships remained docked and cruise lovers lusted for the day that they could return out onto the open sea. Of course, the pandemic’s influence on the cruise industry reached far beyond already existing ships, it heavily impacted the shipyard too. This is a struggle that Virgin Voyages knows all too well after the company’s first cruise ship, the Scarlet Lady, was forced to remain docked well after its anticipated first-ever public-facing sailing date. Luckily, a lot has changed since the early days of the pandemic and the cruise industry is beginning to see an epic comeback, the Scarlet Lady included.
Each year, Cruise Critic names the best ship of the year, and the lucky winner of 2021 is none other than the Scarlet Lady. But this isn’t due to the ship’s 2020 sob story. Instead, the title was rightly earned through the line’s bold design, attitude and innovation. Designed to appeal to younger generations, Scarlet Lady has offerings unlike anything ever seen on the seven seas with adult-centric entertainment, group fitness classes, an onboard tattoo parlor, all-night ragers and more. Plus, to ensure that guests enjoy the party of a lifetime, Scarlet Lady puts a heavy focus on energetic ports like Miami and Virgin Voyages’ exclusive beach club in Bimini.
Cruise Critic took all of this and more into consideration when awarding the ship as their 2021 winner stating, “We believe Scarlet Lady pushed the envelope on several fronts, including dining, cabin technology and entertainment. When our editors boarded Scarlet Lady, we thought that while the ship had some kinds to work out, it delivered an experience that was truly modern and ground-breaking, in terms of providing a new take on high-seas fun.”
Cruise Critic and other pros around the industry are interested to see how Scarlet Lady’s fresh new vibe impacts the industry as a whole in the years to come. Until then, the ship has certainly created a new wave of excitement in cruise.
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