Day 2 - At Sea
Today is a beautiful day at sea aboard Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady. Our stateroom passed the quiet test last night with flying colors. We both enjoyed a peaceful and restful night of sleep.
If you follow our YouTube channel or our blogs, you already know that Rickee and I rarely eat breakfast. I am an early riser, usually up and at it by 6:00am. When on a cruise, I start by looking for the best place to have coffee and get to work. Preparing the daily cruise blog and going through hundreds of photos and video clips from the previous day usually takes about three hours. By the time I am finished, Rickee is up and getting ready. This has been our cruising routine for twenty years.
This morning, I am on an unfamiliar ship and looking for that premium coffee/work spot. I started by heading up to Deck 15 and The Galley, which has coffee machines with complimentary coffee. There are some tables here where I could get some work done, but this a popular place for breakfast and it tends to get a little noisy.
I head down to Deck 7 midship to Grounds Club, the ship’s answer to Starbucks. This is the perfect spot!
The Grounds Club Deck 7 midship
At Grounds Club they have baristas on hand to make any coffee creation you may desire. My tastes are simple: Americano, black. It took me two cups to learn that a large Americano is the same price as a small, so a large it is!
There is a beautiful display of what appear to be delicious breakfast pastries. Oh, if only I had the metabolism to allow me an Almond Croissant. While the sweet treats are complimentary, the coffee drinks here are not. However, the prices are very reasonable. My large Americano is $4.
Pastries on display at Grounds Club
There is comfortable seating here for relaxing and enjoying your favorite bean-derived drink, but what I like is the long table that is perfect for working on a laptop.
The perfect workstation on Scarlet Lady
The tables are even equipped with AC and USB power to keep devices charged, something you tend to find all over this ship.
After my work is done, Rickee is ready and we head out to explore the ship. As we walk through Deck 7, Rickee is struggling to keep her wristband in place. We find Kayla (The Artist) who offers some assistance and soon Rickee’s wristband is secure. Thank you, Kayla.
Kayla, The Artist, Helps Rickee With Her Wristband
For lunch today, we decide to check out The Galley, which is Virgin Voyages’ answer to a ship’s buffet. There are multiple food stations with various themes, one of which is The Burger Bar. It is time for me to conduct my cheeseburger test. Many cruise lines have had to endure this grueling test, and many have failed. A seemingly simple cheeseburger is often difficult for cruise lines to master.
At the top of the list currently is Guy’s Burger Joint on Carnival, which is consistently good. Soon, a waiter appears at our table in The Galley and offers to take our order. Rickee orders some fruit, and I order the cheeseburger and fries. Unfortunately, The Burger Bar does not offer onion rings.
Cheeseburger and Fries From The Burger Bar
The first thing I check is the bun, which is fresh and soft. We are off to a good start. Toppings consist of a leaf of lettuce and a thin slice of tomato and there is a pickle spear. The lack of an onion slice is a little disappointing. As for condiments, the table offers bottles of mayo, mustard and ketchup. I apply a layer of mayo and remove the lettuce; that’s just how I roll.
I cut the burger in half which reveals a perfectly cooked burger patty. The meat is where most cruise lines fail the test. The meat is almost always overcooked, but this burger is cooked Medium, so it is still juicy and flavorful.
Now the taste test. The first bite quickly leads to a second, and a third, and soon I have devoured half of the burger. Finally, we have another cruise ship burger that competes with Guy’s Burger Joint.
As for the French fries, they were hot, crispy and delicious. In fact, the fries are better than just about any we have had anywhere, land or sea. Good job!
This afternoon we attend a show in The Red Room, one of the theater venues onboard Scarlet Lady. Elevated theater style seating gives everyone excellent sight lines to the stage.
The Red Room
Today we enjoy the magic and comedy of Derek Ostovani (@derekostovani). The show was excellent and, by the end of the show, everyone was mumbling, “How did he do that?”
The Magic and Comedy of Derek Ostovani
After the show, we walk through the small, but generous Casino. Generous because, after playing one of the penny slots, I walked away with $30 more than I walked in with!
The Casino
At 5pm, we make our way up to Richard’s Rooftop where we heard a rumor that they were pouring glasses of complimentary Möet Chandon champagne for the Rock Star/VIP crowd. Rickee is never one to turn down a glass of the “bubbly”, nor am I.
The bar at Richard’s Rooftop
Richard’s Rooftop is an area on Deck 16 forward that is reserved for Rock Stars and VIPs. And, in case you are not familiar with Virgin Voyages lingo, a “Rock Star” is anyone staying in one of the Rock Star suites onboard.
Comfortable sun loungers and seating areas are available here along with a fully stocked bar. A special bar menu with light bites is also available.
Enjoying a glass at Richard’s Rooftop
Before dinner this evening, we found ourselves walking through Deck 6 where we were intrigued by the guitar sounds coming from The Roundabout. We sat and listened to the remainder of Adam Kadabra’s set and really enjoyed his performance.
Adam Kadabra Entertains At The Roundabout on Deck 6
For dinner this evening, we made reservations at Extra Virgin, the ship’s Italian restaurant. Of course, we will do a thorough review of Extra Virgin in our Food and Dining review video, so make sure you are subscribed to our YouTube channel.
What I can tell you is that the meal was excellent and Rickee loved the Beef Carpaccio (below).
Beef Carpaccio at Extra Virgin
After dinner, we head back to Deck 6 where The Hostess is performing her W Cabaret show at On The Rocks bar. She has an excellent voice and we are discovering that the lounge entertainment on this ship is at another level from what we are used to.
W Cabaret With The Hostess at On The Rocks
After her show, we are off to bed. Tomorrow, Scarlet Lady will be docked in Cozumel, Mexico.
