A view of the Scarlet Lady from the Costa Maya cruise port
Want to know what a 5 night sailing aboard the Scarlet Lady is like first? Check out my day by day video shorts below:
5-Night Mayan Sol Voyage
Day 0: Our Pre-Cruise Stay
Our #scarletlady Mayan Sol voyage sailed on my birthday - August 28th - at 6pm. We flew from LGA (btw the new LaGuardia is STUNNING!) to MIA the evening before, arriving in Miami at 9pm.
*Cruise tip: NEVER fly to your cruise port location on the day of your departure (especially in this current unpredictable state of air travel) it’s just too risky.
We spent the night at AC Hotels Wynwood and I LOVED it. Location was great (about 10 minutes from the cruise port, a $12 Uber ride).
I forgot my bonnet and Walgreens was a 3 minute walk from the hotel. Chase Bank is nearby, Denny’s and McDonalds are also within walking distance.
Our hotel room was new, cozy and the bathroom shower was heavenly (the pressure was STRONG).
This hotel is totally Instagrammable (check out the rooftop!)
Day 1: Boarding & Sailing
We checked out of the hotel at 12:30pm, hopped in an Uber at 1pm, arrived to the port at 1:14pm and was on the ship by 1:58pm
It was a seamless boarding experience.
We booked a Sea Terrace XL room and it was spacious, comfy and cozy. You know how most times when you’re on a cruise you’ll say “I won’t be spending much time in my cabin”? Well, I WANTED to spend time in my room, on my terrace, with the sliding doors open to let the ocean breeze in while swinging in my hammock with a cool drink in hand.
It was a vibe. Pure BLISS.
Our first dinner, my birthday dinner, was at The Wake. The VV app lets you book your restaurant reservations before you’re even onboard (note: there are 20 different fresh food eateries aboard the ship and NO BUFFETS)
I had heard so many great things about the Salt-Crusted Dorade that I couldn’t wait to try it for myself. And it delivered. The Wake was one of my favorite restaurants.
Day 2: Sailing Day
Thanks to the hubs we started the day in the gym. Virgin is VERY big on health and wellness. There are many places to work out on the ship: the cardio gym, the build & balance wing (dedicated to weights & core work), the outdoor calisthenics area, a boxing ring, a basketball court and a running track. Whew.
Can’t forget the Gym & Tonic juice bar after you’re done putting work in.
*Watching the sunrise on the ocean from the treadmill each morning motivated me too
After working out, we showered and headed to Razzle Dazzle for brunch - That rainbow sprinkle toast is the Coconut Milk Fairy Toast - a tasty delight. I loved this spot but hubby wasn’t a fan of the eggs.
After brunch, we spent time sunning by the pool, and vibing to the DJ’s tunes. We purchased a bottle of Malibu (and a thermos) to make our own drinks (instead of buying drinks). This was a cost effective option.
We had an early dinner at Pink Agave, although my least favorite eatery, the ambience was EVERYTHING (as usual!).
If you love ice cream like my husband does, stop by Lick Me Till Ice Cream (on Level 7) and get the “Brown Butter Financier”. It’s a MUST.
Afterwards, kick back & relax. There’s so many fun places to chill on the ship.
Day 3: Costa Maya
We started several of our days early in the gym. I could actually see (with my own eyes) the sun rising in the east and it was EVERYthing.
We arrived in Costa Maya (Mexico) around 9am. Since we didn’t book one of VV’s Shore Things (their own curated excursions), we had to walk a good 20-25 minutes to get out of the cruise port to locate our tour guide (they aren’t allowed inside the port).
I booked Chac Ek tours through #viator and I’m so happy I did! This excursion costed less than Virgin’s and we were also a small group (there were also 2 other couples from the ship).
We drove about an hour to the beautiful Bacalar region. Here, they say the water is 7 colors and I believe it. We hopped on a pontoon and visited several cenotes. Tequila shots, Coronitas and snacks were on deck.
Afterwards, we had lunch at El Tacos Locos where the tacos were authentic, delicious and unique (the hubs had pink conch and baby shark tacos), the salsas are a MUST to try and the tamarind juice was refreshingly cold, sweet and tart, a ten in my book.
Fabiola, our wonderful tour guide, was extremely knowledgeable, energetic, enthusiastic and just an all around lovely person. We stopped for fruits on the way back to the port (the town we stopped in is known for having the sweetest pineapples, the Honey Pineapple, and they were!)
Back on the ship we had dinner at the Korean BBQ spot, Gunbae - a fun group experience (think: Benihana) where we laughed with others and played a drinking game hosted by our wonderful server, Jo.
Of course no evening is complete without the Brown Butter Ice Cream!
Scarlet Night is coming up next… Stay tuned!
Day 4: Sailing & Scarlet Night
Day 3 in Costa Maya was AMAZING but now we’re back on the high seas. I love sailing days because you get to chill and hang out on the ship without worrying about the time.
On this day, we spent time sunning on the top deck, grabbed a bite to eat at The Pizza Place (level 7, next to the ice cream shop), and then a mid afternoon workout at the gym.
Before dinner I enjoyed the views from my hammock (see previous post) with a glass of Malibu, ice and fresh coconut from #costamaya.
Dinner that evening was at Extra Virgin, the food was spectacular (this was another fav restaurant, first was The Wake). I had a delicious grilled sea bass with freshly made pasta. I also tried an Aperol Spritz for the first time (which I wasn’t a fan of - definitely an acquired taste!)
Scarlet Night was pure entertainment. On this night everyone dons a splash of red and parties by the pool. Towards the end of the night, party goers jump in the pool with their clothes on.
Yours truly did NOT.
Day 5: Bimini
This was our last full day on the ship. We arrived at Bimini about 9am. After breakfast we disembarked, hopped on tram and 15 minutes later we were on the beach.
The beach at Bimini was STUNNING! I don’t like to be around crowds on the beach and what I loved here was that I could walk further down the beach and feel like I had the entire beach to myself
The water was SUPER clear and I just couldn’t stay out of it!
Later that evening for dinner, we decided to head back to our favorite restaurant for our last dinner, The Wake. I had to have that Salt-Crusted Dorade one last time!
In conclusion, it’s been about 3 weeks since I stepped foot off of Scarlet Lady and I still fantasize about hanging out in my hammock while watching the ocean in front of me.
I can’t wait to return - Virgin Voyages definitely has me as a “Sailor” for life!