I’m a golf writer, love to travel, and love golf. Whenever I can combine my two passions, I always jump at the opportunity! New Year’s 2022, we partnered with Virgin Voyages to swap our golf hats for sailor hats. What better way to celebrate the New Year than a rocking New Year’s Eve party at sea on the Virgin Scarlet Lady? We couldn’t think of one!
For the voyage, we had an XL Sea Terrace on the 11th deck, cabin 11326A. If you go onboard and find one of the hidden Golf Aficionado stickers we left behind, do shoot us a selfie for a free prize package!
Our voyage started in Miami. We were booked on a 4-night sailing leaving on December 29th and returning home January 2nd. Our itinerary included one day at Nassau, home to Royal Blue Golf Club, one of our favorite stops in the Caribbean.
Unfortunately for this itinerary, the excursions through Virgin were minimal, but with several golf options in Nassau, we highly encourage you to contact resorts directly and arrange a tee time. Royal Blue will pick up guests at the cruise terminal in one of their signature Royal Blue Mercedes SUVs and whisk you off to the clubhouse. In our opinion, the best way to spend the day in Nassau.
Our 2nd destination on the itinerary was The Beach Club at Bimini. The Beach Club offers a private beach for sailors on a Virgin Voyage. Our timing was perfect, it was New Year’s Eve, and we spent the afternoon partying it up and enjoying several margaritas in the pool. The highlight was an army of giant inflatables that attacked the pool. As you can see, I quickly commandeered my float.
Before getting back on the Scarlet Lady, we detoured to check out Resorts World Bimini. No stranger to casino table action, we quickly proceeded to buy in on the craps table and lose several hundred dollars. Luckily our editor had much better luck playing three-card poker. After being dealt several winning hands, we headed back onboard a few dollars richer.
Back on board, it was New Year’s Eve, and everyone was ready to party. The Scarlet Lady was ready to POP! We quickly showered, had a little cat nap, and got dressed to the nines. We had a late dinner reservation at Pink Agave, we were seated at 8:30 pm, and the place was packed. Elegant décor and a DJ pumping music, I felt like I was at Hollywood shindig.
After a fabulous meal and several more margaritas, we made our way to the pool deck, where the party was starting to get going. On the pool deck, people were dancing everywhere. The music was perfect, and the people-watching experience was out of this world. We did our best to fit in with the crowd, everyone was having a blast, and when the clock struck midnight, the champagne was FLOWING!
Once the party on the pool deck started to fizzle out, we made our way down to the nightclub. After a final dance and drink, we stumbled back to our cabin and regained consciousness several hours later. We were up and going by about 11 am and decided to eat brunch at The Wake.
The food on the Scarlet Lady never disappointed. Some background, I’ve sailed on over 30 cruises with six different cruise lines, so I speak with experience. The food and entertainment experience is hands down the best I have ever seen onboard a cruise ship. Virgin has gone over the top when it comes to providing first-class food and entertainment. Typically cruise food is bland and caters to the masses. Virgin serves bold dishes that even the most prominent food critic would give 4-stars.
We had a fantastic time being sailors on Virgin Scarlet Lady. Virgin Voyages is a fresh take on the cruise industry. Did I mention this is an adult-only cruise ship? Everyone must be at least 18 years of age to be a sailor aboard Virgin Voyages. We are at the age where our kids are grown, and we appreciate this rule. I couldn’t agree more with most of the changes Virgin has made. Bright colors, a lively atmosphere, and first-class food and entertainment make for an exotic heart-pounding vacation.
Golf aficionados out there looking to combine a Virgin Voyage with more golf? We highly recommend you do what we did.
Trump National Doral
Before getting on the boat, we stopped off at Trump National Doral for breakfast and a round of golf on the famed Blue Monster. When sailing from Miami or Fort Lauderdale, Trump National Doral is a great option for extending your vacation and playing the best golf in South Florida. We had such a fantastic time at Trump Doral; we plan on going back to explore the resort and the other golf courses.
Final Score
Virgin Voyages will check all the boxes if you want to try something fresh, new, and EXCITING. A spectacular way to travel and explore new destinations, book your sailing now and take advantage of all kinds of savings as the cruise industry continues to bounce back following the COVID-19 shutdown.