Virgin Is Launching its First Cruise Ship—And It’s Only For Adults

The cruise market is booming. From new ships and destinations to incredibly luxe round-the-world sailings, it begs the question: “What will they think of next?”

Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Voyages are here with a fitting answer. Virgin Voyages’ inaugural cruise ship, the Scarlet Lady, will set sail from Miami and tour the Caribbean in rock-star style beginning in 2020.

This ship is only for adults over the age of 18. It’s a bit like the ultimate spring break on the high seas. “Virgin has always avoided stuffy formalities and brought a lot of excitement and a bit of rebelliousness to our customer experiences,” Branson said in a press release.

The Scarlet Lady comes with “rebellious luxe” offerings for up to 2,770 passengers. Leave it to Branson to think of everything savvy travelers might want during their cruise. Where else on the open sea can you find a tattoo parlor, a blow dry bar and a luxurious spa? The answer was nowhere, until now.

Fabulous Flavors

Guests will also have their pick of dining outlets, ranging from steak and seafood to an upscale Mexican taqueria and more. When it comes to cruise cuisine, Virgin Voyages wants guests to “dine wherever you want, whenever you want, in whatever way you want.” Just like a rock star.

For quicker meals, there is a 24-hour diner, pizza parlor and a food hall. The test kitchen might be the highlight, though. Here, guests will select from a list of ingredients and the chef will whip up a surprise dish. It would be very difficult to go hungry.

Rejuvenation Station

The Redemption Spa serves to balance out indulgent meals and help guests relax. In addition to a full menu of treatments, it has a hydrotherapy pool, mud room, salt room, cold plunge and quartz beds.

That’s not all. After hours, the spa really heats up with evening spa parties complete with a DJ in the thermal suite.

Creative Cabins

With so many options, it will be hard to get any sleep during a voyage on the Scarlet Lady, but the cabins might convince even night owls to seek out some shut-eye. The rock-star-worthy suites have views of the ocean from every corner, an outdoor shower and decadent beds. Plus, the upper-end suites include a specially designed champagne table to fit an ice bucket within reach of loungers and hammocks.

A More Inclusive Cruise

If an adults-only cruise is too restrictive for you or you can’t bear to leave the whole brood behind, there are exciting new family-friendly cruise ships on the seas as well. The massive Symphony of the Seas from Royal Caribbean is the best alternative for the whole family. What makes it special is the Ultimate Family Suite — the only cruise cabin with a two-story slide, royal genie and game room.

Would you want to set sail on Virgin’s luxurious adults-only cruise?