Virgin Voyages' to add RockStar Suites to first ship Scarlet Lady

Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady will have multiple categories of RockStar Suites, which will offer features such as Peek-a-Boo showers, a sea terrace with a champagne table, a full bar, mood lighting, vinyl turntables and more.

Created by Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio to deliver “rebellious luxe”, the 78 suites have been configured to maximise the ocean views and have been inspired by “yachting glamour” and the Virgin brand’s rock and roll heritage. All suites will have a deep blue colour palette with iridescent dichroic elements, king-sized beds, bespoke furniture designed by Dixon, marble-clad bathrooms, Terrazzo flooring, brass “glam stations” and mood lighting that automatically adjusts to match the time of day. In-room tablets will also enable sailors (Virgin’s term for its guests) to adjust the room’s lighting to suit their needs.

“We were intrigued to be appointed to rethink some of the most interesting spaces on this ship,” said Dixon. “A very rare opportunity to delve into a completely new escapist realm.”

Scarlet Lady will have 15 Mega RockStar Suites, including two 2,147-square-foot Massive Suites atop her bridge. Highlights will include a circular oversized couch in the centre of the suite; an in-room bar; a music room with guitars and an amplifier; and a dressing room area with a hot tub, a vanity space, two full-sized wardrobes and a marble-clad bathroom. The bathroom will have an all-marble Peek-a-Boo shower with a dichroic glass window carved in the centre so users can see the bedroom and ocean. Each suite will also have a private outdoor terrace with a Peek-a-View outdoor shower, a hot tub, a circular conversation pit, a lookout point with stargazing loungers and two full-length hammocks. Sailors can also climb a staircase to the top of the runway outdoor table for dining and dancing.

The other Mega RockStar Suites – named the Fab, Posh and Gorgeous Suites – will also have indoor Peek-a-Boo showers, a bar with a personalised selection of beverages and a sea terrace with stargazing loungers, sustainably sourced hammocks and a specially designed table that has a central slot for an ice bucket.

“Virgin has always avoided stuffy formalities and brought a lot of excitement and a bit of rebelliousness to our customer experiences,” said Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group. “With these glamorous suites, Virgin Voyages is bringing rock and roll to the high seas and spoiling our sailors like the rockstars they are.”

Sailors in all of the RockStar Suites will be tended to by a dedicated RockStar Services Crew throughout their cruise and they will also have a wardrobe team to help unpack and repack their suitcases, press their clothes, and dry their swimsuits each night. They will also be able to visit a private outdoor members club called Richard's Rooftop and gain early/backstage access to onboard entertainment and restaurants. Other benefits will include a private transfer to and from the ship in Miami and an exclusive express VIP pathway to the ship during embarkation.

“We have combined brilliant design and Virgin Voyages’ epic sailor experience vision to create a completely new version of luxury – rebellious luxe – which is at the intersection of luxury and a rebellious attitude that makes everything we do different, indulgent and meaningfully relevant to our sailors,” said Tom McAlpin, CEO of Virgin Voyages. “Whether they want to sleep all day, praise the sun with yoga at dusk or party all night, our RockStar Suite sailors can live out their fantasies aboard the Scarlet Lady.”

Scarlet Lady will also boast nine well-being spaces, a nightclub, a tattoo parlour and much more. The vessel will be powered by engines, hybrid exhaust gas cleaning systems, selective catalytic reduction systems and integrated navigation systems from Wärtsilä and Azipod gearless propulsion systems from ABB.

The ship will debut in winter 2021 and homeport at a newly built dedicated cruise terminal at PortMiami in Florida, US.