If you know Brian and I, you know that we love to travel. We’d taken road trips and flights but never cruised. Over the years, I’ve booked at least 3 cruises and canceled them because we just knew that we weren’t cruise people. We both enjoy flying into destinations and getting to know the locals and eating lots of local food! Cruising just didn’t sound like it would be for us. That couldn’t have been further from the truth for us! Back in September, we took a couple’s trip with 2 of my college friends and their husbands. We spent about a year planning a Virgin Voyages cruise. I really didn’t know what to expect, but we had the best time.

Brian and I hopped on a flight to Miami the day before our cruise. We ran into a really cool Uber driver who gave us some restaurant suggestions for our time in Miami. After arriving in Miami, we checked into the Loews Miami and met up with everyone for brunch! We spent the rest of the day strolling around Miami. Pastries at Rosetta, delicious ice cream at Salt & Straw and drinks by the tv at the hotel completed our day in Miami!

Boarding the Scarlett Lady was a breeze! Our room was perfect for the two of us. We unpacked our bags and headed up to the top deck for the sail away party. The vibe was amazing! We watched as the ship pulled out of Miami and then headed to dinner with friends. All of the restaurants were awesome, but my favorites were Gunbae and Pink Agave. Between dinner and shows, we played trivia, sang our hearts out at karaoke and took a really fun VHS exercise class. There was never a dull moment.

We woke up early most mornings and relaxed on the balcony. Just listening to the ocean while lying in the hammock was beyond relaxing! It was one of my favorite things about the entire cruise. Bimini Beach Club was my favorite port of call! We caught a trolley over to the beach club and grabbed beach chairs right by the ocean. We spent the morning on the beach and then headed back to the ship just before a storm rolled in.

This cruise was just what we needed and we can’t wait to plan our next one! Here are a few highlights from our time as sailors!