Lady in Red

I loaded my suitcase into my car and made the quick 10-minute drive to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. As I headed to the airport, I realized that I was as anxious as a teenage boy going to his first high school dance.  Honestly, the circumstances were not much different. 

You see, I had a Lady waiting for me in Miami. Scarlet. And unlike a school dance, which only lasts for a few hours, I had plans to spend an extended period of time with her – 5 days to be exact. 

What makes this crazy was that I had never met Scarlet before. Sure, I had heard amazing things about her, and her Instagram pics were stunning, but this was going to be our first meeting. And what a meeting we had planned-romantic dinners, dancing, and even some quiet time to relax on our own private beach. What made this meeting even better was that Scarlet and my wife were already well acquainted. In fact, my wife had invited me to this meeting after spending the previous ten days with Scarlet.  My wife knew we would be a match.

These meetings don’t happen by chance. In fact, when the time came to meet Scarlet, I was given very specific instructions. 2pm on the waterfront. Of course, no self-respecting gentleman would ever keep a lady waiting, so I arrived early and was met by her entourage. 

I wasn’t at all intimidated, as they were all smiling and happy to see me, I truly felt like Scarlet was as excited to finally meet me as I was her. I was sent off for a quick screening to make sure I was healthy and able to do all the things she had planned for me over the next five days, then I was cleared to meet her. I was bursting with excitement at this point, but it was still only 1pm, and she wasn’t quite ready. After all, 2pm meant 2pm and who am I to question any lady who needs time to make herself look amazing? 

2PM arrived and I caught my first glimpse of her. Honestly,  I was floored. She was beautiful. Absolutely stunning. Decked out in mostly in gray with perfect accents of red, she was more beautiful in person than her photos could ever have portrayed. There was something decidedly sexy about this lady that set her apart from anyone else.  I couldn’t wait to get to know every square inch of her. Whatever she had to offer to me, I was ready for. 

I was greeted a few moments later with a huge hug from my wife. She whispered in my ear that I was about to have the best five days of my life. She couldn’t wait to help me get to know Scarlet. In fact, I hadn’t seen my wife this excited in a long time. 

First thing first, I had to get to know Scarlet better in person. What better way is there to do that than at a party? One thing Scarlet is known for is her parties, so when I was told to put on my swimsuit, I happily obliged and reported to her pool. Yes, there were others there, including her entourage, but I wasn’t jealous. Within minutes of arriving at the party,  the first of many flutes of bubbles were handed to me and I was dancing away to music provided by her private DJ. Everyone was having such a good time that I almost didn’t notice the jealous looks her older counterparts were giving us. Almost. 

Before we knew it a couple of hours had passed and it was time for dinner. Scarlet was hosting us tonight at one of the her most popular restaurants – did I mention she has over a dozen? – Gunbae. We were seated at a table in this Korean BBQ with four other friends of Scarlet by our private server.  Dinner conversation was light and fun, with all of us commenting on how amazing our host was. Scarlet spared no expense to make sure her guests were shown the time of their lives, right down to the melt in your mouth marinated kobe short rib, grilled to perfection right in front of our very eyes. 

Dinner was incredible, serving as an appetizer for what the rest of the night would bring. After a couple of adult beverages, Scarlet let it be known that we needed to get into our nightwear so we could be ready for an unforgettable experience. I knew it would be fun, but I didn’t fully expect her to have invited as many people as she did. This lady truly knew how to show people a good time, within minutes all of us were dancing with beverages in hand. I should have been jealous that I wasn’t getting her all to myself, but that emotion didn’t even factor into my mind as I was truly having the time of my life. Within just a few hours knowing Scarlet I came to the realization that she was a truly special lady, worthy of all the hype.

Morning came quickly and we woke up later than usual; no wonder after the previous evening’s fun. After a light but delicious breakfast (ok, maybe lunch), we decided to spend the day lounging by Scarlet’s pool. We made ourselves comfortable in a couple of poolside lounge chairs and were immediately checked in on by Scarlet’s staff to make sure we had beverages to quench any thirst we had. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing, napping, and drinking delicious beverages. We knew that if tonight was going to be anything like last night we would need to save our strength.

Once again, dinnertime arrived quicker than we imagined, we found ourselves at another one of Scarlet’s amazing eateries, this one called Test Kitchen.

Similar in concept to a high-end Tapas restaurant, we were treated to a delectable six course meal starting with one of the best things this food blogger had ever eaten, a mushroom pate. The next five courses came out with precision and perfect timing, Scarlet’s servers were truly on top of their game. While six courses may seem like a lot, in fact the serving sizes were such that I walked away satisfied but not feeling so stuffed that I needed to turn in early. I’m not going to review all 6 courses, as I don’t want to ruin the surprise for Scarlet should you be fortunate enough to spend some time with her; I will say that not only did each individual dish taste amazing, but also that they all balanced each other perfectly, assuring the meal was not only great but a great experience. 

Not being stuffed full has its advantages as we were fully prepared for another fun night with Scarlet. We made our way over to the Manor, Scarlet’s very own nightclub, for a very adult time. Now, you know I could give you the sultry details, but a gentleman never kisses and tells, let’s just say there was an atmosphere that is hot enough to have even the people with the coldest hearts needing to cool off. No, you shouldn’t visit if you are traditionally straight laced and dirty talk might offend you; yes, you should visit if past experiences with others claiming to be like Scarlet left you feeling empty and wanting more. At this point, a gentleman will fast forward to the next day, suffice it to say Scarlet managed to give us an incredible night.

A full night sleep left us waking up later than expected for the second straight day. At this point, Brunch was in order so we wandered into the Wake, another of Scarlet’s extraordinary restaurants. As with any successful brunch, we started with sweet pastries but then switched over to one of the few dishes clinically proven to cure hangovers: eggs Benedict. Only mine was no ordinary eggs Benedict; why use Canadian bacon when pork belly is an option? And why use plain old Hollandaise sauce when you can use bone marrow Hollandaise sauce? Top it with some sautéed spinach (Gotta be a little healthy, right?) and you have the cure for what ails you. Of course, the Spicy Bloody Mary’s certainly helped as well. All in all, we were feeling great, ready for a day of adventure and fun.

Scarlet was going to be tied up for the day (literally), so we decided to give her some private time. No worries though, it was quite clear that she was the ultimate hostess and was going to assure that we had plenty to do in her absence. Her entourage had already seen us safely to Nassau while we slept, and we were invited to spend the better part of the day there; we were assured we had plenty of time and Scarlet would be there waiting for us when we returned. We spent a couple of hours meandering around, we had declined some of the organized activities that she offered to her guests; a couple of cold beers and some Jerk chicken on the beach was really all we wanted at that point.

Although she had given us the whole day and into the early evening, we decided to return to her, knowing that she would once again show us the time of our lives. 

Dinner tonight was Mexican, and Scarlet gave us some of the best we have had at Pink Agave. Designed to be more traditional cuisine, we were treated to incredible fresh made guac with house made chips, street corn (so good we ordered seconds), chicken enchilada, Papas con Chorizo (Yukon gold potatoes with chorizo), Pato (roasted duck tacos with mole and smoked yam puree) and Cochita Pibil (marinated and smoked pork tacos). Of course, no Mexican meal would be really complete without tequila, and there were a lot of choices; we had just enough to get us ready for another night of partying. 

We made our way to another of Scarlet’s special places, the Red Room, and she showed us another amazing time. Maybe it was the tequila, but I was truly unaware that the human body was able to do all the things it did over the next hour, and I was even more amazed that so many human bodies were doing those things at once. I was left gasping at what I saw, yet more impressed than I had ever been. No one other than Scarlet would ever be able to pull something like this off, many similar to her had made similar attempts, but this was the real deal. I left the Red Room aghast at what I had just experienced. Again, just like the Manor, a gentleman wont kiss and tell, I can only encourage you to do whatever you can to meet Scarlet so she can show you the same great time she had been showing me.

Our time with Scarlet was getting short, we were only 24 hours away from returning to reality. I was already fantasizing about when the next time, I wondered more than once if she had plans for New Year’s Eve as I couldn’t imagine a sexier Lady to ring in the New Year with (of course my wife, but she was 100% in agreement with me). One thing about this very sexy Lady is that she knows how to party, and her guests can’t wait for her to top her last party. As much as I loved our time in the Manor and the Red Room, she also happened to have her own private beach club on the island of Bimini where rumor has it that she throws one hell of a beach bash. Today was the day I would find out of it were true.

Bimini is a small, sparsely inhabited Bahamian Island only 60 miles and a hundred years east of Miami. Normally reachable only by sea plane or high-speed boat, Scarlets peeps got us there safely and on time for a day of R&R or partying – my choice. The beach club was exactly what you would expect of a beach club of Scarlets capacity – amazing soft sand, teal blue tropical waters, two swimming pools, a couple of bars, a DJ spinning some fun party tunes and beach loungers for all. We settled in for a day of fun but mildly concerned about the large grey clouds that seemed to be creeping our way. We knew our time might be limited so we spend some time in the waves then relocated to the pool, unfortunately, as influential as Scarlet is, Mother Nature is just more powerful; the skies opened up and we retreated out of the elements. No worries though, any good adventurer has a Plan B, and Scarlet helped me (and my now sore back) with executing that plan. After a hot shower and a much-needed nap, she sent me to her spa where I received a bamboo massage (think deep tissue, only with what felt like a rolling pin). An hour later and I was feeling as good as new, ready for my last night with this amazing Lady.

I found myself starving. It’s funny how a couple of days of drinking and partying wear you down to the point where you could eat anything and everything. Scarlet anticipated this and let me know that we would be again eating at Wake, this time for dinner. It’s a well-known fact that the BaconMedic is a carnivore, and red meat is almost always the first choice. Scarlet informed me that I wasn’t going to be disappointed and at this point I knew to believe whatever she told me. Wake itself is the highest end restaurant in Scarlets portfolio, but it is certainly not stuffy the way other higher end restaurants present themselves. Elegantly casual would be my description, meaning there’s no need for a jacket, tie or fancy dress (I left my fancy dress at home by mistake anyway), but a guest can certainly dress to the nines if they want; while they might not say anything if you showed up super casual, I think that also might not be the best choice.

Anyway, let’s get onto the food. I may have mentioned in a previous blog (Who Says You Can't Go Home Again?) that I have developed a taste for oysters, so when we saw the option to have a raw bar tower, it was a no brainer.

On top of that, within minutes we had a wedge salad and bone marrow with toast; finally, we finished off with the showcase, an incredibly tender filet perfectly gilled to a medium rare. I was completely full, or so I thought, when the waiter arrived with the dessert menu; not wanting to be rude, I accepted the offer for cheesecake. As good as it was, my body finally called it quits. I reluctantly headed back to the room, hoping to not disappoint Scarlet. Thankfully, she was completely understanding as I settled down for the night.

I have to tell you, these 5 days changed me. Scarlet is an amazing Lady. Sexy, sleek, confident. She was the ultimate hostess, and unlike others similar to her, it felt very natural. Her posse was amazing as well. Unlike so many other entourages I have met in similar circumstances, these people were truly her family. They love Scarlet, and she loves them back. The entire experience felt so natural, so real. I know now that she will be the Lady that I compare all others with; not that I have any real desire to be with anyone else. 

Her general life attitude inspires loyalty and love, and while many people might think that 5 days isn’t enough to fall in love, I disagree. Sometimes you just know. I was missing something in my life and this beautiful Lady gave it to me and more. She seems to feel the same way about us as well, she invited us to come back and spend more time with her; we of course readily accepted and plan on ushering in New Year’s Eve with her and her extended family. March is my birthday, and we are already working on spending some time with her again. Am I moving too fast? Three times in just a few months? You might think so, but the truth of the matter is when you know, you know. Scarlet is my Lady.

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, Scarlet isn’t human, she is a ship. A big, beautiful cruise ship, the Scarlet Lady, the brainchild of billionaire Sir Richard Branson who formed Virgin Voyages.As a veteran cruiser, cruising had become stale for me. I would see even the most amazing itineraries on the newest ships and respond with a simple ‘meh’. I’m not alone in that feeling either, so many were tired of the ‘forced’ atmosphere and the often well-hidden rigorous agendas. Virgin Voyages is attempting to – and I believe will succeed – turn the cruise industry upside down. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at what you find. I know I was!

Have questions? Want to know what I loved or what I think can be improved? Get social with me on Instagram or Facebook.

To become a sailor on Virgin Voyages, contact Kathi at Stilo Travel at Kathleen@stilotravel.com or via phone at 603 305-2774. www.StiloTravel.com