Three nights in a Grand Luxe room at the St. Regis Bal Harbour - January 12-15, 2022

Kaleb and I had been doing cruises back-to-back to kick off 2022 - the first on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas in a Ben and Jerry's Sweet Suite, then on the adults-only Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady. Our Southern Caribbean cruise on Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas would depart three days after disembarking Scarlet Lady, so we needed a place to stay in the meantime. I had a lot of points saved up in various loyalty programs. After researching the different options, I decided to splurge on a room at the St. Regis Bal Harbour. Total cash price was close to $5,000; instead, I redeemed 285,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. Marriott points can be collected by receiving Marriott credit card sign-up bonuses, staying and spending at Marriott properties, or transferring credit card points like Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards into your Marriott account.

St. Regis offers complimentary breakfast for Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite members and above. I had already qualified for Platinum Elite last year, but if I didn't have that status, it can be obtained by simply having the American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant credit card.

After getting off Scarlet Lady, Kaleb and I took an Uber to the St. Regis. It was around 11:30am so our room wasn't yet ready. We walked around the hotel grounds only a short while before I got a call to pick up the keys. We were upgraded from our original ocean view king category to Grand Luxe oceanfront king. What nice digs!

Tour of Grand Luxe oceanfront king room:

Tonight, we had dinner reservations at 26 Sushi & Tapas, about a 10 minute walk south of the St. Regis. The restaurant was kosher, so no shellfish on the menu, but there were plenty of delicious options to choose from. We ate at an outside table on the sidewalk.

fish ceviche

rainbow roll

shishito peppers

truffle tiradito and lettuce wraps

The next morning, we enjoyed a complimentary breakfast buffet at the hotel restaurant Atlantikos. Everything was presented elegantly. There was even fresh honeycomb available. My pot of tea was served in a French press.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing on our balcony, enjoying the beautiful view.

Dinner tonight was at Le Zoo, a French bistro located in the Bal Harbour Shops, an easy walk right across the street from the St. Regis. Despite the high menu prices, the restaurant was very casual with a bustling atmosphere. Many tables were situated on the sidewalk adjacent to the busy mall parking lot. The atmosphere wasn't ideal but each dish was presented well and very tasty.

scallops, foie gras

branzino, truffle pasta

Friday morning, we had another lovely buffet breakfast at Atlantikos.

Returning to the room, Kaleb and I each performed the proctored BinaxNOW AG Covid tests over video call just like we had done for our Freedom of the Seas cruise. Imagine my surprise when my test came out positive! I didn't feel sick at all. Unfortunately, this meant that I would not be able to board the cruise tomorrow morning. Kaleb's test was negative; he could still go on the cruise without me, but he wasn't going to do that. After entering the positive result on the Royal Caribbean app, my check-in was denied as expected and I had to call Royal Caribbean to cancel the cruise.

Since we were no longer going on Odyssey of the Seas, we had to alter our flight home to leave a week earlier. It was easy to change to the new flight and pay the difference in points through the Southwest app.

We stayed in for the remainder of the day.

Tonight, we ordered room service for our last dinner. The meal was enjoyed on our balcony. The room service attendant set up the table with placemats, silverware, bread plate, etc., just like eating at a sit-down restaurant.

After checking out at 11am the next day, we took an Uber to the Miami airport. Our flight didn't leave until 3:15 pm, so we passed the time at the Turkish Airlines lounge, with complimentary admission provided by Priority Pass. Due to the pandemic, food was ordered online using a QR code. We happened to be there right when it switched from breakfast to lunch/dinner, so we had options from both menus.

And that was the end of our back-to-back cruise-a-thon! I was able to rebook the missed cruise, heading to Alaska in May, so we will be sailing again in a few months.

What's next? Next month, Kaleb and I, plus my parents, will travel to Hawaii - first at Marriott's Waiohai Beach Club in Poipu on the island of Kauai, followed by Marriott's Wailea Beach Resort on Maui...stay tuned!

(Missed reading about our sea day on Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady? Click here! Don't miss a single update! Click here to subscribe and have the latest delivered straight into your inbox...opt out anytime.)

***

If you came here from a Facebook or Twitter link, thanks for clicking the "Facebook Like" button at the top of the page or retweeting!

Don't miss a blog entry!  Sign up for updates direct to your inbox here or add the blog to your RSS feed.

Getting excited reading about these trips and want to go?  Contact me at kat (at) yellowdogtravel (d0t) com with your ideas and I can help you plan it!  Or if you've already put a deposit on a cruise through the cruise line, contact me to get more information on transferring the reservation to me to get bonuses like extra onboard credit or gifts.  I have lots of happy repeat clients - references always available.

Another disclaimer:  The intention of this blog was to remind Future Me in full detail about where I went and what I did. I could have made it private, but I frequently get questions from family, friends and internet folks about how I planned things, got deals, etc., so instead of repeating the story over and over, I direct them here. If you are offended by anything I say or do, save yourself the discomfort and kindly click away from my blog. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!

Previous post: Dominican Daze cruise on Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady: Day at Sea, Dock House, Pizza Place, Test Kitchen, Razzle Dazzle

Dominican Daze cruise on Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady: Day at Sea, Dock House, Pizza Place, Test Kitchen, Razzle Dazzle - January 11-12, 2022

Trip Index

• Embarkation, Pink Agave
• Bimini, Extra Virgin, Day at Sea, The Wake, Gunbae
• Puerto Plata, The Wake, Scarlet Night
• Day at Sea, Dock House, Pizza Place, Test Kitchen, Razzle Dazzle

***

Our last day on Scarlet Lady was at sea. Five days was not enough to try every dining option on board, so I prioritized. For lunch, we stopped by the Dock House, serving Mediterranean bites. We found seats outside to enjoy the ocean view. The restaurant's description boasted of a roving mezze cart, but was nowhere to be found. Our server brought over three pre-portioned bowls of appetizers, which were a bit dry on the edges from sitting out.

beet hummus, califlower couscous, walnut pom dip

We ordered some items off the grill menu.

hangar steak

chicken thigh, shrimp, polenta, octopus

Our favorites were the grilled octopus and shrimp. Many small bites add up - I was stuffed! The Dock House is a nice place to enjoy the sunshine and sea breeze.

After lunch, Kaleb and I visited the arcade again and did some shuffleboard.

For second lunch, we headed over to the Pizza Place, serving made-to-order personal pizzas. Just outside the entrance was an automatic hand-washing station. When your hands were detected under the nozzle, soapy water came out, followed by rinse water, then a paper towel was dispensed...pretty cool!

The menu had the usual: cheese, pepperoni, vegan, plus a few others. We shared a delicious white truffle and egg pizza, which took about 15 minutes to prepare.

Afterwards, I had a massage appointment at the Redemption Spa. There were unisex (private) changing rooms, unisex (private) showers and lockers.

All gratuities are included on Virgin Voyages, including spa treatments. It felt strange to walk out of the spa without signing anything or being hard-sold any products. My massage was relaxing. Too bad the Thermal Suite (which includes steam room, sauna room, hot tubs, etc.) isn't included with treatments; separate paid pass is required.

A rare event occurred today - the ship lost power and started slowing to a halt. It took a while since Scarlet Lady had a lot of momentum, but eventually we were dead in the water. Good thing it was during the day, though there was emergency lighting active. Remember I mentioned at the beginning of this trip that Virgin Voyages refrains from making announcements? During the blackout, status updates were periodically delivered over the PA system. After a couple of hours, Scarlet Lady was back up and running. To make up for the inconvenience, ship-wide "happy hour" was offered from 5:30pm to 7:30pm - free drinks for all! This was perfect as we had a 6pm dinner reservation.

The Test Kitchen is an unconventional venue. The set menu is vague - it only lists the main ingredient for each course, such as "Egg" or "Beef". Picky eaters may not enjoy this place because of the mystery. The hostess only asks about food allergies, then diners are left to anticipation. I'm sure the kitchen would make substitutions if you weren't a fan of the main ingredient.

Kaleb and I received a complimentary welcome drink (don't remember what it contained), then we were led to counter seats overlooking kitchen staff preparing food. Our server suggested glasses of champagne - sure, since it's happy hour! We also ordered a couple of specialty cocktails off their drink menu. The only food choice we made was venison or beef for the main. Let the taste bud symphony begin...

First course was "Mushroom". It was a creamy mushroom pate, molded into that familiar shape, served with thin crispy toasts. I saw staff pull the bread out of a temperature-controlled warming drawer. The toasts were so good, we had to get seconds. Great start to the meal!

Second course was "Egg". Peas and egg yolk were served under a smoke-filled glass cloche, providing dramatic effect upon removal. The peas were a little crunchy but at least they were fresh.

Third course was "Scallop". The broth was poured over by the server. This was a lovely bite - I could've eaten a few more. The scallop was perfectly cooked.

Fourth course was "Venison/Beef". Kaleb and I both chose venison, medium rare. It was perfectly cooked. The sauce was poured over after presentation. I also enjoyed the potato gratin side.

Fifth course was "Cheese". It was a blue cheese semifreddo (cold) dessert. It was an interesting texture - not my favorite, but it was fun to try.

Sixth and final course was "Chocolate". How can one go wrong with a decadent fudgy cake? It was rich and delicious.

Overall, it was a fun dinner and we enjoyed the food. Since the portions weren't too big, we didn't feel overly stuffed. During this sailing, Test Kitchen only served one set menu, so I wouldn't have eaten there again too soon. At the time of this writing, Test Kitchen currently has two omnivore and two vegetarian menus that rotate, so it would be possible to return to the restaurant multiple times during a cruise.

We finished our meal a little after 7pm, so we had time to get a few more happy hour drinks from a nearby bar. 

Luckily, we found an open karaoke room to enjoy our libations and pass the time before the first show started.

We had two show reservations tonight; the first was Never Sleep Alone, held in the Manor. This was an adult-oriented show - not for prudes! There was no nudity, but a lot of suggestive content. Entering the venue, we were asked if we would like to participate in the show...uh, no thanks! We were then led to seating further from the stage, saving the chairs up front for willing guests. All the tables had masks and...condoms. It made me think of the movie Eyes Wide Shut.

At the start of the show, the audience was to introduce themselves to someone they didn't know of the opposite sex. Kaleb and I spoke briefly to a couple standing near us. The man was tipsy and handsy around my waist! The rest of the show was non-interactive, except when a few guests were pulled up on stage. Pictures and video were prohibited during that portion since it would be embarrassing if it got out to the public. In summary, it was a hilarious show and I recommend it if you can handle the adult content.

Afterwards, Kaleb and I attended the Duel Reality show, held in the Red Room. For this performance, the space was configured like a school gym with bleachers/seating on opposite sides.

Duel Reality was a re-telling of Romeo and Juliet in a sort of Cirque du Soleil style. The show was entertaining and poignant. I was impressed with the flexibility of the Red Room to support different show styles.

The next morning was disembarkation time...boo hoo! We didn't have enough time to try dinner at Razzle Dazzle, so we had breakfast there. Though it is a veggie-forward restaurant, meat is served but is considered a "naughty" selection.

dinner menu example

The apple cruffin (muffin-shaped croissant) was delicious. We also had the sage Impossible sausage patty, wild mushroom frittata, and acai bowl. I couldn't resist being "naughty" and had a side of smoked salmon.

Overall, we had a nice breakfast at Razzle Dazzle - don't let the veggie-forwardness deter you from trying it out. Besides, many standard breakfast options are vegetarian, such as eggs, toast, oatmeal, pastries and waffles.

Since we didn't have a plane to catch, we leisurely disembarked the ship after 10am. There wasn't much of a line for customs in Miami at that time. We grabbed an Uber to the St. Regis Bal Harbour in Miami Beach, as our next cruise on Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas would depart in a few days (so not exactly back-to-back).

What a great first Virgin Voyages cruise on Scarlet Lady! Five nights was not enough to take advantage of everything on the ship. We missed a few food venues such as the Social (serving fairground eats like pretzels, hot dogs, milkshakes, fudge), Sun Club Cafe (serving poke bowls), and Razzle Dazzle at dinnertime. We also didn't have any time for trivia or catch a live music set. If you enjoy food, want an adult-only vacation or looking for a different way to cruise, give Virgin Voyages a try. You can even redeem Virgin Atlantic points for a cruise whenever it pops up on the Virgin Red app. American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One, Citi Thank You and Bilt points can transfer over to Virgin Atlantic.

Next, we'll be enjoying 3 nights at the St. Regis Bal Harbour...stay tuned!

(Missed reading about going over waterfalls in Puerto Plata? Click here! Don't miss a single update! Click here to subscribe and have the latest delivered straight into your inbox...opt out anytime.)

***

If you came here from a Facebook or Twitter link, thanks for clicking the "Facebook Like" button at the top of the page or retweeting!

Don't miss a blog entry!  Sign up for updates direct to your inbox here or add the blog to your RSS feed.

Getting excited reading about these trips and want to go?  Contact me at kat (at) yellowdogtravel (d0t) com with your ideas and I can help you plan it!  Or if you've already put a deposit on a cruise through the cruise line, contact me to get more information on transferring the reservation to me to get bonuses like extra onboard credit or gifts.  I have lots of happy repeat clients - references always available.

Another disclaimer:  The intention of this blog was to remind Future Me in full detail about where I went and what I did. I could have made it private, but I frequently get questions from family, friends and internet folks about how I planned things, got deals, etc., so instead of repeating the story over and over, I direct them here. If you are offended by anything I say or do, save yourself the discomfort and kindly click away from my blog. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!

Previous post: Dominican Daze cruise on Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady: Puerto Plata, The Wake, Scarlet Night

Dominican Daze cruise on Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady: Puerto Plata, The Wake, Scarlet Night - January 10, 2022

Trip Index

• Embarkation, Pink Agave
• Bimini, Extra Virgin, Day at Sea, The Wake, Gunbae
• Puerto Plata, The Wake, Scarlet Night
• Day at Sea, Dock House, Pizza Place, Test Kitchen, Razzle Dazzle

***

Today, Scarlet Lady docked at Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. It was our first time in the country. We were going on the Damajagua Waterfalls excursion offered by Virgin Voyages. I looked into doing it independently. Though admission tickets were cheap, transportation was not as it was far from the port...better to go on the cruise line's excursion and not risk missing the ship.

view from our balcony

Breakfast was in the Galley. The bakery and sweets station offered some items that I did not see at other times of the day.

Yogurt parfait boxes were available at Bento Baby. You rarely get fresh berries on the mainstream cruise lines.

Also rare: avocado, smoked salmon, and Terra Chips.

Our excursion instructions said to meet at the port, but it was such a long walk to where the tours were gathering that we weren't sure if we were going the right way. Eventually, we found an area with signs for all the different tours.

We were given two wristbands; one for admission and one for the lunch buffet. After waiting a bit longer for stragglers, we were led to a comfortable, air-conditioned bus to take us to the waterfalls. Still in pandemic mode, everyone was required to wear face masks on the bus.

Arriving at the site, we divided up into group A and group B. Everyone got fitted for helmets, life jackets, and water shoes (if needed). The pair of aqua sneakers I was wearing (like these) was accepted by the staff as it was closed-toed. Kaleb had to change from his Tevas - they didn't have a pair big enough for his feet, so his toes were crammed. Our excursion fare included lockers to store our personal belongings.

Photos were also included in the price - a Damajagua Waterfall photographer documented our group's experience from start to finish with a GoPro. A link to the photos and videos was sent to everyone via email a week after the excursion.

At this point, you may be wondering what happens at the waterfalls? We ride them down! Thus the need for all the safety equipment - many years ago, someone drowned from getting stuck under one of the churning waterfalls during high water due to the lack of a life jacket.

There wasn't much water during our visit, so 7 of the 27 waterfalls were running. In fact, the highest waterfall drop wasn't available, so we had to make do with a man-made platform 25 feet in the air.

To go down waterfalls, we would need to hike up. Everyone was provided a cold bottle of water. Humid weather and steep trails (including stairs) could be exhausting for those who aren't used to a lot of exertion.

Group A making their way up:

After about an hour, we reached the end of the hike and convened for a safety briefing. We couldn't wait to get into the water since it was hot!

Our first "waterfall" was jumping from the man-made platform. Most of the group did it; it took me a while to gather courage to jump off, so I didn't join in until people went a second time. It felt like a long way down!

Kaleb's jump:

My hesitant jump:

The waterfalls after that were pretty fun. There was an 18-foot leap, but it didn't seem so bad after that first jump. We waded through the river or walked on wooden stairs and bridges to get to each one. If someone didn't want to do a waterfall, there was always a way to get around it.

Group A at the end:

Afterward, we had a simple buffet lunch on site.

Overall, the Damajagua Waterfalls excursion was fun and I would recommend it to adventurous folks. It may be better during rainy season when more waterfalls are flowing, but that could be an all-day excursion - best if you were staying at a nearby resort, or if your cruise docked overnight.

Tonight, we had dinner at the Wake. The dishes were scrumptious. I had never seen bone marrow on a cruise ship menu before.

sample menu

warm bread with softened herb butter

roasted bone marrow

hamachi crudo

king salmon with sides

filet mignon

"The Wake" dessert

Tonight was Scarlet Night, when the entire ship becomes a big party and everyone is encouraged to wear red. Various areas of the ship were decorated in a funky manner, and a lot of the lighting was red-tinged.

spiral staircase lit up red with octopus inflatables

Short clips of around the ship:

We attended an entertaining comedy show by Tamar Broadbent in the Manor. The venue was very up close and personal, with a mirrored starlit entrance. In the late night, the Manor becomes a nightclub.

Later in the evening, the Scarlet Night pool party was underway. People were dancing in the shallow ends, and even opting to jump into deeper water in all their clothes! It was fun to people-watch.

I thought Scarlet Night was a fun event, even with our low occupancy. Imagine a full ship! The description of Scarlet Night hints that if you stay up 'til the wee hours, you may get invited to a secret party somewhere on the ship. We turned in early, so we didn't find out.

Tomorrow is our last day, at sea. We try to explore the rest of the ship - I can already tell that five days is not enough for a Virgin Voyages cruise...

(Missed reading about our time at Bimini Beach Club? Click here! Don't miss a single update! Click here to subscribe and have the latest delivered straight into your inbox...opt out anytime.)

***

If you came here from a Facebook or Twitter link, thanks for clicking the "Facebook Like" button at the top of the page or retweeting!

Don't miss a blog entry!  Sign up for updates direct to your inbox here or add the blog to your RSS feed.

Getting excited reading about these trips and want to go?  Contact me at kat (at) yellowdogtravel (d0t) com with your ideas and I can help you plan it!  Or if you've already put a deposit on a cruise through the cruise line, contact me to get more information on transferring the reservation to me to get bonuses like extra onboard credit or gifts.  I have lots of happy repeat clients - references always available.

Another disclaimer:  The intention of this blog was to remind Future Me in full detail about where I went and what I did. I could have made it private, but I frequently get questions from family, friends and internet folks about how I planned things, got deals, etc., so instead of repeating the story over and over, I direct them here. If you are offended by anything I say or do, save yourself the discomfort and kindly click away from my blog. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!

Previous post: Dominican Daze cruise on Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady: Bimini, Extra Virgin, Day at Sea, The Wake, Gunbae