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
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Today, Scarlet Lady docked at Bimini in the Bahamas, specifically North Bimini island. Beautiful turquoise waters surrounded the ship.
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| view from our balcony |
We had breakfast in the Galley, ordering omelettes with sides of bacon. The self-serve sushi area was stocked with assorted bento boxes filled with "regular" fruit, "tropical" fruit, or a combo of fruit, yogurt and granola.
Virgin's Bimini Beach Club was located about a mile from the cruise port. Complimentary shuttle service was provided. There wasn't any mention about needing to bring towels. It turned out that beach towels were handed out when we disembarked from the ship, and could be exchanged for fresh ones at the beach club. There was no need to check out towels like on other cruise lines.
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| Scarlet Lady is sleek |
19-second clip of part of the club:
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| fun inflatables at the pool |
Suite guests get admission to a section of the club called the RockStar Retreat, where there are more comfortable chairs and servers to bring you food and drinks. No one was policing access, probably since there were so few people on the cruise.
The wind was strong so the ocean wasn't very inviting. It didn't deter Kaleb from taking a dip though.
We spent the day relaxing and reading on the beach. There were plenty of lounge chairs and umbrellas available.
Lunch was self-serve for non-suite guests. Individual portions were plated and placed on counters for the taking.
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| almost everything on the menu |
Even though it was windy, flies swarmed our table. Other than that, the food was scrumptious, especially the curries.
Later that evening, bonfires would be lit inside spheres mounted on the sand. But we had to get ready for dinner, so Kaleb and I took the shuttle back to Scarlet Lady.
Tonight's dinner was at Italian-inspired Extra Virgin restaurant.
It was nice that pasta could be ordered in half portions, so we could try more items on the menu.
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| focaccia, charcuterie, calamari, carpaccio |
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| pork cheek, gnocchi, bucatini |
We chose to have affogatos for dessert (gelato with pour-over espresso, topped with condiments), served tableside. It was a popular choice as servers wheeled the affogato cart all over the restaurant.
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| tableside affogato |
We also got a complimentary shot of a sweet digestivo to end the meal.
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The next day was at sea. Kaleb and I went to The Wake for brunch. Usually serving steaks and seafood in the evening, the restaurant opens on sea days to provide an elegant brunch service. "Bottomless brunch" libations were offered for $25, a good value for those who can take advantage.
Every dish was plated beautifully and tasted fresh and vibrant.
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| fennel and citrus salad |
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| pork belly benedict with bone marrow hollandaise |
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| "egg in a hole" |
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| coconut panna cotta in a chilled bowl |
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| crepe cake |
Did you know that the bed in the cabin could be transformed into a couch? You could request the cabin steward to do this via the app, or do it yourself, which is what we did. The drawers at the base held all of the bedding. It was nice to have seating during the day to watch the NFL playoff games.
We really enjoyed sitting on the hammock, watching the ocean go by. It can be tricky to get into it, but all you have to do is gather it into a swing and sit on it first, then extend the net under your thighs towards your toes.
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| hammock not fully extended here |
A little afternoon snack from the Galley take-away:
Tonight's dinner would be at Gunbae, serving Korean barbecue. The entrance to the restaurant was at the back of the Galley. The tables were set up for large parties, at least 6 or more. Remember that we were still in the middle of Covid? I was surprised that the hostess wanted to seat our entire table of six. We and the other couple (two ladies) balked and we were able to stay a socially-distant party of four.
The nice part about Gunbae is that no one has to cook the food - the server does it for you. Everyone is able to enjoy the meal, versus someone stuck with the grilling duties.
Everyone got their own set of banchan to begin the meal.
Next, our table participated in a drinking game called 3-6-9. Our server poured everyone a complimentary shot of soju, then took turns counting from 1. If the number contains 3, 6 or 9, instead of saying it aloud, you clap. It gets complicated when there are double digits. If you accidentally say one of the clapping numbers aloud, you drink. It was pretty fun.
We ordered a few appetizers and our mains. Our server cooked everything for us.
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| chef's combo |
Overall, I thought the Korean BBQ experience was fun. We shared one chef's combo and one veggie combo, which was a good balance. However, I didn't think the meat was marinated well, but it could be due to keeping within acceptable tastes among passengers. Sauces were provided for added flavor, and lettuce leaves were available to make wraps.
After dinner, we attended the "Ships in the Night" production show in the Red Room. It's neat how this space can transform from a large standing-only room into a theater with seating. The show was not your traditional song and dance.
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Tomorrow, we arrive in Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic and get to slide down a bunch of waterfalls. It'll also be Scarlet Night, where the entire ship becomes one big party...stay tuned!
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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!
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