“Yeehaw!” I yell as I whip along at about 20mph looking at endless skinny-skyscraper trees and lush greenery below, my stomach lurching and every nerve ending standing to attention. Although I dislike heights, I’ve agreed to this zip-line adventure on the island of Roatan, just off the coast of Honduras, and can feel the adrenaline pumping around my body, creating a sense of terror and excitement.
“Well done, Mum,” laughs my 20-year-old daughter, Lara, as I whizz onto the platform where she is waiting for me. She is beaming broadly and clearly having the time of her life. But there is no time to bask in her praise as she is already being clipped on to the next high wire, which stretches deep into the jungle ahead, and seconds later is leaping into the air, yelling “See ya!” behind her.
Over the course of 90 minutes, Lara and I and some 15 or so other passengers on Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady undertake a lengthy course of ten zip lines through the tropical rainforest. It’s an exhilarating excursion and worth the cost (£80pp) — Lara and I can’t stop chatting about it as we take the minibus back to the ship. We’re drenched to the skin and splattered with mud as there has been heavy tropical rain all morning, but such was the buzz that we scarcely noticed the downpour.
And that is exactly what I’d been hoping to get from sharing this six-day voyage with Lara, who is on a reading week during her final year of university — that it would give us some precious mother-and-daughter time. Lara had not set foot on a cruise ship before and was thrilled at the prospect of visiting four countries — the US, Mexico, Honduras and the Bahamas — on this six-day Western Caribbean Charm itinerary, though I was slightly concerned that she might find herself surrounded by people much older than her.
I needn’t have worried. Compared with the few other cruises I’ve taken, Scarlet Lady’s 2,770-capacity crowd is very diverse. Yes, it’s adults only and the majority are Americans, with a smattering of Brits and other Europeans, but their ages span from twenties to sixties and there is a mix of ethnicities, sexualities, shapes and sizes. And we’re far from alone in being a parent-and-child combo.
While Lara’s pick of the excursions is ziplining, as a history-lover I’m in my element when we visit the Mayan ruins of Chacchoben in Mexico, dating from AD700 (£78pp). Despite another drenching during this outing — unseasonal cloudbursts during what is supposed to be the country’s dry season — the rain doesn’t dampen the cheery and brilliant commentary of our guide, Diana Garcia, who suggests that “perhaps we could perform a human sacrifice or two to keep the gods happy and bring out the sun”, like those of the ancient civilisation. Her explanation of the Mayan pyramids, how they were built on top of previous structures and used as places of worship, makes for a fascinating few hours.
To dry ourselves off and warm up when we’re back on board Lara and I head for a three-hour session in the thermal suite of the Redemption spa (£61pp). Drifting between the salt and steam rooms, sauna and various hot and cool pools proves very relaxing, and I fall fast asleep when I lie down on the heated marble hammam bench. I only come to when Lara shakes me awake, as she doesn’t want to miss out on the final part of the experience — slathering ourselves with “healing” mud. The 15-minute coating in brown gloop while sitting in steam is more appealing than it sounds — or at least the clean and pleasantly tingly feeling once it’s showered off makes it worthwhile.
It’s not our only visit to the spa as, during one of our two sea days, I treat us to a 75-minute massage each in the recently launched extra-large treatment room (£220pp). My request for a “full-throttle pummelling” and Lara’s for “gentle pressure” are heeded and we glide back to our cabin afterwards, all muscular tension having been skilfully worked away.
The treatment room is one of several additions from which Scarlet Lady, launched in August 2021, has recently benefited as part of its “glow-up”. Others include 24 new suites, six swish poolside cabanas, a Chinese-inspired menu in the Razzle Dazzle restaurant and a revamped coffee shop. What’s more, the risqué “participatory” show Never Sleep Alone has been quietly dropped.
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The party spirit, though, is as strong as ever. There’s just time for a quick rest and delicious takeaway from the Pizza Place (included, as are all the restaurants) because we need to get dressed and made up for the midweek highlight of the cruise: Scarlet Night. We’ve brought our glad rags specifically, and I’m happy we did — when we leave our cabin we’re faced by a sea of other passengers all dressed, like us, top to toe in red. It may sound gimmicky, but putting our scepticism and British reserve aside it’s great fun seeing a whole ship of people wearing the same colour and obviously up for a party. The mood is gloriously upbeat.
A couple of excellent espresso martinis under our belt in the Grounds Club bar (£11 each) and we’re ready to hit the dancefloor in the aptly named Red Room, and we don’t stop for the next three and a half hours as the DJ keeps everyone happy with a soundtrack of hits from the past four decades. I manage to notch up no fewer than 14,500 steps with my disco moves, which my daughter may find hilarious, but there’s no shortage of fellow passengers willing to boogie with me.
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Mind you, the next day I feel the aftermath with a few new aches and pains in my limbs, and wonder whether signing up for a bungee fitness class — something neither of us has done before — is the best idea. Fortunately, it’s so much fun bouncing in a harness fixed to the ceiling while trying everything from push-ups to squat jumps that my dancing twinges are soon forgotten. Lara and I even manage to follow the instructor into an upside-down hold — possibly not the perfect position with a hangover, but the class is over before any serious consequences occur.
During our voyage we also try out spin classes and high-intensity interval training — both included and as good as any I’ve attended in the UK. The gym also impresses with the quality of its machines and the number of them — there’s never a need to queue.
Not that we focus excessively on the body beautiful during the voyage. Our enthusiasm for the gym is largely driven by the need to work up an appetite, as there’s a plethora of restaurants from which to choose. Our favourites are Extra Virgin, an Italian with authentic pasta dishes, and the Wake, so called because it’s at the back of the ship.
Not only does the latter look uber stylish, with cream leather seating, plush carpets and crisp table linen, but the food and service are akin to a Michelin-starred dining room. Lara’s herb-stuffed chicken and my hanger steak — with sides of brown-butter-roasted wild mushrooms, twice-baked potato with caramelised onions and asparagus with guindilla sauce — are flawless. Yes, there are dishes on the menu that come with additional price tags, such as lobster and oysters, but it’s no hardship opting for those that are included.
Another of our on-board highlights is the show Duel Reality, a jaw-dropping dance and acrobatic spectacle loosely based on the story of Romeo and Juliet. The cast truly earn their standing ovation and, had time allowed, we would happily have gone to see it again.
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Indeed, the only disappointment of our week is that freak weather conditions mean our day at Virgin’s beach club on Bimini, in the Bahamas, is positively chilly. High winds result in our longed-for swimming with stingrays excursion being cancelled at the last minute (£93).
Still, we go for a dip in the turquoise ocean and jump the waves for a while. And that we don’t see a single stingray gets me off the hook with a half-promise I made Lara — to get matching stingray tattoos at Scarlet Lady’s Squid Ink Tattoo Parlor as a reminder of our trip (£155pp).
It would have been my first inking. “It’s always worth saving something for next time,” I say, consoling her yet scarcely disguising my relief.
Gaby Huddart was a guest of Virgin Voyages, which has six nights’ full board on its Western Caribbean Charm itinerary aboard Scarlet Lady departing on November 9 from £1,415pp, including soft drinks, wi-fi, gym classes and crew tips (virginvoyages.com). Fly to Miami
