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Posted on 14.10.2019

Design led travel

We are cruise virgins and, as anyone who follows us will know, not very good at booking ourselves a holiday (we haven’t taken a proper holiday in about 5 years). We love what we do, design is our passion, so when we got the opportunity to combine cool new interiors, a London fashion week party, a stop in the bucket list destination of Portofino, with our first time on a cruise ship (albeit unfinished) – how could we not get rather excited and start packing some extremely impractical shoes?

Read on as we head off to the shipyard in Italy to take a look at the new design led approach Virgin Voyages are taking to their latest cruise ship, the Scarlet Lady.

The trip begins in London though, with a stay at the Sea containers hotel, the perfect setting to get us in sea faring mood.

The launch of Brit fashion designer, Gareth Pugh's new uniforms for Virgin Voyages at an ultra glam party that perfectly set the tone for the parties that will happen when the ship sets sail next year.

We wake up with slightly hazy heads to go to Italy, where the ship is being constructed. We don't take holidays often as we said, so the sight of the sea is giving us life!

And the hotel, just outside Portofino is next level, old school italian glamour.

Then, the main event, we are so excited to get into our regulation jumpsuits and hardhats (eventhough the temperature is through the roof), worth it to go see our first ship yard and cruise ship mid construction.

The scale of is all is mind-bogling. The Scarlet Lady in all her glory. Getting made up, ready for her close-up next year. The ship's interior is still being constructed, so we see the spaces and design renders to get a feel of the experience.

One restaurant, named Razzle Dazzle, by design studio, Concrete Amsterdam, caught our eye not least for the bold decor, but also because it serves vegan food. Ahead of the game.

The Pink Agave restaurant will serve modern Mexican cuisine and is designed by Brit icon, Tom Dixon. Entrance way looking like it's going to be mega insta-worthy.

There is even a wicked theatre (lilac curtains anyone), designed by Roman and Williams. If you don't know their work, go check them out. It's going to be epic.

The interiors have been designed by these world renowned design teams with the specific aim of making the spaces feel design led, not like any other cruise you may have seen.

We were not the type of people who would or have ever taken a cruise, but I guess that is the point. We have gone from cruise virgins to cruise converts, when it is this beautifully designed. The ship will set sail next spring and you can book short trips or longer trips, so it is going to be easy to dip your toe in the water (couldn’t resist).

We end our trip with a sail around the coast of Liguria to get our sea legs. It was a total dream and we look forward to getting out on the sea again sometime.

Click the link here, to find out more about Virgin Voyages and the Scarlett Lady.

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