Virgin Voyages Shopping on Scarlet Lady: What stores are onboard?

Some people love going on cruises because of the shopping, and fear not, we are here to tell you all the shopping options available on Virgin Voyages, more specifically, the Scarlet Lady. 

Virgin is not like other cruise lines that offer daily deals for shopping, with different  departments going on sale. Instead, the price you see is what you get all the time on the cruise.

If you find an item you like, then go get it. If it’s sold out a few days later, the item may not get replenished until after your cruise. 

This is a part of our Virgin Voyages post series.

Our Virgin Voyages Cruise Series – the Ultimate Guides

• Why book a Virgin Voyages Cruise
• Virgin Voyages Restaurants Guide – what restaurants are there and where to eat onboard
• The ultimate guide to Virgin Voyages activities on the ship/What to expect during Scarlet Night
• Port Guide and shore excursions in Costa Maya 
• Port guide and shore excursions in Bimini/What to expect at the Beach Club at Bimini
• Virgin Voyages Shopping Options

Our Other Cruise Travel Series

• Two weeks in Alaska
• Rhapsody of the Seas (Royal Caribbean Cruise Review)
• Holland America Alaska Cruise Review (MS Noordam)
• Our First Ever Cruise (Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Seas Review)

Virgin Voyages Shopping Options 

Unlike some of the bigger cruise lines where the shops are multiple floors on the ship, there’s only one designated area on the Scarlet Lady called the High Street. 

Patterned after high street shops in the UK, the stores are designed to face the corridor, so you can browse easily. There are only a few actual shops, which we discuss below. 

Squid Ink

The first and only tattoo parlor onboard a cruise ship is located here. Apparently, the concept is so popular that you have to reserve in advance in order to get a tattoo onboard. 

Prices differ depending if you want a customized tattoo or if you select a premade pattern. You can book a reservation through the app but there is a non-refundable deposit of $150. Now, we have never had tattoos before but isn’t $150 for a tattoo pretty expensive?  

Dry Dock, Stubble and Groom & The Tune Up

If you need to get dolled up for Scarlet Night or have an occasion to celebrate onboard, the ship has its own salon called the Dry Dock and is located on the high street area (deck 6). You can get your hair done, or get them to do your makeup.  

Have a nail emergency? The Tune Up available for any manicure/pedicure needs. There’s even a barbershop onboard for the men called Stubble and Groom. 

The space for these salons are tiny, with only 5 spots or less for the salon, so it does get busy for a few hours before Scarlet Night. You can also make reservations on the app if you need to get a spot in. 

MAC Cosmetics 

Forgot your makeup on land and need replacements to use onboard? Fear not, there is a MAC Cosmetics shop onboard. The prices are comparable to land prices, but they don’t carry the land exclusives. 

If you are a fan of paint pots, the shop does not carry them either! So much for saving a few dollars on taxes by picking one up from the ship! 

The shop does makeovers upon request and seminars throughout the sailing, but space is limited so show up early. These spots are standing room only. 

Alcohol Shop

What cruise ship is there without an alcohol shop onboard? My husband and I checked it out and they have a limited selection of alcohol and spirits, but the prices are $5 cheaper than land prices. 

They also carry British brands that you may not often get in specialty shops like Total Wine. Perfect for those who want to bring home some unique spirits for their home bars. 

Various Branded Items  

There’s a jewelry store, high end bags, cosmetics, shoes, and clothing available throughout a few different shop fronts and they cater to different types of goods. 

Prices are high since these are luxury goods, and sizes and design selections are not readily available. I think that overall, the prices are cheaper than on land since you save on taxes, but not sure if the ship carries the latest fashions/collection if that is your sort of thing. 

We skipped browsing these stores since we do not really like branded items. We do try to live frugally as part of our pursuit for financial independence. 

Virgin Voyages Brand Store 

The most popular store on the ship is the Virgin Voyages brand store. Here, you can get a lot of branded Virgin Voyages items. This shop has the perfect souvenir that you can take home from your cruise. 

Our personal favorites are the rubber ships of Scarlet Lady ($12 each and comes in gray and in red), the Octopus notebook ($12) and a Scarlet Lady coaster ($6). 

You can get t-shirts, bags, and other branded merchandise from this store. What other store would you want? True enough, there’s always more people in this store compared to the others. The prices are not so bad, and it is a good way to remember your trip. 

The Essentials

Forgot your sunscreen? Toothpaste? Deodorant? The Essentials have it all. Of course the prices are more expensive than what you would get from land but in a pinch, this store comes in handy. 

There was someone on our ship whose airline lost his bag and he needed to get a whole load of items from the store. He did manage to get the basic necessities, although not as many selections as on land. You can opt to get stuff from CVS, Walgreens, and even grocery stores on land. There’s a Whole Foods within a 10 minute car ride from the ship docks that you can Uber to if you still have time. 

There is a very small selection of books available at the Essentials so try to bring your own reading material when you go on the ship. This shop is also the place to get the Never Sleep Alone companion book. Watch the show! Read more about the entertainment options on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady. 

Then again, would you even need physical books if you have free WiFi on the ship? 

The store on the aft of the ship

Not sure what the name of the store is, but it specializes in higher end items like toys, clothing, accessories, and shoes.  

The store hours vary and the stuffed toy prices (if you’re a collector, like I am) are a bit steep – at around $20 per item for a tiny toy! You can also get Alex and Ani jewelry from the store, and a few higher end purses, clothing, and shoes. 

This ship is along the corridor on Deck 7 on the way to the Dock House so you won’t miss it! Still a good place to browse, I would say. 

The Virgin Voyages record store

We thought that the record store would hold a big variety of items but nah. There’s only a small rock section, very little pop, and less than 30 titles onboard. You can listen to some of the records while onboard. 

The hours vary but if there’s a DJ playing, chances are, the store is open. Located in Deck 7, near the Roundabout area of the ship. This is one of the first stores you will see when you embark on the ship for the first time from Miami. 

There is a special edition vinyl which is only available on the Scarlet Lady. The vinyl itself is red, compared to black on most vinyls, and costs $70! Forgot which band and album it’s about but I found it really expensive!

Are you going to shop in any of the Scarlet Lady/Virgin Voyages stores? 

You can use your bracelet to pay for anything onboard and if you have Sailor Loot, these items will automatically be deducted from your balance. No need to worry about paying per individual transaction, everything will be listed on your final bill before you disembark. 

I just realized we didn’t take many photos of the shops while we were onboard since we didn’t spend too much time in them. Oh well, will take more photos and update the post the next time we go onboard in Dec 2022.

Hopefully this post helped you plan which stores you will hit when you get onboard. Which one is your favorite store so far?