Virgin Voyages has released images of the suites that will be available on the Scarlet Lady, the first of four ships coming from Sir Richard Branson’s new cruise line.

The Scarlet Lady will launch in 2020 with 78 suites designed by Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio. Inspired by mega-yachts and rock-and-roll style icons like Grace Jones, these suites blend Dixon’s iconic retro-futurism design with nautical elements and rebellious luxe.

“Virgin has always avoided stuffy formalities and brought a lot of excitement and a bit of rebelliousness to our customer experiences,” said Branson, founder of the Virgin Group. “With these glamorous suites, Virgin Voyages is bringing rock and roll to the high seas and spoiling our ‘Sailors’ like the rockstars they are.”

“We have combined brilliant design and Virgin Voyages’ epic Sailor experience vision to create a completely new version of luxury—Rebellious Luxe, which is at the intersection of luxury and a rebellious attitude that makes everything we do different, indulgent and meaningfully relevant to our Sailors. Whether they want to sleep all day, praise the sun with yoga at dusk or party all night, our RockStar Suite Sailors can live out their fantasies aboard the Scarlet Lady,” said Tom McAlpin, CEO of Virgin Voyages.

A New Escapist Realm

According to Dixon, he and his team were intrigued to be appointed to rethink some of the most interesting spaces on a ship. It provided “a very rare opportunity to delve into a completely new escapist realm,” he explained.

The RockStar Suites are situated at the top of the Scarlet Lady. Configured to maximize the view of the ocean, many of them feature a “peek-a-boo,” all-marble shower with dichroic glass window carved in the centre so “sailors” can look out at the ocean. In addition, each suite’s sea terrace has a specially-designed champagne table, stargazing loungers and Yellow Leaf brand, sustainably sourced hammocks.

The suites deep blue colour palette, which is accented with iridescent dichroic elements, echoes the tones of the sea and sky. Luxury yacht-inspired elements include real leather finishes, marble-clad bathrooms and Terrazzo flooring. Nautical brass is used in a beauty counter and bedhead lighting. A vinyl turntable provides a nod to the rock-and-roll theme. The suites also have bespoke Tom Dixon furniture, automatically-adjusting mood lighting, tablets to control lighting, premium linens, upgraded bath amenities and a European king bed.

Fifteen of the 78 suites are Mega RockStar Suites. Located on the 15th floor of the ship, they are aptly named Fab Suites, Post Suites, Gorgeous Suites and Massive Suites.

The Massive Suite

Two 2,147-square-foot Massive Suites are at the pinnacle of the ship’s accommodation offerings. These suites sit atop the Scarlet Lady’s bridge and feature a range of special features, including:

• A music room stocked with guitars and an amplifier, which can also be used as a second bedroom.
• A living room with an oversized circular couch and adjacent in-room bar.
• A bath and dressing room with a hot tub, vanity area, two full-sized wardrobes and a marble-clad bathroom with peek-a-boo shower overlooking the bedroom and out to sea.
• A large terrace with a private hot tub, Peek-A-View outdoor shower; a circular conversation pit, a lookout point with stargazing loungers, two full-length hammocks and a runway outdoor table, complete with staircase to the tabletop, for dining and dancing.

Put it in Your Rider

Virgin Voyages completes the rockstar experience by offering RockStar Suite “sailors” a range of exclusive services. These include:

• early access to onboard entertainment, restaurants and shore excursions;
• private transfer to and from the ship in Miami;
• an exclusive express VIP pathway to the ship during embarkation;
• a personal wardrobe team to help them unpack and pack;
• complimentary pressing service and nightly express swimsuit drying service;
• and a reimagined mini bar with the first round on the house.

They also have access to Richard’s Rooftop, their very own private members’ club.