Virgin Voyages painted the town of Sydney red last night for a Scarlet Night soiree to welcome Resilient Lady’s arrival to Australia. Karryon was on board for the party.
Making our way to Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal, we were soon caught up in seemingly a sea of red hues, following guests heading to Scarlet Night who were all wearing a ‘touch of red’.
The tireless founder of Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson, was the host of the night. The day before, he had sped along in a wooden speedboat, ushering Resilient Lady Night into Sydney Harbour; then scaled the Sydney Harbour Bridge to view her from above.
It was night two of the ship docked at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay, ahead of its inaugural Australian summer sailing season.
Along with members of the travel trade, travel media, officials from Destination NSW and numerous celebrities, more than 1,200 Australians also took the opportunity to head aboard, booking an exclusive ticket to the one-night event.
Famous faces in the crowd included Hugh Sheridan, Natalie Imbruglia, Sonia Kruger, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Lisa and Jess Origliasso from The Veronicas, Samantha Jade, Tim Robards, Erin Molan and star of Below Deck, Hannah Ferrier.
Guests received unlimited access to Resilient Lady, as well as a culinary preview of the brand’s six signature, Michelin-inspired restaurants.
We were all welcomed on board by colourful drag queens and served drinks and cocktails (the Commonwealth Spritz was a favourite).
My favourite part of the evening was taking in the first Australian performance of Persephone – an incredibly dynamic, entertaining and fun-filled immersive music performance that is sure to set the bar high for standards of cruise ship entertainment.
We stood stage side as dancers performed all types of acrobatics around us, dangling from hoops overhead, writhing past us in the audience and in one set, danced in futuristic, crown-to-toe shimmering silver metallic outfits.
All pumped up and suitably in the signature Virgin party-vibe, we took a tour of some of the cabins and suites available for viewing. The crowd favourite was of course the Massive Suite, positioned at the most forward part of the ship. At 199 square-metres, it promises a haven for literal and wannabe rock stars – with its own outdoor hot tub, a personal music room fitted with several guitars, and a generous marble bathroom with a freestanding soaking tub.
Guests then made their way to the outdoor The Dock area, enjoying views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House. With little fanfare, Sir Richard Branson made his way quietly into the area.
Wearing a red blazer and taking the microphone, he stood on one of the couches for guests to have a better view.
“Ultimately, it’s the wonderful crew that make Virgin Voyages sing every day,” he said, acknowledging surrounding crew members.
“We don’t have kids on board,” he said, which drew a loud applause from the crowd.
“My grandkids don’t agree with you all. They were so pissed off with me that they set up a petition, picketing at my house… ‘we the kids demand access to Virgin Voyages’. But I’ve just told them, they’ve got to grow up, but not grow up too fast! When they reach 18, we’ll have a party with them all on board.
“I started the idea of Virgin Voyages when I was in my 20s and having a ship for under 30-year-old –which I thought would be a lot of fun. Then it became under 40-year-olds, under 50-year-olds and under 60-year-olds! And now it’s just for anyone who is young at heart and enjoys life,” he said.
After dining at Extra Virgin on premium Italian cuisine, we made our way to the Scarlet Night poolside party.
Dancers were performing in unison around the pool, all beneath the glow of a giant red octopus. The female DJ on the decks was rocking a tight red dress and keeping the crowd’s vibes high as guests joined dancers in the pool and shimmied away into the early hours.
On 11 December, Resilient Lady will embark on her Aussie MerMaiden voyage from Melbourne on a five-night trip that will give Sailors a taste of Tasmania with stops in Burnie and Hobart.
For more information, visit virginvoyages.com