Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady vs Celebrity Apex

The Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady was built in 2021. It was renovated in 2024. This is an adults-only ship; all guests must be 18 or older. It's 1 year newer than the Apex, which was built in 2020 and renovated in 2025. The Celebrity Apex features the "Magic Carpet," a moving platform that makes using water tenders a breeze while in port, or adds outdoor dining space while at sea. This Edge-class of ship is known to feel quite different than the rest of the Celebrity fleet as it's less geared towards traditional cruise passengers.

Comparison Overview

• Ship Size
• Number of Passengers
• Food and Restaurants
• Bars and Drinks
• Pools and Hot Tubs
• Ship Features and Activities
• Cruise Costs
• Onboard Costs

Ship Size

The Scarlet Lady is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 912 feet long and 125 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.5 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 13-story building. Compared to the Celebrity Apex, the Scarlet Lady is 15% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady holds about the same number of passengers as the Apex based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Scarlet Lady has less space per person compared to the Apex.

Food and Restaurants

Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.

The Scarlet Lady has twelve different dining options like The Wake, The Galley, and Pink Agave. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare.

The Apex has six more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Luminae, Mast Grill, and Tuscan Restaurant. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other ten have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Apex might be a better choice. It has 50% more dining options than the Scarlet Lady.

If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Scarlet Lady might be a better choice then the Apex. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.

Bars and Drinks

The Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady has 8 more bars than the Celebrity Apex. The Scarlet Lady has 18 bars like Casino Bar, Sun Club Bar and The Athletic Club Bar. On Scarlet Lady, you can grab a drink at 10 different bars such as Cafe al Bacio, Craft Social and Magic Carpet Bar.

In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.

You can check out recent the bar menus for the Scarlet Lady and the Apex below.

Pools and Hot Tubs

Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady has a total of 2 pools and 6 hot tubs. 2 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.

Celebrity Apex has more pools than the Scarlet Lady and fewer hot tubs.

Ship Features and Activities

Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. You might up paying more while on board the Scarlet Lady. Only 55% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Apex, 67% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

Cruise Costs

Virgin Voyages and Celebrity are both considered "Premium" cruise lines. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 per person per day.

Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year.

Onboard Costs

Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.

Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.

The table below will help you compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.

Celebrity Cruise Lines offers an "All Included" program. Guests who book a cruise using this promotion will have wifi and alcohol included. Some sailings are available without this program so pay attention when booking. Typically prices are lower if they don't include "Always Included." The wifi and alcohol package are the base levels and can be upgraded for an additional cost.

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