CHARTROOM SHIPS MAIL

THE LADIES LOOK GOOD

letter of the month

I have read the letters about the new Virgin ships and wanted to comment on the recent letter of the month (SM, July). Firstly, it was stated that Scarlet Lady dispenses with a bulbous bow, but this is not the case. Her underwater form does have a bulbous base, although it does not protrude beyond the entry to the water.

I would suggest that rather than being too long, her bow is very short compared to that of a traditional liner. The fared coverings of the forward decks are taken right to the bow, meaning there is no open foredeck at all.

It was also stated that Virgin Voyages appeared to have ‘copied MSC Cruises Seaside class but failed’, but actually Scarlet Lady and her sisters are based on the Seaside concept at Fincantieri, albeit a smaller version, which is to be expected, as they originate from the same shipyard.