We are still not over it.
From Sunday, October 25 to Saturday, October 31, 2026, 135 Divas boarded Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady in Miami for Girlfriends Cruise 2026, and for seven days that ship belonged to sisterhood.
Red swimsuits. Red pajamas. Red everything. New girlfriends who felt like old girlfriends by dinner on night one. Mothers and daughters. Best friends who have been rocking together since they were 8 and 14 years old, now in their 60s and still showing up for each other. First-time cruisers who came nervous about motion sickness and left saying, I found my tribe.
If you were there, this is your scrapbook. If you missed it, this is your sign.
Because Girlfriends Cruise 2027 is already boarding, and we want you on it.
[Girlfriends Cruise 2027: October 16 to 23, 2027, Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. Save your cabin here: https://thetraveldivas.com/trip/girlfriends-cruise-2027/]
Girlfriends Cruise 2026 at a Glance
- Ship: Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady
- Dates: October 25 to 31, 2026, Miami roundtrip
- Ports: Grand Turk, Puerto Plata (Taino Bay), Dominican Republic, and Bimini, Bahamas
- The Divas: 135 women, plus our host team led by Kimberly Corbett (Sparkle) and Latonya Carter
- The color: Red. All week. On purpose.
Day 1: Sail Away, Welcome Cocktails, and the Pajama Jam
Embarkation day at Terminal V, PortMiami had that first-day electricity. Airport selfies. Port selfies. First drinks on board. Balcony hammock reviews, and yes, a few Divas nearly took themselves out trying to get in and out of that hammock for the first time.
By 4:45 PM we were on Deck 15 for the Sail Away Party. At 5:00 PM, Miami got smaller and the group chat got louder.
That night we gathered on Deck 16 at the Athletic Club for our Travel Divas Welcome Cocktail Reception, then we closed night one the only way a Girlfriends Cruise should: an 11:00 PM Pajama Party. Silk, satin, onesies and bonnets. Detroit came in coordinated. A few Divas loved it so much they created their own second pajama night later in the week because they had missed the first one.
Day 1 lesson: you do not need a plus-one you already know. Your people are already here.
Day 2: Sea Day, GFC Tees, and Find Your Tribe
Monday was a sea day, and we made it a uniform day. Every Diva in her Girlfriends Cruise tee, all day, all over the ship. That is how you spot your sisters at the pool, at the spa, and at the bar.
At 1:00 PM we met at Extra Virgin for our Diva Meet-Up: name tags, questions answered, and the start of what the hosts kept asking all week:
Have you found your tribe?
By the end of that meet-up, introductions had turned into tribes, tribes had turned into dinner plans, and dinner plans had turned into spades challenges in the Social Club on Deck 7. That spades table became a whole recurring character on this cruise.
Divas spent the rest of the sea day exactly how a sea day should be spent: Redemption Spa appointments, fitness and yoga classes, rooftop pool time, and putting that bar tab to work.
Day 3: Grand Turk, a Photo Challenge, and Gunbae Night
Tuesday morning we woke up in Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos. Soft white sand, calm turquoise water, and a slower island pace.
The hosts turned the port day into a game with the Grand Turk Photo Challenge: toes in that famous turquoise water, a selfie with one of Grand Turk’s free-roaming donkeys (respectful distance, no feeding), and a full squad photo, bonus points for matching outfits. Congratulations to our winner, La’Tunya Rene, who collected her prize at the Farewell Cocktail Hour.
Some Divas toured the island, some found Jack’s Shack for lunch, and one tour bus breaking down on a small hill became one of the funniest photo dumps of the week. That is cruising with girlfriends. Even the detour becomes a story.
That night, the whole group took over Gunbae, Virgin Voyages’ Korean BBQ restaurant, in seatings across the evening. Table after table posted the same review in different words: great Divas, great conversation, great fellowship. One table loved their server Stan so much he got his own shout-out. If you have never cooked, laughed, toasted and played drinking games over a grill with women you met 48 hours ago, you have not done Gunbae the Girlfriends Cruise way.
Day 4: Puerto Plata and Scarlet Night
Wednesday we arrived in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, and Divas chose their own adventure: Taino Bay, ATV riding, a Puerto Plata tour, shopping in the DR, beach time at Playa Dorada, and for a few wise Divas, staying right by the ship pool and calling that the excursion.
Then we painted the ship red.
Scarlet Night is Virgin Voyages’ signature red night, and Girlfriends Cruise was built for it. From 7:00 to 7:45 PM our photo crew worked four glam stops around the ship: Deck 7 by the Coffee Shop and Social Club, the bottom of the white stairs on Deck 6, the top of the white stairs on Deck 7, and Sailor Services on Deck 5. Solo shots, girlfriend shots, group shots.
Post after post that night said the same thing: Scarlet Night was red hot, and the Divas slayed. Mothers and daughters dressed up together. The Detroit Divas posed together. One Diva summed up the whole evening in five words: I feel better in red.
Day 5: Sea Day, Real Talk, and a Farewell in Costume
Thursday was our last sea day, and it held two sides of this cruise perfectly.
In the afternoon: Zumba with Taris, bingo, poolside time watching a game with a daughter, OPA Hour at The Dock for food and fellowship, spades call-outs, and Conversations and Chats, our meet-up just to talk. That last one matters. Girlfriends Cruise is a party, and it is also women making room to actually connect.
At 7:30 PM we gathered one more time at the Athletic Club Bar on Deck 16 for our Farewell Cocktail Hour, and because it was Halloween week, the farewell came with costumes. Queen of Hearts, Cupid, and a full Sailors Costume Ball energy. Photo Challenge prizes were handed out, glasses were raised, and then the night kept going: the Halloween Party in the Red Room at 10:00 PM and the after party at The Manor at 11:00 PM.
We also celebrated birthdays all week long on board, including a Chapter 61 loading celebration on Friday morning. On a Girlfriends Cruise, your birthday does not get a post. It gets a whole ship.
Day 6: Bimini in Red
Friday, October 30 was the takeover you have seen in the photos.
DIVAS TAKE BIMINI: ALL RED BEACH DAY.
135 Divas left Scarlet Lady and claimed the Bimini Beach Club in red swimsuits. Group photo at the pool at 11:30 AM. Red in the pool, red on the beach, red everywhere the camera turned. Divas swam, lounged, explored the island, talked about stingrays and jet skis and golf carts, and soaked up one last Caribbean day together.
One Diva posted that a woman on the beach told her, your joy is contagious. That was the whole day, and honestly the whole cruise.
Back on board, Divas picked up their Travel Divas patches, our earned keepsake from this sailing, and started posting patch photos next to their 2025 Girlfriends Cruise Roxie patches. Collect them all is not a slogan here. Our Divas really do collect the moments.
Day 7: Home Safe, and Already Plotting the Next One
Saturday, October 31 we were back in Miami, and the group turned into a home-safe roll call: Detroit, Chicago, Indianapolis, New York, Jackson, Mississippi, Virginia, the Poconos, Springfield and Central Illinois, McDonough, Georgia, Charlotte, Los Angeles and more.
One Diva counted 138 new girlfriends. One booked Girlfriends Cruise 2027 the night before we even got home because she was not ready for it to end. One got stopped on MARTA in Atlanta by a woman who recognized her Travel Divas cruise tee and wanted to hear everything. Another counted 11 compliments on her shirt in Miami International Airport before her flight even boarded.
And the food reviews kept coming for days after we got home. The group could not agree on one favorite restaurant, which tells you everything: The Wake, Gunbae, and Razzle Dazzle, especially Lucky Lotus, its Scarlet Lady exclusive with Peking duck bao buns, crispy walnut prawns, wonton soup and sticky ribs at dinner and that brunch during the day. One Diva admitted she was still walking around her house with a plate looking for food stations.
First-timers said it plainest. One called it the best trip she had ever taken. One said every event was an opportunity for community and sisterhood. One thanked the hosts for being gracious, intentional and kind. More than one used the same word:
Tribe.
Thank You to Our Hosts
A Girlfriends Cruise runs on its hosts. Thank you to Sparkle, Latonya, SlimThick, Stephanie, Dana and Sandra, and to every host and crew member who checked on our Divas every single day, kept the meet-ups moving, kept the photo stops glamorous, and made sure 135 women felt looked after from Terminal V to Bimini and back.
As one Diva wrote on the last morning: it is the simplest acts of kindness that bless. Y’all did that.
You Missed 2026. Do Not Miss Girlfriends Cruise 2027.
Here is your second chance, and it is a West Coast edition.
Girlfriends Cruise 2027
- Dates: Saturday, October 16 to Saturday, October 23, 2027
- Ship: Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady
- Sailing from: Los Angeles, California
- Ports: Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Length: 7 nights, Sea Terrace cabins
- Who it is for: Adults only, 18 and up. Come with your girlfriends, your mama, your daughter, your sisters, or come solo and find your tribe on board. Roommate matching is available.
- Pack for this: Red pajamas, red swimwear, and red evening attire for our themed celebrations. Yes, the red tradition sails west with us.
- Plan ahead: Arrive in the Los Angeles area a day early, by Friday, October 15, 2027. Your passport needs to be valid through April 23, 2028.
Same sisterhood. Same red takeover. New coastline, new ports, new ship.
The Divas who sailed in 2026 got a head start, and some have already rebooked. Cabins for Girlfriends Cruise 2027 will not wait while you think about it.
[Save your cabin for Girlfriends Cruise 2027 here: https://thetraveldivas.com/trip/girlfriends-cruise-2027/]
Grab your girlfriend, your group chat, or just your own yes. We will see you in Los Angeles.
Girlfriends Cruise 2027: Your Questions, Answered
When is Girlfriends Cruise 2027?
Girlfriends Cruise 2027 sails Saturday, October 16 to Saturday, October 23, 2027, for 7 nights aboard Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady.
Where does Girlfriends Cruise 2027 go?
We sail roundtrip from Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Can I come alone to Girlfriends Cruise 2027?
Yes. Many Divas do. Between our welcome reception, meet-ups, group dinners and themed nights, you will not stay solo for long, and roommate matching is available if you want to share a cabin.
What should I pack for Girlfriends Cruise 2027?
Start with red: red pajamas, red swimwear, and red evening attire for our themed celebrations. Then add your cruise basics, and watch your email for the full group details about 60 days before we sail.
How do I book Girlfriends Cruise 2027?
Right here: https://thetraveldivas.com/trip/girlfriends-cruise-2027/
Ready, Diva? Girlfriends Cruise 2027, October 16 to 23, 2027, Los Angeles to Cabo, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. Book it here: https://thetraveldivas.com/trip/girlfriends-cruise-2027/
