Trip estimate from $3,650 CAD per person, based on double occupancy

A little South Beach. A little true crime. Five nights at sea. Plenty of story potential.

This is the full adventure.

We start with three nights in Miami — enough time to arrive properly, explore, eat something excellent and get into a little after-dark nonsense.

Then we board Scarlet Lady for five adults-only nights built around Caribbean stops, Virgin’s regular food-and-fun goodness and special true-crime programming from iHeartPodcasts.

The theme gives us the excuse.

The vacation is still the point.

We’re arriving early because gambling your entire vacation on a same-day cruise connection is not the kind of adventure we’re selling.

The Miami portion will stay intentionally loose.

Think:

• a well-located hotel
• Little Havana
• Art Deco Miami
• good food
• an after-dark experience worth leaving the hotel for
• time to wander without turning Miami into a checklist

We’ll give you options.

You decide what sounds good once you’re there.

Then it’s time to sail.

Board Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady, settle into your cabin and unpack once.

Virgin already does cruising a little differently: adults only, strong food, nightlife, entertainment and very little interest in making you follow a traditional cruise schedule.

For this sailing, they’re adding special true-crime programming from iHeartPodcasts.

Expect things like live podcast recordings, behind-the-scenes conversations, meet-and-greets and themed programming alongside Virgin’s regular onboard experience.

Exact programming is controlled by Virgin Voyages and may change.

Clear water, beach time, snorkelling, wandering or finding somewhere sunny and accomplishing absolutely nothing.

Virgin offers optional Shore Things if you want something structured.

You are also allowed to simply go to the beach.

Revolutionary.

Virgin’s private beach-club experience in the Bahamas.

Pool. Beach. Music. Food.

A very compelling argument against productivity.

This is where the true-crime programming fits beautifully.

It is also where naps, long lunches, shows, spa appointments, pool time and staring dramatically at the ocean fit beautifully.

You do not need to attend everything.

Actually, please don’t.

We’re building this adventure around a Sea Terrace cabin.

You’ll have your own private terrace and Virgin’s signature red hammock — excellent for coffee, hiding from people and quietly reconsidering someone’s alibi.

Other cabin categories may be available depending on your preferences, party size and current inventory.

We’ll show you the options before you authorize anything.
Current estimate includes cabin, gratuities, a $300 bar tab, and $50 sailor loot.

• genuinely enjoy true crime, mysteries or investigative storytelling
• want something more interesting than a generic Caribbean getaway
• like adults-only travel
• appreciate good food, nightlife and social energy
• want some organized experiences without an escorted-tour schedule
• value having room to wander
• are cruise-curious but needed a better reason to actually go

• true-crime subject matter makes you uncomfortable
• you want a very quiet or traditional cruise atmosphere
• you prefer every day scheduled for you
• you want an all-inclusive resort-style alcohol package
• social, entertainment-driven travel sounds exhausting rather than fun

There are lots of good vacations in the world.

We don’t need to force you onto the wrong one.

Easy to moderate.

There will be walking around Miami, the ship and ports, but this isn’t designed as a physically demanding trip.

The bigger consideration is energy.

There will always be more available than you need to do.

Choose the podcast session.

Skip the podcast session.

Go to dinner.

Go to bed.

Sit in the hammock and ignore everybody.

Still counts.

Virgin includes quite a bit in the voyage fare.

Your sailing includes:

• dining across 20+ eateries
• onboard entertainment
• Wi-Fi
• group fitness classes
• non-pressed juices
• soda
• still and sparkling water
• tea and drip coffee
• access to The Beach Club at Bimini
• included True Crime Voyage programming

Your final booking documents will confirm the exact inclusions attached to your fare.

Unless specifically shown in your final itinerary or booking, plan separately for things like:

• alcoholic beverages and premium drinks - beyond included bar tab
• optional Virgin Shore Things and excursions
• spa treatments
• specialty purchases
• personal expenses
• travel insurance
• anything else not specifically included in your confirmed booking

Miami accommodations, transfers, flights and any pre-cruise experiences will be clearly identified in your final trip details.

No mystery charges disguised as adventure.

This is not a situation where we hand you a cruise confirmation and say, “Good luck in Miami.”

Second Shift coordinates the trip as one adventure.

That includes:

• current Virgin Voyages cabin and fare options
• promotion review
• Miami hotel planning
• flight strategy
• transfers
• pre-cruise experiences
• routing and timing
• trip itinerary
• practical pre-departure guidance
• keeping the group moving in roughly the same direction

We’ll also tell you what is worth adding — and what you can comfortably skip.

The goal isn’t more itinerary.

It’s fewer annoying loose ends.

Planning estimate from $3,650 CAD per person, based on double occupancy and flight estimates from Calgary.

That estimate is based on the trip structure shown here: three nights in Miami plus the five-night Scarlet Lady sailing.

Your actual total will depend on things like:

• your departure city and airfare
• current cruise fare and promotions
• cabin category
• Miami hotel selection
• optional activities and upgrades

Before you commit to travel purchases, we’ll confirm the current options and show you what your version of the trip costs.

No surprises.

No mystery math.

This trip is priced based on shared accommodation.

Come as a couple, friends, sisters, cousins, travel buddies — whatever works for you.

Travelling solo? Absolutely. A single supplement may apply depending on the hotel and cabin selected.

We do not offer roommate matching.

We’re building a great trip, not running a college dorm.

Second Shift Adventures provides the full travel-advisor service for this trip.

We plan the trip, source the options, coordinate the bookings and keep the moving pieces organized.

For travel costs — including flights, hotel, cruise fare and individual activities — we’ll send you a quote to review and authorize.

Once you approve it, we handle the booking and coordinate the payments on your behalf, with payment going directly to the applicable travel supplier.

You are not being handed an itinerary and a pile of links to figure out yourself.

You approve.
We book and coordinate.
You show up and enjoy the trip.

A $250 CAD per person non-refundable Crew Fee is required to confirm your place in the group.

The Crew Fee covers the planning and coordination behind the trip, along with shared pieces that need to be arranged for the group as a whole.

That may include:

• trip planning and routing
• group logistics and communication
• shared transportation or transfers
• selected group activities or experiences
• supplier costs that need to be paid collectively
• one or two special Second Shift moments along the way

Once your Crew Fee is paid, we move from the big-picture adventure into your actual trip.

We’ll work through your cabin, flights, hotel, transfers, timing and other booking details with you, then send each option for your review and authorization.

From there, we take care of the bookings and coordination.

Your full itinerary comes together as part of that process, with everything organized in one place and clear instructions for anything you need to approve along the way.

The detailed working itinerary is part of the Second Shift service, so we don’t publish the full trip plan before you join the crew.

You don’t have to build the trip. You just have to decide if you want to come.

Join early and you get a say in how some of the fun parts take shape.

We’ll build the core structure of the trip, then bring the crew into decisions around optional group activities, shared experiences and the extras worth adding.

Some activities will be offered as join-in options, not mandatory group events.

Want in? Great.

Not your thing? Skip it.

This is a group trip, not a field trip.

If this sounds like your kind of trip, request a spot.

We’ll confirm the practical pieces first:

• who’s travelling
• your cabin preference
• where you’re flying from
• current pricing and availability
• anything we need to know before we build your version of the trip

If it looks like a fit, your $250 per person Crew Fee confirms your place in the group and we take it from there.

Requesting a spot does not book travel, hold a cabin or guarantee pricing or availability.

Also fine.

If you like the structure of this adventure but would rather travel on your own dates, with your own partner, friends or crew, reach out.

We can build a private version for you too.

Same idea.
Your people.
Your dates.
Your trip.

Travel for the story.

Second Shift Adventures is powered by Fora Travel.
Susan Robinson is an independent travel advisor with Fora Travel.