Take a tour of my balcony cabin on Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady. It came with a hammock where I took naps next to the ocean.

• I paid $2,711 for a 5-night sailing on Scarlet Lady, Virgin Voyages' inaugural adults-only ship.

• I liked the ship and my XL Sea Terrace balcony cabin so much, I immediately booked another sailing.

• My room had a lot of space for one or two people, but I wouldn't share it with three. Here's a tour.

This past June, I went on my first Virgin Voyages cruise on the Scarlet Lady, with a 5-night itinerary from Miami to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, and to Bimini in the Bahamas.

Although I'm a seasoned cruiser, Virgin Voyages is a relatively new cruise line, and only for adults. So I was excited to try out the cruise line advertised as the ultimate in relaxation, thanks to a mostly all-inclusive approach, and no kiddos in the hot tubs.

But I think the best part of my trip was my XL Sea Terrace balcony cabin. I thought it had a spacious and contemporary layout with mood lighting, and I loved the cozy red hammock on the balcony.

Here's a closer look inside my stateroom, including who I think should book this type of room — and who shouldn't.

My balcony cabin cost $2,711, but included most meals and activities, plus taxes and port fees.

Virgin Voyages has its own terminal in Miami and I was counting down to when I would be there to sail on this new cruise line.

In late spring, I took the leap and booked directly on the Virgin Voyages website. I opted for an XL Sea Terrace, which is what Virgin calls their balcony rooms.

For $2,711, inclusive of taxes and port fees, I was set to sail on a 5-night "Dominican Daze" cruise.

My XL Sea Terrace cabin was located on Deck eight, port side.

When booking my stateroom category on the Virgin Voyages website, I read that "Like a hotel, we auto assign you the best cabin available in your category." I decided this meant I should keep an open mind since I couldn't select a specific room location as I have on other cruises.

It turned out the location was perfect for me, as I thought it was central to all the ship had to offer, positioned on deck eight, portside.

And while, yes, this is a starboard-side picture of my ship above — Scarlet Lady always seemed to dock starboard-side at the piers making it difficult to snap a pic of my balcony — on a mirrored image, this would be the exact spot where my XL Sea Terrace was located.

Inside, all the decks were clearly marked, making the ship easy to navigate, and I opened my room with a wearable band.

Most cruise lines I've been on note the floor that guests are on with a simple sign by the elevator. But on Scarlet Lady, each deck floor had larger quirky wall designs instead. I appreciated this extra attention to detail and never felt lost on the ship, as I have on other lines.

And instead of traditional keycards, Virgin Voyages uses The Band to open and close cabin doors. The Band is wearable technology that opens your stateroom door and also acts as your sea pass for making onboard purchases. I thought it made things simple by only having to use one item for both functions, and wearing a band was much easier to keep track of than a key card floating around in my day bag.

I also liked that guests could customize their bands with trinkets from the shops onboard. Though, I preferred the simplicity of the standard silver anchor on a rope wristband, which is provided for free at check-in.

I first thought the wristband might be annoying to wear, or would catch onto my clothing, but it was so weightless I hardly noticed it throughout the voyage.

Inside my room, I thought it was a spacious setup with a queen bed.

I traveled solo for this cruise and thought my XL Sea Terrace cabin was spacious enough with 265 square feet of indoor space, plus the outer balcony.

While I had a queen as opposed to a king bed, I still think it would have been ample room had I been with my spouse, instead. I also liked the high-quality white sheets and the dash of gold from an accent pillow.

If I were traveling with a friend, the bed could repositioned as two single beds, too.

There was also an option for a foldout lounger for a third guest, which could be good for travelers on a tight budget, though I think the room is too small for that. I prefer a bit more personal space, so I wouldn't share this room with two additional friends if it wasn't absolutely necessary.

I thought my room had a minimal, sophisticated look with softened hues. I also appreciated the smart use of technology.

First impressions mean a lot to me, and I immediately loved the peaceful vibe of my cabin.

While the Virgin brand is known for bright pops of color, particularly scarlet red, I was surprised to find that my cabin had softened hues that I thought made the space seem more intimate and laidback.

A clean white desk had space to work or put on makeup, and also served as a tech center with plenty of power outlets. The room also came with a tablet to control the TV or scan the day's events.

The desk came with a lamp for extra lighting, and was stocked with fresh water and ice that was replaced regularly, along with a phone to call housekeeping or guest services.

Each day my room attendants would ask if I'd prefer still or sparking water, and whenever I returned to my room, there was a fresh bucket of ice waiting.

The cabin's smart use of storage meant I had a place for everything.

The main storage area in my room was an open concept closet with plenty of hanging space and a stack of drawers to tuck away any other things. The closet didn't have traditional doors, but rather, a translucent screen for privacy, if desired. I liked that it helped me feel like I had a sense of order in my room.

I thought the drawers inside were sleek and hid my personal belongings well, while I had more hangers in my closet than I could use. Frankly, I had more closet space than was necessary, so I could see how sharing my room with a travel partner wouldn't cramp the storage.

Inside the closet were also two pool and beach towels that I could use onboard or take to shore. And while there were hundreds of towels available poolside, I liked having the option to bring my own on port stops without having to make an extra stop at the pool deck before disembarking.

Virgin's contemporary aesthetic continued into the bathroom, where I had a large counter with a shallow sink, a large mirror with ample lighting, and fluffy towels.

I thought the bathroom lighting was bright without being harsh, and that it was a great space for doing makeup and getting ready for the day.

At the bathroom sink was a charcoal soap, which I loved, as it was different from typical white bar soap I've seen on other cruise lines.

My cabin's bathroom also came stocked with dedicated face cloths for makeup removal, in addition to plenty of white bath towels. I thought the makeup face cloths were brilliant. This way, I never had to worry about getting the day's mascara all over my white linens.

My cabin's bathroom was actually unlike any I've experienced on a cruise ship, with opaque doors obscuring the toilet and shower for added privacy.

Most cabin bathrooms I've experienced on cruises have either been standard offerings where the toilet and shower are right next to each other, or sometimes, I've seen more doors separating only shower spaces .

But on the Scarlet Lady, the addition of opaque doors to both the shower and toilet added an upscale vibe, in my opinion.

The water closet, or toilet room, also had all of the essentials, including a shelf, which I thought was ideal for keeping my phone nearby.

I also greatly appreciated that I had a rainfall shower head.

The shower was an overhead rainfall-style shower, along with a handheld shower wand. The shower came stocked with toiletries, and an expandable wire rack was available for hanging swimsuits to dry.

I thought the shower's water pressure was some of the best I've experienced at sea.

In addition to the well-lit bathroom mirror, my cabin entryway had a full-length mirror, plus another one above the desk.

Alongside the mirror in the entryway were more storage hooks, which I used for hanging my beach bag at the ready for shore excursions.

The mirror by my desk also provided a nice mood lighting accent and reflected the airy lightness of my room, I thought.

Because I booked a balcony, I thought I always had a great view of the ocean, and loved being able to go outside.

My XL Sea Terrace balcony came with two chairs and a small cocktail table. The cocktail table was just large enough to hold a drink (or two) and a paperback. I thought the seats were wide and cozy, and I loved that I could savor ocean views from them.

My deck also had a hammock, which I loved for enjoying afternoon naps alongside the ocean.

On most cruises I've been on, my balconies have been pretty standard, with a table and chairs.

Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady set itself apart, I thought, by adding a cozy red hammock.

The hammock is a signature detail on Virgin Voyages and I was surprised by how often I used it. Most days, I would simply drift off for an afternoon nap while gently swaying in its comfortable oceanside embrace.

I thought my XL Sea Terrace on Scarlet Lady was super spacious, and I never felt cramped inside. I plan to book it again — and have — so long as I don't have more than one other person with me.

I thought my cabin room size and location offered the best value for my travels, and I had such a positive experience on this sailing, I already booked another trip on the Scarlet Lady.

I'd also gladly share the room with my spouse or a friend.

But I wouldn't share the XL Sea Terrace between myself and two others, simply because I prefer more personal space. I also think that reconfiguring the room to be a triple would cut down on the spacious, minimalistic vibe I loved so much about it.

For those larger groups, I'd rather book a RockStar Quarters suite, which range in size from 352 to a very generous 2,167 square feet.

Single travelers may also choose Virgin Voyages' solo sailor cabins that range between 105 to 177 square feet, but I didn't mind paying extra for a larger balcony room.

In the future, I plan to return to the balcony room. The smart use of space was appreciated, and I can't wait to fall asleep in that hammock again and again.

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