Virgin Voyages Announces Ship 3 Name and Itineraries

Virgin Voyages today announced its third newbuild will carry the name Resilient Lady and will set sail from Athens, Greece, embarking on two, seven-night itineraries starting in July 2022.

“Sailing in the Med is such an extraordinary experience, and we’re so excited to bring the adventure of a Virgin Voyage to this beautiful place,” said Sir Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Group. “I’m so proud of the incredible work the team has accomplished to introduce Resilient Lady.”

Further expanding on the brand’s presence in the Mediterranean, Resilient Lady will offer two European itineraries, including:

● Greek Isles Itinerary: Sailors can immerse themselves in Greek history and culture in Athens before island hopping to Santorini, Rhodes, Crete, and Mykonos. The Greek Isles itinerary will feature an overnight stay in Mykonos, offering Sailors a premier location and tender access to the picturesque promenade.

● Adriatic (with Greek Isles) Itinerary: Sailing out of Athens, Sailors will spend their second day at sea before docking in Dubrovnik the following morning. With a 2:00 a.m. departure from Dubrovnik, Sailors will be afforded plenty of time to experience the rich history of Croatia during the day and take part in the active nightlife along the Adriatic Sea before scenic sailing to Kotor, Corfu, and Argostoli.

“Welcoming Resilient Lady to our fleet and revealing these amazing itineraries sets the tone for the most memorable summer voyage,” said Tom McAlpin, CEO, and President of Virgin Voyages. “We know the time to travel is on the horizon, and Virgin Voyages is here so that we can keep dreaming of irresistible vacations ahead.”

Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady Has Completed her Sea Trials and She’s Looking Pretty Epic

Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady Has Completed her Sea Trials and She’s Looking Pretty Epic

Get a first-look of the new ship, along with behind-the-scenes action with Sir Richard Branson himself here...

She’s set to be one of the most exciting ship launches of 2020 (if not ever), and now finally, Scarlet Lady has completed her sea trials.

The debut ship from Virgin Voyages, Scarlet Lady, is set to launch in April next year but found her sea legs last month sailing from Genoa to Marseille, and then back again.

Setting sail on 15 November, Scarlet Lady sailed from Genoa to Marseille, before sailing back to Genoa on 27 November, arriving three days later.

Richard Branson joined the Virgin Voyages senior management, team

The man himself, Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson boarded the ship in Marseille, touring the ship with his wife Joan and children Sam and Holly.

CEO Tom McAlpin was also on board, along with Chief Commercial Officer Nirmal Saverimuttu, SVP of Design Dee Cooper and CEO of Virgin Atlantic, Shai Weiss.

During the excitement, Branson ceremoniously painted the outline of the Virgin flag on the hull of the ship where the Virgin Voyages logo will appear.

Sir Richard Branson looks delighted at his new ship

Sea trials show whether a new ship is smooth, stable and quiet, and will provide a comfortable sailing experience to those on board.

“We’re thrilled to have completed such a significant milestone with our Sea Trials and have our amazing crew to thank for their passion and tenacity in this achievement,” said McAlpin.

“We’re one step closer to getting our Sailors on the Scarlet Lady and are grateful for all that have chosen to join us on this adventure.”

Sir Richard even had a go at painting the outline of the Virgin Voyages flag…

Setting sail on her maiden voyage on 1 April 2020, Scarlet Lady is set to change the way non-cruisers view cruising, hoping to attract a younger, new-to-cruise audience.

The first sailing will have special celebrity guest appearances, events and surprises, as she sails around the Caribbean and Bahamian islands.

Virgin Voyages’ second cruise ship was also recently announced, with the line revealing Valiant Lady will sail around the Mediterranean in 2021…

Visit virginvoyages.com for more information.

Virgin Voyages Unveils Valiant Lady; 2nd Ship to Sail in Europe

Virgin Voyages announced its second ship will be called the Valiant Lady and that she will sail seven-night Mediterranean itineraries out of Barcelona, Spain when she debuts in May 2021.

Bookings for the three feature itineraries, that all offer overnight and late-night stops in destinations in France, Italy and Spain, will open December 19, 2019.

“We are thrilled to unveil the name of our second ship - Valiant Lady - and to deliver on our commitment to offering travellers a sea change in how they can experience cruising in this fantastic part of the world. Our Sailors will fall in love with the places we go and the moments and memories they will be able to create on our gorgeous ship. After all, there is no better way to sail the seven seas than doing it the Virgin way,” said Tom McAlpin, CEO of Virgin Voyages.

Virgin will offer three itinerary options from Barcelona. The first will call in Ibiza, Monte Carlo, Marseille and Olbia. A second offering will call in Ibiza, Toulon, Ajaccio, Marina di Carrara and Cagliari; and a third itinerary focuses on Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga and the British port of Gibraltar. All three feature a Friday overnight in Ibiza.

Scarlet Lady Floats Out, Second Virgin Ship Construction Well Underway

The Scarlet Lady touched the water for the first time for Virgin Voyages on Friday at Fincantieri. The first ship from the new cruise brand starts revenue service from the Port of Miami in April 2020.

Tom McAlpin, president and CEO, Virgin Voyages, was on hand for the ceremony along with Luigi Matarazzo, director of the Merchant Ships Division at Fincantieri and Paolo Capobianco, director of the plant at the shipyard.

Giuliana Rindone, an employee of the Sestri shipyard, was the godmother for the float out ceremony, cutting the ribbon that triggered a champagne bottle to crash against the hull of the ship at Fincantieri's Sestri facility.

With the ship now in the water and steel work on the hull complete, attention will turn to interior outfitting on the 110,000-ton, 2,770-guest ship.

With the Scarlet Lady nearing completion, Fincantieri and Virgin also celebration the coin ceremony for Virgin’s second ship, which is scheduled to be delivered in the second quarter of 2021.

Branson: ‘Cruise lines will copy Virgin Voyages’

Branson: ‘Cruise lines will copy Virgin Voyages’

Sir Richard Branson predicted other cruise lines will copy Virgin Voyages in “five to six years” time.

Asked how he thought Virgin would be viewed by competitors, he referenced BA’s “dirty tricks” campaign against Virgin Atlantic in the 1990s when competition between the two airlines was at its most heated.

“Competition is always good in any industry,” he said. “It takes years to build new ships. So I think we will have five to six years then people will start copying us but by then we will have reinvented what we have.”

The first of three adult-only Virgin Voyages ships is due in 2020.

More details about what will be on board were unveiled in Genoa today at the Fincantieri shipyard where it is being built and include outdoor yoga, a wellness pool and sea-facing cabanas.

The ship, to be named Scarlet Lady, will also aim to convert all waste on board into clean re-usable energy.

Chief executive and president Tom McAlpin said: “As the (cruise sector) got bigger it had to appeal to a lot of segments but we have an opportunity to create something different and very special. The power of the Virgin brand is very important and we think we can attract people who have never cruised before.”

Virgin Group confirms entry into cruise business

By Tom Stieghorst

Virgin Group announced that it has formed Virgin Cruises, making official its rumored entry into the global cruise industry.

The collection of companies run by British entrepreneur Richard Branson is perhaps most well known for Virgin Atlantic Airways. It has also started a hotel brand, with its first U.S. property to open in Chicago.

In its announcement, Virgin said it has hired Tom McAlpin to be CEO. Most recently, McAlpin had been president and CEO of The World, Residences at Sea. He was also part of the founding management team at Disney Cruise Line, and served as its president.

Virgin Cruises will be head quartered in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area, the company said. Virgin said it plans to build two “world class” cruise ships.

Details about the timing of Virgin’s start of operations are being withheld for competitive reasons, the company said.
Bain Capital has been named lead investment partner.

“We plan to shake up the cruise industry and deliver a holiday that customers will absolutely love,” Branson said in a statement. "They’ll be sailing on the latest ships offering great quality, a real sense of fun, and many exciting activities all delivered with the famed Virgin service.”