NEWS 1


Richard Branson at the shipyard in Genoa and (inset) computer-generated images of Scarlet Lady


YOU NEED TO KNOW


at a glance


l Virgin Voyages’ first ship will be called Scarlet Lady, the same name as one of the earliest Virgin Atlantic aircraft. It is due to launch in 2020.


l Sir Richard Branson was in Genoa last week to witness construction milestones for the ship at the Fincantieri shipyard.


l Branson wants to “show her off to everybody” and plans to bring the ship to the UK, possibly “up the Thames”.


l President Tom McAlpin said the fleet could grow to up to 10 ships within a decade.


Branson to ‘show off’ first cruise ship to trade in UK


Amie Keeley Genoa, Italy


Virgin Voyages will grow its fleet to up to 10 ships “within a decade” and showcase its first ship to UK agents before it sails to the Caribbean.


Virgin Group founder Sir Richard


Branson revealed last week that the name of the line’s first ship will be Scarlet Lady, and he promised to “show her off” to the UK after it launches in the spring of 2020. It is the first of three adult-only


ships on order, with the others due for delivery in 2021 and 2022. The line also revealed details


about the first 2,700-passenger vessel, including nine health and wellbeing spaces designed around its ‘Vitamin Sea’ programme of


health, fitness and rejuvenation; an initiative to recruit more female crew; and plans to be one of the “cleanest cruise lines at sea”. President and chief executive


Tom McAlpin said: “I can see this fleet being seven, eight or 10 over time [within a decade]. I don’t see this as a 30-ship fleet. If you’re a boutique player you want to be small and nimble, and we need to be able to offer something different, something unique. “It’s important we don’t grow


too quickly. If you do that you have to fill your ships and we don’t want to be out there competing on price. “As our ships are smaller, we


can probably build in other places [shipyards] that bigger ships can’t, so there are advantages to that.” McAlpin said awareness of the Virgin brand in the UK was


4 travelweekly.co.uk 26 July 2018


“We’re excited about working with the trade in the UK. It’s not our intent [to go direct]”


“fantastic”, adding: “The UK is our heritage, so we will bring the ship there to showcase her to the trade.” Branson said: “We might pop up the Thames. We’re all rather proud of this ship. The UK is where we were born, so maybe Southampton, but we’d definitely love to come and show her off to everybody.” McAlpin said he hoped the


UK trade would embrace Virgin Voyages, saying there were no plans to go direct as Virgin Holidays did in 2015. “It’s certainly not our strategy


l The first three ships will be adult-only but ‘Virgin Kids’ will ‘be born in the future’.


l Nine health and wellbeing spaces will feature on board including a wellness pool, boxing ring and a private sundeck for yoga classes.


[to go direct] and not our intent. Our goal is to open this up to anyone who wants to sell us. We’re very excited about working with the trade in the UK and the US and develop a sales force around that. “Each Virgin business operates


separately and independently. Virgin Holidays made their decision and we make ours.” While the first three ships


are likely to stay adult-only, Branson said future ships would “definitely” be for families. “Not having kids on board means


everything can be orientated towards adults and a lot of space you’d give to kids can be given to adults,” he said. “It differentiates us and we’ll have a lot of fun designing the first kids’ ships and in a few


years Virgin Kids will be born.” › Special Report, page 10


PICTURE: GETTY IMAGES FOR VIRGIN VOYAGES


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