Cruise travel is often thought to be more appealing to families and older travelers as they are convenient for groups and parties looking for less hassle with little planning required beyond the reservation. After selecting an itinerary, cruise guests have little to worry about.
Virgin is hoping to change all that with the debut of its latest travel industry venture. Following in the footsteps of Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Hotels, and Virgin Trains, Virgin Voyages wants to make the cruise industry cool again.
Tom McAlpin, president and CEO of Virgin Voyages, says that the cruise industry was successful and that they wanted to take the best of it.
The designs and focus on fitness and well-being make it seem that Virgin Voyages is trying to attract a younger audience. Generation Z has less spending power compared to their parents and grandparents because of record inflation that has not been matched in adequate salary gains.
McAlpin admits that the ships and itineraries are not for everyone, but there will be those who want the same. The experience on Virgin voyages is meant to be livelier with more room for people to change their minds and do what they want.
McAlpin tells Fortune that the people that are coming on board are having a great time.
Sir Richard Branson, founder of The Virgin Group, said during a media briefing that he has been wanting to get into the cruise industry for a long time.
Virgin Voyages is a joint venture between the Virgin Group and Bain Capital. The company's first fleet is referred to as the Lady Ships, a nod to Virgin's British heritage.
The brand design ethos can be summed up as modern romance of sailing, capturing a fresh, contemporary, and sleek look with touches of saltiness and nautical traditions.
McAlpin explains that the brand purpose is to create an epic sea change for all. The key element that we wanted to get across was the fact that an epic sea change meant a marked change.
The Virgin Voyages fleet has a capacity of approximately 2,700 passengers per ship and welcoming guests only 18 years and older.
By not having kids on board, we can have more space for beautiful, stunning workout rooms, massage parlors, party areas, running tracks, and all that space that you would have to put aside for kids.
Some of the most experienced interior designers, artists, and architects worldwide, including New York-based Roman and Williams, Concrete Amsterdam, and Tom Dixon's Design Research Studio as well as Softroom, both in London, worked with Virgin. These firms are responsible for some of the most stylish boutique hotels and resorts across the U.S. and Europe, but none of them have ever designed for the cruise industry.
We did not build giant ships. The size of the ship allows us to do things that others cannot, and we built mid-sized ships that allow us to create a more intimate experience.
At the port of call in Barcelona, Spain, you can walk off the gangway into Las Ramblas, a neighborhood popular with tourists.
The design of the ship is intended to be similar to a yacht with a sleek silvery-grey hull with smoked glass, and of course, the Virgin brand. The ship's livery was created by Ben Christie and David Azurdia from the award-winning Magpie Studio in London. The red Virgin funnel of the vessel was created by RWD from England.
McAlpin notes that 20% of the cost of the ship is engineering and that the layout and design of all four Virgin ships will be fairly similar in layout and design. Minor changes are made to the original artwork. The marquee evening party of each trip will remain the same, as will the restaurants and nightlife.
The company has banned single-use plastic on-board its ships, including straws, bottled water, other beverage bottles, condiments, shopping bags, food packaging, and to-go coffee and tea cups. The company emphasizes reuse and recycling across the ship. There are dozens of refilling stations on each deck, and guests are provided with access to complimentary still and sparkling water in their cabins.
We have the newest fleet. McAlpin says that they have been able to benefit from all of the work they have done to make it as fuel efficient as possible.
Climeon technology converts extra and waste heat into electricity. In the case of cruise ships, engineers can convert the water used to cool the engines with that heat differential to create clean energy.
Virgin Voyages wants to be net zero in carbon emissions by the year 2050, as its fleet is being built to the latest energy-efficiency standards with state-of-the-art equipment. All of Virgin's ships are built with diesel engines and the ability for connecting to shoreside power when docked, and McAlpin says, "the thing that we can do the quickest to have an impact is find different low carbon fuels."
In my lifetime, I would be very, very disappointed if the industry could not find low carbon fuel for ships. He said that Virgin is looking at setting up hydrogen islands in Norway, where ships can just pull in, fill up with hydrogen, and then sail off.
While stressing that there are no positives from the current war in Ukraine, Richard Branson said it is getting more people in Europe talking about every single way to try to speed up deployment of hydrogen and other alternative fuels.
Many cruise operators are trying to lure customers back with as many all-inclusive goodies as possible as they ramp up business again. All guests get at least $600 in value, with included gratuities, all food across all of the eateries on board, basic drinks, and group fitness classes.
McAlpin says that they did a lot of work in talking to prospective customers about what they were looking for.
The onboard experience is all about wellbeing. The ship is fully equipped for daytime rejuvenation and exercise with a 24-hour, fully-quipped fitness center as well as dozens of eclectic group workouts from spin cycling and vinyasa yoga.
Depending on what you choose to do, guests should budget accordingly for on-site excursions, which can range from $50 to $500 per person, as well as for premium drinks, like speciality coffees and green.
Virgin says it will only ask for donations to support ocean conservativism. All of the fish and seafood served in the onboard dining facilities were promised to have been sustainable.
The newest ship in the fleet, the Valiant Lady, has over 80 suites, ranging from less expensive cabins to larger suites for those who want to travel like rock stars. Virgin is betting big on the latter, so much so that they have branded its concierge service as the "Rockstar Service".
The RockStar Quarters guests are referred to assailors by Virgin because they see perks as soon as they board. Thewardrobe team at RockStar Quarters will help guests unpack and repack along with complimentary pressing service and nightly express swimsuit drying service.
All RockStar Quarters Sailors have access to Richard's Rooftop, a private members club and a quieter spot for sunbathing and cocktails. The guests will have a full bar and cocktail kit in their rooms.
All cabins can sleep at least two, but adjustments can be made during the reservation process to accommodate more depending on the party. The Seabed, the first-ever transformational cabin bed-at-sea, is specially engineered and handcrafted by Walter Knoll in Germany. Think of it as the sofa-bed or futon of the ocean, as the bed can be changed to a couch easily, reflecting Virgin's emphasis that this is a social ship rather than a place to quietly get away from it all.
Most standard cabins have transitional Seabeds, in-room entertainment with 43-inch 4K flat-screen TVs, mini bars, and ample closet space. When someone leaves the cabin, the system will go into energy saver mode, the blinds will be closed, and the air conditioning will be adjusted to an eco-saving temperature.
All suites have mood lighting that adjusts to match the time of day and in-room tablets that allow guests to adjust the room's lighting. Every suite has a plush European king bed, as well as upgraded bath amenities.
The original schedule for delivery was for a ship to be launched annually between 2020 and 2023. The first ship, Scarlet Lady, was delivered in 2020. The name "Scarlet Lady" appeared on one of the earliest planes to fly for Virgin Atlantic.
The operator is in the process of launching the first three ships over the course of a year because of the change in plan.
This spring, Valiant Lady made her maiden voyage. Resilient Lady will follow later this summer, and Brilliant Lady will set sail in 2023.
The private beach club in Bimini is one of the stops on the itineraries of the Scarlet Lady. After being christened in England, Valiant Lady is sailing Mediterranean itineraries. The port of call will be in Athens, with itineraries around the Greek Islands.
Virgin Voyages is keeping its cards close to the vest as to what is next. When Virgin Atlantic was founded in 1984 with only one plane, they didn't expect to have more than four planes.
We will not be a fleet complete of 30 ships, but we believe we can grow beyond four ships. McAlpin says they think 10 is probably the right place.
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