It was a slow start for Virgin Voyages' first ship, Scarlet Lady, which has now finally set sail with paying passengers after initially launching just as the pandemic hit last year. Scarlet Lady departed Portsmouth, England 06AUG for a three-day inaugural sailing around the U.K. as the first of its six scheduled "staycation" bubble cruises for U.K. residents.
“Virgin Voyages has been looking forward to sailing, and we’re so excited to announce our plans to sail from the UK. Our team has curated such a fantastic experience for our Sailors and know this is a holiday they will love," said Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group.
Scarlet Lady will be sailing two different itineraries for its "staycation" voyages. The first is its Long Weekender, a 3-Night voyage sailing from Friday – Monday on 06, 13, and 20AUG. The second its its Summer WeekDaze, a 4-Night voyage sailing Monday – Friday on 09, 16, 23AUG.
As part of the line's health measures, none of the Virgin Voyages U.K. sailings will exceed 60 per cent capacity. The cruise line is also requiring guests and crew to be fully vaccinated. Guests, called "Sailors" by the line, are also required to be tested before embarkation with a free antigen test. According to Tom McAlpin, CEO of Virgin Voyages, the ship will effectively be in its own bubble to remain in a controlled environment.
Following the U.K. voyages, at the end of SEP 2021 Scarlet Lady will reposition to PortMiami to the new Virgin Voyages Terminal, which will be its homeport from NOV 2021 onwards for Caribbean sailings, including late night calls at the line's private beach resort.
The adults-only ship has 1,408 passenger cabins, of which 90 per cent have ocean views, and a 2,770 guest capacity.
"We wanted to create a sophisticated yet relaxed adults-only experience on these beautifully designed ships that are yacht-inspired," said Nirmal Saverimuttu, Virgin Voyages' chief commercial officer. Virgin Voyages highlighted that it took on designers who had never worked on cruise ships before, which resulted in its unconventional design and features such as a tattoo studio, a vegetarian restaurant included in the 20+ different restaurants and more.
“After more than a year of waiting and a major emphasis on a safe return, we’re ecstatic to announce these new sailings and bring Sailors onboard to experience what it’s like to set sail the Virgin Way," said McAlpin.
