Virgin Voyages now has its first ship! The new cruise line accepted delivery of Scarlet Lady on Friday 14 February 2020 at Fincantieri’s shipyard at Genoa, Italy. Scarlet Lady has now set course for its homeport of Miami, a journey that will take 46 days.

Guests sailing with Virgin Voyages will be provided with wearable technology that in addition to providing them with access to their cabin and suites will unlock a seamless ship boarding experience, gaming and more.

Cruisers are seeking far-flung, pristine destinations in 2020, driven by a desire for immersion in each location, according to global luxury travel network Virtuoso. The network recently unveiled its cruise trends for the year in time for ‘wave season,’ occurring January through March, when savvy travellers book voyages to benefit from special incentives.

2020 heralds the arrival of a further fleet of new luxury ocean ships, including two newcomers to cruising, Virgin Voyages and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.

Starboard Cruise Services has named Stacy Shaw as the head of its newly formed Luxury Division. Shaw’s career spans the luxury, premium and contemporary segments of hotel and cruise with experience in startups, small boutique companies, and global industry-leading vacation and lifestyle brands. Her cruise experience includes 11 years at Royal Caribbean Cruises and two at Carnival Cruise Lines. Most recently, Shaw was Vice President of Sales & Business Development at Virgin Voyages, a position she held for two years.

Virgin Voyages has reiterated the new cruise line’s unique positioning, with executives from the company saying Scarlet Lady and her sister-ships will fill a void in the market that’s yet to be tapped by big ship operators.

Virgin Voyages has confirmed the name of its second vessel, a sister-ship to Scarlet Lady, will be Valiant Lady. And she’ll be heading to the Mediterranean for her inaugural summer season, before repositioning to Miami for the Northern Winter period, where she’ll join Scarlet Lady cruising to the Caribbean.

Strong relationships with the trade are viewed as the backbone for success of start-up cruise line, Virgin Voyages, says its Chief Commercial Officer Nirmal Saverimuttu.

Virgin Voyages has officially opened for business with travel partners in Australia, confirming last night [Tuesday 12 November, 2019] that transactions for the new luxury cruise line are available in Australian dollars. The move was exclusively revealed by LATTE two months ago.

Virgin Australia has introduced new airfare packages that are sold with Virgin Voyages’ cruises to the Caribbean aboard Scarlet Lady. The brand-new cruise line is set to enter operation in April 2020, with at least the first two seasons operating to the Caribbean from PortMiami.

Virgin Voyages has revealed a luxurious champagne lounge and caviar bar will debut on its first ship, Scarlet Lady, set to commence operation in April 2020. Aptly named Sip, the decadent lounge has been designed to be enjoyed with a chilled glass of bubbles.

Next month she starts her sea trials, and in less than 200 days Virgin Voyages’ first of four ocean cruise ships, Scarlet Lady, will enter service under the startup cruise line’s “epic sea change”.