I’ve never been on a cruise before. I would like to go on one, but I just haven’t wanted to go bad enough to actually book a trip. Now, however, thanks to the always entrepreneurial Sir Richard Branson and his upcoming Virgin Voyages, I may have to finally pull the trigger.
That’s because taking one of Branson’s Virgin Voyages cruises, which sets sail in 2020, sounds like absolute heaven.
Virgin Voyages began taking bookings on February 14th with the first cruise, err voyage, on The Scarlet Lady departing April 1, 2020.
Tell me how this sounds. According to Forbes…
Virgin Voyages customers will enjoy free food at their staggering choice of more than twenty different onboard eateries, free basic beverages (soda, teas, coffee, still and sparkling water) and free Wifi, along with complimentary niceties like group fitness classes, all with no gratuities or service charges. They call this the “Virgin Voyages Rebellious Luxe” experience. “At Virgin Voyages we are going beyond just great design, to defy and redefine luxury to be rebellious luxe. This new luxury is about knowing you are taken care of, that you’re never being nickel and dimed, and what you want, even some of the things you didn’t know you wanted, are already taken care of for you,” said Tom McAlpin, president and CEO. “Because food is the fuel for our bodies and souls, and we’re Virgin Voyages, naturally it all had to be included within your ticket price.”
The kicker? The first season of Virgin Voyages will only be for people 18-years-old and older.
As for food, one of the key staples of taking a cruise…
There is no buffet, no main dining room, no forced formal wear, no assigned seating, no assigned dining times and some restaurants are open until well into the night – and in some cases, the wee hours of the morning. There’s an English grill-style steakhouse, vegetarian, interactive “laboratory” dining, elevated Mexican, Korean BBQ, Mediterranean, pizzeria, fast casual food court and more.
93 percent of cabins will offer an ocean view and 86 percent will have their own Sea Terrace. Cabins will also feature PIR presence sensors that automatically detect when someone has left the cabin and go into energy saver mode, where blinds will close and air conditioning will adjust to an eco-saver temperature, conserving energy.
“I’ve dreamed of starting my own cruise line since I was in my 20’s, and now the launch is finally getting close,” said Branson. “We have taken the time to think about every detail and craft an experience that brings the Virgin brand to life and disrupts the travel industry.”