Richard Branson’s Adults-Only Virgin Voyages Announces Third Cruise Ship to Set Sail July 2022

A third ship will be joining adults-only cruise line Virgin Voyages' fleet next summer, and its name feels like a nod to the cruise industry: "Resilient Lady." 

The luxury travel company, headed by billionaire businessman Sir Richard Branson, made the announcement Monday morning, sharing that the ship will have a home port of Piraeus (Athens), Greece, and will host two, 7-night itineraries across the Mediterranean scheduled to begin July 1, 2022. 

"Sailing in the Med is such an extraordinary experience, and we're so excited to bring the adventure of a Virgin Voyage to this beautiful place," Branson said in a press release. "I'm so proud of the incredible work the team has accomplished to introduce Resilient Lady." 

The first of the two itineraries, the Greek Isles Itinerary, will bring guests on a historical tour through Athens before going island hopping in Santorini, Rhodes, Crete and Mykonos. The second, the Adriatic (with Greek Isles) Itinerary, will sail out of Athens and bring guests to Dubrovnik, Croatia (famous for being a filming location for Game of Thrones) for a day before sailing to Kotor, Montenegro; Corfu, Greece and Argostoli, Greece.

The company noted that they intentionally chose Monday, which is International Women's Day, to share the big news. 

"While the year has been filled with adversity and adaptation for all of us, it's no secret that women have been challenged to rise up more than ever during the pandemic," read the press release. "The introduction of Resilient Lady arrives on the heels of International Women's Day, which is symbolic of the spirit of our Lady Ships and is in celebration of women and their achievements, strength, leadership and resilience."

Virgin Voyages' first ship, Scarlet Lady, was announced in January 2019. It was originally supposed to sail from Miami for the Caribbean starting on April 1, 2020, but is now aiming for a "soft opening" in July 2021, the company tells PEOPLE. 

In November 2019, the company announced that their second ship will be named "Valiant Lady," and will sail three itineraries out of Barcelona, Spain, when cruising returns. 

All three ships will embody Virgin Voyages' unique approach to cruising: Not only will they be adults-only, but they will also be all-inclusive, have unlimited fitness classes, have 20 dining options for guests (and no buffets), will not force guests to wear formal wear and won't have assigned seating or dining times.

They also will boast a "Shake for Champagne" delivery service that will allow travelers on board to summon a glass by simply opening the Virgin Voyages Sailor App and giving their phone a little shake.

The cruise line will also have a "no-tipping" policy, including gratuity in the overall price, to avoid unexpected expenses for guests.

In July 2019, Branson told PEOPLE that he wanted to start his own cruise company because he had never found a cruise ship he actually wanted to set sail on.

"I've never been on a cruise, I've wanted to go on a cruise," the 70-year-old business magnate explained. "That's why we started a cruise line, just to try to create a cruise ship that was fun, and that was for adults."

Source: Read Full Article

Previous post Furious Tory MPs slam Government’s plan to give 1% pay rise to NHS Covid heroes
Next post NC woman adopted as infant discovers biological father is on FBI's Most Wanted list after DNA test