Virgin Voyages delays inaugural season - TravelMole


Virgin Voyages delays inaugural season

Tuesday, 12 Mar, 2020 0

Virgin Voyages has delayed its inaugural sailing season but insists it has ‘absolutely no health issues’ on board its ships.

It said it has taken ‘the very difficult decision’ to postpone the Showcase Tour launch and inaugural sailing season for Scarlet Lady until July 15, 2020, with its Maiden Voyage taking place August 7, 2020.

It comes as Princess Cruises and Viking Cruises both suspended cruises until May and the UK Government tells Brits over 70 to avoid cruise holidays.

Virgin Voyages, which has been in development for seven years, said it realised many people were rethinking upcoming cruise plans in light of the global health crisis.

It is offering customers a range of options from a full refund and a voyage credit to ‘extra special bonuses’ if they book a future sailing.

"For those who would have sailed regardless of the global headlines, we appreciate this will be disappointing news," said Sir Richard Branson and Tom McAlpin in a joint statement.

"We are so grateful for your belief in us, and we hope you will join us when the time is right. We want to assure you that we have absolutely no health issues aboard our ship and have elevated protocols in place as we continue to put your well-being first.

"This is a once in a lifetime launch and a once in a lifetime customer experience, and we will do it together when we can all feel free to enjoy ourselves."

They said the cruise line was already working with relevant parties to research new technologies that will help to expedite health screenings and make people feel safe.

"Developments are ongoing and the hope is to identify this opportunity over the course of the next month," said the statement.



 

profileimage

Bev

Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.



Most Read

Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns

James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel

Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination

Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics

Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy

Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene

Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee

Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail

Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats

Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence

Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy

Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida
TRAINING & COMPETITION

Our emails to you has bounced travelmole.com Or You can change your email from your profile Setting Section

Your region selection will be saved in your cookie for future visits. Please enable your cookie for TravelMole.com so this dialog box will not come up again.

Price Based Country test mode enabled for testing United States (US). You should do tests on private browsing mode. Browse in private with Firefox, Chrome and Safari