Virgin Voyages

The first ship for startup cruise line Virgin Voyages will have two of the largest suites at sea.

The Richard Branson-backed company on Wednesday unveiled plans for two giant, 2,147-square-foot suite complexes that will sit atop the bridge of Scarlet Lady, the 2,860-passenger, adult-only( 18 AND OLDER) Virgin Voyages vessel arriving in 2020. This will be a vacation like no other, with incredible suites, inventive restaurants and street food carts, activities to never forget, and a Tattoo Artist at Sea. This will defintely be much more than you ever expect.

Scarlet Lady will sail from the newly built Miami terminal to incredible ports throughout the Caribbean.

Our goal with the terminal? To highlight and emphasize those things people love about Miami and give a nod to the past in our unique Virgin way. For years visitors have been attracted by the city's sun-soaked beaches, invigorating atmosphere and gorgeous, iconic sights.

No sight more recognized than the Royal Palm Tree lounging carefree amidst a backdrop of captivating Art Deco design. These palm trees, tall and regal, relaxed yet unwavering, were the inspiration for the structure that will become our sanctuary in the bustling bay.

To pay homage to these venerable palms, we wanted to design something that will make every sailor feel like they’re having an authentic Miami experience from the moment they catch a glimpse of our mesmerizing terminal. In planning to bring life to a slab of hot concrete overlooking the beautiful downtown cityscape, Arquitectonica decided sailors could use a little shade before boarding the scintillating Scarlet Lady. The terminal’s rooftop is designed to resemble a palm tree grove with pockets that allow natural light to flow into the building by day, and gorgeous beams to light up our iconic Virgin Voyages logo (as well as the Miami sky) by night, allowing our future home to shine brightly.

The two-story storm-proof glass facility will be replete with lush landscaping giving the terminal a plaza-like feel with designated areas for VIP drop-offs, as well as ride-sharing and provisioning — all designed to provide a seamless shore to ship experience.

As soon as sailors begin to cross the bridge onto our port’s planned future home on Dodge Island, it will be impossible to look away from the elegantly crafted structures that blend seamlessly to form a canopy of permanent palm trees anyone can enjoy. Our own Virgin Voyages palm grove.

WHAT MAKES VIRGIN VOYAGES UNIQUE

The base ticket fare for all Virgin Voyages sailings will include all eateries, group fitness classes, basic beverages and now gratuities. These things will always be included and are not tied to a short-term promotion, the company said.

Continuing with its industry altering changes, Virgin Voyages also confirmed that it is eliminating penalties and change fees. Booking policies have been designed to appeal to customers who are serious about sailing but also offer flexibility after booking, the company said.

Both Sailors (customers) and First Mates (travel professionals) can hold cabins for 24 hours with no money down. “Once they’ve placed a 20 percent non-refundable deposit, they’ll have a grace period of seven days where they may change their mind for any reason at all,” continued the company’s statement. “Sailors and First Mates may also change voyage dates and names on bookings without penalties or fees.

EAT & DRINK:
EPIC EATS ALL UNDER ONE ROOF

Our voyages are Adult-by-Design, intended to provide an elevated eating experience that reflects our sailors’ daily lives, and the lives they aspire to lead. Dine wherever you want, whenever you want, in whatever way you want, guaranteed to exceed your appetite’s (and heart’s) expectations. We have surprises waiting around every corner, and if you’d like to share a plate with your fellow sailors, that’s fine too.

Forget having to wait for your fun to begin. There’s already a bar in every restaurant. Go ahead, enjoy a few drinks before or after your meal.

And if you're looking to realign your chakras, become one with the ocean, all while doubling down on some exquisite eats, we have spaces for that too. After this voyage, it’ll be hard to come to terms with the fact that you can’t always sit outside (sorry, New York). Hey, it’s still warm in the Caribbean.

We made sure to leave buffets behind. They’re just not for us, or our sailors. In their place, we have a mélange of intimate eateries befitting the type of boutique hotels you might find in the poshest neighborhoods around the world. Except here, every sailor is invited.

All of our food will be made to order. In doing this, we’re cutting back on waste, lowering our energy usage and emissions, and setting up the Scarlet Lady to be the future of sustainable sea travel.

If it hasn’t become evident for you by now, this voyage isn’t just about what you do, but how you do it. Our goal was to create a journey that brings together everything you love from your everyday life with everything you want while on vacation. With 20+ eating options available and included in your voyage fare, our wide variety of eateries will have you signing up for another voyage if for no other reason than to try everything you missed out on the first time around.

You don’t eat at the same place every day of the week, so why should you have to do it while on holiday?

We’re writing a brand new definition of what it means to dine at sea. Uncharted waters excite us!

Sleep Like a Rock Star

Two musically-themed suites with an outdoor terrace will feature on Virgin Voyages’ debut ship, Scarlet Lady.

The 2,147 square foot Massive Suites, the highest-grade cabin available, will be located on top of the ship’s bridge.

They will have a music room, equipped with guitars and a large terrace with an outdoor shower, hot tub, hammocks and a runway dining table.

Seventy-eight RockStar Suites, inspired by mega yachts and rock and roll style icons like Grace Jones, will also feature on the 2,750-passenger ship, due to launch in early 2020.

The suites will have real leather finishes, marble-clad bathrooms and Terrazzo flooring.Each suite will have a vinyl turntable and the “best view that money can buy”, according to the line. Many of the ship’s suites feature a marble ‘Peek-a-Boo shower’ with a glass window carved in the centre so passengers can see out into the ocean.

Suites will have a specially-designed champagne table which will sit alongside sun loungers and hammocks.

Every passenger staying in RockStar Suites will have access to Richard’s Rooftop, a private members’ club where they can have a drink and bask in the sun.

Lighting inside the cabins will automatically adjust to match the time of day. Passengers will also be able to change the lighting on in-room tablets.

Fifteen of the 78 RockStar suites will be Mega RockStar Suites located on Deck 15.

In addition, there will be two Fab Suites, two Posh Suites and nine Gorgeous Suites, 18 Brilliant Suites, 14 Cheeky Corner suites, 24 Seriously Suites and seven Sweet Aft Suites.

Mega RockStar Suites will receive a personalised bar filled with customers’ favourite drinks.

Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, said: “Virgin has always avoided stuffy formalities and brought a lot of excitement and a bit of rebelliousness to our customer experiences.

Sailors in all tiers of RockStar Suites will enjoy breathtaking top to bottom marble bathrooms (stocked with premium products of course). The rains-style showers feature multi-colored dichroic glass windows and doors, providing a sneaky view either inside the room or outside onto the sea, in the aptly named the Peek-a-Boo shower.

RockStar Sailors should prepare for the full treatment like private driver airport transfers, helicopter arrangements, luggage assistance and a private walk down the exclusive terminal pathway upon arrival. RockStar Sailors can also receive anytime boarding, early booking access to special events and personal rock & roll style rider sheets (with items delivered pre-arrival of course) meant to satisfy even the most diva-like of requests.

That’s why our Sailors can sit around and ponder the best angle for selfies over the conversation pit bar area or discuss a legendary night out while sipping some bubbly at the specially-designed outdoor champagne table with a perfect fit for an ice bucket.

Then when too much spa, shower and swim time leaves a Sailor with an overly soaked suit at the end of the day, no prob. Sailors can just request the express drying bathing suit service.

We’re not kidding, that’s a thing.

If you’re not at all surprised, these spaces were definitely made for you.

The only question left to ask is, “Your suite or ours?”

Cabins Putting Space to Work

It’s been said that choice and space represent the new luxury. After talking to prospective Sailors, what we heard loud and clear, were requests for more of both.

Introducing, the Virgin Voyages cabins, designed for function and mobility. They feature flexible furnishings for increased socializing opportunities, upgraded bathroom experiences and tech forward, clever cabin touches, like eco-modes.

As opposed to the luxe focused, RockStar Suites, these cabins were designed to resonate with all Sailors, using innovative yet simple approaches, so Sailors can feel free to either revel or relax, depending on how the mood strikes.

“We wanted this to be a place people actually wanted to hang out in,” said Jamie Douglas, Senior Product Design Manager for Virgin Voyages, “The cabin feels like a reflection of modern city living. A design that works harder with what are normally constricted spaces.”

Because as a business, Virgin has always been design-led, each space and element was meticulously thought through, down to the very deliberate decision to use top quality materials, like saddle leather chairs, complete with refined stitch detail.

To counter the boxiness of traditional sea cabins, the exclusive patent pending cabin layout was born in partnership with Pearson Lloyd Design of London. The layout uses intelligent architecture to optimize space with an angled wall that, though hardly detectable, vastly alters the room.

Part of that change is to make room for the Seabed, the first-ever transformational cabin bed at sea, specially engineered and handcrafted by German-based, Walter Knoll designers.

With air conditioning being one of the most wasteful elements on ships, sustainability was another consideration. PIR presence detectors with Eco modes were added, where air-con, lighting and curtain settings auto-adjust for energy conservation when a Sailor steps out of the cabin.

Left your phone charging in the room? Don’t worry, the cabin knows, and keeps it charging when all other outlets are off. Most wall switches were removed, since the room knows the time and location of the ship, and adjusts lights and blinds accordingly. Only as clever as a Sailor needs, this technology can also be controlled personally, on the in-room tablet.

With a focus on creating a strong connection with the sea, 93% of the cabins have sea views, and 86% have sea terraces with outdoor hammocks for lounging beneath the stars. That includes an XL Sea Terrace option for even more added room and terrace space.

For the less sea focused, there is also a variety of Insider cabins with solo options for more personal travel. Prefer a crew? Then the loft style, bunk bed lined Social Insider might be your thing.

Overall, the cabins are revolutionizing ship design with modern yet light furniture meant to allow for increased energy flow while still expertly engineered to evoke strength, like the small C-tables, craftily shaped like a hull of a ship.

Most standard cabins will have transitional Seabeds, sustainably sourced, hand-woven hammocks, sensory mood lighting, in-room entertainment with 43”+ 4K flat-screen HDTVs, minibars, glam areas, flexible wardrobes and premium products in upgraded bathrooms with Roomy Rainshowers.

These personal retreats combine modern aesthetics, yacht-like sensibilities and functional living space, all working together to meet Sailor needs. Stylish, yet somehow still informal, these cabins aim to change the face of modern sea travel.