Virgin Voyages Sailings Now Open for Bookings

Virgin Voyages will provide an exclusive experience to be featured
on all Scarlet Lady Caribbean Sailings – The Beach Club at Bimini


Mark Ronson named the founding DJ of The Beach Club resident-Sea
program


Virgin Voyages expands Creative Collective for brand-new
entertainment concepts.


Richard Branson announces Birthday Bash Voyage in July 2020


NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–lt;a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/VirginVoyages?src=hash” target=”_blank”gt;#VirginVoyageslt;/agt;–Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Voyages President
and CEO Tom McAlpin announced today that Virgin Voyages is officially
open for business, with the company’s first ship, Scarlet Lady,
now open for bookings for her inaugural season, with voyages departing
from April 1 through October 21, 2020 now on sale.


“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 Richard Branson, Founder
of Virgin Voyages. “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.”


Virgin Voyages will offer a cheeky and cheerful approach to service, as
well as an inclusive approach to sea travel that removes pesky add-ons.
Its Sailors will enjoy free food at the 20+ eateries onboard, free group
fitness classes, no gratuities or service charges, free Wifi and free
basic beverages like soda, teas, and drip coffee, as well as still and
sparkling water.


“At Virgin Voyages we are going beyond just great design, to defy and
redefine luxury to be rebellious luxe,” said Tom McAlpin, President and
CEO of Virgin Voyages. “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.”


In conjunction with opening bookings for sale, Virgin Voyages revealed
that all voyages will feature The Beach Club at Bimini, a Virgin Voyages
experience in Bimini, Bahamas. There, Sailors can enjoy an epic beach
day and/or explore the island flavor and culture of Bimini and its
turquoise blue waters.


While on ship, Virgin Voyages Sailors will have the opportunity to
choose from a festival-like lineup of all-new completely original
Events & Gigs developed by some of the world’s most-talked about
producers, directors and artists in the expansion of the company’s
Creative Collective. Virgin Voyages’ entertainment Creative Collective
includes Jenny Gersten, Randy Weiner, Sam Pinkleton, Ani Taj, PigPen
Theatre Co, The 7 Fingers, Roslyn Hart and Alfredo Guenzani and the
Spark Cooperative.


The Beach Club at Bimini


A cornerstone of every voyage will be The Beach Club at Bimini,
where sailors can feel the sand in their toes in a stylish setting with
white-sand and crystal clear waters and programming that will rival the
best beach clubs in Ibiza and Saint-Tropez.


Just a short transfer from the pier, and built by Resorts World Bimini,
The Beach Club at Bimini is designed with Miami-based architects
EOA, Inc., featuring natural materials and soft earth tones that
organically blend into the seascape. The Beach Club at Bimini will
overlook the ocean and cascade down to the sea with an expansive
lagoon-style pool as the central anchor of the club.


In the spirit of Vitamin Sea, the brand’s ethos of well-being, there
will be moments of retox and detox throughout the day. Sailors will find
areas of high energy and quiet spots for complete relaxation and
introspection. Mornings at The Beach Club at Bimini will begin with yoga
and meditation as Sailors enjoy the sounds of the ocean. The energy at
The Beach Club at Bimini will be gradually amplified as the day
progresses and turned back down as dusk settles in. Sailors will reach
the high point of the day by the afternoon where DJ-led pool and
flotilla parties will be center of the action. The night’s energy will
wind down with a beach bonfire to close out the evening with an acoustic
musical performance.


With music at the heart of the Virgin brand, Virgin Voyages will
carefully curate the soundtrack for The Beach Club at Bimini, with
seven-time Grammy-Award-winning artist and producer Mark Ronson named
founding DJ, where he will be among the first talent to grace the
turntables. Ronson, the British-born DJ, producer and songwriter,
has topped the charts and collaborated with artists like Amy
Winehouse, Lady
Gaga, Adele,
Miley
Cyrus and Bruno
Mars. Ronson will have four performances in 2020, with specific
performance dates to be announced soon.


The Beach Club will also have complimentary food that is thoughtfully
sourced. Its locally inspired menus will serve up island favorites such
as conch and mango salad, banana leaf-wrapped queen snapper, Bahamian
rum cake and more. As Sailors start to explore the club they will be
pleased to discover creative social spaces with hammock groves and six
bars where Sailors can congregate in groups of friends. Those looking
for a home base for the day can enjoy the many beach loungers, or opt
for a more private place to cuddle up, with beach-side and poolside
cabanas available for rent. The Beach Club at Bimini will also feature
active areas for watersports and beach play.


Sailors staying in RockStar Suites will have their exclusive slice of
paradise at The Beach Club at Bimini, with a dedicated bar,
complimentary food service, an outdoor terrace lounge, sun loungers and
beach cabanas.


Sailors looking to explore the island of Bimini will have ample
opportunities to do so in this off-the-beaten path tropical destination.
The island is a beach-lovers paradise with welcoming and warm residents.
It was a known favorite of author Ernest Hemingway, who described it as
“like the end of the world.” This intimate seven-mile island offers
extraordinary sea experiences such as boating, snorkeling, and even
wreck diving, with the SS Sapona just a few miles off the coast of the
southern part of the island.


Entertainment


Scarlet Lady will feature a festival of choice in entertainment made up
of bespoke intimate and authentic Events & Gigs created exclusively for
Virgin Voyages, with the goal of providing Sailors with an alternative
perspective on the world and play that ignites the spirit within.
Sailors won’t just sit and watch shows, they may be asked to participate
with the cast or become immersed in the world of the performance. In
keeping with Virgin Voyages’ rebellious nature, the company will have no
traditional cruise director on board the ship, and instead will have a
dynamic group of individuals dedicated to making “Happenings” around the
ship completely epic.


From modern takes on classic stories, to interactive dance parties and
off-the wall participatory acts, the experiences will break down the
fourth wall and push the boundaries of traditional stage performances.
Virgin Voyages’ entertainment goes beyond Broadway with first run
experiences that have never been seen before on land or at sea.


The company has expanded its Creative Collective from design and food to
now include entertainment, working with some of the brightest creative
minds, who are pushing boundaries of traditional theater and
entertainment on land.


To accommodate its variety of entertainment opportunities Virgin Voyages
created The Red Room — designed by renowned architects WorkAC and
theater consultants Auerbach Pollock Friedlander — as the first
transformational multi-form theater at sea. It will transform into four
different configurations – a traditional Proscenium stage, an alley
stage used in fashion shows, a dance flat-floor configuration, and
finally a unique reverse stage setup. This first at-sea theater will
enable Virgin Voyages to create completely different experiences for
each day of the voyage.


Scarlet Lady will feature six original shows that include a soon to be
announced production by award-winning producer Randy Weiner (Queen of
the Night, The Donkey Show, Sleep No More).


Sam Pinkleton & Ani Taj have created a hype music video disguised as an
absurdist style dance party, called UNTITLED DANCESHOWPARTYTHING.


Phantom Folktales is a collection of song driven micro plays
throughout the ship that seemingly appear out of thin air, and disappear
just as quickly, created by PigPen Theatre Co.


Ships in the Night is an emotion-filled contemporary experience
telling its story through the use of cutting edge digital projection
interwoven with the authenticity of the human condition, and Duel
Reality examines the age-old tale of Romeo & Juliet with a modern
twist featuring acrobatic storytelling. Both performances were made
possible through our collaboration with the innovative circus company,
The 7 Fingers.


Never Sleep Alone is a participatory show featuring the
hysterically funny, straight-talking relationship therapist, Dr. Alex
Shiller, by producers Roslyn Hart and Alfredo Guenzani.


Additionally the creative development, production and installation of
“happenings” that will take place throughout the ship were created by
Spark Cooperative.


To add to the overall vision, Tony Award winning creative producer,
Jenny Gersten, will serve as an artistic and production liaison between
the core in-house Virgin Voyages Entertainment team and other members of
the Collective.


Sir Richard Branson’s Birthday Voyage


Sir Richard Branson will celebrate his birthday bash among celebrity
friends and fellow Sailors aboard a four-night Havana After Dark voyage
departing July 15, 2020. Sailors are invited to book their passage
aboard this one-of-a-kind trip by visiting www.virginvoyages.com.
Sailors willing to test their luck can enter for a chance to win a cabin
for two now through March 31, 2019 by visiting RichardsBirthday.VirginVoyages.com.


Scarlet Lady is a boutique-style, mid-sized ship designed to reflect a
yacht’s sleek luxury and will set sail from PortMiami for her 2020
inaugural season on unforgettable four and five-night voyages to Havana,
Cuba; Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and Costa Maya, Mexico.


Future sailors and travel partners are invited to check out Virgin
Voyages by visiting www.virginvoyages.com
or following @virginvoyages on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.


ABOUT VIRGIN VOYAGES


Virgin Voyages is a global lifestyle brand committed to creating the
world’s most irresistible holiday. With operations in the US, UK, and
Europe, Virgin Voyages currently has four ships on order with master
shipbuilder Fincantieri.


With its inaugural season scheduled for 2020, Virgin Voyages’ first ship
the Scarlet Lady was designed to reflect a yacht’s sleek luxury.
Featuring spaces designed by some of the top names in contemporary
design, the Scarlet Lady will be Adult-by-Design, a sanctuary at sea for
the 18+ traveler. A dose of ‘Vitamin Sea’ will be naturally intertwined
across the entire ship, with well-being activated through a mix of
high-energy moments coupled with relaxation and rejuvenation. The
Scarlet Lady will also feature alluring entertainment and 20+
world-class intimate eateries on board. Putting a twist on luxury, which
the company refers to as Rebellious Luxe, Virgin Voyages will offer
incredible value for its sailors with all restaurants, group fitness
classes, soft drinks, and many more Virgin surprises included within the
voyage fare. The Scarlet Lady will sail from Miami to the Caribbean in
2020, hosting more than 2,770 sailors and 1,160 amazing crew from around
the world. Keep watch on virginvoyages.com
for more updates.


Contacts

Alison Brod Marketing CommunicationsChristina Baezvirgin@alisonbrodmc.com