Virgin Voyages has cancelled its March introduction events of the Scarlet Lady in New York and the ship will instead sail straight to Miami, its homeport.
Said Virgin in a prepared statement: “In light of the current news headlines, we want to ensure everyone feels it is the right time to celebrate with us. We understand people may want to focus on other things at the moment, so we have made the decision to reschedule our upcoming Showcase Tour stop and events in New York City. We plan to sail back to New York soon for you to visit her.
“We have absolutely no health concerns or issues onboard and elevated our health protocol and processes when we took delivery of the Scarlet Lady to keep our crew and visitors well and happy.
“With no other events scheduled in New York at this time, we will instead sail Scarlet to her new home in Miami, where we will continue our plans for the launch and welcome our Sailors for the first time.”
Virgin Voyages’ crew will be clad in uniforms created by British fashion designer Gareth Pugh that might be described as one part Star Trek and one part Kinky Boots.
Images of the uniforms on models in moody industrial settings were released ahead of their appearance at a showcase on Sept. 15 as part of London Fashion Week.
The collection — in brand-correct red, white and black — was two years in the making. Virgin said it allows for most crew to have a range of looks day and night and also breaks with cruise traditions by having no epaulettes stripes for officers.
One outfit worn by a female model includes a long, flowing red cape. A male model sports a tunic with a deep V design.
Pugh’s designs will be paired with signature, custom-designed red sneakers made by San Francisco-based PLAE.
“For this project, we were really allowed to push the boundaries and to redefine the idea of what constitutes a uniform. We ultimately wanted to make everything about it modern, luxurious and desirable,” Pugh said.
PHOTO: Captain Wendy Williams Named Master of Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady (Virgin Voyages)
With Cuba cruises now off the table as part of the Trump administration’s latest policy changes, Virgin Voyages has announced that it will instead visit Key West and Riviera Maya during its 2020 inaugural season.
The fledgeling cruise company has just revealed the full line-up of itineraries for its premiere season.
Most notably, in response to the new U.S. government restrictions on Cuba travel, Virgin will instead offer what it is calling “Fire and Sunset Soirées” including a sunset departure from Key West and a midnight departure from Bimini.
The trips allow participants to experience the cultural and boating paradise of Key West, paired with a day of rejuvenation in Bimini, Bahamas, that’s topped off by an exclusive late-night beach bonfire soiree. The celebration under the stars is exclusive to the Fire and Sunset Soiree sailings.
PHOTO: Virgin Voyages names its first ship Scarlet Lady. (rendering courtesy of Virgin Voyages)
In addition, the 2020 season includes five-night Riviera Maya sailings that visit Cozumel/Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. The trip features opportunities for travellers to experience some of the world’s best diving, as well as the chance to explore ecological and archaeological treasures, including Mayan ruins or neighbouring Tulum.
In response to demand for longer itineraries, Virgin Voyages has also developed special seven-night sailings for the 2020 holiday season. Options include the all-new Holidaze and Nights and New Year’s Ahoy voyages, which fall over the Christmas and New Year’s respectively, and feature stops in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, and late-night sail aways in both Bimini, Bahamas and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
New itineraries were just part of the updates announced by Virgin Voyages. The company also revealed that it has appointed Captain Wendy Williams as Master of Scarlet Lady, making her the first Canadian woman to captain a ship for a major cruise brand.
Tapping Williams for the lead role is a notable milestone in Virgin’s Scarlet Squad program, which was announced last year. The initiative is focused on bridging the gender gap in leadership across the maritime industry, where women make up less than three per cent of the workforce.
The Scarlet Squad program actively works to recruit, support and mentor female shipboard talent, while also growing opportunities for leadership roles in marine, technical and hotel management positions on board.
“Captain Wendy’s extensive maritime background makes her an excellent choice to lead the Scarlet Lady, but it is her spirit and drive to approach life at sea differently that make her the perfect fit to join the Virgin Voyages family,” Tom McAlpin, president and chief executive officer for Virgin Voyages, said in a statement.
Williams has more than 28 years of experience working on ships at sea. Her background includes more than a decade as a deckhand in commercial fishing as well as working as a ferryboat captain.
Although she has spent more than 15 years working on the bridge of mega cruise ships, her role with Virgin Voyages will be her first promotion to the master of a cruise ship.
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