What does Sir Richard Branson have in store for the Cruise Industry?

Richard Branson has given away some of his plans for the new cruise line set to launch in the early 2020s. The cruise line has also made the decision to be known as Virgin Voyages.

Richard Branson led a press conference in Miami to explain his vision for his new line, which is set to launch three ships.

Branson said “the name cruise is pretty awful so I don’t like that. I don’t know why people call their companies cruise companies.” He also said that his brand would “change cruise for good” and that guests will also be known as “sailors” rather than passengers.

Explaining his vision for the brand he said: “The only reason we ever go into a new industry is if we feel it’s lacking in something and I think the cruise industry, there is a lot of people who just would never go on a cruise ship. We basically decided, ‘Let’s have a blank sheet of paper, let’s create the kind of voyage company that we would like to go on,’ and that’s what we’ve done.”

The CEO of Virgin Voyages Tom McAplin also said that their cruises would be “a departure from the ordinary getaway.”

Virgin boss has raised about £2billion to launch a cruise line and Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri will construct his three ships in Genoa

Details are pretty limited, apart from the fact that they would each be about 110,000 gross tonnes (roughly the same size as P&O ’s Ventura and Azura) and would carry 2,800 passengers, roughly 300 less than the P&O ships.

Steel  for the first vessel is likely to take place in about 12 months, and it is scheduled for delivery in 2020. Sister ships will follow in 2021 and 2022.

Personally I like the idea of calling ‘Passengers’ sailors.

He also says there is alot wrong with the cruise industry although he has never cruised, I feel I can not question this though, the guy hits the jackpot with every launch he does.

I can’t wait to board a Virgin Voyage, as a sailor.