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Will Virgin Cruises Attract Virgin Cruisers?

Richard Branson recently reported that 2019 will see the launch of Virgin Cruises, his first foray into the world of cruising – Full story here Tom McAlpin, former president and chief executive of Disney Cruise Line and The World, Residences at Sea, has been appointed chief executive of Virgin Cruises and will oversee the initiative. Mr McAlpin commented: “Cruise guests deserve something better and different to what is being offered today, and Virgin Cruises is committed to creating breath-taking experiences for them and a new generation of guests.” “Something better and different to what is being offered today”. That’s the bit that caught our attention. “Better and different”. Now call us biased (actually we don’t mind admitting we are at all) but we think cruising is pretty great already. So what can Mr Branson have up his sleeve to make Virgin Cruises stand out from the crowd? Time was (and we’re going back a decade or three here) cruising was a very formal affair, done on rather small ships, for a minority of (rich) people. One of the issues cruise lines have faced in recent years is that although the industry’s changed a lot since those days, some people still see a cruise holiday in this light when in fact, almost the opposite is true! Cruising isn’t the ultra-formal affair it once was (just look...

Multimillion-dollar makeover for Voyager of the Seas

After undergoing an extensive makeover, Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas has returned to Sydney. For the first time since its $80 million (£51 million) renovation, the vessel embarked on a 14-day journey from Singapore and arrived in Australia on Monday morning. Deemed the country’s biggest passenger ship, the Voyager weighs in at around 138,000 tonnes and is over 300 m in length, with 15 levels. With the capacity to accommodate up to 4,000 passengers, the Voyager of the Seas more than matches the Sydney Opera House in bulk. Captain Charles Teige, Voyager of the Seas’ Norwegian skipper, first started working in the cruise industry more than 20 years ago, where the main attractions for passengers simply involved a Broadway-style show, sunbathing on the deck and dining. Now, Royal Caribbean has pulled out all the stops to produce a luxurious, entertainment-filled sailing experience to be enjoyed by all. Although the Voyager travels to many exciting destinations around the world, Captain Teige explains that it is in fact the ship itself that passengers look forward to experiencing most. He said: “Now the ship has become the destination. In Brisbane we had 1,100 people who decided not to go ashore.” One of the vessel’s attractions is the FlowRider a modern surf machine, which comes as part of Royal Caribbean’s plan to appeal to younger passengers and extended family groups. but the...

Celebrity Cruises to build two new ships

Celebrity Cruises has pulled the strings in ship design by announcing the arrival of two new vessels. The cruise line, which is part of Royal Caribbean Cruises, currently specialises in Millennium and Solstice-class vessels that make for the modern luxury experience so favoured by travellers and holidaymakers alike. These new ships – that will be developed under the project name EDGE – will still retain Celebrity Cruises’ modern luxury aesthetic, but will belong to a new class. French shipbuilder STX France is on board project EDGE and will oversee the design and construction of each vessel. Michael Bayley, president and chief executive of Celebrity Cruises, said: “STX France designs and builds some of the most innovative and stylish cruise ships in the world, and project EDGE offers them the opportunity to again set a new standard for modern iconic architecture. “On this stunning new ship, we will bring our guests even closer to the must-see destinations of the world, while indulging them onboard in the most luxurious accommodations, the finest culinary experiences and the best hospitality delivered by our dedicated staff.” Richard Fain, chairman and chief executive of Royal Caribbean Cruises, stated that the new vessels form part of the company’s long-term plan to strategically grow in the industry and are a continuation of the achievements that the Celebrity brand has already seen. The ships will each carry 2,900...

Virgin Cruises – What Will They Bring To Cruising

A private equity group has become the latest stakeholder in Virgin Cruises, one of Sir Richard Branson’s upcoming transport initiatives. Bain Capital, one of the world’s largest buyout funds will financially back this venture that could see its maiden voyage to Miami as soon as 2019, Sky News reports. But the question we ask is: What can Virgin Cruises bring to the cruise market? Is there a need for new liners – is there even room for it? Considering 80 per cent of the industry is dominated by Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines, Sir Richard and his team have quite the battle on their hands to force their way into a congested industry. Speaking to the Financial Times recently, Virgin’s founder said the ambition of this initiative was “to see whether we can attract people like myself who’ve never been on a cruise ship”. Trying to target a new people group is arguably a good business strategy but only time will tell if it reaps the financial dividends that Sir Richard is hoping for. Indeed, Cruise Market Watch believes the industry will grow in the next year to 22.2 million passengers worldwide, up from 2014’s 21.5 million. A source told Sky News earlier this year that the company believes the cruise industry is a “classic Virgin market” and, while a couple of companies currently command the lion’s...

Quantum Class Cruising – A Video Tour!

The www.CRUISE.co.uk team has just spent a very (very) busy weekend on Royal Caribbeans’s new ship Quantum of the Seas (sister ship to Anthem of the Seas, set to sail out of Southampton in 2015). The reason we were so busy is that we were all running around like madmen (or people if we’re being politically correct) taking videos of everything going on just for you. After all reading a review is great, looking at photos is even better but short of actually being there nothing beats watching a video for seeing what a ship is really like. We’ve got...