Breaking news in the cruise industry, Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson and his Virgin Group are getting into the cruise business. It was recently announced that Virgin Voyages is officially open for business, with tickets available for purchase for its introductory voyage in April 2020. Branson stated in an interview with Business Insider, that his vision is to get into the business primarily to radically alter it and create something that anybody who works for Virgin or everybody they interact with, will feel highly important. Foremost, the goal of Virgin Voyages is not to steal customers form mainstream cruise line but rather to expand the industry’s customer base.
To take on this endeavor, Branson won’t be doing it alone. The former Disney Cruises president Tom McAlpin serves as the company’s CEO, while Dee Cooper, the person responsible for the stylish mood-light-drenched cabins on Virgin Atlantic’s airliners, is in charge of design and customer experience. Virgin Voyages has planned to operate cruises from Miami with its first ship, Scarlet Lady, in 2020. According to Bain Capital, Scarlet Lady will be the first of three ships for Virgin Cruises.
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Published by: Business Insider, Benjamin Zhang, February 19, 2019