Virgin Voyages announces they are taking deposits for 2020.... No Children...

I know this is the Celebrity board, but.....

Virgin Voyages announced today that they are now taking $500 refundable deposits for two to get your name on the waiting list for a cabin on their first sailings in 2020.

Virgin Voyages website at https://www.virginvoyages.com/

They are creating an "adult by design" experience, restricted to passengers 18 and over.

Makes for interesting reading.

There apparently IS something new under the sun!

George

Surprised.....I thought they would aim for some of the Florida (Orlando) holiday market.

Will browse later, thanks for the heads up.

Are they part of Celebrity?

Just trying to figure out where they fit in?

Keith

Virgin is new. Richard Branson of Virgin Group is building three ships, the first to launch in 2020.

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Sounds interesting. I signed up for email news.

Big fan of Branson.

I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised to see him develop and deliver the product that Celebrity claim to, but just don't quite manage. Will be following them with interest.

Big fan of Branson.

 

I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised to see him develop and deliver the product that Celebrity claim to, but just don't quite manage. Will be following them with interest.

Yes, me too ;).

Perhaps Cruise Critic can start a Virgin board.

Perhaps Cruise Critic can start a Virgin board.

There's been one for a couple of weeks already.

Love the no kids rule on their first ship. Will open up some summer options

That hull looks very Edgy...

From the Virgin threads:

Virgin Cruises’ three new mid-size ships, of about 110,000 gross tons each, are slated for delivery in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Each ship will feature 1,430 guest cabins to host more than 2,800 guests. There will also be 1,150 crew on board to look after the guests and deliver the Virgin service. Embarking from PortMiami, Virgin Cruises plans to offer a range of seven-day Caribbean itineraries, with a Sunday sail date.

Virgin is not promising a very luxurious experience, even if it is 'modern.'

Celebrity M-class ships have 42.1 space ratio (tons per passenger) and 2.2 staff ratio (passengers per staff). S-class has 42.7 and 2.4. Edge has 44.4 and 2.2.

Virgin offers only 38.5 space and 2.5 staff [both worse than any Celebrity class]

If you want real Modern Luxury [and no kids], consider Viking Ocean: 51.4 space and 1.7 staff beat all of the above [the price is higher, but apparently the Viking experience is similar to Celebrity suite class at all levels -- will verify this next August]

Virgin is not promising a very luxurious experience, even if it is 'modern.'

 

Celebrity M-class ships have 42.1 space ratio (tons per passenger) and 2.2 staff ratio (passengers per staff). S-class has 42.7 and 2.4. Edge has 44.4 and 2.2.

 

Virgin offers only 38.5 space and 2.5 staff [both worse than any Celebrity class]

 

If you want real Modern Luxury [and no kids], consider Viking Ocean: 51.4 space and 1.7 staff beat all of the above [the price is higher, but apparently the Viking experience is similar to Celebrity suite class at all levels -- will verify this next August]

Why is space a measure of Luxury? Wouldn't it be how you use it?

Virgin is not promising a very luxurious experience, even if it is 'modern.'

 

Celebrity M-class ships have 42.1 space ratio (tons per passenger) and 2.2 staff ratio (passengers per staff). S-class has 42.7 and 2.4. Edge has 44.4 and 2.2.

 

Virgin offers only 38.5 space and 2.5 staff [both worse than any Celebrity class]

 

If you want real Modern Luxury [and no kids], consider Viking Ocean: 51.4 space and 1.7 staff beat all of the above [the price is higher, but apparently the Viking experience is similar to Celebrity suite class at all levels -- will verify this next August]

The space ratio was a measure years ago before the space was sliced up for Blu, Speciality Dining and restrictions on space previously available to all such as availability of Michaels Club for suite guests only. I don't think it has much applicabilty now. Staff to guest ratio is likewise a tough measure to put much value in as the question has to be just how the staff is assigned, rather than numbers alone. We know the staff to guest ratio is higher than the main dining room in the Speciality restraunts as an example. It's not the number of staff but rather where thet are and who they are serving that matters.

It looks like Celebrity may well be facing more competition for their target market and it remains to be seen if they will improve their product or continue the race to the bottom.

Virgin is not promising a very luxurious experience, even if it is 'modern.'

 

Celebrity M-class ships have 42.1 space ratio (tons per passenger) and 2.2 staff ratio (passengers per staff). S-class has 42.7 and 2.4. Edge has 44.4 and 2.2.

 

Virgin offers only 38.5 space and 2.5 staff [both worse than any Celebrity class]

 

If you want real Modern Luxury [and no kids], consider Viking Ocean: 51.4 space and 1.7 staff beat all of the above [the price is higher, but apparently the Viking experience is similar to Celebrity suite class at all levels -- will verify this next August]

I've no doubt what so ever that the experience aboard Viking will be anything other than wonderful. But the demographic will be worlds apart from Virgin. I imagine Team Branson will be aiming at a younger demographic from late thirties and up. I'd also expect their marketing to be more inline with what you actually experience onboard.

Whereas Lutroff-Perlot is happy to have her marketing team hawking a faux luxury experience for non suite class passengers using the BS 'Modern Luxury' tagline, I'd expect expectations to be more realistically set by Virgin.

Obviously it all depends on itineraries, pricing, accommodations and many other factors, but I could quite easily be tempted to ditch my S1 Edge booking in favour of trying Virgin.

Thanks to the OP for posting the link. I will sign up just in case.

Sounds interesting until you read this line:

" Embarking from PortMiami, Virgin Cruises plans to offer a range of seven-day Caribbean itineraries, with a Sunday sail date."

Many of us have done about all the Caribbean we care to. Then again that depends on whether you cruise for the itinerary or the ship experience. We like both, but I know some folks go to the Caribbean and go to the same places again and again and hardly ever get off the ship.

We love the Caribbean because it's warm and sunny! I hope they go to Martinique. Don't understand why more ships don't.

Sounds interesting until you read this line:

 

" Embarking from PortMiami, Virgin Cruises plans to offer a range of seven-day Caribbean itineraries, with a Sunday sail date."

Many of us have done about all the Caribbean we care to. Then again that depends on whether you cruise for the itinerary or the ship experience. We like both, but I know some folks go to the Caribbean and go to the same places again and again and hardly ever get off the ship.

The Caribbean isn't the most exciting place in the world to vacation! :D No doubt about that. But they need to start somewhere.

The Caribbean isn't the most exciting place in the world to vacation! :D No doubt about that. But they need to start somewhere.

I do wonder how much they will market the cruise as part of a ‘package’ for the European market....offering flights, cruise and stay, tour and cruise....Many UK and European travelers enjoy this mix of theme parks or touring and finishing with a 7 night cruise all neatly fitting into a 14 night vacation.....perhaps they are not particularly focusing on US guests....Come to think of it that is how we started cruising over 20 years ago!

I do wonder how much they will market the cruise as part of a ‘package’ for the European market....offering flights, cruise and stay, tour and cruise....Many UK and European travelers enjoy this mix of theme parks or touring and finishing with a 7 night cruise all neatly fitting into a 14 night vacation.....perhaps they are not particularly focusing on US guests....Come to think of it that is how we started cruising over 20 years ago!

That's exactly how we fell into it. I like South Florida (Keys and Glades), for the Backcountry and big game fishing as opposed to the theme parks. :) It seems an easy and cost effective base to launch yourself from once you've already paid for air travel etc. For us mixing land trips with cruising over three to four weeks is ideal and works really well.

I suspect you're correct though. Virgin Atlantic already fly to Miami so I think it's certain that they will package cruises too.

That's exactly how we fell into it. I like South Florida (Keys and Glades), for the Backcountry and big game fishing as opposed to the theme parks. :) It seems an easy and cost effective base to launch yourself from once you've already paid for air travel etc. For us mixing land trips with cruising over three to four weeks is ideal and works really well.

 

I suspect you're correct though. Virgin Atlantic already fly to Miami so I think it's certain that they will package cruises too.

Yes, wonder if they’ll stop selling sailings for other cruise lines and just push their own?

Yes, wonder if they’ll stop selling sailings for other cruise lines and just push their own?

Hmmmmmm, why have one income stream when you can have two? :)

If they do stop selling cruises for other lines, will it be their decision?

It will be interesting to see which lines will be their biggest rivals. I would have thought they'd have targeted RCL but the 18+ ship changes everything there. People believe Celebrity have changed direction in recent times targeting a well heeled younger crowd, though from my experiences onboard they have a lot of work to do there. Perhaps Virgin have that market in their sights? No families and no older crowd?

They're discussing the Caribbean, Med, Arctic and Antarctic here...

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/a-conversation-with-richard-branson-as-virgin-voyages-previews-its-first-cruise-ship

According to Captain Kate's Instagram her husband has left RCCL AND is the first shipboard employee for Virgin Voyages.

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