Virgin Voyages Pushes Official Launch Back to May 2021

Virgin Voyages, one of the most anticipated cruise line launches in recent years, is now looking to Q2 of 2021 to officially debut its first ship as COVID-19 continues to impact plans.

Virgin will now look to debut its first ship, Scarlet Lady, on May 9, 2021 and will look to follow it up with the debut of its second ship, Valiant Lady, on Nov. 14, 2021.

Virgin made the announcement this week, writing that “based on the best information we have, we are working hard to start sailing from PortMiami” on those dates.

“The world is not out of the woods just yet, and there are still some challenges before we can start sailing,” Virgin said in a statement. “While we understand this is disappointing, our priority is our Sailors: keeping you well and only heading out to sea together when the time is right—which we believe is very, very soon.”

Virgin said it is giving consumers “as much flexibility as possible when making plans” with its booking policy that allows cancellations up to 48-hours before departure dates, with consumers receiving a full future cruise credit.

The news means that consumers and advisors will have to wait a year past the scheduled April 2020 launch date to be able to sail on Virgin. All cruise lines are still working toward meeting new protocols from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Healthy Return to Service order.

Virgin’s launch was expect to shake-up the cruise industry, launching with a focus on non-commissionable fares (NCFs), for its travel advisor partners, or First Mates, as Virgin puts it. It also launched as an exclusively adult-only line, with an 18-year-old-plus age restriction.

When it does start sailing, Scarlet Lady will welcome guests with 20-plus eateries with no surcharges, 78 suites with eight different styles, access to a personal assistant that Virgin has dubbed a “Rockstar Coordinator,” the first tattoo studio at sea, an original craft beer, Virgin’s on-demand champagne delivery service, and much more.