Virgin Voyages’ First Ship Scarlet Lady to Call at U.K. Ports Ahead of Miami Homeport

The first ship from Virgin Voyages, the new cruise line from Richard Branson, will call at two U.K. ports before it arrives in Miami for its first seasons of sailings in 2020.

Virgin announced in London today, that it is planning to welcome travel advisor partners, which it calls its First Mates, along with some media aboard Scarlet Lady in Dover and Liverpool in February 2020 before the ship sails to Miami for its first official cruises in April.

Virgin also announced that Mark Ronson, the first DJ in residence at The Beach Club in Bimini, a Mediterranean-inspired port that it is creating specifically for its cruise line guests, will first appear on July 9, 2020, alongside Diplo. Ronson will also be creating pre-voyage and onboard playlists for guests.

Scarlet Lady will be the first of four ships that Virgin builds with Fincantieri shipbuilders, with one debuting for each of four consecutive years, starting in 2020. In the run-up to its 2020 debut, it has also announced that it is eliminating non-commissionable fares—all of Virgin’s fares, starting with the cruise fare to add-ons like flights, hotel stays, insurance, shore excursions, spa packages, onboard credits, basic beverage packages, fitness classes, and taxes and fees, will be commissionable at 10 percent for its advisors.

Scarlet Lady will feature 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 ever tattoo studio at sea, and more.

Its inaugural season out of Miami will include calls to Cuban ports, making Scarlet Lady the largest and newest ship to ever sail into Havana Harbour.