Scarlet Lady Explained

Scarlet Lady is a cruise ship owned and operated by Virgin Voyages. She is the inaugural ship for the cruise line and was delivered on 14 February 2020 by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri. The vessel was initially set to begin operating on 1 April 2020 but the COVID-19 pandemic postponed her official debut until 6 October 2021, after which she sailed her inaugural voyage to the Bahamas from her homeport of Miami. In accordance with Virgin Voyages's business model, Scarlet Lady operates exclusively as an "adults-only" ship for guests aged 18 and over.

Construction and career

Planning

On 4 December 2014, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson announced Virgin Group would be forming a new cruise line with the backing of Bain Capital named Virgin Cruises and revealed initial plans to begin with two new cruise ships.[1]

On 23 June 2015, Virgin Cruises announced that it signed a letter of intent with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for three cruise ships that could each accommodate approximately 2,800 guests and 1,150 crew for seven-day Caribbean voyages.[2] The three-ship order reportedly cost $2.55 billion,[3] with the first ship scheduled to begin operating in 2020. The order's contract was formally signed on 18 October 2016, the same day Virgin Cruises rebranded as Virgin Voyages in a bid to distinguish itself within the industry.[4]

On 20 July 2018, Virgin Voyages revealed the name of the first ship as Scarlet Lady, in honor of the second plane of sister brand Virgin Atlantic.[5]

Construction and delivery

Temporarily billed as Virgin I and known in the shipyard as "hull number 6287", Virgin's first ship had her steel-cutting ceremony at Fincantieri's shipyard in Sestri Ponente on 22 March 2017.[6] On 31 October 2017, construction formally began with the laying of the ship's keel.[7] Nine months later, the dock was flooded on 20 July 2018 for the first time to allow two hull sections to be connected. Altogether, the ship was assembled from 399 sections.[8] On 8 February 2019, Scarlet Lady was floated out from the shipyard, after which interior outfitting work commenced.[9] In November 2019, Scarlet Lady performed her two rounds of sea trials. She set off from Genoa to Marseille between 15 November and 18 November and sailed in the opposite direction for her second round between 27 November and 30 November.[10]

Scarlet Lady was completed and presented by Fincantieri on 13 February 2020 and formally delivered on 14 February 2020 in Sestri Ponente. Branson christened the vessel in Dover on 21 February 2020 during an industry visit for the ship,[11] but formal naming festivities were scheduled for 19 March 2020 in her homeport of Miami, which were later curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12] [13] In March 2022, Virgin announced American singer Jennifer Lopez would become an investor and the brand's "chief entertainment and lifestyle officer", thus making her the informal godmother to Scarlet Lady and her fleetmates.[14] [15]

Debut

Amid the pandemic and the cruise industry's broader hiatus, the ship's debut schedule and inaugural festivities were significantly impacted. Following her delivery, Scarlet Lady began by hosting media and travel industry representatives on stops in Dover and Liverpool before continuing on her re-positioning voyage to the United States.[16] Virgin had prepared preview events in New York City, but was forced to cancel them due to the pandemic so the ship sailed directly to Miami instead.[17] Upon her arrival in Miami, Scarlet Lady had been scheduled to perform two pre-inaugural voyages in late-March 2020. Her first was scheduled from 26 to 29 March and her second from 29 March to 1 April. Both three-night sailings would embark from Miami and visit Virgin's new private island resort, The Beach Club at Bimini, located on the Bimini islands in the Bahamas.[18]

On 12 March 2020, Virgin announced an initial postponement of the ship's inaugural season, with the pre-inaugural sailings slated to begin on 15 July 2020,[19] [20] but these were cancelled in May 2020.[21] She had also been scheduled to sail her maiden voyage on 1 April 2020, visiting Key West and Bimini,[22] but this would later be postponed to 7 August 2020. Numerous debut timeframe adjustments for Scarlet Lady followed before Virgin decided to send the ship to Portsmouth, England to perform a limited summer 2021 season in the United Kingdom designed as a "preview"; from 6 August 2021, she operated six short sailings that varied between two and four nights-long and had enforced capacity restrictions for fully vaccinated British guests.[23] [24] [25]

In September 2021, Scarlet Lady sailed to New York for the ship's travel industry preview events that were initially curtailed in 2020[26] [27] and on 6 October 2021, 18 months later than planned, Scarlet Lady set sail on her inaugural voyage from Miami for Nassau and Bimini.[28]

Deployments

On 23 June 2015, Branson initially announced the first three ships in the fleet would be based at PortMiami for week-long, round-trip Caribbean itineraries, with the first ship beginning operations in 2020.[29] In January 2019, Virgin released the first details of Scarlet Lady's itineraries with revisions from earlier plans. She was now scheduled to sail shorter itineraries, ranging from four to five nights round-trip from Miami to the Caribbean and visiting various ports including Havana, Puerto Plata, and Costa Maya,[30] in addition to Bimini.[31]

In June 2019, in response to the United States's government re-instituted ban on passengers from entering Cuba via passenger and recreational vessels, Virgin swapped out all visits to Havana with calls to Key West, Florida and also added a fourth itinerary option to visit Cozumel on five-night sailings, along with two seven-night holiday sailings to Puerto Plata and San Juan, Puerto Rico.[32]

Design and concept

Adults-only

On 31 October 2017, Branson and president and CEO of Virgin Voyages, Tom McAlpin, revealed that the company's first ship would be exclusive to adults, requiring that all guests be ages 18 and over. McAlpin explained that this move was made to appeal largely to travel professionals within the more premium market looking for an "elevated" experience. Chief Commercial Officer of Virgin Voyages, Nirmal Saverimuttu, also attributed the decision to the company's aim to target "people who would not typically consider a cruise holiday" and might be interested in a "cooler" and more "intimate" setting.[33] [34]

Offerings

On Scarlet Lady, Virgin Voyages bundles all passengers' fares as one price per cabin, as opposed to pricing each voyage per guest.[35] Consequently, prices appear higher than those of Virgin's competitors.[36] Virgin explained that all fares would cover dining charges, fitness classes, internet access, and gratuities, among other offerings, but expenses incurred from alcoholic beverages, retail, and shore excursions would be charged separately.

The ship does not include any buffet or dining rooms, and instead, houses approximately 20 different dining and drinking establishments.[37] Other venues include a multi-function theater[38] and an onboard tattoo and body piercing parlor.

Technology and specifications

Scarlet Lady has a total of 1,408 passenger cabins and 813 crew cabins for a maximum capacity of 4,400 passengers and crew, which can accommodate over 2,770 passengers and 1,160 crew.[39] Of the 1,408 passenger cabins, there are 78 suites, 1,030 balcony cabins, 95 window cabins, and 105 inside cabins. She is equipped with balconies on 86% of her cabins, with 93% of the cabins featuring an outside view. The ship's livery consists of a silver hull, red funnel, and tinted windows, and also includes the Virgin "mermaid guide" figure featured on sister brands, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin America.[40]

Scarlet Lady has 17 decks, a length of 277.2m (909.4feet), a draft of 8.05m (26.41feet), and a beam of 41m (135feet). She is powered by a diesel-electric genset system, with four Wärtsilä engines, producing 48MW. Main propulsion is via two ABB Azipod XO units, having a combined power output of 32MW (43,000hp).[41] The system gives the vessel a service speed of 20kn and a maximum speed of 22kn. Wärtsilä also provided the ship's navigation systems, a hybrid scrubber system to remove sulfur dioxide from the exhaust, and a selective catalytic reduction system to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions.[42] [43] The ship partially produces her own energy through a 1MW production system that uses the waste heat from her diesel engines.

In February 2021, it was announced that Scarlet Lady would be equipped with satellite internet connectivity from SES using the O3b medium Earth orbit satellites to provide passengers with free ultra-fast, low-latency onboard wi-fi internet access.[44]

Incidents and accidents

2020 crew member death

On 22 May 2020, it was reported that a 32-year-old male Filipino crew member of Scarlet Lady had been found dead in his cabin. Virgin Voyages confirmed the man's death was not related to the coronavirus, and the United States Coast Guard confirmed that he had died from "apparent self-harm." Scarlet Lady sailed into PortMiami later that day, where the body was disembarked.[45]

Notes and References

  1. News: Stieghorst . Tom . 4 December 2014 . Richard Branson to enter cruise business . . live . 31 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230203014906/https://www.usatoday.com/story/cruiselog/2014/12/04/sir-richard-branson-creates-virgin-cruises/19883603/ . 3 February 2023.
  2. Web site: Schaal . Dennis . 23 June 2015 . Virgin Cruises to Debut 3 Ships in Miami Starting in 2020 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220812113223/https://skift.com/2015/06/23/virgin-cruises-to-debut-3-ships-in-miami-starting-in-2020-2/ . 12 August 2022 . 31 May 2023 . Skift.
  3. Web site: Drescher . Cynthia . 23 March 2017 . Virgin Voyages Begins Construction of First Cruise Ship . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230206024429/https://www.cntraveler.com/story/virgin-voyages-begins-construction-of-first-cruise-ship . 6 February 2023 . 31 May 2023 . Condé Nast Traveler.
  4. Web site: Sheivachman . Andrew . 18 October 2016 . Virgin Cruises Rebrands as Virgin Voyages, Finally Signs Deal for Three Ships . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221002140459/https://skift.com/2016/10/18/virgin-cruises-rebrands-as-virgin-voyages-finally-signs-deal-for-three-ships/ . 2 October 2022 . 31 May 2023 . Skift.
  5. Web site: Eisenberg . Sherri . 20 July 2018 . Virgin Voyages Names First Ship Scarlet Lady . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220705064743/https://www.travelpulse.com/news/cruise/virgin-voyages-names-first-ship-scarlet-lady.html . 5 July 2022 . 31 May 2023 . TravelPulse.
  6. News: Satchell . Arlene . 22 March 2017 . Virgin Voyages marks start of construction of first ship slated to debut in 2020 . . live . 31 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170324151659/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-bz-virgin-voyages-first-ship-20170322-story.html . 24 March 2017.
  7. Web site: Kramer . Gina . 31 October 2017 . Virgin Voyages Reveals First Cruise Ship Will Be Adults-Only, Begins Construction . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20171101020656/https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=8171 . 1 November 2017 . 31 May 2023 . Cruise Critic.
  8. Web site: Zhang . Benjamin . 1 November 2017 . Richard Branson's Virgin Voyages is launching a cruise ship for adults only . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20171105181952/https://www.businessinsider.com/richard-branson-virgin-voyages-launching-cruise-ship-for-adults-only-2017-11 . 5 November 2017 . 31 May 2023 . Business Insider.
  9. Web site: 8 February 2019 . Scarlet Lady Floats Out, Second Virgin Ship Construction Well Underway . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20191205132427/https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/20355-scarlet-lady-floats-out-second-virgin-ship-construction-well-underway.html . 5 December 2019 . 31 May 2023 . Cruise Industry News.
  10. Web site: 5 December 2019 . Scarlet Lady Completes Sea Trials, Branson Gets First Look . https://web.archive.org/web/20201101010714/https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22026-scarlet-lady-completes-sea-trials-branson-gets-first-look.html . 1 November 2020 . 31 May 2023 . Cruise Industry News.
  11. Web site: Cullen . Mackenzie . 21 February 2020 . Sir Richard Branson Officially Christens Virgin Voyages' New Scarlet Lady Cruise Ship . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230531214821/https://www.travelpulse.com/News/Cruise/Sir-Richard-Branson-Officially-Christens-Virgin-Voyages-New-Scarlet-Lady-Cruise-Ship . 31 May 2023 . 31 May 2023 . TravelPulse.
  12. Web site: Saltzman . Dori . 13 February 2020 . Italian Shipyard Delivers Virgin Voyages First Cruise Ship, Scarlet Lady . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210725092855/https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5095/ . 25 July 2021 . 31 May 2023 . Cruise Critic.
  13. Web site: Parry . Tom . 12 March 2020 . Virgin Voyages Delays Scarlet Lady Miami Naming . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210509132742/https://www.ttgmedia.com/news/news/virgin-voyages-delays-scarlet-lady-miami-naming-21697 . 9 May 2021 . 31 March 2023 . TTG Media.
  14. Web site: Zelinski . Andrea . 14 March 2022 . Jennifer Lopez joins Virgin Voyages as investor and lifestyle officer . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220317181139/https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Jennifer-Lopez-joins-Virgin-Voyages . 17 March 2022 . 31 May 2023 . Travel Weekly.
  15. Web site: Zelinski . Andrea . 5 July 2022 . What to expect when JLo is your ship's godmother (but don't call her godmother) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220809103938/https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Insights/What-to-expect-when-JLo-Virgin-Voyages . 9 August 2022 . 31 May 2023 . Travel Weekly.
  16. News: Whelan. Zara. 2020-02-07. This is when Virgin's adult-only £600m rockstar-themed cruise liner Scarlet Lady will dock in Liverpool this month. Manchester Evening News. 2020-02-12.
  17. Web site: Wood . Donald . 3 March 2020 . Virgin Voyages Cancels New York City Preview Events . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200923170301/https://www.travelpulse.com/news/cruise/virgin-voyages-cancels-new-york-city-preview-events.html . 23 September 2020 . 31 May 2023 . TravelPulse.
  18. Web site: Saunders . Aaron . 15 November 2019 . Virgin Voyages to Offer Pre-Inaugural Preview Cruises on New Ship Scarlet Lady . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221208063651/https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/4769/ . 8 December 2022 . 31 May 2023 . Cruise Critic.
  19. Web site: Saltzman . Dori . 12 March 2020 . Virgin Voyages Pushes Launch of Scarlet Lady Cruise Ship To July . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221209153645/https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5176/ . 9 December 2022 . 31 May 2023 . Cruise Critic.
  20. Web site: Kalosh . Anne . 12 March 2020 . Virgin Voyages postpones inaugural season until July 15 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220925092116/https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/virgin-voyages-postpones-inaugural-season-until-july-15 . 25 September 2022 . 31 May 2023 . Seatrade Cruise News.
  21. Web site: 21 May 2020 . Virgin Voyages Announces New Return Date . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230328124434/https://porthole.com/virgin-voyages-announces-new-return-date/ . 28 March 2023 . 31 May 2023 . Porthole Cruise Magazine.
  22. Web site: Slater . Georgia . 5 December 2019 . WATCH: Sir Richard Branson Tours Nearly Complete First Ship for His Adults-Only Cruise Line . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210517045807/https://people.com/travel/watch-sir-richard-branson-tours-nearly-complete-first-ship-for-his-adults-only-cruise-line/ . 17 May 2021 . 31 May 2023 . People.
  23. Virgin made the following adjustments to its debut timeframe for Scarlet Lady:
    • In May 2020, it postponed the debut to 16 October 2020: Web site: 20 May 2020 . Virgin Pushes Start Date for Cruises to October 16 . Cruise Industry News . 31 May 2023 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230531223346/https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2020/05/virgin-pushes-start-date-for-cruises-to-october-16/ . 31 May 2023 . none.
    • In September 2020, it cancelled all November 2020 sailings: Web site: 29 September 2020 . Virgin Cancels November Sailings . Cruise Industry News . 31 May 2023 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230531222837/https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2020/09/virgin-cancels-november-sailings/ . 31 May 2023 . none.
    • In October 2020, it set a tentative debut for January 2021: Web site: 27 October 2020 . Virgin Voyages Pushes Start to January 2021 . Cruise Industry News . 31 May 2023 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230531223244/https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2020/10/virgin-voyages-pushes-start-to-january-2021/ . 31 May 2023 . none.
    • In December 2020, it pushed the debut to May 2021: Web site: 9 December 2020 . Virgin Delays Start Date for Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady . Cruise Industry News . 31 May 2023 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230531224046/https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2020/12/virgin-delays-start-date-for-scarlet-lady-and-valiant-lady/ . 31 May 2023 . none.
    • In March 2021, it postponed the start date to 1 July 2021: Web site: 2 March 2021 . Virgin Voyages Delays Start to July 1 . Cruise Industry News . 31 May 2023 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221206212951/https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2021/03/virgin-voyages-delays-start-to-july-1/ . 6 December 2022 . none.
    • In April 2021, it cancelled all sailings originating from the United States ending before 17 September 2021: Web site: 7 April 2021 . Virgin Voyages Cancels Summer Season in U.S. . Cruise Industry News . 31 May 2023 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230531224830/https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2021/04/virgin-voyages-cancels-summer-season-in-u-s/ . 31 May 2023 . none.
  24. Web site: 8 April 2021 . Virgin Announces UK Summer 2021 Program . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221210055159/https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2021/04/virgin-announces-uk-summer-2021-program/ . 10 December 2022 . 31 May 2023 . Cruise Industry News.
  25. Web site: 23 June 2021 . Scarlet Lady Arrives in Portsmouth Ahead of Virgin Voyages' First Cruise . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230531230110/https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2021/06/scarlet-lady-arrives-in-portsmouth-ahead-of-virgin-voyages-first-cruise/ . 31 May 2023 . 31 May 2023 . Cruise Industry News.
  26. Web site: 6 September 2021 . Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady Leaves Portsmouth for New York . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230329200030/https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2021/09/virgin-voyages-scarlet-lady-leaves-portsmouth-for-new-york/ . 29 March 2023 . 31 May 2023 . Cruise Industry News.
  27. Web site: Jainchill . Johanna . 14 September 2021 . A long time coming: Virgin Voyages ship arrives in the U.S. . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221017205818/https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Virgin-Voyages-Scarlet-Lady-arrives-New-York . 17 October 2022 . 31 May 2023 . Travel Weekly.
  28. News: Hines . Morgan . 6 October 2021 . Virgin Voyages' first ship, Scarlet Lady, setting sail in US after 18 month delay amid COVID-19 . . live . 31 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230516225153/https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2021/10/06/virgin-voyages-scarlet-lady-set-sail-miami-first-us-cruise/6023367001/ . 16 May 2023.
  29. Web site: Virgin Cruises Makes Waves With New Ships, Miami Port. Drescher. Cynthia. 2015-06-23. .
  30. Web site: 2019-01-31 . Virgin Voyages Will Sail 4 and 5 Night Cruises to the Caribbean . 2019-02-01 . Cruise Fever.
  31. News: 2019-02-14. Virgin Voyages Sailings Now Open for Bookings. Virgin Voyages.
  32. Web site: Mathisen . Monty . 11 June 2019 . Virgin Reveals New Deployments to Replace Havana . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200214052125/https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/20994-virgin-announces-new-deployments-to-replace-havana.html . 14 February 2020 . 31 May 2023 . Cruise Industry News.
  33. News: McMah. Lauren. Sir Richard Branson reveals what Aussies can expect from his new adults-only cruise. 2019-11-16. News.com.au.
  34. Introducing Scarlet Lady Ships Monthly May 2020 pages 22-25
  35. News: Virgin Voyages to Include WiFi, Selling Cruises By Cabin Price. 2019-02-06. Cruise Industry News.
  36. Web site: Virgin Voyages Wants Cruisers to Pay a Premium (and Like It). Sampson. Hannah. 2019-02-14. Skift.
  37. Web site: Scarlet Lady: Cruise like a rock star aboard Virgin Voyages' first ship. Cripps. Karla. 2019-01-21. CNN.
  38. News: Virgin Rolls Out Entertainment Program for Scarlet Lady. 2019-02-14. Cruise Industry News.
  39. Web site: Scarlet Lady: Cruise like a rock star aboard Virgin Voyages' first ship. Cripps. Karla. 21 January 2019. CNN Travel. 9 May 2019.
  40. News: Virgin Voyages Begins Construction of First Ship and Starts Taking Deposits. 2017-10-31. Business Wire.
  41. Web site: Scarlet Lady Cruise Ship, United States of America . Ship-technology.com . 17 October 2022.
  42. News: Wärtsilä to provide comprehensive optimised maintenance for Virgin Voyages. 2018-07-23. Wärtsilä.
  43. Web site: Kalosh . Anne . 13 February 2020 . Fincantieri presents first Virgin Voyages ship, Scarlet Lady . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220925045819/https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/fincantieri-presents-first-virgin-voyages-ship-scarlet-lady . 25 September 2022 . 31 May 2023 . Seatrade Cruise News.
  44. https://www.rivieramm.com/news-content-hub/virgin-invests-in-high-speed-satellite-communications-63804 Virgin invests in high-speed satellite communications
  45. News: Cetoute. Devoun. Dolven. Taylor. 24 May 2020. Virgin Voyages crew member dies on ship, Coast Guard says. Another in cruise industry deaths. Miami Herald. 12 June 2020.

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