Virgin Voyages Welcomes Their First All-Adult Cruise Ship, Scarlet Lady
It’s official! Virgin Voyages’ first cruise ship, Scarlet Lady, has left the shipyard…on Valentine’s Day, of course.
Virgin Voyages announced today that Scarlet Lady is officially ready for Sailors. It was nearly five years ago when Sir Richard Branson arrived by helicopter to Miami for the official announcement that he was launching a cruise line.
Now three years in the making, Virgin Voyages formally welcomed the debut of its first ‘Lady Ship,’ Scarlet Lady. In the next few years, there will be four Virgin Voyages cruise ships around the world. Next year brings Valiant Lady, followed by two as yet unnamed ships in 2022 and 2023.
Scarlet Lady slipped out from the shipyard in Genoa, Italy (enter something descriptive). In only 46 days, the ship will set out on its first Caribbean cruise, departing from PortMiami.
Why Scarlet Lady is Special
Aside from the fact that this new ship won’t have the traditional Lido Buffet, Scarlet Lady is truly a cruise industry first, built with an approach that addresses climate change. Virgin Voyages ships are designed with the latest energy-efficient standards with state-of-the art equipment. The cruise line is offsetting its direct climate change emissions through the purchase of carbon offsets.
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Virgin Voyages will become the first cruise line to be carbon-neutral for its direct emissions footprint from its first day in operation. The projects that will be supported by Scarlet Lady will meet high-quality, internationally-recognized verification standards, including The Gold Standard and the Verified Carbon Standard.
“It’s wonderful to welcome Scarlet Lady today,” says Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson. “I’m so proud that as we start this exciting journey, we also bring to life Virgin Voyages’ commitment to preserving the ocean and the first of many steps towards a net zero carbon future.”
Richard Branson acknowledges that climate change is an urgent, global issue for every industry and business. Virgin Voyages’ long-term goal is a net-zero carbon future. Virgin Voyages has made a commitment to work to support the necessary research and development to advance carbon-free fuels and to scale commercially viable solutions.
“The ocean is our home, and we are on a mission to protect it. The single-biggest threat facing our ocean is climate change, and we want to be part of the solution,” said Tom McAlpin, CEO and President of Virgin Voyages. “We are committed to pioneering new technologies onboard and working with our industry peers to advance research and development for zero-carbon fuels.”
Virgin Voyages Ships Can Produce Their Own Electricity
How it works: Virgin Voyages is one of first cruise lines to use Climeon, a technology that utilizes heat generated from the ship’s engines to generate electricity, thereby decreasing the demand for fuel.
While the cruise industry continues to improve on readily available and commercially viable solutions, purchasing high-quality carbon offsets allows Virgin Voyages to take immediate action, while also supporting a long-term strategy that secures a net-zero future for the cruise industry.
Almost all -inclusive
Another innovation for this premium-class cruise line is that almost everything will be included in the cruise fare. This covers the specialty restaurants, wifi (yes, free wifi!), basic beverages and all gratuities are included.
Welcome, first cruise ship…Scarlet Lady!
