How are they reaching this
demographic? The new experience will
appeal to people who enjoy cruises,
and social media will reach a larger
audience, cruisers and, non-cruisers
alike. Media and events are also an
effective way of creating excitement
and it helps to have such a fantastic
personality behind the brand, Richard
Branson.
Entertainment on the ships will be
unique, and a focus for the brand.
Richard started the business with
Virgin Records, and cruisers will feel
the influence of music when they walk
on the ship. They will know from the
minute they step into the lobby that
the ship is inspired by music.
Entertainment will be the unexpected,
more edgy, and flexible, in smaller
venues. No crappy Broadway shows!
Virgin Voyages have tapped into Virgin
Hotels, which has won number one
hotel in the world from Condé Nast
for the last ten years, learning from
their experience and success, and
creating packages with the hotels and
ships.
The design of the ship will feel modern,
to quote Tom, “this is not a grandma’s
cruise”. The funnel will be the iconic
feature, and the bow of the ship
will be different. It will have a flat
front in a silvery grey, and look like a
yacht gliding through the water. The
mermaid on the bow of the ship will
hint at nostalgia.
The ships are under construction now,
and the first ship will launch 2020,
the second in 2021 and the third in
2022. Their itineraries have not been
disclosed but they will be unique and
off the beaten path. The first ship will
sail from Miami to the Caribbean,
and considering the global nature
of this business, the British market
and also Northern Europe are strong
possibilities. Virgin Voyages have not
set an exact date for their maiden
voyage, but they will take delivery
of their first ship on Valentine’s day
2020.
Crew culture is important to Virgin
Voyages, they want to make their crew
happy as they know that this will, in
turn, make their guests happy. There
are more single occupancy cabins,
crew will have internet access, and
they will be part of one team, not a
separate shipboard team. Their vision
for the team is a very diverse group
with a cruise background and a passion
for creating great experiences.
Sarah asked Tom about Virgin Voyages
company culture and he gave a glimpse
of the team that has worked on this
project from the beginning. Their
corporate office has an open floor plan
and the team has grown from two to
seventy-five in three years, with an
emphasis on using the talents of the
right people and valuing creativity and
a collaborative style. There is a buzz
of ideas being shared and Tom sees
himself as the facilitator, not the one
who makes the decisions.
Virgin Voyages are constantly
gathering feedback from the industry,
listening being a key component to
understanding what their customers
are looking for. Their extensive
market research to find out what
travelers desire has given them a lot
of information to work with and some
high expectations to deliver.
One of their goals is to be the cleanest
ship at sea, and they have initiated
several programs onboard to solve
waste and energy recycling challenges.
They are also looking at marine
waste management systems that use
technology to convert waste into fuel.
It is not clear if they have a solution
yet, but they’re working on it.
ILHA 107