The Digest | New Jersey Magazine
Issue link: https://magazines.vuenj.com/i/1426217
AN IDEA IS BORN "I've never been on a cruise or particularly interested in a cruise but I recognized it was ripe for Virgin territory. I talked to a lot of people who didn't like cruises and to those who did to find out why," Branson said. From those early conversations, he brought in 20 designers, most of whom had no experience with the cruise industry, but he had the vision to guide them. "I would never build a superyacht for myself because the idea of having a 500 foot yacht for one family is the most distasteful thing I can imagine, but building a ship for lots of people where everything was designed like the best superyacht but with more focus on fun and parties was what I saw. I got the designers together and said let's create a ship, not a cruise ship but a voyage, and let's make sure every corner you turn is special," he said. NOT YOUR GRANDPARENTS' CRUISE SHIP The end result of that vision is the Scarlet Lady which launched this past spring, setting sail from Port Miami to the Caribbean. The ship carries 2,770 passengers who are referred to as "sailors", and an international crew of 1,160. That means there is one crew person for close to every two sailors making top notch service easy to come by. But don't look for cruise directors who offer pre-packaged itineraries or dinners with the captain. On Virgin Voyages, the ship, its many amenities, and even on-land options are fully at the discretion of each sailor. Branson wanted it to be that way. And at the advice of his one designer who had worked with Disney cruises,Branson also decided to make Virgin Voyages adult only. He explained that choice. "I'm a grandparent. I love having kids around, but there are those who want to go on holiday and let their hair down and not have kids running down the halls. The ship would have had to be designed completely differently for kids and we wanted it to be an adult space aimed at helping adults have a great time. That makes it very unique. You can pop over to Disney to have a good time with the kids and then come aboard to have a good time with us." V U E N J .C O M 66