10 Ways Virgin Is Disrupting the Cruise Industry

Richard Branson famously created Virgin Atlantic after a frustrating experience with American Airlines. Now, the self-proclaimed anti-cruiser has done what he does best: disrupt an industry he’s not satisfied with. 

The team behind Virgin Voyages wants it to be the cruise line for people who normally don’t like cruises. Everything, from the sleek design to the entertainment and dining options has been designed for an experience at sea unlike any other.

The company’s inaugural ship, the Scarlet Lady, set sail from Miami to the Bahamas on Oct. 6, and it’s already causing ripples at sea. Here’s how Virgin plans to disrupt the whole cruise industry.

Cruises are supposed to be a retiree and family thing. And while Virgin Voyages doesn’t have anything against these demographics, they recognize several cruise lines are catering to them. What there wasn’t was the kind of all-inclusive, adults-only resort experience that is becoming increasingly popular with hotels. 

Not having kids on the ship has allowed Virgin Voyages to be much more playful and risqué. There’s an onboard tattoo parlor named Squid Ink, which was booked solid during the ship’s inauguration in the United Kingdom. The resident drag performers bring fun to brunch as well as nightly entertainment, and the best place to cool down is a parlor cheekily named Lick Me Till Ice Cream.

You’ll enjoy the sound of the ocean without kids fighting in the background, and that’s enough to convince us.

Cruises are not necessarily the elegant affair immortalized in Marilyn Monroe’s “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” but formal wear is still required for specific events. Virgin Voyages is simply not interested in this “stuffy” formality.

Nirmal Saverimuttu, the chief commercial officer at Virgin Voyages, explains that the company wants to create an elevated and luxurious experience without the forced formality. The idea is to make people feel as if they’re in a private yacht. 

Scarlet Lady does this with its emphasis on design. Rather than bring in people known in the cruise industry, the company brought in design studios and firms known for their impeccable work in the hotel and restaurant industries.

The result is sleek and refined. Lounges can make you feel as if you’re in a private beach club on a Greek island or enjoying cocktails at the bar of a five-star hotel. Similarly, the swanky nightclub, The Manor, was designed by Roman + Williams and inspired by Studio 54.

The same attention to detail and beautiful aesthetics are present in the restaurants, the cabins and the outside decks. The latter boasts two pools, hot tubs, swings, bars and private cabanas.