Virgin Voyages ‘the best’

THE six cruise vessels planned by the fledgling Virgin Voyages cruise line “won’t be the absolute biggest, but they’re going to be by far and away the best cruise ships out there,” according to founder Sir Richard Branson.

Speaking to CW on board this week’s Virgin Australia inaugural flight from Melbourne to Hong Kong, Branson ( pictured at an event in Hong Kong last night) said while it would be some years before the first ship launched, “it’s going really well”.

He is going to Italy in a couple of months’ time to lay the keel for the first vessel which will be “very Virgin, with lots of style,” he said.

“I’ve never been interested in going on a cruise ship myself, so we’re trying to create the kind of cruise that myself and my friends would want to go on.

“I think that hopefully that will mean other people will join us.”

Branson wouldn’t be drawn on the details of the 2,800 passenger vessel, but said “there are things about cruise ships that I think are pretty horrible - massive buffets, queues of people, huge dining rooms...

“We’re going to do something different,” he promised.

“We have these wonderful people who work for Virgin who can create magic, and they are creating magic with cruise ships,” Branson added.

The first ship in the Virgin Voyages fleet is scheduled to arrive in Miami in 2020, and will offer a range of seven-day Caribbean itineraries.