By
Rebecca Gibson |
Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, has officially launched Virgin Cruises.
Rumours about a new Virgin Cruise line have been circulating since early March, when Branson revealed he was looking to enter the market during an interview with The National.
It has now been confirmed that Virgin Cruises will be based in Miami and plans to build two new vessels. While official launch dates will be revealed at a later date, in an interview with The National, Branson suggested that if the necessary investments are forthcoming, the cruise line could start operating in 2019. He also revealed that the vessels would serve the traditional cruise markets in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and potentially the Gulf region, and offer more entertainment and leisure opportunities.
“We plan to shake up the cruise industry and deliver a holiday that customers will absolutely love,” said Branson. “They’ll be sailing on the latest ships offering a great quality, a real sense of fun and many exciting activities all delivered with the famed Virgin service.”
Virgin Cruises will be spearheaded by Tom McAlpin, who will assume the position of CEO after leaving his position as president and CEO of The World, Residences at Sea. McAlpin was previously the president of Disney Cruise Line.
“Cruise guests deserve something better and different to what is being offered today, and Virgin Cruises is committed to creating breathtaking experiences for them and a new generation of guests,” said McAlpin. “Opportunities like this do not come often, so I am very excited to lead this business and introduce the Virgin brand to the cruise industry, as it has always put customers at the heart of what it does.”
As part of its new venture, Virgin has teamed up with private investment firm Bain Capital.
“From our earliest conversations with the Virgin team, we recognized there is a unique opportunity here to help build the next great cruise line serving travelers from around the world,” Stephen Pagliuca, a managing director at Bain Capital. “We know that thanks to the strategic vision laid out by our collective team – and now under the guidance of Tom McAlpin – Virgin Cruises will help reshape consumers’ expectations of what a cruise experience can be. All of us at Bain Capital are thrilled to partner with the Virgin team on this compelling opportunity.”