webfact Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 Branson targets younger cruise crowd with DJs, tattoos and yoga By Kate Holton FILE PHOTO: Sir Richard Branson stands on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) ahead of Virgin Galactic (SPCE) trading in New York, U.S., October 28, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid LONDON (Reuters) - British entrepreneur Richard Branson will unveil the "Scarlet Lady" on Friday, a 60,000 tonne cruise liner complete with a tattoo studio and yoga deck aimed at drawing in a younger generation of holiday-makers. Despite the unfortunate timing, with passengers on one ship quarantined after hundreds caught the coronavirus and another turned away by five countries over fears someone on board may be ill, Branson sees cruises as a growth area. With the Virgin brand already offering everything from airlines to banking, TV, healthclubs and travel, he has set his sights on a boutique hotel-style pitch. "I have dreamed of starting my own cruise line since I was in my 20s and I'm thrilled that moment has arrived," he said in a statement. "The Scarlet Lady is truly special and we've worked with some of the world's most sought-after designers, artists and architects to craft an extraordinary experience." The launch date though comes at an undeniably awkward time. The coronavirus epidemic, which originated in mainland China and has killed more than 2,100 people, has taken a toll on cruise operators as travel restrictions and the fear of it spreading have also led to cancellations of trips in the Far East. Virgin Voyages will unveil the first of four ships in Dover on the south coast of England before she sails on to the United States for a maiden voyage around the Caribbean in April. Demand for cruising holidays has leapt over the past decade, with some 32 million passengers expected to set sail in 2020, a figure that has almost doubled since 2009. The United States is the biggest market for passengers, with the Caribbean and Mediterranean the most popular destinations for the leading cruise lines including Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian. Like other Virgin brands, Branson's Voyages line will target younger tourists with spas, a gym, 20 restaurants, DJ sets, drag queens and a vinyl store. Children are not allowed. Apart from the virus, the cruise industry has also been forced to address its environmental impact and improve its cooperation with ports to prevent multiple ships from flooding thousands of tourists into tiny coastal communities at once, destroying their way of life. Virgin Voyages says it is one of the first cruise lines to use Climeon, a technology that generates electricity from the heat of the ship's engine to reduce its demand for fuel, while it will also purchase carbon offsets. Built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, the Scarlet Lady will host 2,770 passengers and 1,160 crew. (Editing by Alison Williams) -- © Copyright Reuters 2020-02-21 Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post worgeordie Posted February 21, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 21, 2020 Sounds like it's going to be a Love boat. regards Worgeordie 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeCross Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 wot no virus? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Cryingdick Posted February 21, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 21, 2020 Imagine the worst dread lock, fisherman pants, backpackers you can think of all on a boat you can not easily escape from. Man overboard for me... 3 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMoldie Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 At least they are going to make them wear DJ's for dinner, which is as it should be on a cruise 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candide Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 Well, It's an interesting idea. However, it can only work if there is a reasonable gender balance. Same as for discos, except that people are trapped there and cannot finish the night on another boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Assurancetourix Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 On 2/21/2020 at 7:55 AM, worgeordie said: Sounds like it's going to be a Love boat. regards Worgeordie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyezhov Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 On 2/21/2020 at 8:49 AM, Cryingdick said: Imagine the worst dread lock, fisherman pants, backpackers you can think of all on a boat you can not easily escape from. Man overboard for me... They cant afford a cruise on a rowboat. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillageIdiot Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 6 hours ago, candide said: Well, It's an interesting idea. However, it can only work if there is a reasonable gender balance. Same as for discos, except that people are trapped there and cannot finish the night on another boat. "...gender balance." Get real. This is the 21st century. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cryingdick Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 8 hours ago, candide said: Well, It's an interesting idea. However, it can only work if there is a reasonable gender balance. Same as for discos, except that people are trapped there and cannot finish the night on another boat. It would also require a copious amount of drugs. Ever listened to one of these DJ when sober? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TooPoopedToPop Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 12 hours ago, VillageIdiot said: "...gender balance." Get real. This is the 21st century. So true. Just when you thought love boat cruises couldn't get any sleazier, along comes Sir Richard to take mass-degeneracy down to a new low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number 6 Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 Tattoo parlor. Nothing says trashy more than.....hey, look at this tattoo I got on holiday!! Not called the Love Boat but the Chav Boat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHolmesJr Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 Scarlet Lady sounds like an euphemism for Herpes. Sounds like there may bit a bit of that on offer too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
URMySunshine Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 (edited) . Edited February 23, 2020 by URMySunshine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elliss Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 On 2/21/2020 at 7:58 AM, GeorgeCross said: wot no virus? All inclusive .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3NUMBAS Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 another floating petri dish .good luck with the sales of cabins and will the AC spread the virus around the ship? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susco Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 14 hours ago, TooPoopedToPop said: So true. Just when you thought love boat cruises couldn't get any sleazier, along comes Sir Richard to take mass-degeneracy down to a new low. 14 hours ago, JHolmesJr said: Scarlet Lady sounds like an euphemism for Herpes. Sounds like there may bit a bit of that on offer too. Looks like the pensioners who's only resort these days is soi Herpes 6 are getting jealous again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overherebc Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 (edited) On 2/22/2020 at 10:25 AM, CMoldie said: At least they are going to make them wear DJ's for dinner, which is as it should be on a cruise Like this you mean?? PS I understand your DJ's ???????? Edited February 24, 2020 by overherebc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berkshire Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 On 2/21/2020 at 7:26 AM, webfact said: Like other Virgin brands, Branson's Voyages line will target younger tourists with spas, a gym, 20 restaurants, DJ sets, drag queens and a vinyl store. Children are not allowed. Branson's a pretty smart guy, so I would think he sees a market in this. But I've always thought cruise ship clientele was mostly older folks who have the money and the time. And then there's families. This ship is excluding both. Anyways, I certainly wouldn't want to be on a ship that doesn't want old farts like myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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