 |
| Virgin made the announcement at a Miami press event. // Photo by Sean Pavone/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images |
Virgin’s new cruise brand has been renamed Virgin Voyages, Cruise Industry News reports.
The brand, which had been announced as Virgin Cruises toward the end of 2014, released a new set of updates at a press event in Miami. The new cruise line, which will be helmed by Tom McAlpin, who helped found Disney Cruise Line, will begin construction on its first ship in 2017 at the Fincantieri shipyard in Genoa, Italy, with two more ships to follow later. The three ships will have a capacity of 2,800 passengers.
Previously, the line had announced plans for its first ship to sail from PortMiami starting in 2020, with the remaining two ships to follow in 2021 and 2022.
"The Virgin Cruises approach will appeal to cruisers and non-cruisers alike, and we look forward to being in Miami and delivering an experience for people who want a new way to cruise,” Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson told Travel Agent at the time.
Bain Capital is handling financing for the project.
Travel Agent is attending the Miami press event — stay tuned to www.travelagentcentral.com for further updates on this developing story.