Virgin Voyages, the forthcoming cruise line from business magnate Richard Branson, has promised its future guests that it will be unlike anything the cruise industry has ever seen.
In a set of renderings released recently, Virgin unveiled what that may look like.
Hint: There is a lot of lounging.
That’s in part because the line, whose unnamed, 2,700-passenger first ship will debut from Miami in 2020, will be adults-only. That means no water slides, no water parks and no kids facilities.
The closest the new vessel will come to that is its “adult-play” area, located at the top of the vessel. The area features the largest seabed at sea, a red-and-white semicircular lounger that encompasses much of The Athletic Club, as the adult-play section is called. Virgin may say it doesn’t want to be like other cruise lines, but it can’t resist the industry’s propensity for superlatives.
The Athletic Club, designed by Concrete Amsterdam, will also have a 220-square-foot area of triple netting like on a catamaran where passengers — Virgin prefers to call them “sailors” — can gaze into the ocean below.
“The Dock,” by Roman and Williams design firm, on deck seven will also be a lounge area, featuring trees and daybeds, and focused on relaxation and socializing. For suite guests, “Richard’s Rooftop” (named after Branson) will be a private lounge area with large circular loungers and giant umbrellas. The VIP section was designed by Design Research Studio.
The London-based firm also designed the ship’s upscale Mexican restaurant, “Pink Agave,” which will have a bar in the foyer and a private dining room for large groups. The ship will also have a Test Kitchen restaurant, designed by Concrete Amsterdam, that is made to look like a laboratory, with a periodic table in the entrance and test tubes, beakers and flasks inside.
And it wouldn’t be Virgin without nightlife. The Manor, also by Roman and Williams, is named after Branson’s first ever Virgin music studio of the same name. The emerald, gold and dark purple club is expected to draw on Branson’s history in the music industry.
Since announcing it was going to develop a cruise line, Virgin has been taking public input on what the vessels should look like. The adults-only concept was born from that process, with potential passengers requesting the ships be 18 years and up.
In October, the line announced that the exterior of the ships will be sleek and yacht-like. Instead of the brand’s signature red, Virgin opted for a silver-gray exterior — but with touches of red across the ship, particularly in a new mermaid logo on the hull.
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