When Virgin Voyages starts cruising, it will require vaccinations for passengers and crew, Tom McAlpin, president and CEO of Virgin Voyages, announced March 16, 2021.
“Our goal is to ensure that we’re providing the safest travel experience which means vaccinations for both our crew and passengers,” McAlpin said in a statement.
“This is a step towards the safe return to sailing and is the right decision for Virgin Voyages. We’re really encouraged by the latest rollout plans in the May time frame from the new administration, and we know the future is about vaccinations. We’re an adult-only cruise line, which allows for us to offer a highly controlled, safe environment for everyone on board. Our business makes us uniquely set up to do this with testing and vaccine travel requirements. There’s a huge pent-up demand for travel and Virgin Voyages will be ready to welcome you aboard soon.”
The company has canceled sailings through June 30, 2021.
Virgin christened its first ship, the Scarlet Lady, on Feb. 21, 2020, in Dover, England.
Shortly thereafter, the coronavirus pandemic shut down cruising, and Virgin canceled celebratory events in New York City on March 2.
The company’s second ship, Valiant Lady, is tentatively scheduled to enter service in November 2021.
Its third ship, Resilient Lady, is slated to begin cruising on July 1, 2022.
The three sister ships are all 110,000 gross tons and accommodate 2,770 passengers.
