Virgin Voyages Takes Delivery of Scarlet Lady

It's not every day that we see a brand new ship debut from a brand new cruise line, but Virgin Voyages, the first venture into cruising from The Virgin Group, has taken delivery of Scarlet Lady. Also Watch: Virgin Voyages - The Beach Club at Bimini (Preview) Nearly three years in the making, Virgin Voyages formally welcomes its first ‘Lady Ship,’ Scarlet Lady in its fleet of four to the open waters, departing the Fincantieri shipyard in Genoa, Italy. In just 46 days, Sailors will embark on the Maiden Voyage, departing from her home port in Miami. Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson said: “It’s wonderful to welcome Scarlet Lady today,” “I’m so proud that as we start this exciting journey, we also bring to life Virgin Voyages’ commitment to preserving the ocean and the first of many steps towards a net zero carbon future.” Virgin Voyages is one of first cruise lines to use Climeon, a technology that utilizes heat generated from the ship’s engines to generate electricity, thereby decreasing the demand for fuel. While the industry continues to improve on the journey for readily available and commercially-viable solutions, purchasing high-quality carbon offsets allows us to take immediate action, while also supporting a long-term strategy that secures a net-zero future for the cruise industry. Tom McAplin, CEO and President of Virgin Voyages said: “The ocean is our home, and we are on a mission to protect it. The single-biggest threat facing our ocean is climate change, and we want to be part of the solution,” “We are committed to pioneering new technologies onboard, and working with our industry peers to advance research and development for zero-carbon fuels.” Scarlet Lady is currently sailing to her year-round home port of Miami, Florida. Along the way, she will be making stops in Dover, England (Feb 21-23), Liverpool, England (Feb 25-26), New York City (March 7-10), Bimini (March 13-14) before arriving in Miami. Scarlet Lady's inaugural season from Miami includes 3 to 5 night cruises with stops to Key West, Cozumel, Costa Maya and Virgin Voyages exclusive private destination of The Beach Club at Bimini. There are also two special 7 night holiday sailings. For more details, please visit Virgin Voyages website .