Virgin Voyages has selected OneSpaWorld to operate the spa and fitness facilities aboard Scarlet Lady, its first cruise ship, and her two sister ships due in 2021 and 2022.
When Scarlet Lady debuts in 2020 she will have a OneSpaWorld gym and spa managed by 30 people and featuring a fitness centre, an outdoor yoga studio, a traditional spa and a salon with blowout services.
RELATED: Virgin keeps the surprises coming with new DJ and karaoke concepts
RELATED: Virgin Voyages debuts ‘Massive’ RockStar suites aboard Scarlet Lady
The contract will be for the next seven years, according to a release from Virgin Voyages.
“We see wellbeing as a critical part of our sailor experience; we call it our ‘Vitamin Sea,’” said Tom McAlpin, Virgin Voyages’ President and CEO. “We know that OneSpaWorld is the perfect partner to deliver unforgettable experiences that our sailors will love.”
The spa aboard Scarlet Lady
The spa operator is a leading organisation in the cruise industry, working with cruise lines operating 164 cruise ships. It also handles the spa operations at 64 destination resorts.
The gym aboard Scarlet Lady
Current cruise line clients include Silversea, Seabourn, Royal Caribbean International, Princess Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Disney Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line.
Scarlet Lady won’t enter service until April, 2020, when she will begin a program of four and five night cruises out of Miami to Cuba, the Bahamas and Virgin’s new private cruise destination in the Bahamas.
However, bookings for her inaugural season are now open.
Virgin Voyages hasn’t released any further details about the spa offering aboard the ship, but it appears from the OneSpaWorld tie-up that it will be fairly traditional, unlike almost everything else about Scarlet Lady.
RELATED: Virgin Voyages reveals plans to build dedicated cruise terminal at PortMiami
RELATED: MSC homeporting ‘revolutionary’ MSC Seaview in Dubai for 2020/21 season
The first of Virgin Voyages cruise ships has eschewed almost every cruise tradition, from the dining experience, to the stateroom layout, and even the public areas and entertainment offerings.
While it hasn’t yet been announced where the other two cruise ships will sail, it’s likely to be the Caribbean and Europe. However, Sir Richard Branson, the chairman of Virgin Group, has previously stated that Virgin Voyages will cruise from Dubai in the future.
“In time, our cruise ships will come down to this region which is obviously very beautiful,” he said. “It will be a real party ship.”
These comments came just a little over a year after Craig Milan, Vice President of Itineraries & Destination Development at Virgin Voyages told Cruise Arabia & Africa that the cruise line was “open to all options” when it came to Dubai cruises.
“We’re open to all options,” he said, “but it definitely won’t be any time before 2022.”
Virgin Voyages will take delivery of its third cruise ship in 2022, but has placed an order for a fourth, and so it may be the newest of her ships that will cruise from Dubai in the coming years.
Categories: Cruise Industry
