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Cruises

Virgin Voyages postpones cruises on first ship once again; launch now pushed back a year from original date

The Richard Branson–owned cruise line will not set sail until May 2021

By Jeanette Settembre Fox News
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Richard Branson–backed Virgin Voyages is anchored until 2021. 

The Florida-based cruise line’s first ship, the Scarlet Lady, will not set sail May 9, 2021, more than one year since it was slated to hit the high seas, the line announced Wednesday. The fleet has been in the works for more than seven years.  

Virgin Voyages has delayed the debut of its first ship, the Scarlet Lady, until May 9, 2021. (Virgin Voyages). 

Virgin Voyages has delayed the debut of its first ship, the Scarlet Lady, until May 9, 2021. (Virgin Voyages). 

"While we recognize that the world is not out of the woods yet, we're optimistic heading into 2021, and look forward to setting sail very soon," Tom McAplin, president and CEO of Virgin Voyages, told Fox News in a statement Wednesday. "In the meantime, we will continue to innovate our experience offering and work closely with our peers and health officials to keep cruising a safe and healthy way to travel."

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Virgin Voyages said in a news release Wednesday the decision to reschedule the upcoming sail dates was to prioritze the "health and well-being of its sailors and crew." USA TODAY first reported news of the voyage postponement.  

It’s been anything but smooth sailing for the cruise line industry during the coronavirus pandemic. Virgin Voyages was slated to launch the Scarlet Lady in April of this year, out of Miami, though much of the country was in lockdown as COVID cases became more widespread. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put out a “no-sail” order on March 14. As a result, a number of cruise lines have postponed or canceled trips well into 2021 as the U.S. awaits a vaccine. 

Royal Caribbean and Norwegian also extended voyage postponements through the end of February this week, FOX Business reported. And Carnival's largest cruise ship to date, the Mardi Gras, will embark on April 24, 2021, the cruise line said last week. The launch was scheduled to happen in February 2021. 

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Virgin also delayed the launch of its second ship, the Valiant Lady, from May 2021 to Nov. 14, 2021. The voyage was slated to sail in the Mediterranean, though the itinerary has since been changed to the Caribbean.