British entrepreneur Richard Branson heralded his first cruise ship "Scarlet Lady" on Friday as targeting a younger generation of holidaymakers with a range of attractions that he believes will outweigh any fears around coronavirus.
Edward Baran reports.
Is a cruise your idea of vacation heaven or hell?
Whatever your tastes, Richard Branson hopes he can entice you to set sail with the range of attractions on his first ship 'Scarlet Lady'... And, despite the unfortunate timing of the launch amid fears around coronavirus, Branson sees cruises as a growth area.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) VIRGIN GROUP FOUNDER, RICHARD BRANSON, SAYING: "We have fantastic dance areas, we have got fantastic theatrical areas, we have got, for young people, running tracks... we have got the best fitness workout facilities of any cruise ship, and so on." Virgin Voyages' ships will be aimed at the younger generation, offering a boutique hotel-type design with a festival environment, complete with yoga studio, tattoo parlour and a nightclub.
At a launch event in Dover in southern England, Branson said that Scarlet Lady would be based in the US and Caribbean, meaning he didn't expect it to be hit by any fallout from the coronavirus crisis.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) VIRGIN GROUP FOUNDER, RICHARD BRANSON, ON CORONAVIRUS AFFECTING CRUISE SHIPS, SAYING: "I think the longer-term impact will be negligible.
I think the fact that we are going out of America means that I don't think we will suffer... you know, people are booking as much as they have ever booked right now." Demand for cruising holidays has leapt over the past decade, with some 32 million passengers expected to set sail in 2020, a figure that has almost doubled since 2009.
Branson is starting off with four ships for his cruise line, but says he could expand further.