Virgin picked a less than ideal time to launch a cruise ship. While crossing the Atlantic to begin its maiden voyage in 2020, the sleekhad to figuratively “turn around” the same week coronavirus hijacked the world. “After five years of hard work, we were suddenly forced to send everyone home until further notice,” CEO Tom McAlpin told me.
Thankfully for food lovers, fitness lovers, and adults-only cruise lovers, that notice finally arrived last October, after 18 months of waiting. I was recently invited to sail on this brand new, 4000 person, “medium sized” ship on a five day caribbean cruise from its home port in Miami.
Not everything was perfect. The required onboard smartphone app was clunky at times. With exception to a couple of wicked dance parties, most of the performance art was just okay. And at just 25% capacity during my sailing, which was great for avoiding lines, the ship wasn’t fully stress tested. To top it off, there was a nervous moment where my wife almost failed her covid test and couldn’t board, which would have really sucked. Not Virgin’s fault, of course.
Nevertheless, “We have the experience and crew,” McAlpin justifiably says. “We just need awareness.” Consider yourself notified. Four and half stars out of five. Cruising is back, baby. And thanks to strict boarding requirements, it’s one of the safest places to avoid coronavirus right now. contributes to fancy publications and Fortune 500 companies as a bodacious writer-for-hire and frequent travel columnist. He lives in Provo, Utah with an adolescent family and their “bullador beagle.”
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