Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN)–Virgin Voyages, which has vowed to revolutionize the cruise industry, has postponed the launch of its third cruise ship, Resilient Lady, until May 2023, following it was scheduled to launch in August. Father.
She was supposed to sail from Piraeus, Greece, during the summer, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, during the winter.
The company directly blamed the chaos in the travel sector, which currently affected the cruise sector, following crippling the aviation sector.
“There are a number of global challenges affecting travel, particularly the cruise sector, including supply chain issues, crew challenges, and regional uncertainty,” she said.
“Every decision we make stems from our commitment to providing a safe and inspiring environment for both crew and seafarers, and we never want to put ourselves in a situation where we can negatively impact the seafarers’ experience or the wellbeing of the crew,” she added.
“The challenges we face are not limited to Virgin Voyages, but affect our industry and the travel industry as a whole,” she said.
Passengers, who have booked their flights, have several options.
They can get a full refund in seven days, or get 200% credit for a future cruise with Virgin Voyages in the next 12 months.
If customers accept the credit, they will get an additional free ride on another Virgin Voyages ship.
The company also offers a refund of up to $500 per passenger to cover any cancellation penalties or canceled flights.
In a statement, Virgin Voyages said the Resilient Lady will remain at the Genoa shipyard until construction is complete.
The ships, the Scarlet Lady and the Valiant Lady, remain in service in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, respectively.
They were released during the pandemic period.
“As a new brand just starting out, we’ve accomplished so much over the past year, and the future is exciting for us. The momentum we’re seeing with Scarlet and Valiant Lady is incredible,” said CEO Tom McAlpine.
He added, “The travel sector is recovering well.. This month we witnessed record number of bookings and a significant increase in in-flight spending.. We are currently seeking to close our next round of financing, which sets us up for continued growth.”
A fourth vessel, the Brilliant Lady, is also scheduled to join the company in 2023.
