Virgin Group founder and billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson loves a good show and he’s letting out details of the coming Virgin Voyages ships in flashy reveals to keep people coming back for more.
Shrouded in secrecy until now, the design of six public areas of the first of three 2,800-passenger ships due to launch in 2020 emphasizes that the line really does want to stand out from the competition.
There won’t be any water slides or climbing walls on the ships that will be adults-only–for travelers ages 18 and up. Virgin said it intentionally set out to work with designers who hadn’t before worked on cruise ships, giving them a lot of latitude to try new approaches.
Here’s a first look at what they’ve come up with:
Richard’s Rooftop
An outdoor club reserved for suite guests is named for Branson and designed to have a futuristic look, with circular loungers, large umbrellas and accents of dichroic glass, which will cast rainbow-colored reflections across the lounge.
The Manor
The nightclub on the first ship is named for the first music studio associated with Virgin Records, the company said. The club’s color scheme will be aubergine and emerald with gold accents.
The Dock
The area at the aft of the ship on Deck 7 is described as “an outdoor, lifestyle space with a focus on relaxation, socializing and an appreciation of the gorgeous views the ship provides,” reminiscent of seaside lounges in the Hamptons, Ibiza or Bali, the design team said.
Athletic Club
Another new outdoor space will feature a white-and-red striped semicircular lounger described as “the largest daybed at sea.” A key design feature is a 220-square-foot area of triple netting, where guests can overlook the water and decks below as if on a catamaran. There will be 10 cabanas in the club and a bar.
Virgin also unveiled two restaurant concepts.
The Test Kitchen
This restaurant will be playfully scientific with light fixture images that mimic the periodic table of elements, Virgin promises. Its laboratory-like environment will be accented by metallic furniture, sleek clean lines and comes replete with beakers, test tubes and volumetric flasks.
Pink Agave
This upscale modern Mexican restaurant will feature electric-blue metallic lighting fixtures that cascade from the ceilings above oversized banquets that line the dining room’s portholes. An elongated, curved lounger at the center of the room is surrounded by tables for two and flanked by a bar area in the foyer and a private dining room for larger groups.
Virgin said the overall design concept for the ship is “a celebration of contrasts,” where tension is created by a juxtaposition of high-energy spaces between areas of rejuvenation and relaxation. The presentation added that the ship’s spaces will transform between day and night and “offer an inviting environment that can be enjoyed solo or among friends and loved ones.”
The six newly unveiled spaces are the work of three firms: Design Research Studio in London, Roman and Williams in New York and Concrete Amsterdam.
The three new ships that will home port in Miami will have a distinct bow shape and a color palate of silver and grey. “When you see that ship at any port around the globe, you’re going to say, ‘that’s the Virgin ship,'” Virgin Voyages chief executive and president Tom McAlpin told a recent industry conference.
The company had originally looked at a larger vessel size, but decided on mid-size ships that can visit smaller ports and provide a more intimate experience for guests, he said.
He added that the company spent more than two years on the design of the cabins, which will be radically different, he said. Those designs are still under wraps.
Expect another big reveal soon.
