Virgin Voyages is targeting a new type of traveler: the remote worker.
In March, Miami Cruise Line, owned by Sir Richard Branson, launched a month-long cruise called the Scarlet Summer Season Pass. It’s essentially a four-week cruise put together to appeal to remote workers who want to spend a month at sea in southern Europe.
“People are really embracing flexible working and it’s resonating with travelers,” Virgin Voyages CEO Nirmal Saverimuttu told CNBC Travel. “A lot of people are saying it feels very rewarding.”
this Scarlet Summer Ticket Available for two people for $9,990. Rates include room, meals, group fitness classes and Wi-Fi, as well as laundry service, daily coffee and tea credit and use of a work space.
According to the Virgin Group website, booking a “season pass” is 30% cheaper than booking a cruise for four consecutive weeks. Saverimuttu said that according to Virgin Voyages regulations, passengers can also change travel companions on different sectors as long as they are over 18 years old. Adults only policy.
Saverimuttu said more than 2,000 people had registered interest in the season tickets within 24 hours of their release. Seats on the month-long cruise, which calls at places like Cannes, Rome and Ibiza, were sold out within 48 hours of bookings opening, a company representative told CNBC Travel.
That prompted Virgin Cruises to open more locations for remote workers on its second ship this summer.
The “Season Pass” cruises will sail on Virgin’s Scarlet Lady and Resilient Lady ships, each of which can accommodate approximately 2,700 guests. The cruise is scheduled to sail from June to September this year.
“One of Richard’s ideas”
The popularity of Virgin Cruises season passes stems from the widespread shift to remote working since the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are in the midst of a huge shift in how, what and where we work,” KPMG chief economist Diane Swonk told CNBC Travel. “The curse of working from home is no longer possible. Put back in the bottle. Companies that try to do this too aggressively lose a lot of access to top talent and workforce diversity.”
The Scarlet Lady cruise ship owned by Virgin Voyages is located in Liverpool, England.
Anthony Devlin | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
Most digital workers booking cruises are in their 50s and working full-time remotely, Saverimuttu said.
He said the idea for the program came directly from Branson himself, when he learned passengers were traveling long distances while working on the far side of the company’s ships.
He attributes the program’s rapid popularity to Branson’s “magic” understanding of today’s consumers.
“The response has been really amazing. It really surprised us,” he said. “But you know, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised because that was one of Richard’s ideas.”
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