“As we continue to navigate what’s going on in the world, we’ve made the decision to cancel our November sailings," the company announced.
The cruise line confirmed back in May that they will not be resuming cruises until October 16 , 2020. Today, December 2020 is the earliest date for brand new vessels to sail.
The 2,770-guest Scarlet Lady is currently in a cold lay-up in Genoa , Italy, waiting for news on exactly when they're going to start sailing again. Genoa is the port from which both MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises, beginning with MSC Grandiosa back in August, have begun to slowly resume cruises.
“With years of hard work toward this endeavor and our incredible shareholders passionately behind us, it has never been a matter of if we sail, but rather when. We’re fortunate to have such an incredible group of people backing us who believe deeply in what we’ve built and where we’re going — not just at sea, but as a business and brand. So even though we might all be navigating the unknown right now, we know how exciting the future remains," stated the company in an optimistic tone.
Virgin confirmed last week that its upcoming second ship, the Valiant Lady, currently under construction at Fincantieri Shipyard in Italy, will depart from PortMiami on longer Caribbean itineraries, including stops at the private destination of the line, Bimini Beach Club.
For not only Virgin, but would-be sailors who have been looking forward to the much-buzzed-about ships, the setbacks are disappointing.
Maritime Business World