Sir Richard Branson is still expected to forge ahead with plans for a Virgin cruiseline despite Virgin Holidays releasing a brochure dedicated to cruise.
The new brochure, due out on November 7, features mainly product from Carnival but also has Hawaiian and Alaska cruises from Norwegian Cruise Lines, transatlantic crossings from Cunard Line on Queen Mary 2 and a small number of cruises from Royal Caribbean International, Star Cruises and Disney Cruise Line.
Carnival UK director of sales and marketing Lynn Narraway said she still expects Virgin to launch its own line some time in the future but said developing a programme with existing operators was one way of breaking into the market.
“It’s not easy going into the Caribbean up against the likes of Royal Caribbean, Carnival and NCL. It’s a big job tho fill a ship in the Caribbean. This new brochure is an opportunity for agents to really go for first-time cruisers. Virgin Holidays is making it easy for them.”
Branson has said he is in talks about developing a new luxury $500 million cruiseline that would have the same sort of impact on the cruise industry that his airline has on aviation. He has said he hopes it will be up and running in two yaers.
However, Virgin has since said plans have been put on hold because the company has not been able to find anything suitable to invest in.
For more on this story see this week’s Travel Weekly, out Friday.