Richard Branson’s new cruise line, Virgin Voyages, has announced the “proactive” postponement of its official launch until July, in light of the novel coronavirus. 

The launch of the adults-only cruise brand’s Scarlet Lady cruise ship is now scheduled to take place July 15, according to a statement from Virgin Voyages. 

That will kick off a showcase tour, after which the first-ever Virgin Voyages cruise to the Caribbean out of Miami is slated to take place on Aug. 7, 2020. 

“Virgin has always championed our customers and, most importantly, listened to them. With those principles in mind and based on your feedback, our team has made the very difficult decision to postpone,” Branson and Virgin Voyages CEO Tom McAlpin said in a joint statement. 

“We want to make this change as convenient and fair as possible. So we are offering a range of options from a full refund and a voyage credit to extra special bonuses if you book a future sailing. The choice is entirely up to our Sailors, as it should be,” Branson and McAlpin said. 

Scarlet Lady, which was slated to launch this month, is the first of a cruise ship pipeline that includes plans for three other new cruise ships. 

“We want to assure you that we have absolutely no health issues aboard our ship and have elevated protocols in place as we continue to put your well-being first. This is a once in a lifetime launch and a once in a lifetime customer experience, and we will do it together when we can all feel free to enjoy ourselves,” Branson and McAlpin said. “To expand on our commitment to fostering the best environment for our Sailors, Virgin Voyages is working with relevant parties to research new technologies that will help to expedite health screenings and make people feel safe. Developments are ongoing and the hope is to identify this opportunity over the course of the next month.”

For more, visit Virgin Voyages. 

— CJ