Virgin Voyages on Wednesday unveiled the design of six public areas of its
ship, the first time that it has detailed the new cruise brand's features.
Among the new spaces will be Richard's Rooftop, an outdoor
club reserved for suite guests. Virgin said it will have a futuristic look,
with circular loungers, large umbrellas and accents of dichroic glass, which
will cast rainbow-colored reflections across the lounge. The club's is named after Virgin
Group founder Richard Branson.
The Virgin ship, which is scheduled to debut in 2020, will
have a nightclub called The Manor, a nod to the name of the first music studio
associated with Virgin Records. The club's color scheme will be aubergine and
emerald with gold accents.
The Athletic Club's semicircular lounger is described as the largest daybed at sea.
At the aft of the ship on Deck 7, cruisers will find
an area called The Dock, described as "an outdoor, lifestyle space with a
focus on relaxation, socializing and an appreciation of the gorgeous views the
ship provides." Virgin said The Dock "is reminiscent of the chicest
seaside lounges in the Hamptons, Ibiza, Bali and beyond."
Another new outdoor space will be called the Athletic Club,
and feature a white-and-red striped semicircular lounger described as the
largest daybed at sea. The club is positioned across the aft with a 220-square-foot area of triple netting, where guests can lay out and overlook the open
space 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 restaurant will be playfully scientific with
light fixture images that mimic the periodic table of elements. The Test
Kitchen's laboratory-like environment is accented by metallic furniture, sleek
clean lines and comes replete with beakers, test tubes and volumetric flasks.
The Dock will be a chic seaside lounge.
Pink Agave will be an upscale modern Mexican restaurant,
featuring electric-blue metallic lighting fixtures that cascade from the
ceilings above oversized banquets that line the dining room's portholes. An
elongated, curved lounger centers the room, surrounded by round 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 that meet areas of rejuvenation and relaxation. Virgin said
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 Manor nightclub, a nod to the name of the first music studio associated with Virgin Records.
Virgin has hired a slew of designers to craft various parts
of the ship, most of whom have not worked on a ship before. 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.
Virgin said it intentionally set out to work with designers who hadn't before worked on cruise ships, and a panel discussion in New York Wednesday spotlighted some of the designers, as well as Dee Cooper, the line's senior vice president of product design, who was previously head of product and service for Virgin Atlantic.
"Virgin's a great brand, and it loves to do things differently for its customers," she said.