gCaptain

Maritime News

Menu
  • gCaptain
    • About
    • Book
    • Contact Us
    • Press
    • Ship’s Store
    • Site Search
    • Submit Link
    • Close
  • Shop
    • NEW
    • Best Sellers
    • gCaptain Logo Gear
    • Gift Cards
    • Hats
    • Kids
    • Sale
    • Shirts
    • Tools & Toys
    • Women’s Clothing
    • Wall Art
    • Work Gear
    • Close
  • Jobs
  • Forum
      • Links
        • Forum Home
        • Forum App
        • Categories
        • Forum Search
        • Close
      • Member Links
        • New Posts
        • My Posts
        • Unread
        • Member FAQ
        • Close
    • Close
  • Newsletter
  • Advertising
  • Social
    • Etsy
    • Forum
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Close
  • Search

Sir Richard Branson Looks to Launch Virgin Cruise Line

March 25, 2014 by Mike Schuler

202shares
  • 202
  • 0
Sir Richard Branson promotes his Virgin Atlantic airline (in the Bellagio fountain, Las Vegas). File photo courtesy Virgin Atlantic
Sir Richard Branson promotes his Virgin Atlantic airline (in the Bellagio fountain, Las Vegas). File photo courtesy Virgin Atlantic

Sir Richard Branson wants a cruise line and what Sir Richard Branson wants, he’s probably going to get.

The Virgin founder and eccentric billionaire is reportedly seeking investors to launch a new fleet of Virgin cruise ships with two new Miami-based ships.

According to a in the UAE website The National, Branson is looking to tap Arabian Gulf investors, including UAE entities, for a US$1.7 billion loan for the construction of two new ships for the launch of the cruise line.

“We are looking at a very different kind of cruise company. We’re trying to create the kind of cruise ship that would be attractive to the kind of people who would never consider a cruise at the moment,” Sir Richard told The National.

He is believed to have hired Allen & Co, a small New York-based investment bank that specialises in media and leisure projects, to assist him in his search for partners, the report said.

Branson will look to build the fleet from, starting with the construction of two new vessels to operate in the Caribbean and Mediterranean cruise markets, the report said.

The report added that the cruise line would be based in Miami and could start operating in 2019.

“Most of the money is now committed,” Branson said, according to statement obtained by Reuters.  “We will start by building two big ships from scratch and feel the Virgin brand will work very well in cruises.”

The full report from The National can be found HERE.

Filed Under: Interesting, Maritime News, News Tagged With: cruise ships, richard branson, virgin cruise line

Subscribe Now

Enter your email address to receive gCaptain’s Free Daily Newsletter!

SPONSORED POST

Pingle: Your Credential Mate – Organize your licenses and certificates, set reminders and eliminate expiration anxiety.

Pingle: Your Credential Mate – Organize your licenses and certificates, set reminders and eliminate expiration anxiety.

  Featured

Pirates Kidnap Twelve Crew from Dutch Cargo Ship Off Nigeria

Pirates Kidnap Twelve Crew from Dutch Cargo Ship Off Nigeria

Fire-Ravaged Maersk Honam Nearing Anchorage Outside Jebel Ali Port

Fire-Ravaged Maersk Honam Nearing Anchorage Outside Jebel Ali Port

Coast Guard: Dutch-Flagged Tanker Spills  HFO in Lower Mississippi River

Coast Guard: Dutch-Flagged Tanker Spills HFO in Lower Mississippi River

Panama Canal Tugboat Captains Locked in Heated Dispute with Management Over Safe Manning of Tugs

Panama Canal Tugboat Captains Locked in Heated Dispute with Management Over Safe Manning of Tugs

Butane Leaks After Very Large Gas Carrier and Tanker Collide Singapore -AIS Replay

Butane Leaks After Very Large Gas Carrier and Tanker Collide Singapore -AIS Replay

  Video

Incident Video: Tanker’s Hull Punctured by Floating Crane in Iraq

Incident Video: Tanker’s Hull Punctured by Floating Crane in Iraq

Incident Video: Car Carrier Crunches Tugboat in Durban Harbour

Incident Video: Car Carrier Crunches Tugboat in Durban Harbour

Caught on Video: MSC Cruise Ship Crashes Into Dock in the Caribbean

Caught on Video: MSC Cruise Ship Crashes Into Dock in the Caribbean

  Latest News

Giant Ship-to-Shore Cranes Parked Off New York

Missing FWN Rapide Crew Member Found Safe on Ship in Nigeria

OOCL and Microsoft to Develop Artificial Intelligence Applications for the Shipping Industry

Avatars by Sterling Adventures