Virgin Voyages starts again in England, here's the Summer Soiree Series

After postponing the debut for the fifth time, Virgin Voyages changes its mind and chooses Portsmouth, England, to kick off its venture into the world of cruising. The company has launched a limited series of trips scheduled for this summer. The offer is available only to U.K. residents and will include two-, three- and four-night itineraries with a total of six departures scheduled for August.

Summer Soiree Series, the first journey of the Scarlet Lady

It seemed to continue the odyssey of Virgin Voyages, which was forced to initially cancel the debut of its first ship Scarlet Lady scheduled for July. The company had chosen September 17 as the official date to set sail, but after a few days, good news finally arrived. Richard Branson himself announced the news: "Virgin Voyages has been looking forward to setting sail and we are so excited to announce our plans. Our team has taken care of every detail of this experience." Scarlet Lady will sail along the south coast of England, a first real excursion dubbed the 'Summer Soiree Series.' This is the planned program and departure schedule:

• Itinerary 1 - Long Weekender (3 nights, Friday - Monday)

Aug. 6-Aug. 9

Aug. 13-Aug. 16

Aug. 20-Aug. 23

• Itinerary 2 - Summer WeekDaze (4 nights, Monday - Friday)

Aug. 9-Aug. 13

Aug. 16-Aug. 20

Aug. 23-Aug. 27

As part of the Summer Soiree Series, will be offered a first taste of sailing on Scarlet Lady that includes Michelin-inspired dining experiences, luxurious spa treatments, unlimited fitness classes, entertainment with local British talent, and an adults-only sailing experience. The decision comes just weeks after the company made its new policy official with the requirement for all prospective passengers to carry a document certifying the Covid-19 vaccination. Only residents of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be able to purchase their tickets, on sale from April 13.

Virgin Voyages, Covid-19 vaccine required for all future passengers

Five referrals for Scarlet Lady before debut

The debut in England came just days after yet another postponement of the planned cruise departing from Miami. Virgin Voyages had thus brought to five postponements for the Scarlet Lady, which was to have start his story in March 2020. All the displacements were obviously caused by the Covid, which has effectively disrupted most cruises worldwide for the past 13 months. Virgin Voyages has also postponed the opening of its second ship, Valiant Lady. The date chosen is November 14, six months later than originally planned.

Valiant Lady will be similar in size and layout to Scarlet Lady. She was originally scheduled to debut in European waters in May before moving to the Caribbean in November. Now under the company's new plan, she will head straight to the Caribbean Sea after her construction is completed. Virgin Voyages offers customers with reservations on canceled cruises the choice of a full refund or a credit toward a future cruise. Those who choose credit receive 200% of the amount paid to apply for a future cruise. Those who chose a refund instead got a credit of 25% for a future cruise in addition to all the money already spent.

The format proposed by Virgin Voyages

The debut of Virgin Voyages is one of the most anticipated cruise industry events of 2020. Capable of carrying 2,770 passengers, Scarlet Lady is designed to bring to life cruises banned for those under 18 years of age. There are no buffets or even dress codes as well as no grand theatrical performances typical of classic cruises. For entertainment, travelers can participate in interactive dance parties, DJ sets and "microplay" as well as nightly dodgeball sessions.

In anticipation of the debut, Virgin Voyages had already unveiled. the name of the third cruise ship which will join its newest fleet. It will be called Resilient Lady and will sail from Athens, Greece, in the summer of 2022, offering seven-night cruises around the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas.

• Virgin Voyages

ITA Airways Platinum American Express Card

72,000 Volare points upon reaching €6,000 in spending in the first 3 months after Card issuance*.

Learn More "

• Up to 72,000 Volare points upon reaching €6,000 in spending in the first 3 months after Card issuance*
• Earn 1.5 Volare points for every euro spent and an additional 3 Volare points (for a total of 4.5 Volare points) for every euro spent on ticketing purchases and other services offered by ITA Airways
• Access to the Premium Club of ITA Airways' Volare program.
• ITA Airways Lounge Access
• Free excess baggage
• Points Back, Fast Track and Priority Boarding

Advertising message with promotional purpose. *Offer valid online only from April 3 to July 16, 2025 and reserved for ITA Airways Customers enrolled in the Volare program who apply for an ITA Airways Platinum American Express Card and become a Cardholder. Issuance of the Card is at the discretion of American Express. You will receive 72,000 bonus points on your Volare account upon reaching €6,000 of spend with ITA Airways Platino American Express Card within the first 3 months of issuance, which you can use, for example, to apply for tickets ITA Airways rewards. Volare points will be credited to your statement within 12 weeks from the date the last transaction was made to reach the above spending threshold. For terms and conditions of all Card benefits go to https://www.americanexpress.com/it-it/benefici/carta-ita-airways-platino/index.html. Regulation of the Program Fly on https://www.ita-airways.com/it_it/volare/theprogram/regulations.html. For more information on economic and contractual conditions, consult the General Charter Regulations and the attached Information Sheets by visiting americanexpress.com. Before applying for the Card, remember to download and keep a copy of the pre-contractual and contractual documentation related to the Card you are applying for. Issuance of the Card is at the discretion of American Express.

Mastercard Gold Miles&More

6 thousand miles&more miles + free card first 6 months

Learn More "

• 6,000 Mile Registration Bonus
• Collect miles WITH EACH PURCHASE
• Your miles with no expiration*
• No fees for ATM withdrawals and foreign purchases
• Without having to change banks
• Autonomous card activation
• Multi-function mobile application
• Free travel insurance
• Free credit for up to 7 weeks
• Contactless Payment
• Mastercard® SecureCode

For full details and conditions see the page on the operator's website https://bit.ly/469QFM3

Revolut Premium

Try 3 months free Revolut Premium

Learn More "

• Custom Premium Paper
• You earn 1 point for every €4 spent with RevPoints
• Priority in-app support
• 20% discount on international wire transfer fees
• Free withdrawals up to €400 per month or 5 withdrawals
• 0.6% cashback on Revolut Pro
• Up to 2 accounts for minors and a co-parent
• Currency exchange at no additional cost up to €3,000 per month
• No commission on currency exchange over the weekend
• Medical insurance when traveling the world

American Express Platinum Card

100,000 Membership Rewards® points by spending €5,000 in the first 3 months from the date of issue of the Card*

Learn More "

• Fast Track: prioritizing security checks at major talian airports
• €150 travel voucher, each year, to be used at americanexpress.com/travel
• Free membership in the Prestige level of the Prority Pass Program, which grants access to more than 1,200 airport lounges
• Global travel insurance
• Up to €120 in discounts each year to use on the FREENOW App

Advertising message with promotional purpose.*Offer valid online only from June 18, 2025 to July 21. You will receive a bonus of 100,000 Membership Rewards® points by spending $5,000 in the first 3 months from the date of Card issuance. The offer is reserved for Basic Cardholders who at the time of application are not, or have not been in the last 12 months, an American Express Cardholder enrolled in the Membership Rewards® Club. Bonus points will be credited to your Membership Rewards® account within 8 weeks from the date on which the last qualifying transaction was made to reach the spending threshold above. You may use Membership Rewards® points, for example, to claim Shop with Points discounts and reduce your Card account balance by up to €400 by selecting one or more eligible transactions. The transaction selection is indicative only, aimed solely at identifying the amount against which the Shop with Points discount will be claimed that will result in the reduction of the balance due. For more details on the Pay with Points Initiative and the Shop with Points discount, see Terms and Conditions at http://www.americanexpress.it/shopwithpoints. Alternatively, you can reduce your Card account balance by using points to claim Travel with Points discounts with your bookings on americanexpress.co.uk/travel . The American Express Platinum Card portion, cash withdrawals and advances, penalties, fees and amounts subsequently credited back to the Card account as refunds do not count toward the €5,000 spending threshold. For points accumulation methods, exclusions and validity of the different initiatives, see the complete Rules of the Membership Rewards® Club, the Membership Rewards® Sweepstakes and the Pay with Points Iinitiative on www.americanexpress.it/clubmr.