Virgin Voyages shows their confidence in Miami’s travel industry by breaking ground on their new PortMiami terminal
Virgin Voyages has officially broken ground on their new terminal in PortMiami. The cruise line is one of the newest cruise lines in the industry. They began their journey right before the pandemic broke out. This meant they had to postpone many activities due to COVID-19.
Still, the company is working each day to establish its presence in the industry. This new terminal will certainly put them on the map.
The new terminal, known as Terminal V, will be 100,000 square feet. A Miami-based architecture firm called Arquitectonica designed the terminal. The design and décor is inspired by palm groves to make the terminal feel very tropical. This will put passengers in vacation mode as soon as they enter the building.
Located on the north side of PortMiami, Terminal V overlooks Biscayne Bay and Miami's skyline. The design goal is to reflect the look of the cruise capital of the world. To do this, the Virgin Voyages logo will mirror Miami’s skyline at night. Terminal V hopes to embody the iconic surroundings of its city.
Breaking ground on this project makes it clear that they have faith in the Miami travel industry. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, there were many travel restrictions put in place. These restrictions hurt the travel industry. Virgin Voyages has confidence that the industry will bounce back within this new normal.
“The industry is resilient,” said Virgin Voyages CEO Tom McAlpin. “The future is very bright.”
Virgin Voyages is making progress beyond building Terminal V. In Feb. 2020, the company announced the release of their first cruise ship, the Scarlet Lady. Terminal V will be the home of this cruise ship year-round. The Scarlet Lady should have set sail last year, but the trip was postponed due to the pandemic.
Still, the company kept working hard on their innovations.
They announced that their second cruise ship, the Valiant Lady, will release this year. The ship will sail seasonally out of PortMiami. 2022 and 2023 will also see the release of one cruise ship each. This makes four cruise ships in four years.
Virgin Voyages is planning the structure of their terminal to work for these four ships. This allows them to make plans around the new normal and transportation requirements. This will also make the customer’s experience much less stressful.
Terminal V is not the only thing that sets Virgin Voyages apart from other cruise lines. The company conducts their services differently than traditional cruises. For example, there will be no main dining room on their ships, no requirement of formal wear, and no buffets. The cruise line will still include all food and most beverages.
Their cruises are also for passengers aged 18 years or older. This adult-only policy is reflective of some of the unique things you will find onboard. One of these aspects is a tattoo parlor.
Virgin Voyages is working harder than ever to be a stand-out company in the cruise ship industry. They are confident that the travel industry will be up and running again soon. Still, COVID-19 cases are still on the rise. Thus, the resumption of their cruise trips may not happen until the latter part of 2021.
To learn more about Virgin Voyages and stay up to date, visit Virgin Voyages's website or @virginvoyages on Instagram.
