Richard Branson News

Virgin Voyages, the cruise brand from Richard Branson's Virgin Group, said on Friday it has raised $550 million in fresh capital to expand into new international markets.The funding was led by Ares Management with participation from existing investors, including British conglomerate Virgin Group and venture capital firm Bain Capital.Launched at the end of 2021, Virgin Voyages operates three ships servicing the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. It plans to operate in Australia and…

Richard Branson’s cruise line Virgin Voyages announced it has partnered with independent sustainability experts, the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), along with three waste-based sustainable fuel providers to deliver low carbon fuels to the marine industry. Argent Energy, GoodFuels and Twelve are collaborating with the cruise line to further advance Virgin Voyages’ commitment of reaching net zero by 2050.Recognizing there is currently no one-size-fits-all, low-carbon fuel solution…

U.K.-based Horizon Technologies is teaming up with Richard Branson's launch and space solutions company Virgin Orbit, the companies announced on Tuesday.Horizon, which provides space-based maritime domain awareness through signals intelligence, has tapped U.S.-based Virgin Orbit to become its preferred launch partner. Horizon will use Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne’s for at least five launches.Also under the deal, Virgin Orbit will take an equity stake in the company, and will appoint…

Italian shipbuilding group Fincanieri said it has delivered the new cruise ship, Valiant Lady, and launched another, Resilient Lady, for operator Virgin Voyages at its Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa.The newbuilds are the second and third of four ships which Virgin Voyages, part of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, ordered from Fincantieri.Valiant Lady and Resilient Lady, as well as sister ship Scarlet Lady delivered last year, weigh about 110,000 gross tons, are 278 meters long and 38 wide.

The July/August edition of Marine Technology Reporter, the 15th Annual "MTR100", recognizes Graham Hawkes a subsea innovator, explorer, inventor and pusher of boundaries. A pioneer in the realm of ocean engineering, he’s designed and built more than 60 manned submersibles—everything from atmospheric dive suits to flying subs. As a test pilot, he’s maintained the deepest solo dive record for more than 20 years. He’s also the founder of HAWX Open Ocean LLC, created to design and…

Several major cruise operators have voluntarily suspended operations in response to the developing coronavirus pandemic. For most, the reason given has been "an abundance of caution".On Wednesday, Viking became the first major cruise line to temporarily suspend operations, canceling all river and ocean cruises scheduled to embark between March 12 to April 30. It said it expected to resume sailings on May 1.Princess Cruises, the operator of two coronavirus-stricken ships -- Diamond…

British entrepreneur Richard Branson heralded his first cruise ship "Scarlet Lady" on Friday as targeting a younger generation of holidaymakers with a range of attractions that he believes will outweigh any fears around coronavirus.Despite the unfortunate timing, with passengers on one ship quarantined in Japan after hundreds caught the virus and another turned away by five countries over fears someone on board may be ill, Branson sees cruises as a growth area.In an event at Dover…

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri said it has presented Scarlet Lady, the first of four new cruise ships it is building for new cruise ship operator Virgin Voyages, part of Richard Branson’s Virgin Group.The 110,00-gross-ton Scarlet Lady, constructed at the builder's shipyard in Genoa Sestri Ponente, is 278 meters long and 38 meters wide. Virgin Voyages second ship, Valiant Lady, currently under construction in the same yard, will be delivered in 2021, while the third and the fourth units…

Virgin Voyages, formerly Virgin Cruises, has unveiled its plans for a new terminal at PortMiami.Sir Richard Branson's cruise line said in a press release that the new Virgin Voyages Terminal will be located on the northwest side of the port in Miami, giving it incredible views of the city’s skyline. Construction is due to start next year and will be completed by November 2021, the beginning of the year’s cruise season.“Miami is an incredible city and one of my favourite places to work and play,” Richard Branson said. “From our headquarters for Hotels, Voyages and now Trains USA, South Florida has quickly become another home for Virgin brands in the leisure travel sector.”The new 10…

Sir Richard Branson has stepped down from his role as chairman of Virgin Hyperloop One, saying the company "needs a more hands-on chairman."DP World statement said Branson was stepping down due to the increased commitment of time the position requires.Following the resignation Branson DP World, the largest shareholder in Hyperloop, said it was looking for a new chairman to take the company to the next stage of growth.Commenting on the announcement, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sualyem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, said: “As the first major investor in Jeddah port 20 years ago we are committed to supporting the Kingdom’s effort to grow its…

Cruise line Virgin Voyages has assigned Wärtsilä the responsibility of the maintenance of its three brand new cruise ships due to enter service in 2020, 2021 and 2022.The comprehensive 10-year Optimized Maintenance Agreement, signed on April 30, 2018, gives extensive responsibility of maintenance to Wärtsilä, who will ensure that vessels are powered and operated reliably, efficiently and sustainably.Wärtsilä’s Dynamic Maintenance Planning allows maintenance operations to be carried out based on remotely monitored and analyzed real-time performance data.

A steel cutting ceremony held today at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente (Genoa) shipyard marked the official start of construction for the second of three cruise ships on order for Virgin Voyages (part of Virgin Group). During the event, Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Voyages President and CEO Tom McAlpin, welcomed by Giampiero Massolo and Giuseppe Bono, Chairman and CEO of Fincantieri, also revealed the name of the series’  first ship, which is currently under construction at the yard: Scarlet Lady…

Dubai-based port operator DP World has partnered with Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Hyperloop One to create a new venture that aims to provide hyperloop-enabled cargo systems.DP World and the U.S.-based Virgin Hyperloop One introduced their vision for “the future of on-demand freight transportation” at an event on April 29 at the historic vessel Queen Elizabeth 2.The joint venture, called DP World Cargospeed, will set out to be the world’s first to ship cargo with hyperloop technology.

A keel laying ceremony was held at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa, Italy for the first of three new cruise ships to be built for the Virgin Group’s new cruise line arm Virgin Voyages. The ceremony was attended by Richard Branson, founder of Virgin; Tom McAlpin, President and CEO of Virgin Voyages; Alberto Maestrini, Fincantieri General Manager; Giovanni Toti, President of the Liguria Region; Marco Bucci, the mayor of Genoa; and other authorities. Each of the new ships will weigh about 110…

On August 9, 1992 – 25 years ago today – the motor yacht Destriero set the record for the fastest Atlantic crossing, a record that remains unbeaten to this day. The monohull, built in 1991 in less than one year in the Fincantieri shipyard of Muggiano and Riva Trigoso, sailed 3,106 nautical miles without refueling, from Ambrose Light, N.Y. to Bishop Rock lightship on the Scilly Isles, England, in 58 hours at an average speed of 53 knots (reaching a maximum speed of 66 knots), claiming once more the Blue Riband, awarded in 1933 to the legendary transatlantic liner Rex. The yacht also set a record on its return journey, awarded the Virgin Atlantic Trophy by the English business magnate Richard Branson on September 5, 1992, as well as the New York Yacht Club Columbus Atlantic Trophy.

Merseyside maritime company Wren Industrial & Marine Fabrications has been bought by Merseyside entrepreneur and former member of the Armed Forces Jonathan Willoughby. Bootle-based Wren Industrial has been run for 27 years by husband and wife team David and Helen Wren. It specializes in manufacturing doors, windows and hatches for ships and boats as well as welding and fabrication services primarily in the maritime sector. Wren’s clients include the Royal Navy, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and ferry operators Stena and the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.

Port Metro Vancouver today released its 2015 year-end statistics. Overall volume remained steady at 138 million tonnes of cargo as sectors experiencing declines were offset by others that hit new records. This is the port’s third consecutive year of strong cargo volumes, with new records set in the container, potash, and grain and agri-product sectors. Cargo shipped in containers continued to show substantial growth due to increased trade with Asia, with a five per cent jump in units (known as twenty-foot-equivalent units or TEUs) for a new record of 3.1 million TEUs. Grain and agri-product exports increased by eight per cent over 2014 to 25.1 million metric tonnes, and potash exports were 8.7 million metric tonnes, up 15.6 per cent from the prior year.

Virgin Cruises will launch its first luxury liner in 2020 from Miami, British tycoon Richard Branson announced, placing his bets on medium-sized "boutique" ships. The Virgin Group founder said he had signed a binding letter of intent with Italy's Fincantieri to build three 110,000-ton ships, to debut in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Each ship would carry 2,860 passengers, based on double occupancy, and 1,150 crewmembers. With characteristic flair, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, sporting a skipper's hat, arrived in downtown Miami's Museum Park via helicopter and a cloud of Virgin-red smoke. Branson announced formation of the cruise line in December 2014. Bain Capital is the financing partner.

U.S. authorities resumed a hunt on Tuesday for four British yachtsmen missing in the Atlantic Ocean after a public appeal backed by UK politicians and British billionaire Richard Branson not to give up on finding them just yet. The sailors on board the yacht Cheeki Rafiki went missing on Friday as they were returning to Britain from a sailing event in Antigua in the Caribbean and reported that the vessel was taking on water, forcing them to change course to head to the Azores. The U.S. Coast Guard, supported by U.S. and Canadian air forces, mounted a search about 1,000 miles off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, but called it off on Sunday due to treacherous conditions, saying there was little chance of finding them. But relatives of the missing men set up a petition to urge U.S.

Planes and ships from the United States, Canada, and Britain have turned up no fresh signs of four British sailors missing in the Atlantic, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday, adding search efforts would continue. The crew members on board the yacht Cheeki Rafiki went missing on Friday as they were returning to Britain from a sailing event in Antigua in the Caribbean and reported that the vessel was taking on water, forcing them to change course for the Azores. "Unfortunately we have had no sightings of a life raft, persons in the water, a sailboat, or debris," U.S. Coast Guard Captain Anthony Popeil, who is leading the search, told reporters at a press conference in Boston. "No decisions have been made regarding suspension of this search.

The former chief executive of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd sued Richard Branson's Virgin Group in federal court in Miami for $300 million on Wednesday over plans by the British billionaire to launch his own luxury cruise line.   The lawsuit by Colin Veitch, who oversaw Norwegian from 2000 to 2008, claims that Virgin muscled him out of a joint venture to break into the industry with massive ships capable of carrying thousands of passengers and operating as floating resorts, according to court documents.     (Reporting by Zachary Fagenson; Editing by David Adams and Eric Walsh)

Former Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Colin Veitch has filed suit against Richard Branson for $300 million claiming that Virgin essentially stole his ideas and business plans to enter the lucrative luxury cruise industry by building a pair of state-of-the-art ships capable of carrying 4,200 passengers each. Veitch claims he planned the start-up operation, lined up financing to build the first ship and worked out a tentative commitment with a German shipyard, according to an article by Curt Anderson, legal affairs writer for the Associated Press. Veitch was CEO of Norwegian from 2000 to 2008. According to the AP, Veitch is asking for $300 million in damages in the lawsuit filed Wednesday in Miami federal court. He is also asking the court to shut down Virgin Cruises.

DeepFlight announced it will introduce a new type of personal submarine at the 2014 Monaco Yacht Show. The company said its new product, the DeepFlight Dragon, is the most compact, lightweight personal submarine on the market, and is so intuitive to use that clients self-pilot the craft with minimal instruction. The all-electric (zero emissions) DeepFlight Dragon was designed specifically for easy use from yacht or shore to explore the twilight zone down to 400 feet (120 meters).