Travel News: LUMINO sets sail with Virgin Voyages
As a company that never rests on its laurels, Virgin has once again expanded its operations with the launch of its first cruise line, Virgin Voyages. A joint venture between the Virgin Group and Bain Capital, the company was founded in 2014, with the brand’s first cruise liner setting sail in August 2021.
The first ship in the fleet, with four more on order over the forthcoming years, is the stunning Scarlet Lady. Debuting as part of the ‘Summer Soirée Series,’ pitched as a “Staycation at Sea,” the cruise liner’s first voyages will be six UK sailings around the English Channel.
Seasoned cruise passengers, as well as those new to this type of holiday, will find many aspects of a Virgin Voyages ship unlike any other cruise experienced before. 86% of Virgin Voyages cabins will feature a balcony and 93% will feature an ocean view. This is a far cry from the many inside cabins found on an average cruise ship.
Scarlet Lady has been specifically designed as a traveller’s paradise for the over 18s only, boasting sleek design combined with a relaxed atmosphere. With a décor that reflects a luxurious yacht, Scarlet Lady features spaces designed by some of the most renowned names in interior design. The exterior is just as eye-catching, with a silver-grey hull featuring smoked glass and hints of red to incorporate the iconic Virgin brand colours.
Wellbeing and rejuvenation is one of the key elements of the on-board experience, with guests able to make use of a whole host of facilities. These include a spa, beauty salon, gym, group fitness classes and even a tattoo parlour.
With an interior design that rivals the world’s most glamorous hotels, Scarlet Lady needed to align with suppliers and manufacturers that could enhance this. To fulfil some of the many lighting requirements, LUMINO were brought into the project to supply a wealth of solutions from their extensive portfolio.
As one of the 20+ food choices on board, the Extra Virgin restaurant offers sophisticated Italian dining, with a mouth-watering menu. To help create the perfect ambience for diners, LUMINO’s V20S OPTIC has been used to illuminate key areas of the restaurant and form part of a layered lighting scheme.
V20S OPTIC is one of LUMINO’s most popular and proven luminaires. As a compact linear lighting profile, only 20mm in width and depth, it is ideally suited to wall washing, grazing or flood lighting applications. The addition of OPTIC technology delivers outstanding light output ratios, diffused reflectance and a variety of beam options. With silver, white or black and any custom RAL colour, the luminaire can be coordinated or contrasted with any décor and palette.
V20S OPTIC can also be found throughout the ship, in Scarlet Lady’s spa, smoking room, chart room, as well as the awe-inspiring atrium. This beautifully lit space and spiral staircase is a fabulous spectacle as well as a route to many of the areas on the ship.
When taking a dip in the ship's swimming pool, V36R RGBW can be seen recessed into the canopy of the bar. As a recessed linear luminaire, V36R is perfect for ceiling or wall mounted applications and the recently added RGBW option helps set the scene for a poolside pre-party cocktail.
LUMINO's Sales Director Chris Small said: "Scarlet Lady is an incredibly impressive ship. Every detail has been carefully thought out, with stunning decor, luxurious interiors and an unrivalled passenger experience.
"Every aspect of the build uses the highest quality solutions, with the aesthetics to match. The fact that LUMINO has been specified on such a high-end project is demonstrative of our quality, style and deliverables, as well as the breadth of our offer."
Following the summer season of UK trips, Scarlet Lady will sail to Miami in October with a winter season schedule of Caribbean cruises. Judging by the huge media attention the Virgin Voyages cruise line has secured, the new venture will be full steam ahead to a successful future.
