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60-708: On 4 December 2014, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson announced Virgin Group would be forming a new cruise line with the backing of Bain Capital named Virgin Cruises and revealed initial plans to begin with two new cruise ships. On 23 June 2015, Virgin Cruises announced that it signed a letter of intent with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for three cruise ships that could each accommodate approximately 2,800 guests and 1,150 crew for seven-day Caribbean voyages. The three-ship order reportedly cost $ 2.55 billion, with

120-611: A 1 megawatt (1,300 hp) production system that uses the waste heat from her diesel engines. In February 2021, it was announced that Scarlet Lady would be equipped with satellite internet connectivity from SES using the O3b medium Earth orbit satellites to provide passengers with free ultra-fast, low-latency onboard wi-fi internet access. On 22 May 2020, it was reported that a 32-year-old male Filipino crew member of Scarlet Lady had been found dead in his cabin. Virgin Voyages confirmed

180-640: A complex structure that contains elements of a generic conglomerate and a keiretsu , and sometimes it simply licences its brand. Examples of licensing are Virgin Records and Virgin Media , which are owned by Universal Music Group and Liberty Global respectively. In mid-May 2013, the Virgin Group expressed its intention to seek out opportunities in Australia's healthcare industry to consolidate on

240-689: A cruise holiday" and might be interested in a "cooler" and more "intimate" setting. On Scarlet Lady , Virgin Voyages bundles all passengers' fares as one price per cabin, as opposed to pricing each voyage per guest. Consequently, prices appear higher than those of Virgin's competitors. Virgin explained that all fares would cover dining charges, fitness classes, internet access, and gratuities, among other offerings, but expenses incurred from alcoholic beverages, retail, and shore excursions would be charged separately. The ship does not include any buffet or dining rooms, and instead, houses approximately 20 different dining and drinking establishments. Other venues include

300-500: A distinct phase in the city's expansion, the outer boundary to this zone being the effective limit of the continuous built-up area. The wealthier residents continued to spread east (to East End Point) and West (to Lyford Cay ). In the last 40 years, residential development has been quite different. It has consisted mainly of planned middle-income sub-divisions. Since the 1960s, government has sponsored low-cost housing developments at Yellow Elder, Elizabeth Estates, and Pinewood Gardens, in

360-440: A multi-function theater and an onboard tattoo and body piercing parlor. Scarlet Lady has a total of 1,408 passenger cabins and 813 crew cabins for a maximum capacity of 4,400 passengers and crew, which can accommodate over 2,770 passengers and 1,160 crew. Of the 1,408 passenger cabins, there are 78 suites, 1,030 balcony cabins, 95 window cabins, and 105 inside cabins. She is equipped with balconies on 86% of her cabins, with 93% of

420-477: A population of 246,329 in 2010, or just over 70% of the entire population of the Bahamas. As of April 2023, the preliminary results of the 2022 census of the Bahamas reported a population of 296,522 for New Providence, 74.26% of the country's population. Nassau is commonly defined as a primate city , dwarfing all other towns in the country. It is the centre of commerce, education, law, administration, and media of

480-567: A stronghold of pirates. The city was named in honour of William III of England, Prince of Orange-Nassau . Nassau's modern growth began in the late eighteenth century, with the influx of thousands of Loyalists and their slaves to the Bahamas following the American War of Independence . Many of them settled in Nassau and eventually came to outnumber the original inhabitants. As the population of Nassau grew, so did its populated areas. Today,

540-459: Is listed as 1989 by Companies House , who class it as a holding company ; however, Virgin's business and trading activities date back to the 1970s. The net worth of Virgin Group was estimated at £3 billion as of early 2023. The name "Virgin" arose in 1970 when Richard Branson and Nik Powell formed a record shop , first as mail order and in 1971 with a physical store. They considered themselves virgins in business. Branson has described

600-442: Is located on the western side of Nassau. New Providence Airport on Paradise Island was closed in 1999 with runway removed and integrated into the resort on the island. Ferries (boats) provide water travel around Nassau to the surrounding islands, namely Paradise Island . Prince George Wharf is a seaport , the main port in the city, that serves cruise ships with ports of call in Nassau. Transportation and shipping around

660-471: Is scarce, it appears that he was acting in the role of deputy governor upon Benjamin Hornigold 's arrival in 1713. By this time, the sparsely settled Bahamas had become a pirate haven known as New Providence . The Governor of Bermuda stated that there were over 1,000 pirates in Nassau and that they outnumbered the mere hundred inhabitants of the town. They proclaimed Nassau a pirate republic , recognising

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720-487: Is via two ABB Azipod XO units, having a combined power output of 32MW (43,000hp). The system gives the vessel a service speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) and a maximum speed of 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph). Wärtsilä also provided the ship's navigation systems, a hybrid scrubber system to remove sulfur dioxide from the exhaust, and a selective catalytic reduction system to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. The ship partially produces her own energy through

780-697: The American Civil War , Nassau served as a port for blockade runners making their way to and from ports along the southern Atlantic Coast for continued trade with the Confederacy. In the 1920s and 1930s, Nassau profited from Prohibition in the United States . During the Cuban Revolution of 1959, tourism further benefitted due to the restrictions imposed on American citizens visiting Cuba . Today, Nassau's location close to

840-561: The Bahamas . On 12 March 2020, Virgin announced an initial postponement of the ship's inaugural season, with the pre-inaugural sailings slated to begin on 15 July 2020, but these were cancelled in May 2020. She had also been scheduled to sail her maiden voyage on 1 April 2020, visiting Key West and Bimini, but this would later be postponed to 7 August 2020. Numerous debut timeframe adjustments for Scarlet Lady followed before Virgin decided to send

900-576: The Royal Navy on New Providence (at Adelaide Village and Gambier Village), along with other islands such as Grand Bahama, Exuma, Abaco and Inagua. In addition, slaves freed from American ships, such as the slave ship Creole in November 1841, were allowed to settle there. The largest concentration of Africans historically lived in the "Over-the-Hill" suburbs of Grants Town and Bain Town to the south of

960-597: The United States and ties between the U.S. and The Bahamas make it a common tourist destination. Located on New Providence Island , Nassau's harbour has a blend of old world and colonial architecture, and a busy port. The tropical climate and natural environment of the Bahamas have made Nassau an attractive tourist destination. Nassau developed directly behind the port area. New Providence provides 200 km of relatively flat and low-lying land intersected by low ridges (none of which restricted settlement). In

1020-509: The "Foodpreneur" food and drink focused start-up competition. Winners received mentorship from Branson, legal support, and brand counseling. The 2014 winners included Proper Beans, Killer Tomato, Sweetpea Pantry, and Sweet Virtues. In 2015, winners were given the opportunity to pitch Target Corporation buyers in the US. The 2015 winners included Pip & Nut, Double Dutch Drinks, Harry Bromptons, Cauli Rice, and Mallow and Marsh. Only one start-up

1080-456: The "V" in the logo as an expressive tick , representing the Virgin seal of approval. The original logo from 1973 was a completely different design intended to be used for the record company that was founded by Richard Branson and Nik Powell . The logo was designed by British science-fiction artist and designer Roger Dean . According to Richard Branson in interviews and on the Virgin website,

1140-469: The 19th century, Nassau became urbanized, attracting rural residents. Growth since the 1950s has been outwards from the town. The 1788 heart of Nassau was just a few blocks of buildings between Government House and the harbour, but the town gradually expanded east to Malcolm's Park, south to Wulff Road, and west to Nassau Street. Grants Town and Bain Town south of the city became the main residential areas for those of African descent, and until about 30 years ago

1200-574: The Family Islands is primarily through mailboats based at Potters Cay. International shipping is done through the Arawak Port Department on Arawak Cay. High speed excursions to Exuma, Spanish Wells and Harbour Island are available daily. Public jitney buses and taxis provide transport in and around Nassau. Rental cars are also available in the city and at the airport. Major roads in Nassau include: The major road in Nassau

1260-598: The Group's Australian fitness centres. The Group also runs over 100 National Health Service (NHS) services in the United Kingdom and the healthcare division of medical services group Assura after entering the British healthcare industry in 2011. Virgin Group announced the establishment of Virgin Voyages on 4 December 2014 with financial backing from Bain Capital . The cruise line would be led by CEO Tom McAlpin , would have two new large ships built and be based in

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1320-636: The Junkanoo Beach area. A few hotels and restaurants are located on West Bay. The next landmark is the British Colonial Hotel, which marks the beginning of Bay Street proper. Pirates of Nassau Museum is just across from the British Colonial Hilton . The next few blocks of Bay Street are wall-to-wall boutiques, with a few restaurants and clubs interspersed throughout the retailers. Historical landmarks are also in

1380-644: The Miami/Fort Lauderdale area. Virgin StartUp is the Virgin Group's non-profit company, helping entrepreneurs across the UK to start, fund and scale their business. In 2013, Sir Richard visited Boxpark in Shoreditch, London, to launch the new organisation, revealing that he wanted to support anyone that had the same dreams and ambitions that he did as a young boy: “It was £300 from my mum that sparked

1440-470: The United States's government re-instituted ban on passengers from entering Cuba via passenger and recreational vessels, Virgin swapped out all visits to Havana with calls to Key West, Florida and also added a fourth itinerary option to visit Cozumel on five-night sailings, along with two seven-night holiday sailings to Puerto Plata and San Juan, Puerto Rico . On 31 October 2017, Branson and president and CEO of Virgin Voyages, Tom McAlpin , revealed that

1500-483: The Virgin adventure 40 years ago. Today, young people need that same help and I believe Virgin StartUp will provide it – with access to early capital, strong mentorship, advice and promotion.” The organisation became a delivery partner for the UK Government's Start Up Loans Company, providing loan finance of between £500 and £25,000, advice, and mentoring to thousands of start-ups across the country. In 2016, it

1560-558: The Wyndham and at Baha Mar. In 2017, the development of Baha Mar, a luxury resort and casino, brought more than 2,000 hotel rooms and the largest gaming and convention facility in the Caribbean to this section of New Providence Island. Nassau had a population of 128,420 females and 117,909 males and was home to 70,222 households with an average family size of 3.5 according to the 2010 census . Nassau's large population in relation to

1620-631: The cabins featuring an outside view. The ship's livery consists of a silver hull, red funnel, and tinted windows, and also includes the Virgin "mermaid guide" figure featured on sister brands, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin America . Scarlet Lady has 17 decks, a length of 277.2 metres (909 ft), a draft of 8.05 metres (26.4 ft), and a beam of 41 metres (135 ft). She is powered by a diesel-electric genset system, with four Wärtsilä engines, producing 48 megawatts (64,000 hp). Main propulsion

1680-410: The centre of the island there are several shallow lakes that are tidally connected. The city's proximity to the United States (290 km (181 miles) east-southeast of Miami, Florida ) has contributed to its popularity as a holiday resort, especially after the United States imposed a ban on travel to Cuba in 1963. The Atlantis resort on nearby Paradise Island accounts for more tourist arrivals to

1740-559: The city dominates the entire island. However, until the post-Second World War era, the outer suburbs scarcely existed. Most of New Providence was uncultivated bush until Loyalists were resettled there following the American Revolutionary War; they established several plantations, such as Clifton and Tusculum. Slaves were imported as labour. After the British abolished the international slave trade in 1807, they resettled thousands of Africans liberated from slave ships by

1800-474: The city of Nassau, while most of the inhabitants of European descent lived on the island's northern coastal ridges. The town that would be called Nassau was founded in 1670 by British noblemen who brought British settlers with them to New Providence. They built a fort, and named it Charles Town in honour of England's King Charles II. During this time there were frequent wars with the Spanish , and Charles Town

1860-399: The city than any other hotel property of Nassau. The mega-resort employs over 6,000 Bahamians, and is the largest employer outside of the government. Nassau has a tropical monsoon climate ( Köppen : Am ), bordering on a tropical savanna climate ( Köppen : Aw ), with hot wet summers, and mild dry winters. Temperatures are relatively consistent throughout the course of the year. During

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1920-419: The company's first ship would be exclusive to adults, requiring that all guests be ages 18 and over. McAlpin explained that this move was made to appeal largely to travel professionals within the more premium market looking for an "elevated" experience. Chief Commercial Officer of Virgin Voyages, Nirmal Saverimuttu, also attributed the decision to the company's aim to target "people who would not typically consider

1980-628: The country. Lynden Pindling International Airport , the major airport for the Bahamas, is located about 16 km (9.9 mi) west of the city centre of Nassau, and has daily flights to and from major cities in Canada , the Caribbean , the United Kingdom and the United States . Nassau is the site of the House of Assembly and various judicial departments and was considered historically to be

2040-525: The country. The NHS bodies settled out of court with a £328,000 payout to Virgin Care, resulting in some controversy. More than 100,000 people backed a petition calling on the company to stop "dragging the NHS through the courts". Nassau, Bahamas Nassau ( / ˈ n æ s ɔː / NASS -aw ) is the capital and largest city of the Bahamas . It is located on the island of New Providence , which had

2100-424: The first ship scheduled to begin operating in 2020. The order's contract was formally signed on 18 October 2016, the same day Virgin Cruises rebranded as Virgin Voyages in a bid to distinguish itself within the industry . On 20 July 2018, Virgin Voyages revealed the name of the first ship as Scarlet Lady , in honor of the second plane of sister brand Virgin Atlantic . Temporarily billed as Virgin I and known in

2160-541: The first three ships in the fleet would be based at PortMiami for week-long, round-trip Caribbean itineraries, with the first ship beginning operations in 2020. In January 2019, Virgin released the first details of Scarlet Lady 's itineraries with revisions from earlier plans. She was now scheduled to sail shorter itineraries, ranging from four to five nights round-trip from Miami to the Caribbean and visiting various ports including Havana , Puerto Plata , and Costa Maya , in addition to Bimini. In June 2019, in response to

2220-938: The head offices for other Virgin Group owned companies, such as Virgin Red, Virgin Unite, Virgin StartUp, Virgin Limited Edition & Big Change. Previously, the Virgin Group were based at the Porchester Building in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets , The Battleship Building in Paddington , a district of the City of Westminster and at The School House in Brook Green , in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham . The Virgin Group of companies have

2280-408: The island's prosperous state in which it offered fresh fruit, meat and water and plenty of protection amid its waterways. Nassau's harbour was tailor-made for defence and it could take around 500 vessels, though it was too shallow to accept large battleships. Benjamin Hornigold, along with his great rival Henry Jennings , became the unofficial overlord of a veritable pirate republic which played host to

2340-531: The last time when Don Juan de Cagigal, governor-general of Cuba, attacked New Providence with 5,000 men. In April 1783, Andrew Deveaux , an American Loyalist who resettled on the island, set forth and recaptured the island for the British Crown with just 220 men and 150 muskets to face a force of 600 trained soldiers. Lord Dunmore governed the colony from 1787 to 1796. He oversaw the construction of Fort Charlotte and Fort Fincastle in Nassau. During

2400-713: The man's death was not related to the coronavirus , and the United States Coast Guard confirmed that he had died from "apparent self-harm." Scarlet Lady sailed into PortMiami later that day, where the body was disembarked. [REDACTED] Media related to IMO 9804801 at Wikimedia Commons Virgin Group Virgin Group is a British multinational venture capital conglomerate founded by Richard Branson and Nik Powell in February 1970. Virgin Group's date of incorporation

2460-666: The more recent signature logo, introduced in 1978, was based on one that designer Ray Kyte scribbled on a napkin after a design meeting. Virgin Group has its headquarters in Whitfield Studios in Soho , a district of the City of Westminster . The group moved to this location in November 2024, the space is renowned for its music history as a creative hub for musical legends such as the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Spice Girls & Amy Winehouse. Whitfield Studios also houses

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2520-432: The original Fish, Vegetable and Straw Market. The market is open on all sides, and contains a number of Bahamian craft stores. Cable Beach is recognized as the hotel district of Nassau. Five hotels—two of which are all-inclusive—are located on this strip. The area is also known for its dining, with most of the area's restaurants located in the hotels or across the street. There is a bit of shopping, most of it located in

2580-550: The outer ring. The city centre is the hub for all activities in Nassau. Thousands of people visit daily, to shop, dine, sightsee and to enjoy the tropical climate of the city. While the busiest part of central city is the Bay Street thoroughfare and the Woodes Rogers Walk, located across the street from the port and parallel to Bay, the area extends for several blocks in each direction. It starts at West Bay, around

2640-542: The pandemic and the cruise industry's broader hiatus, the ship's debut schedule and inaugural festivities were significantly impacted. Following her delivery, Scarlet Lady began by hosting media and travel industry representatives on stops in Dover and Liverpool before continuing on her re-positioning voyage to the United States. Virgin had prepared preview events in New York City , but was forced to cancel them due to

2700-522: The pandemic so the ship sailed directly to Miami instead. Upon her arrival in Miami, Scarlet Lady had been scheduled to perform two pre-inaugural voyages in late-March 2020. Her first was scheduled from 26 to 29 March and her second from 29 March to 1 April. Both three-night sailings would embark from Miami and visit Virgin's new private island resort, The Beach Club at Bimini, located on the Bimini islands in

2760-513: The pirates, reformed the civil administration, and restored commerce. Rogers cleaned up Nassau and rebuilt the fort, using his own wealth to try to overcome problems. In 1720, the Spanish attacked Nassau but failed to capture the town and the island. During the wars in the Thirteen Colonies , Nassau experienced an economic boom. With funds from privateering, a new fort, street lights and over 2300 sumptuous houses were built and Nassau

2820-506: The remainder of the Bahamas is the result of waves of immigration from the Family Islands to the capital . Consequently, this has led to the decline in the population of the lesser developed islands and the rapid growth of Nassau. In January 2018, the U.S. Department of State issued the latest in a series of travel advisories due to violent crime. Lynden Pindling International Airport (formerly Nassau International Airport)

2880-511: The self-styled Flying Gang . Other pirates of note that spent time in Nassau included Charles Vane , Thomas Barrow (who declared himself "Governor of New Providence"), Calico Jack Rackham , Anne Bonny , Mary Read , and the infamous Edward Teach, better known as " Blackbeard ". In 1718, the British government sought to regain control of the islands and appointed Captain Woodes Rogers as Royal governor. He successfully clamped down on

2940-618: The ship to Portsmouth , England to perform a limited summer 2021 season in the United Kingdom designed as a "preview"; from 6 August 2021, she operated six short sailings that varied between two and four nights-long and had enforced capacity restrictions for fully vaccinated British guests. In September 2021, Scarlet Lady sailed to New York for the ship's travel industry preview events that were initially curtailed in 2020 and on 6 October 2021, 18 months later than planned, Scarlet Lady set sail on her inaugural voyage from Miami for Nassau and Bimini. On 23 June 2015, Branson initially announced

3000-506: The shipyard as "hull number 6287", Virgin's first ship had her steel-cutting ceremony at Fincantieri's shipyard in Sestri Ponente on 22 March 2017. On 31 October 2017, construction formally began with the laying of the ship's keel . Nine months later, the dock was flooded on 20 July 2018 for the first time to allow two hull sections to be connected. Altogether, the ship was assembled from 399 sections. On 8 February 2019, Scarlet Lady

3060-560: The town of Nassau in Germany. Lacking effective governors after Trott, Nassau fell on hard times. In 1703 Spanish and French allied forces briefly occupied Nassau. More so, Nassau suffered greatly during the War of Spanish Succession and witnessed Spanish incursions during 1703, 1704 and 1706. From 1703 to 1718 there was no legitimate governor in the colony. Thomas Walker was the island's last remaining appointed official and although evidence

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3120-571: The vessel in Dover on 21 February 2020 during an industry visit for the ship, but formal naming festivities were scheduled for 19 March 2020 in her homeport of Miami , which were later curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic . In March 2022, Virgin announced American singer Jennifer Lopez would become an investor and the brand's "chief entertainment and lifestyle officer", thus making her the informal godmother to Scarlet Lady and her fleetmates. Amid

3180-475: The vicinity, including Vendue House, Christ Church Cathedral, and the Nassau Public Library . Although the tourist part of the city centre peters out after about seven blocks, smaller, more local shops are located down Bay Street. At this point, Bay Street becomes East Bay. The Straw Market is a tourist destination in the city centre. A new market was opened in 2011 after a fire in 2001 destroyed

3240-448: The wet season from May through October, average daytime high temperatures are 30–32 °C (86–90 °F), while during the dry season from November through April daytime temperatures are between 25 and 27 °C (77 and 81 °F), rarely falling below 15 °C (59 °F). 24 °C 24 °C 24 °C 25 °C 26 °C 28 °C 29 °C 29 °C 29 °C 28 °C 26 °C 25 °C During

3300-553: Was floated out from the shipyard, after which interior outfitting work commenced. In November 2019, Scarlet Lady performed her two rounds of sea trials . She set off from Genoa to Marseille between 15 November and 18 November and sailed in the opposite direction for her second round between 27 November and 30 November. Scarlet Lady was completed and presented by Fincantieri on 13 February 2020 and formally delivered on 14 February 2020 in Sestri Ponente. Branson christened

3360-492: Was announced winner of the 2017 Foodpreneur prize, The Snaffling Pig Co ., who won a six-week rental space at Intu Lakeside, the retail center with the highest foot traffic in the U.K. The group's health business received significant media coverage over its legal battle with NHS groups. It sued clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in Surrey after it lost out on an £82 million contract to provide children's health services across

3420-449: Was awarded European Regional Development Funding and subsequently launched Ready, Steady, Grow with Virgin StartUp, a programme of support aimed at start-ups that were ready to grow. A year later, it launched the UK's first equity-based crowdfunding accelerator programme, Crowdboost. By 2018, the organisation had supported over 11,000 UK-based entrepreneurs, with over £35m in pre-seed funding. In 2014, Branson and Virgin StartUp launched

3480-697: Was extended. In addition to this, mosquito breeding swamps were filled. In 1776, the Battle of Nassau resulted in a brief occupation by American Continental Marines during the American War of Independence , where the Marines staged their first amphibious raid on Fort Montague after attempting to sneak up on Fort Nassau. In 1778 after an overnight invasion, American raiders led by Captain Rathbun, left with ships, gunpowder and military stores after stopping in Nassau for only two weeks. In 1782 Spain captured Nassau for

3540-486: Was the most populous part of the city. Those of European descent built houses along the shore, east as far as Fort Montagu, west as far as Saunders Beach, and along the ridge edging the city. During the 20th century, the city spread east to Village Road and west to Fort Charlotte and Oakes Field. This semicircle of residential development was the main area of settlement until after the Second World War, and marks

3600-719: Was used as a base for privateering against them. In 1684 the town was burned to the ground during the Raid on Charles Town . It was rebuilt in 1695 under Governor Nicholas Trott and renamed Nassau in honour of King William III , who belonged to a branch of the House of Nassau . William was the Dutch Stadtholder ( stadhouder in Dutch), and, from 1689, the King of England, Scotland and Ireland. The name Nassau ultimately derives from

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