Richard Branson shares a special Virgin Voyages cruise adventure

Virgin Voyages tried to change traditional cruise entertainment. It featured a drag show, a sex therapist and the famous Scarlett Party, which takes over the entire ship.

In a broad sense, the cruise line has what you might call a sophisticated party atmosphere. It’s grown-up, chill, but definitely a party. Virgin Voyages offers a “shake for champagne” feature on its app, and with no one under 18 on board, the entire cruise feels like a relaxed party for adults.

Related: Virgin Voyages Adds New Cruise Type

Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin brands, has actually sailed on Virgin Voyages ships on a variety of different special voyages. This year, he did something special and brought in a very big name with whom he has deep connections.

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Virgin Voyages has smaller ships than many of its rivals.

Image source: Shutterstock

Virgin Voyages has good karma

In 2023, Virgin Voyages used a version of the Culture Club classic “Karma Chameleon” in its marketing campaign. The distinctive version of the song was used as a sort of marketing soft reset to establish what the vibes were like on the cruise line’s ships.

It showed that the crowd was closer to 50 than 20, but also there to have fun. Now, Branson has a message to share with his cruise line customers.

“What better way to celebrate than at sea with Virgin Voyages and Boy George?” he asked on the cruise line’s website.

It was not a theoretical situation. The Culture Club singer has sailed with Branson on three consecutive cruises that are currently underway.

“Boy George is joining me on three consecutive holiday cruises this year, traveling from Miami to the Dominican Republic, Bimini, Amsterdam, Mallorca and Ibiza! We just finished the first leg in the Caribbean and now we are heading to Europe to continue the party,” he said.

Branson, who owned Virgin Records, has a long history with George.

“To be fair, it’s always a party when George is around. I first heard of him and his band Culture Club after Simon Draper (who founded Virgin Records with me) saw them play in 1981” , he said.

READ ALSO: Top travel agents tell you how to get the best price on your cruise

The band soon signed to Virgin Records, where the singer became a global phenomenon.

“In 1982 we released Culture Club’s first album, Kissing To Be Clever, which included another amazing breakthrough: ‘Karma Chameleon.’ The song played such an important moment in Virgin’s history that Virgin Voyages reimagined it with dreamy, nautical-themed music. video,” added Branson.

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