Today, Richard Branson’s Virgin Voyages revealed a new partnership with global superstar, movie icon, businesswoman, and style icon Jennifer Lopez. Where ordinarily cruise lines would choose a godmother for a new ship as a ceremonial role, Virgin Voyages decided to do things differently.
Jennifer Lopez will be fulfilling a modern, change-making partnership encompassing everything from sailor experience development such as well-being and fitness to design collaborations and entertainment co-creations – all to be released throughout 2022.
Godmother To The Fleet
Where a godmother would typically fulfill the role for one ship, Jennifer Lopez will be hosting the role for the entire fleet. Richard Branson and Jennifer Lopez have big plans for the cruise line that has shaken up the cruise industry in the last year.
There will be new well-being and fitness initiative developments, design collaborations that will take the cruise line’s already incredible designs to even greater heights, and Lopez will also have a big hand in new entertainment options onboard the Virgin ships:
“My artistic and social mission is to empower, inspire and entertain,” says Jennifer Lopez. “Any opportunity that I get to combine all these attributes into a partnership and collaboration is exciting for me. I admire Sir Richard and all he has built. I am inspired by Virgin Voyages’ dedication to creating irresistible experiences and focus on well-being, which all fits perfectly with my own lifestyle and brand ethos.”
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The first collaborations will start rolling out in the coming months, kicking off with style when Virgin Voyages will be exclusively introducing JLo Beauty as part of the onboard offering, bringing Jennifer Lopez’s products to the high seas for the first time.
Virgin Voyages Search For A Godmother
The search for a suitable godmother quickly brought Virgin Voyages to Jennifer lopez, as Richard Branson explains:
“We knew immediately that we wanted Jennifer to be a partner and to help Virgin Voyages shape the future of travel on the high seas. She is one of the most talented and hardest working people out there,” says Sir Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Group. “I admire her as an artist, as an entrepreneur and as a person.”
The partnership was revealed in a humorous video between Jennifer Lopez and Richard Branson on FaceTime. The conversation focuses on the reinvention of the godmother role by discussing what title would be suitable for Jennifer given she is playing such a significant role, not just a ceremonial one, in the brand’s plans.
“From the moment we launched this brand, we knew we wanted to make waves and bring changes for Sailors to have the most epic vacation ever. After the last two years, vacations have never been more needed, so we searched for someone very special to join us on this voyage. Jennifer is a trailblazer and embodies the spirit that lives inside of Virgin Voyages and our people,” says Tom McAlpin, CEO of Virgin Voyages. “As an investor and advisor, she turns the godmother tradition on its head and makes it powerful and limitless. We couldn’t be more excited for what is ahead.”
Two Virgin Ships To Launch This Year
There are four ships planned for Virgin Voyages, with the second and third to be welcomed in short order. Valiant Lady sets sail in March. After a brief promotional tour around the United Kingdom, she will sail with guests on her maiden voyage on March 18, 2022.
On April 4, she will sail on her first longer voyage from Portsmouth to Spain and Portugal. From May 15, Valiant Lady will start a series of 7-day cruises from her homeport of Barcelona, Spain.
Resilient Lady starts her voyages in August of this year, from her home base of Athens, Greece. From there, she will be sailing on a series of cruises around the Mediterranean, including calls in Santorini, Rhodes, Chania, and Mykonos.
The company’s first cruise ship, Scarlet Lady, is sailing from her homeport in Miami, Florida, on a series of Caribbean voyages.
