Virgin Voyages has delayed launching its first ship a second time amid the coronavirus pandemic, the latest postponement being into October.
The Richard Branson-owned adults-only cruise outfit had initially pushed back the debut for 2,770-passenger, $500m Scarlet Lady (built 2020) to 7 August from 1 April.
Virgin Voyages, which has three sisterships on order through 2023, on Thursday reset the date amid a US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) ban on cruiseships into late July.
"After a measured and thoughtful assessment of the current global health crisis and updated CDC policies, Virgin Voyages has announced today its decision to move its start date to 16 October," the company said.
Tom McAlpin-led Virgin Voyages is offering a 200% future voyage credit on cancelled sailings and a $500 onboard credit if rebooked by 30 June.
"All impacted sailors will be offered a variety of generous and flexible options as a way of saying thank you," it said.
Virgin Voyages remains grateful for the incredible support it has been shown, and will continue to be a champion for its customers."
Affected passengers will also be offered a full cruise refund that comes with a 25% future cruise credit.
The company will also make sure its travel advisors are "taken care of" with protected commissions.
The second Fincantieiri-built ship, Valiant Lady, will be delivered in 2021, with ships three and four following in 2022 and 2023.
