Richard Branson launches month-long European cruise aimed at remote workers
Ever thought about swapping your work from home environment for the luxury of a cruise ship? Well, that's exactly what Richard Branson wants you to do.
The British billionaire, worth a cool $2.6 billion (£2.05 billion), is known throughout the world for his business acumen.
Setting up the Virgin Group in the 1970s, his ventures include Virgin Records, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Trains, and Virgin Galactic.
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Another recent arm to his corporate ventures is Virgin Voyages, which sees Branson offer luxury cruise trips around the world.
With just three ships, each of them carries roughly 2,700 passengers on every voyage, having first set sail back in 2021.
And now, Branson has set his sights on those who work from home.
The idea? Get remote workers to give up their home office or the local coffee shop in favour of his state of the art ships.
Offering a brand new month-long cruise, Branson's Virgin Voyages is looking to set sail across the Mediterranean on a journey lasting one month.
Running from June to September this year, the adults-only cruise is dubbed the 'Scarlet Summer Season Pass' and stops off idyllic locations including Cannes, Rome, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, and Corsica.
No Drake Passage for this lot.
Wi-Fi wouldn't be a problem, with super-fast coverage included in your package through SES Cruise mPOWERED + Starlink PRO.
It also comes with your own dedicated concierge, a laundry service, and early access booking for dining.
There is also early access for Shore Things excursions, which are local experiences to get truly immersed in the location you've stopped off at.
The pass also comes with exclusive access to Richard’s Rooftop deck, daily coffee credits, and welcome champagne.
For a cabin sleeping two, prices start at $9,990 (£7,878). That's 30% less than if you booked four separate week-long cruises, according to the company website.
Virgin Voyages’ CEO Nirmal Saverimuttu told CNBC Travel: "People have really adopted the flexible working style, and it resonates with travellers.
“We got a lot of people who said it feels like an incredible value."
More than 2,000 people registered their interest in the scheme within a day of it being launched.
The pass also comes with exclusive access to Richard’s Rooftop deck, daily coffee credits, and welcome champagne.
KPMG’s chief economist, Diane Swonk, told CNBC Travel: "We are in the midst of a massive transformation in how, what, and where we do our jobs. There is no putting the work-from-home genie back in the bottle.
"Firms who try too aggressively to do so lose a lot of their access to top talent and the diversity of their workforce.”
As with any cruise ship, though, living on it for one month doesn't mean you're exempt from the brutal departure time cut offs.
Topics: Cruise Ship, Richard Branson, Holiday, Travel, UK News, World News, Jobs
Tom Earnshaw