It’s always fun when a cruise ship uses an interesting figurehead or ornament on its bow. I think Disney Cruise Line (DCL) was the first one that really “wowed” people, when Mickey Mouse as Steamboat Willie appeared on the bow of the Disney Magic, in 1998 (this was followed by other versions of Mickey Mouse on other DCL ships).
Virgin Voyages was supposed to begin sailing out of Miami in April of 2020. Of course, COVID canceled that, as well as, eventually, the cruise line’s new inaugural sailings out of the U.S. in 2021. Instead, their first ship, the “Scarlet Lady,” is currently scheduled to begin sailings out of Portsmouth, England, in summer, 2021.
Virgin Voyages already has its eyes set on the future, with its second and third ships, the “Valiant Lady,” and “Resilient Lady,” respectively, already being built.
Virgin Voyages has been advertising itself to be like no other cruise company. Not only will it be only for the 18+ crowd, but Wi-Fi, as well as all food, tips, group workouts and basic beverages will be included. However, the cruise line has just separated itself from all the rest in one more important way.
All of Virgin’s ships, current and future, feature the design of a mermaid. Virgin Voyages calls its mermaids “leading ladies” and they’re an important symbol of the brand, meant to keep passengers safe on their voyage.
As an example, here’s Scarlet Lady’s mermaid:
Virgin Voyages recently debuted Valiant Lady’s mermaid. That ship will have a bow design that features a Black mermaid.
Virgin Voyages says the Valiant Lady’s Black mermaid “represents the beautiful tension between strength and vulnerability; a woman who is unafraid of her own power and never backs down” and who, “encompasses the energy of a woman moving confidently forward toward her dreams.”
Created by artist Hillary Wilson, Virgin Voyage’s newest mermaid, “celebrates the strong, beautiful, friendly and modern embodiment of a Black American woman,” the cruise line said.
“At the onset, we knew we wanted an inclusive group of mermaids that reflect and celebrate diversity, and Hillary knew this was important to our brand. She expressed that she generally tends to draw her subjects as Black, if not otherwise specified, noting, ‘you don’t need permission to make someone Black.’ But the truth is that culturally, we are used to seeing our models, our brand logos, and our depictions of people as predominantly white. And that’s something that we need to be purposeful about changing so that we can reflect the real, beautiful, and dynamic world we live in — allowing more than just white people to take up spaces; seeing only themselves and their stories represented.”
Well done, Virgin Voyages. Very well done.
Valiant Lady is expected to set sail in 2022.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
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