Virgin Voyages has tried to shake up traditional cruise line entertainment. It has offered a drag show, a sex therapist, and the famed Scarlett Party, which takes over the whole ship.
In a broad sense, the cruise line has what you might call a sophisticated party vibe. It's adult, chill, but also clearly a party. Virgin Voyages famously offers a "shake for champagne" feature in its app, and with nobody under 18 onboard, the entire cruise feels like a laidback party for adults.
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Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin brands, has actually sailed on Virgin Voyages ships on a variety of different special sailings. This year, he did something extra special and brought along a very big name he has deep ties with.
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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 soft marketing 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 a good time. Now, Branson has a message to share with his cruise line's customers.
"What better way to celebrate than out at sea with Virgin Voyages and Boy George?" he asked on the cruise line's website.
That was not a theoretical situation. The Culture Club singer sailed with Branson on three consecutive sailings that are currently underway.
"Boy George is joining me on board three back-to-back Celebration Voyages this year, where we’re traveling from Miami to the Dominican Republic, Bimini, Amsterdam, Mallorca, and Ibiza! We’ve just finished the first leg in the Caribbean, and now we’re heading to Europe to continue the party," he shared.
Branson, who used to own 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 co-founded Virgin Records with me) saw them perform in 1981," he shared.
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The band was 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 a big moment in Virgin’s history, that Virgin Voyages reimagined it with a dreamy and nautical-themed music video," Branson added.
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