Virgin Voyages Will Have an Onboard Vinyl Record Shop

Just because you’re at sea doesn’t mean your record collection needs to stop growing.

Richard Branson’s much-anticipated cruise line, Virgin Voyages, has announced that its first ship will feature a slew of musical entertainment, including an onboard record shop and karaoke lounge.

Although it may seem like a ploy for millennial affection, it’s worth remembering that the brand has serious musical cred. Branson has always had an interest in music and Virgin was firstly just a record shop. In 1970, Branson began his business career selling reduced-price records through the mail. In 1971, he opened his first brick-and-mortar record shop in London. And in 1972, Virgin became a recording studio — which eventually signed the Sex Pistols to their label.

When Scarlet Lady, the cruise line’s first ship, makes its maiden voyage in 2020, guests onboard will be able to book time in the private karaoke lounge designed by Roman Coppola, take a record into the personal listening booths at the onboard record store, and catch a DJ set from the likes of Mark Ronson and Sofi Tukker.

The record shop, to be called Voyage Vinyl, will stock music from all genres but with a special focus on electronic music (dating back to the ’70s). The stock will include “limited-edition curated albums and special editions of classics,” according to a press release.

The cruise ship has announced a plethora of programming to entice a hip crowd. Guests will have more than 20 dining options onboard the ship, including Mexican, Italian and Korean options. The suites are designed with a “retro-futurism” theme and the ship will dock at a private beach club in the Bahamas that the brand hopes will rival the party scene in Ibiza.

The ship will depart on its maiden voyage from Miami to the Caribbean in 2020 with more than 2,770 guests and 1,160 crew members onboard.

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