Details regarding Virgin Cruises have been revealed as part of a lawsuit filing by former Norwegian Cruise Line boss Colin Veitch who is claiming Richard Branson and Virgin stole his ideas and business plan to enter the cruise industry.
Among the findings pulled by Cruise Industry News is Veitch’s Ultra-Ship concept, which called for two megaships, and included a letter of intent signed by VSM Development, Virgin and Meyer Werft for the building of two 2,408-cabin cruise ships.
The letter called for vessel deliveries as early as 2015. The ships were to be 172,900 tons and financing had been arranged through a German bank. One presentation point reads: “The yards have slots and the competitors do not have appetite or resources to block them all.”
The Ultra-Ship concept was to build two megaships that would generate publicity and “extraordinary returns,” and according to one document: “a premium product in a mass market space.” The header on one presentation said these ships will be different, and one rendering (right photo) even showed skydiving before Royal Caribbean announced it for the Quantum.
Another filing highlighted problems at all three major cruise companies from older vessels to balance sheet issues and another line consumed with going public.
