Slowly and steadily, Richard Branson appears to be planning total world domination of the travel industry.
Virgin Group founder Branson announced on Tuesday that his latest travel venture, Virgin Cruises, will be on the water by 2020.
The company has signed a letter of intent with Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri. Its three ships will be mid-sized by industry standards, each including 1,430 cabins that are able to host as many as 2,800 guests. The first of the ships will be delivered in 2020, with the other two coming in the two following years.
Virgin Cruises will call Miami home, basing its operations at PortMiami.
The Virgin Cruises experience will be "more boutique" and intimate, President and CEO Tom McAlpin said during the announcement at Pérez Art Museum Miami on Tuesday.
Excited to be in Miami with the @Virgin Cruises team for a special announcement.. #letsmakewaves pic.twitter.com/wTUSF9oazi— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) June 23, 2015
This is consistent with how Virgin has approached other travel industry segments, including air travel and hotels. Virgin Airlines aims to distinguish its services from competitors by featuring details like mood lighting, extensive entertainment options and superior snack options. Meanwhile, Virgin Hotels, which launched its first property in Chicago in January, also offers "boutique" accommodations.
As for cruising, the company will offer a range of seven-day Caribbean cruises, leaving from Miami on Sundays.
Virgin Cruises was first announced last December.
Additional reporting by The Associated Press