• by Tanya Gazdik , October 9, 2019

Virgin Voyages, Richard Branson’s new travel company,  is unveiling an on-demand champagne delivery service, Shake for Champagne, for its ships, and Sip, a shipboard champagne bar.

Shake for Champagne allows passengers — who the travel brand refers to as sailors — to have Möet Chandon Impérial instantly delivered to them anywhere on the ship at the push of a button. By shaking the Virgin Voyages sailor app, a secret “Save Water, Drink Champagne” button appears, and prompts the delivery.

“There’s nothing more luxurious than having champagne at your beck and call," said Nathan Rosenberg, CMO for Virgin Voyages, in a statement. “We are committed to creating the world’s most irresistible travel brand, so we thought long and hard about how to help our sailors effortlessly get a sip of bubbly during their voyage, and presto, Shake for Champagne was conjured up.”

Delivered in a Virgin red champagne bucket, the service includes a 750ml bottle of Möet Chandon Imperial with two glasses.

The line's first ship, the Scarlet Lady, will also feature Sip, a champagne lounge and caviar bar with a diverse curation of champagne labels priced from $9 to $1,000 for a vintage bottle. In a nod to Virgin’s British heritage, Sip will offer a signature afternoon tea. 

Designed by the Virgin Voyages design team, with spatial design by HKS Hospitality Interiors, the lounge "was inspired by the glamour and effervescence of champagne," says the company, and features a long marble bar with rose-gold inlay.

Consumers who book an April or May sailing by Nov. 30 will receive a complimentary special Virgin Voyages limited-edition bottle of Möet Chandon Imperial in their cabin upon their arrival. The ship, which does not allow guests under age 18, will sail from Miami to the Caribbean in 2020, hosting more than 2,770 guests and 1,150 crew.