The Scarlet Lady touched the water for the first time for Virgin Voyages on Friday at Fincantieri. The first ship from the new cruise brand starts revenue service from the Port of Miami in April 2020.

Tom McAlpin, president and CEO, Virgin Voyages, was on hand for the ceremony along with Luigi Matarazzo, director of the Merchant Ships Division at Fincantieri and Paolo Capobianco, director of the plant at the shipyard.

Giuliana Rindone, an employee of the Sestri shipyard, was the godmother for the float out ceremony, cutting the ribbon that triggered a champagne bottle to crash against the hull of the ship at Finacntieri’s Sestri facility.

With the ship now in the water and steel work on the hull complete, attention will turn to interior outfitting on the 110,000-ton, 2,770-guest ship.

With the Scarlet Lady nearing completion, Fincantieri and Virgin also celebration the coin ceremony for Virgin’s second ship, which is scheduled to be delivered in the second quarter of 2021.