One-on-one with billionaire business mogul Richard Branson
MIAMI - We're onboard Virgin Voyage's Scarlett Lady with the boss, billionaire business mogul Richard Branson. She's the mid-size ship, of his cruise line that first sailed out of the Port of Miami back in October of 2021.
We first met him, on the eve of the ship's maiden voyage smack in the middle of Covid.
He, in Branson charming style, was popping champagne for CBS News Miami's Lisa Petrillo back then. She even helped him clean the bubbles that spilled on the floor.
But now, he admits the pressure was on.
"It was a very uncertain time, masks, not knowing if the cruise industry was going to come back. How does it feel now?" asked Petrillo.
"A great relief because launching a cruise company the week that Covid broke out wasn't very clever," Branson said laughing. "But Virgin Voyages has pretty much won every award they can: Best crew, Best ship, Best food. We're seeing more and more people using the ships and the feedback has been great. "
"What does it mean to you and to Virgin Voyages to be a part of the South Florida community?" asked Petrillo.
"Well, it goes back quite a long way for me. I started Virgin Atlantic flying from London to Miami 38 years ago," he said.
"I think we bring more holidaymakers to Florida than any other airline and obviously now we can connect Virgin Voyages with a cruise company. We're also looking at building a hotel in Miami. So, Miami is a place that we love and love coming to."
On this day, Virgin Voyages was launching their first ever 4-day Limitless Voyage, a partnership he and Jennifer Lopez, who is now Virgin's Chief Entertainment and Lifestyle Officer came together on. It's a one-of-a-kind collaboration on the high seas focused on women and entrepreneurship.
"It's great to give women a platform to discuss all the sorts of issues that women are actually more equipped than us guys to talk about," he said.
As founder and creator of The Virgin Group, which includes more than 40 worldwide companies across five business sectors, at age 72, Branson is quite the active guy. But not just in business.
He's had daredevil hot air balloon adventures, kitesurfed across the English Channel and in 2021, he undertook his greatest adventure of all, flew to space with Virgin Galactic.
Petrillo asked him where his sense of wonder and curiosity come from.
"I think it most likely comes from my mom's insatiable curiosity and I've inherited it from her," he said.
"I've climbed Mount Kenya this year. I love an adventure. I did it with my children. I love extreme adventures, and then I like the slightly more serious side of life which is the foundation work, which is trying to sort out some of the problems of the world."
His advice to young people starting out?
"My slogan is screw it, just do it," he said. "If you have an idea, people always will tell you why you shouldn't do it. Screw it, just do it and good luck!"
And just like last time when he surprised Petrillo with champagne, the high-profile business mogul said he had another surprise for her today, taking into the ship's tattoo parlor, but,it was not meant to be.
"This arm was going to have one of the most beautiful tattoos on it," he said holding up Petrillo's arm. "I have the needle ready, but it seems the tattoo artist has gone out to lunch. What a pity."
"Oh, that's Ok. but thank you," said Petrillo.
"I think I like cleaning up the champagne better off the floor."
Branson says the goal of the Limitless Voyages, which showcase women entrepreneurs, is to have them roll out on his cruise ships all over the world in the future.
