LONDON: British entrepreneur Richard Branson will unveil the "Scarlet Lady" on Friday, a 60,000 tonne cruise liner complete with a tattoo studio and yoga deck aimed at drawing in a younger generation of holiday-makers.

Despite the unfortunate timing, with passengers on one ship quarantined after hundreds caught the coronavirus and another turned away by five countries over fears someone on board may be ill, Branson sees cruises as a growth area.

With the Virgin brand already offering everything from airlines to banking, TV, healthclubs and travel, he has set his sights on a boutique hotel-style pitch.