Virgin Voyages has delayed launching its first ship a second time amid the coronavirus pandemic, the latest postponement being into October.

The Richard Branson-owned adults-only cruise outfit had initially pushed back the debut for 2,770-passenger, $500m Scarlet Lady (built 2020) to 7 August from 1 April.

Virgin Voyages, which has three sisterships on order through 2023, on Thursday reset the date amid a US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) ban on cruiseships into late July.