Though still a relatively new cruise line, Virgin Voyages has quickly made its mark in the cruise industry, particularly among travel advisors who it refers to as ‘First Mates.’ In this week’s Take Five, we sit down with Sean Russo, Sales Manager, Canada, to learn more about how the cruise line has advisors’ best interests at heart, and what we can expect from the brand in the very near future.

1. Virgin Voyages is still considered a relatively new cruise line, having debuted in the U.S. in 2021 as a ‘hip’ adults-only cruise line. Would you say that the company has stayed true to its original vision, or has it evolved somewhat to cater to emerging trends and other markets?

“We have definitely stayed true to our vision of being an adult-only cruise line that focuses on being more ‘Fair + Flexible’ for our Sailors by including more industry-leading, ‘Always Included Luxury,’ in each of our voyages. Our ‘sweet spot’ are the modern cruiser aged 30-49 and the all-inclusive resort goer aged 30-59 with opportunities on either side of our ‘sweep spot’ as we continue to grow and expand into different markets.”

2. How many ships do you have in your fleet now, and are there any differences between each that travel agents should know about?

“On May 1st, we introduced our newest ship, Brilliant Lady, to the world. She is our fourth Lady ship who is a tad bit slimmer to allow her to navigate other places our current three ships cannot – including the Panama Canal. She will be debuting in the fall of 2025 and will include some exciting new home ports including New York City, Miami, Los Angeles and Seattle. Brilliant Lady joins her sisters Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady and Resilient Lady offering our travel agent partners (First Mates) a large array of different destinations and voyage lengths ranging from 4 nights to over 14 nights across the globe.”

3. What’s selling well for 2024? Any voyages that you would recommend booking now, before they sell out?

“Our tried-and-true short haul Caribbean voyages and our beautiful Mediterranean (out of Barcelona + Athens) are trending very well. Our Mediterranean voyages are fantastic especially with built in overnight stays in Ibiza, Spain and Mykonos, Greece. In terms of recommendations, they’re all great options for your Sailors but if they are looking for something unique, I would highlight our Celebration Voyages – a group of voyages celebrating over 50 years of shattering expectations with the Virgin Brand – and our open-jaw itineraries including our Glorious Greek Isles to Spanish Sunsets from Athens to Barcelona.”

4. Virgin Voyages is known for its loyalty to travel agents. Can you go over the various ways you have their best interests at heart?

“We strive to be Brilliant For You here at Virgin Voyages. From setting our First Mates up for success with diverse itinerary offerings and providing so much value when it comes to their Sailor’s vacation opportunities, we continue to look for more ways to drive more business through our First Mate’s agencies. We offer 16% commission on voyage fares and no NCF’s which allows our First Mates to make more money selling our sailings vs. other cruise lines. Most cruise lines don’t pay when you book your Sailors a cabana on their private island, with us, you will make a 10% commission on all shore things booked pre-voyage. That goes for Bar Tab, our celebrations packages, our air and hotel program, and voyage protection.

“We host monthly “Virtual Cruise Nights” where we encourage our First Mates to invite their Sailors and learn more about us from our Sales team and earn some exclusive Sailor Loot (onboard credit) when booking with the First Mate who referred them. After the virtual event, we send a note to all those First Mates with their Sailors details, who registered and attended, so they can follow-up directly with them and help close the bookings.

“Lastly, with our LetsGoBook link technology, First Mates can share their dedicated link to potential Sailors (and their fellow travellers) to book directly with their First Mate without needing them to log into our booking engine.”

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5. Finally, what can you tell us about company growth at this time? Anything new in the pipeline that you can share?

“With the introduction of the Brilliant Lady in fall 2025, we will complete our original fleet of ships. We continue to unveil new itineraries and will soon offer our full array of voyages through 2026, featuring exciting new ports of call.

“Our revamped Sailing Club now offers status matching across other renowned cruise companies, allowing Sailors to start earning perks with us from their very first cruise.

“While May 1st marked Travel Agent Appreciation Day, we believe our First Mates deserve more than just a single day of recognition. For every booking made in May, First Mates are entered into a contest to win an all-expense-paid voyage on our Resilient Lady departing from San Juan for a Fall 2025 / Winter 2026 voyage, including flights from a major U.S. gateway. We will also be rolling out more surprises and delights throughout the month.”

For more information go to www.FirstMates.com.