MIAMI — Virgin Voyages is taking a major step into AI adoption with a new partnership that brings Canva’s AI-powered design tools directly to its travel advisor community.
According to the cruise line, it is the first major brand in the sector to deploy AI-driven marketing technology at scale.
The initiative gives First Mates, or advisors, access to a full suite of AI-enabled tools to speed up content creation, improve brand consistency and reduce administrative work. According to Virgin Voyages, this marks the first phase in a broader strategy to modernize and streamline the advisor experience.
“Travel advisors are the heart of Virgin Voyages’ success story,” said Nirmal Saverimuttu, CEO of Virgin Voyages. “Our First Mates don’t just sell cruises; they’re brand ambassadors who bring our vision to life for Sailors every single day. This partnership with Canva is about investing in their success and giving them the tools they deserve to grow their businesses alongside ours. When our First Mates win, Virgin Voyages wins.”
The program launched in November with 100 top-performing advisors who qualified for the First Mate Spectacular Soiree voyage. Participants were invited to join a four-week training program to master Canva while completing design challenges and learning to build flyers, social content and booking materials using Virgin Voyages’ full brand kit.
“We’re creating the cruise industry’s first AI-amplified sales force,” said Billy Bohan Chinique, AI Evangelist and Head of Global Brand Marketing at Virgin Voyages. “While other cruise lines talk about AI transformation, we’re actually deploying it at scale through our distributed network. This partnership with Canva is just the beginning of our commitment to equipping advisors with intelligent tools that minimize administrative burdens and maximize their ability to connect Sailors with unforgettable experiences. We’re pioneering what agentic AI looks like in travel retailing.”
Virgin Voyages says the platform reduces duplicated or off-brand materials while speeding up time to market. Weekly training sessions include challenges with prizes ranging from Canva merchandise to co-op marketing funds.
Virgin Voyages plans to expand the program to 1,000 First Mates in Q1 2026 while exploring additional AI tools for automation, itinerary matching and streamlined communications.
More details on the First Mates program are available at www.FirstMates.com.
