MIAMI — Virgin Voyages has unveiled a new unified Groups program designed to give travel advisors greater flexibility, simplified booking processes and additional earning opportunities.
The new initiative, launched June 3 and built around advisor feedback, consolidates the cruise line’s previous groups offerings into a single program structure aimed at helping advisors, known as First Mates, manage and grow their group business more effectively.
“This program is all about giving First Mates more flexibility and more ways to win,” said Koreen McNutt, VP of Agency Development at Virgin Voyages. “Whether it’s holding inventory without a deposit, protecting pricing or allowing Sailors to stack group perks with My Next Virgin Voyage, we’ve focused on creating value at every step of the booking journey.”
The new program introduces two group categories: Small Groups, consisting of eight to 16 cabins with a 120-day recall period, and Large Groups, ranging from 17 to 75 cabins with a 150-day recall period.
Key features include:
- Advisors can hold up to 75 cabins without no deposit required
- Fares and promotions are locked in the moment the group is created, protecting guests from future price increases
- A Group Bar Tab benefit for each cabin, scaled according to voyage length: US$50 on five nights or less, $100 on 6–9 nights, and $200 on voyages 10+ nights
- The choice between earning one free cabin for every 16 sold or a 2% bonus commission
- A Group dining concierge, with up to three group dinner reservations available across Virgin Voyages’ signature restaurants, subject to voyage length and availability.
LAUNCH PROMOTION
To mark the program’s debut, Virgin Voyages is offering an enhanced incentive for new groups created through June 30, 2026.
Eligible advisors can earn one complimentary cabin for every 12 cabins booked, rather than the standard 16-cabin requirement, or receive an additional 2% commission across all voyages. The promotion is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The cruise line also confirmed that advisors with existing group bookings will retain their current benefits and original 120-day recall terms.
For more information, go to www.FirstMates.com.
