3. What will sell well in 2024? Are there any sailings you recommend booking now before they sell out?
“Proven Caribbean short-haul sailings and the beautiful Mediterranean (from Barcelona + Athens) tend to be very successful. In terms of recommendations, they're all great choices for sailors, but if you're looking for something unique, look no further than our Celebration Voyage, which shattered over 50 years of expectations for the Virgin brand. We'd like to highlight our open voyages with a series of voyages to celebrate. From Athens to Barcelona, from the glorious Greek islands to the sunsets of Spain.
4. Virgin Voyages is known for its loyalty to travel agents. Could you consider different methods with their best interests in mind?
“At Virgin Voyages, we strive to be a shining light for our customers. From offering a variety of itineraries to help chief officers succeed and offering seafarers more value when it comes to vacation opportunities, we We continue to explore additional ways to drive more business through our Chief Mate agency. We charge a 16% commission on voyage fares and there are no NCFs. We make more money selling our sailings than other cruise lines. Most cruise lines don't pay their sailors to book cabanas on private islands, but we do. , we charge a 10% fee on all landing gear booked prior to sailing. This also applies to bar tabs, celebration packages, flight and hotel programs, and voyage protection.
“We host monthly ‘Virtual Cruise Nights’ where we invite seafarers to join our First Mate, learn more about our company from our sales team, and receive exclusive Seafarer Warfare when they book with a referred First Mate.” We encourage you to earn items (onboard credits). After the virtual event, we will send a note to all Chief Officers who have registered and participated with their crew details. This allows the first mate to directly follow up and complete the reservation.
“Finally, with our LetsGoBook linking technology, First Officers can share a dedicated link with potential seafarers (and their fellow travelers) without having to log into our booking engine and You can make reservations directly with the navigator.
5. Lastly, can you tell us about the company's growth to date? Is there anything new in the pipeline to share?
“The introduction of Brilliant Lady in fall 2025 completes our original fleet. We continue to announce new itineraries and will soon offer a full range of voyages through 2026, featuring exciting new ports of call. .
“Our revamped sailing club now offers status matching with other well-known cruise lines, allowing sailors to earn our benefits from their first cruise.
“While May 1st was Travel Agent Appreciation Day, we believe first officers deserve more than just one day of appreciation. Navigators will enter a contest to win an all-expenses-paid voyage aboard our Resilient Lady departing from San Juan for a Fall 2025/Winter 2026 voyage, including flights from major U.S. gateways We also have many more surprises and delights to come throughout this month.”
For more information, please visit www.FirstMates.com.
