What We Learned at Virgin Voyages Third Annual ‘First Mate Spectacular Soiree’

On Jan. 8, the energy onboard Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady was high well before the ship had left PortMiami.

From my barstool perch on Deck 16, I watched a “Sailor” (the moniker for all passengers on a Virgin cruise) in a black speedo and a red cowboy hat cannonball into the glowing pool of the Deck 15 Aquatic Club. Lights flashed, dance music piped through the speakers and members of the Happenings Cast, or entertainment crew, passed out complimentary Champagne. When the ship’s horn blasted to signal our departure, the crowd cheered, and the pool cowboy splashed into the water again.

The Sail Away Party was a good time — and I didn’t have much to drink, nor did I jump in the pool. Even after a few minutes of people watching, the joyful vibe of a Virgin Voyages cruise was evident. This is an adults-only cruise line, so there are no children onboard, but grownups are invited to let loose and play like children — and who among us couldn’t use a few days of that? (As a mother of two, being there sans kids was an uncommon treat.)

Dozens of travel advisors, or “First Mates,” as they’re called, were on this particular Fire and Sunset Soirees sailing to celebrate a very successful 2024. In fact, more than 22,000 agents booked a Virgin Voyages sailing last year, according to John Diorio, vice president of North American sales for the cruise line; the agents onboard Scarlet Lady from Jan. 8-12 had the highest sales of them all, and so were invited to the third annual First Mate Spectacular Soiree.

Soon after the ship departed Miami, the First Mates in attendance convened at The Athletic Club on Deck 16 for cocktails and canapes, and a welcome speech from Diorio himself.

“I can't thank you enough for what you do for us every single day,” Diorio said. “It's amazing, and we need you. We're building this business together.”

Dispersed in the crowd were 17 travel advisors under the jurisdiction of Tamika Bloodworth, regional sales manager for Virgin Voyages — and they were easy to spot in their matching “Team Tamika” shirts, with Bloodworth’s chipper face emblazoned on them. On the first full day of the cruise, I chatted with Bloodworth and three of her First Mates at the Grounds Club coffee bar. Opportunities to meet face-to-face with Virgin Voyages representatives — to talk business, to deliver constructive criticism, to build long-term professional relationships — made travel advisor Tony Palmiotti especially appreciative. 

“I can say for a fact that, as far as listening to [travel] agents, you're the best cruise line,” Palmiotti told Bloodworth. “Now, I don't always get my way, which is fine, but communication [with Virgin Voyages] is better than with all the other lines.”

Palmiotti, who owns Ahoy Cruises with his wife, Debby, sold $3.3 million in cruises last year, and he says that Virgin Voyages delivers his highest return rate.

“Ninety-seven percent of [my clients] who gets on this ship will rebook with me,” Palmiotti said. “I have a group right now — 18 people — in the Southern Caribbean [onboard Resilient Lady]. They're in Curacao, and all these other places, and ‘My Next Virgin Voyage’ [requests] are coming into my inbox like crazy. So, I could be sleeping, wake up in the morning and have three or four bookings just sitting there.”

Cruises for Adults

Repeat bookings are great, but Virgin Voyages is still aiming to draw in more first-timers. There are some misconceptions to dismantle, Bloodworth says, and some fresh messaging to spread. 

Some of these challenges are inherent to being a younger brand. Despite debuting in 2020, Virgin Voyages didn’t sail until 2021, when cruising was a tough sell due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And original marketing materials, featuring the youthful crew members onboard the ships in those first months, made some travelers believe that Virgin was only for the young.

“Still, to this day, agents will come to me and say, ‘Oh, I don't have the type of client for you.’” Bloodsworth said. “And I'm like, ‘Oh, you don't have adult-only clients?’”

Still, to this day, agents will come to me and say, ‘Oh, I don't have the type of client for you.’ And I'm like, ‘Oh, you don't have adult-only clients?’

Who’s Sailing With Virgin Voyages Now?

The data shows that Sailors on Virgin Voyages’ ships are diverse in age, race and beyond. Four-night cruises tend to have a younger average age (think: travelers with less expendable income and/or fewer vacation days), but longer trips move the needle.

“Our six- and eight-night cruises, our Transatlantic voyages, our 10-night cruises — they skew slightly older, with 35-65 as the average age,” Bloodsworth said. “Then, think about how we first started. We were only going to a handful of places, and we only had four- and five-night options. Now, that we have all of these other itineraries, the ages and demographics are different.”

And, as Bloodsworth says, “age is really just a number” onboard Virgin ships. I wholeheartedly concur after my own experience. Sixty-somethings in bedazzled sport coats and dresses filled the pool deck during Scarlet Night (the red-themed, mid-voyage dance party onboard the ship); the hot tubs bubbled over with jubilant retirees discussing where they’re cruising next; and the audience at the energetic and interactive Untitled Danceshowpartything (an evening show onboard) was teeming with Sailors of all ages. If you want a happy picture of aging, just spend a few days with Virgin Voyages.

Notes from Virgin Voyages’ Leadership

On the third morning of our sailing, First Mates gathered in the ship’s Red Room for a Town Hall, during which Chief Brand Officer Nathan Roseburg moderated a conversation with Nirmal Saverimuttu, CEO of Virgin Voyages, and Michelle Bentubo, the line’s chief operating officer. Topics ranged from brand strengths and growth areas to the lack of chicken tenders onboard (it turns out that even some adult cruisers wouldn’t mind having the snack as an option while sailing).

“Our Sailors, our crew and our First Mates are so open to sharing feedback about what we can fix,” Saverimuttu said. “I think it's great — it results in the product evolving, and it results in us being able to make the product better.”

Our Sailors, our crew and our First Mates are so open to sharing feedback about what we can fix. I think it's great — it results in the product evolving, and it results in us being able to make the product better.

When asked what on the horizon excites him, Saverimuttu pointed to Virgin Voyages itineraries, and reminded the audience that new routes will be announced at the end of February.

“We now have a pretty complete itinerary picture, [including] longer itineraries out in the Mediterranean — that’s been a step forward for the brand,” he said.

Bentubo agreed.

“Specifically, if you love the [seven-night] Greek Island Glow itinerary, and I know so many of our Sailors do, I'm here to tell you that if you stay another seven days, the Adriatic is the gem of our itineraries,” she said. “We’ve also added an overnight in Istanbul — who's going to be hot air ballooning with me in May?”

The leadership team also looked forward to Brilliant Lady coming online this fall — a very exciting addition that will bring the brand’s fleet total to four — and repeated how committed they are to listening to customer feedback. An example? Cruisers asked for “late stays” in ports such as Mykonos and Ibiza, and the brand implemented them.

RELATED: Cruise Ship Preview: Virgin Voyages’ Brilliant Lady

“I do think it's an important part of why we're different, and what makes our team really special,” Saverimuttu said. “Typically, those things don't pass the ROI test — traditionally, as you know, brands want to just keep everyone onboard. But we're much more about making sure that we offer the best possible experience. So, in this case, yes, people are going to leave us and go out and spend money, but that’s a great thing for our partners and a great thing for us, because people have a better experience.”

A Happy Crew Means a Happy Cruise

The culture onboard a Virgin ship is grounded by its crew, Saverimuttu said. Keeping staffers content has long been paramount to the brand.

“We’ve built a fantastic culture within the ships, and across our teams,” Saverimuttu said. “Fundamentally, I think it's the right thing to do. The sort of Virgin ethos [is that] it's really not about your title, it's about the person you are. It's about the influence you have.”

Happenings Cast and crew members are encouraged to be themselves — a fact that advisors onboard love, too. Advisor Mike Volk says that he joined the profession in 2022 because of Virgin Voyages and its welcoming spirit. (A remarkable detail: Volk is already among the cruise line’s top sellers.)

“If you take care of the crew, they will take care of your customers,” Volk said. “Another thing that makes Virgin Voyages so special is that, whether you're a Sailor or a crew member, they encourage everybody to be their true genuine self — unless you're naturally a jerk, and then … just don't come.”

Why Virgin Voyages 

At the First Mate Ink Awards ceremony on our third night onboard, Chuck Maida of All Seasons Travel won a Cork's Crew Award — a regional award bestowed on top-selling First Mates who are innovative and passionate in how they market Virgin Voyages. Maida sold 250 Virgin staterooms in 2024. Even during this Soiree cruise, he was watching over clients, with a group of 32 onboard with him. By his calculations, between 80-90% of clients who sail on Virgin will rebook, and usually within one year.

Post-cruise, I asked him what lures his clients back to Virgin Voyages time and time again. He named numerous specifics, including no unnecessary announcements, no rushed departures on the last day of your cruise, incredible included dining options, included gratuities and complimentary Wi-Fi access. But there’s also the fact that hanging out on the ship feels a lot like being embraced by a community. 

“Sailors love the vibe,” Maida said. “It's incredibly inclusive — young, old, Black, white, gay, straight, etc. Virgin describes its target audience as ‘kind humans who are looking for an elevated adult experience.’  And I think that pretty much nails it.”