More than 1,000 travel agents will step onboard a revamped Valiant Lady across six dates during its Northern Europe season sailing from Portsmouth.
Valiant Lady will welcome travel agents in Dublin on 7 August; Glasgow on 8 August; Liverpool on 9 August; Belfast on 10 August; Edinburgh on 18 August; and Portsmouth on 20 and 27 August.
In addition to being among the first to see the ship’s newest upgrades, travel agent can join ship tours and product experiences that showcase "what sets Virgin Voyages apart", the line added.
Events will include hosted dining opportunities, entertainment showcases and "surprise-and-delight" touches.
Speaking on a media briefing on Wednesday (18 February), SJ Walker, UK sales director at Virgin Voyages, said: "This will give us a chance to showcase why Virgin Voyages is different and will First Mates [travel agents] a wicked day onboard."
Full details on each visit, including registration timelines and next steps, will be shared on The Bridge UK, the brand’s dedicated Facebook page for UK-based travel agents.
"There is going to be a blended mix onboard these visits," said Walker. "It's really important that as we expand our distribution and we work closely with more agents that have higher Average Selling Prices as well as newer agents."
Sign up to TTG Cruise news
Get the key cruise trade stories, trends and interviews delivered straight to your inbox every Tuesday.
Walker confirmed around 80% of the adults-only line's business came via tour operators and the remaining sales were from retail.
"We've got Sailors [customers] booking just the cruise element and the tour operator business is when they're having to package with at least two other elements to fully Atol project a package."
John Lovell, who left his role as Travel Leaders Network president in June last year, also represented Virgin Voyages on the call.
He has joined the line as a board member and senior advisor, reporting to Virgin Voyages chief executive Nirmal Saverimuttu.
'Agents are extremely important to us'
Reflecting on the work Walker and her UK-based team have done, he said: "The travel agent distribution channel is extremely important to us. It is the lifeblood of this organisation.
"There are a lot of organisations, be it cruise lines, tour operators, that really look at the distribution channels and say 'we're going to take what we can get', and the travel agent distribution channel is a secondary sales channel for them. For us, it's the exact opposite. The travel agents are our lifeblood.
"If you look at the growth of Virgin Voyages since its inception, it has been the travel agents that have really driven our success, and we are fully committed to the direction that we're on. What SJ and her team are doing in the UK market is extremely important to us."
He added that he believes Virgin Voyages is "well positioned" to capitalise on the growing demand for adult-only products.
"The adult-only travel market is just growing leaps and bounds," Lovell continued. "Over the last three years it has actually doubled in size, and they project it's going to double again by 2030 and if you look at all the investments around the world, be it at resorts for adult-only all-inclusive properties, I think we're well positioned to be the brand that is at top of mind for any adults that are looking to take an adult-only travel experiences."
