Shane Riley, formerly P&O Cruises director of trade engagement and onboard sales, told TTG he believed his success at Virgin Voyages would be “fully dependent” on the line’s First Mates, its term for trade partners, also being successful.
“I think the key thing for me for the trade to understand is that my entire career has been dependent on the trade. I was a travel agent, that paid my mortgage and every job I have had since I have been fully dependent on travel agents - this job is absolutely no different,” he said.
“My success is fully dependent on our First Mates being successful so my job is all about making sure they judge us on our actions. Don’t judge us on what they think they know. Judge us on what we do and what we deliver.”
When asked if Virgin Voyages had plans to expand its UK-based team over the coming months, Riley said: “I would love to build a team in the UK but I think at the moment we need to make sure we do a good job of educating our First Mates, so we will see.”
Virgin Voyages will launch the first of three 2,700-passenger adults-only ships in 2020 with the vessel sailing in the Caribbean from Miami.
Questioned whether the line’s second vessel may operate elsewhere, Stacy Shaw, vice-president of global sales and business development said no itineraries had been confirmed, adding:
“Clearly we would want to offer something different so we can give people options and they can sail with us to many different places.”
Shaw said the line aimed to go on sale by the end of this year and would launch its trade portal, featuring training and marketing support, in November.
She added that Virgin Voyages was finalising its agent commission structure “as we speak” and had used trade focus groups to craft its programme.
“Whatever we come out with I think will be a very strong proposition and one that will be interesting and attractive to all partners and not just the bigger players.
“We want all shapes and sizes [of agents] and want to create a very welcoming experience for all partners so anyone who wants to sell us we want them to be able to sell us.”
“The door is open to any First Mate and we will help them understand who our sailors [passengers] are so they will have a better opportunity of selling. We will help to educate them,” added Riley.
