The line hailed Lewis-Riley’s “significant contributions” in the six years he’s been at the brand and confirmed former Windstar Cruises president John Delaney would continue as a senior adviser in the UK and international markets going forward.
Lewis-Riley said: “The time has come for me to hand over the baton and explore new opportunities. I couldn’t be more grateful for my time at Virgin Voyages.
"As the first international employee, I can look back with immense pride at how far we’ve come over the last six years.
“I am so proud of my incredible team who continually raise the bar and exceed expectations. I know Virgin Voyages’ first mates [travel agents] are in great hands.
“Lastly, I want to express my sincere and heartfelt gratitude to our first mate partners who have rallied behind us and helped shape our strategy.
“Thank you in advance for continuing to support the team and championing Virgin Voyages.”
Virgin Voyages confirmed UK sales director Sarah-Jane Walker and sales manager Matt Lebbern would still drive sales for the line in international markets following the departure of Lewis-Riley alongside Delaney.
On Lewis-Riley, Virgin Voyages chief executive Nirmal Saverimuttu said: “As a founding member of our international sales team, Shane has been instrumental in establishing our roots in the UK market and beyond.
“During his time with us, he built an incredibly strong team who are committed to delivering for this brand and share in his dedication to our trade partners."
He added: “As Shane embarks on this exciting new chapter, I’m thankful to him for his contributions and wish him all the best in his future endeavours."
Prior to joining Virgin Voyages, Lewis-Riley had stints at P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises as well as being director of retail partnerships at Carnival UK.
