This is the start of what I’m calling ‘the year of Virgin Voyages in the UK’,” grins Shane Riley after the line’s turn-of-year TV takeover.

From a starring role for Scarlet Lady in January’s The Apprentice series opener to launching its first dedicated UK TV campaign with slots during the Brit Awards and the Six Nations rugby last month, the line is readying itself for a busy 2022.

Of The Apprentice experience, Riley tells TTG that despite some “shall we say... interesting?” cruise branding ideas from Lord Sugar’s candidates, the line saw “a huge spike” in enquires through the trade after the show aired in January.

“Our TV activity has been about putting Virgin Voyages on the map in the UK,” says Riley, the line’s vice-president of international sales. “We want to cement our brand and get in front of people who love cruise and those who might never have considered it.”

Our interview takes place a few weeks before another major milestone – the launch of Virgin Voyages’ second ship Valiant Lady, which heads to British shores this month to sail its maiden voyage from Portsmouth.

Riley, meanwhile, has only just returned from Miami and the opening of the line’s Terminal V.

The new facility features trademark Virgin red decor, LED screens and day beds in the check-in hall. “It’s more like a Virgin Clubhouse than a traditional cruise terminal,” he says. “You feel as if your holiday starts the moment you arrive.”

ONBOARD EXPERIENCE

Riley and his recently expanded UK team are now preparing for Valiant’s arrival. After Scarlet Lady’s launch was hampered by the pandemic, Virgin Voyages has grand plans for its sister ship. 

Valiant will sail a mix of three-night Zeebrugge short cruises and 12-night Spain and Portugal itineraries from Portsmouth until May before repositioning to Barcelona.

Ahead of its UK season, more than 2,000 agents will be invited onboard for showcase events in Tilbury and Liverpool – and Riley promises a far from traditional ship visit. “Although we’re not sailing, we’re activating all the entertainment, the dining, the shows – you can even use the spa,” says Riley. 

Valiant will feature many of the same venues and experiences as Scarlet, including “enhanced” cabin layouts with more storage space.

To help agents capitalise on the ship’s UK stay, Virgin Voyages has extended its wave campaign until the end of March – offering 22% commission on all sailings departing up to October 2023. 

It has also brought forward opening hours at its Miami call centre to 10am GMT and upped staffing. A dedicated roadshow for homeworking agents in early summer is also in the pipeline, Riley reveals.

When Valiant leaves the UK for Barcelona, Riley says its first three sailings will host “almost 2,000” agents, cruising for free after completing the line’s Seacademy e-learning scheme. 

According to Riley, new sales data proves agents who reach its gold tier are booking double the amount of passengers than those who haven’t taken the training. 

The line’s investment in the trade bodes well as in a few months a third ship – also heading for the Mediterranean – joins its fleet. Sailing out of Piraeus from August, the arrival of Resilient Lady will see the brand effectively triple capacity in a year.

While Resilient won’t visit the UK, trade launch events in Greece are “already being planned” and Riley says agents “are right behind us”. “The UK is a priority for us and we have a lot of ambition here.

We expect the majority of guests to come from the UK this summer – it’s going to be a huge year.”