Virgin Voyages has announced record-breaking revenue and bookings with 45 per cent increased revenue and 34 per cent increased bookings, celebrating its best wave season in company history.
Since introducing new, longer itineraries of 8 to 14 nights, Virgin Voyages has also reported a more than 50 per cent increase in bookings for these new products, indicating strong consumer interest in new ports and longer voyages onboard the Virgin fleet.
“These outstanding results show the incredible momentum our brand has built – driven by our Travel Advisors who recognise that our kid-free, award-winning experience offers a true premium alternative in the industry,” Virgin Voyages CEO, Nirmal Saverimuttu, said.
“They love that our size offers a blend of intimate and elevated experiences and real variety. Our record repeat rates are loved by First Mates because another booking is almost guaranteed after their client’s first sailing. The entire Virgin Voyages team couldn’t be more grateful. We’ve created this together, and we remain completely committed to making sure our partners are always appreciated, supported, and rewarded for their trust in us and the journey ahead.”
Virgin Voyages axed it’s Australia and New Zealand homeports after just one season. The Richard Branson-led cruise line made its debut Down Under with Resilient Lady in early December 2023, but announced three months later that it would not return to Australia and New Zealand for the 2024/25 summer season.
Virgin Voyages also reported a standout performance in web traffic as one of the only cruise brands to see gains in search, leading the industry with increases up 25 per cent.
In addition, the brand said it’s unique approach to cognitive marketing and non-traditional media was a significant driver in its growth, giving it a unique ability to reach new audiences and break through the noise to capitalise on word-of-mouth, referrals, and broad awareness as it often dominates the cruise category in effectiveness measures.
“As a Virgin brand, we are committed to keeping our unique market position and strong customer loyalty,” Saverimuttu added. “It’s because of this focus we have captured the most five-star reviews and have the highest engagement rates on social platforms, including Reddit, YouTube and Meta.
“As the world embraces Gen AI and LLMs we are seeing significant growth for our brand in nontraditional spaces – we’ve witnessed a 200 per cent increase in ChatGPT brand searches during Q1, demonstrating how our approach is driving meaningful engagement in emerging channels. We are a brand that is much loved, much talked about and much commented on and we embrace that.”
The adult-only travel brand continues to unveil fleet-wide innovations, aiming to appeal to continued travellers in their 50s and 60s who are looking for a more sophisticated but relaxed environment, without kids. Plans include new restaurants, expanded menus, seven fresh entertainment concepts, longer and more sought-after itineraries and the much-anticipated debut of its fourth ship, Brilliant Lady in September 2025.
This celebratory moment marks a major brand milestone with all four Lady Ships sailing the Caribbean this fall. Brand-wide homeports will include New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Seattle, Barcelona, Athens and Portsmouth. With the completion of the fleet, Virgin Voyages offers a tremendous amount of choice, from bucket-list itineraries to solar eclipse voyages, along with ports of call ranging from Iceland to the southern Caribbean.
“This is just the beginning of what we know will be our best year yet,” Saverimuttu concluded. “We’re not just changing how people see and experience cruising – we’re redefining what a vacation at sea can be. And we’re doing it with our signature mix of style, substance, and innovation that only Virgin can deliver, including exciting new itineraries, new entertainment, new food and of course Brilliant Lady’s debut. Watch this space; we’ve got some brilliant announcements coming soon that will make waves across the industry.”
Now in its fourth year, Virgin Voyages said it continues to attract new-to-cruise along with 60 per cent repeats on some voyages. Last year won top spot in its category for Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards and Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards two consecutive years in a row. This year, the line’s newest ship, Resilient Lady, won USA Today’s 10Best No. 1 spot for Best Adults-Only Cruise, Best Dining and Best Cruise Ship for Entertainment.
