Alan Fincham recently joined Virgin Voyages as Business Development Executive. Travel Gossip found out a bit more about him in our quick Q&A.
I never travel without… my factor 50. I never have, and never will, be able to tan. So now I just do my best not to burn.
The famous person (dead or alive) I’d most like to sit next to on a plane is… I’m a bit of a Marvel geek, so [comic book writer] Stan Lee would be amazing. He would get so fed up of all my questions though, so the feeling probably wouldn’t be mutual.
My weakness is… I have the willpower of a marshmallow. I’m very easily convinced to stay for ‘just one more’.
The next place I’ll visit is… Miami. I can’t wait to start networking and meet all the wonderful people in this industry.
The worst thing I ate or drank abroad was… Oysters – and I’ve eaten crickets and spiders in Thailand! Apparently, you’re not really supposed to chew oysters. Who knew?
My bucket-list destination is… Japan. I couldn’t quite get there whilst backpacking, so a couple of weeks there to take in Tokyo would be amazing.
Born and brought up in… Just south of Birmingham in a little-ish town called Redditch.
Live in… Still in Redditch, because it’s actually pretty awesome.
The best piece of advice I’ve been given is… Don’t always follow the path laid out for you. You can always leave the path and make a trail.
If I could eat one meal for the rest of my life it would be… I had a hotpot once in China and it was incredible. If I could carry around a vat of hot oil everywhere I went, I would eat that for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The emoji I use most often is… 100% the smug emoji 😏 It has so many uses.
The thing I miss most while travelling is… Ten years ago I’d have said my games console. Now I’ve got a beautiful wife and two lovely daughters, I’d still say my games console 😏.
When I left school, I wanted to be… a rugby player but unfortunately, the finer things in life got in the way (reference back to willpower).
The thing I’m most proud of is… My wife Emma and my two girls, Grace and Rose, are just wonderful.
In my new role, I’ll be… Working with the most passionate and positive crew I have ever met to make ship happen. I can’t wait to work closely with our treasured partners and First Mates. We will ensure that we grow together into 2026 and beyond, and I cannot wait to be a part of that. Our Lady Ships enable our Sailors to live their best lives in kid-free casual luxury. What a brand to be able to work with and sell.
