Cruise line Virgin Voyages is to invite a mix of existing and new-to-brand agents onboard Valiant Lady during its tour of the UK and Ireland this summer.
The ship, which is undergoing a refurbishment in May, will be visiting six ports during August, as part of its Northern European season.
At each port, agents will be invited onboard for a day to sample the dining, the entertainment and other guest experiences.
UK Director of Sales SJ Walker (pictured) said the agents would be a blend of existing agents and those who haven’t previously sold Virgin Voyages.
She added: “We want to reward agents already selling us by inviting them onboard to see what is new and how the brand is evolving, but also, it is really important, as we grow our distribution and as we work closer with those agents that have those higher value bookings and we target the more luxury sector, that we get more new agents onboard.”
SJ said 2026 had got off to ‘quite a strong start’, with a trend towards longer itineraries and higher value bookings. She said clients were also booking much further ahead.
Average selling prices are up 18%, she added, while the revenue per day is up 25% year-on-year.
“We are definitely seeing recognition for the value that is included in Virgin Voyages,” added SJ. “We have our travel agent partners to thank for that as well, they are definitely using these inclusions as one of the benefits of booking a Virgin Voyages holiday.”
She said Caribbean cruises were selling particularly well, with bookings twice what they were a year ago. Caribbean itineraries now account for 40% of the cruise line’s total business.
As a result of the increased demand, Virgin Voyages is extending its monthly fixed net rates to Caribbean cruises, from 1 March, which it said will make it easier for agents to build their own itineraries. “This will give our travel agents much greater price certainty,” added SJ.
Virgin Voyages Senior Advisor John Lovell described agents as the ‘lifeblood’ of the cruise line. “For other cruise lines, travel agents are secondary, but for us, it’s the opposite; it has been travel agents that have really driven our success.”
The travel agent ship visits will take place at the following locations:
- Dublin – August 7
- Glasgow – August 8
- Liverpool – August 9
- Belfast – August 10
- Edinburgh – August 18
- Portsmouth – August 20 and August 27
Details on each visit, including registration timelines and next steps, will be shared on Virgin Voyages’ trade Facebook page The Bridge UK. Supporting information will also be available on firstmates.com.
The ship visits were revealed as Virgin Voyages released its southern Caribbean itineraries for winter 2027 – 2028.
The 2,770-guest Scarlet Lady will offer 23 round-trip departures from San Juan, Puerto Rico, across 12 itineraries, which are now on sale.
Highlights include:
- A new12-night transatlantic voyage from Barcelona to San Juan with Halloween-themed activities and events, departing 31 31 October 2027, featuring an inaugural call to Lanzarote, Canary Islands and a full day in Tangier, Morocco
- A selection of six-, seven-, eight- and 12-night sailings calling at ports including Aruba, Curaçao, Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, St Maarten, Dominica and Tortola
- A series ofSouthern Caribbean & Aruban Nights voyages featuring late-night departures from Aruba
- Special Christmas and New Year voyages
The new cruises form part of Virgin Voyages’ current Wave campaign, available to book till the end of February 2026. The offer includes:
- 80% off the second guest
- Up to $350 in free drinks
- Up to $300 onboard credit on Caribbean voyages
