Across the cruise sector and wider travel industry, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: in a world of digital tools, virtual training and AI-powered content, face-to-face connection still drives the strongest commercial results. Travel remains a relationship business, and nowhere is that more evident than in how we support and engage our agent partners - or as we call them at Virgin Voyages, our First Mates.

For cruise in particular, the product is experiential. You can describe dining, entertainment and onboard atmosphere all day long, but nothing compares to stepping onboard and feeling and seeing it first-hand. That’s why ship visits and in-person visits are not ‘nice to have’ - they’re essential.
This summer, we’re bringing Valiant Lady - freshly enhanced from her recent dry dock - to more UK and Irish ports than ever before, welcoming more than 1,000 First Mates onboard across multiple regional calls. That spread is deliberate. Not every agent can travel to a single showcase event in one city, and they shouldn’t have to. By allowing agents to get onboard in Dublin, Glasgow, Liverpool, Belfast, Edinburgh and Portsmouth, we’re meeting the trade where they are and widening access. They’ll also be among the first to see her newest additions including Ariya, our modern Indian restaurant.

Regionality matters because the UK trade landscape is not one-size-fits-all. High street agencies, homeworkers, regional consortia and specialist sellers each have different needs and customer profiles. When we’re out in the market and holding conversations in-person, we can tailor conversations, answer real booking questions and connect product features directly to the customers who agents serve every day.

This approach builds on the momentum we’ve already seen this year. In January alone, our regional sales team reached more than 1,000 agents through store visits, head office takeovers and personal training sessions across dozens of locations nationwide. That level of presence takes time and investment, but the returns are clear: stronger product confidence, higher value bookings and genuine brand advocacy.

Ship visits take that one step further. When First Mates experience our kid-free ships for themselves - the dining, the entertainment, the atmosphere - they sell with greater credibility and assurance. And the great news is we’re looking to take this one step further in 2027; First Mates, watch this space.
For us, supporting the trade isn’t a campaign moment, it’s a continuous commitment. The brands that will grow sustainably in the UK market are those that are willing to get out on the road, answer questions and open their doors. Or in our case, open the gangway.

SJ Walker, UK Director of Sales, Virgin Voyages