NEWS SPECIAL REPORT


Brilliant Lady in Portsmouth last week; inset,


Nathan Rosenberg, Michelle Bentubo (centre) and SJ Walker


Viirgin chan es tack V


rgin changes tack


Virgin Voyages urges the trade to reconsider the line’s target audience as newest ship Brilliant Lady hosts more than 1,000 agents. Ella Sagar reports from Portsmouth


irgin Voyages wants agents to view its product offering as “casual luxury” in a bid


to shake off the perception that the line is aimed solely at younger “party” travellers. Speaking in a panel discussion on


board the line’s newest ship Brilliant Lady as it visited Portsmouth, chief marketing officer Nathan Rosenberg insisted Virgin Voyages would suit “the majority of adults”, but that agents had initially “not been set up well with the right information”. He admitted the line had “got


things wrong” with its marketing efforts in the past, including its positioning with the trade. “We had an own goal early on


where we allowed the story about who the ship was for to run,” he said. Rosenberg added that while the


average age of the line’s passengers is between 46 and 47, “people of all ages feel welcome”. Chief operations officer Michelle


Bentubo agreed, highlighting that passengers’ ages range from 20 to 80 on every sailing. She added: “From a marketing


12 28 AUGUST 2025


perspective, there was a perception that the Virgin brand was this young party [experience], but I’d like to think that over time, as people sailed with us and experienced us, they realised it is not a party ship.” UK sales director SJ Walker


said Virgin Voyages’ messaging needed to be simplified to “a casually luxurious, kid-free cruise experience where everybody is treated like a rock star”.


She urged agents to “add it to the


shelf” for any adult traveller looking for a child-free holiday. Rosenberg said a priority for the


line’s UK team was to grow its trade distribution and “find new ways” into the luxury market. He hinted at “big announcements”


coming in the next few months, while Bentubo said Asia was a region it was eyeing for future investment “a couple of years away”.


Rosenberg said adding Brilliant


Lady to the fleet marked “a new beginning” that would allow more innovation around destinations, and onboard and onshore experiences. “This is the first time the


entire company is focused on the innovation roadmap,” he said. “This new chapter is about what


is happening around the ship, now we have established the layers of the ship space and what we do on board.”


AGENTS’ VIEWS ON BRILLIANT LADY


Marco Macchieraldo, senior product manager, Paramount Cruises “Our clients love


Virgin Voyages and always mention the immersive entertainment. We watched Murder in the Manor, one of seven new shows on Brilliant Lady, which is a testament to the line’s innovation, from supper club shows to bigger theatre, music and comedy performances. It’s a real draw for passengers.”


Laura Clark, marketing director, Iglu “The ship is familiar as soon as you step on board, but you can see


they have adapted to feedback from passengers and agents. The new restaurant Rojo was incredible and a reflection of the Mediterranean offering Virgin Voyages is known for. Brilliant Lady is going to be the representation of the growing brand and the continued evolution. I’m excited to see how she adapts for the Alaska sailings.”


Kieran Eccles-Miller, owner, Magical Traveller “We have been selling Virgin Voyages since


day one, so we wanted to see the adaptations for Alaska and other new destinations first-hand. There have been small changes suited to longer itineraries and more sea days, like more outward-facing spaces and extra shade on the pool deck. It is definitely an evolution of the brand.”


travelweekly.co.uk


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