Virgin Voyages, Richard Branson’s multi-award-winning, boutique hotel at sea, celebrates record-breaking revenue and bookings, further solidifying its leadership in the kid-free travel space. Following a tremendous Black Friday and holiday season to round out 24’, Virgin Voyages’ Wave 25’ is delivering the strongest future bookings and revenue growth in the company’s history, recording a 60% revenue lift year over year, and a 40% jump in new bookings. To underscore this strong start, available inventory is nearly sold out through the first quarter of the year, with limited cabin availability in Q2 and high demand for summer 25’ voyages in the Med. As a testament to the company’s success, VV is seeing stronger than anticipated future bookings for Brilliant Lady starting in Fall 25’, including US itineraries to all four corners from NYC, Miami, LA and Seattle to Alaska.
“Thanks to our First Mates who have championed our growth based on their clients’ feedback, and to our loyal Sailors who are delivering record repeat rates, last year was a brilliant one and delivered massive growth from new customers, along with existing cruisers and those new to cruise. Our strongest start ever is a testament to our award-winning service and experience, our no nickel and diming value inclusions, the launch of additional destinations with longer itineraries from 8-14 nights and more than 30 new ports coming online from Alaska and Iceland to Turkey and Portugal. I also can’t forget about the bucket list Panama Canal voyage,” said Nirmal Saverimuttu, CEO of Virgin Voyages.
Saverimuttu added, “2025 is looking like a red-letter year with new food concepts, new music, more comedy-based entertainment, a new ship that completes our fleet, the return of Eat & Drink month and special sailings such as our Celebration Voyages and Marvelous Voyages. Every innovation and evolution is based on the feedback from our travel advisors and customers.”
In addition to a record-breaking January and the most successful Wave season in company history, Virgin Voyages is looking forward to welcoming its much-anticipated fourth and final ship in the fleet, Brilliant Lady, which debuts this September in NYC. This celebratory moment marks a major brand milestone with all four Lady Ships sailing the high seas. Brand-wide homeports will include NYC, Miami, LA, 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 stops in Iceland to exploration of the southern Caribbean.
With strong repeat rates up to 60% on some voyages, Virgin Voyages continues to break through barriers, attracting a significant new to cruise audience, solidifying its place as the brand of choice for travelers looking for a fresh, price-inclusive travel experience. With trends indicating the rise of kid-free vacations in the travel industry, Virgin Voyages is fast becoming the brand of choice for adult-only holidays.
In the midst of the brand’s success, Virgin Voyages is consistently evolving its product. The latest includes a compelling Groups program that was shaped from First Mates’ feedback, offering advisors competitive commissions. Over the years, Virgin Voyages has become the premier choice for travelers celebrating a milestone together, and the new Groups program allows more seamless booking experiences for large parties. Looking ahead, and in response to Travel Advisor and consumer feedback, Virgin Voyages is offering a longer runway for bookings with open inventory available to book two years in advance. With this also comes stronger booking incentives for First Mates, pay in full discounts and access to early itinerary drops and stable pricing, something the brand has worked to deliver.
“We asked and Virgin Voyages delivered. They’re one of the most open and accessible brands for partners, and their responsiveness to customers is very Virgin,” said Bobby Laurie, founder of JetSetGo.
Last year, Virgin Voyages was the recipient of two major consumer awards, including winning the top spot in its category for both the Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers Choice Awards and Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards two consecutive years in a row. To start 2025, Virgin Voyages is already raking in the consumer accolades, with the line’s newest ship, Resilient Lady, winning USA Today’s 10Best No. 1 spot for Best Adults-Only Cruise, Best Dining and Best Cruise Ship for Entertainment.
To learn more about Virgin Voyages and its cruise offerings, visit Virgin Voyages.
