Canada shines at Virgin Voyages’ First Mates Soirée for top 100 advisors

It’s an exclusive voyage for top-performing travel advisors, dedicated to making “ship” happen.

Virgin Voyages’ “First Mates Soirée’” set sail over the weekend aboard the 2,770-passenger Scarlet Lady, bringing together the cruise line’s top 100 sellers for a round-trip voyage from Miami, with stops in Key West and Bimini in the Bahamas, where the cruise line operates a private beach club experience.

Now in its fourth year, the annual event honours Virgin’s top 100 “First Mates” (travel advisors) across North America and showcases the vivid, adults-only world that “Sailors” (the brand’s term for passengers) will experience on board.

“The First Mates Soiree is one of the most meaningful events we host at Virgin Voyages,” said Virgin Voyages’ Sean Russo, who was recently promoted to director of sales for Canada. “It’s our way of recognizing and celebrating the top 100 First Mates across North America whose partnership, advocacy, and results have had the greatest impact on our business.”

Making the top 100 list “isn’t just about volume,” Russo added. 

“It’s about alignment, belief in the product, and the ability to connect Sailors with the right experience,” he said.

Canada represents

Canada was “exceptionally well represented this year,” with multiple Canadian First Mates earning a spot on the trip, which took place Jan. 7-11, Russo told PAX.

“Their participation highlights the continued growth and strength of the Canadian market and reflects the deep relationships we’ve built with advisors from coast to coast,” he said. “It was exciting to see Canada show up in such a meaningful way alongside our U.S. counterparts.”  

READ MORE: Virgin Voyages promotes Sean Russo to director of sales, Canada

Ontario-based Sean Mills of Revolution Travel Group once again made this year’s top 100 list.  

How did he do it? Speaking with PAX, Mills said “it's all about consistency,” from responding to clients in a timely manner to creating content that promotes the brand on Facebook and in emails.  

“Keeping in contact with your clients is so important to keep people coming back cruise after cruise,” Mills said. “Virgin also makes it easy with the My Next Virgin Voyage (MNVV) program, which encourages client to rebook while on their cruise.”

His strategy also involves maintaining a neutral composure in today’s politically-charged climate, as escalating cross-border tensions between Canada and the U.S. have led some Canadians to rethink travelling from U.S. ports.

“I think it's very important to stay neutral in all discussions,” Mills said. “If someone mentions how they don't want to travel to the U.S., then Europe [where Virgin Voyages operates several itineraries] was my immediate go-to. People resonated with that.”

Mills, notably, has intentionally promoted more Europe-based itineraries on his social media “as those post wouldn't get negative comments about going to the U.S.”

“It was easy to be politically neutral, but it also allowed me to guide my clients to something they wanted,” he said.

Bring on Alaska 

Excitement is building at Virgin Voyages as the company prepares for its highly-anticipated debut in Alaska this summer.

Starting this May, through to September, seven to 12-night itineraries will depart from Seattle, with stops in Alaska’s wilderness and Canada’s untouched northwest, aboard the company’s newest and fourth ship, Brilliant Lady. 

The first sailing in the west is May 11 on a one-way trip from Vancouver to Seattle and the first Seattle departure is May 21. 

READ MORE: “I’m in love”: Virgin Voyages’ Brilliant Lady drops anchor in NYC

Virgin Voyages is also strengthening its presence in Canada, having appointed a new sales manager—the well-known individual will be announced any day now—to lead business development in Western Canada.

Access, connection, recognition

Meanwhile, Virgin Voyages’ First Mates Soirée, which kicks off a new year, is designed to set advisors up for future success.

Over the weekend, First Mates enjoyed exclusive onboard access, such as "Ask SLT Anything" fireside chats with executives, one-on-one interviews with senior leadership, and special swag and recognition that offered deeper insight into the brand’s direction and what’s coming next.

“While the event built on the foundation of previous years, there was a stronger emphasis on access, connection, and recognition,” said Russo. “It created meaningful opportunities for advisors to engage directly with leadership while strengthening relationships with peers across North America.”

Hot tips

What tips does Russo have for Canadian agents aiming to boost their Virgin Voyages sales—and maybe even secure a spot in next year’s top 100?

“The biggest piece of advice is to sell Virgin Voyages differently than traditional cruising,” he said. “The advisors who see the strongest results lead with experience, lifestyle, and emotion rather than ports and pricing.”

“Positioning Virgin Voyages for clients who don’t consider themselves ‘cruise people’ often unlocks entirely new business.”

Additionally, from a tactical standpoint, “focusing on small, niche groups can be incredibly effective, even if they’re not large in size,” he said.

“Using the Let’s Go Book link consistently helps capture passive bookings, and becoming confident in positioning Essential and Premium fare classes – as well as RockStar Suites – allows advisors to shift the conversation toward value per day rather than total price.”

“Consistent follow-up, intentional re-framing, and encouraging onboard rebooking through MNVVs also play a major role in sustained success.”

The advisors who qualify for top 100 tend to be “consistent, intentional, and confident in how they represent the brand,” he said.

Travel advisors who want to stay connected with everything Virgin Voyages can also join Russo’s Facebook page, “Canadian First Mates Collective,” where updates and sales tips are shared regularly.

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