As it approaches its four-year cruising anniversary, Virgin Voyages has goals
NEW YORK -- Debuting its first ship to homeport in the Northeastern U.S. may be Virgin Voyages' biggest undertaking this year, but it's far from its only goal as the cruise line approaches its fourth anniversary.
As Virgin Voyages grows -- its fourth ship, the Brilliant Lady, will debut in New York in September -- and works to gain customer loyalty, it is eager to make each ship distinct, tempting customers to try a new one to access different cuisine and entertainment.
And through partnerships with travel advisors and its own advertising, Virgin Voyages aims to address a misconception: That its product is not just for young adults eager to party but one that can be enjoyed by adults of all ages.
Last month, CEO Nirmal Saverimuttu, COO Michelle Bentubo and chief marketing officer Nathan Rosenberg engaged with travel advisors at the Virgin Hotel in midtown Manhattan, talking with them about the Brilliant Lady's upcoming debut.
There were murmurs of agreement from agents in the room when Saverimuttu asked whether their clients believe Virgin is a "party cruise line." It's something a recently launched ad campaign intends to contradict, by featuring adults of all generations on Virgin enjoying activities from running to pasta-making classes.
"We've been trying to support you all with better marketing messages ... to help you tell the story, because the reality is Virgin Voyages is for anybody traveling without kids," Saverimuttu told the advisors. "That's it."
Keeping onboard concepts fresh
One of Virgin's biggest competitive assets is its dining options, and it knows that means it needs to keep the concepts fresh.
Saverimuttu said that customers were "repeating a lot. They're coming back far faster than we ever expected them to, which is a good thing, but it's a challenge for us that we have to keep evolving the product."
He hinted at new menus underway, and that week, the brand announced that Brilliant Lady would debut a Spanish-inspired restaurant, Rojo by Razzle Dazzle. Scarlet Lady, by comparison, has a Razzle Dazzle restaurant with Chinese cuisine called Lucky Lotus.
"What are the differentiators we can put on each of the ships, that you're only going to get this experience when you go on that vessel?" Bentubo said in explaining the philosophy. On the entertainment side, for example, the offerings on the Brilliant will be unique, she said, with seven original productions.
Other features Virgin has underway aim to simplify and add incentives to the booking and arrival process. A pre- and post-cruise package involving the New York Virgin Hotel is in the works for Brilliant Lady-bound guests.
A new Brilliant Bounty incentive will give advisors $200 per new Brilliant Lady customer booked for the next two months. That money can be used any way an agent chooses, including handing it directly to the customer should they need an extra push to convince them the price is right.
And the company is redoing its Circle program for group bookings, which Saverimuttu conceded was too complex.
"The intent for us was to create a program that was very flexible, that was not complicated, but unfortunately I think we have failed the second half," he said. "We have too much flexibility, so the whole thing's become a mess."
Virgin Voyages' positive booking trends
Virgin said that as of the end of its first quarter, March 31, it wasn't feeling the effects of global sentiment about U.S. policies, which have prompted some foreign travelers to avoid visits to the U.S.
"We have not seen a slowdown from our Canadian market," Bentubo said, adding that Canadian revenue was up 45% and bookings grew by 36% in Q1.
The one trend the company was watching was a move to closer-in bookings, she said. And Virgin is aware that customers may be increasingly cautious about discretionary spending, Bentubo said.
"We will have to remain focused on making sure that we are providing the value, so that when somebody chooses to spend that money, and they want to spend it wisely, that they're getting the most for their dollar," Bentubo said.
"And that is why I think that we've not experienced [a slowdown]. People are booking us, and our revenue has been phenomenal over the last three months ... because we offer a value experience."
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