Virgin Voyages has officially opened for business with travel partners in Australia, confirming last night [Tuesday 12 November, 2019] that transactions for the new luxury cruise line are available in Australian dollars. The move was exclusively revealed by LATTE two months ago.
At a special event in Sydney last night, Virgin Voyages’ Chief Commercial Officer, Nirmal Saverimuttu, and Virgin Group founder, Sir Richard Branson, celebrated the occasion with local travel partners, known as ‘First Mates’, at the aptly named Cruise Bar at the Overseas Passenger Terminal.
“On board a ship, a First Mate is the Captain’s most trusted confidant and right hand, which is how Virgin Voyages sees travel partners, because their input and guidance has been critical to the development of our sales strategy, policies and onboard experiences,” Saverimuttu commented.
With this glowing appreciation in mind and an ambition to be brilliant to do business with, Virgin Voyages has thrown non-commissionable fares (NCFs) overboard, all while committing to paying First Mates commission on the total invoice – even taxes and fees.
As revealed at CLIA Cruise360 this year, Virgin Voyages has partnered with Australian general sales agent (GSA), Travel The World, which has committed to represent the brand in trade, and support and nurture new Virgin Voyages’ First Mates.
Australian First Mates can also find support, and learn about and transact and engage with all things Virgin Voyages at FirstMates.com. Once registered, individuals will find in-depth product and experience breakdowns geared towards travel professionals, an array of marketing and sales tools to digitally download, as well as access to join the First Mates SeaCiety – an exclusive learning community featuring original content and contests.
Saverimuttu explained the business’ excitement to be selling to travel partners in Australia, saying “The Virgin brand has always resonated strongly with Aussies, who have historically appreciated a challenger mentality. Couple this with Australians’ love to get out there and see the world – in particular cruise the Seven Seas – and we are confident we are offering our First Mates an irresistible experience to sell to Future Sailors.”
Virgin Voyages’ Rebellious Luxe experience will be an Adult-by-Design sanctuary at sea, designed for 18+ travellers looking for a new holiday option.
Earlier in the day, Branson announced a new partnership between Virgin Voyages and Virgin Australia, offering combined cruise and air packages from Australia on cruises from Miami and airfares from Australia.
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