The cruise line also confirmed it is looking to hire a new local head of sales as part of its efforts to reinvest in the market, SVP of growth Stephen Hopkins revealed yesterday in an interview with travelBulletin’s sister publication Travel Daily.
Both recruits will be supported by Matt Lebbern, director of sales of Europe & new markets, which currently includes Australasia. Lebbern said that over the past six months, the VV team had spent time listening and watching the market, particularly from the trade’s point of view, “who are our eyes on the ground”.
“One of [the pieces] is our systematic friction points, which we know right now are almost, in some cases, a barrier to sale for the trade – so we want to make that easier and simpler for the trade overall,” he said.
Some of that will involve simplifying the commission structure and payment process, Lebbern confirmed, as well as offering increased support through the new hires, which he described as “an absolute gamechanger” for the business and its relations with the trade.
Meanwhile, Hopkins shared that according to Virgin’s research, 75% of its 10,000+ Aussie guests had sailed on its Mediterranean itineraries, but beyond that, their options were limited.
However, on Mon, the cruise line will sail its newest ship, Brilliant Lady, out of LA, with 20 other sailings available for booking, followed by a season in Alaska. “Both of those itineraries are perfect for Australian consumers, something that we know is of high demand,” Hopkins said.
“We’re really excited to be able to mature the deployment in the Australian market.”
Virgin Voyages was homeported in Australia before it pulled its hardware out of the market in 2024, officially listed at the time as being related to challenges associated with passage via the Red Sea.
Currently, there are no plans to homeport in the region again, but the VV team said it would love for the line to return to Australia one day, VP of marketing and digital innovation Billy Bohan said.
“What I will say is that Australia is near and dear to our hearts…so having the opportunity to bring the ship back here would be a dream for us,” said Bohan.
Pictured: Bohan, Hopkins, and Lebbern in Sydney.
