Virgin Voyages is celebrating its strongest trading season to date, with a 34 percent increase in bookings and a 45 percent rise in revenue, according to a press release.

The cruise line also reported a more than 50 percent increase in bookings for its new longer itineraries, ranging from eight to 14 nights, reflecting strong demand for extended voyages and new destinations.

Nirmal Saverimuttu, CEO of Virgin Voyages, said: “These outstanding results show the incredible momentum our brand has built – driven by our Travel Advisors who recognize that our kid-free, award-winning experience offers a true premium alternative in the industry. They love that our size offers a blend of intimate and elevated experiences and real variety. Our record repeat rates are loved by First Mates because another booking is almost guaranteed after their client’s first sailing. The entire Virgin Voyages team couldn’t be more grateful. We’ve created this together, and we remain completely committed to making sure our partners are always appreciated, supported, and rewarded for their trust in us and the journey ahead.”

The company has also reported a 25 percent increase in web traffic, attributing the success to the use of cognitive marketing and non-traditional media.

“As a Virgin brand, we are committed to keeping our unique market position and strong customer loyalty. It’s because of this focus we have captured the most five-star reviews and have the highest engagement rates on social platforms, including Reddit, YouTube and Meta. As the world embraces Gen AI and LLMs, we are seeing significant growth for our brand in nontraditional spaces-  we’ve witnessed a 200 percent increase in ChatGPT brand searches during Q1, demonstrating how our approach is driving meaningful engagement in emerging channels. We are a brand that is much loved, much talked about and much commented on and we embrace that,” added Saverimuttu.

“This is just the beginning of what we know will be our best year yet. We’re not just changing how people see and experience cruising. We’re redefining what a vacation at sea can be. And we’re doing it with our signature mix of style, substance, and innovation that only Virgin can deliver, including exciting new itineraries, new entertainment, new food and of course Brilliant Lady’s debut. Watch this space; we’ve got some brilliant announcements coming soon that will make waves across the industry,” concluded Saverimuttu.