HOW I CARRY ON
SAIL THE VIRGIN WAY
John Diorio , vice president of North American sales , explains how Virgin Voyages is taking the exclusively adult experience to the high seas .
WORDS / JENNA BUEGE
Advisors might recall a short YouTube video released by Virgin Voyages in the spring of 2022 titled “ Virgin Voyages Says No Kids On the Ocean .” A melancholy tune plays as several kiddos burst into a montage lamenting their missed opportunity for an adventure at sea ; their parents sip poolside cocktails in the background , throwing a wink to the camera . Fun , light-hearted and wildly creative , the video perfectly encapsulates what it ’ s like to “ Sail the Virgin Way .” And it ’ s that culture and unique vibe that makes the cruise line so special according to John Diorio , vice president of North American sales at Virgin Voyages .
VIRGIN VOYAGES IS EXCLUSIVELY ADULT Why the kid-free approach ? “ In typical Virgin fashion , we asked ourselves , ‘ what is that niche that would allow us to create
our own unique identity within the cruise space ?’” says Diorio . “ There are some great cruise products out there , and we didn ’ t want to create the same type of product that already exists . We did a lot of research to figure out what customers want , and it came up that there was a need for an adults-only , or as we like to say , ‘ exclusively adult ,’ cruising experience that catered to everyone .”
As a result , Virgin Voyages has allowed that same exclusively adult concept to guide its creation of an elevated cruising experience . “ We didn ’ t have to worry about which chicken nuggets we were going to serve , it was all about building everything with adults in mind , and when you do that , you can create very unique experiences ,” says Diorio . From the cruise line ’ s meticulously designed onboard spaces and Michelin-chef led eateries to its signature red hammocks and innovative technology like Shake for Champagne — a feature in the Virgin Voyages app where Sailors can shake the app anywhere on the ship and be met with a chilled bottle of champagne and two champagne flutes in 15 minutes —, all of these things set the cruise line apart from other ships on the water .
“ As adults we need our own break ,” says Diorio . “ This is a vacation , not a trip with your kids or someone else ’ s kids . I think this , coupled with the value propositions that we include in the Voyage Fare , creates a better experience .”
22 / THE COMPASS / FALL 2022 vaxvacationaccess . com / thecompass