0:00
Well, the holidays are officially here
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and with all four Virgin Voyages lady
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ships out celebrating their holiday
0:06
voyages right here, we've been taking a
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look at the latest news that you're
0:10
going to need to know when you're
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planning your next Virgin Voyage. I'm
0:13
David from VV Insider, and this is our
0:15
last Virgin Voyages insider update of
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the year. And this time we're looking at
0:20
a shakeup with itineraries in summer
0:23
2027 in the Mediterranean, which has led
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to some exciting new itineraries to a
0:28
new location that people are very
0:30
excited about. Then we're going to take
0:32
a look at our big 2025 recap with all
0:34
the news from the Virgin Voyages brand
0:37
over the last year. And as it's
0:38
Christmas, you're probably wondering
0:40
what it's like on the Virgin Voyager
0:42
ships during the holidays. Well, I'm
0:44
going to show you an article of ours
0:45
that tells you everything you'll need to
0:47
know. We're going to be taking a look at
0:48
a way to score yourself some extra
0:50
sailor loot on some Caribbean voyages
0:53
next year. We cover an announcement
0:54
about the improvement of sailor services
0:57
and then a little something that people
0:59
are really excited about and this is all
1:01
about Virgin Voyages offering more ways
1:03
than ever to match and join the sailing
1:06
club loyalty program. So, as ever, we've
1:09
got tons to cover. So, let's jump right
1:11
in. V Insider is the number one resource
1:14
for the latest Virgin Voyages info,
1:16
guides, and news. From picking the
1:18
perfect cabin to booking, dining or
1:20
simply just making the most of your
1:21
voyage and saving money while you do it,
1:23
vincider.com has helped thousands of
1:26
sailors around the world sail smarter.
1:28
Support our work by hitting subscribe
1:30
and stick around to hear how you can get
1:32
exclusive perks by booking directly with
1:36
So, first of all, one thing we weren't
1:38
expecting to see as we get to the end of
1:40
December are some brand new itineraries
1:43
being announced, but that is exactly
1:45
what's happened. Just a few short days
1:47
ago, some brand new itineraries were
1:50
released for Scarlet Lady in 2027. And
1:53
these itineraries all involve voyages in
1:55
the Mediterranean, including a visit to
1:58
a port that people are getting very
1:59
excited about indeed. And that's with a
2:01
voyage with an overnight in Cairo,
2:04
Egypt. Now, these four new sailings are
2:06
all longer sailings. They range from 9
2:09
to 12 nights each. So, let's take a
2:11
quick look at each of those. So, first
2:13
of all, on May 30th, we have an 11 night
2:16
sailing leaving from Athens, which is
2:18
called Greek Isles and the Adriatic.
2:20
We've sailed a number of times to the
2:22
Greek Islands before on Resilient Lady.
2:24
So, I'm sure this one on Scarlet Lady
2:27
and Scarlet Lady Season in Greece in
2:29
2027 will be absolutely fantastic. Then
2:32
we have the one that's causing all the
2:33
chatter online. On June 10th, there is a
2:35
10- night sailing which is called
2:37
Greece, Turkey, and Cairo. This
2:39
particular sailing again leaves from
2:41
Athens, has a visit to Turkey, and then
2:44
heads over to Cairo for an overnight
2:46
stay, meaning there's going to be plenty
2:48
time for those that want to go off and
2:51
explore the pyramids in Giza, as well as
2:53
something I'd be very keen on doing,
2:55
which is the new museum in Giza, as
2:57
well. That's before Starlet Lady comes
2:59
back to Greece, visiting another couple
3:02
of Greek islands before heading back to
3:04
Athens. Then later on in the season on
3:07
August 29th, there is a new 9- night
3:09
voyage. This time, it's a repositioning
3:11
voyage from Athens to Rome with a
3:14
12-night voyage setting off on September
3:16
7th from Rome to make her way back to
3:19
Athens. This will be one of those
3:20
voyages that will be capping off the
3:22
season before she makes her way back to
3:24
the Caribbean for the 202728
3:28
winter season. Now, in order to make way
3:30
for these new itineraries, some of the
3:32
older itineraries during this season
3:34
have been cancelled. A notice went out
3:37
on December 15th to all sailor that were
3:40
affected. If you believe that your
3:41
sailing is affected, head over to our
3:44
article on vbvinsider.com
3:46
and we cover all the information that
3:48
you'll need to know. We also cover all
3:49
the options available to you as an
3:51
affected sailor, including the ability
3:53
to move your booking to a different
3:55
voyage or request a full refund. If you
3:58
have any questions about your booking,
4:00
head over to our article first. And if
4:02
you need any help rebooking, let us
4:04
know. Last weekend, we wanted to cover
4:06
off all of the big news stories of 2025.
4:10
So much happened in the world of Virgin
4:12
Voyages, and we were lucky enough
4:14
ourselves to go along to some of those
4:16
big events that defined the year. That
4:18
particular video was part of our sailing
4:20
smarter series that we have on YouTube
4:22
where we cover off guides and stuff you
4:25
just need to know before you head on
4:26
your Virgin Voyages cruise. If you
4:28
stumbled on our channel, it's likely you
4:30
want to learn way more about Virgin
4:32
Voyages. Well, you've come to the right
4:34
place. So, do me a quick favor and just
4:36
make sure that you've hit the subscribe
4:38
button. If you haven't subscribed to our
4:40
channel yet, now is the perfect time to
4:43
check. I just want to quickly pause here
4:44
as well and give a special thanks to
4:46
those this year that have joined our
4:48
YouTube member program. It's not
4:50
something that we've really talked about
4:52
on the channel yet because we're going
4:53
to be looking at how we build this
4:55
channel out in the new year and there
4:57
will be more benefits for members at
5:00
that point. But some of you have already
5:01
found your way to our members section
5:03
and are supporting us each month with a
5:05
monthly membership and we couldn't be
5:07
more grateful to have your support. A
5:09
special shout out this week for Domen,
5:12
who is our latest member, who has chosen
5:15
the mega rockstar level of our
5:17
membership. It's honestly down to people
5:19
like you who give your support for
5:21
helping us build this independent
5:23
content on Virgin Voyages. So, we
5:25
really, really appreciate it. We're
5:27
going to be releasing more information
5:28
about membership in the new year, but
5:30
I'll put the link to our memberships as
5:32
they are right now if you want to take a
5:34
quick look. But watch out for more
5:35
information about memberships in the new
5:37
year. Now, of course, the Christmas
5:39
season is very much upon us now. I hope
5:41
that you've managed to do all of your
5:43
holiday shopping and preparations
5:45
already. I am terrible. I've done barely
5:47
anything, but there's three or four days
5:49
left, so I'm sure it'll be fine. But for
5:51
a very special bunch of people, they're
5:52
celebrating the holidays on board the
5:55
four Virgin Voyages lady ships. You
5:57
probably ask yourself the question,
5:59
what's it like on board the ships during
6:01
the holiday period? where we put
6:02
together an article explaining what it's
6:04
like on board the four lady ships during
6:07
the holiday season. Head over to this
6:09
article to read about what the featured
6:11
entertainment looks like, the special
6:13
entertainment that happens just around
6:15
the holiday season, and we've heard it
6:18
absolutely fantastic and really, really
6:20
funny, including a really special show
6:22
called Happy Holidays with the Hostess
6:24
and Friends, which is a cabaret style
6:26
show. And as well, there's a PJ party
6:29
that has a festive spin to it. There are
6:31
also some festive beverages available
6:33
just on these holiday sailings. So, take
6:35
a look at our article if you want to
6:36
read about the new festive drinks menu.
6:39
And then, of course, one of my favorite
6:40
parts of the holiday season is the
6:42
festive foods. Here in the UK, we take
6:45
Christmas food very, very seriously
6:47
indeed. Well, we don't have
6:48
Thanksgiving, so we have to make up for
6:50
it in Christmas. And boy, we do. Well,
6:53
on the ships there are some festive menu
6:54
items that you want to read about,
6:56
including the special black bean soup
6:58
that's served at Pink Agave, as well as
7:00
a short rib tamale. In Gum Bay, there's
7:03
some special seafood dumplings and these
7:04
incredible gingerbread desserts. In the
7:07
wake, there's a beef tartar and a rib
7:09
roast. At Extra Virgin, there's a
7:11
special festive salad and an incredible
7:13
looking herb encrusted rack of lamb. And
7:16
in Test Kitchen, there's an option for a
7:18
duck dish as well as the option to swap
7:21
your dessert course for a pumpkin
7:23
dessert. But don't worry if you haven't
7:25
tried Test Kitchen yet and you're
7:26
looking for the old menu, that's still
7:28
available, too. We've yet to be on board
7:30
during one of these holiday sailings
7:32
ourself, but we've heard it's a really,
7:34
really fun time and definitely a very
7:36
different way to experience the holiday
7:38
season. And if you're thinking about a
7:40
change of scenery for next holidays in
7:43
2026, well, there's a new offer from
7:45
Virgin Voyages for Caribbean sailings
7:48
where they're offering up to $300 of
7:51
extra sailor loot when you choose a
7:52
longer Caribbean sailing next year. And
7:55
if you head over to vbvinsider.com and
7:57
check out our article, we tell you all
8:00
about this new loot offer and we also
8:02
tell you about our loot offer that we
8:04
have for our sale forward. Basically, we
8:07
always check to see that you'll get as
8:08
much promotional loot as possible. So,
8:11
if you're thinking about making plans
8:13
for your next Virgin Voyage, head over
8:15
to vvincider.com/book
8:18
where we list off all of the sailings
8:20
available across all the four lady
8:22
ships. And when you make a booking with
8:24
us, not only are you supporting the work
8:26
that we do, you'll also be scoring
8:28
yourself some extra perks, including ad
8:31
free access to our website. And we'll
8:33
also give you some expert advice with
8:36
every single booking. But on top of all
8:38
that, with every single booking that you
8:40
make with VV Insider, you will earn
8:43
diamonds as part of our Red Diamond
8:45
Club. This is our loyalty program from
8:47
VV Insider. This actually sits on top of
8:50
the Virgin Voyages Sailing Club loyalty
8:52
scheme. So, you're basically getting
8:54
double loyalty just for making your
8:56
booking with us. To do this, it couldn't
8:58
be easier. I'll show you exactly how in
9:00
just 15 seconds. So, let's say I found a
9:03
sailing that I really like the look of.
9:04
So, this Riviera on the 8th of February.
9:07
I'm going to click book now. And I get a
9:09
little indication to say that this
9:11
booking is going to be linked with VV
9:13
Insider. I hit continue to Virgin
9:15
Voyages. And that's it. I simply go
9:18
through the booking form here with
9:19
Virgin Voyagers.com. I choose my
9:22
add-ons, my fair type, and I give my
9:23
credit card information to Virgin
9:25
Voyages, not us. And that's it. Once
9:28
your deposit is paid, you'll get a link
9:30
sent by us which will invite you into
9:32
the red diamond club and then you'll
9:34
have access to vvincider.com with no ads
9:37
and will already have added your
9:38
diamonds to your account so you can
9:40
start collecting them straight away. It
9:43
really is so straightforward. Now, back
9:45
to the news. Virgin Voyagers have
9:47
recently announced that there will be an
9:48
improvement heading your way for sailor
9:51
services. Sailor services are what
9:53
Burton Voyagers call their customer
9:55
service or their guest services side of
9:57
the business. And in an open letter sent
9:59
to first mates just a few days ago,
10:02
there was a commitment that new
10:03
training, new upskilling, and new
10:05
tooling was going to be available to
10:07
sailor services over the next few
10:09
months. with the director of service
10:11
delivery and excellence promising that
10:14
their goal is improving overall
10:16
delivery, highlighting that their goal
10:18
is strengthening how global support is
10:21
delivered with their intention of having
10:23
sailor services as a much more stable
10:25
and dependable resource for sailors. If
10:28
you want to read more about this pledge,
10:30
head over to our article at
10:33
The Virgin Voyages Sailing Club is the
10:35
loyalty program connected with Sailing
10:38
with Virgin. If you're looking to join
10:40
the sailing club, there's now a way that
10:42
customers can do that through matching
10:44
the status that they have, not only with
10:47
other cruise lines, but now as of this
10:49
announcement from last week, you can now
10:51
match your status with airlines and
10:54
hotels as well. This is called the air,
10:57
land, and sea status match. And
10:59
crucially, Virgin Voyagers are targeting
11:01
this particular scheme at those that are
11:03
booking in brand new sailing. So, this
11:06
program is going to run up until January
11:08
16th. And there is a few steps that
11:10
you're going to need to know about doing
11:12
this. You'll need to be really careful
11:14
because you need to do a few steps
11:16
before you make a booking, you're not
11:18
able to apply this retrospectively to a
11:21
booking that you've already made. So, do
11:23
make sure if you have a status with an
11:25
airline or a hotel chain or a cruise
11:27
line and you want to take advantage of
11:29
this, head over to our article on
11:31
vbvinsider.com and read the rules before
11:34
you make a booking. Do not miss out on
11:36
these privileges because the blue extra
11:38
perks are pretty darn good and you don't
11:40
want to miss out on that on your next
11:42
sailing. As the year comes to an end, so
11:44
does our Virgin Group swag bag giveaway.
11:47
If you've not heard about it yet, this
11:48
is a big giveaway for this big swag bag,
11:51
which is full of all manner of wonderful
11:53
Virgin Group merchandise. And this is
11:56
from across a huge number of brands,
11:58
including Virgin Hotel, Virgin Atlantic,
12:00
Virgin Limited Edition, and of course,
12:03
Virgin Voyages themselves. To be in with
12:05
a chance of winning, you just need to
12:07
follow a few steps and we've got all of
12:09
the information that you'll need over on
12:11
our article on vvincider.com.
12:13
But I will drop a link to this giveaway
12:15
in the description below. But one of the
12:18
ways that you can enter is by
12:19
subscribing to this channel. So again,
12:21
if you haven't subscribed yet, now is
12:23
the perfect time and then head over to
12:25
that article to register for the
12:27
competition. You really don't want to
12:29
miss this. There are some incredible
12:30
things in that swag bag that I'm sure
12:32
everyone would love to get their hands
12:34
on. Well, that is all the news that I
12:35
have for you in this update. And that's
12:37
the final Virgin Voyages insider update
12:39
from us that you're going to see this
12:41
year. But we have some fantastic plans
12:43
for 2026, including some huge
12:46
improvements to some of the major tools
12:49
that we have over on vbvinsider.com
12:51
to help you plan your Virgin Voyage in
12:54
the best way possible. I just want to
12:55
give a huge thanks to everyone that has
12:58
supported us this year, including the
13:00
many, many people that have chose to
13:02
book their next Virgin Voyage with us.
13:04
We really appreciate you trusting us
13:06
with your booking. And so many of those
13:09
people have already sailed and given us
13:11
tremendous feedback over the service
13:13
that we give them. So, thank you so much
13:15
for putting your faith in us. And to
13:17
those that have already booked and
13:18
you're waiting for your voyage to come
13:20
up, make sure that you keep an eye on
13:22
your inbox because we'll be sending you
13:24
all sorts of incredible ways that you
13:26
can make your voyage even better. And
13:28
also, just a little personal note from
13:30
me. It was back in March this year that
13:32
I first came on camera and started
13:35
delivering these YouTube videos. I was
13:37
really nervous to make my first video,
13:39
but it looks like it's been received
13:40
really, really well. But I really do
13:42
love making all of this Virgin Voyages
13:44
information available to everyone who's
13:46
watching at home. So, thank you so much
13:48
for putting your faith in me, giving you
13:50
this information week in week out. We
13:53
have many, many plans to be on board the
13:55
ships in the new year. So, I'm looking
13:56
forward to capturing some new footage
13:58
and delivering you some new content in
14:00
the new year. We have big plans and we
14:03
want you to come along with them. So,
14:04
that's everything from me. I just want
14:06
to wish you a really heartfelt merry,
14:08
merry Christmas. And if you don't hear
14:10
from me before the new year, have a
14:11
lovely new year as well. Thank you so
14:14
much and happy Christmas and happy
