Virgin Voyages Marks Final UK Season With Its Biggest-Ever Travel Agent Ship Tour
Valiant Lady has completed Virgin Voyages’ final UK season with over 1000 First Mates visiting, ending another chapter of sailings from Portsmouth.
Virgin Voyages has marked Valiant Lady’s final UK season for now by completing its biggest-ever travel agent ship tour across the UK and Ireland.
More than 1,200 First Mates, Virgin Voyages’ name for travel agents, stepped aboard Valiant Lady during August 2026. The visits took place as the cruise line prepared to end its current run of UK departures from Portsmouth.
Virgin Voyages has no UK sailings scheduled for 2027, or 2028 with its European program shifting towards warmer Mediterranean destinations. The cruise line will return to Northern Europe in 2028, although its newly announced voyages will sail from Amsterdam rather than the UK.
More Than 1,200 Travel Agents Visit Valiant Lady
The Valiant Lady UK Summer Tour 2026 called at Dublin, Glasgow, Liverpool, Belfast, Edinburgh and Portsmouth twice.
Virgin Voyages says this was its largest UK and Ireland trade activation to date, both in the number of ports visited and ship visits held.
More than 1,200 First Mates attended the events, with 79% of them new to selling Virgin Voyages. Agents were given ship tours alongside dining, entertainment and hands-on product experiences.
Agent Confidence Rises Following Ship Visits
Virgin Voyages also surveyed agents before and after their time aboard Valiant Lady. Before visiting the ship, 57% said they felt confident selling Virgin Voyages. Following the visit, that increased to 91%.
Overall, 94% of attendees rated their experience four or five out of five. Belfast and Glasgow both recorded scores of 96%. Onboard service received a 94% rating, while food scored 90%.
SJ Walker, UK Director of Sales at Virgin Voyages, said the results demonstrated the value of allowing travel agents to experience the ships themselves.
“These results show why ship visits matter. We always talk up our kid-free positioning, buffet-free all-included dining and boutique hotel design, but stepping onboard makes that difference feel tangible.”
First Look at the Updated Valiant Lady
The events also gave many First Mates their first opportunity to experience Valiant Lady following her recent two-week dry dock.
The ship returned with several refreshed venues and a new dining concept, Ariya by Razzle Dazzle.
Other updated spaces include The Roundabout, The Manor, On The Rocks, Grounds Club Too and The Athletic Club.
Virgin Voyages also introduced more than 20 updated or new events, known onboard as Happenings.
VV Insider sailed aboard Valiant Lady following the changes. You can see the updated spaces in our complete Valiant Lady 2.0 photo guide
Valiant Lady Says Goodbye to Portsmouth
The agent tour took place during what is currently Virgin Voyages’ final UK season.
Portsmouth has played an important role in Virgin Voyages’ history since Scarlet Lady first arrived in 2021. All four Lady Ships have since visited the city.
Valiant Lady completed the final Portsmouth departure of the 2026 season on August 27, sailing on a 10-night voyage ending in Reykjavik.
Virgin Voyages previously confirmed that it would not return to Portsmouth or Iceland in 2027. Instead, its European ships will focus primarily on Mediterranean itineraries.
You can read more about why Virgin Voyages is stepping away from the UK and Iceland in 2027.
Virgin Voyages Will Return to Northern Europe in 2028
While Portsmouth remains absent from the schedule, Virgin Voyages has since confirmed a return to Northern Europe for 2028.
The new program will operate from Amsterdam and includes Scandinavia, Norwegian Fjords and Arctic Circle itineraries.
For now, however, Valiant Lady’s August visit marks the end of Virgin Voyages’ current chapter of regular UK departures.
The final summer also gave more than 1,200 travel agents the chance to experience the cruise line before Valiant Lady headed away from British waters.
