Virgin Voyages Partners with the World Poker Tour

Posted on 26 April, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

Virgin Voyages announced a partnership with World Poker Tour (WPT) to deliver a poker experience on four and five-night sailings aboard the Scarlet Lady, according to a statement.

“As a new brand with an innovative spirit, we’ve been fortunate to introduce many industry firsts, including our partnership with the World Poker Tour and WPT at Sea,” said Tom McAlpin, CEO of Virgin Voyages. “Our adult-only, premium experience offers an incredible backdrop, not only for a great vacation but also as an oasis for the WPT in a way never seen before.”

Virgin Voyages has created a standing poker venue called “WPT at Sea” Poker Room, featuring eight poker tables and staffed with professional dealers. In the room, guests can look forward to beginner training, cash games and WPT Prize Package tournaments with buy-ins from $80 to $320.

The $320 buy-in “WPT at Sea” main event will be held during each cruise and the event may award a WPT prize valued at $5,000 to be used on any future sailing or WPT event.

Additionally, guests in the WPT at Sea Poker Room do not need cash to participate as they can handle transactions via Sailors’ wearable devices.

“After witnessing the magic of cruise-line poker with Virgin Voyages last season, we instantly sought to establish a permanent fixture,” said WPT CEO Adam Pliska. “Scarlet Lady provides the perfect residence for WPT at Sea, which will bring the WPT poker experience to the high seas.”

Record Inaugural Cruise Calls for Gibraltar in 2022

Posted on 8 January, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

The Minister for Business and Tourism, Hon Vijay Daryanani, announced that Gibraltar has seen a record number of 20 inaugural cruise calls in 2022, beating the previous best of 19 in 2016.

“The cruising industry has suffered immensely but the Government has worked at full throttle to make sure that Gibraltar has not been forgotten and the statistics are proof of this,” said Daryanani.

“I have represented Gibraltar at the most important cruise conferences in the world. I have spoken about what we have to offer and people have approached me to talk about us. We have recovered quickly in 2022 after the pandemic and now we have a record amount of inaugural calls. This new year will be better as we already have more calls booked than last year.

“Whatever my detractors may say, I will continue marketing Gibraltar because that’s what our retail and hospitality industries want and expect from me. It is not easy in this very competitive industry but we will work hard to deliver on all fronts.”

Following a difficult time for the cruise industry during the pandemic, Gibraltar is now making a steady recovery.

Virgin Voyages Donates 2,023 Vacations to Healthcare Workers

Posted on 30 November, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

Virgins Merlady the Valient Lady flying her Banner in Liverpool UK, Photo Credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

Virgin Voyages is celebrating Giving Tuesday by paying it forward and honouring local healthcare heroes with the vacation of a lifetime, the company said, in a press release.

For the second consecutive year, the South Florida-based travel and lifestyle brand is partnering with Baptist Health South Florida and donating 2,023 complimentary voyages – totalling an estimated $5.9 million – for deserving employees to ring in the new year with their friends and loved ones.

“For the past three years, our local healthcare workers put everything on the line to care for the community, and now it’s our turn to pay it forward,” said Jill Stoneberg, Virgin Voyages’ Senior Director of Sustainability and Social Impact. “We’ve turned a corner, and we’d love to offer our frontline workers a much-deserved break. The Virgin Voyages team is honoured to give our friends at Baptist an incredible vacation on the high seas where they can unplug and escape for a few days.”

In celebration of the new year ahead, the 2,023 gifted sailings will recognize employees in the Baptist Health network who have made a positive impact in the local healthcare community, from patient-facing employees to those in behind-the-scenes roles that keep the hospitals, clinics and offices running smoothly, the company said.

Winners will receive a voyage for two in a Sea Terrace, a trendy balcony cabin with fun mood lighting, rainfall showers and a signature red hammock.

The 2,023 winners will select from one of six incredible Caribbean itineraries departing from Miami between Jan. 2 and April 28, 2023.

“At Baptist Health, we want our employees to thrive in their careers and all areas of their lives,” said Adriene McCoy, senior vice president and chief people officer at Baptist Health. “That includes prioritizing their well-being and time off since our people are the key to the essential and high-quality care we provide to our community. We are excited to partner with Virgin Voyages and grateful for their generosity in offering our dedicated employees an opportunity to vacation, rest and recharge.”