FORT LAUDERDALE -- Virgin Voyages is known for adults-only cruises, and the line played that up in a funny advertisement it did two years ago.
Vice president of North American sales John Diorio replayed that commercial during a presentation at Travel Weekly's CruiseWorld, and the audience heartily laughed at kids singing a song of lamentation that they're not allowed on Virgin Voyages ships.
But what's the reality? Are parents really taking a break from their kids to go on a Virgin cruise?
It turns out that, yes, this is a substantial customer demographic.
Diorio said 65% of guests have children at home under the age of 18. If your impression was that Virgin Voyages was predominantly a fit for single people with no kids, that stat might make you rethink about "who is perfect for Virgin Voyages," Diorio said.
Virgin has stood by its no-kids policy since its inception, and it's played it up before. In fact, at Travel Weekly's Global Travel Marketplace conference in 2022, Diorio appeared with a group of pint-sized protesters who objected to the line's adults-only positioning.