Virgin Voyages just launched an annual pass for $120K, as Disney plans a huge cruise expansion

Will “work from helm” ever catch on? Virgin boss Richard Branson hopes so.

12/9/24 11:30AM

Just a few years ago, the cruise industry was on its knees, with some of its biggest players on the verge of bankruptcy. It’s now back and bigger than ever: Disney is planning to spend $12 billion over the next 10 years, with the maiden voyage of the 1,119-foot-long Disney Treasure later this month the first step in a plan to more than double its fleet to 13 ships by 2031, while Virgin hopes its new unlimited pass could get cruise-goers to part ways with $120,000 and join them for up to a whole year.

Around the world in 365 days

While living at sea for an entire year might sound like an anxiety dream for many of us, it’s quickly becoming a reality in cruise tourism. For the six-figure sum (plus what would presumably be a very hefty onboard bill), you and a guest can clamber aboard Virgin’s cruiseliners for up to 365 days of sailing across Europe, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and anywhere else covered by the travel giant’s fleet. The offer shows Virgin’s intent to kickstart the “work from helm” idea touted by chief Richard Branson earlier this year when promoting its seasonal summer passes, offering perks such as free premium Wi-Fi and 2 specialty coffees a day.

Virgin Voyages’ annual pass fits into a growing trend in the cruising industry of longer onboard stretches, with Villa Vie Residencies giving customers the chance to set sail on its “perpetual world cruise” for up to 4 years at a time.

Cruise line passenger growth — Sherwood News

With cruise passengers now exceeding pre-pandemic levels, per data from the Cruise Lines International Association, companies like Virgin and Villa Vie are picking up on the world’s growing appetite for cruises.

Interestingly, in huge news for anyone looking to celebrate Bitcoin’s recent surge, the annual pass is also the first cruise product to accept the cryptocurrency as payment — perhaps reflecting the growing number of young people taking to the sea, with 1 in 2 passengers on Royal Caribbean cruises reportedly millennials or younger.

Max Knoblauch10/24/25

Premium seats help push airlines higher following third-quarter results

Shares of American Airlines are climbing toward the carrier’s best trading day since August 12, when ultra-budget rival Spirit issued its initial warning about its ability to survive. American’s shares are up more than 7% on Friday afternoon.

Investors’ optimism comes a day after American posted a better-than-expected full-year earnings forecast. In a call with investors, American said that it’s ramping up its premium cabin offerings.

“Our ability to grow capacity in premium markets will be further supported as we take delivery of new aircraft and reconfigure our existing fleet. These efforts will allow us to grow our premium seats at nearly two times the rate of main cabin seats,” CEO Robert Isom said. American CFO Devin May said that nose-to-tail retrofits of certain wide-body jets will bump the number of premium seats available on those planes by 25%.

Extra legroom has been a boon for major carriers, particularly this quarter. Delta Air Lines said its premium product revenue grew 9% in Q3, compared to a 4% drop in economy seat revenue. Similarly, United Airlines said its premium revenue grew 6%, outpacing economy. Shares of both airlines were up more than 3% on Friday.

Carriers with less exposure to first- and business-class tickets like Southwest Airlines and JetBlue didn’t see the same amount of momentum on the day.