Virgin Voyages is the latest brand in Sir Richard Branson’s global conglomerate to sign on with Nuvei, a Montreal-based payment processor that will power the cruise line’s Sailor app.
Like virtually all cruise lines, Virgin Voyages enables guests to download a free app they can use to pay for services and products.
The new agreement with Nuvei, announced on June 25, 2025, expands a partnership that already exists at other Virgin Group brands, including the airline Virgin Atlantic and the tour operator Virgin Holidays.
Invisible to guest users, the payment processing system allows cruisers to book and pay for shore excursions, spa treatments, and bar tabs, for instance, serving as the backbone of the so-called digital wallets that cruisers have become accustomed to using.
“Partnering with Nuvei brings one of the world’s top payment providers into our corner,“ said Michael Litwin, vice president and controller at Virgin Voyages.
“Their tech gives us the confidence to deliver smooth, secure transactions — whether Sailors are booking a Shore Thing, toasting with a glass of bubbly, or dining at Gunbae. It’s fast, seamless, and helps keep the Virgin Voyages experience as effortless as it should be,” Litwin added.
Besides the Virgin brands, Nuvei works with other travel and hospitality companies such as Radisson Hotel Group and Lastminute.com, and provides payment solutions to additional industries like video and online gaming, financial services, and retail.
“We’re thrilled to extend our partnership with Virgin to yet another of its iconic brands,” said Phil Fayer, chair and CEO of Nuvei.
“Whether it’s reserving a sunset catamaran tour or topping up a Bar Tab, we’re proud to power the payment moments that make a Virgin Voyages trip unforgettable,” added Fayer.
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All cruise lines that offer guest apps contract with a back-end payment provider. Apps customized for cruise lines were introduced to the industry roughly a decade ago and have been steadily improved over the years.
Carnival Cruise Line’s app is the popular Carnival Hub, Princess Cruises’ is the well-known Princess Medallion app, and Holland America Line offers Navigator, for example.
Cruise Line’s Fourth Ship to Debut in September 2025
Virgin Voyages currently operates three cruise ships, each accommodating 2,700 guests: Scarlet Lady, which debuted in 2021, and Valiant Lady and Resilient Lady, both launched in 2022.
A fourth ship, Brilliant Lady, is under construction at a Fincantieri shipyard in Italy and set to enter service in September 2025. She will, presumably, also use the Nuvei-powered app.
Her maiden cruise — make that her “MerMaiden” cruise, in Virgin Voyages speak, is set for September 5, 2025, a 5-night Bermuda sailing from New York. After sailing several Bermuda and Canada/New England voyages, Brilliant Lady will reposition to PortMiami for her inaugural winter season in the Caribbean.
The new-build will sail 7- to 12-night cruises to destinations that include Turks & Caicos, Antigua, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica.
When it launched in 2021, Virgin Voyages introduced new concepts in cruising that set it apart from other lines. Its ships have no main dining rooms, for instance, and instead offer a series of themed restaurants that are all included in the cruise fare.
The adult-only line also provides more amenities covered by the base cruise fare, such as WiFi, crew gratuities, and wellness programs.
