Sign Language Interpreting on a Caribbean Cruise: The Virgin Voyages Case Study

From Request to Reality: Building an Interpreting Team for a Caribbean Sailing

Virgin Voyages engaged Overseas Translations to recruit and manage a bilingual sign language interpreting team for an eight-day Caribbean itinerary aboard the Valiant Lady. Working within a two-week lead time, we placed four interpreters covering both Spanish Sign Language (SSL) and French Sign Language (LSF) across all cruise activities, live entertainment, and shore excursions. With over 13 years of experience delivering complex interpreting projects, here’s how we approached it:

When Virgin Voyages received a last-minute request to provide professional sign language interpretation across an upcoming Caribbean sailing, they turned to Overseas Translations. With fewer than two weeks before departure, what began as an urgent call for support quickly evolved into a large-scale interpreting operation spanning multiple sign languages, onboard environments, and live activities across an entire sailing. The objective was clear from the outset: to ensure that Deaf and Hard of Hearing Sailors could fully experience every aspect of the journey through professional sign language interpretation tailored to their specific communication needs.

At first glance, it sounded like a dream assignment: providing sign language interpreting services on a Caribbean cruise aboard the Valiant Lady, one of Virgin Voyages’ flagship vessels, following the itinerary below:

Despite the Caribbean setting and the appeal of the itinerary, the objective was clear from the outset: to ensure that Deaf and Hard of Hearing Sailors could fully experience every aspect of the journey through professional sign language interpretation tailored to their specific communication needs.

Sign Language Interpretation Integrated into Life On Board

Over the course of the sailing, interpretation became fully integrated into daily life onboard. Our interpreters provided support during safety briefings, ship-wide announcements, entertainment programming, live concerts, theatre performances, fitness and wellness activities such as Zumba classes, day-to-day onboard interactions, and selected shore excursions. Beyond the scheduled activities, interpreters also assisted Sailors more informally throughout the week, helping ensure that accessibility extended naturally throughout the cruise experience.

What made the project particularly unique was the scale of coordination taking place behind the scenes. Our teams in French Sign Language (LSF) and Spanish Sign Language (LSE) worked closely alongside the American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters onboard, creating a collaborative international interpreting environment where teams coordinated continuously throughout the sailing. In several activities and live performances, interpretation was delivered simultaneously by multiple interpreters across different sign language variations, at times involving teams of three or four professionals working together within the same event.

The pace onboard meant that no two days looked the same. Schedules evolved constantly, activities shifted throughout the sailing, and new requests emerged in real time, requiring interpreters to adapt quickly while maintaining consistency and a seamless experience for the Sailors. To support this, daily communication was maintained both with the interpreting teams and with Virgin Voyages through ongoing WhatsApp and e-mail coordination and regular check-ins, allowing immediate feedback and continuous visibility throughout the week.

What stood out most throughout the project was how naturally the experience unfolded for the Sailors themselves, despite the operational complexity behind the service. Accessibility became part of the rhythm of the cruise rather than a separate layer added onto it, allowing guests to participate fully and confidently in every part of the journey.

The feedback received from Virgin Voyages throughout the sailing reflected exactly that: smooth collaboration between teams, strong coordination onboard, and an interpreting service that integrated perfectly into the overall Sailor experience despite the pace and complexity of the project.

“When the request came in, we knew we needed a partner who could move fast without compromising on quality or inclusivity. Overseas Translations did exactly that — they built an entire interpreting operation in under two weeks, across multiple sign languages, and made it feel completely seamless for our Sailors. Accessibility isn’t an add-on for us; it’s part of the experience. This partnership proved that it can be delivered that way, even under pressure.”

Alex Zeitz, Sr. Director of Global Operations, Experience, & Belonging – Virgin Voyages

What It Took to Build the Interpreting Team Behind the Sailing

Building an interpreting operation of this scale within such a limited timeframe required far more than sourcing available interpreters; it demanded precision, coordination, and continuous collaboration across every stage of the process.

Understanding the Assignment

While the interpreting service onboard was designed to feel natural for the Sailors, building the operation behind it required a high level of precision from the very beginning. From the first conversations with Virgin Voyages, it became clear that this was much more than sourcing interpreters within a short timeframe, it meant understanding exactly which communication needs had to be covered onboard and how those needs would evolve throughout the sailing.

One of the first aspects addressed during the preparation phase was the distinction between spoken and sign languages. Sign languages are not universal and do not automatically correspond to spoken French or Spanish, which meant that interpreter selection had to align with the specific national sign languages used by the confirmed Sailors: French Sign Language (LSF) as used in France and Spanish Sign Language (LSE) as used in Spain. This level of precision became the foundation for everything that followed.

Sourcing Beyond Availability

With the communication needs clearly defined, the next challenge was building the right team within an extremely limited timeframe. Working with less than two weeks before departure required immediate mobilisation across trusted interpreting networks, while maintaining the same level of rigour that would apply to any long-term assignment.

Availability, naturally, became one of the first filters. Interpreters needed to match the required sign language variants, be ready to travel internationally, and work within the unique pace of a multi-day sailing environment at short notice.

At the same time, availability alone was never enough. The profiles selected for this project needed to feel comfortable operating in highly dynamic settings where interpretation extended far beyond structured sessions. Every interpreter shortlisted for the project was interviewed individually via Microsoft Teams, allowing us to evaluate not only technical qualifications and experience, but also communication style, responsiveness, and the ability to work collaboratively within an international interpreting team at sea.

Preparing the Team Before Sailing

Once the four interpreters had been confirmed, the focus shifted towards preparation and coordination across every stage of the project. A detailed proposal was developed for Virgin Voyages covering the structure of the team and scope of services as well as the importance of aligning interpreters with the specific sign language variants required for the sailing. The proposal outlined the structure of the interpreting service onboard, the scope of coverage required throughout the sailing, and the flexibility needed to adapt continuously to Sailor schedules and evolving communication needs.

From there, the process became highly collaborative. Follow-up calls and ongoing communication with the Virgin Voyages team allowed both sides to refine operational details, align expectations, and ensure that the interpreting service could integrate naturally into the sailing itself.

Preparation also extended internally across the interpreting team. Several coordination meetings were organised before departure so interpreters could meet online in advance, understand how the teams would operate onboard, and align on workflows, communication, and practical scenarios they might encounter throughout the week.

Alongside this, all logistics, including international travel, accommodation, transfers, documentation, and insurance had to be coordinated within an exceptionally short timeframe, requiring constant communication between interpreters, production teams, and Virgin Voyages to ensure that every part of the operation was in place before the sailing began.

Accessibility, Delivered with Intent

Once the sailing came to an end, the project moved into a final phase of evaluation and feedback. Follow-up conversations with both the interpreting teams and Virgin Voyages allowed us to review the experience from multiple perspectives, reflecting on both the operational aspects of the service and how accessibility had been experienced throughout the sailing itself.

What ultimately defined the project, however, was the level of coordination, commitment, and human involvement behind every stage of the process. From sourcing and interpreter selection to logistics, communication, and real-time support throughout the week, both the sales and production teams at Overseas Translations remained closely involved to ensure that every part of the operation functioned as a whole.

This commitment was equally reflected in the professionalism, adaptability, and collaborative attitude of the interpreters onboard, particularly within an environment where schedules, activities, and communication needs changed continuously throughout the sailing. The openness and support of the Virgin Voyages team played an equally important role, creating the level of trust and collaboration required to deliver a complex project under significant time pressure.

Projects like this go far beyond coordination alone. They require teams that are fully invested in the experience from beginning to end, constantly present behind the scenes, anticipating challenges, adapting in real time, and genuinely caring about how the service is experienced by the people onboard.

At Overseas Translations, this is ultimately what accessibility means to us. Creating the structure, support, and human connection that allow communication to happen naturally in environments where every interaction matters.

Ultimately, this is what accessibility means to us: creating the structure, support and human connection that allow communication to happen naturally in environments where every interaction matters.

Do you need sign language interpreting services for an event, conference or special project? Tell us about your requirements, and we will be happy to advise you on the best solution.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Sign Language Interpreting

What is sign language interpreting for events?

Sign language interpreting for events is a service where a qualified interpreter translates in real time between a spoken language (such as English, Spanish or French) and a national sign language. This enables Deaf and Hard of Hearing participants to fully access the content of an event without communication barriers.

Are Spanish Sign Language and French Sign Language the same?

No. Sign languages are not universal nor do they directly correspond to the spoken language of a particular country. Spanish Sign Language (LSE) and French Sign Language (LSF) are distinct linguistic systems, each with its own grammar, vocabulary and regional variations. To provide accurate communication, interpreters must be specifically qualified in the relevant sign language.

How many sign language interpreters are needed for a multi-day event?

This depends on the duration, intensity and number of sign languages required. For multi-day projects such as the Virgin Voyages cruise, it is common practice to work with teams of two interpreters per sign language, allowing them to rotate and maintain interpreting quality throughout the day. For this project, a total of four interpreters provided coverage in LSE and LSF.

How far in advance should sign language interpreters be booked?

The earlier interpreters are booked, the easier it is to secure the most suitable professionals. For complex projects, we generally recommend allowing at least two to four weeks. In the case of the Virgin Voyages cruise, the entire interpreting team was assembled in less than two weeks, requiring an exceptional coordination effort.

Does Overseas Translations provide sign language interpreting services outside Spain?

Yes. We work with sign language interpreters from different countries depending on the linguistic and accessibility requirements of each project. For this assignment, we provided interpreting services on a Caribbean cruise with interpreters travelling from Spain and France.

Sources: Centro de Normalización Lingüística de la Lengua de Signos Española (CNLSE) | Interpreting Services – Overseas Translations