“Technophobe” Hull travel agent Vikki Coffey makes £1 million cruise sale booking for 1,700 people

Vikki Coffey said of the cruise “honestly, it’s been the least stressful thing I’ve ever done in my life”.

On Monday, September 24th, 1,700 clients boarded the ship and began a four-night cruise to Cork and Portland with evening performances - exclusive to Vikki’s guests - of renowned artist Steve Steinman’s show, Anything for Love - the Meat Loaf Story onboard MSC’s Virtuoso ship.

Steve’s show features over 25 of Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman’s greatest hits, as well as Steve’s very own No.1 single “Everything They Said Was True” written by John Parr and Meat Loaf, and gifted to Steve. The show also features a ten-piece live band plus Lorraine Crosby, the vocalist who accompanies the singer on the eponymous single I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That).

Vikki Coffey, a Not Just Travel homebased travel consultant is a good example of how you can still switch careers and earn incredible money doing something you love with the right support and training. Coffey previously worked in pubs and on cruise ships, and as a petrol station manager and driving instructor but a few years ago she decided to take a leap of faith and become a personal travel consultant by investing in The Travel Franchise, training with its sister company, consumer brand Not Just Travel.

Vikki’s business idea began when she went to see a show created by the esteemed musician, Steve Steinman and was blown away by the performance - and the fact that the woman next to her had seen the show five times in two months!

“I had a lightbulb moment where I thought ‘this would be amazing on a cruise’ as I knew the type of performances that go down really well with people on cruises.”

Vikki messaged Steve Steinman via Facebook and asked him if he had every thought of putting it on a cruise. Steve immediately messaged back: “What have you got in mind?”

Vikki was thrilled yet nervous - she’d never booked a cruise before, let alone helped put on a huge performance for thousands of people! Luckily, Vikki didn’t have to go it alone and with the help of Not Just Travel’s Neal Hussey, they set about pitching their idea to luxury cruise lines.

MSC snapped them up and allocated Vikki 1,700 cabins to sell. Using the passion and loyalty of Steve Steinman’s fans, they sold out. Vikki says: “As a true technophobe, I’m the last person you would call tech-savvy, but with Steve Steinman, The Travel Franchise and MSC’s support we’ve made this incredible trip happen. It has been the biggest achievement of my life and such a success that we’re already planning the next cruise event with Steve.”

Steve Steinman says: “Being able to meet and travel with my passionate fans is a dream come true. We’re going to be even more ambitious and will charter a whole ship, looking at 2,500 - 3,000 people, go for a longer itinerary and be in full control of the entertainment. We’re looking forward to levelling up in 2026!”