HAMILTON, Bermuda, March 27, 2026, 15:13 ADT.
On Friday, The Insurer said Arcadian Risk Capital is bringing in ex-Hamilton Re exec Gavin Davis for a Bermuda property direct-and-facultative push—single-risk commercial covers. Virgin Voyages, for its part, plans an October cruise from New York to Bermuda with a podcast twist. The initiatives are unrelated, but both point to new capital and interest flowing into Bermuda’s insurance and travel sectors.
This comes as Bermuda’s property D&F market is welcoming fresh capacity in a softer pricing environment, and travel brands appear to be steering away from the typical Bermuda package, trialing fan-focused products instead. Brit Re rolled out its Bermuda property D&F platform back in January. Virgin, for its part, is banking on its new “On Air at Sea” concept, planning to scale it up after last year’s themed sailing sold out. Brit Insurance
Arcadian hasn’t made the hire official. According to The Insurer, which cited several senior market sources, the Bermuda-based managing general agent has tapped Davis for the job. MGAs, for their part, handle underwriting for carrier partners. Back in December, Hamilton announced Davis was exiting after leading its Bermuda property insurance unit.
Arcadian’s expansion has picked up pace. Back in February, the company brought on Mark Butler to push into U.S. management liability, and said it was closing in on $2 billion in premium volume since launching in 2020. Arcadian now works out of Bermuda, Ireland, the U.K., and the U.S. The firm’s 2023 update confirmed its partnership with SiriusPoint is locked in through 2026.
Rivalry is heating up. Back in January, Brit announced plans to underwrite U.S. and global property D&F out of Bermuda. Office head Jonathan Stephenson described the category as a “growing” slice of commercial insurance there. Brit Insurance
But this insurance push hits during a softening cycle. On March 17, Howden Re pointed out that catastrophe losses have shifted upward, yet rates are dropping and more capacity is coming online. Managing director Kyle Menendez put it this way: buyers still hold leverage, describing the environment as a “buyers’ market.” Howden Re
Virgin Voyages and iHeartMedia are teaming up for “On Air at Sea,” they announced Thursday. The debut trip, “Stuff at Sea,” sets sail Oct. 2, 2026, with a five-night loop from New York City to Bermuda on the Valiant Lady. Virgin says passengers can expect live podcast tapings, exclusive behind-the-scenes looks, meet-and-greets, plus shore excursions themed around Stuff You Should Know, Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know, and Stuff Mom Never Told You. Virgin Voyages
Stephen Hopkins, senior vice president of growth at Virgin, described the format as offering fans “something no algorithm can deliver: presence.” For iHeartMedia, Debbie Cerrito—senior vice president of business development—said this partnership would make the “Stuff” podcast universe a “shared, lived experience.” According to PAX, Virgin is marketing the idea as a way to tap into customers who are new to cruising. That’s still the segment where the model’s scalability needs to be proven. Virgin Voyages
Bermuda’s story boils down to two angles. Some are wagering on underwriting know-how and specialty lines, others on targeted leisure appetite. Separate industries, but the takeaway’s identical: businesses aren’t done expanding here.
