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Virgin Voyages Sailing Club loyalty program: Everything you need to know

May 17, 2024
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8 min read
SUMMER HULL/THE POINTS GUY
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Does Virgin Voyages have a loyalty program? The short answer is yes, and it recently got a major overhaul.

That said, the Virgin Voyages Sailing Club, as it's called, is a relatively simple program, as was the case when it was first unveiled in August 2022.

The program has just three tiers of benefits as compared to five or more at many cruise lines, and it doesn't offer nearly the array of perks that you'll find at bigger cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean.

Still, some of the perks you can get through the program can be quite valuable. They include free laundry service and free premium Wi-Fi at the program's higher tiers, two things that normally can cost quite a bit extra on cruise ships.

There is also a daily specialty coffee credit for members at the second and third tiers of the program that is like money in the bank if you're a regular latte or cappuccino drinker. And the perks don't end there.

Note that the Virgin Voyages Sailing Club is a loyalty program exclusive to Virgin Voyages, separate from the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Virgin Red programs that are connected to other Virgin brands.

Members of those programs in the U.S. can already redeem their Virgin points on sailings on all of the line's current ships: Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady and Resilient Lady. Capital One cardholders can also access cruises for points through a partnership between Capital One and Virgin Red.

Ways to earn points

The Virgin Voyages Sailing Club point-earning system is about as simple as can be: You earn one credit for every cruise you take with the line.

Unlike at some cruise brands, there are no complicated formulas for earning points that take into account the type of cabin you book or the length of your cruise. It's one cruise, one credit. End of story.

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Note that certain low-priced sailings and nonrevenue fares do not get you any credits. To be eligible for a credit, a voyage must be a full-fare sailing that hasn't used a discounted access key or other low-fare pricing methods, such as gifted cruises, comped casino cruises or voyages bought with airline points.

Reduced rate voyages and certain other booking types also are not eligible to earn or receive perks.

Additionally, the credit for voyages doesn't accrue toward perks until 30 days following the completion of the voyage.

Virgin Voyages Sailing Club loyalty levels

There are three tiers to the Virgin Voyages Sailing Club program:

  • Sailing Club membership (after one sailing)
  • Blue Extras (after two sailings)
  • Deep Blue Extras (after four sailings)

The first tier of the program, the basic Sailing Club membership, brings just three relatively minor perks. The most notable is that you become eligible for special offers on cruises.

Additionally, you will be among the first to be alerted to promotions that the line announces. You'll also receive a quarterly members newsletter.

It's not until you reach the second tier of the program, Blue Extras, that you start to get some perks that you can use when on board ships. These include a free specialty coffee every day of your cruise and free laundry service for one bag of laundry per voyage.

Blue Extras members also get:

  • An invitation to an exclusive cocktail event
  • A dedicated phone support line (known as Sailor Services)

The elite level that makes a difference

The Deep Blue Extras level is where your Virgin Voyages Sailing Club membership really starts paying off.

At this level, you can order two specialty coffees per day at no charge, and your complimentary laundry allowance goes up. You'll get two pressed items for free, as well as one specialty cleaning item and a bag of regular laundry.

A view over the main pool deck on Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady cruise ship.
A view over the main pool deck on Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK/THE POINTS GUY

But that's just the appetizer for the main course of perks at this level: a $100 per cruise credit for alcoholic drinks (or, as Virgin likes to call it, a $100 bar tab credit). This is a significant perk, as it amounts to real money saved when cruising, assuming you like to order drinks while at sea.

Deep Blue Extras members also get all the other perks of the two previous tier levels, plus:

  • An unlimited premium Wi-Fi package
  • Access to expedited boarding

The access to expedited boarding is not just for you but your cabin mates, assuming they arrive with you at the terminal. Your cabin mates will also be able to attend the exclusive cocktail event, which is a perk for Blue Extras and Deep Blue Extras members.

Note that many of these perks appear as credits on your final bill. You will still be charged for the premium Wi-Fi when you sign up for it and the specialty coffees when you order them, and the charges will appear on your onboard account, but they will be waived before the end of the voyage when Virgin Voyages runs your credit card.

In addition to being available to cruisers who complete four sailings under the revamped program, the Deep Blue Extras perks are also available to two broad categories of cruisers established under the old program:

  • Sea-Blazers: These are the "pioneers" of Virgin Voyages sailings who cruised with the line in 2021, its first year of operation. In addition to the temporary perks available to all eligible Sailing Club members, this group will get a $125 bar tab bonus for every $300 bar tab purchased every time they sail with the line for the rest of their lives; this was something Virgin Voyages promised them back in 2021.
  • Sea-Rovers: These are customers who sailed with Virgin Voyages at least twice between Jan. 1, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2023. They are receiving all the Deep Blue Extras perks, plus a $100 bar tab bonus for every $300 bar tab purchased through 2024.

Under the new program, Sea-Blazers and Sea-Rovers will continue to receive all the Deep Blue Extras perks through the end of 2025.

Get perks faster with a Sailing Club status match

As of April 3, Virgin Voyages is offering a status match to cruisers who hold loyalty status with other select cruise and travel brands.

The Sailing Club Status Match program, as it's called, offers immediate Sailing Club membership and Blue Extras perks to cruisers who provide confirmation of loyalty status in other programs and have a confirmed eligible booking with Virgin Voyages.

As part of this program, you can receive Blue Extras perks on your very first voyage with Virgin Voyages instead of having to wait until your third cruise with the line.

Virgin Voyages offers this status match with the following loyalty programs:

Bottom line

Virgin Voyages has a relatively modest loyalty program with just three tiers and not all that many perks at each of the tiers, but it does offer several valuable perks at its higher tiers, including free laundry service, free premium Wi-Fi and a significant credit toward drinks.

One thing to keep in mind when evaluating the benefits available through the Virgin Voyages Sailing Club loyalty program is that many of the perks that other lines offer cruisers as part of their loyalty programs are already included in the base fares for Virgin Voyages cruises. Virgin Voyages includes gratuities, specialty dining and a basic Wi-Fi package in the fares for every cabin on its ships, for instance. As a result, there are fewer valuable extras to give away to its customers with status in the loyalty program.

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Featured image by SUMMER HULL/THE POINTS GUY
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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