Deal alert: Get a 5-night cruise for 2 people for just 120,000 points
Got 120,000 points to burn in the Virgin Red loyalty program? If you act fast, you can snag a five-night cruise out of Miami that normally costs around $2,500 or more for two people traveling together.
You also can get a four-night cruise for two out of Miami that normally costs around $2,000 or more for 110,000 points.
The limited-time offer is available through Sept. 30 for Virgin Voyages sailings out of Miami departing now through the end of the year.
For your points, you'll get accommodations for two on Virgin Voyages' Miami-based Scarlet Lady in a Sea Terrace cabin — Virgin's fancy way of saying a cabin with a private balcony. That's a big upgrade from the ship's entry-level Insider cabins, which are in the interior of the ship and don't have windows. It's also a step up from the vessel's window-but-no-balcony Sea View cabins.
You'll also get all your meals included, as well as free Wi-Fi while on board, gratuities and entrance to all onboard shows.
Sea Terrace cabins on five-night sailings out of Miami during the September-to-December period normally start at around $2,500, including taxes and fees, though they're being sold right now on the Virgin Voyages website for a few hundred dollars less as part of a short-term sale. Some departures over popular weeks start at even higher prices.
Related: I've been on more than 150 cruise ships; here's what I thought of my first Virgin sailing
TPG values Virgin Points at 1.5 cents each, so by our estimate, 120,000 points would be the equivalent of $1,800. That makes this a good deal but not an extremely good deal.
Don't have enough Virgin points to book the offer — or any at all? You can still get in on this deal by using points from one of several major credit card programs. You can transfer points to the Virgin Red program from the American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards and Citi ThankYou programs.
Virgin Voyages offers several four- and five-night itineraries out of Miami that are eligible for the promotion, including:
- Five-night "Riviera Maya" voyages to Cozumel and Playa del Carmen in Mexico, and Bimini in the Bahamas.
- Five-night "Dominican Daze" voyages to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, and Bimini.
- Five-night "Mayan Sol" voyages to Costa Maya in Mexico, and Bimini.
- Four-night "Fire & Sunset Soirees" voyages to Key West, Florida, and Bimini.
To take advantage of the offer, you first must head to the Virgin Red app and click "redeem" where you see it promoted. This will deduct the necessary points from your Virgin Red account. A member of the Virgin Red team will them email you an access key within 48 hours that you will use to book a cabin using the points at the Virgin Voyages website.
Among caveats to the offer:
- Sailings out of Miami on Dec. 4 and 14 are not available as part of the offer.
- Passengers will be assigned a Sea Terrace or Limited View Sea Terrace cabin based on availability.
- The points price is per cabin, whether there are one or two people staying in the cabin.
- Per Virgin Voyages' current health rules, most passengers must be vaccinated against COVID-19 and bring proof of vaccination to travel.
- All passengers must be over 18 years of age.
- Each Virgin Red member can book up to four cabins as part of the offer, but the booking party must check in at the same time.
- The Virgin Red member responsible for the booking must present their Virgin Red app to verify their eligibility before boarding.
Also note that cabins booked under the offer cannot be upgraded, unless Virgin Voyages subsequently offers the chance to do so.
Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:
- The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
- The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
- A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
- 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
- 15 ways cruisers waste money
- 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up
- What to pack for your first cruise
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.