Richard Branson Begs Landlocked South Dakotans to Book a Virgin Voyages Cruise
Travelers from every single state in the US have booked a sailing with forthcoming Virgin Voyages. Except, that is, South Dakota.
South Dakota counts Mount Rushmore, Michael Jordan and Tom Brokaw amongst its bragging rights. Residents of the state, however, do not take a lot of vacation time: The average full-time employee in South Dakota only uses 26% of his or her vacation days for travel.
The Best Credit Cards for Booking Cruises
In one of the most hilarious PR stunts we've witnessed in a long time, Sir Richard Branson took out an ad in today's edition of The New York Times with an open letter to South Dakotans inviting them to cruise with his very own cruise line, Virgin Voyages. The new brand is putting the finishing touches on its inaugural ship, the Scarlet Lady — a swanky, adults-only vessel that will set sail early 2020.
"Where are you?" begins the plaintive message in a bottle. "Out of all the states in the US, you're the only one that hasn't booked to get on board with us at Virgin Voyages."
Branson goes on to list a number of statistics about South Dakota professionals, none of which bode well for their relaxation habits. He ends the little love note with, "So, South Dakota, we personally invite you to join the rest of the United States of Virgin Voyages' Sailors and get on board."
Virgin Voyages has supplemented the open letter with a punny billboard campaign across South Dakota, with slogans such as, "Sioux . . . ya gonna book or what?" and "Rapid City, you're not booking fast enough."
To sweeten the deal, Virgin Voyages is offering some special swag to the first South Dakotan who books a cruise. The package includes $605 in Sailor Loot to use onboard the Scarlet Lady (a nod to the area code that covers, well, the entire Mount Rushmore State), and two first-class tickets "from the 605 to the 305" — that's Branson speak for first-class tickets for two from South Dakota to Miami. The lucky South Dakotan will also receive a one-night hotel stay in Miami and a limo transfer from the hotel to the ship. Not a bad way to start a cruise.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app