The Virgin Voyages Sailing Club loyalty program won't be fully in place until 2023. However, it's already offering cruisers who are loyal to the one-year-old line some valuable perks.
Unveiled in August, the Sailing Club will operate for the rest of the year with temporary perks while Virgin Voyages develops long-term tiers and perks that will take effect in 2023.
These temporary perks — for which loyal fans of Virgin Voyages already are eligible — include free laundry service and free, premium Wi-Fi, two things that normally can cost quite a bit extra on cruise ships.
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There also is a daily specialty coffee credit, which is like money in the bank if you're a regular latte or cappuccino drinker. And the perks don't end there.
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Among other things, loyal fans of Virgin Voyages will also be eligible for onboard credits when booking a new sailing between now and Nov. 15.
Ways to earn points
For now, the Virgin Voyages Sailing Club loyalty program does not have a formal point-earning system. That will come in 2023. But until it arrives, Virgin Voyages has introduced a token system to track all qualifying spending by "sailors," as Virgin Voyages calls passengers.
The number of tokens each passenger accumulates will factor into the benefits they receive when the long-term version of the Sailing Club program officially debuts in 2023.
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As part of the token system, loyal Virgin Voyages customers get credit in tokens for all the money they have spent with Virgin Voyages since its inception.
They also receive credit in tokens for every dollar they spend during a Red Hot Booking Bonus Months promotion that the line is running through Nov. 15 (more on that below).
Passengers will get a differing number of tokens per dollar spent depending on their current status as customers. See specifics on this in the loyalty levels section below.
Virgin Voyages Sailing Club loyalty levels
Virgin Voyages has yet to set the long-term tiers for the Virgin Voyages Sailing Club loyalty program. For now, it divides its customers into three status levels, with customers in all three levels eligible for the temporary perks mentioned above.
The three status levels are:
- Sea-Blazers: These are the "pioneers" of Virgin Voyages sailings who cruised with the line in 2021. In addition to the temporary perks available to all eligible Sailing Club members, this group will get a $125 Bar Tab Bonus every time they sail with the line for the rest of their lives; this was something Virgin Voyages promised them back in 2021. These customers are getting up to four tokens for each dollar spent during the Red Hot Booking Bonus Months promotion.
- Sea-Rovers: These are customers who sailed with Virgin Voyages at least twice during 2022. They are receiving all the temporary perks plus a $100 Bar Tab Bonus on any sailing over the next two years (valid through 2024). These customers are getting up to three tokens for each dollar spent during the Red Hot Booking Bonus Months promotion.
- Match & Sea More Sailors: These are customers who are enrolled in other cruise and select airline travel rewards programs who now are able to match their status with these other companies to get immediate status in the Virgin Voyages program. As part of this, they are being granted the above Sea-Rover status, which includes the $100 Bar Tab Bonus for two years.
Passengers who have sailed only once with the line in 2022 do not qualify for Sea-Rover status and do not get extra tokens toward their 2023 status. Cruisers who don't have Sea-Blazer or Sea-Rover status get one token per dollar spent.
Virgin Voyages Sailing Club benefits
The temporary perks for which Sailing Club members are eligible through the end of the year are packaged together into a grouping called Deep Blue Extras. They include:
- One free Shake for Champagne delivery of bubbly per cruise.
- Access to expedited boarding.
- A free, premium Wi-Fi package.
- Invites to exclusive cocktail parties.
- Free laundry services.
- $10 daily specialty coffee credit per cabin.
- Dedicated customer support on board.
The Deep Blue Extras perks will be available to all qualifying Sailing Club members on voyages from now through December of this year only.
In addition to the above, qualifying customers are currently eligible for a package of spending perks, as well as a $200 onboard credit (known as "sailor loot" at Virgin Voyages) when booking a Virgin Voyages cruise as part of the line's current Red Hot Booking Bonus Months promotion.
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The Red Hot Booking Bonus Months promotion takes place through Nov. 15 and is valid for bookings not just in 2022 but beyond. A few notes on this promotion's perks:
- The perks are not available for passengers booking with existing voyage credits.
- The onboard credit is combinable with all other promotions.
- Qualifying customers who book during the promotion also have a chance to win a trip to other Virgin properties.
Virgin Voyages wants to hear from you
As it works out its long-term plans for the Sailing Club loyalty program, Virgin Voyages is soliciting recommendations from fans on which perks they want to see most. The line is taking suggestions by email at loyalty@virginvoyages.com.
Virgin Voyages is also seeking volunteers to participate in surveys and focus groups. Details are on the line's website.
Note that the Sailing Club is a new program, 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 from Miami and Barcelona on both of the line's current ships, Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady. Capital One cardholders can also access cruises for points through a partnership between Capital One and Virgin Red announced in March.
Bottom line
Startup cruise line Virgin Voyages is just getting into the loyalty program game with a temporary program called The Sailing Club. A more permanent version of the Virgin Voyages Sailing Club program will debut in 2023.
But, even now, the program offers Virgin Voyages fans who have sailed on as few as one sailing with the line a number of valuable perks.
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