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Virgin Voyages UK cruises still bookable for points

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Three weeks ago, we covered Virgin Voyages, the brand new cruise company launched by Virgin Group, and its series of UK-only staycation cruises this August.

Virgin Red had cabins available for booking with Virgin Points. This was initially meant to be a special pre-launch offer which would be pulled when cash bookings opened up.

As it turns out, the packages are still available via Virgin Red. If you are not already a Virgin Red member, you can join here and then link your Flying Club account.

Whilst we made fun out of the idea (grime DJs, sofa beds and a tattoo parlour on a ship where no-one will be under 50 due to the vaccination rules …..) I know that a few readers have already booked.

Virgin Voyages UK cruises

The dates are:

  • Friday 6th – Monday 9th August
  • Monday 9th – Friday 13th August
  • Friday 13th – Monday 16th August
  • Monday 16th – Friday 20th August
  • Friday 20th – Monday 23rd August
  • Monday 23rd – Friday 27th August

There are two packages available:

  • the three-night ‘Long Weekender’ cruises at 180,000 Virgin Points for a two-person Sea Terrace cabin
  • the four-night Summer WeekDaze cruises at 215,000 Virgin Points for a two-person Sea Terrace cabin

All bookings made with Virgin Points will receive a free bottle of sparkling wine in their cabin. All sailings depart from, and arrive back into, Portsmouth.

Remember that:

  • no children are allowed
  • you must be fully vaccinated (both shots, plus three weeks) to travel, so if you haven’t already had your first jab then you won’t make it

Full details of the Virgin Voyages UK cruises are in our original article here. You can book with points via the Virgin Red app, and you can register for Virgin Red (free) here.

How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards

How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards (May 2023)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Virgin Points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

You can choose from two official Virgin Atlantic credit cards (apply here, the Reward+ card has a bonus of 15,000 Virgin Points):

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 13th June, the sign-up bonus on the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ card is doubled to 30,000 Virgin Points. Apply here.

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard

30,000 points bonus (to 13th June) and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review

Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard

A generous earning rate for a free card at 0.75 points per £1 Read our full review

You can also earn Virgin Points from various American Express cards – and these have sign-up bonuses too.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for a year and comes with 20,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 20,000 Virgin Points.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with 30,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 30,000 Virgin Points.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 13th June, the sign-up bonus on The Platinum Card is doubled to 60,000 Membership Rewards points (worth 60,000 Virgin Points) – and you get £200 to spend at Amex Travel too! Apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

60,000 points AND a £200 Amex Travel voucher until 13th June! Read our full review

Small business owners should consider the two American Express Business cards. Points convert at 1:1 into Virgin Points.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and a £200 Amex Travel credit every year Read our full review

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and free for a year Read our full review

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Virgin Points. 

(Want to earn more Virgin Points?  Click here to see our recent articles on Virgin Atlantic and Flying Club and click here for our home page with the latest news on earning and spending other airline and hotel points.)

Category

Virgin Atlantic and Flying Club

Comments (42)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Ian says:
    30 Apr30 April 06:54

    There seems to be no mention or ability to earn points if booking a virgin cruise. A missed opportunity.

    Also the booking section makes no mention of the need to be vaccinated. So I suspect many will book and not be able to travel unless Virgin are planning to relax the rule.

  • James Vickers says:
    30 Apr30 April 07:13

    Wrong to assume again no one will be under 50 on virgin cruises, I’m 28! Hope there’s a prize for youngest onboard though

    • Jonathan says:
      30 Apr30 April 07:48

      If there was, people would be taking their infants with them !

    • TGLoyalty says:
      30 Apr30 April 08:47

      This came up in the other thread too

      As of last Sunday 8m under 50’s have had the first jab (5.5m under 45) and 2.1m of those the 2nd (1.6m under 45)

      Granted its 20m 1st/9m 2nd in the over 50’s 🙂

      • Andrew says:
        30 Apr30 April 14:32

        38 year olds being vaccinated here in Oxfordshire yesterday.
        46 year olds booked for being vaccinated in Forth Valley next week.

        My mate, who’s due to be vaccinated in Forth Valley next week, is considering crossing the border to have it done to be eligible for an English Digital Passport – he was born in England so has an English NHS Number.

    • john says:
      30 Apr30 April 15:32

      Quite. A friend booked hers today, first in May second in July. She’s just 40, so people booking jabs today will still be eligible to travel!

  • Freddy says:
    30 Apr30 April 07:47

    Sausage rolls and now socks….what jokers

  • Benilyn says:
    30 Apr30 April 07:59

    Talking Hyatt, got £100 of £250 on a plat biz sub, haven’t checked other cards

    • Rich says:
      30 Apr30 April 08:05

      The same offer is on my ARCC too

    • WaynedP says:
      30 Apr30 April 10:48

      +1 on BAPP expires 31/08/21

      One for those recently posting about anticipating Amex offers for the bigger hotel chains

    • VickyTM says:
      30 Apr30 April 15:06

      Have noticed that a few of the “qualifying” hotels (Barcelona) that you have to stay in by 31st Aug. are in fact closed till 1st Sept…. Which is handy!

      • WaynedP says:
        30 Apr30 April 17:29

        Well spotted ! No good when the Amex offer states “Book, stay and pay by 31/08/2021”.

        Mind you, I saved a Donald Russell £10 back on £50 spend offer that had an end April expiry date, and it was updated to revised expiry date of 31 July.

        So there is a precedent for extended expiry dates even for saved offers, which I never knew.

  • Mark says:
    30 Apr30 April 08:24

    We’re booked at the end of August. 38 & 47. Took three weeks to get the booking confirmation through though, What is a bonus that you don’t get told when booking / using points is that you get $200 on board spend too.

    Oh and yesterday I was notified that my entry to the “Shipload of Love” competition had been judged and my wife had one a free cruise from Miami!

    • Tom says:
      30 Apr30 April 10:17

      We booked the final cruise. We’ll be 38 and 36 by departure date.
      Booked a corner suite and received a totally unexpected $400 of ‘sailor loot’ or whatever it’s called.

  • Nick G says:
    30 Apr30 April 08:25

    Any suggestions on what to do with 7.5k virgin points? Hardly ever collect them and was thinking of using them up somewhere

  • VickyTM says:
    30 Apr30 April 08:38

    In regards to the the “One great benefit of World of Hyatt is ‘last room availability’. If a standard room is available for cash it must be made available for points”…..Hyat Regency LAX in December…”Unfortunately, this hotel is not accepting World of Hyatt points or award during those dates. Explore our other rates or modify your search.”

  • TimM says:
    30 Apr30 April 09:26

    Points for socks? It sounds like the latest scandal.

    I often mention socks over on the Tripadvisor forums for Turkey as a potential currency. Their value has not yet settled. When I mentioned the exchange rate appeared to vary between 12 and 17 pairs of fake designer socks per €5 then I was trumped by another regular saying he had obtained 21 pairs/€5, twice. I quizzed him about the need for 42 pairs of socks and he said he gave them as tips, thereby proving that socks can indeed be a currency 🙂

    I expect these rates of exchange will devalue Virgin points however.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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