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AMAZING DEAL: 7 nights Virgin Voyages full board cruises for two for 80,000 Virgin Points

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If you missed these amazing offers last year, they are back. You will not find a better points redemption in 2023.

EDIT: Deal now includes August sailings! We will update the article later.

You can get a seven night European cruise on ‘Valiant Lady’ or ‘Resilient Lady’, the 2nd and 3rd ships in the Virgin Voyages fleet, for just 80,000 Virgin Points for two people.

The cruise is full board. All your meals, soft drinks, fitness classes, entertainment etc are included – even tips.

Remember that these are adults only trips. Flights and transfers are not included.

Valiant Lady Virgin Voyages

A lot of HfP readers jumped on these redemptions last year. The feedback in our forum has been fantastic – from young and old, from those who wanted a bit of a party to those who simply wanted a quiet break after a tricky couple of years. There is a Virgin Voyages master thread in our forum for your Q&A.

If you are short of Virgin Points, options include:

  • transferring Tesco Clubcard points (should happen overnight)
  • transferring American Express Membership Rewards points (should be instant)
  • transferring Heathrow Rewards points (not clear about timeframe)

Here are your options:

Greek Island Glow

Departing 4th June, 18th June, 25th June, 9th July, 16th July, 30th July

  • Day 1 – Piraeus (Athens). Departs at 7:00pm.
  • Day 2 – Santorini. Arrives at 9:00am, departs at 10:00pm.
  • Day 3 – Rhodes. Arrives at 9:00am, departs at 6:00pm.
  • Day 4 – Bodrum. Arrives at 8:00am, departs at 8:00pm.
  • Day 5 – Sailing.
  • Day 6 – Mykonos. Arrives at 9:00am.
  • Day 7 – Mykonos. Departs at 2:00pm.
  • Day 8 – Piraeus (Athens). Arrives at 6:30am.

Adriatic Sea & Greek Gems

Departing 11th June, 2nd July, 23rd July

  • Day 1 – Piraeus (Athens). Departs at 6:00pm.
  • Day 2 – Sailing.
  • Day 3 – Split. Arrives at 9:00am, departs at 9:00pm.
  • Day 4 – Dubrovnik. Arrives at 9:00am, departs at 10:00pm.
  • Day 5 – Kotor. Arrives at 9:00am, departs at 07:00pm.
  • Day 6 – Corfu. Arrives at 9:00am, departs at 09:00pm.
  • Day 7 – Sailing.
  • Day 8 – Piraeus (Athens). Arrives at 0630.

The Irresistible Med

Departing 4th June, 18th June, 2nd July, 16th July, 30th July

  • Day 1 – Barcelona. Departs at 6:00pm.
  • Day 2 – Toulon. Arrives at 9:00am, departs at 6:00pm.
  • Day 3 – Marina di Carrara. Arrives at 8:00am, departs at 8:00pm.
  • Day 4 – Sailing.
  • Day 5 – Ajaccio. Arrives at 8:00am, departs at 5:00pm.
  • Day 6 – Ibiza. Arrives at 7:00pm.
  • Day 7 – Ibiza. Departs at 6:00pm.
  • Day 8 – Barcelona. Arrives at 6:30am.

French Daze & Ibiza Nights

Departing 11th June, 25th June, 9th July, 23rd July

  • Day 1 – Barcelona. Departs at 6:00pm.
  • Day 2 – Marseille. Arrives at 8:00am, departs at 7:00pm.
  • Day 3 – Cannes. Arrives at 8:00am, departs at 9:00pm.
  • Day 4 – Palma de Mallorca. Arrives at 6:00pm.
  • Day 5 – Palma de Mallorca. Departs at 6:00pm.
  • Day 6 – Ibiza. Arrives at 7:00pm.
  • Day 7 – Ibiza. Departs at 6:00pm.
  • Day 8 – Barcelona. Arrives at 6:30am.

Here are a few things to note:

  • you need to fly to and from Athens or Barcelona at your own expense
  • it is adults only
  • the cost is 80,000 Virgin Points for a Sea Terrace or Limited View Sea Terrace cabin, which sleeps one or two people – there is no discount for single occupancy

How much do these cruises cost for cash?

Take a look – you’re getting up to £2,900 of value for your 80,000 Virgin Points on peak dates. Here is a ‘Greek Island Glow’ quote for the 30th July sailing:

Virgin Voyages 80000 Virgin points offer

This is a ludicrous 3.6p per Virgin Point. That’s 3.6x more than you’ll get for a premium cabin flight in most cases, and 7x more than you’ll get for any other redemption via the Virgin Red site.

Here is what the Virgin Red site has to say:

Ahoy there! This is a limited-time special offer, and there is only a limited number of cabins available. Choose a seven-night sailing departing from either Athens on Resilient Lady or Barcelona on Valiant Lady between 01 June and 31 July 2023.

The price is per cabin (one or two persons). There is no single sailor supplement available.

Virgin Voyages has curated four glamorous itineraries that allow you to experience some of the most picturesque islands and coastal cities in the Mediterranean. Thanks to late-night departures or overnight finales, you’ll have plenty of time to explore each stop in addition to the ship itself (a destination in its own right). It’s called having your cake and eating it too.

Speaking of cake… Virgin Voyages takes food, and the experience around it, very seriously. With a-la-carte menus crafted by Michelin-starred chefs, you can munch your way through countless unique eateries, from the Korean BBQ and elegant steakhouse to the red hot Mexican and 24/7 diner.

This adults-only voyage is designed to give you plenty of chances to relax, with workout classes, gym facilities and luxe spa treatments to name but a few. And if you want to sit back and do nothing, fresh-pressed juices served poolside will make “nothing” feel like everything.

And when you’re done with whatever self-care looks like for you, the one-of-a-kind, I’ve-definitely-never-seen-anything-like this-before entertainment awaits your arrival. With immersive pop-up acts that could happen anywhere on board, you’ll see the ship brought to life in new and unexpected ways.

As for digs, you’ll be kicking back in The Sea Terrace (or Limited View Sea Terrace, depending on availability). These cabins boast a configurable bed and high-tech mood lighting, allowing you to transform the space and create your own vibe. To top it all off, the hammock on the terrace is perfect for a little ‘me’ time, while the 24-hour food delivery service will be at your beck and call in the unlikely event of hunger pangs.

Wait. It gets even better… When it comes to additional costs, Virgin Voyages has you covered – all food, soft drinks, tips, group fitness classes, entertainment and Wi-Fi are always included.

Word of advice: don’t pay for any flights or transfers until your place on board is confirmed by Virgin Voyages!

Spaces are filling up quickly, so make a splash by booking your spot today. Hurry, these cabins will be gone faster than you can say “cannonball”.

Note that there is no guarantee that you can book the exact cruise you want, although in reality – with loads reportedly low – it shouldn’t be a problem.

If you want to find out more about Virgin Voyages, here is our report from an afternoon on ‘Scarlet Lady’, the first ship in the fleet.

If you want to top up your balance by buying Virgin Points, the link is here.

You can book via the Virgin Red app or online. Read the instructions carefully before booking – you need to check there is still a relevant cabin available for cash before ordering your booking code, and once it arrives you should book ASAP before the availability disappears. Based on last year, you should be offered the chance to upgrade your cabin for cash nearer the time of departure if you want something larger.


How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards

How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards (April 2024)

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 18,000 Virgin Points and the free card has a bonus of 3,000 Virgin Points):

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard

18,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review

Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard

3,000 bonus points, no fee and 1 point for every £1 you spend 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 40,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 40,000 Virgin Points.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee 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 sign-up bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit 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.)

Comments (241)

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

  • Ant says:

    Any idea how my husband and I can combine our Virgin points to use for this?

    • Navara says:

      Ring up they will combine them

      • Gtellez says:

        Is it for free? I have currently only 44k amex points and my wife has 55k, so between the two of us we would reach the 80k.

        • Rob says:

          Who would do the combining? You can’t ring Virgin Flying Club because they only combine during the process of booking a redemption flight. Flying Club can’t book these cruises.

          Does Virgin Red have its own call centre that can book this? No idea ….

          • Gtellez says:

            It makes sense, so I’d probably just buy the difference, a 1.5p each is not too much, thanks!

          • Philondon says:

            From the Virgin Red app:

            Can I transfer points to friends or family?
            Yes, you can transfer a maximum of 100,000 Virgin Points per year – There is an admin fee of £15/$22 per transfer plus GBP £7.50 for each 1000 Virgin Points that you wish to transfer. Please contact membersupport@virgin.com if you would like to do this.

            Is there another way of doing this? Preferably quickly and even better, for free?

          • Rob says:

            You can do it, but only if booking a redemption flight via the call centre. Not otherwise.

        • Joy says:

          We are in the same situation. Any help gratefully received.

        • Joy says:

          If you are both virgin red members they will transfer points for free.

  • Andy says:

    The offer is for a Sea Terrace cabin – the £2700ish mentioned in the article is the starting price for a lower category ‘insider’ cabin. Even more value!

  • Barry says:

    Are these 2023 or 2024 departures?

    • Bob Smith says:

      Answer is in the article

    • LittleNick says:

      Yes 2023 is very last minute, would potentially be happy to lock this in for 24. Amazing deal though

      • Rob says:

        I think you’re missing the point about why Virgin Voyages is doing this 🙂

        • Ryan says:

          We all know…. They need to fill the boat with people, create an atmosphere and they don’t care about how much it costs them

  • Super Secret Stuff says:

    This has just settled my conundrum of wether to get the Barclay card or virgin card

    • Super Secret Stuff says:

      I know it’ll be sold out by the time they post but at least I’ll be ready next time!

  • S says:

    Worth mentioning that you can status match most hotel statuses to MSC Diamond and then match that to Virgin Voyages to get Deep Blue Extra perks for additional value!

    • SammyJ says:

      MSC only gave me gold for a status match from IHG Diamond Ambassador. Perhaps I didn’t pick the best one to match – just went with my highest!

  • Phi says:

    Can these tickets be cancelled or names changed. I’d love to book right now but my partner has a BRP card and all schengen countries have no appointments for visas.

    Is there a specialist visa agent that deal with cruises anyone can recommend.

    • Rob says:

      No cancellation, no changes AFAIK.

      • Paul says:

        I asked virgin red this. reply was yes:
        “if you redeem your access key and make a booking with Virgin Voyages, provided the sailing date has not passed, and Virgin Voyages cancels your booking, your points can then be refunded. 

        If you redeem your access key and do not make a booking with Virgin Voyages, we can credit your Virgin points back into your account. “

        • Rob says:

          What you just wrote seems to cover what happens if VV cancels your booking, not if you cancel.

          If you’ve not redeemed your access key then its a different question of course but I’m not sure how long you have before they expire.

          • Sina says:

            I did book and cancel myself last year and they refunded the points Rob, just had to send an email to Virgin Red.

          • Phi says:

            Thanks for the info, I’ve been waiting for this cruise offer to come back and it seems even better value this time. Sadly, it’s not easy to get an appointment for a schengen visa at short notice right now.

  • SammyJ says:

    Any option to pay some of it in cash? Or instantly get points at a reasonable rate? Think we’ve only got around 55k Virgin between us.

    • Rob says:

      Amex points transfer semi-instantly to Virgin. You can’t part pay.

      • Mart16 says:

        How quick do Tesco points transfer to virgin?

        • Rob says:

          Avios is overnight so I suspect it may be the same – but others can chip in I’m sure. I am on auto-convert now so don’t know.

        • Ryan says:

          Instantaneously. You don’t have to wait for your vouchers to arrived in the standard quarterly statements. Just log in and exchange for Virgin Atlantic points 🙂

          • Rob says:

            Is it instant even if you don’t have auto-convert? My impression, given what Virgin Red told me, is that only auto-converters get instant transfers of existing balances.

          • Mart says:

            Data point for manual conversion – came through after approx 3 hours

          • PG says:

            Is it 3 hours even for a first time transfer from Tesco to Virgin? Says up to 28 days!

    • Ryan says:

      You can buy the extra Virgin points needed. They add onto your balance instantaneously. I just topped up 30k for £475! Still makes this deal an absolute steal!

      • Ryan B says:

        IF and a big IF you would be genuinely willing to pay £3k for a room….

        • Rob says:

          Er, no. Even if they only thought it was worth £1,000 it is still a good deal for them to buy the points they needed.

          Even at £3k its aggressively cheaper than staying in any of the places on the itineraries in a half-decent hotel at full board.

          Depending on how much you spend on food and entertainment in a week and how high you value 80,000 points it could be cheaper than staying at home 🙂

          • Ryan says:

            Okay my point of £3k wasn’t spot on, agree it still worth it, but the decision becomes less of a no brainer the closer to £1.2k (ish) you value it

            The point was opportunity cost 🙂

  • Ash says:

    Can I book this for my brother and his partner using my virgin points?

    • Rob says:

      Yes, I think so – the access codes can be transferred IIRC. Read the rules first just in case.

      • PG says:

        Looking to book this for my parents using my Amex points. Can I use my Virgin account?

        • Rob says:

          You can only convert to a Virgin account in your name and redeem from that, but it seems from other comments here and our forum (do read them) that the code you receive is transferable.

          • PG says:

            Thanks Rob. I think I get it.. transfer to my Virgin account and buy code. Then use the code to book for them

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

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