NEW: Book Virgin Voyages UK cruises from just 85,000 Virgin Points

Virgin Red has launched redemptions for the first Virgin Voyages cruises from the UK which are setting sail this summer.

Options start at just 85,000 Virgin Points for a three night cruise for two people.

As these cruises all start in Portsmouth, you don’t need to worry about the costs of expensive peak season positioning flights to Athens or Barcelona. This has been an issue for some people with the Mediterranean redemptions, which are still bookable.

Each cruise is full board. All your meals, soft drinks, fitness classes, entertainment etc are included – even tips. You only pay for alcoholic drinks.

Remember that these are adults only trips.

A lot of HfP readers have jumped on these redemptions in the past few years. 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:

• buying them via this link

• transferring Tesco Clubcard points (should happen overnight)

• transferring American Express Membership Rewards points (should be instant)

• transferring Heathrow Rewards points (not clear about timeframe)

You can transfer points from another Virgin Points account to yours for a flat £10 fee. However, if both of you are travelling then the call centre should be able to take the points from two accounts.

Here are your options, all of which depart from Portsmouth:

Which Virgin Voyages can you book?

You have three options for UK departures.

Portsmouth to Zeebrugge (Bruges) – 85,000 Virgin Points

This trip departs on 27th August. The itinerary is:

• Day 1 – Portsmouth. Departs at 6:00pm. 
• Day 2 – Sailing
• Day 3 – Zeebrugge (Bruges). Arrives at 8:00am, departs at 5:00pm. 
• Day 4 – Portsmouth. Arrives at 6:30am. 

Click here to learn more or to book.

Portsmouth to Amsterdam – 110,000 Virgin Points

This trip departs on 30th August and 19th September. The itinerary is:  

• Day 1 – Portsmouth. Departs 6:00pm. 
• Day 2 – Amsterdam. Arrives at 7:00pm.  
• Day 3 – Amsterdam. Departs at 6:30pm. 
• Day 4 – Sailing
• Day 5 – Portsmouth. Arrives at 6:30am. 

Click here to learn more or to book.

Portsmouth to Spain and France – 170,000 Virgin Points

This trip departs on 8th September. The itinerary is:

• Day 1 – Portsmouth. Departs 6:00pm. 
• Day 2 – Sailing
• Day 3 – La Coruña. Arrives at 8:00am, departs at 5:00pm.
• Day 4 – Bilbao. Arrives at 10:00am, departs at 6:00pm.
• Day 5 – Le Verdon (Bordeaux). Arrives at 8:30am, departs at 8:00pm.
• Day 6 – Sailing 
• Day 7 – Portsmouth. Arrives at 6:30am. 

Click here to learn more or to book.

Things to know

There are a few things to know before you book:

• you need to get to and from Portsmouth at your own expense
• the cruises are adults only
• the cost is per cabin, sleeping up to two – there is no discount for single occupancy
• cabins are Central Sea Terrace or The Sea Terrace on Resilient Lady, and will be determined by Virgin Voyages according to availability
• it can take up to three working days to receive your Access Code once you have redeemed your points – once you have the code, you book via the Virgin Voyages website and use the code at the point of payment
• Access Codes are transferable and do not need to used by the person who redeemed the points

Note that there is no guarantee that you can book the exact cruise you want – you need to make sure the cruise in question is still available for cash.

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.

PS. If you want to build up a Virgin Points balance for a similar redemption next year, assuming the deals return, take a look at the generous sign-up bonuses available on the Virgin Atlantic credit cards.

PS. If you are not a regular Head for Points visitor, why not sign up for our FREE weekly or daily newsletters? They are full of the latest Avios, airline, hotel and credit card points news and will help you travel better. To join our 65,000 free subscribers, click the button below or visit this page of the site to find out more. Thank you.

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How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards (April 2025)

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):

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.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with 50,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 50,000 Virgin Points.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

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

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