On Tuesday, December 3, 2024, Virgin Voyages announced a new annual pass allowing cruisers the ability to sail on any Virgin Voyages ship on any itinerary for a 12-month period. The catch? It’ll cost you a cool $120,000 for the privilege. While not exactly cheap, the annual pass does come with quite a few inclusions along the way!
Virgin Voyages Annual Pass Inclusions
While the $120,000 price point will stop many of us in our tracks, let’s take a look at what that price actually includes. It’s surprisingly a lot.
- Dedicated “Red Glove Crew” to help you book your voyages
- Sea Terrace Cabin (balcony) for 2 sailors
Note: Passholders have the ability to travel with different companions throughout the year - Any voyage on board Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady, Resilient Lady, and Brilliant Lady (see exclusions)
- Priority Boarding
- Unlimited Premium WiFi for 2 Devices
- Complimentary Laundry Services
- $100 Bar Tab Credit Per Voyage
- Exclusive VIP Cocktail Event
- Two Complimentary Specialty Coffees per Day (see exclusions)
The cruise line is providing sailors with all of the benefits that come with their Deep Blue Extras loyalty level in the Sailing Club. Which makes sense considering they’re spending $120,000 with the cruise line in a single year. 😉
Benefits like WiFi and laundry really add up if you plan to sail all year long. For comparison, if you were to purchase Premium WiFi on a year of Carnival sailings for two devices, you’d pay more than $15,000!
Virgin Voyages Annual Pass Exclusions
As mentioned, the $120,000 price tag gets you quite a bit of inclusions. However, it’s important to note what’s not included.
- Taxes and port fees – this is a big one as it can add a couple hundred dollars per person, per sailing on a typical voyage
- Any itineraries that are “impossible to sail” – passholders may not book overlapping sailings, duplicate voyages, full-ship charters, or non-revenue sailings like marketing events. Virgin Voyages defines eligible voyages as: non-charter, open, revenue voyages
- Sold out sailings; the Annual Pass only applies to sailings that have capacity. Sorry, no cutting in line
- Upgrades – you can upgrade your stateroom on any sailing (depending on availability) for an additional charge
- Two complimentary coffees per day “applies solely to Sailor 1” – the fine print is very clear to call this out!
- Additional sailors – If you add a 3rd or 4th sailor to your room, they will pay prevailing rates
- Insurance – Virgin Voyages will sell you insurance at a flat rate of $53/day. If you managed to somehow book 365 days on a Virgin Voyages ship to make the most of your pass, that would set you back almost $20,000
- “Ancillary products” – things like shore excursions, gift shop purchases, supplies you might need living on a cruise ship, upgrades at restaurants, etc.
- Refunds – the cruise operator is very clear that all purchases are final. So please make sure you don’t get sea sick before you purchase the annual pass! 😉
You can read the fine print about inclusions/exclusions on Virgin Voyages dedicated Annual Pass FAQ page.
How It Works
If you’d like to purchase the annual pass – and you’re at least 21 years of age – simply reach out to the Annual Pass Concierge and be sure to mention First Mate Andrew Camin. They’ll help you with getting your pass secured and Rocky will be able to keep tabs on your travels for peace-of-mind. Keep in mind, the payment is due in full at time of booking.
The Annual Pass is only available for booking until March 31, 2025 – or until sold out.
If you decide to wait to purchase (and there are still Annual Passes left!), you can set your Annual Pass start date. Sailors can start their annual pass on the 4 dates listed:
- 01 January 2025
- 01 February 2025
- 01 March 2025
- 01 April 2025
After you’ve purchased your pass, simply call your Red Glove Crew to make your booking. Taxes and port fees, along with any additional upgrades or additions (3rd/4th sailor), are due at time of booking.
It’s also important to note that even though you have unlimited sailings throughout the 12-month period, if you need to change/cancel your sailing, you must do so at least 7 days in advance to avoid additional fees and penalties.
Redefining the Cruise Experience
In Virgin Voyages’ Annual Pass press release, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson shared, “I’ve always been a big believer in the power of travel and adventure to spark creativity and bring clarity. What started as a sought-after ‘work from sea’ concept with our Season Pass has evolved into something even more special. Now, Sailors can jump aboard any of our ships, across an endless variety of exciting destinations for an entire year. We’re offering unlimited opportunities for adventure in a way that has never been done in cruising before.”
In Branson’s eyes, this pass isn’t for the typical cruiser. It’s for the sailor – as the brand refers to their passengers – who wants to live on a cruise ship for a year. It’s an evolution of the Season Pass concept the line first introduced giving passengers a chance to sail for several months at a time.
Retiring on a Cruise Ship
Earlier this year, I wrote about how much it would cost to retire on a Carnival Cruise ship. When taking into account everything you’d need to plan for, it’s not exactly cheap! With that said, Virgin Voyages’ Annual Pass addresses a lot of the items that add additional cost. Laundry, WiFi, $100 bar tab, and more can add a couple hundred dollars per sailing. By including these items in the Annual Pass, it could actually cost you about the same to retire on Virgin Voyages for a year compared to Carnival. And Carnival numbers assume an interior cabin!
Between Cruise Fare + Excursions + Other Expenses, I calculated it would cost $173.75/day to retire on a Carnival ship. But this assumed basic internet for one person only part of the year. If you were to match the Annual Pass inclusion of Premium WiFi, the Carnival per day cost would jump to $190/day.
Let’s compare that price point to Virgin Voyages:
- Cruise Fare: $164/day ($120,000/2/365)
- Excursion Cost: Assume the same $35/day estimate I used for Carnival
That brings the Cruise Fare + Excursions + Other Expenses on Virgin Voyages to $199/day. While this doesn’t include taxes and port fees, it includes two specialty coffees per day and an upgraded cabin (balcony versus interior).
As you can see, for those considering the “retirement at sea” option, Virgin Voyages’ Annual Pass could be an amazing option!
Would You Do It?
Curious to hear from you! Would you be interested in Virgin Voyages’ Annual Pass? Why? Why not? Let us know in the comments below.
And be sure to check out our Full Review of Valiant Lady. We tell you everything we loved, didn’t love, and hated about the Virgin Voyages experience.