We’ve talked a lot about the perks of being a shareholder of your favorite cruise line. In fact, you can learn all about the benefits Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings offer their shareholders. But did you know that there’s also a Virgin Voyages Shareholder Benefit that exists? We’ll discuss who’s eligible for this benefit along with the perks you receive below.
Virgin Voyages Shareholders
If you’ve followed Virgin Voyages’ story, you’re likely familiar with the fact that the cruise operator is owned by several larger organizations. This means that the cruise line isn’t publicly held by shareholders, but rather, it’s controlled by a couple big investors. One of these, of course, is Virgin Group. It’s Richard Branson’s umbrella company that has its hands in pretty much every form of travel! Bain Capital has also invested hundreds of millions of dollars* into the cruise line. And in 2023, ARES Management Corporation led an additional funding round for the cruise operator.
So, if the company is “owned” and not public, how can they offer a shareholder benefit?
Virgin Voyages Shareholder Benefit Offering
Virgin Voyages certainly has the richest Shareholder Benefit of all of the cruise lines we’ve sailed. Instead of offering onboard credit like competitors do, Virgin Voyages provides eligible cruisers a massive 50% discount on all eligible voyages.
To put that in perspective… Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holding offer between $50 and $250 onboard credit depending on the length of your cruise. Considering a Virgin Voyages sailing can be several thousand dollars more than the big 3, you’re talking some epic savings. At least for those who qualify for the Shareholder Benefit.
Eligibility Requirements for Virgin Voyages Shareholder Benefit
Unlike Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holding, Virgin Voyages Shareholder Benefit is not open to the general public. Instead, the Shareholder Benefit is only available to “eligible employees from shareholder companies.” This means that if you are an employee of one of the companies that has invested big money into Virgin Voyages, you qualify for the shareholder benefit. For the rest of us? We’re, sadly, out of luck.
Those who are eligible must book a Sea Terrace cabin. And the Shareholder Benefit cannot be combined with any other active promotions. Additionally, the Shareholder Benefit is not combinable with interline, casino, or tour operator rates. At at 50% discount, this makes a lot of sense.
Requesting the Virgin Voyages Shareholder Benefit
Sailors who are eligible to receive the Virgin Voyages Shareholder Discount must submit a request for a “one time use access key.” The form asks for the following information:
- First and Last Name
- Company Email Address
- Company Name
- Confirmation of active employee status
- The number of Access Keys you are requesting
- Agreement to Terms and Conditions
Upon submitting the request for the Access Key, Virgin Voyages states that the code should be sent 48 hours or less and should be applied when making the booking online.
It’s important to note that the Virgin Voyages Shareholder Benefit cannot be redeemed through a travel agent.
Final Thoughts on Virgin Voyages Shareholder Benefit
While we’d love to be able to invest into Virgin Voyages to receive additional benefits on board, at this point in time, the offer is quite restrictive and limited. As the cruise operator and ownership interests explore additional funding rounds in the future, we hope they’ll consider loyal sailors and open up a Shareholder Benefit to the public! While it likely won’t be as rich as 50% off (though we’d accept that!), we’d still love to see this competitive perk offered to the cruise line.
Fine Print and Disclaimers
Of course, with anything to do with the stock market and discounts, there is fine print and lots of disclaimers! Here we go…
- As mentioned, the Shareholder Discount Offer is not combinable with any other active promotions
- It only applies to new bookings
- Stateroom category type must be Sea Terrace Meta cabins
- To receive the benefit, you must submit a request for a one time use “access key”
- Bookings must be made online by the sailor and cannot be made through Travel Agents
- Charter Voyages, other “full-ship accommodation voyages,” and “contractual Circles” are excluded from this offer
- Name changes on the reservation may result in revocation of the offer discount and benefits received by the employees and friends qualified and associated with the offer
- Taxes and fees are the responsibility of the sailor and are not included with the discount
- Virgin Voyages reserves the right to end this program at any time, without notice
- We are not investment or tax advisors; nothing in this article should be taken as investment or tax advice and we assume no liability to any investment decisions made
You can find these and all Promotional Terms & Conditions on Virgin Voyages website.
* There’s not an official total investment Bain Capital has made in Virgin Voyages. Bain Capital was part of the initial $700 million funding of the line and took part of an additional $550 million funding raised in 2023. Truth be told, their investment is likely over a billion dollars at this point.