Virgin Voyages Honest About Suspension — Joel Knows Travel
Virgin Voyages announced the extension of their voluntary suspension through April 2021, and I couldn’t be happier about it. Finally, a cruise line is being honest about how long it will take them to get in the water with guests onboard. They’re planning to sail from Port Miami on Scarlet Lady on May 9, 2021, and Valiant Lady on November 14, 2021.
As we look toward 2021, we’re all beginning to see a very bright light at the end of the tunnel. And with that, we’re thrilled to be making plans for Scarlet Lady to set sail on May 9th, 2021, and Valiant Lady on November 14th, 2021.
Virgin Voyages
What I’ve found so frustrating through all the cancelations due to Covid is the “rolling suspensions” when the cruise lines knew they wouldn’t be back in the water any time soon. Deciding to continue accepting bookings knowing they weren’t going to sale was frustrating for guests who were either anticipating going on a cruise that hadn’t been canceled yet or who rebooked their canceled cruise only to have that one canceled as well.
While I’m not happy that the suspensions are going later into 2021, I applaud Virgin Voyages for being honest about suspension timelines. With the CDC’s framework for a safe return to cruising, there is much work to be done before May 9th. I think May is a reasonable timeframe, though there are other factors, like vaccine distribution for one, that may cause further delays.
For Customers on the Scarlet Lady canceled sailings from January to May 5th 2021:
- Double your value option: Auto-credit 200% in Future Voyage Credit of the amount you’ve paid to date toward your voyage fare, which you can apply to another sailing, rather than a refund.
- The FVC is valid for redemption up to a year after the original voyage start date for any sailing with open inventory through 2022.
- The double your value option will only apply to the amount that was actually paid, not any additional value credited to you
- Refund option: A full refund of everything you’ve paid — along with a Future Voyage Credit equal to 25% of your existing paid voyage fare to be used on a future sailing
- Taxes, fees, and pre-voyage sales will be fully refunded to your original form of payment within 30 days if paid in full.
- For guests who took advantage of the 2020 WAVE or Thanksgiving Onboard Credit offer, Virgin Voyages will honor this on their next booking.
For customers on the Valiant Lady canceled sailings in October:
- Double your value option: Auto-credit 150% in Future Voyage Credit of the amount you’ve paid to date toward your voyage fare, which you can apply to another sailing, rather than a refund.
- The FVC is valid for redemption up to a year after the original voyage start date for any sailing with open inventory through 2022.
- The double your value option will only apply to the amount that was actually paid, not any additional value credited to you
- Refund option: A full refund of everything you’ve paid — along with a Future Voyage Credit equal to 25% of your existing paid voyage fare to be used on a future sailing
- Taxes, fees, and pre-voyage sales will be fully refunded to your original form of payment within 30 days if paid in full.
If the booking was paid for using a FVC: The full Future Voyage Credit will be restored to use toward a future sailing, and our standard cancellation policies will apply. The FVC is valid for redemption up to a year after the impacted voyage start date and can be applied to any sailing with open inventory through 2022.
Originally published at https://joelknowstravel.com on December 9, 2020.
