Virgin Voyages made a splashy entrance into the cruise market a few years ago, but at the worst moment imaginable: The line’s first cruise was originally scheduled for April 1, 2020.
Certain world events that we have all apparently agreed to rarely speak of delayed that debut voyage to October 2021, when the Scarlet Lady set sail for a series of departures packed with young influencer types who were invited to help the adults-only brand achieve liftoff as a bacchanalian boat with modern style.
Virgin’s reign as the up-all-night party cruise line seemed to last only as long as the weirdly named “revenge travel” trend. Once Covid-related pent-up demand began to subside, the average age of Virgin’s passengers began to crawl upward, and the line redefined itself as a minimally intimidating cruise for all ages.
To sustain itself for the long run, Virgin has had to pivot toward a broader market of “young at heart” customers, as Frommer’s found when we took a Virgin Voyages cruise a few months ago. While the line’s sailings remain adults-only, the brand is no longer exclusively the domain of selfie-snapping, midnight-boozing Gen Zers. We encountered a healthy mix of demographic groups going up to Gen X and into “grandparenting age.”
But as the brand repositions itself in the market, Virgin still needs to fill berths, particularly in late summer when bookings can be softer due to concerns over hurricanes.
That’s why Virgin just announced a sale that’s substantial enough for us to tell you about.
For sailings in 2024, cruisers can book a Central Sea Terrace (or lower cabin category) for two on a Virgin Voyages ship and travel with a kid at no extra cost.
Your kid just has to be between the ages of 18 and 26.
No one younger than 18 is allowed on a Virgin cruise, so the sale is being pitched, with a wink, as a “kids sail free” promotion. (“If you’re old enough to vote, you’re old enough to sail,” as Virgin puts it in marketing materials).
A Central Sea Terrace cabin is pictured above. You can see the shadow of a hammock on the balcony—a hammock comes standard with every room, and passengers tend to love them.
The line’s highest-category suites are excluded from the promotion.
The deal works best for single parents traveling with one (adult) kid, because the more people you stuff into your cabin, the more you’ll pay. Or, in the line’s own lingo: “Offer is only applicable with a second sailor in the cabin. If a third and fourth sailor are added to the cabin, they will pay the full prevailing cabin price.”
The offer is valid for any sailing now through Dec. 15, 2024, including European itineraries, but it must be booked by Aug. 23.
The deal’s official info page can be found here, but Virgin requires passengers to make the booking over the phone. In the U.S. and Canada, the number is 954/488-2955.
You may also like: Frommer’s Recent Virgin Voyages Review