What Did My FREE Virgin Voyages Cruise Really Cost? (XL Sea Terrace Cruise: Valiant Lady 5 Day Riviera Maya for $89/day!))
So how and when should we classify something as free? When I talk about travel hacking and casino status matching, I will always refer to the travel and comp cruises as free because to me that is fundamentally true. The cruise fare is $0 which = free, right? I have had a number of people argue with me that even if the cruise fare for two (or not having a single supplement fee added when traveling solo) is $0, there are all of these other costs so I should not call this a free cruise.
One of the reasons why I am so transparent about my trips is to show what my true costs and savings look like so you can make truly informed decisions. As there are other costs associated with these comped cruises and they can quickly add up.
So let’s dive in deeper and see what I ended up spending on my Virgin Voyages (VV) comped cruise (plus some additional info on VV comped cruises) and you can let me know if you agree with me calling it free…
Confused and/or wondering how I got comped cruises in the first place? Here’s the overview for how I got my Casino Status Match Jackpot.
Casino comped cruise details
- Cruise Line/Ship: Virgin Voyages (VV) / Valiant Lady
- Stateroom Type: XL Sea Terrace (Balcony)
- How was comped cruise obtained: via URComped
- Cruise Itinerary: Riveria Maya – 5 Nights/6 Days
- Dates: December 2024
- Included in comped cruise offer:
- Free specialty coffee (unlimited!)
- Free drinks for two while playing in the casino
What is the minimum my “free” cruise would have cost?
Cruise fare (for two/no solo supplement is charged*) for a Virgin Voyages XL Sea Terrace (balcony stateroom) booked via URComped was $0 as it was a comped cruise
I was responsible for the taxes and port fees which were $210 for this sailing and VV does not charge staff/daily gratuities.
TOTAL: $210
What I ended up paying for my comped cruise:
It is a point of contention for many that they feel nickel and dimed by the cruise lines (ie having to pay for soft drinks or wifi) and it’s these costs added in that people have argued makes the free cruises not really free.
But here’s where it gets interesting with Virgin Voyages – they really are different in so many ways from the other mainstream cruise lines. Because of how they are set up, I only ended up spending an additional $70 on this cruise and that was all from cash tips to the staff.
TOTAL: Spend $280- including additional tips to staff ($50/stateroom attendants + $20/other staff)
Where my savings came from AKA how Virgin Voyages differs from other cruise lines
What is included in any Virgin Voyages cruise? All of the above items – almost all of which you would pay an additional fee for on other mainstream cruise lines. This really is a big departure from the other lines – see below for how they differ
- $380-$458: TOTAL SAVINGS – conservatively!
- $88: ALL FOOD: $18 for a casual meal to $70 for a specialty dining (including gratuities) on the other lines so I priced out one of each for this length sailing
- $50: SOFT DRINKS & WATER: This can be big for many (and I personally love sparkling water) so 2x/$5
- $81-$150: WiFi (basic): Costs have varied from $81/10 Day MSC Cruise to $180/11 Day Holland America Cruise to $30/day fro Princess Cruises
- $80-$90: TIPS: Costs have varied from $16-18/day for the other cruise lines
- $80: GROUP FITNESS CLASSES/SHOWS: Lol so I have to admit ignorance for the fitness classes prices since I rarely go to the gym but let’s say $10/class (seems reasonable) and I did talk to some folks sailing MSC whilst in the Caribbean and they said there was one show that was $50
Things that you will still pay for are streaming Wi-Fi, alcoholic drinks, shore excursions, spa/beauty treatments, tattoos.
(Note that there are other cruise lines that include many of these items (and even excursions) but you are paying significantly more when booking with a luxury cruise line such as Silverseas or Viking.)
Can you upgrade your cabin on a comped cruise?
Yes, you are able to when you book your cruise with varying costs based on itinerary – I did not inquire about upgrades so unsure what costs would have been at booking.
Additionally, you may also receive offers close to your sailing date based on ship occupancy. I received my first upgrade offer about 2.5 months out, another one one month later, a third one about three weeks before sailing and not sure if there was a final one after that. And interestingly, the prices never went down on the offer especially since the sailing ended up being fairly empty (I think occupancy was close to 70%)
Some other things to know/consider
VV makes it easy to change sailings and even allows you to switch the guests up to 48 hours before sailing (note that their standard policy of changing booking to another person is not valid for casino bookings).
Virgin Voyages is an adults only cruise so you and your entire party must be 18+. And it should be noted that this is not a cruise line that is trying to appeal to everyone – the target demographics are those who appreciate good nightlife and is active on social media (many photographic spots onboard plus staff that will stop and ask if you want help taking photos-type vibe). It is a safe space for their staff and cruisers to come as they are and be fully welcomed as such AKA LGBTQIA+ friendly
Final Thoughts
In summary, I think of a comped cruise offer like booking a hotel room on points, it takes care of lodging for X # of nights and some meals but I know that there will be additional costs like other meals and activities. And in that vein, I have found the comped cruises to be very cost effective for me but Virgin Voyages makes it even more cost effective with everything that is included!
An additional benefit is that they are very dialed in for solo travelers (as you can read about here).
How does this compare to other lines’ comped cruises? Here’s what I paid for my Holland America comped cruise.
What do you think about saying the cruise is free? Have you done any comped Virgin Voyages cruises?
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