Ahoy there! Virgin Voyages is sailing Down Under from December 2023, and you can now use Velocity Points to snag a great-value cabin onboard. You’ll only need to part with 79,999 Velocity Points to book a Sea Terrace room. The catch? These ‘reward rooms’ are initially limited to 1,000 redemptions, so you’ll need to act fast.
These Access Keys represent excellent value with your Velocity Points. It’s relatively easy to earn 80,000 Velocity Points or more with a single credit card sign-on bonus (usually with an annual fee under $300). Considering that the actual retail value of these cabins is in the range of $3,000-$4,000, you’ll be getting a sweet deal with Velocity Points.
Update: Velocity members who redeemed points for this offer may have received an email from Virgin Voyages on 26 September 2023 which is missing the Access Key. Some emails have been resent with the Access Key included, and we understand that Virgin Voyages will endeavour to send out the remaining emails within 24 hours.
How do I redeem Velocity Points for Virgin Voyages?
At the time of writing, the only way to use Velocity Points for Virgin Voyages is to redeem points for an ‘Access Key’ on the Velocity Rewards Store. (Velocity does say that a ‘long term arrangement’ for earning and using points for cruises will launch eventually).
But for now, these Access Keys can then be swapped for a cabin on selected sailings from December 2023 to March 2024. Yes – the keys are valid per cabin and can be redeemed for one or two people with no difference in cost.
As of 21 September 2023, these are the routes from Melbourne you can use an Access Key on.
| Route | Dates | Nights |
|---|---|---|
| Melbourne to Hobart (and back) | 16/12/2023 – 21/12/2023 | 5 nights |
| Melbourne-Burnie Getaway | 23/01/2024 – 27/01/2024 | 4 nights |
| Melbourne to Hobart (& Back) | 27/01/2024 – 01/02/2024 | 5 nights |
| Melbourne, Sydney & Hobart | 01/02/2024 – 07/02/2024 | 6 nights |
| Melbourne to Tasmania (& Back) | 22/02/2024 – 27/02/2024 | 5 nights |
| Melbourne & Hobart Holiday | 27/02/2024 – 02/03/2024 | 4 nights |
| Melbourne to Melbourne (& Burnie) | 02/03/2024 – 05/03/2024 | 3 nights |
And if you’re departing from Sydney, you’ve got three choices to consider.
| Routes | Dates | Nights |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney to Hobart (& Back) | 11/02/2024 – 15/02/2024 | 4 nights |
| Sydney to Burnie (& Back) | 15/02/2024 – 19/02/2024 | 4 nights |
| Sydney, Melbourne & Burnie | 19/02/2024 – 22/02/2024 | 3 nights |
Sea Terrace (balcony) cabins on these cruises generally range from around AU$2,500 to AU$5,000. (It depends on the dates and the length of the sailing). One Access Key is valid for any of these above sailings, so obviously, the longer ones will be ‘better’ value. But overall, the return on your Velocity Points will be very good, whatever you choose.
Don’t have enough yet? Earn bonus sign-up Velocity Points and sail away in the future.
What happens when I redeem an Access Key?
Once you’ve redeemed the Access Key, the Velocity Points will be deducted immediately. Then, it’s a waiting game. It’ll take up to five Business days for Virgin Voyages to send the actual key itself. With my own key, I redeemed the points on Thursday evening and received the Access Key on Tuesday morning, which is effectively two business days.
Once you get the Access Key, hop onto the Virgin Voyages website to reserve the cruise that you want. But be quick, as cabins on each sailing may be limited.
There are quite a few T&Cs to be aware of, so browse the Velocity website carefully before buying. The key rules to be aware of include:
- There are no refunds of Velocity Points for this redemption if you change your mind.
- You may not get your desired sailing as cabin availability is limited and dependent on current availability when you use your Access Key on the Virgin Voyages website.
- The Access Key is valid for Sea Terrace and Limited View Seat Terrace cabin types only.
- For the current release, book on Virgin Voyages by 4 November 2023.
It’s pretty easy to book with an Access Key, once you receive it. Simply go to the eligible cruise you want, choose a Seat Terrace (or Limited View Sea Terrace) cabin for up to two people, and apply the key on the same page (before you enter sailor details) to bring the net cost down to zero.
That’s it – start counting down the days until you set sail!
The author redeemed an Access Key at his own expense with Velocity Points.
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Did you get a blank access key email from Virgin Voyages? If so, would love to see an article about your experience getting it resolved. Velocity has proven themselves to be completely utterly incompetent lately.