Loyalty perks?

[Cloud9 Bob]

I sailed VV once in June of 2022 and again in June of 2023. Am I eligible for any loyalty benefit and is it automatic or must you sign up somewhere?

[Lustate]

45 minutes ago, Cloud9 Bob said:

I sailed VV once in June of 2022 and again in June of 2023. Am I eligible for any loyalty benefit and is it automatic or must you sign up somewhere?

Hi, You currently would qualify as a Sea Rover, as you will have said twice between January 2022 and December 2023. If you sail again before the end of December you will automatically get the deep blue extras package added to your booking. If you sail in 2024, they have not announced the perks you would get, but you would get an extra $100 for every $300 you add to the bar tab before you set sail. 

Edited July 28, 2023 by Lustate

[cantgetin]

It should be automatic, but all things VV can be a bit odd.  If you have a sailing in 2023, you should see "deep blue extras" under "add ons" in your account.  If you don't see it, call your TA or fight with VV yourself.  No one knows what will happen as of January 1 2024.

[Fogcityca13]

They said it takes week after your qualifying cruise for them to automatically add the Sea Rover. If you haven’t seen the perks yet reach out to your TA or Sailor Services. My TA is working on getting my Sea Rover status set up.

[Cloud9 Bob]

I will give them a call and see if I currently have Sea Rover and If I sail in 2023 a third time I will do the same with Deep Blue. I’m still foggy about one thing though…does Sea Rover or Deep Blue expire or once you have them or do you enjoy the benefits for the life span of the company?

[Fogcityca13]

My understanding is Sea Blazers and Sea Rovers will maintain those names/badges for the foreseeable future. I’m unsure if the bar tab bonuses will carry over, they did say that they would. The Deep Blue Extras perks are to be determined for sailings after Dec 31, 2023. Currently you get DBE by being a Sea Blazer/Rover or qualify for the loyalty match program.

[jon81uk]

21 minutes ago, Cloud9 Bob said:

I will give them a call and see if I currently have Sea Rover and If I sail in 2023 a third time I will do the same with Deep Blue. I’m still foggy about one thing though…does Sea Rover or Deep Blue expire or once you have them or do you enjoy the benefits for the life span of the company?

Sea Rover status lasts for two years. Deep Blue Extras only runs to the end of 2023 and currently we don’t know what will be offered in 2024.

 

The only definite is that Sea Rover gets you $100 bonus bar tab on $300 spend for two years. Sea Blazer (did a cruise in 2021) is a lifetime benefit. 

[Fogcityca13]

39 minutes ago, jon81uk said:

Sea Rover status lasts for two years.  

Thanks for the clarification. I wonder if the new loyalty program will require you to maintain a yearly spend like airline loyalty programs. 

[Cloud9 Bob]

Well, I called the VV customer service help line a few minutes ago to confirm my Sea Rover status. Seems simple enough...right? Agent was cluless and put me on hold. After at least five minutes of overly loud techno hold music I hung up. Oh well, there's always tomorrow.  🤣

[cantgetin]

5 hours ago, Cloud9 Bob said:

I will give them a call and see if I currently have Sea Rover and If I sail in 2023 a third time I will do the same with Deep Blue. I’m still foggy about one thing though…does Sea Rover or Deep Blue expire or once you have them or do you enjoy the benefits for the life span of the company?

Virgin has been "working on" their loyalty program for over a year.  No one knows what will happen after Jan 1, 2024.  Presumably you will keep the Sea Rover status earned by number of cruises (they have kept the Sea Blazer designation).  But no one knows what benefits will be conferred by that designation.  The $100 bonus on beverage packages was advertised as good for 2 years.  Status match currently expires 1/1/2024.  

[Fogcityca13]

On 7/28/2023 at 2:23 PM, Cloud9 Bob said:

Well, I called the VV customer service help line a few minutes ago to confirm my Sea Rover status. Seems simple enough...right? Agent was cluless and put me on hold. After at least five minutes of overly loud techno hold music I hung up. Oh well, there's always tomorrow.  🤣

I used the chat feature today, terrible ui on iOS, and they were able to add Sea Rover Status to my account. DBE perks showed right up on the web page and app. 

[Cloud9 Bob]

So I just tried calling VV sailor services (yet again) to inquire about Sea Rover status on my account. Connection was poor and agent confirmed they were not in Florida, but Guatemala. Went through my spiel again and got the same 5 minute loud hold. Agent came back (after a 2nd five minute loud music hold) and said they "were not sure" if I had it or not. They said they would put in a request to tech services to find out and they would "let me know". Somehow I don't have a lot of confidence in the process so far and will not be holding my breath. 😂

 

Shouldn't this be computer automated...check date, check amount of cruises....if YES, post Sea Rover Status on account? You'd think I was asking for the eye color of every fourth VV crew member that had visited Epcot Center in the last five years.

[cantgetin]

Prior to my first VV cruise, my TA said that the best way to reach the US call center was to call at 8am Eastern time.  Yeah, I was in CA, so was getting up to call at 5am.  And yes, it should logically be automated.

The frustration of dealing with VV shoreside is one of the best reasons to use a TA.

[jon81uk]

10 hours ago, Cloud9 Bob said:

So I just tried calling VV sailor services (yet again) to inquire about Sea Rover status on my account. Connection was poor and agent confirmed they were not in Florida, but Guatemala. Went through my spiel again and got the same 5 minute loud hold. Agent came back (after a 2nd five minute loud music hold) and said they "were not sure" if I had it or not. They said they would put in a request to tech services to find out and they would "let me know". Somehow I don't have a lot of confidence in the process so far and will not be holding my breath. 😂

 

Shouldn't this be computer automated...check date, check amount of cruises....if YES, post Sea Rover Status on account? You'd think I was asking for the eye color of every fourth VV crew member that had visited Epcot Center in the last five years.

If you have a cruise booked the deep blue extras show under add ons. 

[Cloud9 Bob]

Lo and behold I login to email today and get a note from VV Sailor Services informing me that I now have Sea Rover status added to my profile. Yay!

[Gretchendz]

On 7/28/2023 at 5:23 PM, Cloud9 Bob said:

Well, I called the VV customer service help line a few minutes ago to confirm my Sea Rover status. Seems simple enough...right? Agent was cluless and put me on hold. After at least five minutes of overly loud techno hold music I hung up. Oh well, there's always tomorrow.  🤣

 

Congrats.

For future referance for others,  your TA can find the loyalty number you were assigned when you first cruised VV.

 

Then they can make sure you have credit for all cruises sailed.

Edited August 10, 2023 by Gretchendz

[Russiamomm]

My husband and I both have Sea Rover status, but it’s like pulling teeth to make Virgin recognize it.  It’s incredibly frustrating.  It’s always worked out in the end, but a lot of frustration along the way.  When we call them before the trip they confirm it.  On some voyages it shows in the App, but the port doesn’t see it.  Takes talks to managers at port who claim they don’t work for Virgin and need to check with Sailor Services onboard.  Ultimately it gets resolved, but I just don’t understand how their systems are so inept.

 

We’ve booked another trip for January.  But once again they’re revamping the program, so who knows what we’ll get.

 

Love the product, but it’s time that they straighten out some of these issues and come up with a permanent loyalty program.

[cantgetin]

All of our VV sailings have been as a twosome.  Initially we both applied and were granted Sea Rover status thru the status match, but then magically, they can never locate mine.  It hasn't mattered as benefits are per cabin, but is highly frustrating.