Virgin virgin needs help with cancellation info

[red lobster]

I was originally booked on one of the Brillant Lady sailing, rebooked after it was cancelled for the 8 night Eastern Antilles cruise. Now it looks like I need to cancel. I called Virgin and she was very sweet, said my insurance would give me a refund, or I could get a credit to use within 1 year, or I can sell. I went to the insurance website and they seem to need proof of a death, a Dr. letter, or Jury Duty ect. not the reasons I need to cancel. I want to make sure I understand, if I take the credit I must cruise within 1 year and I lose my 700 bar tab, and my 700 sailor loot, but if I am able to sell it to someone they would get to use the bar tab and loot. Can any of you that are more familiar with Virgin give me any guidance please.I have tried calling the person listed on my booking as the travel agent with Virgin and she does not answer or call me back.

Edited February 5 by red lobster
spelling error

[cantgetin]

Did you book directly with VV?  I'm concerned about an agent that they assigned not calling you back!

What I do know is that if you can find someone to buy your exact reservation (same dates, same cabin number), all the perks of the booking stay with that reservation, so they get them.  Yes, that means they get the bar tab and loot.  THe only point at which VV gets involved in the transaction is the name change; you or your TA lets them know of the new name and all needed identifying data.  Whether you sell the cruise for the price you paid (which is most common) or add on something for the perks they are getting...or sell for less as it is a last minute thing is between you and the buyer, as is the security of the financial transaction (do they pay you in cash, Paypal, or whatever.  VV has their money and beyond the legal issues, they don't care who is in the room.

If you bought insurance privately, you will be refunded only with proof of cancelation for one of the listed reasons in the policy.  If you booked insurance thru the cruise line...good luck!

If you cancel thru VV, what you paid in cruise fare should be applied to a FCC.  Technically they should refund your port charges, but I'll guess that they put that in FCC also.  Yes, you will lose all the perks you have on this cruise and will be eligible for whatever perks are offered on your new booking.  The exception to this is when VV cancels a cruise; in that case they do transfer your perks to your new sailing as the cancelation was on them, not on you.

 

Edited February 5 by cantgetin

[red lobster]

cantgetin,

 

My original booking was a paid in full through Virgin direct, they assigned it to a travel agent of their choosing. I did get insurance through Virgin, and I know most people won't understand, but the reason I want to cancel is because my dog although at the time I booked was healthy and happy, and I had someone to watch him, now has a health issue. I am not comfortable asking someone else to take care of him at this point, I'm 61 day's out. I appreciate your quick reply, I just wanted to make sure I understood my options. It's disappointing to have to cancel with all the great bonuses I had, but life happens.

[red lobster]

One other thing, at the time I booked I wish I had realized that travel agents are important when booking with Virgin, I wish I had known about Walter back then. I have been on over 40 cruises with other lines, but this would have been my 1st with Virgin.

[cantgetin]

2 hours ago, red lobster said:

One other thing, at the time I booked I wish I had realized that travel agents are important when booking with Virgin, I wish I had known about Walter back then. I have been on over 40 cruises with other lines, but this would have been my 1st with Virgin.

I strongly recommend a Gold Tier travel agent.  VV can be a real pain to deal with, and the agent can do it all for you.  If you know an agent, contact them now and see if they have a client who might want to purchase your reservation.  It can't hurt.

On another site, I'm seeing cruises posted at least weekly from people needing to cancel and realizing that selling the reservation is the best option.for them.

 

Edited February 5 by cantgetin

[crusinthrough]

On 2/5/2024 at 12:47 PM, red lobster said:

cantgetin,

 

My original booking was a paid in full through Virgin direct, they assigned it to a travel agent of their choosing.

I think Virgin direct is different from the website or calling the sailor line.  Your reservation is not assigned to a TA if you used the website or booked over the phone.  Sometimes the first website that pops up in a search is a sponsored website from a TA that looks similar to the cruise line website.  

 

I believe if you change the sail date you may be able to keep some of your promotions.  If you cancel you get a future certificate and lose the promotions.  Words matter in this instance. 

[red lobster]

Thank you all for helping me. I listed it on a FB group and sold it that same day. I hate that I won't get to go, but at least I didn't lose the money I had spent. I know I won't ever get as good a deal, so I may never get to try Virgin. 

[kriskd]

@red lobster Did you sell your cruise for what you paid or did you get more to make up for the lost sailor loot?  Regardless, how did the transaction go for you?  How did the buyer pay you and were there any trust issues?  Did the person who bought it indeed get the sailor loot connected to the reservation?

 

We're in a similar situation as you.  We have a rebooked cruise from the Brilliant Lady cancellation that we would now like to sell.  In our case, it is because we have been invited on a different VV cruise and we can't do both.  However, we are troubled that we are losing an expensive cruise (it's over New Year's) and a lot of sailor loot so we'd like to at least make up for the sailor loot we are losing.

Edited March 6 by kriskd

[WickedRed]

@red lobster just wanted to wish you well with your dog.  I totally get it.  I found out my dog has osteosarcoma (bone cancer) 2 days after returning from my first VV cruise.  Not sure what I would have done had I found out beforehand. 

[cantgetin]

8 hours ago, kriskd said:

@red lobster Did you sell your cruise for what you paid or did you get more to make up for the lost sailor loot?  Regardless, how did the transaction go for you?  How did the buyer pay you and were there any trust issues?  Did the person who bought it indeed get the sailor loot connected to the reservation?

 

We're in a similar situation as you.  We have a rebooked cruise from the Brilliant Lady cancellation that we would now like to sell.  In our case, it is because we have been invited on a different VV cruise and we can't do both.  However, we are troubled that we are losing an expensive cruise (it's over New Year's) and a lot of sailor loot so we'd like to at least make up for the sailor loot we are losing.

If you "sell" your reservation (as far as VV is concerned, it is a name change), then all the attachd benefits go with it--loot, complimentary bar tab, etc.  I've never heard of charging the purchaser for the attached loot....although on a private sale, you can do whatever you wish.  On the only sale site that I'm familiar with, you must sell for what you actually paid. 

[kriskd]

12 minutes ago, cantgetin said:

If you "sell" your reservation (as far as VV is concerned, it is a name change), then all the attachd benefits go with it--loot, complimentary bar tab, etc.  I've never heard of charging the purchaser for the attached loot....although on a private sale, you can do whatever you wish.  On the only sale site that I'm familiar with, you must sell for what you actually paid. 

 

Thank you.  I'm grappling with the ethical dilemma of charging more than we paid, but still well below the prevailing rate.  As I stated above, this was a rebook from the canceled Brilliant Lady sailings.  What VV did was allow people who were affected to preserve their rate and select any sailing as long as they stayed in the same cabin type.  They also offered a lot of sailor loot as an incentive to rebook rather than request a refund.  We picked a New Year's cruise which is selling for more than twice what we paid for the original cruise.  I just hate the thought of giving up this sort of special cruise and a lot of sailor loot.  The new cruise will cost us more than what we have invested in the New Year's Eve cruise.

 

In theory, it would still be a win-win for both parties if we sold it for what we paid plus the value of the sailor loot because the total price is still less than the prevailing rate.

 

Also since we are booking a new cruise the cleanest solution is to just move the deposit and if I don't feel we can ask for more than we paid that is probably what we'll do since it won't involve any else and figuring out payment.

 

Regardless I'd still like to hear @red lobster's experience.  Namely, how was payment handled and was it sold for what they paid?

[cantgetin]

It is not unethical to get the best you can out of your booking.  And my sis is in the same situation of having had her sailing canceled and getting a huge amount of loot for making with switch.  I have no idea how they will spend all the loot they ended up with as they started with an MNVV, gold tier agent, etc.

The cleanest way to sell a reservation is to go thru your agent who can assure that the money transfer is clean.  Using any other means, I'd want something like a cashier's check to be sure I actually got my money; there are too many scammers on the net!

[kriskd]

We already have inquired with our travel agent and they are only able to sell it for what we paid and no more.

 

In a way, I'd want to sell it to someone I know to feel comfortable with payment, but then I'd probably feel bad for asking more despite it being a great deal for them.