Virgin Voyages Lock-It-In rates offer some of the lowest fares across the fleet — but that discount comes with a strict trade-off. Once you book a Lock-It-In fare, the price is fixed. No fare adjustments. Virgin Voyages Lock-It-In repricing is not available, even if fares for the same sailing drop significantly after you book. This is the single most important thing to understand before committing to a GTY fare. This guide covers exactly why repricing doesn’t apply, how Lock-It-In differs from other fare types on this front, and what your options are if you want price-drop protection built into your booking.
Lock-It-In fares are designed as deep-discount, no-flexibility bookings. Virgin offers a lower price in exchange for removing every lever you’d normally have to adjust your booking — including repricing. The Ticket Contract states that once a cabin is allocated as a Lock-It-In Guaranteed Booking, Virgin “is unable to accept any changes requested.” That language is broad and absolute.
For bookings made on or after October 7, 2025, Virgin’s Pre-Voyage Policies are even more explicit: Lock-It-In payments are “100% non-refundable (excluding taxes and fees)” with “no grace period, no date or name changes, and no Future Voyage Credit.” There’s no mechanism to cancel and rebook at a lower price, because you can’t cancel without losing your full fare.
Sailors who have sailed on other cruise lines — where repricing before final payment is standard — frequently assume the same applies here. It doesn’t. Virgin Voyages treats Lock-It-In as a completely separate fare class with its own rules, and repricing is not one of the tools available to you.
This is where the policy gets murky — and where many Sailors get tripped up. Virgin Voyages offers a Best Price Guarantee that allows you to submit a claim if you find a lower fare within 48 hours of booking (with submissions accepted up to 7 days before embarkation). If approved, you either get a reduced fare or a Future Voyage Credit for the difference.
The catch: the Best Price Guarantee terms require the lower fare to match the same “fare class (i.e., Base, Essential, or Premium).” Lock-It-In is not listed. It’s categorized as a GTY (Guaranteed) fare — a separate designation with its own booking codes (IZ, VZ, TZ, RZ, MZ). The terms don’t explicitly exclude Lock-It-In by name, but they also don’t include it. In practice, Sailors often report that Virgin declines Best Price Guarantee claims on Lock-It-In bookings.
Pro Tip: The Best Price Guarantee is not an open-ended “reprice anytime” policy for any fare type. It requires a claim within 48 hours of booking with proof of a lower publicly available fare. Even on eligible fare types, the window is narrow. If you want price-drop protection, you need a fare class that’s eligible for the Best Price Guarantee — not Lock-It-In.
Your fare stays exactly where it is. No matter what happens to pricing on the same sailing — a flash sale, a seasonal promotion, a fare drop in your cabin category — Virgin will not adjust a Lock-It-In booking. Sailors who contact Virgin about a price drop on their Lock-It-In fare are typically told the rate is fixed and no adjustment is possible.
This applies regardless of timing. Whether the price drops the day after you book or three months later, the outcome is the same. And because the fare is 100% non-refundable with no grace period, you can’t cancel and rebook at the lower rate either — you’d forfeit everything you’ve paid (excluding taxes and fees) with no Future Voyage Credit.
Lock-It-In rates are also often excluded from additional promotions. If Virgin launches a new promotion that includes bonus Sailor Loot or a complimentary Bar Tab, Lock-It-In bookings may not be able to be switched to that offer. The Virgin Offer Terms & Conditions frequently exclude Lock-It-In cabins from promotional perks like included Bar Tabs.
The repricing gap between Lock-It-In and other Virgin Voyages fare tiers is significant. Here’s how they stack up under the October 2025 policy framework:
| Feature | Lock-It-In (GTY) | Essential | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repricing if fares drop | No | Limited (Best Price Guarantee) | Limited (Best Price Guarantee) |
| Best Price Guarantee eligible | Not listed | Yes | Yes |
| Cancellation refund | Non-refundable | FVC (119–45 days) | FVC (119–45 days) |
| Name/date changes | None | Limited | Full flexibility |
| Cabin selection | Assigned by Virgin | You choose | You choose |
Essential and Premium fares cost more upfront but preserve eligibility for the Best Price Guarantee — which can more than offset the initial price difference. For a deeper breakdown of Base Tier vs Lock-It-In trade-offs, we’ve covered that in detail.
Repricing isn’t the only restriction. Lock-It-In fares are also excluded from several other benefits that standard fare types enjoy:
If you book Lock-It-In more than 120 days before sailing, only the 20% deposit is required at booking. The remaining balance isn’t due until 120 days before departure. Since every dollar you pay on a Lock-It-In fare is non-refundable, paying only the required deposit until final payment limits your total exposure if your plans change. You’ll still lose the deposit — but that’s less painful than losing the full fare.
One of the most common mistakes Sailors make is booking Lock-It-In assuming they have a 7-day window to cancel with a full refund. They don’t. Lock-It-In has no grace period — your payment becomes non-refundable immediately. This is different from Essential and Premium fares, which offer a 7-day grace period when booked 120+ days before sailing.
Lock-It-In often appears to be the cheapest option — and on day one, it usually is. But a slightly higher Essential or Premium fare that is eligible for the Best Price Guarantee can end up costing less if you spot a lower fare within 48 hours of booking. Factor in promotional perks, cabin selection, and repricing eligibility before locking in. Our full Lock-It-In Rate guide covers the complete picture.
Pro Tip: If you’re holding a My Next Virgin Voyage (MNVV) certificate, you’ll almost always get more value applying it to a more flexible fare type. Lock-It-In Rates are excluded from the My Next Virgin Voyage offer.
Lock-It-In isn’t a bad fare — it’s a specific fare for a specific type of Sailor. It makes sense when:
For more context on when to book Virgin Voyages and how timing affects fare strategy, that guide covers seasonal patterns and deal cycles worth knowing.
Virgin Voyages Lock-It-In repricing is not available — and the Best Price Guarantee does not clearly cover Lock-It-In fares. The fare is locked the moment you book, and all voyage fare payments are non-refundable (excluding taxes and fees). If price-drop protection matters to you, book a fare type that supports it. And if you want help figuring out which fare type gives you the best total value for your sailing, our full repricing guide covers every scenario — or reach out to a Serious Sailors™ First Mate to build a booking strategy that keeps your options open.
