You paid your Virgin Voyages voyage in full, and now the price has dropped. The obvious question: can you get that difference back? The short answer is yes — but how you get it back, and whether it’s cash or credit, depends entirely on timing, fare class, and which path you take. A Virgin Voyages price drop after final payment doesn’t mean you’re out of luck, but the process works differently than most Sailors expect.
This article focuses specifically on what happens when your voyage is already fully paid. For a broader overview of all three repricing methods — including pre-payment scenarios — see our complete Virgin Voyages price match and reprice guide.
Virgin Voyages’ Best Price Guarantee is the only official, documented price-drop repricing mechanism available after booking. It allows you to submit a claim if the Voyage Fare drops within 48 hours of your booking confirmation being generated.
The critical distinction for fully paid bookings: you do not get a refund to your original payment method. Instead, Virgin issues what their terms call a “payment Future Voyage Credit” for the fare difference. That FVC can be applied to a future voyage or — according to the BPG FAQ — to purchase add-ons and Bar Tab credit.
This catches many Sailors off guard. They expect a credit card refund and instead receive a credit tied to Virgin Voyages. If you’re a repeat Sailor or planning to buy MNVVs onboard for future sailings, the FVC is still valuable. But it’s not cash back.
To qualify for a Best Price Guarantee adjustment, all of these must match between your existing booking and the lower price you’ve found:
That last bullet is the one that trips people up most. If your original booking included a promotional offer — say, an included Bar Tab or bonus Sailor Loot — and the new lower fare runs under a different promotion that isn’t combinable, your BPG claim will be denied.
Pro Tip: Before submitting a BPG claim, screenshot the current promotion on the Virgin Voyages website and compare it to the promo tied to your booking. If they’re different promotions, the claim will likely be rejected — even if the base fare is clearly lower.
The BPG window opens the moment your booking confirmation number is generated and closes exactly 48 hours later. You must submit the form — including a screenshot of the lower rate — within that window. The form must be submitted within that 48-hour window and no later than 7 days before embarkation.
Virgin states they’ll respond within 72 hours of your submission.
Missing this window is one of the most common mistakes Sailors make. Many don’t even check prices in the first two days after booking because they assume a price drop policy works like a hotel or airline — available anytime before travel. Virgin’s does not.
Once the 48-hour BPG window closes, there is no guaranteed repricing policy for fully paid bookings. This is the part Virgin doesn’t make obvious, and it’s where Sailor frustration tends to spike.
Virgin’s published policies are clear: the Best Price Guarantee is a 48-hour program. Period. Any price adjustment after that window is not documented, not promised, and not something you can count on.
That said, Sailor community reports paint a more nuanced picture. Some Sailors report calling Sailor Services after a significant price drop — weeks or even months after booking — and receiving a Future Voyage Credit for the difference. Others report being told “no” by one agent, then calling back and getting a different answer. Some report success only after mentioning they’d rather cancel and rebook.
These are anecdotal outcomes, not policy. Results vary by agent, timing, how far the price dropped, and how far out the voyage is. Do not plan your booking strategy around this possibility.
Pro Tip: If you’re outside the BPG window and the price drops significantly, your strongest move may be working with a First Mate at Serious Sailors who can advocate on your behalf. First Mates have direct agency channels and understand which fare adjustments are realistic to pursue.
The BPG produces two different outcomes depending on your payment status at the time of approval:
| Payment Status | BPG Outcome | What You Receive |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit only (partial payment) | Voyage Fare is reduced | Lower remaining balance |
| Fully paid | Future Voyage Credit issued | FVC for the fare difference |
The deposit-only scenario is straightforward — Virgin adjusts your fare downward and your remaining balance shrinks. For fully paid bookings, the credit goes into your Virgin account as an FVC that can be used on a future sailing, add-ons, or Bar Tab.
This distinction matters when deciding when to book and when to pay. If you’re booking well in advance and only putting down the 20% deposit, a successful BPG claim reduces your actual out-of-pocket cost. If you’ve already paid in full, you’re locked into receiving credit rather than a lower fare.
Virgin Voyages offers a 10% Pay-in-Full discount when you pay the entire Voyage Fare 365 days or more before your sail date. It’s a strong incentive — but it creates a genuine wrinkle if the price later drops and you want to submit a BPG claim.
Here’s why: the Pay-in-Full discount is calculated after other discounts are subtracted, then applied as 10% off that adjusted fare. But the BPG terms don’t explicitly explain how the Pay-in-Full discount is preserved — or recomputed — in a BPG adjustment scenario.
A few scenarios to consider:
This is one of the least-discussed complications in the repricing process. The BPG compares Voyage Fares — but your effective fare after a Pay-in-Full discount may already be lower than the “sale” price you’ve spotted.
Pro Tip: Before submitting a BPG claim on a Pay-in-Full booking, do the math yourself. Calculate 10% off your original Voyage Fare (after other discounts) and compare that to the new listed fare. If the new fare is still lower, proceed. If not, the claim likely won’t benefit you — or won’t be approved.
Absolutely. Your fare class determines not just BPG eligibility, but also your fallback options if repricing doesn’t work out.
Lock It In and Base fare bookings are non-refundable. No cancellation flexibility, no Future Voyage Credit if you cancel, no date changes. If you’ve paid in full on a Lock It In fare and the price drops outside the 48-hour BPG window, your only documented option is the BPG itself — and only if you’re still within that window. For the full breakdown on Lock It In repricing, see our Lock It In rate reprice guide.
Essential and Premium fare bookings offer more flexibility. If you cancel 46 or more days before sailing, you can receive a Future Voyage Credit for eligible payments. This creates a potential — if aggressive — workaround: cancel and rebook at the lower fare. But you’d need to weigh whether the new booking might lose a promotional offer your original booking carried. For a full comparison of these tiers, see Base Tier vs Lock It In rate.
Under 45 days or fewer from departure, all payments are final across all fare types. No repricing. No cancellations. The only option, where permitted, is a Sailor Swap — limited name changes up to 48 hours before the voyage.
If you’re outside the BPG window and the price drop is substantial, some Sailors consider canceling and rebooking at the lower rate. This can work — but only under specific conditions.
You’ll need an Essential or Premium fare class booking, since Lock It In and Base fares are non-refundable. You’ll need to be at least 46 days from sailing to receive a Future Voyage Credit for eligible payments. And the lower fare needs to be available in the same cabin category, because there’s no guarantee your specific stateroom — or even the category — will still have availability after cancellation.
The risk: your FVC from the cancellation is valid for up to one year from the original voyage date. If the new fare isn’t available or the promo terms have changed, you’re sitting on credit instead of a confirmed voyage. And if you had a Bar Tab or Sailor Loot bundled with your original booking, those perks don’t transfer.
Booking Tip: Never cancel a fully paid booking to chase a lower fare without first confirming the new fare’s availability, promo inclusions, and cabin assignment. Your First Mate at Serious Sailors™ can run this comparison before you make any changes — preventing the kind of costly mistakes that happen when Sailors rush to rebook on their own.
| Window | What’s Available |
|---|---|
| Within 48 hours of booking | Submit BPG claim; receive FVC for fare difference |
| 48+ hours after booking, 46+ days from sailing | No guaranteed reprice; cancel/rebook possible on Essential/Premium only |
| 45 days or fewer from sailing | All payments final; no repricing; Sailor Swap only (where permitted) |
Virgin issues a payment Future Voyage Credit for the fare difference. The FVC can be applied to a future voyage, add-ons, or Bar Tab purchases. You will not receive a refund to your original payment method.
No. The BPG applies only to the Voyage Fare. Sailor Loot, Bar Tab, bundled air rates, and other add-ons are explicitly excluded from the program.
No. Bundled rates (such as Air + Voyage packages) are excluded. The lower fare must also be combinable with any promotions on your existing booking — if the promos conflict, the claim is ineligible.
No. BPG is only available for bookings made directly through virginvoyages.com, Sailor Services, or a registered First Mate. Tour operator bookings are excluded.
A Virgin Voyages price drop after final payment doesn’t leave you empty-handed — but the path to recovery is narrower than most Sailors assume. The 48-hour BPG window is your best official tool, and fully paid bookings receive Future Voyage Credit rather than a refund. Outside that window, outcomes are inconsistent and never guaranteed. Your First Mate at Serious Sailors can monitor fares, run the math on Pay-in-Full discount complications, and help you decide whether a cancel-and-rebook strategy is worth the risk — before you make a move you can’t undo.
