One of the vital winners of Virgin Voyages’ unfastened cruise giveaways has publicly complained that redeeming her prize is changing into dearer than the prize itself.
An Australian lady who is going via the identify of Morgan says she received a unfastened cruise for herself and a spouse final November. The congratulatory notice from Virgin advertises, “A mixture of itineraries for the 2024/25 season can be to be had to guide, starting from 3 to 11 nights, departing from Australian and New Zealand ports.”
| After reserving a cruise from Brisbane to Tasmania, the corporate canceled its Australian itineraries in February on account of warfare within the Crimson Sea. Virgin Voyages introduced to interchange their cruise with a dearer one, crusing to the Caribbean or Europe, and itineraries value round $10,500. |
This didn’t take a seat effectively with Morgan, who claimed that the longer adventure may just price them as much as $8,000, greater than the $7,000 price of the unique prize.
The disgruntled winner raised the problem with Virgin Voyages’s PR group however stated they stopped speaking when she discussed that the flights have been expensive.
“We have been truly surprised, we idea Virgin would supply us with an alternate prize like a flight credit score… or they might let us rebook on a later season. They kind of gave up on us … like ‘you’re just a little of an issue now,” she narrated to ABC Information.
Will Virgin Voyages publish to public force?
Up to now, the Virgin Staff corporate has discussed no further repayment but even so accommodating its prize winners on selection itineraries and issuing an apology.
A spokesperson stated, “We express regret to our winners who can now not redeem their prize because of the cancellation of Virgin Voyages’ Australian and New Zealand cruises amid the warfare within the Crimson Sea.”
Virgin Voyages often promotes its cruises with elaborate and well-publicized giveaways. Despite the fact that this actual promotion backfired because of unexpected occasions, advertising professionals counsel that the corporate give away unfastened credit that may be used towards Virgin flights, cruises, and different go back and forth studies.
Virgin Voyages has 3 cruise ships, and a fourth vessel is nearing the general levels of development.