Future Voyage Credit (FVC)
How Future Voyage Credit works, when it is issued, what it can be used for, and how to apply it later.
What Is Future Voyage Credit (FVC) on Virgin Voyages?
Future Voyage Credit, usually shortened to FVC, is credit issued by Virgin Voyages that can be used toward a future sailing or current sailing add-ons. Instead of receiving a refund to your original payment method, the eligible value of your booking is converted into credit that can be applied to another Virgin Voyages reservation.
FVC is tied to the sailor who held the original booking and sits on the Virgin Voyages account until it is used. It is separate from Sailor Loot and should not be confused with onboard credit.
In most cases, sailors encounter Future Voyage Credit after cancelling an eligible sailing or when a booking is adjusted to a lower voyage fare and the difference is issued as credit.
When Future Voyage Credit Can Be Issued
Future Voyage Credit is most commonly issued in two situations: when an eligible booking is cancelled within the allowed cancellation window, or when a booking is re-priced to a lower voyage fare.
Cancelling an Eligible Booking
Virgin Voyages offers several fare types with different levels of flexibility. If you booked under one of the more flexible fares and cancel within the appropriate window before sailing, the voyage fare you paid can be issued back as Future Voyage Credit.
The fare types that generally allow this flexibility include:
If a booking under one of these fares is cancelled within the applicable cancellation window, the voyage fare deposit, up to 120 days before sail, or voyage fare, 120 to 46 days before sail, of the booking is typically converted into Future Voyage Credit.
Two fare types do not offer this flexibility. Lock It In rates and Base fares are non refundable. Cancelling these bookings will not generate Future Voyage Credit.
If you are unsure which fare you booked or how flexible it is, it is always worth checking the fare details before making changes.
Re-pricing to a Lower Voyage Fare
Occasionally the price of a sailing may drop after you have already booked. In some situations it may be possible to adjust the booking to the lower voyage fare.
This does not happen often and depends on the fare type, timing and availability, but when a re-price is allowed after payment has already been made the difference is typically issued as Future Voyage Credit rather than refunded to the original payment method.
This is one of the reasons many sailors prefer booking under a flexible fare such as Essential or Premium rather than a restricted fare like a Lock It In rate.
What Future Voyage Credit Can Be Used For
The main purpose of Future Voyage Credit is to pay toward a new Virgin Voyages sailing. When you make another booking, the credit can be applied as payment toward the overall reservation.
Future Voyage Credit can be used for the following:
- The voyage fare for a new sailing
- Or on a current booking:
- Pre-voyage Bar Tab purchases
- Sailor Loot in $25 increments
- Shore excursions
- Packages such as Splash of Romance or Splash for Your Bash
- Selected other pre-voyage add-ons
Unlike Sailor Loot, Future Voyage Credit is not standard onboard spending money and can not be applied once onboard, it needs converted before you set sail. Instead, it works more like a manual payment method that is applied to a booking by Sailor Services or a First Mate.
How to Apply Future Voyage Credit to a Booking
Future Voyage Credit cannot be applied automatically to add-ons or bookings through the Virgin Voyages website checkout process. Instead, it must be applied manually when the booking is being created, after it is placed on hold, or when eligible add-ons are being added to a current reservation.
Using a First Mate
If you are booking through a First Mate, they can apply your Future Voyage Credit directly to the reservation.
VV Insider can also apply Future Voyage Credit for you when helping with a booking. Simply reach out through the contact form with your sailing details and we can apply the credit when creating the reservation or updating an eligible booking.
Calling Sailor Services
You can also contact Virgin Voyages Sailor Services and ask them to apply your Future Voyage Credit while making a new booking or to eligible add-ons on a current reservation.
They will locate the credit associated with your account and apply it toward the voyage fare of the new sailing or any eligible add-ons.
When Future Voyage Credit Expires
Future Voyage Credit is not valid indefinitely. In most cases it expires one year after the final sail date of the original voyage that generated the credit.
That means the credit must be used within that one year window. The new sailing itself can take place later, but the booking must be created before the credit expires.
If you have Future Voyage Credit available, it is generally best to plan your next sailing well before the expiration date to make sure the credit does not go unused, as Virgin Voyages will not remind you.
Future Voyage Credit FAQs
Can Future Voyage Credit be used on a new booking?
Yes. Future Voyage Credit can be applied toward the voyage fare of a new Virgin Voyages sailing when the booking is created by Sailor Services or a First Mate.
Can Future Voyage Credit be used for add-ons?
Yes. Future Voyage Credit can also be applied to certain pre-voyage purchases such as Bar Tab, Sailor Loot in $25 increments, shore excursions, and packages like Splash of Romance.
Can Future Voyage Credit be refunded or transferred?
No. Future Voyage Credit is issued instead of a refund and cannot be converted back into cash. It can’t be transferred to another sailor.
How long is Future Voyage Credit valid?
Future Voyage Credit typically expires one year after the final sail date of the original voyage that generated the credit.
