back Back to all guides

Lock It In Rates (GTY)

Lock It In Rates by Virgin Voyages offer discounted cabin bookings without a specific cabin assignment. The exact cabin is assigned closer to departure, ensuring a guaranteed category or potential upgrade.

This guide was last updated on by . If you spot any errors or missing information, please let us know.

Lock It In Rate
Lock It In Rate © Photo by Virgin Voyages

What is a Lock It In Rate?

Lock It In Rates are special booking options offered by Virgin Voyages. They allow Sailors to book a cabin at a discounted rate without a specific cabin assignment at the time of booking. Instead, sailors are guaranteed the lowest meta category they select, and the exact cabin will be assigned closer to the voyage start date.

For example, if you book a Sea Terrace, you will be guaranteed a Limited View Sea Terrace or Sea Terrace: (Slightly) Smaller Balcony (Brilliant Lady). Occasionally, you may be upgraded to a higher meta-category. These rates are highly discounted but come with certain restrictions.

When Are They Offered?

Virgin Voyages may offer a Guaranteed (GTY) Booking at the Lock It In rate, this is typically an option available as a sailing gets closer to sail to ensure the ship is filled up to capacity. Once your booking is confirmed, you may be upgraded to a superior category at the discretion of Virgin Voyages. You are guaranteed the minimum category of cabin you booked, and the cabin will be suitable for the number of guests.

Legacy Fare – Booked Before October 7, 2025

If you booked a Lock It In Rate under the Legacy Fare, your inclusions remain the same. These include Classic WiFi and a 60-day dining reservation window, alongside the standard Lock It In restrictions listed below.

VoyageFair Choices – Booked On or After October 7, 2025

If you book a Lock It In Rate after October 7, 2025 under VoyageFair Choices, the restrictions are more limited compared to the Legacy Fare version:

All other Lock It In conditions remain the same.

Cons of All “Lock It In” GTY Bookings

  • No Cabin Changes: Once assigned, cabin changes are not allowed, this means you could be left with a less desirable cabin that has no hammock or a metal balcony
  • No Date Changes: Cruise date changes are restricted, and no future voyage credit will be provided if you change your cruise date.
  • Late Assignment: Some voyages may only assign cabins up to 2 days in advance of your cruise. 
  • No Refunds: There are no refunds available once booked (even within seven days, as per their other policies.) and  they are not eligible for flexible policies.
  • Unknown Cabin: You may not know your cabin number until your sail date, as assignments can occur up to and including the day you sail.
  • Upgrading Restrictions: If you want to use the Virgin Voyages bidding upgrade system you may not be able to bid until your cabin number is assigned.
  • MNVV Restrictions: You can not use a My Next Virgin Voyage Placeholder on Sea Terrace Lock It In Rates (it can however be used on Rockstar and Mega Rockstar Lock It In Rates)
  • Solo Travelers Beware: Because of the way the category system is structured, Solo Insider and Solo Sea View cabins are ranked higher than standard Insider and Sea View options. This means it may actually be cheaper to book a regular cabin rather than a Lock-It-In rate for these specific categories as you could be assigned a worse cabin that is worth less.

Additionally, if you book back-to-back cruises with one or more as Lock It In GTY bookings, you may be assigned different cabins/suites for each cruise, requiring a move between cabins/suites on the changeover day.

Cabin balcony with a view of machinery and life boats
An example of a limited view sea terrace, either blocked by machinery or life boats© Photo by Virgin Voyages

Cabin Categories

Virgin Voyages categorizes cabins into MetaCategories and Categories. For example, if you book a Lock It In Sea Terrace cabin (Rank 19), you will pay a lower price than usual for a Sea Terrace cabin. You may be upgraded to an XL Sea Terrace (Rank 15) or a higher category. You can only work your way up the ranking system once booked.

Meta Category Category Rank
Mega RockStar Quarters Massive Suite 1
Fab Suite 2
Posh Suite 3
Gorgeous Suite 4
Mega RockStar Quarters Lock It In Rate 5
RockStar Quarters Brilliant Suite 6
Cheeky Corner Suite – Biggest Terrace 7
Cheeky Corner Suite – Even Bigger Terrace 8
Cheeky Corner Suite – Pretty Big Terrace 9
Seriously Suite 10
Sweet Aft Suite – Biggest Terrace 11
Sweet Aft Suite – Even Bigger Terrace 12
Sweet Aft Suite – Pretty Big Terrace 13
RockStar Quarters Lock It In Rate 14
Sea Terrace Cabins XL Sea Terrace 15
Central Sea Terrace 16
The Sea Terrace 17
Limited View Sea Terrace 18
Sea Terrace Lock It In Rate 19
Sea View Cabins Solo Sea View (Solo Sailors Only) 20
The Sea View 21
Sea View Lock It In Rate 22
Insider Cabins Solo Insider (Solo Sailors Only) 23
The Insider 24
Social Insider 25
Insider Lock It In Rate 26


For more information on booking policies, visit Virgin Voyages Terms and Conditions.

About the author

Co-Founder and Editor. Blending technical know how from the iOS world with a love for Virgin Voyages with over 20 sailings around the world.

back Back to all guides

29 Comments

  1. Jenn says:
    30 October 2025 at 23:05

    Two months, multiple calls to Sailor Services, and still no cabin assignment — even though I booked my MNVV under a regular cabin rate, not a GTY. My cruise leaves in two days and I’m starting to think I paid for a “mystery cabin” experience instead of a specific one.

    Reply
    1. Rob Sammons says:
      31 October 2025 at 18:58

      You should reach out to your First Mate to assign the cabin.

      Reply
  2. RUTH says:
    11 September 2025 at 22:15

    I was put in a lock it in rate without knowing. I found out when the rate of the cruise went down a few days later and I asked if I could get the discount. I was told then that I was on a locked rate. Still not knowing what that meant I tried adding my nephew to my booking and was told I could but he would have to pay the going rate on top of what I paid which would put us up to 1600.00. Still I didn’t understand what this locked in rate was that I paid almost 1100.00 for. When I investigated I found out what this locked in rate was about and when I booked the cruise all that time I thought I had booked a solo cabin. To my surprise I asked the agent what was I booked for and he said it was not a solo cabin it was just a cabin at a lower rate and that I won’t know which cabin I’m going to get until a few days before sailing. I have never heard of such a thing. This is not my first time cruising, but, it is my first on Virgin Voyages. I thought it was weird that I was not assigned a cabin like the rest of my family, who by the way paid a lot less and already have assigned cabins. I’m afraid ill end up with a bad cabin. V V won’t help me. I called and explained the situation so we can solve this but they refused to help me. I waa told nothing could be done. The agent made this decision without explaining what he did and I’m stuck. I thought I booked a solo cabin seeing that the price I paid was higher than what the rate was then. Can anyone please help me? How has GTY worked for anyone? I don’t even know what cabin category he booked me for

    Reply
    1. Rob Sammons says:
      11 September 2025 at 22:21

      Sounds like you need a better agent, next time give us a shout (https://vvinsider.com/voyage-enquiry/) we’ll explain properly what a lock-it-in rate is as you can see above we have the knowledge on this.

      You are unfortunately locked in entirely, however not all is lost, it can sometimes work in your favor and you’ll get a better cabin. You can also place an upgrade bid too we usually suggest a Central Sea Terrace as these are the least problematic cabins.

      Other than that your cabin will be assigned up to 24 hours before, we’d suggest using our Cabin Lookup Tool to check for any issues with that cabin. Put your cabin number in here it’ll tell you if there’s any cons for the cabin https://vvinsider.com/cabins/

      Reply
      1. RUTH says:
        12 September 2025 at 06:25

        My thing is that I paid for it, this was not a gift and I should have had a say on whether I wanted to be on a lock it in rate. I promise you I would have rejected it. I work for my money and this agent had no right to choose for me and on top of that not mention to me or even explain to me this lock it in rate thing. I found out by mistake and V V should have investigated this situation when I reached out to them. Instead their response was “sorry but, no one can help you!” And then tell me what I can not do. Well, by the time I called V V I already did some research and found out all the “i can’t do”! I feel that my rights as a customer were violated and I wasn’t even offered a chance to remedy what this agent did. Then I read further down how this lady paid on this program, if I may call it that, and her cabin was worth less than what she paid for. That is exactly what I don’t want to happen to me. I want my money’s worth, I deserve that much!. This program should be illegal. It’s only making V V money and stealing from customers. At least this is how I feel and rightly so. I’ll keep Rob Sammons in mind for a next time especially if I do a second cruise with VV. In the meantime I am hoping and praying that it all works in my favor.

        Reply
        1. Rob Sammons says:
          12 September 2025 at 09:14

          Fingers crossed for a good cabin!

  3. Karla says:
    31 August 2025 at 00:39

    I booked an insider at a Locked In rate. Now I see that a sea terrace for the sailing is less than what I paid for the locked in rate insider. Is there an possibility of an upgrade?

    Reply
    1. Rob Sammons says:
      31 August 2025 at 00:54

      You can’t upgrade or change as it’s locked in unfortunately

      Reply
  4. Steven G says:
    21 July 2025 at 16:20

    Thanks for this guidance. I have booked a lock-it-in on a Sea Terrace. Voyage is 20 days away, but FYI I have been able to place bids, despite having no cabin no. assigned.

    A couple of q’s please:

    1. There seems to be many only Rockstar suites available on the Istanbul [11 nights]. Does this mean we have a chance of jumping rankings if availability is low?

    2. Assuming we don’t find out until at least 24hours, am I able to cancel our Splash of Romance at such short notice?

    Reply
    1. Rob Sammons says:
      21 July 2025 at 16:25

      They may cancel the bids off it’s not a guarantee. Current availability can fluctuate and it’s going to vary how many others have bid too. Typically rockstar upgrades are assigned a little further from the voyage. Splash of Romance per their terms and conditions can be cancelled up to 48 hours before.

      Reply
  5. Heather says:
    23 April 2025 at 15:21

    I booked a Lock It In rate insider with $600 deposit and then purchased Splash of Romance around $300. My final payment is about a month away. So, to clarify, I can cancel the Splash of Romance package and get the $300 refunded but I would lose the $600 deposit? Thanks

    Reply
    1. Rob Sammons says:
      23 April 2025 at 19:12

      Yes Splash of Romance should be refundable Heather 🙂 but any other money put in to the voyage fare wouldn’t be refunded.

      Reply
  6. Rich says:
    23 March 2025 at 21:51

    Hello! We recently booked a Lock It In Rate Mega Rockstar. We sail in just about 20 days and it looks like all Mega room types are available. Any idea on what we might be assigned? Do upgrade bids get assigned before us? We’ve never done a Lock It In, but really wanted to give Mega a try.

    Reply
    1. Rob Sammons says:
      24 March 2025 at 00:01

      Likely a Gorgeous then if everything is available, I have known someone to get a Posh on a lock-it-in, it’s great to find a lock-it-in mega rate! You should be assigned before upgrades happen

      Reply
  7. Alex says:
    23 March 2025 at 06:00

    What is usually the highest upgrade a LIIR sea terrace might get up graded to?

    Reply
    1. Rob Sammons says:
      23 March 2025 at 09:47

      Central Sea Terrace is the best I’ve seen

      Reply
  8. Eleanor jones says:
    5 February 2025 at 17:55

    If I booked a lock it in insider and the change my room to sea view 18 days out from departure, is there such luck as for them to move me to a sea terrace closer to the time

    Reply
    1. Rob Sammons says:
      5 February 2025 at 22:44

      No once assigned they won’t change it again. You can however upgrade using the bidding system https://vvinsider.com/guides-and-faqs/guide/upgrading-your-cabin/

      Reply
  9. Vince says:
    27 January 2025 at 12:10

    If we book a sea terrace with lock it in rate at lets say 5.7k and I have to pay 1k as initial deposit. if the lock it in rate later drops to 3.5k, can I book again with the same names on this category and just cancel the previous one? I know the 1k deposit will be forefit but that’s still cheaper overall. I just hope that I won’t be disqualified with no cabin left at the end.

    Reply
    1. Rob Sammons says:
      27 January 2025 at 14:46

      Hi Vince, you are correct that you’d lose a deposit and any money paid on the balance so far (so keep the pay in full till the very last moment), you would however receive some taxes refunded. Do let us know if you need any help booking http://www.vvinsider.com/book

      Reply
  10. Darrell Byrd says:
    15 January 2025 at 19:28

    If I booked a lock it in rate for an insider for 1 person would I be allowed to add a guest before sailing?

    Reply
    1. Rob Sammons says:
      15 January 2025 at 19:32

      Good question, not 100% sure but I’d believe the answers no. Safest option would be to book and leave sailor 2 blank you can change that sailor up to 48 hours before. I think you could still remove that sailor and get taxes and fees back.

      Reply
  11. Chadwick says:
    6 January 2025 at 02:31

    Are there any records of which deck the aft and cheeky corner suites are on based on terrace size? I believe “biggest” to smallest is top down, but do we know which decks they change categories?

    Reply
    1. Rob Sammons says:
      6 January 2025 at 13:31

      Here you go 🙂 three internal categories https://vvinsider.com/cabins/cabin-types/rockstar/cheeky-corner-suite/

      Reply
      1. Nigel says:
        13 January 2025 at 19:32

        Currently 13 nights 12th sept 2025 Portsmouth to Barcelona lock it in rate insider £4,942 vs Insider at £3,076 vs central sea terrace £4,918.

        How come the lock it in insider rate is so high?

        Is this an error, as I can not understand why on earth an insider lock it rate would be so high

        Thanks

        Reply
        1. Rob Sammons says:
          13 January 2025 at 19:38

          That is very bizarre! Sometimes the dynamic pricing gets a bit funky and they price them high, it was also just on sail and save so it potentially is being held back capacity wise. We have a price tracker on the page here for that voyage https://vvinsider.com/voyage/sc25091213npb/

  12. Doug says:
    3 January 2025 at 16:31

    Prior to booking a lock it in rate I was told the 7-Day grace period did apply for those bookings. I tried to cancel two days after booking but was told the deposit is not refundable. I can find no information indicating this anywhere.
    There should be more transparency on the lock it in rate stating that this rate is not eligible for any perks, benefits or 7 day grace period.

    Reply
    1. Vivian says:
      24 January 2025 at 16:01

      It happened to me as well, I asked them to show me where in their regulations said the 7 days grace period doesn’t apply to the Lock in rate? They didn’t reply me at all.
      I ended up giving up the deposit and rebook the Black Friday promotion!

      Reply
      1. Rob Sammons says:
        24 January 2025 at 16:21

        It’s in their terms “you are locked-in to that cruise date such that you will not get a refund or a future voyage credit if you cancel (to say it another way, money spent on GTY Bookings is non-refundable as Lock it in rate bookings do not qualify for the standard 7-day grace period)” https://www.virginvoyages.com/promotional-terms-and-conditions?item=4695ad12-5f43-436b-9381-2202b603cc51

        Reply

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

back Back to guides and FAQs