A visit to their airport might be fairly hectic and is commonly seen as a essential evil to get to the holiday on the opposite facet. However one Australian traveler, who’s going by the pseudonym Morgan to guard her id, was pleasantly stunned whereas flying Virgin Airways on November 16, 2023.
Together with greater than 150 different fliers touring from Melbourne to Hobart, Tasmania, Morgan was delighted when Virgin Voyages founder Sir Richard Branson joined the flight by way of FaceTime to announce that each one the grownup passengers on the aircraft had received a free cruise.
The aim of this stunt was to rejoice the arrival of Resilient Girl in Australia. The 2023-launched vessel was presupposed to start her inaugural season “down below” in December of 2023, the place she was meant to function sailings all through Australia and New Zealand primarily based out of Melbourne in Victoria.
Nonetheless, when tensions within the Pink Sea led to the cancellation of the two,770-passenger’s inaugural South Pacific Season, redeeming their free cruise turned quite a bit much less handy for Australian residents like Morgan.
Morgan had initially booked a cruise out of Brisbane, however when Virgin’s Australian cruises had been cancelled, the cruise line may solely supply her options in Europe or the Caribbean.
When the prize winner appeared up flights to the Caribbean, she noticed airfare would price greater than $8,000 to redeem her free prize – which is greater than the $7,000 worth of the cruise.
Morgan alleges that when she introduced her issues to Virgin’s staff, representatives stopped responding.
“Once I clarified this with Virgin’s PR staff they stopped responding.” Morgan informed the Australian Broadcasting Company. “We had been genuinely shocked, we thought Virgin would supply us with an alternate prize like a flight credit score … or they might permit us to rebook on a later season.”
As a small-business proprietor, paying hundreds of {dollars} to journey to and from the cruise port merely isn’t possible for Morgan and her companion.
Resilient Girl’s Inaugural Australia Season Cancelled
Whereas prize winners like Morgan aren’t pleased with Virgin Voyages in the meanwhile, the cruise line’s resolution to cancel Resilient Girl’s inaugural season within the area was made with the protection of passengers and crew members in thoughts.
Due to the continued battle within the Center East, it was deemed too dangerous for the 110,000-gross ton vessel to function her deliberate 44-night repositioning cruise from Athens, Greece, to Sydney, Australia.
Whereas the cruise line issued an apology to company like Morgan who had been priced out of redeeming their prize, in addition they stood by their resolution to place security first.
“We apologize to our winners who can now not redeem their prize as a result of cancellation of Virgin Voyages’ Australian and New Zealand cruises amid the battle within the Pink Sea,” stated a Virgin Australia Group spokesperson.
“We’re grateful that Virgin Voyages have provided all impacted company the chance to take complimentary cruises on its different worldwide sailings, together with in Europe and the Caribbean,” continued the spokesperson.
Virgin Voyages has provided free alternative cruises valued at $10,500 every, however has not provided any form of airfare compensation or stipend as of the time of publication.
Learn Additionally: Virgin Voyages’ Good Girl to Sail North America in 2025
If every part had gone to plan, the third of Virgin Voyages’ 4 ships would have provided 14-night sailings out of Melbourne from December 11, 2023, till March 27, 2024.
As an alternative, the newer vessel is at present homeporting in Athens, Greece, from the place she is providing a collection of 7-night cruises to locations like Break up, Croatia; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Kotor, Montenegro; Corfu, Greece; Bodrum, Turkey; Santorini, Greece; Rhodes, Greece; and Mykonos, Greece.
On the finish of August, Resilient Girl will reposition to homeport out of Portsmouth, England, from the place she is going to function a collection of shorter, 3 to 5-night European voyages.
In December, the ship will sail to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to start her inaugural season within the Caribbean. And in true Virgin Voyages trend, the cruise line celebrated by shocking over 160 Delta Air Strains passengers flying from Atlanta, Georgia, to San Juan with a free cruise of their very own.
The shock occasion, which occurred on February 29, 2024, was attended by Branson, who personally introduced the free cruises and greeted many shocked passengers individually.
