Deep Blue Perks confusion

[Maritime Mom]

Hello!

 

Experienced cruiser who just booked out first cruise with Virgin on the Southeastern Caribbean Isles in January 2024!  Based on the reviews, we are very excited to sail with them.

 

My RCI Diamond status was accepted by Virgin under their match program but the Deep Blue Perks doesn't apply to my 1/2024 sailing since it is after 12/31/23.  Question, is it worth us taking another Virgin cruise prior to 12/31/23 to qualify for the Deep Blue Perks?  If so, would those perks then continue to apply to future cruises, like my 1/2024 booking?  

 

I have a 24hr hold on a 4 day out of Miami to Key West and Bimini but want to understand this before we book.

 

Appreciate the help!!

[rebeccac]

At this point, nobody knows for sure what will happen January 2024.  They have been working on their own loyalty program for some time now and it is really hard to speculate on the specifics of what that program might be.  Personally, I wouldn't take a cruise just because it MIGHT help with the new program, but only you can decide if it works for you.  That being said, if I was already planning on another cruise, I wouldn't let whatever the new program might be, influence that decision either.  

[jon81uk]

I would just treat the loyalty benefits as a bonus don’t assume you will get anything. No one knows what 2024 will bring yet, just there will be a loyalty programme based on previous spend. 

[Maritime Mom]

Understood.  Thanks to you both.  My confusion was thinking I had to earn the Deep Blue Perks by 12/31/23 for it to apply moving forward.  Will wait to see what happens in 2024!

[cantgetin]

The only thing VV has said is that supposedly their program will be "better" than Deep Blue Extras.  Worth another cruise just to qualify?  That's a lot of money to get a few hundred in perks.

What you currently get is $100 bar tab (used to be a bottle of champagne), $10 per day credit at Grounds Club (specialty coffee and tea), premium wifi (cost $10 per day of cruise to purchase). priority boarding, a cocktail party invitation, some laundry, and probably some little things I forgot.  Bottom line, value is $100 + $20 per day of cruise.  The laundry would cost $30, we love having it on long cruises.  The rest is basically fluff.  It would take a lot of perks to equal the cost of a cruise!

[neverendingcruising]

You've already "earned" Deep Blue with your status match, you will get them on any sailing until the end of the year and if the trend continues and Deep Blue is extended for like the 3rd or 4th time you might just get them in January too!

[cantgetin]

Correct....you have qualified for DBE with either the status match or 2 cruises between the required dates.