Virgin Voyages Gift Cards: How to Gift a Cruise in 2026

Does Virgin Voyages sell gift cards? Not the way most people expect. As of July 2026, Virgin Voyages does not sell a traditional consumer gift card on its website. The only official “gift card” is a corporate program built for businesses. The good news: there are four reliable ways to gift a Virgin Voyages cruise — and we booked our own sailings, so we’ll show you the one that actually works best.

Every holiday season and wedding season we get the same question from readers and clients: “Can I just buy someone a Virgin Voyages gift card?” It’s a fair thing to want. Gift cards are easy. But Virgin Voyages runs its bookings differently than a mall gift shop, and the wrong “Virgin” card will leave your recipient with credit they can never spend at sea. Here’s the plain-English rundown from our team of Certified Virgin Voyages First Mates.

Does Virgin Voyages have a gift card?

There is exactly one card that carries the Virgin Voyages name officially, and it is a corporate (B2B) gift card. According to Virgin Voyages’ own gift card portal at virginvoyages-biz.cashstar.com, the program is designed to “reward employees, thank clients, and celebrate partners” — the cards are issued by Pathward, N.A. and supported through a business help desk (833.931.7655). It’s a genuine product, but it’s aimed at companies buying in volume, not a parent buying a honeymoon gift for their kids.

For everyday sailors, Virgin Voyages simply doesn’t offer a load-any-amount consumer gift card you can buy in five minutes and email to someone. That gap is exactly why this page exists — and why we steer clients toward the gifting methods further down that do work every time.

The “Virgin” cards that do NOT work on a cruise

This is where thousands of dollars get wasted every year. “Virgin” is a family of dozens of companies, and several of them sell gift cards that have nothing to do with the cruise line. Buy the wrong one and it cannot be redeemed toward a voyage. According to Virgin’s own gift-card terms, Virgin Gifts / Virgin Experience Gifts eGift Cards cannot be used on Virgin Voyages (or Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Galactic, Virgin Hotels, or Virgin Limited Edition) — they’re only good for the experiences sold on the Virgin Gifts website.

Card you might see	Where it’s sold	Works on a Virgin Voyages cruise?
Virgin Experience Gifts / Virgin Gifts eGift Card	Amazon, Target, Kroger, virgingifts.com	No — activities & experiences only
Virgin Red points / Virgin Group gift card	virgin.com	No — not accepted for cruise fare
“Cruise certificates” from third-party resellers	eBay and marketplace sellers	Risky — unofficial, easy to lose money
Virgin Voyages Corporate Gift Card	virginvoyages-biz.cashstar.com	Business use — not a retail consumer card

Rule of thumb: if a “Virgin” gift card is sitting on a rack at the grocery store, assume it is not for a Virgin Voyages cruise until you’ve confirmed it in writing. When in doubt, don’t guess — the four methods below are all official.

The 4 best ways to actually gift a Virgin Voyages cruise

Here’s the honest hierarchy we use with our own clients, from “gives the biggest wow” to “great little add-on.”

Method	How it works	Best for	Roughly what it costs
1. Book the cruise as the gift	Reserve a specific sailing in the recipient’s name; you can pay the deposit now and let them (or you) pay the balance later	Honeymoons, milestone birthdays, anniversary trips, a whole-family voyage	Deposit only to start (often $300 per sailor, or $0 during Virgin’s regular Zero Deposit promos)
2. My Next Virgin Voyage certificate	Buy a future-voyage offer (up to four at a time) that can be gifted and applied to a later booking	Giving flexibility when you don’t know their dates yet	Deposit-level payment by personal credit/debit card
3. Gift onboard credit / Bar Tab	Add prepaid spending money to a cruise they’ve already booked	Someone who’s already sailing and deserves a treat	Any amount you choose; Virgin often adds a bonus
4. Gift add-ons	Prepay a spa day, a Shore Thing excursion, or a specialty dinner on their reservation	Smaller, thoughtful gestures	Varies by item

1. Book the cruise itself (our top pick)

The cleanest “gift card” for a cruise is the cruise. You reserve a specific voyage, put down a deposit to lock the price, and hand over a reservation instead of a plastic card. There’s no risk of the credit expiring, no wondering whether it’s the right kind of Virgin card, and the recipient gets the thing they actually wanted: a booked vacation. Because Virgin Voyages deposits are refundable within the standard window and balances aren’t due until closer to sailing, you can gift the trip now and sort out the rest later. (See our Virgin Voyages deposit & payment schedule for exact timing, and our Virgin Voyages cost guide for what fares actually run.)

2. My Next Virgin Voyage

According to Virgin Voyages’ own My Next Virgin Voyage program, you can purchase future-voyage offers — up to four — to stock up on adventures or gift to friends and family. Deposits for these are paid with a personal credit or debit card (existing Future Voyage Credits, Sailor Loot, and corporate cards can’t be used to buy them). It’s the closest thing to a “cruise gift card” Virgin offers to individuals, and it’s handy when you want to give the idea of a voyage before the calendar is set.

3. Gift onboard credit and Bar Tab

If your person is already booked, the most useful gift is spending money for the ship. Virgin Voyages is cashless — everything runs through the Sailor App and their wristband — and the prepaid Bar Tab works almost exactly like loading a gift card before the voyage: you pick an amount, Virgin adds a bonus on top, and it covers cocktails, wine, coffee, and more across every bar onboard. You can also gift general onboard credit — our Sailor Loot guide explains how onboard credit is applied.

4. Gift add-ons (spa, dining, excursions)

For a smaller gesture, prepay a piece of their trip: a Redemption Spa treatment, a standout Shore Thing in port, or a reservation at one of the specialty restaurants (they’re all included, but a bottle of something nice at dinner is a lovely touch). These are easy to arrange on an existing reservation and feel personal.

The easiest way to gift a cruise: let us set it up

Because Virgin Voyages doesn’t sell a simple consumer gift card, the smoothest path is to have a travel advisor build the gift for you — especially for a honeymoon, an anniversary, or a surprise family voyage. As Pixie Vacations, we book Virgin Voyages every week, and there’s no fee for our help. We’ll find the right sailing and cabin, apply any current promo, hold the price with a deposit, and package it so the recipient opens a real, booked cruise — not a mystery card. If you want to add onboard credit or a Bar Tab on top, we’ll handle that too.

Ready to gift a voyage? Start at pixievacations.com/cruise/virgin-voyages, request a quote, or call us at 678-815-1584. Tell us the occasion and budget and we’ll do the rest. Gifting a wedding or honeymoon at sea? Our Virgin Voyages weddings & honeymoons guide is a great place to start.

A quick word on onboard spending

Once your gift recipient is aboard, remember Virgin Voyages is fully cashless and nearly all-inclusive — food, most drinks (sodas, coffees, teas), WiFi, and fitness classes are already covered, so gifted credit stretches further than it would on a traditional cruise line. If you’re new to how “included” works here, our guide to whether Virgin Voyages is all-inclusive breaks down exactly what you’ll (and won’t) pay extra for.

Frequently asked questions

Does Virgin Voyages sell gift cards to the public?

No. As of July 2026, Virgin Voyages does not sell a load-any-amount consumer gift card on its website. The only official Virgin Voyages gift card is a corporate/B2B program for businesses. To gift a cruise, book a sailing, buy a My Next Virgin Voyage certificate, or add onboard credit to an existing reservation.

Can I use a Virgin Experience Gifts card on a Virgin Voyages cruise?

No. Virgin Gifts / Virgin Experience Gifts eGift Cards (sold on Amazon, Target, and virgingifts.com) are only redeemable for experiences on the Virgin Gifts website and cannot be applied to a Virgin Voyages cruise, Virgin Atlantic flight, or other Virgin brands.

What is the best way to give someone a Virgin Voyages cruise as a gift?

Booking the actual cruise in their name is the best gift — there’s nothing to lose or misplace, and the price is locked with a deposit. If you don’t know their travel dates yet, a My Next Virgin Voyage certificate keeps it flexible. A travel advisor can package either one for you at no extra cost.

Can I gift onboard credit or a Bar Tab on Virgin Voyages?

Yes. If the person already has a booking, you can gift a prepaid Bar Tab (Virgin usually adds a bonus on top) or general onboard credit that applies to their sailing. It’s one of the most useful gifts because the ship is cashless and runs through the Sailor App.

Are the “Virgin Voyages cruise certificates” on eBay legit?

Be cautious. These are unofficial third-party resales, not an official Virgin Voyages product, and it’s easy to overpay or run into redemption problems. We recommend booking directly or through a travel advisor instead so the value is guaranteed.

How much do I need to spend to gift a Virgin Voyages cruise?

You can start with just a deposit — often around $300 per sailor, and sometimes $0 during Virgin’s regular Zero Deposit promotions — to reserve the sailing now and pay the balance closer to the cruise. Onboard credit or a Bar Tab can be any amount you like. Confirm the current deposit terms for your specific sailing before you book.

---

Last updated: July 2026. Written by the Pixie Vacations advisor team — Certified Virgin Voyages First Mates who have sailed the fleet. Pixie Vacations is a full-service travel agency with 735+ five-star reviews; there’s never a fee to book your Virgin Voyages cruise with us. Questions? Call 678-815-1584.