Richard Branson and Virgin Voyages' Resilient Lady.Photo:Brendon Thorne/Getty; Virgin Voyages
Brendon Thorne/Getty; Virgin Voyages
Forget buffet lines, crowded pools and predictable itineraries —Virgin Voyageswants travelers to associate cruising with grown-up luxury.The adults-only cruise line just announced aVirgin Voyages’ Annual Pass for 2026on Tuesday, Jan. 14. Along with the ability to travel on any of its ships, at any time, from anywhere for a calendar year, passholders will additionally receive a one-week stay on Necker Island, Virgin Group Founder SirRichard Branson’s private island in the British Virgin Islands.The pass also includes round-trip, business-class flights and ferry transfers from anywhere in the continental United States to Necker Island; a $10,000 shopping spree in the High Street shops; Moët champagne delivered anywhere on-demand while on board; a Yellow Leaf Hammock to take home; a birthday upgrade to a RockStar Quarters suite; one curated and privately hosted Shore Thing excursion every quarter; a cabana at Virgin Voyages’ private Beach Club in Bimini up to 10 times per year; and personalized RockStar robes.All that luxury comes at a price: Virgin Voyages’ Annual Pass for 2026 costs $199,000, up $79,000 from the 2025 pass price.Necker Island.Alex Dick-ReidNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Virgin Voyages’ Senior Vice President of Sailor Experiences Nicole Huang said in a press release that the cruise line wanted to build on the excitement of the 2025 offering that the company introduced on Travel Tuesday last year.“After Richard Branson went onGood Morning Americato talk about our Annual Pass, there was so much excitement and buzz,” she stated. “It’s truly an industry first and there were long queues to learn more. Our voyage planners shared feedback of Sailors inquiring about 2026 now, so we thought ‘why wait?’ and added a few elements to make the package a little suite-r.”Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady cruise ship.Virgin VoyagesThe PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!Annual Passholders will have the chance to sail on Virgin’s newest ship, Brilliant Lady, which makes its maiden voyage to Alaska from Seattle in May 2026. They can select a start date of Jan. 1, Feb. 1, March 1 or April 1, 2026, and the pass will be valid for one year from that date.Virgin Voyages set sail for the first time in late 2021, with the aim of creating a boutique hotel experience at sea that strikes a balance between nautical chic and glamour for adults only. Its three ships currently depart from Miami, Barcelona, Athens and San Juan, Puerto Rico and travel to 100 ports of call.Virgin Voyages' Valiant Lady cruise ship.Virgin VoyagesVirgin’s Annual Pass launch comes as other cruise lines have started to offer months-long sailings in the wake of the uptick in remote work following theCOVIDpandemic.Royal Caribbeanrecently completed itsUltimate World Cruise, which allowed travelers to visit more than 65 countries over the course of nine months between December 2023 and September 2024.Residential cruise operator Villa Vie Residences’ Tour La Vie program started a sailing that allows travelers on its Villa Vie Odyssey ship to join for between one and four years with stops in more than 400 destinations.Similarly, Life at Sea Cruisesoffered a three-year voyage onits MV Gemini and costs $30,000 per person per year. However, its inaugural sailing in 2023 wasreportedly canceledafter being rescheduled two times.
Forget buffet lines, crowded pools and predictable itineraries —Virgin Voyageswants travelers to associate cruising with grown-up luxury.
The adults-only cruise line just announced aVirgin Voyages’ Annual Pass for 2026on Tuesday, Jan. 14. Along with the ability to travel on any of its ships, at any time, from anywhere for a calendar year, passholders will additionally receive a one-week stay on Necker Island, Virgin Group Founder SirRichard Branson’s private island in the British Virgin Islands.
The pass also includes round-trip, business-class flights and ferry transfers from anywhere in the continental United States to Necker Island; a $10,000 shopping spree in the High Street shops; Moët champagne delivered anywhere on-demand while on board; a Yellow Leaf Hammock to take home; a birthday upgrade to a RockStar Quarters suite; one curated and privately hosted Shore Thing excursion every quarter; a cabana at Virgin Voyages’ private Beach Club in Bimini up to 10 times per year; and personalized RockStar robes.
All that luxury comes at a price: Virgin Voyages’ Annual Pass for 2026 costs $199,000, up $79,000 from the 2025 pass price.
Necker Island.Alex Dick-Reid
Alex Dick-Reid
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Virgin Voyages’ Senior Vice President of Sailor Experiences Nicole Huang said in a press release that the cruise line wanted to build on the excitement of the 2025 offering that the company introduced on Travel Tuesday last year.
“After Richard Branson went onGood Morning Americato talk about our Annual Pass, there was so much excitement and buzz,” she stated. “It’s truly an industry first and there were long queues to learn more. Our voyage planners shared feedback of Sailors inquiring about 2026 now, so we thought ‘why wait?’ and added a few elements to make the package a little suite-r.”
Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady cruise ship.Virgin Voyages
Virgin Voyages
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
Annual Passholders will have the chance to sail on Virgin’s newest ship, Brilliant Lady, which makes its maiden voyage to Alaska from Seattle in May 2026. They can select a start date of Jan. 1, Feb. 1, March 1 or April 1, 2026, and the pass will be valid for one year from that date.
Virgin Voyages set sail for the first time in late 2021, with the aim of creating a boutique hotel experience at sea that strikes a balance between nautical chic and glamour for adults only. Its three ships currently depart from Miami, Barcelona, Athens and San Juan, Puerto Rico and travel to 100 ports of call.
Virgin Voyages' Valiant Lady cruise ship.Virgin Voyages
Virgin’s Annual Pass launch comes as other cruise lines have started to offer months-long sailings in the wake of the uptick in remote work following theCOVIDpandemic.Royal Caribbeanrecently completed itsUltimate World Cruise, which allowed travelers to visit more than 65 countries over the course of nine months between December 2023 and September 2024.
Residential cruise operator Villa Vie Residences’ Tour La Vie program started a sailing that allows travelers on its Villa Vie Odyssey ship to join for between one and four years with stops in more than 400 destinations.
Similarly, Life at Sea Cruisesoffered a three-year voyage onits MV Gemini and costs $30,000 per person per year. However, its inaugural sailing in 2023 wasreportedly canceledafter being rescheduled two times.
source: people.com
