Travelers can now pay with Bitcoin for cruises aboard Virgin Voyages’ ships, including the upcoming “Annual Pass.” The Annual Pass allows travelers to book a cruise as many times as they wish in a year. At $120,000, excluding taxes and fees, the pass provides access to premium sea terraces. The acceptance of Bitcoin is in line with the company’s effort to target young travelers who use cryptocurrencies due to their ease and accessibility.
The company’s current fleet, which consists of ships such as Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady, targets millennials with shorter itineraries and focuses on the Caribbean and modern facilities and features onboard. Accepting Bitcoin payments makes it even more attractive to millennial and Gen Z travelers. While other travel platforms such as Travala have allowed for cryptocurrency booking for hotels and flights, Virgin Voyages is the first to introduce the same for cruises.
Virgin Voyages accepting Bitcoin is timely given that the cryptocurrency is celebrating a year of major achievements. There has been heightened institutional interest in Bitcoin as big-name institutions such as BlackRock and Fidelity are backing spot Bitcoin ETFs. This institutional acceptance has made Bitcoin gain credibility as a mainstream investment commodity.
