Frequent Miler's latest team challenge, Million Mile Madness, is almost done! The last two weeks Greg, Nick, and Stephen competed to earn 1 Million SAS miles by flying 15 airlines. But who completed the challenge with the most Speed, Affordability, and Style?
On my amazing Necker Island vacation, I had the opportunity to have lunch with Richard Branson. A reader asked if that was the highlight of my trip. The answer: no, not really. Don’t get me wrong, it was great to meet Sir Richard, but Necker Island is so special that meeting him didn’t make my top 5 list.
In a future post I’ll cover the question of whether a week on Necker Island is really worth the 1.2 million Virgin Atlantic miles I paid. In this post, I’ll cover a few of the reasons to argue for it. Here are my top 5 reasons Necker Island may be worth 1.2 million miles…
#5 Food & Drink
It’s all included. And, except for a few minor bumps, the food has been excellent.
#4 All Inclusive Activities
Tennis lessons, water sports, off-island excursions, parties, and even food & drink related lessons are all included (with the exception of massages, which are extra). I went scuba diving, kayaking, paddle boarding, and snorkeling; I took kite surfing lessons; sushi making lessons; and much more.
#3 Stunning Views
This, for example, was the view from our balcony…
And this too…
#2 Incredible Service
The staff here make all of the difference. Every one is genuinely outgoing and friendly. There are few designated roles. Ask any staff member for anything and it is their job to handle it for you. And, in most cases, they’ll ask you how they can help before you even realize you need something.
Oh, and daily laundry services are included too. It’s incredibly nice to have all of your clothes washed and ironed daily!
#1 Lemurs
If you love animals, you gotta love these guys…
Background
My wife and I are currently enjoying a 1 week vacation on Sir Richard Branson’s private island: Necker Island. The usual price for a Celebration Week* on the island is just north of $30,000. Instead, we paid 1.2 million Virgin Atlantic miles. For additional background, please see “Considering the 1.2 million mile Necker Island challenge,” and “Days away from Necker Island.”
* The island is normally hired exclusively for up to 34 guests sharing 17 bedrooms on an all- inclusive basis. Rates start from $78,000 per night ($2,294 per person per night). It can also be shared with others during Celebration Weeks; these are held several times each year and allow guests to book individual rooms as opposed to hiring the entire island. Prices for Celebration Weeks start from $30,000 for a 7 night stay.
See Also
- Necker Island Day 1
- Necker Island Day 2
- Necker Island Day 3
- Necker Island Zip Line lunch with Richard Branson
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[…] wife and I had such a fantastic trip to Necker Island for Celebration Week that we started planning our next trip as soon as we got home! I counted up our transferable […]
[…] Top 5 reasons Necker Island may be worth 1.2 million miles […]
thanks for the food pix!!!!
[…] Top 5 reasons Necker Island may be worth 1.2 million miles – Why it might make sense to splurge for this vacation despite the steep price. […]
If my math is right, 1.2mm VA miles to $30,000, makes for a redemption rate of 2.5CPM. That’s pretty good, but only if the week is really worth $30,000 to you. Is that at reasonable valuation? That’s $4,200 per day for a couple. I’m pretty darn sure I could put together an incredible trip for that; but dang, Necker Island does look pretty good. At the end of the day, though I just can’t imagine paying that much. If it was worth, say, $15K, then your redemption rate is a much less impressive 1.25CPM. But, at the end of the day, the points and miles world is sometimes about tossing rationality and ratios out of the window in exchange for extraordinary experiences.
Anyway, more power to you, Greg. Good work putting this trip together, and I hope your wife appreciates it! Y’all have fun!
I’ll write up a post addressing this question
Awesome! I look forward to reading it.
Did you get up on the board kite surfing? What size kites were you using? Was the water choppy?
We went out to do the board but the wind died before I had the chance. Not sure about kite size. The instructor changed to bigger kites a few times.
You gonna tip the staff with VGCs?
[…] Miler is enjoying the week of his life with Richard Branson – check out all the videos and posts from the […]
I love the videos. They really give a new perspective to your reports! And I can’t wait to hear your after-trip reports.
But I HAVE to ask — when you talked with Sir Richard, did you discuss how you have not (yet) flown Virgin Atlantic and that you got to the island on points? I bet that would be an interesting conversation and I’d love to know his reaction!!
I finally got the chance to talk to him about this on Friday night. I hope to cover the details in a future post
Are tips also included?
“Gratuities? What about tipping?
A 2.5% service charge is added to your rate and divided amongst all the team; additional tips are entirely at your discretion. Please speak to our General Managers if you have any queries.”
From FAQ on Necker Island website
How they handle mile stays is another issue.
Yes but you can tip more when checking out if you are so inclined.
The more i read your report the more i think that 1.2mm miles is a bargain! The island looks amazing and the fact everything is included is awesome. Did anyone at the resort say how often people book this on miles? I am seriously considering trying to accumulate 1.2mm virgin miles to do this, but devaluation mid-process scares me! I’m guessing not too many people use their miles for this adventure!
Enjoy the rest of your trip!!!
Lots of people use miles to book this. I don’t have any numbers though