There are not any drink packages (within the conventional sense) presently supplied on Virgin Voyages. Most friends should pay a la carte for alcoholic drinks and issues like specialty coffees, smoothies, and contemporary juices. However, the road does present a technique to pre-pay for drinks and offers drink perks to loyal friends and people staying in suites. Here’s what you could know in the event you’re seeking to purchase Virgin Voyages drink packages, together with what’s supplied in lieu of them.
Does Virgin Voyages have drink packages?
Unlike most different mainstream and premium cruise traces, Virgin Voyages doesn’t provide drink packages throughout its fleet. Instead, the road presents a technique to pre-load cash into your onboard account for use for drinks by a program referred to as Bar Tab. When you load cash into your Bar Tab, the road provides on some further credit score as an incentive to make use of the Bar Tab program.
Note: As of March 31, 2025, Virgin Voyages is providing a conventional drink bundle on one ship. The ‘Drink Like a VIP’ bundle might be obtainable on choose sailings aboard Valiant Lady in April and May 2025. It seems that Virgin Voyages is treating this restricted run as a trial, so we may even see a drink bundle seem fleetwide sooner or later. We have extra on the bundle in the direction of the underside of this text.
There are additionally some beverage perks by Virgin’s Sailing Club loyalty program. Those staying in Mega RockStar Quarters (the top-tier suites on the ship) get most drinks by the glass (and a few bottles of wine) included of their fare. We’ll get extra into the specifics of the loyalty program and suite perks beneath.
What drinks are included on Virgin Voyages?
Since there are not any Virgin Voyages drink packages, it’s possible you’ll be questioning what drinks are already included in the usual cruise fare. Free Virgin Voyages beverage choices — dubbed “essential drinks” by the cruise line — embody filtered water and glowing water, soda, non-pressed juices, drip espresso, and sachet teas.
During the sailaway get together on the primary pool deck, free flutes of champagne are handed out to have fun the beginning of the cruise. There are additionally a number of alternatives to win glasses or bottles of prosecco by taking part in video games and actions on Scarlet Night — a red-themed night that culminates with an enormous get together on the highest deck.
In an effort to chop again on single-use plastic, bottled water shouldn’t be obtainable without cost or for buy on board. Guests are inspired to carry their very own reusable water bottles, whereas a carafe of water and glasses are supplied and replenished in cabins every day. If you don’t carry your personal bottle, you should buy one within the onboard store. Natura self-serve filtered water is accessible to friends across the ship.
What drinks are usually not included on Virgin Voyages?
If you wish to get pleasure from some alcohol on Virgin cruise ships, you’ll have to pay for these drinks. Beverages that value further on Virgin Voyages embody alcoholic drinks like beers, wines, spirits, and cocktails. You’ll even be charged for non-alcoholic choices like mocktails, fresh-pressed juices, smoothies, specialty coffees, Red Bull power drinks, and kombucha. Just like all gratuities on Virgin Voyages, you aren’t charged a tip or service cost on drinks.
Virgin Voyages presents a enjoyable perk on its ships referred to as “Shake for Champagne.” To strive it, open your Virgin Voyages app and shake your cellphone 3 times. A secret champagne button will seem and in the event you press it, a crew member will ship a relaxing bottle of Moët & Chandon Impérial to wherever you’re on the ship. Of course, this service and bottle shouldn’t be free. But in the event you’re celebrating a special day or simply wish to indulge in your trip, it’s a enjoyable technique to get pleasure from some champagne whereas (actually) solely having to elevate a finger.
What is the Virgin Voyages Bar Tab program?
How a lot is the Virgin Voyages Bar Tab? Well, right here’s the way it breaks down:
If you add a $200 Bar Tab, Virgin Voyages will add $25 to it
A $300 Bar Tab will get you an additional $50 to spend
$500 Bar Tab provides an additional $100
$750 Bar Tab provides an additional $175
A $1,000 Bar Tab will get you an additional $250 to spend
If you run out of Bar Tab credit score, your account might be charged as an alternative as regular. And, not like most conventional cruise line drink packages, the Bar Tab can be utilized to purchase drinks for associates. This is as a result of it’s basically onboard credit score devoted to drinks (not a limiteless drink bundle), so the cruise line doesn’t care who you employ the cash on.
How far will my Bar Tab go?
If you’re questioning how a lot cash it’s best to load onto your Bar Tab or how far your budgeted quantity will go, Virgin Voyages put collectively some examples:
A $225 Bar Tab ($200 of your personal cash, $25 from Virgin) can get you roughly 45 lattes, 32 Heineken beers, 25 glasses of wine, 17 superior mojitos, or 32 handcrafted mocktails.
A $600 Bar Tab ($500 of your personal cash, $100 from the cruise line) can get you 40 espresso martinis, 85 Heineken beers, 66 glasses of wine, 46 superior mojitos, or 85 handcrafted mocktails.
A $1,250 Bar Tab ($1,000 of your personal cash, $250 from Virgin) can get you 83 espresso martinis, 34 Heineken buckets, 27 superior mojito pitchers, or 10 Shake for Champagne Moët Imperial Brut bottles.
The Bar Tab can be utilized for drink purchases on the ship in addition to at The Beach Club at Bimini. However, it’s essential to not buy extra Bar Tab than you assume you’ll use. Any left over shouldn’t be refundable on the finish of the cruise.
Comparison: Virgin Voyages Bar Tab vs. Traditional Cruise Drink Packages
CharacteristicVirgin Voyages Bar TabTraditional Cruise Drink PackagesPaymentPre-paid quantity with bonus creditFixed day by day rateFlexibilityCan purchase drinks for othersUsually restricted to bundle holder onlyValue AddedExtra credit score (e.g., $25 on $200)Often contains “free” premium espresso/waterDaily LimitNo restrict – use as desiredSome traces restrict to fifteen drinks per day maximumSharing AllowedYes – should buy for anyoneNo – one bundle per individual rulesGratuitiesNo extra gratuitiesOften provides 18-20% service chargeMinimum PurchaseNo requirementMany traces require all adults in cabin to purchaseRefundabilityUnused credit score not refundableTypically no refunds for unused daysWhere It WorksShip and Beach Club at BiminiShip, typically personal islandsBest ForOccasional/average drinkersHeavy drinkers who need predictable prices
How a lot do Virgin cruise drinks value?
To additional get an concept of how a lot drinks value on Virgin Voyages, right here’s what it’s best to count on to pay:
$7 to $9 per serving of beer
$11 for fundamental cocktails
$13 to $15 for many specialty cocktails
$4 for espressos and macchiatos
$5 to $6 for specialty coffees, teas, and sizzling chocolate
$6 for a Red Bull power drink
$9 for kombucha
40 p.c of the wines on board are $11 or much less per glass
What loyalty program drink perks do friends get on Virgin Voyages?
Virgin Voyages presently has three tiers in its Sailing Club loyalty program: Sailing Club, Blue Extras, and Deep Blue Extras. Those who’re within the Blue Extras (3 to 4 cruises) and Deep Blue Extras (5+ cruises) tiers obtain some drink perks on board.
Blue Extras friends obtain one free specialty espresso per day, in addition to an invite to an unique cocktail occasion. The occasion typically contains free glowing rosé and sangria. Cabin mates, no matter their standing, are additionally welcomed to hitch.
Deep Blue Extras friends obtain an invite to the identical cocktail occasion, plus two free specialty coffees per day as an alternative of 1. They additionally obtain $100 in free Bar Tab credit score.
What are the RockStar Suite drink advantages on Virgin Voyages?
Guests staying in RockStar Quarters (Virgin’s title for suites) have further perks too — some that contain free drinks. All RockStar friends obtain an in-suite mini-bar setup at first of the cruise. The setup contains single servings of the next alcoholic drinks:
White wine
Red wine
Rosé wine
Champagne
Heineken beer
Stray the Course beer (Virgin Voyages’ unique beer)
Rum
Gin
Vodka
Tequila
Whiskey
It additionally contains single servings of non-alcoholic drinks similar to tonic water, ginger beer, an power drink and sugar-free power drink, and kombucha.
For common RockStar Quarters, your suite could have this setup firstly of the cruise with no replenishments. Those staying in Mega RockStar Quarters, that are the most important and most luxurious suites on the ship, get their mini-bar replenished daily — with the additional advantage of fixing bottles day by day if they want. Mixers are additionally obtainable upon request at each degree of suite at no cost. These embody soda cans, tonics, and juices like orange, cranberry, and pineapple.
An unique space to RockStar suite friends, Richard’s Rooftop sundeck presents a sundown joyful hour day by day. It contains free champagne and choose different alcoholic drinks.
Guests staying in Mega RockStar Quarters basically drink without cost all through their cruise, throughout the ship. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks price as much as $25 per serving are included within the fare, in addition to two bottles of wine per day (per cabin) price as much as $90. Beyond that, Mega RockStar friends obtain 25 p.c off drinks which can be priced greater than $25 per serving. They additionally get 25 p.c off extra bottles and people which can be priced greater than $90.
Can you carry your personal alcohol on Virgin Voyages?
You are allowed to carry as much as two 750 ml bottles of wine, glowing wine, or champagne per stateroom in your Virgin Voyages cruise. They have to be introduced on board in a carry-on bag. If you select to get pleasure from a bottle in one of many ship’s eating places, a $25 corkage charge will apply. Your Bar Tab could also be used to cowl the corkage charge.
Drink Like a VIP: Virgin Voyages’ Drink Package Test Run
Despite Virgin Voyages not presently providing a everlasting, fleetwide drink bundle, they’re trialing one on choose Valiant Lady sailings in April and May 2025. The bundle prices $95 per individual, per day and is legitimate for drinks price as much as $20 per serving. This contains cocktails, beers and wines by the glass, specialty coffees, and freshly-pressed juices.
Now for the tremendous print:
There isn’t any day by day beverage restrict
Up to 2 drinks might be ordered without delay
The bundle is for particular person use solely
It’s legitimate in any respect eating places and bars on the ship, in addition to at The Beach Club at Bimini
The bundle have to be bought for all the length of the cruise
If one individual purchases the bundle, everybody else in the identical cabin that’s 21 or older should buy it as effectively
Virgin Voyages Drink Packages: In Conclusion
Though Virgin Voyages doesn’t provide the standard drink packages seen on different cruise traces, the road does provide a Bar Tab system for pre-paying for drinks previous to the crusing. Soda drinkers may also be joyful to know that soda is included within the cruise fare on Virgin.
Have you sailed with Virgin Voyages but? Does it matter to you that this cruise line doesn’t provide conventional drink packages? Drop us an anchor beneath to share your experiences utilizing Virgin’s Bar Tab.