Sarah Bretz, ContributorThere are no drink packages (in the traditional sense) currently offered on Virgin Voyages. Most guests must pay a la carte for alcoholic drinks and things like specialty coffees, smoothies, and fresh juices. However, the line does provide a way to pre-pay for beverages and gives drink perks to loyal guests and those staying in suites. Here’s what you need to know if you’re looking to buy Virgin Voyages drink packages, including what’s offered in lieu of them.
Does Virgin Voyages have drink packages?
Unlike most other mainstream and premium cruise lines, Virgin Voyages does not offer drink packages across its fleet. Instead, the line offers a way to pre-load money into your onboard account to be used for beverages through a program called Bar Tab. When you load money into your Bar Tab, the line adds on some extra credit as an incentive to use the Bar Tab program.
Note: As of March 31, 2025, Virgin Voyages is offering a traditional drink package on one ship. The ‘Drink Like a VIP’ package will be available on select sailings aboard Valiant Lady in April and May 2025. It appears that Virgin Voyages is treating this limited run as a trial, so we may see a drink package appear fleetwide in the future. We have more on the package towards the bottom of this article.
There are also some beverage perks through 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 some bottles of wine) included in their fare. We’ll get more into the specifics of the loyalty program and suite perks below.
What drinks are included on Virgin Voyages?
Since there are no Virgin Voyages drink packages, you may be wondering what beverages are already included in the standard cruise fare. Free Virgin Voyages beverage options — dubbed “essential drinks” by the cruise line — include filtered water and sparkling water, soda, non-pressed juices, drip coffee, and sachet teas.
During the sailaway party on the main pool deck, free flutes of champagne are handed out to celebrate the start of the cruise. There are also multiple opportunities to win glasses or bottles of prosecco by participating in games and activities on Scarlet Night — a red-themed evening that culminates with a huge party on the top deck.
In an effort to cut back on single-use plastic, bottled water is not available for free or for purchase on board. Guests are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottles, while a carafe of water and glasses are provided and replenished in cabins each day. If you don’t bring your own bottle, you can purchase one in the onboard shop. Natura self-serve filtered water is available to guests around the ship.
What drinks are not included on Virgin Voyages?
If you want to enjoy some alcohol on Virgin cruise ships, you’ll need to pay for those drinks. Beverages that cost extra on Virgin Voyages include alcoholic drinks like beers, wines, spirits, and cocktails. You’ll also be charged for non-alcoholic options like mocktails, fresh-pressed juices, smoothies, specialty coffees, Red Bull energy drinks, and kombucha. Just like all gratuities on Virgin Voyages, you are not charged a tip or service charge on beverages.
Virgin Voyages offers a fun perk on its ships called “Shake for Champagne.” To try it, open your Virgin Voyages app and shake your phone three times. A secret champagne button will appear and if you press it, a crew member will deliver a chilled bottle of Moët & Chandon Impérial to wherever you are on the ship. Of course, this service and bottle is not free. But if you’re celebrating a special occasion or just want to indulge on your vacation, it’s a fun way to enjoy some champagne while (literally) only having to lift a finger.
What is the Virgin Voyages Bar Tab program?
Virgin Voyages offers a way for guests to set aside money pre-cruise for drinks onboard called Bar Tab. Available to add to your account up to 24 hours prior to sailing, this onboard credit can be used for beer, wine, cocktails, mocktails, fresh juices, smoothies, and specialty coffees. The great news is, once you add some Bar Tab money, Virgin Voyages supplements it.
How much is the Virgin Voyages Bar Tab? Well, here’s how it breaks down:
- If you add a $200 Bar Tab, Virgin Voyages will add $25 to it
- A $300 Bar Tab gets you an extra $50 to spend
- $500 Bar Tab adds an extra $100
- $750 Bar Tab adds an extra $175
- A $1,000 Bar Tab gets you an extra $250 to spend
If you run out of Bar Tab credit, your account will be charged instead as normal. And, unlike most traditional cruise line drink packages, the Bar Tab can be used to buy drinks for friends. This is because it’s essentially onboard credit dedicated to drinks (not an unlimited drink package), so the cruise line doesn’t care who you use the money on.
How far will my Bar Tab go?
If you’re wondering how much money you should load onto your Bar Tab or how far your budgeted amount will go, Virgin Voyages put together some examples:
- A $225 Bar Tab ($200 of your own money, $25 from Virgin) can get you approximately 45 lattes, 32 Heineken beers, 25 glasses of wine, 17 superior mojitos, or 32 handcrafted mocktails.
- A $600 Bar Tab ($500 of your own money, $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 own money, $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 used for drink purchases on the ship as well as at The Beach Club at Bimini. However, it’s important to not purchase more Bar Tab than you think you’ll use. Any left over is not refundable at the end of the cruise.
Comparison: Virgin Voyages Bar Tab vs. Traditional Cruise Drink Packages
| Feature | Virgin Voyages Bar Tab | Traditional Cruise Drink Packages |
|---|---|---|
| Payment | Pre-paid amount with bonus credit | Fixed daily rate |
| Flexibility | Can buy drinks for others | Usually limited to package holder only |
| Value Added | Extra credit (e.g., $25 on $200) | Often includes “free” premium coffee/water |
| Daily Limit | No limit – use as desired | Some lines limit to 15 drinks per day maximum |
| Sharing Allowed | Yes – can buy for anyone | No – one package per person rules |
| Gratuities | No additional gratuities | Often adds 18-20% service charge |
| Minimum Purchase | No requirement | Many lines require all adults in cabin to purchase |
| Refundability | Unused credit not refundable | Typically no refunds for unused days |
| Where It Works | Ship and Beach Club at Bimini | Ship, sometimes private islands |
| Best For | Occasional/moderate drinkers | Heavy drinkers who want predictable costs |
How much do Virgin cruise drinks cost?
To further get an idea of how much drinks cost on Virgin Voyages, here’s what you should expect to pay:
- $7 to $9 per serving of beer
- $11 for basic cocktails
- $13 to $15 for most specialty cocktails
- $4 for espressos and macchiatos
- $5 to $6 for specialty coffees, teas, and hot chocolate
- $6 for a Red Bull energy drink
- $9 for kombucha
- 40 percent of the wines on board are $11 or less per glass
What loyalty program drink perks do guests get on Virgin Voyages?
Virgin Voyages currently has three tiers in its Sailing Club loyalty program: Sailing Club, Blue Extras, and Deep Blue Extras. Those who are in the Blue Extras (3 to 4 cruises) and Deep Blue Extras (5+ cruises) tiers receive some drink perks on board.
Blue Extras guests receive one free specialty coffee per day, as well as an invitation to an exclusive cocktail event. The event generally includes free sparkling rosé and sangria. Cabin mates, regardless of their status, are also welcomed to join.
Deep Blue Extras guests receive an invitation to the same cocktail event, plus two free specialty coffees per day instead of one. They also receive $100 in free Bar Tab credit.
What are the RockStar Suite drink benefits on Virgin Voyages?
Guests staying in RockStar Quarters (Virgin’s name for suites) have extra perks too — some that involve free drinks. All RockStar guests receive an in-suite mini-bar setup at the beginning of the cruise. The setup includes single servings of the following alcoholic beverages:
- White wine
- Red wine
- Rosé wine
- Champagne
- Heineken beer
- Stray the Course beer (Virgin Voyages’ exclusive beer)
- Rum
- Gin
- Vodka
- Tequila
- Whiskey
It also includes single servings of non-alcoholic drinks such as tonic water, ginger beer, an energy drink and sugar-free energy drink, and kombucha.
For regular RockStar Quarters, your suite will have this setup at the start of the cruise with no replenishments. Those staying in Mega RockStar Quarters, which are the largest and most luxurious suites on the ship, get their mini-bar replenished every day — with the added benefit of changing bottles daily if they wish. Mixers are also available upon request at every level of suite at no charge. These include soda cans, tonics, and juices like orange, cranberry, and pineapple.
An exclusive area to RockStar suite guests, Richard’s Rooftop sundeck offers a sunset happy hour daily. It includes free champagne and select other alcoholic beverages.
Guests staying in Mega RockStar Quarters essentially drink for free throughout their cruise, all around the ship. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages worth up to $25 per serving are included in the fare, as well as two bottles of wine per day (per cabin) worth up to $90. Beyond that, Mega RockStar guests receive 25 percent off drinks that are priced higher than $25 per serving. They also get 25 percent off additional bottles and those that are priced higher than $90.
Can you bring your own alcohol on Virgin Voyages?
You are allowed to bring up to two 750 ml bottles of wine, sparkling wine, or champagne per stateroom on your Virgin Voyages cruise. They must be brought on board in a carry-on bag. If you choose to enjoy a bottle in one of the ship’s restaurants, a $25 corkage fee will apply. Your Bar Tab may be used to cover the corkage fee.
Drink Like a VIP: Virgin Voyages’ Drink Package Test Run
Despite Virgin Voyages not currently offering a permanent, fleetwide drink package, they are trialing one on select Valiant Lady sailings in April and May 2025. The package costs $95 per person, per day and is valid for beverages worth up to $20 per serving. This includes cocktails, beers and wines by the glass, specialty coffees, and freshly-pressed juices.
Now for the fine print:
- There is no daily beverage limit
- Up to two beverages can be ordered at once
- The package is for individual use only
- It’s valid at all restaurants and bars on the ship, as well as at The Beach Club at Bimini
- The package must be purchased for the entire duration of the cruise
- If one person purchases the package, everyone else in the same cabin that’s 21 or older must purchase it as well
Virgin Voyages Drink Packages: In Conclusion
Though Virgin Voyages doesn’t offer the traditional drink packages seen on other cruise lines, the line does offer a Bar Tab system for pre-paying for drinks prior to the sailing. Soda drinkers will also be happy to know that soda is included in the cruise fare on Virgin.
Comments
Have you sailed with Virgin Voyages yet? Does it matter to you that this cruise line doesn’t offer traditional drink packages? Drop us an anchor below to share your experiences using Virgin’s Bar Tab.
