Virgin Voyages Drink Packages & Prices

When you book a cruise, you’ll usually make a decision about whether to buy an all-inclusive drinks package or pay for your drinks individually.

But how does this work on Virgin Voyages? I was lucky enough to be one of the first people aboard Scarlet Lady, so in this guide, I’ll explain everything you need to know about drinking on a Virgin Voyages cruise.

Virgin Voyages doesn’t offer drink packages

Unlike most other cruise lines, Virgin Voyages does not offer a drinks package. You will not find any type of all-inclusive drinks deals on a Virgin Voyages cruise. Instead, you can purchase a ‘Bar Tab’ to cover the cost of drinks.

The Bar Tab explained

With the Virgin Voyages Bar Tab, you select how much money you want to add to it. You can then use this to pay for drinks during your cruise.

You can use your Bar Tab at every bar and restaurant on Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady, Resilient Lady or Brilliant Lady, as well as on Virgin Voyages’ private resort, Bimini Beach Club.

You also get bonus credit when you preload your Bar Tab before you cruise:

• Add $200, get a free $25 for a total of $225
• Add $300, get a free $50 for a total of $350
• Add $500, get a free $100 for a total of $600
• Add $750, get a free $175 for a total of $925
• Add $1,000, get a free $250 for a total of $1,250

While cruise lines generally don’t let people share drinks packages, you can share a Virgin Voyages Bar Tab. You can just buy one for your cabin and use it to buy drinks for whoever you like.

To start your bar tab, just log in to the Virgin Voyages website and head to the My Account section.

Read more: Virgin Voyages Bar Tab vs. Traditional Cruise Drink Packages

Are the drinks expensive? Not really…

The good news is that drinks prices with Virgin Voyages are actually pretty reasonable. There’s also a good selection of soft drinks that are free of charge.

Beers such as Heineken, Amstel Light, Narragansett, and Kalik are all about $6-$7. Basic gin, rum and whisky cocktails are about $10. Wine prices vary of course, but there’s a good selection available for under $11.

This luxury cruise line’s signature drink is Champagne, which is available for just $9 a glass. If you’re feeling fancy, vintage Champagne can cost anywhere up to $1,000 a bottle.

Tips are included in all drinks prices on Virgin Voyages, so the price you see on the menu is the price you pay.

Some drinks are included already

Virgin Voyages offer ‘basic bevvies’ for free. The included drinks are:

• Filtered still and sparkling water
• Fruit juices (not pressed)
• Fizzy drinks and sodas
• Teas and drip coffees

Virgin Voyages drink menus

Here’s what you can expect to see on the drinks menus on Virgin Voyages ships…

Virgin Voyages Mini Bar menu

The Virgin Voyages mini-bar menu includes not only beers, wines and cocktails, but also a sleep kit and an intimacy kit for when things get steamy!

Shake for Champagne

Champagne drinking is positively encouraged on-board Virgin Voyages’ glamorous ships. So much so, that the Virgin Voyages ‘Sailor app’ includes a ‘Shake for Champagne’ feature.

All you need to do is shake your phone to reveal the secret Champagne delivery button and a bottle of Möet will be delivered to your location anywhere on the ship.

It’s never too early for champagne and there’s always something to toast to while aboard Scarlet Lady. We want our Sailors to enjoy a glamorous holiday and what better way to feel like a RockStar than a sip of bubbly whenever and wherever you want it.

Tom Mcalpin, CEO of Virgin Voyages

Bringing your own drinks on a Virgin cruise

Guests ages 21 or over on Virgin Voyages cruises are allowed to bring two 750ml bottles of wine per cabin. You can’t bring any other alcohol such as beer or spirits, and the wine must be in your carry-on bag, not in your checked luggage.

You can also bring water or soft drinks on board if you wish, however, you really don’t need to as these are included in your cruise fare.

Virgin Voyages has banned single-use plastics from its ships. So, if you must bring your own water or soft drinks, steer clear of plastic bottles and opt for cans or cartons.

Virgin Voyages’ drinking age

Virgin Voyages is one of the few cruise lines with US departures that allows guests aged 18 or over to drink alcohol at sea. As soon as the ship is 12 nautical miles off the coast of the US and in international waters, the bar will be open for those aged 18, 19 and 20 in addition to the adults who are 21 or over.

It used to be the case that the cruise line only allowed 18- to 20-year-olds to cruise on itineraries in Europe, if they were married to another guest, an active member of the military or were sharing a cabin with someone aged over 21.

However, they have since relaxed the rules so under-21s can now cruise by themselves or as a group on all sailings.

Scarlet Lady review

I was lucky enough to enjoy an overnight stay on Scarlet Lady. Click here to read my honest review of the ship.

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me