16 Essential Things to Know After Booking Your Virgin Voyages Cruise – First Things to do after booking Virgin Voyages

So, you’ve just booked your Virgin Voyages cruise—congratulations! You’ll soon be Voyaging the Virgin Way! Heres our guide to the first things to do after booking Virgin Voyages

Now that you’re officially sailing with Virgin, it’s time to get prepared so you can make the most of your adventure at sea. From early check-in tips to dining reservations, shore excursions, and themed parties, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know after booking your Virgin Voyages cruise.

1. Download and Set Up the Virgin Voyages App

The Virgin Voyages app is your ultimate tool for managing your cruise. You can check-in, book dining and spa treatments, reserve shore excursions, and link your booking with friends. If your voyage is over a year away, it may not show in the app immediately, but it’s always worth checking!

If you used the same email as the one you used to book/gave your First Mate, your booking should automatically show up once you login, if not, follow the instructions to add your booking reference and set up your account.

You can download the Virgin Voyages App here

2. Check-In ASAP to Get the Best Boarding Time

Once your voyage appears in the app, complete your check-in as soon as possible to secure an early port arrival time. You don’t have to complete every step in the app at this time, just enough to allow you to select an arrival time on the day of your cruise.

NOTE: Virgin boards later than other cruise lines, so don’t panic if you see a time after 3pm.

Here’s when guests can typically check in on Virgin Voyages

• Rockstar Suite and VIP Guests: Check-in from 1:30 PM
• All Other Guests: Check-in starts from 2:00 PM and usually closes around 4:30-5:00 PM

Booking early ensures you’ll get on the ship sooner and maximise your time onboard, whilst there’s often plenty of slots for popular shows an events onboard, being amongst the first means you will get first choice of box office events onboard. Fitness classes are often the first to book out.

3. Dining Reservations Open 60 and 45 Days Before Sailing

One of the highlights of Virgin Voyages is its amazing dining experience, with no buffets and no main dining rooms—just high-end specialty restaurants that are all included! You can check all the Virgin Voyages Menus here

• Standard Guests: Dining reservations open 45 days before sailing
• Rockstar Guests: Reservations open 60 days before sailing

If you’re travelling in a group, make sure your bookings are linked so you can dine together. Be ready to book as soon as reservations open to secure the best times.

NOTE: Reservations open at Midnight Miami time where the Virgin Voyages head office is located, so check the local time for when you can book, for us here in the UK it does mean an early morning start.

Our top tip, The Wake is always the most popular, so plan that one first, then work backwards from Extra Virgin, Pink Agave, Gunbae, typically Test Kitchen and Razzle Dazzle have the most availability.

👉 Check out our Virgin Voyages Dining Guide here for more tips and advice for making the most of your dining when sailing with Virgin.

4. Pre-Cruise Bookable Extras

Virgin has a number of extras you can add to your voyage to enhance your time whilst sailing. The main two are the Splash of Romance, and Splash for your Bash package.

Splash of Romance’s main perk is priority boarding regardless of loyalty level, but you also get a bottle of Moët, Spa Pass and a few other extra to help make your voyage that little bit more romantic.

Virgin Voyages Splash of Romance Review and Guide

Splash for your Bash is a fun way to celebrate an occasion onboard, with enhanced dining menus, a bottle of Moët and boozy brunch. You can book it for just the two of you, or link a number of cabins for the ultimate celebration at sea.

Splash for Your Bash Review and Thoughts | Celebrating Aboard Virgin Voyages

You can also now purchase a number of in room extras like Chocolates, Flowers and Bottles of cocktails/beers to be delivered to you cabin before check in also. Be sure to check the app, and Virgin Voyages website for the latest offers for your particular Voyage.

5. When can you Book Your Shore Excursions (‘Shore Things’)

Virgin Voyages offers curated shore excursions called Shore Things. The key benefits of booking through Virgin are:

• Ship waits for you if the excursion runs late
• Reliable and pre-vetted operators
• Stress-free logistics

Rockstar Sailors can book Shore Things 135 days before their voyage, with all other sailors able to book 120 before. This is flexible, they have appeared sooner, so its worth keeping an eye on the app, but Virgin typically email you when they are available to book via the app and website.

You can always view the Shore Things on offer via the Virgin Voyages website here

If your excursion takes you more than 30 minutes from port, it’s safer to book through Virgin. Independent tours can be cheaper but may not guarantee your return to the ship on time.

We recently visited Rome whilst sailing with Virgin, and despite giving ourselves 2 hours to make it back to the ship, we were an hour late getting back onboard due to a complete failure of the rail network. You can read about that in our Rome Walking Tour Blog

👉 Check out our Shore Excursions Guide

6. When can Virgin Voyages Spa Treatments Can Be Pre-Booked

If you want to enjoy the Redemption Spa, you can now book treatments 135 before your voyage via the app to lock in your preferred times.

You can view our guide the spa on virgin voyages here

Virgin Voyages Spa Prices and Full Guide – How much do the treatments in the Virgin Voyages Redemption Spa Cost?

7. Entertainment Schedules Update Closer to Your Sailing

Entertainment schedules are dynamic and tend to not settle until around about 3 weeks before your sailing. Check the app regularly, and don’t panic if you don’t see much at first! None of the shows onboard can be booked before you get onboard the ship, so no need to worry about that. However you should be able to start seeing if you may want to change meal times, or plans if there is a show or performance on that you don’t want to miss.

8. Plan for Themed Parties

Virgin Voyages loves a good party, and there are a few signature themed nights you won’t want to miss. Some parties like Club Rubrik is currently exclusive to Resilient Lady, so be sure to check the app to see what parties are on your sailing.

Scarlet Night and PJ party are on every ship, so you can plan ahead for those two parties.

• Scarlet Night (wear red!)
• PJ Party (comfy but fun sleepwear)
• Club Rubik (80s vibes with gold outfits)
• 90s Naughty Party (new for 2025!)

Your can get a bit more information, and some other tips in what to pack for your voyage in our What to pack for Virgin Voyages guide.

9. Set Up a Bar Tab

Virgin Voyages doesn’t have traditional drink packages, but you can pre-pay for a Bar Tab and get bonus credit! For example:

We have a full guide to how to make the most of the Bar Tab, plus a Bar Tab Calculator and all the bar menus

👉 Check out our Bar Tab Calculator
👉 Virgin Voyages Bar Tab Guide Podcast

10. Join a Facebook Group for Your Cruise

Many Virgin Voyages sailings have Facebook groups where guests connect before the cruise, share tips, and plan meetups. You can often find these by searching the name of you ship and the date, or some combination of that.

We also have our own Virgin Voyages planning group where we share our tips and deals.

Join our Virgin Voyages Deals and Planning Tips Facebook group.

11. Wi-Fi is Free, But You Can Upgrade once onboard.

Wi-Fi is included for all sailors for basic browsing, which will be perfect for social media, and emails. If you need faster speeds for streaming, you can upgrade to premium Wi-Fi for an additional fee once onboard.

Virgin use Starlink wifi, so the speeds are, in general, very good and reliable. From 2025 Virgin has introduced two tiers you can upgrade to if you need faster and more secure connection whilst sailing.

You can upgrade to Premium Wifi, which will allow Streaming and Video Calling from $30 per day.

Work from Sea Wifi is the new top tier, this is the fastest wifi on the ship, and is the only level that will allow VPN access, you can upgrade to this level from $50 per day.

You can read more about what’s included in a Virgin Voyages cruise on this post:- Is Virgin Voyages All Inclusive

12. Ensure Your Travel Documents Are Ready

You can use the app to check in for your voyage, in most cases, as soon as it is booked. This will streamline your time checking in at the port, ensuring smooth boarding onboard your lady ship.

• Make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months after your trip
• Check if you need a Visa, or a visa waiver for your cruise. ETIAS visa waiver maybe needed for European cruises or an ESTA for non US residents visiting the US for a cruise, its best to check with your local goverment for the latest travel requirements, for those in the UK, that would be the FCDO.
• Consider travel insurance to cover trip delays and medical emergencies

We have a full guide to check in on the app, and what to expect in the first 24 hours onboard here:-

Planning Your First Virgin Cruise – What can you expect in the first 24 Hours of your Virgin Voyages Cruise?

13. Plan what to pack for your Virgin Voyages Cruise

Packing for a Virgin Voyages cruise is a little different from a traditional cruise. Since there are no formal nights, you can focus on comfortable, stylish, and fun outfits that match the relaxed yet vibrant atmosphere onboard. Be sure to bring:

• Themed party outfits (like red for Scarlet Night and PJs for the Pajama Party)
• Swimwear for the pool and spa
• Comfortable shoes for shore excursions
• Sun protection and essentials

👉 Check out our full Virgin Voyages Packing List

14. What are the Virgin Voyages Luggage Rules

When it comes to packing for your Virgin Voyages cruise, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure a smooth embarkation experience.

For a full list of what is and isn’t allowed on board, check out 👉 Virgin Voyages’ Prohibited Items List.

Keeping these tips in mind will help you breeze through embarkation and get straight to enjoying your voyage!

15. Be Ready for a Different Kind of Cruise Experience

If you’ve cruised with other mainstream cruise lines before, be prepared—Virgin Voyages does things very differently! This is not your traditional cruise experience, and that’s exactly what makes it so special.

• No Fixed Dining or Main Dining Room – Forget the massive dining halls and set meal times. Virgin Voyages embraces a flexible dining experience with high-end, included specialty restaurants. You book your meals via the app, dine when you want, and enjoy top-tier cuisine without a buffet in sight.
• No Captain’s Table or Officer Pageantry – If you’re used to events centered around the captain and officers, you won’t find them here. The captain will typically make one announcement before sail away, and unless there’s a change in itinerary or an important safety message, you likely won’t hear from them again. That’s not to say you won’t see them around the ship—but they won’t be in the traditional crisp-white captain’s uniform. Virgin Voyages focuses on crew equality, so officers often dress similarly to the rest of the team.
• No Cruise Director or Constant Announcements – There’s no single cruise director telling you what’s happening each day. Instead, you’ll meet the Happenings Cast, an engaging group of entertainment hosts responsible for curating events and experiences. That means no intrusive announcements interrupting your poolside relaxation—you set your own schedule.
• A More Relaxed and Spontaneous Approach – Virgin Voyages is intentionally designed to feel like a floating boutique hotel rather than a traditional cruise ship. You won’t find a daily planner packed with back-to-back scheduled activities. Instead, there are pop-up events, immersive experiences, and even secret gatherings you might get invited to—but only if you play it cool. Tip: Make friends with the Happenings Cast, as they control access to exclusive invites for private dinners and secret bars!
• Experiential Events, Not Traditional Deck Parties – A signature event like Scarlet Night isn’t your typical deck party—it’s an immersive experience that unfolds throughout the night. Instead of expecting a single, structured event, go with the flow and let the ship’s surprises reveal themselves.

Virgin Voyages is about embracing the unexpected and letting the experience unfold naturally. It’s different—but in the best way possible. If you’re looking for Captain’s Tables, rigid scheduling, and classic maritime traditions, this might not be the cruise for you. But if you’re ready for award-winning food, next-level entertainment, and a cruise that feels fresh and modern, Virgin Voyages is an incredible choice!

16. Get Excited & Follow Virgin Voyages on Social Media

Stay up to date with Virgin Voyages’ latest announcements and offers by following them on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.

Plus, why not follow us for our latest tips and Virgin Voyages, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube

Final Thoughts – First things to do after booking Virgin Voyages

Now that you’re booked, the excitement truly begins! By following these 16 tips, you’ll be fully prepared for your Virgin Voyages adventure.

🔗 Don’t forget to check out our:

• Virgin Voyages Packing List
• Dining Guide
• Shore Excursions Guide
• First 24 Hours on Virgin Voyages