Is Virgin Voyages All-Inclusive? What’s Included and What Costs Extra

“Is it all-inclusive?” is one of the first questions we’re asked about Virgin Voyages, and the answer has changed since Virgin introduced VoyageFair Choices in October 2025. Gratuities are no longer bundled in for new bookings, and what your fare includes now depends on whether you pick Base, Essential or Premium.

We’ve spent 100+ nights on Virgin Voyages across 16 sailings, on all four ships, so here’s exactly what you’ll pay for and what you won’t.

Is Virgin Voyages all-inclusive?

Virgin Voyages isn’t all-inclusive in the way a Caribbean resort is, because alcohol isn’t included and there’s no drinks package. But it includes more than most cruise lines in its price bracket. Think of it as full board plus: every meal in every restaurant, the everyday soft drinks, the shows, the classes and Wi-Fi, all in the fare.

The big difference from most lines is food. There’s no main dining room and no buffet, and none of the restaurants carries a cover charge. On many cruise lines the best restaurants cost extra; on Virgin you eat in all of them for no extra cost.

What’s included vs what costs extra

	Included in every fare	Costs extra
Food	All meals at 20+ eateries, including the six restaurants, The Galley food hall and Ship Eats room service menus	“Treat Yourself” items on select menus, caviar at Sip, paid brunch
Drinks	Sodas, filtered still and sparkling water, non-pressed juices, drip coffee, sachet teas	Alcohol, cocktails, mocktails, smoothies, fresh-pressed juices, barista coffee, Path Water
Wi-Fi	The Wi-Fi tier that comes with your fare	Upgrades to Premium or Work from Sea Wi-Fi
Fitness	Group classes such as yoga, spin and HIIT, the gym and the running track	Spa treatments
Entertainment	Shows, live music, comedy, DJs and themed parties	Supper clubs on Resilient and Brilliant Lady, plus selected paid events
Room service	Ship Eats food, with free delivery on orders of $10 or more	A $10 delivery charge on smaller orders
Ports	The Beach Club at Bimini: food, soft drinks, pools, loungers and Wi-Fi	Shore Things, cabanas, drinks at the Beach Club
Tips	Older bookings (made before 7 October 2025) keep their original inclusions	Gratuities on bookings from 7 October 2025: $22 per Sailor per night, or $20 if prepaid

Everything on board is charged in US dollars to the card linked to your account. Our guide to booking Virgin Voyages from the UK in pounds and dollars explains how that works.

What’s included in your Virgin Voyages fare

Food at 20+ eateries

All meals at Virgin’s 20+ eateries are included. That covers the six restaurants: The Wake, Extra Virgin, Pink Agave, Gunbae (Korean barbecue), The Test Kitchen and the Razzle Dazzle space, which now has a different restaurant on each ship (Lucky Lotus on Scarlet Lady, Ariya on Valiant Lady, Rojo on Brilliant Lady and Razzle Dazzle on Resilient Lady).

Then there’s The Galley, Virgin’s food hall, which replaces the traditional buffet with counters cooking to order, plus the grab-and-go spots around the ship.

A few things carry a charge. Virgin sells “Treat Yourself” items on select menus, and caviar is available for a charge at Sip. Brunch is popular and is a paid experience, at around $35 for bottomless brunch or $75 with Moët (checked October 2026).

The restaurants themselves are free, but you do need a booking. Your fare decides when you can reserve (more on that below), and if a restaurant looks full, there’s no official waitlist: go on standby by asking at the door. Our Virgin Voyages restaurants guide covers every venue, and you can browse the latest Virgin Voyages menus before you go.

The everyday drinks

Virgin includes what it calls the essential drinks:

• Sodas (soft drinks)
• Filtered still and sparkling water
• Non-pressed juices
• Drip coffee
• Sachet teas

Water is served in every eatery and at self-serve water stations. That’s enough for many Sailors to go a whole voyage without paying for a drink. If you don’t drink alcohol, read our guide to Virgin Voyages if you don’t drink.

You’ll also get a glass of bubbly at the sail-away party, on us from Virgin.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is included in every fare, but the level depends on your fare:

• Base: Basic Wi-Fi, for messaging, social media and light browsing
• Essential: Classic Wi-Fi
• Premium: Premium Wi-Fi for two devices

If your fare includes Basic or Classic Wi-Fi, you can pre-purchase Premium Wi-Fi before you sail, or upgrade on board to Premium or Work from Sea Wi-Fi. Phone calls over your mobile network at sea are charged by your own provider, so check your plan before you go.

Group fitness classes

Group classes such as yoga, spin and HIIT are included, along with the gym and the outdoor running track. Book classes in the Virgin Voyages app once you’re on board. They’re a great way to balance all that included food.

Entertainment

Virgin’s shows are included, and they’re nothing like traditional cruise ship revues. Expect original productions, comedy, live music, DJs and pop-up performances around the ship. Virgin runs themed parties, and they change. Check the Virgin Voyages app for what’s on your sailing.

Two of the supper clubs (dinner-and-a-show nights) are included too: LOLz on Scarlet Lady and It’s a Ship Show on Valiant Lady are free to book, so grab a slot in the app as soon as booking opens for your fare. Another Rose on Resilient Lady and Up With a Twist on Brilliant Lady carry a charge of around $50. Virgin also runs a few paid events, such as tastings and classes, so check the app on board.

The Beach Club at Bimini

If your sailing calls at Bimini, your day at Virgin’s Beach Club includes:

• The tram from the cruise dock to the Beach Club
• Two large pools, the beach, loungers, daybeds and hammocks
• All-you-can-eat Bahamian-inspired food
• Soft drinks and water
• Wi-Fi throughout the Beach Club

Cocktails, beer and frozen drinks are extra (your Bar Tab works here), as are cabanas, the Airstream and Shore Things such as watersports.

What costs extra on Virgin Voyages?

Alcohol and premium drinks

Cocktails, beer, wine, mocktails, smoothies, fresh-pressed juices and barista-made coffees such as lattes all cost extra. There are no drinks packages on Virgin. Instead you pay as you go, or use a Bar Tab.

Virgin says no extra tipping is expected on drinks, dining or spa services, so the price on the menu is what you pay. Our Virgin Voyages menus page has current bar menus.

Bar Tab

A Bar Tab is prepaid credit for drinks, alcoholic or not, on board and at the Beach Club at Bimini. If you buy one before you sail, Virgin adds bonus credit on top, and Bar Tab often comes as a booking offer too.

Two things to know:

• It’s drinks only. You can’t use it for the spa, shopping or bottles to take home.
• It isn’t refunded. Any unused Bar Tab is lost at the end of your voyage, so don’t overbuy.

You can buy a Bar Tab up to 24 hours before sailing, but not once you’re on board.

Gratuities

This is the biggest change since our original guide. Gratuities used to be included in every Virgin fare. For bookings made from 7 October 2025, Virgin adds a service gratuity of $22 per Sailor per night to your onboard account, or $20 per night if you prepay before sailing (checked October 2026).

So a couple on a seven-night sailing would pay $280 prepaid, or $308 on board. Prepaid gratuities are locked in and non-refundable; if you pay on board, you can adjust them at Sailor Services before you leave. When you book with us, we can add prepaid gratuities to your booking in pounds, so they’re paid off with your balance.

If you booked before 7 October 2025, your fare keeps its original inclusions.

Ship Eats room service

Ship Eats is Virgin’s room service, and it’s ordered on the tablet in your cabin rather than the app. There’s a $10 delivery charge, which Virgin waives on orders of $10 or more and for Sailors in RockStar Quarters (checked October 2026). Breakfast on your Sea Terrace is one of our favourite small luxuries.

Spa, Shore Things and other extras

• Redemption Spa: treatments, from facials to massages, cost extra.
• Shore Things: Virgin’s shore excursions, run with local partners, are paid.
• Shopping: retail on board is extra.
• Cabanas: at the Beach Club at Bimini, booked through Sailor Services.
• Wi-Fi upgrades: Premium and Work from Sea.

What do Base, Essential and Premium fares add?

Since October 2025, Sea Terrace cabins and below are sold under VoyageFair Choices. Everyone gets the same ship, food and entertainment. The fares differ on Wi-Fi, flexibility, dining booking windows and, on Premium, drinks.

	Base	Essential	Premium
Wi-Fi	Basic	Classic	Premium, two devices
Restaurant bookings open	15 days before sailing	45 days before	60 days before
Bar Tab	No	No	$15 per Sailor per night
Changes	No changes to names, cabin or dates	Date changes up to 45 days out; name changes for Sailors 2 to 4	Essential’s flexibility
Cancellation	Non-refundable	Future Voyage Credit	Future Voyage Credit
Extras	None	None	Priority pre-voyage support line

Essential is closest to the old Virgin fare and is what most Sailors book. Base suits you if your plans are fixed and you want the lowest price. Premium makes sense if you’ll use the $15-a-night Bar Tab and the better Wi-Fi, and want first pick of restaurant times.

Virgin also sometimes offers Lock It In rates. You’re guaranteed a cabin in the category you book, or higher, but Virgin chooses the exact cabin later, and the booking is non-refundable with no changes.

RockStar Quarters and Mega RockStar suites sit outside VoyageFair Choices and come with their own perks, including bookings 120 days ahead and, in Mega RockStar suites, complimentary drinks within set limits.

Our VoyageFair Choices guide compares the fares in detail, and which Virgin Voyages cabin should I choose? helps you pick the cabin to go with it. For every category, see our Virgin Voyages cabins guide.

How much should I budget for extras?

It depends on how you holiday. For a typical couple on an Essential fare, the main extras are:

• Gratuities: $40 a night for two if prepaid
• Drinks: whatever you’d spend in a bar at home, less any Bar Tab offer
• The occasional treat: a spa treatment, a Shore Thing or a paid supper club

If you don’t drink much and skip the spa, gratuities may be your only real extra. If you love a cocktail at sunset, a Bar Tab offer or a Premium fare can work out well.

Is Virgin Voyages good value?

We think so. Compare it with a cruise line where speciality dining, Wi-Fi and gratuities are all extra, and Virgin’s fare often goes further than the headline price suggests. You can eat in every restaurant, every night, without a cover charge, and the ships are adults-only, so you’re not paying for kids’ facilities you’ll never use.

New to Virgin? Our ultimate guide to Virgin Voyages covers the basics, and how to use the Virgin Voyages app shows you how to book restaurants and classes. If you’d like your next sailing to come with an onboard credit, see MNVV explained.

FAQs

Is Virgin Voyages all-inclusive? Not fully. Food at 20+ eateries, soft drinks, water, drip coffee and tea, Wi-Fi, group fitness and entertainment are included. Alcohol, barista coffee, the spa, Shore Things and gratuities on newer bookings cost extra.

Are tips included on Virgin Voyages? Not for bookings made from 7 October 2025. Virgin adds $22 per Sailor per night on board, or $20 if you prepay. No other tipping is expected.

Are all the restaurants free on Virgin Voyages? Yes. There are no speciality dining charges, though a few “Treat Yourself” menu items, caviar and brunch cost extra.

Is Wi-Fi included on Virgin Voyages? Yes. Base fares include Basic Wi-Fi, Essential includes Classic, and Premium includes Premium Wi-Fi for two devices. You can pay to upgrade.

Does Virgin Voyages have a drinks package? No. You pay as you go or use a Bar Tab, which is prepaid drinks credit. Premium fares include a Bar Tab of $15 per Sailor per night.

Is room service free on Virgin Voyages? The food is included, but there’s a $10 delivery charge unless your order is $10 or more or you’re in RockStar Quarters. Order on your cabin tablet.

Is the Beach Club at Bimini included? Yes. Food, soft drinks, the pools, loungers and Wi-Fi are included. Cocktails, cabanas and Shore Things are extra.

Plan it with us

We’re Virgin Voyages Gold Tier First Mates, and we’ll help you choose the fare that gives you the most for your money. Booking with us costs the same as booking direct or less, and you get our bonus Sailor Loot on top. We book in pounds by default (Sailors new to Virgin can book in US dollars too), your balance is due 120 days before sailing, and we can add flights and hotels as an ATOL-protected package. Call 07307 602030, email hello@magical-traveller.com or contact us. Find out more about booking with your UK Virgin Voyages travel agent.