Your voyage is booked, your Scarlet Night outfit is coming together, and now it’s time to think about the most important part of your cruise: the food. Virgin Voyages dining reservations are the single biggest pre-voyage task that separates smooth sailings from stressful ones — and the system has changed significantly since October 7, 2025. This guide breaks down exactly when your booking window opens, how the new fare-tiered system works, and the strategies experienced Sailors use to lock in the best tables at the best times. For a full overview of every restaurant onboard — menus, vibes, hours — head to our complete Virgin Voyages restaurant guide.
Your reservation window depends on two things: when you booked your voyage and which fare tier you selected. Virgin Voyages overhauled the system with the VoyageFair Choices rollout on October 7, 2025, and the dining windows shifted accordingly.
| Fare Tier | Dining Window Opens |
|---|---|
| Base / Lock-It-In | 15 days before sailing |
| Essential | 45 days before sailing |
| Premium | 60 days before sailing |
| RockStar & Mega RockStar | 120 days before sailing |
The difference here is massive. By the time a Base fare Sailor’s window opens at 15 days out, RockStar guests have had their pick for over three months. If dining reservations matter to you, this alone is a strong reason to book at Essential or higher.
Sailors who booked before the changeover may see a different dining reservation window in the app; check your Virgin Voyages app or My Account for the exact date your dining reservations open.
Reservation windows typically open around 12:00 AM Eastern Time (midnight Miami time). This is often consistent regardless of your time zone. If you’re on the West Coast, that’s 9:00 PM the night before. Set an alarm — the most popular restaurants can fill their pre-voyage slots quickly.
Pro Tip: If you’re in a different time zone, calculate your local equivalent of midnight Eastern and set a phone alarm for 5 minutes before. Have the Virgin Voyages app open and logged in, with your voyage selected, so you can navigate directly to dining the moment the window opens.
Virgin Voyages enforces one published limit: one reservation per night — and the app may also apply a per-restaurant cap based on voyage length.
One reservation per night. You can’t hold two restaurant bookings for the same evening. No sharing, no alternating. One per night, per Sailor.
Per-restaurant limits (pre-voyage, in the app):
Brunch reservations are typically counted separately from dinner, so booking brunch at The Wake doesn’t use your dinner slot at The Wake. Once onboard, this limit may be more flexible — you can walk in as many times as availability allows.
You have three options for pre-voyage booking, and they all access the same inventory:
Pro Tip: On opening night, the app can glitch when thousands of Sailors hit it simultaneously. If the app shows restaurants as “closed” or “no reservations needed,” try logging out and back in, force-closing the app, or switching to the website. Don’t panic — this can happen during high-traffic windows.
Dining with friends or family in separate cabins requires linking your bookings first. If you skip this step, you won’t be able to reserve a table together.
The Virgin Voyages app supports dining reservations for up to 12 Sailors. Each person creates their own account, then connects with others (often using the QR code feature) in the app’s Messages section. Once connected as friends/contacts, you can book dining as a group — selecting all Sailors for the same table, date, and time.
Do this well before your reservation window opens. The last thing you want on opening night is fumbling with QR codes while tables disappear.
Groups of 13+ who want to dine together must contact Sailor Services prior to the voyage to submit a request. Key details:
If you’re coordinating a large group celebration — birthdays, reunions, weddings — getting this request in early is essential. Consider pairing it with a Splash Your Bash celebration package to make the evening memorable.
Pro Tip: If you cancel a group dining reservation in the app, it will ask whether you want to cancel just your seat or the entire group’s reservation. Read carefully before confirming — accidentally canceling for everyone can be an easy and frustrating mistake.
Virgin Voyages holds back a large portion of total dining inventory from the pre-voyage window. That means many tables become available once onboard — not before.
Connect to the ship’s WiFi as soon as you board and check the app for newly released slots. If you missed The Wake or Pink Agave during the pre-voyage window, this is your second shot. Some Sailors have reported picking up the ship’s WiFi signal while still in the terminal during their boarding time — worth trying while you wait.
Every restaurant also accepts walk-ins throughout the voyage. If there’s a wait, the app notifies you when your table is ready. Community reports suggest that unclaimed reservations may be released after a short grace period (often reported as approximately 15 minutes) at the host stand — so showing up as a walk-in during peak hours isn’t a lost cause.
Book Essential or higher if dining matters to you. The 15-day window on Lock-It-In and Base fares puts you at a significant disadvantage. By the time your window opens, Premium and RockStar guests may have taken most prime slots. The jump from Base (15 days) to Essential (45 days) is the single biggest value-add for dining access.
Know your top three before opening night. Don’t spend time browsing when the window opens. Have your priority list ready — restaurant, date, and preferred time — and book those first. Circle back for secondary picks once the pressure is off.
Book the high-demand restaurants first. Based on community reports, The Wake and Pink Agave consistently fill the fastest — especially prime-time slots (7:00–8:30 PM). Test Kitchen and Razzle Dazzle also book quickly. If these are on your must-do list, prioritize them the moment your window opens. Extra Virgin, Gunbae, and The Dock typically have better availability and can be booked after you’ve locked in the hot spots.
Be flexible on time. If 7:00 PM at The Wake is gone, the 5:30 PM or 9:00 PM slot may still be available. Early and late seatings are always easier to get.
Check for cancellations regularly. Other Sailors modify and cancel constantly in the weeks before sailing. A table that was fully booked last week may suddenly have a slot. Check the app every few days.
Don’t overbook. Leave a few nights open for spontaneous walk-ins, The Galley, pizza by the pool, or a late-night discovery. Booking every meal in advance makes your vacation feel rigid. Reserve the must-haves and leave breathing room.
Pair dining with your Bar Tab strategy. Wine pairings and specialty cocktails at sit-down restaurants come off your Bar Tab balance or Sailor Loot. If you’re planning wine pairings at two or three dinners, factor that into your drink budget — a couple can easily add $100+ beyond regular bar orders.
RockStar Sailors: use Red Glove Service. Your 120-day window gives you first pick of the entire pre-voyage inventory. RockStar and Mega RockStar guests can also reach out to Red Glove Service for assistance booking restaurants — they can help coordinate complex requests and multi-night plans.
Pro Tip: On embarkation day and throughout the voyage, check the app frequently — especially in the morning and around 4–5 PM when Sailors tend to cancel evening plans. Newly released slots and last-minute cancellations appear in real time.
Every restaurant on Virgin Voyages is included in your fare — no upcharges for any venue. That includes The Wake, Pink Agave, Test Kitchen, and all other sit-down restaurants.
The exceptions are limited:
All onboard charges — including “Treat Yourself” items and drinks — go to your onboard account and can be paid via The Band wearable linked to your credit card. No need to carry a physical card to dinner.
Pre-voyage, you can usually modify or cancel dining reservations through the Virgin Voyages app or website at any time. Once onboard, manage reservations through the Sailor App’s Agenda tab, or visit any restaurant host stand for assistance.
Virgin Voyages does not currently list a no-show fee or a time-based cancellation deadline for dining reservations in its Dining FAQ. That said, if you don’t plan to use a reservation, cancel it — it frees the table for another Sailor and keeps the system working for everyone.
Pre-voyage, you’re limited by voyage length — 1 reservation per restaurant on short sailings, 2 on medium, 3 on 9+ night voyages. Once onboard, the limit drops and you can walk in as many times as availability allows.
Only a portion of dining inventory is released pre-voyage. More reservations open on embarkation day and throughout the sailing. Check the app regularly onboard — cancellations and newly released tables appear in real time. If you don’t get what you want right away, don’t stress.
No. The Galley, The Pizza Place, The Dock, and casual grab-and-go spots are all walk-up with no reservation needed. You only need reservations for sit-down dinner restaurants and brunch at select venues.
Yes — as long as they’re connected as friends/contacts in the app. You can book breakfast or dinner for more Sailors than are in your cabin. For groups of 13+, contact Sailor Services to submit a group dining request.
Virgin Voyages dining reservations reward Sailors who know the system — book the right fare tier, show up the second your window opens, and prioritize the high-demand spots first. If you’re on a Base or Lock-It-In fare and dining is important, seriously consider upgrading to Essential for the 45-day window. And if the pre-voyage window doesn’t go your way, embarkation day and onboard walk-ins mean you’ll still eat incredibly well. Your First Mate at Serious Sailors™ can help you plan your dining strategy, link group bookings, and make sure you’re ready when that midnight alarm goes off.
