Virgin Voyages doesn’t offer a traditional drink package — and that’s by design. Instead of locking Sailors into a per-person-per-day unlimited plan, they created the Bar Tab: prepaid beverage credit you purchase before your voyage, loaded with bonus dollars on top. It’s a smarter, more flexible approach to onboard drinks that rewards you for planning ahead without penalizing you for having a quiet night. This guide covers how the Virgin Voyages drink package alternative works, every pricing tier and bonus amount, where to buy, what it covers, sharing rules, and strategies for getting the most out of your Bar Tab credit.
The Bar Tab is prepaid beverage credit that loads onto your Sailor account before you board. You choose a dollar amount, Virgin Voyages adds a bonus on top, and the total balance connects to your Band — the wearable wristband that replaces wallets and key cards onboard. Every time you order a drink at any bar, restaurant, lounge, or even at The Beach Club at Bimini, the charge deducts from your Bar Tab automatically.
There are no daily limits. You can spend the entire balance on day one or stretch it across a two-week transatlantic crossing. If your Bar Tab runs out, additional drink purchases charge to any Sailor Loot on your account (if applicable), or to your onboard folio.
You don’t need to activate anything. You don’t need to tell a bartender. You order, tap your Band, and the balance handles the rest.
Virgin Voyages offers five standard Bar Tab bonus tiers. The more you prepay, the higher the bonus percentage:
| You Pay | Bonus | Total Credit | Bonus % |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200 | $25 | $225 | 12.5% |
| $300 | $50 | $350 | 16.7% |
| $500 | $100 | $600 | 20.0% |
| $750 | $175 | $925 | 23.3% |
| $1,000 | $250 | $1,250 | 25.0% |
These are the standard bonus amounts from Virgin Voyages’ Bar Tab offer page. During promotional periods — especially Wave Season and Black Friday — Virgin frequently increases these bonuses, sometimes significantly. If you’re timing your booking strategically, purchasing your Bar Tab during a promo window stretches your money even further.
Pro Tip: You can buy multiple Bar Tabs for the same voyage. This is especially valuable for Sailing Club members with loyalty bonuses on the $300 tier — buying two $300 Bar Tabs may yield more bonus credit than a single larger-tier purchase.
Returning Sailors in the Sailing Club loyalty program get enhanced bonuses on the $300 Bar Tab tier specifically:
Because these loyalty bonuses only apply to the $300 tier, eligible Sailors often get better value buying multiple $300 Bar Tabs rather than one larger purchase. A Sea-Blazer buying two $300 Bar Tabs gets $850 in total credit for $600 spent — a 41.7% return. That’s nearly impossible to beat at any other tier.
The Bar Tab covers any drink made by a crew member — onboard and at The Beach Club at Bimini. That includes:
Basic beverages — water, standard drip coffee, tea, and soft drinks — are already complimentary for all Sailors. The Bar Tab is for everything above that baseline.
What Bar Tab cannot be used for: spa services, Shore Things, or packaged items to take off the ship (coffee bags, bottles of wine or spirits for home).
There are four ways to purchase:
Bar Tab cannot be purchased onboard. This is a pre-voyage purchase only.
The purchase deadline is 24 hours before your voyage departs, according to Virgin’s Bar Tab FAQ. You’ll see “48 hours” referenced elsewhere — but the Bar Tab-specific terms and FAQ state 24 hours. Some Sailors have reported the app closing purchases earlier than expected. If that happens, call Sailor Services directly.
Pro Tip: If you’re paying in a non-USD currency, purchase your Bar Tab early to lock in a favorable exchange rate. Currency fluctuations between booking and sailing can add up — especially on higher tiers.
Yes — and this is one of the biggest advantages over traditional drink packages. The Bar Tab is added to the Sailor account that purchases it, and you can use it to buy drinks for anyone. Not every Sailor in the cabin is required to buy one.
Virgin also allows Sailors to merge folios onboard via Sailor Services, so one Sailor can take responsibility for drink purchases across the cabin. The Bar Tab itself can’t be transferred to a different person’s account — but you can freely buy drinks for anyone using your balance.
Cancellation: Full refund available up to 24 hours before your voyage departs. After that window closes, all Bar Tab purchases are non-refundable.
Unused credit: Any remaining balance — purchased and bonus — expires the moment your voyage ends. No refunds, no transfers to future voyages, no cash redemptions. This is why accurate estimation matters more than buying the biggest tier.
Voyage date changes: If Virgin moves your sailing, your Bar Tab may be transferred to the new date. For back-to-back voyages, Bar Tab credit does not carry over to the next sailing — each voyage is independent.
Promotional bonuses: If you received an extra bonus during a promotional booking window, that promotional bonus is forfeited if you cancel your reservation — even if later reinstated.
New Sailors often confuse these two. Bar Tab is prepaid drink credit — it only works on beverages. Sailor Loot is onboard spending credit from promotions, booking bonuses, or MNVV offers, and it works on almost everything: drinks, spa, Shore Things, retail, and more. They can be used together onboard, but Sailor Loot cannot be used to purchase Bar Tab pre-voyage.
Mega RockStar Suites include generous drink perks — beverages up to $25 per drink, plus daily wine allowances and 25% off premium bottles. Most Mega RockStar Sailors find it difficult to spend through a purchased Bar Tab because so many drinks are already covered. For the full breakdown of how these perks interact, see our Mega RockStar Bar Tab guide.
Buy during promos. Wave Season and Black Friday often deliver the best Bar Tab bonus increases. Standard bonuses are solid, but promotional bonuses can be significantly higher — and they stack with loyalty tier perks.
Don’t forget The Grounds Club. Specialty coffee drinkers burn through Bar Tab faster than expected. Two lattes per day for two Sailors adds $16–$24 daily. Over a seven-night voyage, that’s $112–$168 in coffee alone.
Budget for port days. You’ll spend less on drinks when you’re off the ship. If half your days are port days, your onboard drink spend drops accordingly — factor that into which tier you choose.
Bring your wine allowance. Sailors 21+ can bring up to two sealed 750ml bottles of wine or champagne per cabin on embarkation day in carry-on bags, plus up to 12 sealed cans or cartons (12 oz or less) of non-alcoholic beverages per person. Using this allowance for cabin drinks reduces how much Bar Tab credit you need for onboard purchases.
Pro Tip: Use Future Voyage Credit (FVC) to purchase your Bar Tab pre-voyage. Virgin confirms FVC can be applied to Bar Tab purchases — a smart way to convert travel credit into drink credit. Note that Promotional Future Voyage Credit cannot be used for Bar Tab, and Sailor Loot (including Promotional Sailor Loot) cannot be used for Bar Tab.
Use the Serious Sailors™ Bar Tab Optimizer. Not sure which tier fits your drinking habits? Our Bar Tab Optimizer calculates the right amount based on your voyage length, drinking style, and how many Sailors are sharing the balance.
No. Virgin Voyages does not offer a traditional unlimited drink package. The Bar Tab is their alternative — prepaid credit with bonus dollars, spent at your own pace with no daily limits or per-person requirements.
No. Bar Tab is a pre-voyage purchase only. You can buy through the Virgin Voyages app, website, Sailor Services, or your First Mate — but not after you board.
No. Bar Tab covers drinks consumed onboard and at The Beach Club at Bimini. Packaged items like coffee bags, wine bottles, or spirits purchased to take off the ship are excluded.
No. Bar Tab is exclusively for beverages. For onboard spending credit that covers spa treatments, Shore Things, retail, and more, that’s Sailor Loot — a separate type of credit.
Bar Tab credit does not carry over between voyages. Each sailing is independent — unused credit expires at the end of that specific voyage, even if you’re immediately boarding the next one.
The Virgin Voyages Bar Tab is a smarter alternative to the traditional cruise drink package — you only prepay what you’ll actually use, the bonus credit gives you a built-in discount up to 25%, and cabin-based sharing means nobody is forced into buying their own plan. The $300 tier hits the sweet spot for most couples on five-to-seven-night sailings, the $500 tier works for heavier drinkers or longer voyages, and Sailing Club members should always check whether stacking multiple $300 Bar Tabs beats a single larger purchase. If you’re not sure how much to buy, run your numbers through our Bar Tab Optimizer — or ask your Serious Sailors™ First Mate to help you get it right.
