Virgin Voyages doesn’t do traditional drink packages — and that’s by design. Instead of paying a flat daily rate for unlimited drinks, Sailors prepay a Virgin Voyages Bar Tab: a set amount of drink credit loaded onto your onboard account before you sail. Buy more, get more bonus credit. It’s flexible, transparent, and — if you plan ahead — one of the better drink deals at sea. This guide breaks down every Bar Tab tier, how the bonus structure works, purchase deadlines, what it covers, and the strategies that help you get the most out of every dollar.
Bar Tab is sold in five fixed tiers. Each tier includes bonus drink credit on top of what you pay — and the bonus percentage increases as you buy more.
| You Pay | Total Drink Credit | Bonus Amount | Bonus % |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200 | $225 | $25 | 12.5% |
| $300 | $350 | $50 | 16.7% |
| $500 | $600 | $100 | 20% |
| $750 | $925 | $175 | 23.3% |
| $1,000 | $1,250 | $250 | 25% |
The $1,000 tier delivers the best return — a full 25% bonus. For a 7-night voyage, that works out to roughly $178 per day in drink credit, which comfortably covers several cocktails, specialty coffees, and a glass of wine at dinner each day.
Pro Tip: If you’re sailing with a partner and both drink moderately, buying one $500 Bar Tab and merging your folios onboard at Sailor Services can be more efficient than two separate $200 tabs — you’ll net $100 in bonus credit instead of $50 combined.
Bar Tab covers any drink made by a crew member — onboard the ship or at The Beach Club at Bimini. That’s broader than most Sailors expect.
The coverage scope makes Bar Tab significantly more useful than just an alcohol credit. If you’re the type who wants a specialty coffee every morning and a cocktail every evening, the tab covers both — and it’s exactly why understanding your total drink spend matters before choosing a tier.
You have four ways to purchase, and we recommend doing it at least 48 hours before your sailing date to avoid any last-minute payment processing issues.
The official purchase deadline from Virgin Voyages’ Bar Tab terms is 24 hours before the voyage departs. Bar Tab is a pre-purchase add-on only — it’s not available to buy onboard.
Pro Tip: Some Sailors report cases where payment appears to process but quietly fails, sometimes resulting in the Bar Tab being removed close to sailing. Buy at least 48 hours out and confirm it shows in your app under add-ons. If you booked through a First Mate, they can verify this directly.
Once you’re on the ship, your Bar Tab credit is loaded to your Sailor account — the same account linked to your Band. You order a drink, tap your Band, and the charge pulls from your Bar Tab balance first. No activation required. No telling the bartender you have a tab.
You can check your remaining balance anytime in the Virgin Voyages app under “My Wallet.”
If your Bar Tab runs out mid-voyage, additional drink purchases simply charge to your onboard account and settle to the credit card on file at the end of the sailing. There’s no interruption — you just keep ordering.
Bar Tab is tied to the Sailor who purchased it. If you want your cabin mate to use the same credit pool, visit Sailor Services onboard (Deck 5) and request a folio merge. Once merged, both Sailors’ drink charges pull from one account — but one person becomes responsible for all purchases.
You can also buy drinks for other Sailors without merging — just tell the bartender. Your Bar Tab covers the charge regardless of who’s holding the glass.
Virgin Voyages does not require every Sailor in a cabin to purchase a Bar Tab. One person can prepay and share, or each Sailor can manage their own approach.
The right tier depends on two things: how much you drink and how many days you’re sailing. Here’s a simple framework.
Estimate your daily drink spend first. A cocktail typically runs $12–$16, a glass of wine $10–$15, a specialty coffee around $5, and a fresh juice about $6. If your daily routine is two cocktails, one specialty coffee, and a glass of wine at dinner, you’re looking at roughly $40–$50 per day.
For a 7-night voyage at ~$45/day, that’s about $315 in total drink spend. The $300 Bar Tab tier ($350 credit) covers that nicely with a little cushion. If you lean heavier — poolside drinks, post-dinner nightcaps, a few rounds with new friends — the $500 tier ($600 credit) gives you breathing room and a better bonus percentage.
If you’re a lighter drinker — one cocktail at dinner and maybe a coffee — you might not need a prepaid tab at all. The Bar Tab vs. Sailor Loot comparison is worth reading if you’re on the fence about whether prepaid credit makes sense for your style.
Pro Tip: On longer voyages (9+ nights), the math tilts heavily toward the $500 or $750 tier. At $45/day across 10 nights, you’d spend $450 without any bonus — the $500 tier gives you $600 in credit for the same effective price, saving you $100. Always multiply your estimated daily spend by the number of sea days plus port days to right-size your purchase.
Bar Tab can be canceled with a full refund up to 24 hours before departure. After that cutoff, it’s locked in.
At the end of your voyage, any unused Bar Tab credit — including the bonus — is forfeited. No refund, no cash redemption, no rollover. This is the single most important rule to understand before choosing your tier. Overbuying means leaving money on the table.
If your reservation is canceled entirely, you lose the promotional bonus portion even if the booking is later reinstated. The base amount you paid is refundable within Virgin’s standard processing window — typically 7–14 days depending on your bank.
One more detail: Bar Tab is likely not insurable. Factor that into your purchase decision.
Your prepaid Bar Tab isn’t the only drink credit you might receive. Virgin Voyages layers additional Bar Tab credit through promotions and the Sailing Club loyalty program — and these stack with whatever you purchase yourself.
Sailors who’ve earned Deep Blue Extras through the Sailing Club receive a $100 promotional Bar Tab per eligible Sailor on qualifying voyages. As of October 7, 2025, Base, Essential, and Premium fare bookings are all eligible. This benefit is available on all eligible voyages through December 31, 2026.
Legacy Sailing Club members may also carry grandfathered bonuses — Sea-Blazers receive a $125 Bar Tab bonus for life, and Sea-Rovers received a $100 Bar Tab bonus for 2024, both applied to purchases of a $300 Bar Tab.
Virgin Voyages frequently runs seasonal Wave promotions that include complimentary Bar Tab credit scaled by voyage length. These vary year to year but typically range from $50–$300 per cabin depending on sailing duration and cabin category. Wave Bar Tab usually excludes Insider, Sea View, Lock It In, and Mega RockStar bookings.
Promotional Bar Tab credit is added to the lead Sailor’s folio and behaves the same as purchased credit onboard — use it or lose it by the end of the voyage.
Mega RockStar Sailors receive a separate drink benefit entirely — complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks up to $25 per drink, plus two bottles of wine per day (up to $90 each), along with 25% off anything priced above those thresholds. This is not Bar Tab — it’s a cabin-level perk — and it doesn’t require purchasing a tab at all.
Bar Tab does not carry over to a second sailing. If you’re doing back-to-back voyages, you need to purchase a separate Bar Tab for each leg. Sailor Loot follows the same rule.
Standard Future Voyage Credits (FVCs) can be used to purchase Bar Tab pre-voyage. However, Promotional FVCs and Promotional Sailor Loot cannot be applied toward Bar Tab. Virgin doesn’t clearly define what qualifies as “Promotional” in the Bar Tab terms, so if you’re unsure about the type of credit you’re holding, check with your First Mate or Sailor Services before attempting the purchase.
Occasional reports surface of drinks being charged to the wrong Bar Tab when crew manually enter a cabin number instead of scanning your Band. Always tap your Band for every order, and check your balance periodically in the app. If something looks off, visit Sailor Services on Deck 5.
If you’re nearing the end of your voyage with credit remaining, you’re not stuck watching it evaporate. Buy a round for your dinner table. Order a bottle of wine at The Wake. Grab specialty coffees for the morning before disembarkation. The credit is tied to your orders, but you can absolutely use it to buy drinks for other Sailors.
Not in the traditional sense. Virgin Voyages offers a prepaid Bar Tab — a fixed amount of drink credit with a bonus — instead of an unlimited daily drink package. You choose your spend level, and it depletes as you order.
No. Bar Tab is a pre-purchase add-on only, available through the app, My Account, your First Mate, or Sailor Services by phone. The purchase window closes 24 hours before your voyage departs.
Yes. The credit is non-transferable — meaning it stays on your account — but you can order and pay for drinks that other Sailors consume. Alternatively, merge folios at Sailor Services so your cabin mate can order directly using shared credit.
No. Bar Tab must be used on the voyage it was purchased for. Back-to-back Sailors need a separate purchase for each leg — there’s no rollover between consecutive sailings.
The Virgin Voyages Bar Tab is one of the smartest pre-voyage purchases you can make — as long as you right-size it. Estimate your daily drink spend, multiply by your voyage length, and pick the tier that gives you the best bonus without risking forfeited credit. Buy at least 48 hours before sailing, confirm it’s showing in your app, and let your Band do the rest. If you want help choosing the right tier for your sailing — or want your First Mate to handle the purchase — reach out to the Serious Sailors™ team and we’ll take care of it.
