Does Virgin Voyage Drink Package include alcohol?

Virgin Voyages is a joint venture cruising line that operates under two parent companies, namely, Virgin Group and Bain Capital. It is one of the newer cruise lines introduced in the past couple of years and so far, features three ships in its fleet, with one more on its way. What is unique about Virgin Voyages is that they want to establish a name for themselves in the industry by providing adult-only vacations to diverse locations such as the Caribbean, Europe, Mediterranean, etc.

The overall theme of this cruise line sounds exciting, and one of the major parts of the adults-only cruising experience is alcohol. Alcohol plays a big factor in making or breaking your cruising experience, and learning more about the alcohol policies on board any of the cruise ships that you decide to sail upon is crucial in pre-planning your experience and ensuring that there are no bumps during your travel. This article prepares you for your next Virgin Voyages trip in advance and helps you understand all about the alcohol policies aboard the cruise line and if you have to pay anything extra to get your hands on a drink or two.

All About Virgin Voyage's Alcohol Policies

Yes, in general, you have to pay for alcohol on the Virgin Voyages, while the circumstances of payment vary. Normally, cruise lines offer specific drink packages to the passengers, whereas Virgin Voyages has tried to be completely different and has gone off to another path.

Instead of drink packages, this cruise line offers something called the 'Bar Tab System.' It is simply a way to buy credit for your drinks in advance. You can pay $100, $200, and $300 for bar tabs in advance of your sailing trips. You can buy this credit scheme up until 24 hours before sailing starts officially. This bar tab credit system can be used for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. So it doesn't matter if you like to drink beers and wines or if your drink of choice is cold pressed juices and mocktails. There's something for everyone, and you can easily use this onboard credit system to purchase them. The only thing to note here is that this credit system is nonrefundable, so make sure to get the best of it while on your cruising trip at Virgin Voyages.

Recently, they've also introduced a plan where whenever you prepay for a bar tab for your trip, Virgin Voyages gives you onboard credit for every purchase that can be spent however you like throughout your trip. You usually get a total onboard credit of $50 every time you purchase the bar credit system for your cruising experience.

Basic drinks such as beers (Heineken, Amstel Light, Kalik, Corona) cost about $6-$7 per bottle. Cocktails such as Absolut, Buffalo Trace, Bacardi Superior, and Beefeater all cost $10 each. Lastly, wines by the glass are also available, with 40% of options being under $11. Another notable mention is that any tips required are already included in these base fares, so you need not worry about having to pay anything extra.

If you wish to bring your wine to the dining area, the servers there are willing to uncork it, serve it, and set it aside for you at an extra $25 corkage fee. Don't worry, though, since this fee can also be covered under the bar tab system. For non-alcoholic beverages, you can bring aboard anything that is not in a plastic or glass container. You can carry drinks like water, protein drinks, and canned/boxed soft drinks onboard, with a maximum limit for each person being set at twelve 12-ounce cans or paper cartons.

There are also no restrictions as to who you can buy the drink for, may it be your cabin mate or a friend you made onboard during your journey, there are no restrictions as such, and you can use your bar credit system to purchase however many drinks that come within the limit for anybody on board.

However, you can also save a little on paying for alcoholic drinks as Virgin voyages allow you to bring two bottles of wine, sparkling wine, or champagne aboard, with each bottle only measuring up to 750ml, that can be brought on embarkation with you carry-in items of luggage.

If you have more than the specified and allowed amount, security will collect it, but you can easily get it back on the last night of your trip. The same goes for any alcoholic drinks that might be purchased at any of the port stops on your cruising experience. You can submit those to the security officials onboard, and once your trip is coming to an end, your items will be safely returned to you.

The process to purchase the bar credit system is quite simple, and Virgin Voyages has made the whole experience hassle-free. All you have to do is sign in on the official website page on their home page and find the option to opt for the bar credit system. That's it, as the rest of the process is quite normal. You will be asked for basic details about how much you wish to pay, more details about your trip(s), and then lastly the option to pay the overall fees that you have chosen.

Also Read: How much do Virgin Voyages cost?

Drinking Options Onboard The Virgin Voyages

Virgin Voyages features different kinds of bars and lounges on board to provide a wide and diverse variety of drinks for all passengers on the ship. The range of drinks provides passengers with a lot of choices and the comfort of choosing wherever they wish to spend their bar tab credit. One of the most notable options is 'On the Rocks', which is a cocktail bar that offers aged spirits poured over ice. Next, you get the champagne lounge called 'Sip', which offers a variety of exquisite champagne choices. Then you get 'The Dock House,' which offers passengers spritzers, detox mocktails, and Mediterranean-inspired drinks. However, these are not the only available choices for you to opt for. Some other bars and lounges available on board are Gym and Tonic, Athletic Club Bar, Draught Haus, Sun Club, and many more.

Also Read: Is Virgin voyage all inclusive?

Conclusion

Although Virgin Voyages does not feature any drink plans or complementary schemes regarding alcohol, they've still managed to put an interesting twist to these common practices in their way! Having a bar tab credit system ensures that you have a pre-decided limit for yourself and can easily enjoy a diverse variety of drinks onboard the cruise at any given point in time.

With so many bars and restaurants available on board, Virgin Voyages surely takes the adult-only cruising experience theme seriously. The next time you wish to book a Virgin Voyages cruise for yourself or your loved ones, make sure to choose CruiseBooking.com as your booking partner for a hassle-free and quick experience!