virgin voyages bar tab

Bar Tab Calculator

What is a bar tab.

Virgin Voyages stands out in its approach to beverages. Unlike typical cruise lines with set drink packages, Virgin Voyages skips that model entirely. Instead, they bring in the concept of a Bar Tab for a fairer onboard experience.

Instead, each drink is charged separately – Virgin Voyages drink prices are fairly reasonable matching on land pricing. Using the calculator you can see how many are needed for your voyage length based on a daily drink spend.

You can read more about the differences between Sailor Loot & Bar Tabs here .

How Much Is It?

To help make drinks more affordable; Virgin Voyages offer sailors the opportunity to buy a ‘Bar Tab’ before they sail. Bar Tab can be purchased in a number of ‘chunks’ each with a corresponding bonus to incentivise sailors pre-purchasing the beverage credit.

• $200 Bar Tab: Bonus $25 (12.5% extra)
• $300 Bar Tab: Bonus $50* (16.7% extra)
• $500 Bar Tab: Bonus $100 (20% extra)
• $750 Bar Tab: Bonus $175 (23.3% extra)
• $1000 Bar Tab: Bonus $250 (25% extra)

*If you are a Sea Rover or Sea Blazer you continue to get a special bonus for $300 Bar Tab purchases ($100 for Sea Rovers and $125 for Sea Blazers).

Bar Tabs must be bought 48 hours before voyage sets sail , are non-refundable, and unavailable once the cruise begins. You can purchase them in the Virgin Voyages app or from the Virgin Voyages website .

Linking Bar Tabs to Share Purchases on Board

When it comes to sharing drink purchases on board with Virgin Voyages, linking Bar Tabs is an option. The Bar Tab is automatically assigned to the first sailor on the booking or whoever is selected for purchased Bar Tabs. There are two ways to link your Bar Tab with anyone in the same cabins:

• Pre-Sail: Before setting sail, you can link Bar Tabs in the Check-in section. Under Payment Method, select “footing the bill” for the sailor you want to share with. It’s important to note that this action will share all sailor loot and any purchases made by that sailor.
• On Board: Alternatively, you can link Bar Tabs together while on board by speaking to Sailor Services . This can be especially useful if plans change or if you wish to adjust sharing preferences during the voyage.

How many Bar Tab’s do I need ?

Because of this, it’s sometimes quite complicated to work out whether you need to buy one and how much money you might be able to save, we’ve made it easy. Just fill out the Bar Tab Calculator below and we’ll let you know what you should do to save the most money on drinks.

Average Drinks Prices for 2024

• $9.00 per glass of wine
• $8.00 per beer
• $14.00 per cocktail
• $9.00 per measure of spirits / liquor (mixers are free)
• $9.00 per juice or smoothie
• $5.50 per specialty soft drink (non-filter coffee, energy drinks and mocktails)

View Bar Menus

Use this tool to calculate whether it's worth buying a Bar Tab for your voyage and, if so, how many - along with how much you could save.

Note: The estimated cost of drinks is an estimate based on a rough average cost of beverages on board. The actual cost of drinks will vary depending on what you order.

• {{ averagePriceListing(drink, store.pref) }}

Based on what you told us you should buy:

• {{ chunkCount }} × ${{ chunkName }} Bar Tab worth {{ asCurrency(store.optimizedBarTabChunks().chunkOptions[chunkName].value, true) }}

This will cost you {{ asCurrency(store.optimizedBarTabChunks().barTabTotalCost, true) }} and give you a {{ asCurrency(store.optimizedBarTabChunks().barTabTotalValue, true) }} credit towards the cost of drinks.

You will have {{ asCurrency(store.optimizedBarTabChunks().remainingCredit) }} remaining credit towards the end of your voyage as you will spend {{ asCurrency(store.optimizedBarTabChunks().remainingBalance > 0 ? store.optimizedBarTabChunks().remainingBalance : 0) }} over and above your existing Bar Tab ({{ asCurrency(store.existingBalance) }}) on drinks.

We predict you will need to pay {{ asCurrency(store.optimizedBarTabChunks().outOfPocketBalance) }} out of pocket at the end of your voyage as you will spend {{ asCurrency(store.optimizedBarTabChunks().remainingBalance > 0 ? store.optimizedBarTabChunks().remainingBalance : 0) }} over and above your existing Bar Tab ({{ asCurrency(store.existingBalance) }}) on drinks.

We predict you will spend {{ asCurrency(store.optimizedBarTabChunks().remainingBalance > 0 ? store.optimizedBarTabChunks().remainingBalance : 0) }} over and above your existing Bar Tab ({{ asCurrency(store.existingBalance) }}) on drinks during your voyage. The minimum Bar Tab credit you can buy costs {{ asCurrency(store.optimizedBarTabChunks().chunkOptions[Object.keys(store.optimizedBarTabChunks().chunkOptions)[0]].cost) }} , so you will not save any money by pre-purchasing a Bar Tab.

We think you will spend the following on drinks on the course of your voyage:

• {{ drink.label }}: {{ asCurrency(drink.count * averagePriceFor(drink, store.pref) * store.nights) }} ({{ drink.count }} × {{ asCurrency(averagePriceFor(drink, store.pref)) }} × {{ store.nights }} nights)

The total predicted cost of your drinks is {{ asCurrency(store.totalDrinkCost()) }} .

For the final calculation we have subtracted the {{ asCurrency(store.existingBalance) }} existing or promotional Bar Tab you have already.

About Your Voyage

Alcohol preference.

This answer will be used to work out the average cost of each drink.

The averages we will use are:

Drinks Per Day

Answer this section with combined totals for the whole cabin (anyone sharing this on board spending account).

If you plan to drink more or less on certain days, simply answer using an estimated average.

Bars On Board Virgin Voyages Ships

Bar featured bars.

See all Bars

Aquatic Club Bar

The Aquatic Club Bar is a lively hub of refreshments at the main pool area on Virgin Voyages cruise ships. This vibrant bar offers a well-stocked selection of beverages to quench your thirst while you soak up the sun and enjoy the exciting poolside atmosphere.

Draught Haus

A small bar serving The Roundabout area. This bar offers a selection of beer, wine and simple mixer drinks as well as some canned cocktails.

Gym & Tonic Bar

This smaller yet inviting bar provides guests with a convenient spot to enjoy a refreshing drink while soaking up the serene ambiance. Whether you're lounging in the whirlpool, relaxing in the hot tubs, or basking on the sun loungers.

Richard’s Rooftop Bar

Richard's Rooftop Bar, nestled inside the exclusive 'Richard's Rooftop' area, is the epitome of luxury aboard Virgin Voyages. This venue, open only to 'Rockstar' guests with a sunset happy hour and exclusive food service.

A popular and sophisticated lounge bar, offering premium wines and mixology-led cocktails in a surrounding of luxury and elegance. This bar is a great place to get a drink before a Red Room show or if you're singing in Groupie.

Sun Club Bar

Occupying a corner of Deck 16 is the Sun Club Bar, a quieter bar that overlooks the Well-Being pool area with sea views.

The Athletic Club Bar

The Athletic Club Bar, located within the expansive Athletic Club area on deck 16 of Virgin Voyages, is more than just a standard bar. This well-stocked watering hole serves up a broad range of beverages.

The Casino Bar

A small bar near The Casino - this bar isn't particularly well-stocked but its in a very convenient location, has good opening hours and it's often quicker to grab a drink from here than On the Rocks during busy times.

Serving sun worshippers tasty drinks and a menu of delicious tapas, like hangar steak and grilled octopus, in a chilled setting with comfy loungers and cool tunes.

The Dock House

The Dock House provides a cozy setting with scenic views. Enjoy vibrant flavors with live music and flame-grilled skewers or Mezze.

The Loose Cannon

A pub-inspired bar serving beers, wine and basic cocktails. Try the 'Sh-oct-a-pus' - a shot tower made for five sailors to share, presented on a metal octopus sculpture.

The Social Club

The Social Club is a relaxed venue on Virgin Voyages, featuring board games, karaoke, casual dining, and sports viewing, offering a variety of activities day and night.

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Bars & Drinks

Reasons to raise your glass.

Regain the freedom of getting what you want — with essential drinks always included, alcoholic bevs at exceptional value, and all tips on us.

We got you covered

Stay hydrated with still and sparkling water, non-pressed juices & your favorite sodas. Grab a cuppa tea pre-snooze, or sip on drip coffee if you need a boost.

Shakin’ it up

Live unique drink experiences tailored by some of the industry’s top mixologists and bartending phenomenons, with an exceptional beverage program specially designed for each of our restaurants and bars.

Feeling tip-sy

Have a bit of a tipsy time with complete peace of mind. We've taken care of (taking care of) your servers, so whenever you’re sailing with us, the price you see is the price you pay — no tips necessary.

Drinks for every budget

Skip the unreasonable pricing. We’ve created personalized drink offerings to suit every budget and satisfy even your most indulgent cravings.

The enticing bars that’ll host all your toasts.

We’ve partnered with some of the industry's most esteemed mixologists and bartending whizzes to create an unrivaled beverage program built on what matters most: top-quality drinks crafted with the very best ingredients for a price that’s actually worth it.

And we’re thrilled to say that we won Best Nightlife at both the US and the UK’s Cruise Critic Editors' Picks Awards, earned the US News & World Report’s Best Cruise Line for Money Gold Badge, and VIBE Best Overall Cruise Beverage Program (we won best adult non-alcoholic too).

On the Rocks

Focused on aged spirits poured over ice, On the Rocks is the perfect place to make bold choices. Kick-starting the evening with live musical performances, dare to add a twist to your favorite cocktail, stir it up while trying a different flavor, or challenge our mixologists to shake things up and round out the night with a spirited masterpiece crafted on the spot, just for you.

Whether you’re craving a posh early breakfast, an indulgent high tea in the afternoon, or an effervescent nightcap to enjoy while gazing at the moon, our curated champagne lounge was specially designed to satisfy all your bubbles, caviar, and other glamorous needs.

The Aquatic Club

Vacation is somewhat incomplete without a frozen drink by the pool. So stay hydrated as you soak up some vitamin D, and drink in the views with a cold mojito in hand. Or a house specialty rum punch. Or a mocktail with an umbrella in it. Whatever your libation style, we've got a full bar right by the pool so that you’re never too far from the hottest parties.

Mezze Lounge & Bar

Blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor lounging, The Dock is the ultimate space for unwinding. Offering an alfresco-chic lounge-side service, its menu is focused on light and refreshing drinks and enticing bites to share. Drink in the Mediterranean flair with craft cocktails made with orange blossom, rose water, or pomegranate — they pair perfectly with the sweeping ocean views, fiery sunsets, and starry nights you’ll see from one of The Dock’s daybeds.

The Dock House

An effortlessly elegant yet casual counterpart to the view-focused scene outside, the Dock House is *the* place to go for some healthy indulgence or a sparkly delight. With a fine selection of spritzers, detox mocktails, and Mediterranean-inspired drinks, it offers bright flavors that are anything but laid-back and live acoustic sounds that add up to the cozy atmosphere. The star of the show is our premium rosé program, specially curated to quench your thirst while rounding out each taste.

So many options…

And there’s (a lot) more.

Every single one of our bars has been specially designed to offer a one-of-a-kind experience. Whether you're exploring indoors or hanging outside, you’re always one step closer to finding another fabulous spot — and your next new-favorite drink.

Gym & Tonic

An open deck oasis bringing together everything Vitamin Sea stands for, Gym & Tonic offers fresh and cold-pressed juices, made to order smoothies - even add a scoop of protein if you like, and stirring Reset Cocktails that are healthy in spirit (by putting the spirit in healthy). Whether after working up a sweat or while relaxing at the Well-being Pool, there’s no better way to thank yourself for taking care of your mind, body, soul with a toast. So embrace our detox-retox philosophy and cheers!

Athletic Club Bar

Whether you’re looking for the right spot to refuel after a workout sesh or to bask in sweeping ocean views with an ice-cold beer in hand, the Athletic Club Bar offers everything from restoring ginger shots to cold-pressed juices and low-ABV cocktails that will make you fall in love. A sporty bar right in the heart of the (social) action, it’s just steps away from the active training zone, boxing ring, basketball court, and oversized deck games, so every sip comes with a side of lively ambiance.

Draught Haus

Casual yet discerning beer-connoisseur-approved, our stylish Draught Haus features a variety of beers on tap, a wide range of artisanal bottles, boiler makers, and shot cocktails. Sip on artisanal brews while drinking in endless ocean views from a cozy window seat, stop for one of our “All Day Breakfast” shots before heading out, or just grab a growler and bring your expertly curated craft beer with you.

Located on our sun deck right above the pool (because any pool area worth its sea salt should have more than one bar), the Sun Club is the go-to spot to grab a frozen drink, sip on a tropical cocktail, and post up for optimal sun-soaking during the day, and people-watching during our iconic nighttime pool parties.

The Social Club Diner & Bar

The Social Club is an ode to carnival classics both in fare and in spirit. From fairground staples like pretzels and hotdogs to modern takes on milkshakes and floats (which can be spiked with a lil booze for an adult-friendly upgrade), our signature drinks and treats are just as photogenic as they are stacked high with cookies, frosting, and candy. But we don’t call it “social” for nothing — this diner is perfect for playing a game of shuffleboard, board and card games, and more.

The Loose Cannon

Inspired by seaside bars in Brighton, UK, The Loose Cannon is a nautically-themed dive bar boasting lively music and animated processions with equally spirited bar keeps ready to ignite a heart chant at a moment’s notice. With uncharted trivia nights, a real cannon to kick off the festivities, and a signature drink menu featuring hits like El Capitano’s Gun Powder and the mischievous Shoctopus, The Loose Cannon is one of those places to go for the drinks and stay for the fun.

The Grounds Club

It’s early. You’re still a bit blurry, and coffee is the only thing you can focus on right now. Luckily, the Barista on board is pouring a Double Shot Almond Milk Latte in the most satisfying way you’ve ever seen, and this is exactly what you can’t start your day without. And when the fresh flavors of Intelligentsia’s direct-trade coffee explode in your mouth, you’ll know that The Grounds Club is just like your favorite coffee shop at home… but with the very best brews and unrivaled ocean views.

The Grounds Club, Too

Your go-to for a morning brew... and for your nightcap, too. An elevated lounge experience debuting on Scarlet Lady December 2024, The (new) Grounds Club, Too smoothly turns your early coffee run into a laid-back lounge vibe, effortlessly shifting from energizing pick-me-ups to rich cocktails late at night. With plush seating, a full bar, and ocean views setting the stage, it’s where comfort meets style — whether you’re chasing caffeine or catching sunsets.

A bar lineup like no other

While our Crew keeps the energy, cocktails, and good times flowing — we’ll hand the mic over to our Sailors. They’ll tell you everything you need to know (and more!)

Luxurious cruise

The best service I ever experienced, all bars have every type of drinks, they never said: “we don’t have".

Highly recommend Virgin Voyages!

Wanted to enjoy an adult-only cruise and this one met all of my expectations. plenty of spaces to have drinks and mingle.

The best cruise experience ever

They made every detail from luxury served food and extremely good service to amazing drinks and cocktails.. music DJs, and blues night.

It was beyond my expectations

Shows, bars, musicians, more bars, entertainers, bands, and more bars. It was great. Can’t wait to come back!

Cheers to fair pricing

We heard you, Sailor. No restrictive drink packages with unreasonable rules here — just good value for all.

Heineken, Amstel Light, Kalik, Corona $7-9 (Tip included)

Basic Cocktail

Absolut, Buffalo Trace, Bacardi Superior, Beefeater $11 (Tip included)

Wine by the Glass

40% of our wines by the glass are under $11 (Tip included)

It pays to pre-pay

Pre-purchase your Bar Tab and score bonus onboard credit to boost your drink experience.

Know you’ll be hitting the bar onboard? We’re adding an extra shot of opportunity to the exceptional quality and fair value you’ll always find on our lady ship by topping off every Bar Tab you pre-purchase with onboard credit for drinks to share (including non-alcoholic options like coffee, pressed juices, and smoothies). Right now, we’re offering Bar Tab bonuses on purchases from $200 to $1000, so we’ve definitely mixed up the right deal for you. Cheers!

What’s a Bar Tab, and how does it work?

Bar Tabs are pre-purchased onboard credit set aside specifically to be spent on drinks — from alcohol bevs to fresh-pressed juices and elaborate coffee drinks. Available for purchase up until 24 hours before sailing , our Bar Tabs can be used both on the ship and at The Beach Club at Bimini. They are not available for purchase on the ship and are non-refundable once your voyage starts, so if you like fresh-pressed juices, barista-crafted specialty coffees, phenomenal mocktails, spirited drinks, and alcoholic bevvies, make sure to add a Bar Tab to your booking. Bottoms up!

What’s in it for me?

Pre-purchase a $100, $200, $300, $500, $750, or $1000 Bar Tab and score bonus onboard credit to boost your drink experience. Go ahead, and reward yourself for your fabulous preplanning skills with a few extra drinks.  Terms and Conditions apply.  

Is this a bar package?

No. We offer fair prices across the ship and have already included all essential drinks and tips in our voyage fares. This way, you don’t have to deal with trying to calculate how many drinks you need to have per day to see "value" in a package, unreasonable rules like requiring everyone in a cabin to purchase a drink package (and ending up subsidizing the drinking habits of fellow Sailors), or paying for brands you don’t even like.

Can I use it to buy drinks for other people?

Of course! Your Bar Tab covers any premium drink — whether it’s for you, your cabin mate, or someone you just befriended on board. Different than traditional packages, we don’t require every Sailor within a cabin to purchase a Bar Tab, so you can feel free to not get one or use yours however you like.

How can I start my bar tab?

Simply head over to the My Account section and you’ll be able to lock it in.

Fancy some bubbles?

We love finding reasons to celebrate. And from our partnership with Möet Chandon Impérial®, our curated champagne lounge, and one-of-a-kind champagne tables, you can see that we take our champagne pretty seriously.

Save water. Drink champagne.

Shake for Champagne™ whenever you feel like raising a glass, and enjoy effortless sips of bubbly with our on-demand bottle service. Just open up the Virgin Voyages App and give your phone a shake to see a secret button appear. Tap it, and a bottle of Möet Chandon Impérial® will be delivered to you, so you can drink in the moment with a great sparkly wine no matter where you are on board.

Uncharted culinary delight on the high seas

With everything from a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence-winning restaurant to fresh, ship-made pasta, full-on Korean bbq, and late-night breakfast already included, it’s pretty easy to indulge on board.

Realign those chakras

Take some glorious (and very well-deserved) me time at Redemption Spa, work on your fitness, find a new hobby, or switch off completely — the choice is yours.

Be the first to get our exclusive deals + onboard happenings

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Virgin Voyages Drink Package – What to know about the “Bar Tab”

Virgin voyages offers a unique approach to beverages on their cruises with their “bar tab” system, rather than traditional drink packages..

The Bar Tab allows guests to prepay for drinks with incentives and bonuses included. They aim to simplify the process and offer reasonable drink prices without forcing nondrinkers to subsidize others’ drinking habits. The Bar Tab can be used for beverages and bottomless brunch purchases.

Key Things To Know:

• Virgin Voyages offers a unique “Bar Tab” system instead of traditional drink packages on their cruises.
• The Bar Tab allows guests to prepay for drinks with incentives and bonuses included.
• Virgin Voyages aims to provide reasonable drink prices without forcing nondrinkers to subsidize others’ drinking habits.
• The Bar Tab can be used for beverages and bottomless brunch purchases, but not for services or merchandise.
• Comparing the Bar Tab to traditional drink packages, it can potentially save money for moderate drinkers, offering good value with bonuses included.

Does Virgin Voyages have a drink package?

Virgin Voyages has a unique take on Drink Packages on their cruises. Virgin Voyages drink packages are actually called “Bar Tabs”, as Virgin doesn’t offer traditional drink packages like other cruise lines. The “Bar Tab” system allows you to prepay for drinks and often get bonus money as an incentive.

Interestingly enough, Virgin Voyages’ reason for not having a traditional beverage package is to make things simpler and more straightforward, however, the “Bar Tab” concept raises even more questions on social media and for travel advisers selling Virgin Cruises. So it’s not looking like this actually makes it easier for cruisers, it just introduces DIFFERENT questions and further confusion when it comes to beverages. So we’ll answer a few common questions on drinks on Virgin Voyages lady ships.

WHAT drinks Are included on Virgin Voyages Cruises?

Virgin says that “Essential Drinks are on us”. What that means is still and sparkling water (from fountains – not bottled), non-pressed juices (again, from a fountain or bulk containers), fountain sodas, tea, and drip coffee.

What’s NOT included are alcoholic beverages, pressed juices, any coffee beverage ordered that isn’t just the basic drip coffee in bulk, and bottles of water.

• Read : Virgin Voyages Drink Prices & Menus

The “Bar Tab” explained

A Bar Tab is onboard credit that can be used for any beverage not included in the voyage fare. It’s a prepaid tab usually in increments of $300 that can be spent at any bar on board, the Bimini beach club as well as the coffee shops and juice bars. The “Bar Tab” is essentially the only option for a Virgin Voyages drink package , if you can really call it that.

How does the bar tab work?

Before sailing, you can purchase the drink package or “Bar Tab” in $300 increments and often benefit from the incentives Virgin gives for prepaying for drinks. The standard incentive is an additional $50 per $300 Bar Tab purchased, but often there are $100 incentives as promotions (or through travel agents).

Once on board, as drinks are ordered they are deducted from the Bar Tab balance.

You can use the Bar Tab to purchase drinks for yourself or anyone else, there are no restrictions. But it’s important to know that the Bar Tab can only be used for beverages (and the bottomless brunch purchases), but not for any other services or merchandise.

Why Virgin Voyages doesn’t offer drink packages

Officially, Virgin says through many months and rounds of Q&A with potential clients, people weren’t interested in unlimited alcohol as much as they were a quality experience. They (Virgin) also wanted to have beverage prices be reasonable and not have nondrinkers subsidize the drinking habits of other people.

The official statement from Virgin regarding beverage packages:

What Sailors Told Us : They weren’t interested in all-inclusive alcohol or unlimited package options. They’re looking for high-quality cocktails, wine, and beer at reasonable prices that don’t give them sticker shock every time they buy a drink. They don’t want to subsidize the drinking habits of fellow Sailors with prices increased to cover inclusive options and packages. Virgin Voyages

Another reason stated by Virgin for not having beverage & drink packages is their research stated that prospective cruisers didn’t want to be in an atmosphere of constant and unlimited drinking. They didn’t want people to work on breaking even or trying to get “value” from drink packages by calculating the often 10+ drinks needed daily to do just that. Finally, to go against the traditional drink packages where other cruise lines require everyone in a cabin to have packages, the Bar Tab system leaves it as an individual purchase and choice for each person in the same cabin.

Virgin has chosen “reasonable drink pricing” (sort of)

Reasonable is subjective when it comes to costs, especially with drinks. But Virgin Voyages has tried to make drink prices equivalent to or less expensive than land-based resorts and hotels. This is one of the arguments for not having a drink package. Reasonably priced drinks with no sticker shock (hence no need to rely on a package)

Realistically speaking, on a recent transatlantic cruise on the Valiant Lady , we found that the drinks weren’t quite as inexpensive as they claim and were closer to other cruise line prices.

For example, they state beer being $5-$6 per bottle, but the only real option was Heineken draught in relatively underpoured glasses. There were also various decent wines available but nearly all were $13-$15 for the most basic wines that were drinkable. Sure, they had one or two for less than that, but not what most people would consider consuming on a “high-end” travel experience.

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How the bar tab really compares to a drink package

As mentioned, on a recent transatlantic cruise on the Valiant Lady , we found that the drinks weren’t quite as inexpensive as they claimed, so we put our multiple Bar Tabs to the test and compared the experience to a cruise with a drink package.

For the transatlantic crossing, we purchased 3 x $300 bar tabs and received 3 x $100 bonuses, giving us $1200 to spend over the course of 14 days.

How much bar tab should you get?

Obviously, that depends on every person individually and what their drinking habits are.

We’re relatively moderate drinkers on cruises but tend to indulge here and there. We were in fact concerned, based on experience, that $1200 would not be enough for two people for two weeks on a cruise where drink prices are usually higher than in ‘real life’.

In the end, surprisingly, it worked out pretty well. Not feeling compelled to “break-even” on a drink package definitely kept us from overindulging from morning til night.

With each of us having a few glasses of wine or a few beers during the day with meals or during trivia plus drinks before dinner, during dinner, and the occasional after-dinner drink, we were spending about $100 / day total (for both travelers). In the end, we were left with a balance to pay of approximately $185 over the $1200 Bar Tab included for our cruise.

Comparing that to a Royal Caribbean drink package that usually costs $60-$90 per person per day (depending on promotions), we actually saved money.

Is the Virgin Voyages Bar Tab worth it?

If you know you’re going to drink, even moderately, getting a free $50 (or more) by purchasing a $300 bar tab is likely going to be worth it for most people. Remember, even if you’re going to just drink coffee all day long from the coffee bars, you’ll get a good value out of the added bonus!

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Did we miss something? Have you had a different experience? Did we get it wrong?

Cruise Gear Editor

I'm a global nomad at heart, and the dedicated editor behind CruiseGear. For the past two decades, I've experienced exciting voyages across the world, discovering countless ports from the decks of dozens of ships, visiting 40+ countries (and living in some of them for years). It's been an exhilarating journey to say the least! I want to share everything I've learned and hope to make your next cruise vacation as enjoyable as possible.

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I would like to comment on your article and commend you for helping me understand fully what the benefit is of a Virgin drink tab – I can now proceed with the purchase knowing that it was the best way to proceed to enjoy a few drinks onboard.

Since you don’t get a refund on anything you don’t spend, you STILL have to figure out how much you’ll have to drink to “break even,” or rather, drink all that you’ve already paid for. Thankfully, another article I found listed most of the drink prices, so I can sort out if we’ll even be able to drink enough to spend $300 over the course of 5 days for our trip.

Definitely a consideration, whether or not someone is confident they can use their $300 bar tab during their voyage. I know *I* personally had no problem :). — For drink prices, you can get an idea here – where we’ve posted all of the Virgin Voyages Drink Menus / Prices

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