In This Guide: Bar Tab Explained +

Virgin Voyages Bar Tab Explained

Pre-purchased drink credit — here's everything you need to know.

The Bar Tab is VV's pre-purchased drink credit system. Before you sail, you buy a fixed amount of bar credit at a slight discount — then spend it like cash on any drink onboard. Cocktails, mocktails, wine, beer, specialty coffee, pressed juice — all covered.

Basic beverages (water, sodas, drip coffee, standard juice) are always free and don't require Bar Tab. Bar Tab is for anything alcoholic or premium.

Bar Tab Tiers

$100

Pay

→

$100

Get

+$0

Entry level — barely covers 4–5 cocktails/day

$250

Pay

→

$275

Get

+$25

Good for light drinkers on a 4-night sailing

$500

Pay

→

$575

Get

+$75

Most common choice for couples on 5–7 nights

$700

Pay

→

$820

Get

+$120

Heavy drinkers or longer sailings

$1,000

Pay

→

$1,200

Get

+$200

Best value; 20% bonus. Suits 7+ nights or big spenders

Key Rules

•

Per cabin, not per person

One Bar Tab balance shared between all sailors in the cabin. Buying $500 does not mean $500 per person.

•

Non-refundable

Unused credit at the end of sailing is forfeited. Plan to use it — especially at Bimini or the last night.

•

Doesn't cover food or excursions

Bar Tab applies to beverages only at all onboard bars and restaurants. It has no cash value outside drinks.

•

BYOB corkage fee

You can bring wine onboard. A $25 corkage fee applies per bottle if you open it in a restaurant. No corkage in your cabin.

•

Buy before sailing for best price

Face value onboard. Discounts (typically 5–20%) are only available when purchasing in advance through the app or during promotions.

Rough Budget Guide

Cocktails run roughly $12–18 each. Here's a quick reference:

Light drinker (1–2/day)

$250

Moderate (2–3/day)

$400–500

Heavy (4+/day)

$700–1,000

4-night sailing

$250–400

7-night sailing

$500–700

With Bimini stop

Add $100+

Frequently Asked

Is the Bar Tab the same as a drink package? +
Conceptually similar, but structured differently. You pre-purchase a fixed dollar amount of onboard credit at a slight discount. You spend it like cash on drinks. There's no unlimited tier — you spend what you buy.
Is Bar Tab per person or per cabin? +
Per cabin. Two people share a single Bar Tab balance. It's not doubled if there are two sailors.
What happens to unused Bar Tab credit? +
It's non-refundable. Any credit not spent by the end of the sailing is forfeited. Use it up at Bimini or on the last night.
Can I use Bar Tab for anything other than drinks? +
Bar Tab is for drinks only — alcoholic and non-alcoholic from any bar or restaurant. It does not cover food, spa, or shore excursions.
When is the best time to buy Bar Tab? +
Buy it before sailing — it's occasionally discounted during promotions (especially Black Friday / Cyber Monday). Once you're onboard, you pay face value at any bar.

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