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Bar Tab Option Now Available on Embarkation Day

Virgin Voyages now offers Bar Tab purchases onboard on embarkation day, giving sailors added flexibility and bonuses. Find out more and use our calculator!

Bar Tabs can now be purchased on embarkation day
Bar Tabs can now be purchased on embarkation day © Photo by Virgin Voyages

Updated: 30th May 2025 – Previously mentioned figures provided by Virgin Voyages were incorrect, the correct figures are updated below.

Virgin Voyages has made it easier to take advantage of its popular Bar Tab offer even if you’re already onboard. Previously, Bar Tab purchases with bonus credit were only available in the 24 hours leading up to a sailing, and only through select embarkation terminals.

But starting this week, sailors can now purchase a Bar Tab on embarkation day while already onboard. This change gives everyone one last chance to benefit from bonus drinks, even if they missed the chance to pre-purchase but at a reduced rate. Virgin Voyages is also currently trialing a VIP drinks option that may be expanded to on board sales too.

Onboard Bar Tab Bonuses

Virgin Voyages has communicated that the bonuses available are less than the pre-purchase amount, pre-purchasing is the best way to get bonuses.

  • $200 Bar Tab: includes an extra $15, totaling $215
  • $300 Bar Tab: includes an extra $25, totaling $325
  • $500 Bar Tab: includes an extra $50, totaling $550
  • $750 Bar Tab: includes an extra $100, totaling $850
  • $1000 Bar Tab: includes an extra $150, totaling $1150
Cocktails at The Dock House
Cocktails at The Dock House© Photo by Virgin Voyages

Start Dates by Ship

The onboard Bar Tab option is now live on:

  • Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady: Sunday, June 1st
  • Resilient Lady: Now Available

Use Our Bar Tab Calculator

We still recommend using our Bar Tab Calculator to work out the best option for you before your voyage. Pre-purchasing your Bar Tab before you board remains the best way to plan your voyage.

Bar Tab Calculator

Bar Tab Calculator
Bar Tab Calculator© Photo by Virgin Voyages

About the author

Co-Founder and Editor. Blending technical know how from the iOS world with a love for Virgin Voyages with over 20 sailings around the world.


11 Comments

  1. Camila says:

    The pricing onboard is not the same as pre-voyage! The pricing here is accurate, but is not the same as the offer pre-voyage. It is still better to purchase this pre-voyage! Just letting everyone know 🙂

    1. Rob Sammons says:

      It appears Virgin Voyages communicated the Bar Tab’s being the same on board to First Mates earlier this month, that’s not the case as you’ve found. Updated the article now with the actual figures.

  2. Michelle says:

    It should be in USD as you are purchasing the USD tab amount to spend USD on drinks onboard! Hope you can buy another way rather than just in the app which is fixed in GBP if cruise booked in GBP through an agent. The exchange rate is poor. I rang sailor services a week ago and was told there was no way to pay for the tab in advance other than in GBP.. computer says ‘no’. It’s the same for the Shore things.
    Do App purchases change to USD once the cruise starts?

  3. Martin says:

    I wrote to Sailor Services about this, since the currency exchange rate is so bad. They confirmed that any bar tab purchased at the port before boarding would be in $US, not the booked currency. This must be true for on board too. So it completely makes sense to do this for those whose locked currency exchange rates are so poor.

  4. Tom says:

    Do DBE $100 on $300 still apply? Have they said if you pay in USD or booked currency? May cancel my tab and book once onboard if in USD.

    1. Rob Sammons says:

      Good question, presumably yes, they have been manually adding this for those who purchased at Terminal. It’d be USD on board.

      1. Mike says:

        Do we know if this is still the case now that the embarkation day bonuses are worse than the pre-purchase bonuses? If I’d still get the sea rover $100 bonus on $300 I would wait and buy it on embarkation day but otherwise would buy it in advance.

        1. Rob Sammons says:

          Yes this is the most up to date information. Virgin Voyages incorrectly communicated they were the same last month. It’s unclear if you’d get any bonus for any loyalty on board, likely not. Still best to pre purchase!

  5. Jordan Connell says:

    Good news for UK sailors because the exchange rate is way off!

    1. Rob Sammons says:

      Yes they need to fixed the locked currency issue!

    2. Lesley MacFarlane says:

      Good point …as we would prefer to pay ours in USD

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