Virgin Voyages has begun retiring its Sip and Savor drink pairing menus across the fleet. First launched in February 2024, the optional pairing program allowed sailors to add curated drinks alongside the included food menus in several onboard restaurants. Reports from Scarlet & Resilient Lady suggest the offering has now been removed outside of The Test Kitchen, this change will likely roll out fleet-wide.

What Was Sip and Savor?

Sip and Savor was introduced as an optional drinks pairing menu available in select restaurants including Gunbae, Extra Virgin, Razzle Dazzle, Pink Agave and The Wake.

The concept was simple. Sailors could order a set of curated drinks designed to complement courses from the existing included menu. The food itself was already included in the voyage fare. The pairing simply added drinks at a fixed price. Pricing typically ranged from $25 to $35 depending on the restaurant.

Importantly, sailors did not need to order the specific dishes listed on the pairing menu. They could choose other items from the restaurant and still purchase the drink pairing. However, this flexibility sometimes caused confusion.

Why Some Sailors Were Confused

Because the food was already included, some sailors misunderstood the concept. A few believed the pairing required ordering the exact dishes listed, while others assumed it was a fixed tasting menu. In reality, Sip and Savor was simply a drinks bundle. The food suggestions were there to guide flavor combinations, not to limit ordering choices.

That distinction was not always clear, especially for first time Virgin Voyages sailors and likely resulted in a lower uptake. However the pricing was always less than the cost of the drinks ordered individually. In effect, it felt similar to receiving one drink at little or no additional cost compared to buying each separately. Because Bar Tab could be applied, sailors who had pre purchased drinks credit could easily allocate it toward the pairing.

The Test Kitchen Pairing Remains

At present, the only curated drinks pairing still available fleet wide is at The Test Kitchen which was never branded as Sip & Savor. The Test Kitchen pairing is built into a structured tasting format. The experience includes five curated drinks designed specifically to match each course.

This format has always been clearer, as The Test Kitchen itself follows a set menu concept rather than an open ordering style.

No Replacement Planned

Virgin Voyages has not announced a replacement for Sip and Savor in other restaurants. Sailors can still order drinks individually however, the pre set pairing bundles have been removed.

We will continue to monitor menus across the fleet on our restaurant menus page, the most up to date place on the internet for Virgin Voyages menus.

View Latest Menus

Have you noticed Sip and Savor removed on your recent sailing? Let us know in the comments below.