What do Virgin Voyages Voyagefair Choices mean?
Starting October 7, 2025, Virgin Voyages is replacing its single-fare model with three distinct pricing tiers for most cabins. The goal: make fares more transparent and give sailers more control over what they pay for. Alongside that, gratuities will no longer be hidden in the fare they’ll appear as a separate line item during booking.
Virgin emphasizes that none of the core on-ship experiences are changing (meals, entertainment, basic inclusions and is mostly about how you book. So let’s break down these changes so that you can understand what this means when booking your next Virgin Voyage.
The New Fare Options for Sea Terrace and Below
There are now three distinct levels of fare when booking a ‘Cabin’ fare, that is anything up to the level of a sea terrace. This covers most staterooms on the ship.
BASE
Always available, non-refundable rate with a little less flexibility and perks.
Wifi: Basic (1 device per sailor)
Bookings available 15 days before sailing
Cabin assignments at booking but subject to change until 7 days before voyage
No date changes
No name changes
No cabin changes
Non refundable
ESSENTIAL
This is equivelent to what you would know and love today. If you love the experience you've had to date, this is your choice for the future!
Wifi: Classic (1 device per sailor)
Bookings available 45 days before sailing
Cabin assignments at booking
Date changes allowed*
Name changes for sailors 2,3,4**
Cabin changes allowed
Eligible for Future Voyage credit
PREMIUM
If you want to level up, Premium is the most flexible fare with the most perks — like priority dining booking (60 days before sailing!), daily drink credit, and maximum booking flexibility.
Wifi: Premium (2 devices per sailor)
Bookings available 60 days before sailing
Cabin assignments at booking
Date changes allowed*
Name changes for all sailors**
Cabin changes allowed
Eligible for Future Voyage credit
Extra Perks:
Priority Pre Voyage Support
$15 per sailor per night premium drink bar tab
* date changes need to be 45 days outside of sailing date
* name changes need to be 48 hours outside of sailing date
We think that this means there is something for everyone on Virgin Voyages:
Pick Base if you’re confident in your travel dates, don’t need early reservations or streaming Wi-Fi, and want the lowest upfront cost.
Choose Essential if you want a good balance of perks and flexibility — similar to how Virgin worked before, but with more clarity.
Go Premium if early dining access, strong Wi-Fi on multiple devices, and extra convenience are worth the premium for your peace of mind.
What about gratuities?
As part of these changes, Virgin Voyages has ‘unbundled’ gratuities from the fare amount. This will make it easier to compare prices between different cruise lines however some feedback has been given that it makes it feel more like nickel and diming which is something Virgin marketed themselves as being different on. Virgin has stated that its not planning to make overall price changes by doing this but it is yet to be seen. Now when booking you will have two options:
1) Prepay your gratuities at $20USD per day
2) Pay your gratuities onboard at $22USD per day
According to Virgin you should not pay a net amount that is higher than what you pay now if you prepay your gratuities.
When does this come into effect?
If you book after October 7, 2025 you will be choosing a fare under this new structure.
If you booked prior to this date, you will be booking at what is equivilent to the Essential fare, this means that you will have already paid your gratuities and as a bonus, your booking window is now 6o days from voyage date.
What about Rockstar and Mega Rockstar Fares?
There has been no major changes to Rockstar and Mega Rockstar fares except that in recognition of the new dining windows it has been shifted for Rockstars and Mega Rockstars from 60 days to 120 days. There has also been an increase in the wifi speed for Mega Rockstars to Work at Sea level which includes 2 devices per sailor.
Our verdict overall is that there may be business reasons for this change, it opens up the door for the possibility of higher prices so we are on the fence. We will continue to monitor this and always look for the best deal possible for sailors based on their needs and wants. This also has some confusing changes such as Rockstar fares only getting classic Wifi while the Premium Cabin fare includes premium wifi.
We still believe that the experience on Virgin Voyages is far superior to most other lines and represents a great option for seeing the destinations they serve. If you want to explore an voyage, check out our page at virginvoyages.vlvt.travel where you can book directly, request an itinerary or download our insider guide.