Can you bring alcohol on Virgin Voyages? Wine, corkage and port buys
Checked against the cruise line’s own pages. Policies change, so we confirm the details on your booking before you pay.
Yes, you can bring some alcohol on Virgin Voyages, but only wine. Each cabin may carry on two 750 mL bottles of wine, sparkling wine or Champagne on embarkation day. Liquor and beer aren’t allowed, there’s a $25 corkage fee if you open your bottle at one of Virgin’s eateries, and any specialty liquor you buy in port is held by security until your final night. Here are the details, plus the drinking age rules.
The wine allowance
Virgin’s rule fits on a sticky note:
- Two bottles per cabin, not per person. Two people sharing a cabin still bring two bottles total.
- 750 mL each. Still wine, sparkling wine and Champagne all count.
- In your carry-on, brought aboard on embarkation day.
- No liquor and no beer.
Virgin frames this as room for “that rare bottle” you can’t find onboard. The ships already pour a full range of beer, wine and cocktails, so think of the allowance as a way to bring something special, not to stock up.
Corkage
If you want your bottle with dinner, Virgin charges $25 corkage at its eateries. You can pay it with a Bar Tab, or charge it to The Band like any other purchase. Virgin lists the fee for its eateries only.
Planning to buy drinks too? Our Bar Tab and drinks guide covers what’s free and how the prepaid credit works.
Alcohol in checked bags
Don’t pack bottles in the luggage you hand over at the terminal. Virgin says any alcohol in checked bags is collected before sailing and returned once the voyage is complete. So you’ll get it back, just not until you’re heading home. The two allowed bottles belong in your carry-on. For the rest of the boarding routine, see our embarkation day guide.
Buying alcohol in port
Virgin welcomes specialty liquors bought at a port of call. When you come back aboard, hand the bottle to the security team. They hold it and give it back on your final night, so it’s a souvenir to take home rather than something to open during the trip.
Bottles you buy onboard
A Bar Tab only pays for drinks you have onboard or at The Beach Club at Bimini. It can’t be used for packaged items to take off the ship, such as bottles of wine or spirits.
Non-alcoholic drinks you can bring
You can also carry on a small supply of non-alcoholic drinks: up to 12 sealed, unopened cans or cartons of 12 ounces or less per Sailor. Water, soft drinks, non-alcoholic beer and protein or supplement drinks all qualify. They must be in cans or boxes, because Virgin doesn’t allow drinks in glass or plastic bottles here. If you need a specific drink for a medical or dietary reason, contact Sailor Services before you sail.
You may not need much. Filtered still and sparkling water, sodas, non-pressed juices, tea and drip coffee are included in every fare (see what’s included).
The drinking age
Every Virgin Voyages sailing is adults only, with a minimum age of 18 to book and sail. The drinking age depends on where the ship is:
| Where | Minimum age to drink |
|---|---|
| International waters | 18 |
| In the United States | 21 |
| Other ports | That country’s law |
| Alaska itineraries | 21 for the whole voyage, by Virgin’s onboard policy |
Virgin adds that Sailors must follow the drinking age laws of the departure port and itinerary, and that nobody under the applicable legal age may bring alcohol aboard. In practice, if you’re 18 to 20, leave the wine allowance to an older cabin mate.
Quick reference
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Wine or Champagne in carry-on? | Yes, two 750 mL bottles per cabin |
| Liquor or beer from home? | No |
| Corkage at eateries | $25, Bar Tab or Band |
| Alcohol in checked bags | Collected, returned after the voyage |
| Liquor bought in port | Held by security until your final night |
| Canned soft drinks or water | Up to 12 cans or cartons, 12 oz or less |
Quick answers
Can you bring alcohol on Virgin Voyages?
Yes, a little. Each cabin may bring two 750 mL bottles of wine, sparkling wine or Champagne in carry-on bags on embarkation day. Liquor and beer aren't allowed in that allowance.
Can I bring Champagne instead of wine on Virgin Voyages?
Yes. Virgin says the two-bottle allowance can be wine, sparkling wine or Champagne, as long as each bottle is 750 mL and both are in carry-on bags. The limit is per cabin, not per person.
What is the corkage fee on Virgin Voyages?
Virgin charges a $25 corkage fee to open your own bottle at its eateries. You can pay it with your Bar Tab or charge it to The Band like any other purchase.
Can I bring liquor I buy in port back on the Virgin Voyages ship?
Yes. Virgin welcomes specialty liquors bought at a port of call. Hand them to the security team as you board and they'll hold them for you until your final night of the voyage.
What happens to alcohol in checked luggage on Virgin Voyages?
Virgin collects any alcohol it finds in checked luggage before sailing and gives it back once the voyage is over. Pack your two allowed bottles in your carry-on instead.
What is the drinking age on Virgin Voyages?
It's 18 in international waters and 21 in the United States, and in other ports Virgin follows that country's law. On Alaska itineraries, every Sailor must be 21 or older to buy or drink alcohol onboard.