Virgin Voyages embarkation day
Checked against the cruise line’s own pages. Policies change, so we confirm the details on your booking before you pay.
Virgin Voyages embarkation day runs on a time you choose. You finish Ready to Sail check-in in the Virgin Voyages App, pick a Terminal Arrival Time, and show up at that time, not earlier. Boarding generally begins at 2:15 PM, checked bags are delivered to your cabin, usually by sailaway, and the ship leaves on schedule. Here is the day in order, with the rules Virgin publishes for Miami and San Juan.
Before you leave home
Finish Ready to Sail. It is Virgin’s online check-in, done in the app. You can complete it for everyone in your cabin, but not for Sailors in another cabin, so on a group trip each cabin does its own.
Pick your Terminal Arrival Time. You can choose it in the app once your voyage is booked, after you follow the Ready to Sail steps. That time is your check-in slot at the terminal.
Print your luggage tags. Virgin emails a PDF of your tags 7 days before embarkation, and only after all Ready to Sail steps are done. Check your spam folder first. If the email never shows up, or you forget to print, tags are waiting at the terminal, but printed tags speed things up. Virgin also asks that every bag be labeled with the Sailor’s name, ship, cabin number and sailing date.
Pack to fit the cabin. Virgin has no luggage allowance, but cabin storage is limited. Its rule of thumb is a standard airline allowance: one or two large suitcases, one carry-on and a personal item per Sailor. Your airline’s baggage limits still apply.
What goes in your carry-on
Checked bags may not reach your cabin until the ship sails, so your carry-on is your day bag.
- Documents. A passport book is the safe default. The exceptions are in know before you go.
- Medication. Virgin strongly recommends carrying it on, since the onboard pharmacy only stocks common medications. A CPAP belongs in your carry-on too.
- Wine. Up to two 750 ml bottles of wine, sparkling wine or Champagne per cabin, in carry-on bags only. No liquor or beer.
- The card for your onboard account. Virgin places a $250 authorization hold on your card on file when you board.
At the terminal
You pick up the Band at the terminal. If you’d rather use a key card, Virgin keeps some on standby there.
| Homeport | Terminal | What Virgin says |
|---|---|---|
| Miami | Terminal V, 718 N Cruise Blvd | Bags accepted from 9 AM. Return no earlier than 15 minutes before your arrival time. No seating outside. |
| San Juan | Pier 4, Old San Juan | No waiting area. Skipped Ready to Sail? Arrive after 3:00 PM. Bags from 9:00 AM. Terminal closes 7:30 PM, ship departs 8:30 PM. |
| New York | Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, 210 Clinton Wharf | All sailings that used to leave Manhattan now leave from here. |
Miami. Virgin is blunt about it: arriving early doesn’t mean you’ll get in early. If you land early, drop your bags and use the time; Virgin points Sailors to the free City of Miami trolley, which stops near Terminal V. If you drive, Virgin’s FAQ quotes PortMiami long-term cruise parking at $22 per night with no reservations, and Garage G is the closest garage.
San Juan. Terminal Angels tag your bags in the lot next to Pier 4 (on your right as you face the pier), then you take them to the porters at the pier entrance.
Need a wheelchair? Terminal Crew can take you from the terminal entrance to the gangway on embarkation and disembarkation days at Virgin’s homeports.
Who boards when
| Sailors | When they board |
|---|---|
| RockStar and Mega RockStar Quarters | First, through a VIP entrance. In Miami, the RockStar check-in lounge via Palm Way is for suite Sailors only. |
| Deep Blue Extras | Can arrive from 1:45 PM and use Priority Check-In, boarding right after RockStar Sailors. |
| Everyone else | General boarding generally begins at 2:15 PM, at your selected Terminal Arrival Time. |
Once you’re aboard
Your bags are delivered to your cabin, usually by the time the ship leaves port. They can run later, which is why the essentials ride in your carry-on.
The muster drill is a mandatory safety briefing for every Sailor and crew member. Virgin promises to make it worth your while, but it isn’t optional.
Food. Virgin doesn’t publish embarkation-day opening hours, so check the app once you’re on. The walk-in eateries, like The Galley, never need a reservation. Sit-down dinners are booked before you sail; see dining reservations.
Book the rest onboard. Entertainment and tattoo appointments are booked once you’re on the ship. Squid Ink, the tattoo studio, opens for consultations at 7:00 PM on embarkation day, first come, first served.
Be back on time. Virgin says the ship sets sail at the listed time, on the dot.
Our take
Treat the arrival time as the whole plan. Fly in with room to spare (Virgin recommends ample time for airport delays), drop bags early if you like, and walk up at your slot with a carry-on that gets you through the afternoon. Traveling with us? We check that every cabin has finished Ready to Sail before the tag email goes out.
Quick answers
What time does boarding start on Virgin Voyages?
Virgin says general boarding generally begins at 2:15 PM, but you check in at the Terminal Arrival Time you picked in the app. RockStar Sailors board first, and Deep Blue Extras members can arrive from 1:45 PM and board right after them.
Can I get to the Virgin Voyages terminal early?
You can drop bags early, but you can't board early. In Miami, Terminal V takes luggage from 9 AM, and you should come back no earlier than 15 minutes before your arrival time. There is no seating outside the terminal, and Virgin says arriving early doesn't mean you'll get in early.
When do I get my Virgin Voyages luggage tags?
Virgin emails a printable PDF of your luggage tags 7 days before you sail, but only once everyone has finished Ready to Sail. If the email never arrives or you forget to print them, tags are available at the terminal.
When will my luggage arrive in my cabin?
Virgin aims to have checked bags in your cabin by the time the ship leaves port, but they can come later, so keep medication, documents and anything you want that afternoon in your carry-on.
What are the embarkation rules in San Juan?
Arrive at your selected Terminal Arrival Time, because the San Juan terminal has no waiting area. Sailors who skipped Ready to Sail should arrive after 3:00 PM. Bags can be dropped from 9:00 AM, the terminal closes at 7:30 PM and the ship departs at 8:30 PM.