Tipping on Virgin Voyages: how gratuities work
Checked against the cruise line’s own pages. Policies change, so we confirm the details on your booking before you pay.
You don’t need to tip anyone on a Virgin Voyages ship. Virgin charges one service gratuity per Sailor for each night of the voyage, and that covers it: no tips at the bar, at dinner or at the spa. For bookings made since October 7, 2025, that gratuity appears as its own line when you book rather than sitting inside the fare. You can prepay it at $20 per Sailor per night, or let Virgin add $22 per Sailor per day to your onboard account.
How the service gratuity works
When Virgin launched its VoyageFair Choices fares on October 7, 2025, it also changed how gratuities show up. Before that, they were bundled into the fare. Now they’re listed separately at booking so you can see exactly what they are, and Virgin says the total cost of a voyage doesn’t change because of it.
Virgin’s FAQ puts the policy plainly: it will “automatically apply a daily service gratuity of $22 USD per Sailor to your onboard folio.” Your folio is your onboard account, the one your Band charges to, and you can check it in the Virgin Voyages App during the voyage.
You have two ways to handle it:
| Prepay before you sail | Pay onboard | |
|---|---|---|
| Rate | $20 per Sailor per night | $22 per Sailor per day |
| How it’s charged | Paid ahead of the voyage | Added automatically to your onboard folio |
| Can you change it? | No. Virgin says it’s “locked in and non-refundable.” | Yes. You can modify or remove it at Sailor Services before you disembark. |
Virgin says the gratuity supports the entire Crew, all the way from morning lattes to laundry, so you aren’t working out who to thank with an envelope at the end of the week.
No tipping at the bar, restaurants or spa
This is the part most first-time Virgin Sailors ask about. Virgin’s FAQ says: “there’s no need to tip for drinks, dining, or spa treatments during your voyage.” It also says it doesn’t add extra gratuities to drinks, spa services or dining, and that the daily service gratuity is “all you’ll ever be asked to contribute.”
You’ll see the same idea on Virgin’s bar menu, where sample drink prices are marked “(Tip included).” The price on the menu is the price you pay. For more on what drinks cost and how Bar Tab credit works, see our drinks and bar tab guide.
How this compares with other cruise lines
Virgin points out that many cruise lines add daily service charges, and that unlike other lines, it doesn’t stack extra gratuities onto drinks, spa services or dining. So Virgin does charge a daily gratuity, like most of the industry, but it stops there: no automatic percentage added each time you order a cocktail or book a massage.
When you compare a Virgin fare with another line’s, compare totals. Add the gratuities for every night on both sides, then look at what else each fare includes. Our what’s included guide lists everything a Virgin fare covers, from every restaurant to WiFi.
If you booked before October 7, 2025
Virgin’s new fare model applies to bookings made from October 7, 2025, and before that, gratuities were bundled into the fare. If your booking is older, check your confirmation or ask us before you budget for a separate gratuity line.
You may also still spot “tips included” or “all tips on us” on some Virgin pages. Read those the way Virgin’s current FAQ explains it: nothing extra on top of what you order, with the one daily service gratuity handled separately.
How to budget for it
The math is simple: nights times Sailors times the rate. For a 7-night sailing with two Sailors in the cabin, that’s $280 if you prepay ($20 x 2 x 7) or $308 if you pay onboard ($22 x 2 x 7).
Which to choose comes down to one question. If you want the lower rate and one less thing to settle on the last night, prepay. If you’d rather keep the option to change the amount based on how your week goes, pay onboard and know you can adjust it at Sailor Services before you leave. Either way, you can leave your cash in the cabin safe: there’s no one else to tip.
For the rest of the run-up to sailing, see know before you go.
Quick answers
Are gratuities included on Virgin Voyages?
For bookings made since October 7, 2025, the service gratuity is shown as its own line when you book instead of being bundled into the fare: $20 per Sailor per night if you prepay, or $22 per Sailor per day added to your onboard account. Virgin says the total cost of a voyage didn't change with the switch.
Do you tip bartenders on Virgin Voyages?
No. Virgin says there's no need to tip for drinks, dining or spa treatments, and it doesn't add extra gratuities to bar, restaurant or spa bills. Its bar menu prices are listed with the tip included.
Do you tip at the spa on Virgin Voyages?
No. Virgin names spa treatments alongside drinks and dining as things you don't tip on. Once your daily service gratuity is covered, Virgin says that's all you'll be asked to contribute.
Can I remove the gratuity on Virgin Voyages?
Only if you pay it onboard. Virgin says Sailors paying the daily gratuity onboard can change or remove it at Sailor Services any time before disembarkation. Prepaid gratuities are locked in and non-refundable.
Should I prepay gratuities for Virgin Voyages?
Prepaying costs $20 per Sailor per night instead of $22 onboard, so it saves money, but the prepaid amount is non-refundable and can't be adjusted. Paying onboard costs more and keeps the option to change it at Sailor Services.
Who gets the Virgin Voyages service gratuity?
Virgin says the service gratuity supports the entire Crew, from the people making morning lattes to the laundry team, rather than going to one server or cabin steward.