How Gratuities Work on Virgin Voyages
Quick answer: Virgin Voyages has one service gratuity and no other tips. On bookings made on or after October 7, 2025 it is a separate charge: as of November 2026, $20 per Sailor per night if you prepay before the voyage, or $22 per Sailor per night added to your onboard account if you do not. Bars, restaurants and the spa do not add a tip line on top.
One gratuity, charged per Sailor per night
Virgin keeps tipping to one daily service gratuity. Its VoyageFair FAQ says no further tips are expected for drinks, dining or spa services, and its drinks page prices drinks with the tip already included.
The gratuity is charged per Sailor, not per cabin, and per night of the voyage. Two friends in one cabin on a five-night sailing pay it ten times between them, not five.
Which bookings it applies to
The date your booking was made decides it:
| Booking made | Service gratuity |
|---|---|
| Through October 6, 2025 | Included in the fare, per Virgin's ticket contract |
| On or after October 7, 2025 | Separate line in the fare breakdown; prepay it or have it added nightly onboard |
Virgin's VoyageFair page says the change came in with VoyageFair Choices and that the fare itself did not change. Its ticket contract words the cutoff as bookings "created or modified" from October 7, 2025, so if you changed an older booking after that date, ask your advisor which side of the line it now sits on.
Prepay or pay onboard
As of November 2026, the two options Virgin lists are:
| Prepay before sailing | Pay onboard | |
|---|---|---|
| Rate per Sailor per night | $20 | $22 |
| How it is charged | Paid with your booking, before you board | Added to your onboard account automatically |
| Can you change it? | No, locked in and non-refundable | Yes, at Sailor Services before disembarkation |
Prepaying is the lower nightly rate and gets the charge out of the way before you sail, which many people like because the onboard bill at the end is smaller. Paying onboard costs more per night but keeps your options open: Virgin says the amount can be changed or removed at the Sailor Services desk on Deck 5 at any time before you leave the ship.
Your advisor can add the prepaid gratuity to your booking, and you can ask them to check whether it is already there.
What it adds up to
Because it is per Sailor per night, the total moves with both the length of the sailing and the number of people in the cabin. Using the rates Virgin lists as of November 2026:
| Cabin and sailing | Prepaid | Paid onboard |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sailor, 4 nights | $80 | $88 |
| 2 Sailors, 5 nights | $200 | $220 |
| 2 Sailors, 7 nights | $280 | $308 |
| 3 Sailors, 7 nights | $420 | $462 |
These are the gratuity alone, not the fare. Your advisor sees the exact figure for your booking in its fare breakdown, so ask them to read it back to you if you are not sure which option you picked.
Other service charges to know about
Virgin's ticket contract notes that an extra service charge may apply to food delivered to your cabin or anywhere other than a restaurant. Eating at the restaurants and The Galley adds nothing. Specialty items (a Treat Yourself dish, a premium drink) are priced on their own, but without a tip added on top.
If you are sailing with a group
Gratuities are a good thing to settle before final payment, because they show up on every cabin's booking. For friends sharing a cabin, the simplest arrangement is for each person to cover their own nights, either by prepaying together on one booking and splitting it, or by leaving it on the onboard account and settling up between yourselves. Virgin's app also lets one Sailor link a cabin-mate's billing so all the charges land in one wallet. If your group has agreed a budget in the Nautir app before boarding, put the gratuity in it so nobody is surprised on the last night.
Solo sailors pay for one Sailor, same rate per night. For everything else that lands on the onboard account, see paying onboard, and for what the fare covers to begin with, what's included. Our Virgin Voyages FAQ has the rest of the booking questions groups ask.
FAQ
How much is the gratuity on Virgin Voyages?
As of November 2026, Virgin lists a daily service gratuity of $22 per Sailor per night, added to your onboard account automatically, or $20 per Sailor per night if you prepay before the voyage. It applies to bookings made on or after October 7, 2025.
Are gratuities included in the Virgin Voyages fare?
For bookings made through October 6, 2025, Virgin's ticket contract says gratuities were part of the fare. For bookings made on or after October 7, 2025, the service gratuity is a separate line in the fare breakdown.
Can I change or remove the gratuity?
If you pay it onboard, yes. Virgin says the amount can be changed or removed at the Sailor Services desk at any time before disembarkation. If you prepaid, Virgin says the prepaid rate is non-refundable.
Do I need to tip at the bar, at dinner or in the spa?
No. Virgin says no further tips are expected for drinks, dining or spa services, and its drinks page shows drink prices with the tip included.
Is prepaying the gratuity worth it?
It is a lower nightly rate, but it is locked in and non-refundable. Paying onboard costs more per night and keeps the option to adjust it at Sailor Services before you leave the ship.
Details checked against virginvoyages.com (the VoyageFair Choices page and FAQ, the drinks page and the ticket contract) on November 9, 2026. Virgin changes its terms often; your advisor confirms them for your booking.