🛳️ Virgin Voyages Fare Guide: Base, Essential & Premium Explained
If you’ve ever felt confused by cruise pricing — especially with how Virgin Voyages structures their fares — you’re not alone. Virgin Voyages has made cruising easier in many ways, but the way they price cabins has changed recently with something they now call VoyageFair Choices. Here’s the real deal on how it works (without the confusion).
🚢 What Makes Virgin Voyages Different
First, it’s important to understand what is included in a Virgin Voyages cruise fare — no matter which option you choose:
Dining at 20+ venues — specialty & main dining included
Wi-Fi — with varying speeds depending on your fare
Group fitness classes & entertainment
Select drinks & amazing onboard events
A luxury cruise experience that keeps surprises to a minimum.
That’s part of what makes Virgin Voyages feel like a high-value vacation instead of a nickel-and-dime experience.
📊 VoyageFair Choices: The Three Fare Types
As of bookings made on or after October 7, 2025, Virgin Voyages began offering three tiered fare options for most cabins: Base, Essential, and Premium. This pricing structure — called VoyageFair Choices — is designed to give you more flexibility and clarity when choosing what you pay for.
🪩 1. Base Fare – the Most Affordable Option
This is the budget-friendly choice for travelers who know their travel plans and want the lowest upfront price.
✔️ ✔ Lowest price – Most value-driven option
✔️ ✔ Mostly non-refundable – Once booked, changes are very limited
✔️ ✔ Basic Wi-Fi – Light browsing, messaging & social media
✔️ ✔ Dining reservations open 15 days before sailing — shorter window than other fares
❌ ❌ No date changes
❌ ❌ No name or cabin changes allowed
This one is for people who are certain about their sailing dates and details and just want the lowest cost possible.
✨ 2. Essential Fare – the Familiar “Standard” Choice
This is the option most people feel comfortable with — it’s closest to what Virgin Voyages’ cruise fare used to be before they introduced these tiered choices.
✅ Classic Wi-Fi – Messaging, browsing, calls
✅ Dining reservations open 45 days before sailing — better timing for popular restaurants
✅ Some flexibility for changing dates or cabin assignments
✅ Name changes allowed for guests 2–4
⚠️ The main booker’s name can’t be changed once booked
In other words, Essential gives you good flexibility and value without going all-in on perks.
🌟 3. Premium Fare – Maximum Flexibility & Perks
Premium is the top-tier choice for cruisers who want more convenience and extra benefits without booking a suite.
✨ Premium Wi-Fi – Faster speeds & streaming on 2 devices
✨ Dining reservations open 60 days before sailing — better access
✨ Included Bar Tab (drinks credit)
✨ Priority support line for pre-cruise help
✨ Maximum change rights for dates, cabins, and names
The Premium fare gives you pace, perks, and priority — everything designed for a smoother cruise experience.
🧠 How to Think About the Fares
One way to think about it is like airline pricing:
Base is like booking a basic economy ticket — cheap, but limited options.
Essential is closer to a regular economy fare — good balance of price and flexibility.
Premium is like premium economy — more perks and flexibility, but higher price.
And even with these different fare types, Virgin Voyages still includes most major parts of the cruise in the base experience — food, entertainment, Wi-Fi, and so much more — which is why many people find it such a compelling vacation option.
