Virgin Voyages Wave 2026, 80% Off, Bar Tab

Virgin Voyages Wave 2026 deal pricing is live, and it matters because it has a firm end date of January 29, 2026, plus cabin rules that change whether you actually get Bar Tab value. Adults only cruisers who typically sail as a pair can see the headline 80% off second sailor translate into a meaningful cabin wide discount, but only if they understand how Virgin applies it, and what parts of the booking it does, and does not, touch. The practical move is to price your preferred sailing now, then confirm the discount and any drinks credit on the confirmation screen before you assume the perk is included.

The Virgin Voyages Wave 2026 deal is a time boxed fare discount, plus an optional promotional Bar Tab credit that only appears on certain cabin types and sailing lengths.

What The 80% Off Second Sailor Really Means

Virgin markets the offer as "80% off the second sailor," but the terms describe it as a total discount of 40% off both Sailor 1 and Sailor 2 retail (base) voyage fares when two sailors book together in an eligible cabin. That distinction is not just semantics, it is the difference between expecting one heavily discounted fare versus recognizing you are getting a paired discount applied to base fares.

A quick example shows why this matters. If the base voyage fare is $2,500 per person for a seven night sailing, the Wave discount would reduce each base fare by 40%, or $1,000 each, bringing the combined base fare from $5,000 down to $3,000. Taxes, fees, and any add ons you select are separate line items, so do not assume the percentage touches your entire checkout total.

There is also a less discussed clause for groups squeezing into one cabin. If four sailors are booked in the same eligible cabin, the terms state all four receive 40% off their voyage fare, but the promotional Bar Tab, when it applies, is still per cabin, not per person. That makes the math very different for friend groups than for couples.

The Booking Window, And Why The End Date Helps Shoppers

The eligible booking window runs from 120001 a.m. U.S. East Coast time on December 5, 2025, through 115959 p.m. U.S. East Coast time on January 29, 2026. Having a published cutoff date is useful because it allows travelers to plan a controlled price check, rather than guessing how long a deal will linger.

Virgin's deal page also signals that the promotion is aimed at a broad set of voyages, with travel dates shown running from December 5, 2025, through November 4, 2027. That does not mean every sailing will price the same, it means you are not limited to a single season, so you can compare shoulder season sailings against peak holiday weeks while the promo window is still open.

Promotional Bar Tab, The Tiered Amounts By Sailing Length

The Bar Tab portion is where many travelers get surprised, because it is not universal across cabins. Virgin's terms lay out a simple tier table, and it is worth translating into traveler language before you click purchase.

For ten nights or longer, the promotional Bar Tab is $400 per cabin for RockStar Suites, and $200 per cabin for Sea Terrace cabins that qualify. For six to nine nights, it is $300 per cabin for RockStar Suites, and $150 per cabin for eligible Sea Terrace cabins. For four to five nights, it is $100 per cabin for RockStar Suites, and $50 per cabin for eligible Sea Terrace cabins.

A practical way to use this is to treat the Bar Tab as a budget offset, not "free drinks for the cruise." A $50 credit on a four night sailing may simply cover a couple of premium coffees and a few cocktails, while $200 on a longer trip can meaningfully reduce your onboard spend if you were going to buy premium drinks anyway.

Also remember what Bar Tab is. Virgin describes it as onboard credit set aside for premium beverages around the ship and at The Beach Club at Bimini, and it notes that unused Bar Tab is not refundable at the end of a voyage. In other words, do not overvalue the credit if you are a light drinker, and do not treat it like cash back.

Which Cabins Get The Discount, And Which Actually Get Bar Tab

This is the core eligibility trap.

For the percentage off, Virgin says eligible cabins include Sea Terrace meta category cabins, The Sea View, Lock It In Rate Sea View, The Insider, and Lock It In Rate Insider, while Solo Sea View and Solo Insider are excluded. Put differently, many cabins can receive the fare discount.

For the Bar Tab, eligibility is narrower. Virgin says only RockStar Suite category cabins and select Sea Terrace meta category cabins qualify, and it explicitly states the Bar Tab does not apply to Lock It In Rate cabins, Mega RockStar Suites, Sea View, and Insider meta categories. So a Sea View cabin can be a strong value choice on fare, but you should not expect the promotional drinks credit to show up.

Virgin also states Base, Essential, and Premium fare class bookings in eligible cabins qualify for the promotion. If you are toggling between fare types, make sure the one you pick does not quietly drop the promo line.

What To Check Before You Pay, A Simple Verification Checklist

Do not rely on marketing tiles. Verify the mechanics on your specific reservation.

First, confirm the booking date, and time zone logic. If you are booking near the deadline, remember the cutoff is stated in U.S. East Coast time, not your local time.

Second, confirm your cabin meta category. If you want Bar Tab, you should see yourself in a qualifying Sea Terrace type, or a RockStar Suite category, not Sea View, Insider, Mega RockStar, or any Lock It In Rate cabin.

Third, look for two separate signals in the price breakdown, a Wave 2026 fare discount applied to the base voyage fare, and, when eligible, a promotional Bar Tab line item that matches your voyage length tier. If you only see one, you should assume you are only getting one.

Fourth, screenshot the breakdown, including cabin category, fare class, total, and promo lines. If you end up needing to call about missing credits, having your own timestamped proof saves time.

Finally, budget the Bar Tab like a per cabin pot, and remember it is use it or lose it. If you are the kind of traveler who mostly drinks what is included, treat the Bar Tab as a nice extra, not a reason to upgrade cabins by itself.

How This Fits Into Wave Season Shopping

Wave Season deals are rarely one size fits all. The smarter approach is to decide what you actually need, then let the promo rules narrow your options.

If your priority is the lowest entry price, Sea View and Insider cabins can still receive the fare discount, and you should value that more than a Bar Tab you will not use anyway. If your priority is maximizing onboard value, eligible Sea Terrace cabins, and RockStar Suites on longer sailings, concentrate the most benefits because you can stack the fare reduction with a meaningful drinks credit.

If you are shopping multiple cruise lines right now, it can also help to compare the structure of offers, not just the headline percent. For example, Princess is running a Wave Season booking window through February 16, 2026, while Silversea's Wave Season sale runs through February 28, 2026, and both are useful comps for timing pressure and how perks are packaged.

For related coverage, see our reporting on the Princess Come Aboard Sale and the Silversea Wave Season Sale, plus a practical evergreen refresher on booking mechanics in our Group Cruise Planning Guide.

Sources

• Virgin Voyages, "Wave 2026: 80% off Second Sailor + up to $400 in Free Drinks" terms
• Virgin Voyages, Cruise Deals page for 2026 and 2027 itineraries
• Virgin Voyages, Bar Tab FAQ