Is Virgin Voyages All Inclusive Compared to Other Cruise Lines?

Not fully all inclusive - but much more inclusive than many cruise lines

The most accurate answer is that Virgin Voyages is not fully all inclusive, but it is much more inclusive than many mainstream cruise lines. It includes more of the high-impact everyday experiences that people typically end up paying extra for elsewhere.

That is why so many people describe it as feeling almost all inclusive. Dining, WiFi, group fitness, entertainment, and essential drinks are all part of the fare, which shifts the budget conversation immediately.

At the same time, some things still remain extra - including alcohol, many premium drinks, Shore Things, spa treatments, certain premium culinary touches, and selected WiFi upgrades where relevant. So the right way to think about Virgin Voyages is not “everything is included” but “more of the right things are included from the start”.

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What is included in the fare?

Virgin Voyages includes several things that many cruise lines commonly charge extra for. These include dining across 20+ eateries, WiFi, group fitness classes, award-winning entertainment, and a range of essential drinks such as still and sparkling water, sodas, non-pressed juices, teas, and drip coffee.

This included structure is one of the biggest reasons Virgin Voyages often compares more favourably once you stop looking only at the headline fare. It reduces the number of essential add-ons that need to be layered on afterwards just to get the voyage feeling complete.

In practical terms, that means the budget often starts from a more complete place. Instead of working from a bare cabin-only style fare and building up, you begin with a much stronger included base.

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What still costs extra?

Virgin Voyages is more inclusive, but it is not a “nothing extra exists” product. Alcohol, many premium beverages, Shore Things, spa treatments, premium culinary add-ons, certain speciality indulgences, and selected higher-tier WiFi access can still add to the final bill.

This is important because some travellers hear “all the restaurants are included” or “WiFi is included” and assume the entire onboard spend model must therefore be all inclusive too. It is not. Virgin simply chooses to include more essential elements than many other lines and leave more lifestyle-led spend as optional.

In my view, that is a smarter form of inclusivity. You are not constantly being asked to pay extra just to access the basics, but you still have flexibility in areas where people’s preferences genuinely differ.

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How this compares with many other cruise lines

Compared with many cruise lines, Virgin Voyages includes more of the day-to-day items that often turn into nuisance charges elsewhere. Dining, WiFi, fitness, and essential drinks are exactly the kind of things that regularly inflate the final bill on more add-on-driven cruise models.

That does not automatically make Virgin Voyages “cheaper” in every scenario. But it often makes the pricing feel more transparent and less fragmented. Many travellers prefer that because they can understand the real value more quickly once they know what is already covered.

This is why I always encourage Sailors to compare total value rather than just the first number they see on screen. One fare may look lower at first glance while quietly excluding several things Virgin already includes.

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Why dining changes the value conversation

Dining is one of the clearest places where Virgin Voyages feels more inclusive than other cruise lines. Instead of treating better restaurants as repeated upcharge opportunities, Virgin built the restaurant experience into the voyage fare itself.

That matters because premium-feeling food is not a small detail. For many travellers, it is a major part of the holiday. If you would normally end up paying extra for better restaurants elsewhere, Virgin’s included dining model can shift the value comparison quite noticeably.

It also changes how people feel onboard. The trip can feel more relaxed when you are choosing where to eat based on preference rather than wondering which venue carries an extra cover charge.

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WiFi, fitness and the “included” difference

WiFi and group fitness are two other areas where Virgin Voyages often feels stronger than people first expect. On many cruise lines, these can become recurring extra costs that quietly add up. Virgin includes them as part of the product, albeit with WiFi level differences depending on booking structure for newer fares.

This is part of what makes Virgin feel more modern in how it defines value. The included elements are focused on things travellers increasingly treat as basic expectations rather than premium luxuries.

That does not mean all upgrades disappear, especially for people who want stronger connectivity or other premium extras. But it does mean the starting point is far stronger than on many add-on-driven alternatives.

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RockStar and Mega RockStar differences

If standard Virgin Voyages already feels more inclusive than many cruise lines, RockStar and Mega RockStar push that further - but in different ways. RockStar adds meaningful suite-level value, convenience, and drinks-related perks. Mega RockStar goes much further with daily shipwide drinks thresholds and a far more premium all-round setup.

This is where it becomes especially important not to treat all cabin categories as the same. The question is not simply whether Virgin Voyages is more inclusive than other lines. It is also whether your chosen cabin level changes the degree of inclusivity enough to alter the value argument entirely.

For some travellers, particularly those who would otherwise spend heavily on premium drinks and convenience-led extras, Mega RockStar can change the budget structure very significantly.

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How to judge the real value properly

The best way to judge Virgin Voyages is not by asking whether it is fully all inclusive in the strictest possible sense. The better question is whether it includes more of the things you would otherwise end up paying for anyway.

1. Start with what is included — dining, WiFi, fitness, entertainment, and essential drinks.
2. Add your likely optional spend — premium drinks, Shore Things, spa, or higher-tier extras.
3. Adjust for cabin category if comparing standard cabins, RockStar, or Mega RockStar.
4. Compare against how you would really travel elsewhere, not just against the lowest opening advertised fare.

Once you do that, Virgin Voyages often looks far stronger than the headline fare alone first suggests. That is exactly the kind of practical planning I help clients with before they commit.

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