The biggest Virgin Voyages pricing mistakes all come from the same place: booking a fare without knowing what it takes away. Since October 7, 2025, every sailing is sold in three tiers, and the cheapest one quietly removes things people assume they still get.
We book sailors every week, and I help friends and family set sail too, so I see the same mistakes over and over. None of them are hard to avoid once you know them.
Most of them are about the Base fare, which you will also see called Lock It In. A few are about gratuities, which changed at the same time and made the whole thing more confusing than it needed to be.
Here is every mistake we keep seeing, what it costs you, and how to pick the right fare before you pay.
The Three Fare Tiers, in Plain English
Every Virgin Voyages sailing is now sold at three prices. The ship, the food and the shows are the same at all three. What changes is how much control you keep over your own booking.
Base, also called Lock It In. The cheapest fare. Your room is assigned to you, your restaurant bookings open 15 days before you sail, and there is no future voyage credit.
Essentials. The middle tier. You pick your room, and restaurant bookings open 45 days out.
Premium. The most flexible. It costs more per day, adds upgraded Wi-Fi and a daily bar tab, opens restaurant bookings 60 days out, and lets you change the lead sailor.
Not understanding these three is the mistake underneath every other mistake on this page. Pick your tier on purpose, not by whichever price is lowest.
Mistake 1: Booking Base Without Realizing Your Room Is Assigned
On a Base fare you do not choose your room. It is assigned to you, and you cannot change it.
That sounds minor until you are in it. On a longer sailing like a transatlantic, a room at the very front or the very back of the ship moves a lot more in rough water than one in the middle.
Or you land on a deck you love, you are delighted, and then at 6am every single morning you hear weights dropping. You are right underneath the gym. I have been in that room.
If where you sleep matters to you, this is the mistake that ruins the week. It is worth paying for a fare where you pick the room yourself.
Mistake 2: Assuming You Can Change the Lead Sailor
On Base and Essentials fares, the first sailor on the booking cannot be changed. The other sailors on the same booking can.
It is the same idea as an airline ticket, where you cannot hand your seat to somebody else. It is just new for Virgin Voyages, so it catches people.
We see this one a lot. Plans change, people break up, and the second name can still be swapped while the first one cannot.
So think about who goes in that first spot. Premium is the only fare that lets you change it.
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Mistake 3: Not Knowing When Your Dining Window Opens
Your fare decides how early you can book restaurants. Base opens 15 days before you sail. Essentials opens at 45 days, and Premium at 60.
Sixty days is the one that matters if you care about specific restaurants. In my experience, booking for our sailors and for friends and family, a 60 day window gets you every reservation you want.
The other side of it: plenty of reservations are held back for booking once you are on board, and I rarely book ahead at all. I like to walk in and figure it out on the ship.
So this is only a mistake if you have your heart set on particular dinners. If you do, check the window before you pick the fare, not after.
Mistake 4: Writing Off Premium Without Doing the Math
When the new pricing launched, Premium added $45 per day per sailor. That looks steep until you look at what is inside it.
It includes upgraded Wi-Fi, which on its own was $20 per day per device, and a $15 per day bar tab. If you were going to buy the Wi-Fi anyway, most of that $45 is money you were already spending.
Then there is the part people miss. Premium is the only fare with the 60 day dining window, and the only one that lets you change the lead sailor.
If you want to be online and you care about where you eat, Premium costs a lot less than the headline number suggests.
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Mistake 5: Forgetting Gratuities Are Now Separate
Gratuities used to be included in the fare. Since October 7, 2025 they are shown separately, so the price you see when you book does not include them.
People book at what looks like a great number and then realize there is still a daily amount per sailor to add. Budget for it from the start.
It is not a hidden price increase. Virgin Voyages lowered the fare by roughly the same amount and moved the gratuities out beside it, the way most other cruise lines show them.
Mistake 6: Paying Gratuities on Board Instead of Prepaying
You pay gratuities either way, but it costs less to pay them before you sail. It is $20 per sailor per day prepaid, or $22 per sailor per day if you let them post on board.
For two sailors on a seven night voyage, that is $280 prepaid or $308 on board. Prepaying saves you $28 for doing nothing except paying earlier.
Mistake 7: Expecting Future Voyage Credit on a Base Fare
Base fares do not come with future voyage credit. If something comes up and you cannot sail, you cannot hold the value as credit for another sailing.
I think of it like a non-refundable hotel rate. I booked my hotel in Barcelona that way to get a lower price, knowing I could not move the dates, and it was fantastic because my plans did not change.
That is exactly the right way to use Base. It is a great deal when your dates are certain, and the wrong fare when they are not.
Not sure if we can get you the best deal? Learn more about us in Virgin Voyages Facebook group by clicking here!
Mistake 8: Expecting the Same Wi-Fi on Every Fare
Base and Lock It In fares come with slower Wi-Fi than the higher tiers. It is easy to miss, because Wi-Fi is not what anyone thinks about when comparing fares.
If you need to work, video call or stream on board, factor that in before you book the cheapest fare. Upgrading later costs money, and on Premium it is already included.
Frequently Asked Questions About Virgin Voyages Pricing
When did Virgin Voyages change its pricing?
October 7, 2025. That is when the three fare tiers launched and gratuities moved out of the fare.
Is Lock It In the same as the Base fare?
Yes. They are two names for the same lowest tier.
Can I change the name on my booking?
The other sailors on a booking can be changed on any fare. The first sailor can only be changed on Premium.
Are gratuities included in the fare?
No. They are separate: $20 per sailor per day if you prepay, or $22 per day on board.
Can I upgrade my fare later?
Not from Base. The safest plan is to pick the tier you actually want when you book, rather than counting on moving up later.
Is Premium worth it?
If you would buy upgraded Wi-Fi anyway and you care about getting specific restaurant reservations, usually yes.
How to Avoid the Virgin Voyages Pricing Mistakes
Honestly, the new pricing is good news. It is what a lot of sailors were asking for: pay less if you do not need the extras, pay more if you do.
The confusion came from announcing the fare tiers and the gratuity change at the same time. Two good things on one plate, like a great steak and milk chocolate, and together they are hard to digest.
So decide what matters to you first: your room, your dinners, your flexibility, your Wi-Fi. Then pick the tier that protects those, and prepay your gratuities. That one question, what do I actually need, avoids every mistake on this page.
