Flury Cruise Consulting’s Top 10 Ways to Spend Your Sailor Loot
If you haven’t figured it out yet, Virgin Voyages offers the ultimate in cruising without kids. The vibe on board is as chill or as you want it to be or as exciting and/or hyped up as you want it to be. If you are in a position to cruise without kids, then Virgin Voyages is definitely the way to go, in my opinion. While the cost of the cruise might seem more upfront, it includes so much that, in the end, you end up spending less. And, If you are smart about how you book your next Virgin Voyages cruise, then you will find yourself with some bar tab or sailor loot to spend while cruising.
Bar tab can only be used on the delicious drinks on board (beer, wine, cocktails, non-alcoholic cocktails, specialty coffee and juices, for example). What sets it apart from drink packages on other cruise lines is that bar tab (or sailor loot for that matter) is per cabin can be spent by anyone in the cabin and can be spent on anyone on the ship. This means that if one person in the cabin doesn’t drink alcohol or doesn’t drink much then that’s totally fine and they do not need to get the drink package as well. Also, this means that you can purchase a round of drinks for you and your friends and then next time they can buy the round for you. This is much more like how bars work on dry land. You can pre-purchase bar tab before your cruise and Virgin will offer extra bar tab depending on how much you purchase. I think that this works better as people have varying tastes and drinking behaviors.
If you receive sailor loot for your Virgin cruise, then you can think of that as on board credit. While Bar Tab can only be spent on delicious drinks on board, sailor loot can be spent on those drink as well and much more. One major difference to the sailor loot from other cruise lines is that you cannot use it to pre-purchase shore excursions, spa treatments, or other activities on the ship. Sailor loot can only be spent while on the ship or at Virgin’s private beach club at Bimini. So, what should you do with all of that extra money? Here are my top suggestions for what will be the best use of your sailor loot:
The Grog Walk- The Grog Walk is offered two or three times while on board and books up quickly. It consists of essentially a bar crawl where you not only get to try some unique cocktails while on board, but you also get to know the Happenings Cast and other sailors more intimately. Beer and alternative drinks are offered in the case of allergies or preferences. I highly recommend that you try to book it early in the week, if possible, so you can enjoy those new friendships during your entire cruise. It might be helpful to know that Bar Tab cannot be used on the Grog Walk.
Lotería Gigante- This is sort of a best kept secret (so . . . .shhh) and is so, so much fun. It is a unique kind of Bingo with tequila, lots of tequila. During this event, we got to know two members of the Happenings cast well, and we had a lot of fun drinking Margaritas and Palomas plus a couple of different types of tequila or mezcal. Let’s just say that we left this event feeling very happy and definitely wanting to do it again (and again and again).
Bingo with the Diva- Any kind of Bingo while on board a Virgin Voyage is fun and is relatively inexpensive compared to other cruise lines. And, the winnings are usually higher because they limit the winnings to just those one or two sessions. Bingo with the diva is especially fun because it’s bingo but with the extra spice of having the diva involved. If you like Bingo, then this is definitely worth using your sailor loot on.
Time in the Thermal Suite- The thermal suite on Virgin Voyages offers sailors the opportunity to use the steam room, saunas, hot stone beds, and small cold and hot plunge tubs and have a mud bath even. Currently offered as a perk for purchasing the Splash of Romance package, a 3-hour pass to the thermal suite will otherwise cost between $39 and $59. We have found that the best time to go to the thermal suite is while the ship is at port or during less popular times such as early morning or close to meal times. While visiting the spa for massages or other treatments can be hugely overpriced and disappointing, the thermal suite is a nice way to help your body feel relaxed.
The Tomahawk Steak at The Wake- If you have heard about how awesome Virgin Voyages is, then you have probably heard about how great the food is and how awesome it is that all of the restaurants are included. The food on board a Virgin Voyages is truly one of the best things about the cruise. If it tuns out that you have some extra sailor loot to spend, you might consider ordering one of the few upcharged items offered while in the specialty restaurants. At The Wake, you can get a steak as big as your head. In Pink Agave, you can get a lobster, scallops, halibut seafood platter. In Extra Virgin, you can get a fancy steak or a crab pasta that looks awesome. Each restaurant has one or 2 up-charged items that would be a great option for the foodie in your life.
Horseplay Seahorse Auction & Race- The Seahorse Race was an activity that we sort of just stumbled into and is only reserved for cruises that are 5 nights are longer. It is a fairly unique event that involves a variety of activities such as bidding, crafting, creating, drinking, socializing, playing and praying (because you can win some money). If you have some extra funds, this is a really fun way to spend some time on the ship.
High Tea- In the Sip Lounge, you can meet up with others for a Hight Tea. Complete with sandwiches, sweet treats and delicious teas you will find that this is a fun way to give your liver a break.
Shopping- There are a lot of fun shops on board the Virgin Voyage ships. Some have the usual overpriced items, but you can also find some nice priced items and souvenirs as well. In the shop that is a little out of the way near The Wake, you can find some really reasonably priced items that might provide the final touches to the day’s outfit.
Shake for Champagne or Splits of Liquor- Here is an item that you can use either your Bar Tab or your Sailor Loot. While the bottle of champagne is highly overpriced, it is fun to see how quickly it takes someone to locate you on board so that they can serve you some bubbly. Likewise, you can use both Bar Tab and Sailor Loot on splits of liquor or bottles of wine. This is great because you can have the bottles delivered up to your room and the end of the night so you can enjoy a late night drink out in your hammock.
More Booze (Buckets of Beer)/ Bottomless Brunch Cocktails- Lastly, both the Bar Tab and Sailor Loot can be used on buckets of beer by the pool, bottomless Mimosas at The Wake or unique cocktails throughout the ship.
When you have extra money that is “use it or lose it”, you should feel free to try new things or activities while on board one of Virgin Voyages’ four Ladies. Because Virgin Voyages’ is so great about including everything up front, you will not find yourself nickel and dime, freeing up your cash for more fun adventures.
