For those lucky enough to work remotely, Virgin Voyages has been quietly integrating a new update to its onboard Wi-Fi to offer a more premium option.
The “Work from Sea” plan targets those who can or need to bring their laptops onboard while sailing. It is meant to support virtual meetings and improved streaming services.
However, the premium service comes at a hefty cost of $50 per day for a Voyage Pass, with the same price applied for each additional device. This means guests must pay twice – with no discount – to have it on their laptop and their phone.
Additionally, the plan is not available as a 24-hour pass option for those who may need to do just a little work while cruising.
Although not yet advertised on Virgin Voyages’ website, one passenger sailing on Scarlet Lady in the Western Caribbean from Miami spotted the upgrade while trying to utilize the Premium Wi-Fi, originally the highest tier.
“Indulge in our fastest connection speeds (5x that of Classic wifi!) – optimized for virtual meetings and work tools like VPN,” said Virgin Voyages. “Stream videos and music, and browse websites with ease.”
The passenger noted the Premium plan’s capabilities had been downgraded, with Virgin Voyages touting the plan is 2x faster than its basic Classic plan, and can manage streaming and video calling.
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Guests took to social media to share their frustration at the new plan, with many accusing the cruise line of nickel-and-diming passengers and deliberately reducing Wi-Fi speeds on lower-tiered plans.
Other guests noticed the biggest difference between the two plans is the Work from Sea plan is the only option for VPN services.
“No VPN outside the Work from Sea option is a bit ridiculous. My work computer is a brick without a VPN,” said one passenger. “I don’t need video meetings, but I’ll have to pay for the highest level just to access emails on that laptop.”
Evolving Connectivity on Virgin Voyages
Virgin Voyages, which confirmed the updated Wi-Fi plans, is now offering them fleetwide on Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady, and Resilient Lady, all 110,000-gross-ton ships that accommodate 2,770 passengers.
The Classic Wi-Fi plan remains the basic, complimentary service for browsing, emailing, and accessing social media platforms.
This plan is available on one device per person and offers essential online needs for passengers who want minimal internet access at sea.
Said one passenger, “Just got off the Scarlet Lady. The free plan was good. Could play most games and was streaming Whatnot auctions.”
A step above, the revised Premium Wi-Fi is now a mid-tier option that can handle streaming, video calls, and enhanced social media engagement. However, VPN access was removed from the plan’s offerings.
It is priced at $40 for a 24-hour pass or $30 per day when opting for a Voyage Pass, which covers the cruise duration from the time of purchase.
Guests who are booked in Mega RockStar suites, who have Deep Blue Extras (offered after sailing four times on Virgin Voyages), or who are members of the cruise line’s private 485C loyalty club receive Premium service for free.
The Work from Sea plan offers the most robust internet connection and can accommodate audio and video calls, virtual meetings, gaming, streaming, and VPN.
Annual Pass and Summer Season Pass holders will now receive Work from Sea Wi-Fi instead of the Premium option. The new Wi-Fi tiers will also apply to Brilliant Lady when she debuts in New York in September 2025.
