Cruise Drink & Beverage Packages

It costs $46 to $60 per day, depending on when it's booked and the length of the sailing. Viking is one of the few luxury cruise lines that actually offers a beverage package. Other brands like Silversea, Seabourn, and Regent Seven Seas include all beverages in their cruise fares. Margaritaville at Sea offers a few different drink packages for guests to enjoy during their 2-day jaunts to the Bahamas. These packages are the Unlimited Soda Package, the Boat Drinks Package, and the No Feathers Non-Alcoholic Package.

If I buy a package, can I get free drinks anywhere onboard?

Oceania also has a Wine by the Bottle package of seven bottles, with selections available from a specific list varying by ship and voyage. The Minors Package includes mocktails and all the same selections as the adult Alcohol-Free Package. This package is usable everywhere except specialty restaurants and signature venues. The Premium Extra Package includes all drinks by the glass, including more premium brands and champagne.

Beer

There is the alcoholic drink package, also known as the Deluxe Beverage Package. There are also two non-alcoholic drink packages, the Royal Refreshment Drink Package and the Classic Soda Package. While cruise drink packages do vary by cruise line, they almost all have certain inclusions and restrictions that you should know before buying one of the packages. There are many factors involved in deciding if a beverage package is right for you. To help in your decision-making process, we have put together this complete guide to cruise line drink packages to help you sift through the different options. Are you wondering if you should purchase one of the cruise drink packages on your next vacation?

Our Cruise Drink Packages – Variety at a Value

Less inclusive is the Classic Soda Package which is restricted to an unlimited offering of Coca-Cola Freestyle beverages and fountain sodas. For those only interested in bottled waters, the Water Package delivers six-, 12- or 24-packs of water to your stateroom. An Alcohol-Free Package includes zero proof cocktails, fresh fruit and protein cocktails, energy drinks, sodas, hot drink selections and soft serve ice cream. The package is not applicable in specialty restaurants or signature venues. The line perhaps best known for throwing in free cruise drink packages as a booking perk is Norwegian Cruise Line. Norwegian seemingly always is running some variation of its "Free at Sea" promotion that brings a free drink package, specialty dining, excursions and other perks.

The Best Cruise Line Drink Packages Compared

We take wine seriously, so we’re proud to announce our onboard dining room received the prestigious Wine Spectator's 2023 Award of Excellence. Available for purchase on board or for booked guests in Cruise Personalizer. We take wine seriously, so we’re proud to announce our onboard dining room received the prestigious Wine Spectator's 2023 Award of Excellence. Our expert Mixologist, Rob Floyd, has refreshed the cocktail menus across the entire Princess fleet using his unique blend of knowledge, technique and flair for storytelling. Exclusive cocktails from the master himself join guest favorites with locally inspired flavors to create moments remembered long beyond the last day of the voyage.

On many ships, you'll also need to factor in the drinking habits of your traveling companion. Several lines including Carnival, Holland America and MSC Cruises have a rule that if one adult in a cabin orders a drink package, all adults in the cabin must order the package. This is to prevent two people in a cabin from sharing a single drink package. It depends on how expensive a cruise line's alcohol package is on any given ship as compared to the cost of drinks purchased individually.

However, guests can pre-purchase a Bar Tab that can be used towards the purchase of drinks once onboard one of the line’s lady ships. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and MSC Cruises all have unlimited drink packages. Other cruise lines give free drink packages to guests booking the most luxurious cabins on the ship. For example, MSC Cruises’ Yacht Club guests receive a free Premium Extra Drink Package. Even more curious is that this doesn’t happen to me on luxury lines where all beverages are already included in the price of your cruise.

Packages can be used in onboard restaurants, lounges, bars and Great Stirrup Cay, though not on Harvest Caye, nor sailings that are two days or less. When it comes to taking a cruise, people like to have a good time, and that good time usually involves alcohol flowing freely. Bars are everywhere on a modern cruise ship, and with people buying drinks, the costs can quickly add up. The decision about whether or not to get a cruise ship drink package changes when you can get a package for free.

Celebrity Cruises drink package

The cruise line often runs promotions where guests can get an extra $50 towards their Bar Tab for every $300 purchased. The Premium Extra Package works at all bars, the buffet, the main dining room, and specialty restaurants, as well as Ocean Cay. The Easy Plus Package works at all bars, the buffet, the main dining room, and specialty restaurants, as well as Ocean Cay. The Premium Beverage Package will cover martinis at the Martini Bar and most handcrafted drinks at the World Class Bar, as well as a much wider selection of wines. The price to upgrade does vary based on a number of factors.

This versatile drinks package lets you start your morning with a premium coffee, enjoy a frozen cocktail by the pool, and then a glass of wine with dinner. Enjoy all the spirits listed in our Classic Package, plus drinks up to $17. At last check, the package costs between $75-94 per day (Royal Caribbean charges different prices depending on the specific cruise, so your price will vary), plus an 18% service charge.

How much is a Royal Caribbean drink package? (2024) - Cruise Blog

How much is a Royal Caribbean drink package? ( .

Posted: Fri, 09 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Its price is higher during peak travel times and on cruises with stops at private islands. Buying this package ahead of time is always cheaper than on board. The prices listed above do not include an automatic 18% gratuity. You'll want to factor that amount into your travel budget if you decide to purchase a package.

Anyone can purchase a drink package, though alcohol packages are restricted to passengers who meet drinking age restrictions (typically 18 or 21, depending on the cruise line). In most cases, for instance, kids would need to opt for a nonalcoholic package if their parents are buying an alcoholic one. Like I said earlier, cruise lines price their beverage packages by the day, and you can't prorate the pricing to skip port days when you're hardly on the ship. Most of us can't party all night after touring in the sun all day, which makes it hard to break even on the package cost on port days.

However, during our recent test, it worked out to about $80 per person, per day. This is the drink package that guests receive with the Norwegian Free at Sea promotion. Enjoy a wide selection of beverages up to $15 USD during your entire cruise. Delight in freshly squeezed juice, soothing teas, espresso-based beverages and more.

If you don't specify which vodka or rum you want, the bartender will give you the most basic option. Call out your booze by name, and if you're not sure, ask the bartender which bottles are included in your package. This tip is especially true if you've paid extra for the priciest, most inclusive drink package your cruise line offers.

When it comes to cruise line drink packages, not all are created equal. And, unless you are sailing with a luxury all-inclusive cruise line, only coffee, tea, water, and juices are included with the cruise fare -- all other drinks incur an extra charge. Passengers sailing Windstar Cruises tend to favor the all-inclusive approach so all drinks, service charges and Wi-Fi is bundled into the pre-cruise fare. Light drinkers may prefer an a la carte approach if their primary beverage choices are mocktails and specialty coffees, which are always included in the base fare. Buying a drink package on a cruise ship instead of paying for drinks individually can be a good way to save when cruising. Drink packages generally make sense only for cruisers who typically order large numbers of drinks every day or particularly expensive drinks such as premium cocktails.

The Classic Drink Package is the basic offering, while the Premium Drink Package includes additional beverages for an added cost. However, the Carnival brands do impose a drink limit of 15 drinks. This includes Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and Holland America Line. You should read the fine print when purchasing, as this drink limit sometimes refers to only alcoholic drinks and other times to total drinks. But in general, if you get a drink package then you'll get alcoholic drinks, including beer, wine, and cocktails up to a certain dollar limit per drink. This limit is normally around $15, depending on the cruise line and package.