Are cruise drink packages worth it?

A flat white in the morning, a Coca-Cola with lunch, a Cosmopolitan by the pool in the afternoon... your drinks bill can soon rack up on a cruise. Enter drink packages, which allow passengers to order what they want, when they want – without worrying about incurring charges each time.

But are drink packages good value? It depends on the ship (packages vary from line to line) and the passenger. If you think you’ll only order two or three drinks daily, you’re probably better off paying for them individually. But, if you want to work through the cocktail menu – you are on your holiday after all – or fancy a few glasses of fizz with dinner, a drink package could be the way to go.
 
Contemplating purchasing a drink package? Here’s everything cruise passengers need to know.

What do drink packages include?

Generally speaking, drink packages let you consume as many beverages as you like for a fixed per-day fee.

While each cruise line offers packages (save for the ultra-luxury lines, which tend to be all-inclusive), they differ as to what’s included.

Basic packages invariably include bottled water and sodas, while top-tier packages encompass cocktails, wine, beer, and specialty coffee drinks.

Most cruise operators offer both basic and premium packages. Case in point? Carnival Cruise Lines has a Bottomless Bubbles package that lets passengers enjoy sodas and juices throughout their cruise and a Cheers! package features these, as well as spirits, beer, wine up to a certain limit, and speciality coffee.

Similarly, Holland America Line offers two non-alcoholic packages ideal for non-drinkers: Quench (sodas, premium coffee, juices, mocktails and bottled water) and Coca-Cola, which, as the name suggests, offers Coca-Cola and soda.

However, the line also has a Signature beverage package that allows cruise-goers to imbibe wine, beer, spirits, cocktails, sodas and coffee for an entire sailing and an Elite beverage package which factors in higher shelf selections.

How much do cruise drink packages cost?

Starting daily prices for drink packages range from around £10 for soda and speciality coffee packages to more than £80 for alcoholic options.

Holland America Line’s aforementioned Quench package, for example, starts at approximately £14 per day, while its Signature Beverage package starts at around £47 per day.

Meanwhile, Carnival’s Bottomless Bubbles package starts at close to £9 per day, with Cheers!, the line’s most comprehensive package, starting at nearly £64 per day. All cruise line drink packages tend to include gratuities.

World of Cruising’s advice? Think about what you will be drinking and do the maths (some cruise lines list their bar prices online).

If you’re only going to consume a couple of drinks each day, it works out cheaper  – even if you’re ordering fancy £15-a-head plus service charge cocktails – to pay as you go rather than splash out on a pricey drink package.

Conversely, if you have kids in tow, the onboard soda packages represent solid value.

And, of course, cruise passengers are often drawn to drink packages for convenience – you can enjoy multiple drinks without the hassle of constant payment and the chance to try a new tipple (if you don’t like it, you can order something else).

What are the drawbacks of purchasing a drink package?

One of the main limitations is that you nearly always have to buy two drink packages per cabin – meaning your travelling companion needs to be a drinker as well for it to be worthwhile.

Note, too, that while drinks packages are typically priced per person per day, you’ll have to buy a package that covers the duration of your cruise – you can’t just buy a package for select days. To this end, consider whether you plan on drinking every day of your sailing and also how much time you’ll be spending off the ship.

If your itinerary is port intensive, chances are you won’t be ordering nearly as many drinks onboard as you would say on a repositioning cruise – which features several sea days as the ship moves from one part of the world to another for the start of a new season. Consequently, it’s cheaper to quench your thirst a la carte than with a drink package.

If you do decide to plump for a drink package, be sure to read the fine print, as some restrictions can apply.

Carnival, for example, limits the number of alcoholic drinks you can order to 15 per day – still a massive amount by anyone’s standards – while Royal Caribbean excludes “all beverages served inside licensed Starbucks® stores/cafes” from its drink packages.

What other kinds of packages are there?

Some cruise operators have programmes that bundle drinks with other perks, such as speciality dining and WiFi.

A prime example is Princess Cruises’ Princess Premier package. For £75 per day, you can have unlimited WiFi, drinks, a juice bar, fitness classes, speciality and casual dining meals, room service delivery and reserved theatre seating for production shows. 

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is famed for its More At Sea package, which includes unlimited open bar, speciality dining, shore excursion credit at each port and complimentary airfare for your travelling companion. Prices start from approximately £30 per person per day.

Can I bring my drinks onboard?

The short answer is to check with the respective cruise line, as they all have different rules when it comes to bringing your own alcohol onboard.

As a rule of thumb, beer and spirits aren’t permitted, but you are allowed to bring one sealed 750ml bottle of wine or champagne onboard at embarkation – although you’ll probably have to pay a corkage fee if you plan on consuming it outside of your stateroom.

Princess Cruises charges passengers $20 “to consume their wine or champagne in the ship’s public areas”, and Carnival Cruise Line imposes a $15 fee upon guests who "wish to consume their wine or champagne in the main dining room, speciality restaurant or bar." 

Passengers may be able to board with nonalcoholic drinks, but policies fluctuate from line to line, so do your homework ahead of time.

How can I  score a complimentary drink package?

Most cruise lines offer discounts or perks – such as a complimentary drink package – during Wave Season, which runs from January to March.

Another date for your diary is Black Friday, the annual discounting bonanza on the last Friday of November, when cruise lines sometimes include drink packages in their sales.

If, however, you have your heart set on a drinks package – and you don't manage to nab one gratis – note that it almost always works out cheaper to book in advance rather than during your cruise. Fred Olsen’s package, for example, costs £10 per day more if you upgrade after you set sail.

Another option is to choose an all-inclusive cruise line like Marella, where drinks (excluding premium brands) are covered, in addition to meals in the main dining room, flights, tips and transfers. While you may pay more upfront, you’ll avoid sticker shockers at sea.