Cruise drink package ROI

Drink packages on cruises: usually a bad deal

Royal Caribbean's Deluxe Beverage Package runs $85–$105 per person per day (2026 pricing). Carnival Cheers! at $69. Norwegian Premium Plus $138. At those prices, you need to drink 8–10 alcoholic drinks per day to break even — which is more than most travelers drink and more than is enjoyable.

The math that matters

Break-even drinks per day = package price ÷ average drink price. If cocktails run $14 on the ship, Royal's $95/day package requires 7 cocktails/day to break even. A more realistic traveler drinks 3–5 alcoholic drinks per day = $42–$70, cheaper à la carte than the package.

When the package makes sense

• You drink 6+ alcoholic drinks per day (realistic for some cruisers).
• You want the psychological freedom to order without checking prices.
• Package includes non-alcoholic drinks you'd buy anyway (bottled water $5/bottle × 8/day = $40/day in water alone).
• Specialty coffees ($6 each × 3/day = $18/day) tip the balance.

The gratuity trap

Most drink packages add an 18–20% gratuity on top of the advertised price. A $95 package becomes $112/day. Factor this in before comparing.

Cheaper alternatives

Most lines let you bring a bottle or two of wine at embarkation (corkage fee $15–$25). Bring sparkling water (pre-boarding). Use casino comps if you gamble a little. Some lines include basic beverages with loyalty status.

2026 drink package pricing by major cruise line

• Royal Caribbean Deluxe Beverage Package: $85-$105/day + 18% gratuity. Drinks up to $14. Includes soda, bottled water, specialty coffee, cocktails, beer, wine by glass.
• Royal Caribbean Refreshment Package: $35-$45/day. Non-alcoholic only — soda, coffee, juice, smoothies, mocktails, bottled water.
• Carnival Cheers!: $69/day + 18% gratuity. Up to 15 drinks/day (alcoholic + non-alcoholic combined).
• Norwegian Free at Sea (promotional, often bundled free): house beer/wine/cocktails. Premium Plus at $138/day upgrades to top-shelf.
• Celebrity Classic Beverage Package: $79/day. Premium $104/day upgrades.
• Princess Plus Package: $60/day includes beverages + wifi + gratuities. Premier $80/day adds specialty dining + faster wifi.
• Disney Cruise beer & wine: $66-$84/day. Less pressure than other lines.
• MSC Easy Plus: $59/day, generous European-style approach.
• Viking Silver Spirits: $25/day on select voyages, huge value.

Worked examples: when packages pay off

Example 1 — 7-day Royal Caribbean Caribbean cruise, couple who each drink 4 cocktails + 2 coffees/day: package $95 × 1.18 × 2 × 7 = $1,568. À la carte: 4 × $13 cocktails + 2 × $7 coffees = $66/day per person × 2 × 7 = $924. Package costs $644 more. Skip.

Example 2 — 7-day Royal Caribbean, couple drinking 7 cocktails + 3 waters + 2 coffees each/day: À la carte 7×$13 + 3×$5 + 2×$7 = $110/day × 2 × 7 = $1,540. Package $1,568 — essentially break-even with peace of mind.

Example 3 — 10-day Norwegian, "Free at Sea" promo where beverages are included free with cruise fare: always take it. $0 cost.

Example 4 — 14-day Princess World Cruise, Princess Plus $60/day × 14 = $840 includes wifi (worth $25/day) + crew appreciation ($16/day) + beverages. Wifi alone covers 40% of package.

Example 5 — 7-day Carnival, light drinker (2 beers + 2 sodas/day): À la carte = 2×$7 + 2×$4 = $22/day × 7 = $154. Package $69 + 18% × 7 = $570. Huge loss.

Strategies that reduce drink costs without a package

• Bring wine at embarkation: Most lines allow 1-2 bottles of wine per adult. $15-$25 corkage fee if consumed in dining rooms. Free in cabin.
• Bring non-alcoholic beverages: Carnival allows 12 sealed bottled/canned non-alcoholic drinks per guest. Royal: 12 cans/bottles per stateroom. Big water/soda savings.
• Loyalty perks: Carnival Platinum and higher gets drink vouchers. Royal Diamond+ gets 4-5 drinks/day at happy hour. Celebrity Elite+ gets daily happy hour drinks.
• Happy hour specials: Most ships have 4-6pm drink specials, $5-$8 cocktails.
• Casino comps: $200-$300 of play usually earns complimentary drinks while gambling.
• Suite perks: Haven suites on Norwegian, Yacht Club on MSC include beverages for concierge guests.
• Port day discounts: Some lines drop drink prices 20% on port days to encourage onboard drinking.

FAQ on cruise drink packages

• Can one person in a cabin buy the package without the other? Most lines require BOTH adults in cabin to buy. Workaround: book adults in separate cabins (doesn't work with most discounts).
• Does the package include tips? 18% gratuity is added to the package price, not individual drinks. No additional tips expected.
• Are premium liquors included? Varies by package tier. Royal Deluxe covers drinks up to $14, so single-pour premium cocktails yes, Louis XIII no.
• What happens if I don't drink alcohol one day? No refund. Package is per-day flat fee.
• Can I share drinks with spouse? No. Both need the package. Servers will deny pours to second person.
• Do drinks at specialty restaurants count? Yes, as long as drink is under package cap.
• Is the package valid during private island days? Yes at Royal's CocoCay, Norwegian's Harvest Caye, etc. Not at third-party ports.
• Can I cancel the package mid-cruise? Some lines allow within 24h, others are non-refundable.
• Are coffee cards a cheaper alternative? Yes — 10-drink cards for $35-$50 on Carnival/Norwegian/Royal. Works if you mainly want specialty coffee.
• Is the Princess Plus upgrade worth it over base fare? $60/day gets beverages + wifi + gratuities. If you'd pay for wifi + auto-gratuities ($41/day combined), package net cost is $19/day for drinks. Strong deal.

Troubleshooting: drink package regret

Three common regrets. First, buying pre-cruise at "discount" ($85 vs $95 onboard) — that's still hundreds over break-even for most drinkers. Second, underestimating seasickness. If you get queasy on day 2 of a 7-day cruise, you've lost 5-6 days of package value ($500+). Third, not budgeting for specialty lounge minimums — some premium venues (champagne bar, cigar lounge) aren't covered, so you pay à la carte on top. Fourth, package doesn't cover drinks in ports, so long port days cost extra. Always track actual consumption for the first 2 days and buy the package only if you're tracking toward break-even.

Break-even drinks by line and package

Royal Caribbean Deluxe Beverage Package $106/day/pp (2026): break-even 7.1 drinks/day at $15/drink average. Realistic consumption: 4–6 drinks/day for most. Loss if under 7: $30–$80/day. Carnival Cheers $78/day: break-even 5.2 drinks. More achievable — Carnival markets to drinking crowds. Norwegian Premium Plus $128/day: break-even 8.5 drinks/day — the hardest to justify unless you drink wine/cocktails nonstop. NCL Free-at-Sea promotion makes this free on many sailings, entirely different math. Celebrity Classic $98/day: break-even 6.5 drinks. Their AllIncluded fare tier includes it free. Disney Classic Bar $59/day: break-even 3.9 drinks — easiest to win on. Virgin Voyages: non-alcoholic drinks free; alcohol à la carte average $12/cocktail; no package sold, which is arguably the best consumer deal.

Worked scenarios for 3 real itineraries

7-night Caribbean on Royal Caribbean Oasis for a couple who drinks normally (4 drinks/day each): Deluxe $106 × 7 × 2 = $1,484. À la carte: 4 drinks × $15 × 2 × 7 = $840. Skipping the package saves $644. 5-night Bahamas on Carnival Horizon for a couple who drinks hard (9 drinks/day each): Cheers $78 × 5 × 2 = $780. À la carte: 9 × $14 × 2 × 5 = $1,260. Package saves $480. 10-night Mediterranean on Celebrity Apex for a couple who drinks moderately (5 drinks/day each): Classic $98 × 10 × 2 = $1,960. À la carte: 5 × $16 × 2 × 10 = $1,600. Skipping saves $360. Rule of thumb: drink less than 7/day, skip the package.

Per-diem drink spend by port vs at-sea day

Sea days are the drink-heavy days — pool bars, afternoon cocktails, dinner wine, after-dinner at the piano bar, nightcap at the Schooner. Average sea day: 7–9 drinks for heavy drinkers, 4–6 for moderate. Port days you're off the ship 8–10 hours drinking cheaper ashore — average 2–4 drinks back on board. A 7-night Caribbean with 4 port days + 3 sea days for a moderate couple: 4 sea-day drinks/day × 3 + 2 port-day drinks/day × 4 = 20 drinks total per person. Package math: $106 × 7 = $742 for 20 drinks = $37/drink consumed. À la carte: 20 × $15 = $300. Package is a terrible deal unless you're averaging 7+ drinks consistently.

Stacking with points and travel cards

Charge the package to your Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve when booked through Royal Caribbean's website — counts as travel, earns 2x or 3x UR. $1,484 package = 4,452 UR at 3x on Reserve, redeemable at 2.3 cpp via Hyatt transfer = $102 value. Amex Platinum doesn't code cruise drink packages as “airline incidental” or “travel” at bonus rate — they earn 1x only. Capital One Venture X earns 2x on everything = 2,968 Venture = $30 value. Carnival's Carnival World Mastercard earns 2x on Carnival purchases including Cheers — meaningless value. Royal Caribbean Visa Signature earns 2x on RC purchases — meaningful if you cruise RC multiple times per year.

FAQ on cruise drink packages (expanded)

Can I buy a package mid-cruise? Yes on most lines, prorated for remaining days. Often priced 10–15% higher when bought onboard vs pre-booked. Package for one person if spouse doesn't drink? On Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and NCL: both adults in a cabin must buy if one does. Carnival allows single. Workaround: book adjoining cabins. Soda-only package? $12–$16/day on most lines — break-even at 6 sodas/day. Kids should get this, adults should ask if coffee is included (sometimes is). Specialty coffees covered? On RC Deluxe yes, on Cheers no (add-on $4/drink), on NCL Premium Plus yes. Read the line's package list — varies. Bottles of wine at dinner included? Packages cover single glasses. Bringing your own bottle: RC allows 2 bottles/cabin at embarkation, $15 corkage if served at dinner; Carnival allows 1 bottle; NCL no bring-on. Is the package per-cruise or per-day? Per-day × number of days, sold as package total. Some lines (NCL Free-at-Sea promo) gift the package free as promotion. Can I share drinks? No. One drink per person at a time, scan your card. Sharing gets the package cancelled. Is water included? Tap water free on all ships. Bottled water charged à la carte unless in package ($3–$5/bottle). Most packages include bottled. Minibar covered? No — minibar is always à la carte. Cancellation policy? Pre-cruise cancel for full refund up to 48 hours before sailing. Post-boarding, no refund on unused days.

Troubleshooting: you bought the package and you're barely drinking

Day 2 realization: you had 3 drinks yesterday and now the $106 daily package is wasting money. Options. 1) Royal Caribbean and Celebrity will sometimes (not always) cancel at day 3 with partial refund if you argue politely at guest services. 2) Lean into it — order virgin versions of cocktails (still count against package on some lines, free on others), order multiple coffees, premium waters. 3) Share strategically — buy a drink for a friend on their package, reciprocal. 4) Pre-dinner champagne in the dining room, wine with dinner, espresso after — hit 4 drinks just at dinner. 5) Lesson learned: next cruise, don't pre-buy; monitor consumption day 1 and buy onboard by day 2 if pace justifies it. Carnival Horizon, Royal Caribbean Oasis, NCL Bliss all let you buy packages at sea, only 10% pricier than pre-cruise rates.

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