Every major cruise line now sells some version of an all-you-can-drink package, and every experienced cruiser has, at some point, sat down and actually done the math on whether it makes sense. The packages themselves vary more than most first-time buyers realize, and the fine print tends to matter more than the headline price.
Here’s how the numbers actually shake out.
Royal Caribbean’s Deluxe Beverage Package
Pricing on this package varies by ship and sail date, with rates ranging from roughly the mid-$50s to well over $100 per person, per day, before an automatic 18% gratuity is added on top. It covers cocktails, beer, wine, coffee, and soda, with a per-drink value cap that excludes the priciest premium pours.
Royal Caribbean’s Refreshment Package
Aimed at non-drinkers, this package covers specialty coffee, juice, mocktails, soda, and other nonalcoholic beverages, making it an option for passengers who want more variety than the complimentary drinks without paying for alcohol they won’t use. The package is also sold separately from the Deluxe Beverage Package.
Royal Caribbean’s Classic Soda Package
At around $15 per person, per day, this is the line’s cheapest package option, appealing mainly to soda drinkers and families with children who go through enough fountain drinks to make the flat rate worthwhile.
Carnival’s Cheers! Package
Carnival’s single alcoholic package has recently started at $69.95 per person, per day when purchased before boarding, with an onboard rate of $74.95, plus a 20% service charge. It allows up to 15 alcoholic drinks per person during each 24-hour period. Regulars specifically track that cap because once it is reached, no additional alcoholic drinks can be purchased that day.
Carnival’s Bottomless Bubbles
Carnival’s standalone soda package is priced separately from Cheers! and is aimed at cruisers who want unlimited fountain soft drinks without paying for the alcohol-inclusive package. Current pricing varies by passenger age and sailing, so checking the rate for the specific cruise is important.
Norwegian’s Premium Plus Beverage Package
Norwegian’s Premium Plus Beverage Package covers a broader selection of beverages than its standard package, including premium spirits, cocktails, wines by the glass, select bottles of wine with dinner, bottled water, specialty coffee, and other beverages. It is also available as an upgrade on qualifying bookings, with pricing varying by sailing and promotion.
Norwegian’s Corks & Caps Package
A more limited package covering wine and beer rather than the full range of spirits and cocktails, this option appeals to cruisers who don’t drink hard liquor but still want the convenience of a package. Availability and pricing can vary by sailing.
Celebrity’s Classic Package
Celebrity’s entry-level alcoholic package covers standard spirits, beers, wines by the glass, and a selection of nonalcoholic beverages, with a maximum menu price applying to included drinks. Pricing varies depending on the sailing and when the package is purchased.
Celebrity’s Premium Package
A step up from Classic, this package raises the per-drink value limit and expands the selection of spirits, wines, and cocktails, appealing to cruisers who prefer better-known and premium labels. Current Celebrity materials list drinks up to $15 under the Premium package.
Celebrity’s Drinks and More Package
Celebrity also offers a Drinks and More package on qualifying bookings that combines beverage benefits with extras such as wine, casino free play, a wine tasting experience, and minibar benefits. It is positioned differently from a simple beverage-only package, so cruisers comparing prices should check exactly which version is attached to their sailing.
Princess Plus Package
Princess Plus bundles its beverage package with Wi-Fi, crew appreciation, casual dining, and other benefits rather than treating drinks as a standalone purchase. For 2026 sailings, Princess lists the package at $65 per person, per day when purchased before the cruise and $70 onboard, with drinks up to $15 each and a 15-drink daily limit.
Princess Premier Package
The line’s top bundled package adds specialty dining and a broader beverage selection, with drinks up to $20 each. For 2026 sailings, Princess lists Premier at $100 per person, per day before the cruise and $105 onboard. Unlike Plus, the Premier beverage package has no daily limit on included alcoholic drinks.
Princess’s Standalone Plus Beverage Package
For cruisers who don’t want the bundled Wi-Fi, dining, and other perks, Princess also offers its Plus Beverage Package separately. The current published value is $64.99 per person, per day, covering beverages up to $15 each, although the bundled Plus package can offer substantially more value when its other inclusions are wanted.
Princess’s Zero-Alcohol Package
Priced at around $30 per day, this option covers specialty coffee and tea, mocktails, bottled water, soda, and other premium nonalcoholic beverages, aimed at cruisers who want variety without paying for alcohol they won’t drink.
Princess’s Classic Soda Package
At around $15 per day, this matches the pricing structure of comparable soda-only packages across the industry and is aimed primarily at passengers who drink enough fountain soda to justify the daily charge.
MSC’s Easy Package
MSC’s Easy Package is the entry-level alcoholic option, covering selected beer, house wine, classic cocktails, soft drinks, juices, water, coffee, tea, and other nonalcoholic choices. MSC says its beverage packages were updated for summer 2026, making it important to check the current version rather than rely on an older package chart.
MSC’s Premium Extra Package
MSC’s top widely available alcoholic package is now the Premium Extra Package, which expands the selection to premium spirits, wines, and craft beers beyond the Easy Package. Pricing and included brands can vary by destination and season.
MSC’s Alcohol-Free Package
MSC also offers an Alcohol-Free Package for passengers who want a wider selection of nonalcoholic drinks without paying for alcohol. The line also has a separate Minors Package for younger passengers when required by its beverage-package rules.
Holland America’s Signature Beverage Package
Holland America’s standard alcoholic package covers beer, spirits, cocktails, and wines by the glass priced up to $12, along with the beverages included in its Quench package. It carries a daily limit of 15 beverages and is subject to a 20% service charge.
Holland America’s Elite Beverage Package
A step above Signature, the Elite package raises the included drink value to $16 and adds premium spirits, cocktails, and wines. It also has a 15-drink daily limit for alcoholic beverages, while nonalcoholic drinks are unlimited.
Disney Cruise Line’s Pay-as-You-Go Approach
Disney Cruise Line does not offer a traditional unlimited alcoholic beverage package. Instead, alcoholic drinks are generally purchased individually, while most standard fountain sodas, brewed coffee, tea, and juices are included in the fare. Disney does offer separate wine packages and a refillable beer mug program, so “no drink package” does not mean there are no ways to save on selected beverages.
Virgin Voyages’ Included Bar Tab
Virgin Voyages takes a different approach with its Bar Tab, which is prepaid Sailor Loot that can be spent on premium alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. Unlike traditional drink packages, the Bar Tab can be shared, and unused credit generally isn’t refundable at the end of the voyage.
The Automatic Gratuity Add-On
Nearly every cruise line adds an automatic gratuity or service charge on top of the quoted package price, commonly around 18% to 20%. Regulars factor that extra cost into their break-even math because a package that looks affordable at the advertised rate can become considerably more expensive once the service charge is added.
The One-Per-Cabin Purchase Rule
Many cruise lines require adults of legal drinking age sharing a stateroom to purchase the alcoholic beverage package together, although exceptions and specific policies vary by line. The rule is designed to limit package sharing between passengers, so cruisers traveling with a non-drinking companion should check the individual line’s terms before booking. Royal Caribbean, for example, says all guests of legal drinking age in the same stateroom must purchase an alcoholic package.
Daily Drink Caps
Some lines, particularly Carnival, cap the number of alcoholic drinks a package covers per day, and regulars traveling on those lines keep informal count throughout the day to avoid reaching the limit. Carnival’s current Cheers! terms allow up to 15 alcoholic drinks during each 24-hour period.
The Per-Drink Value Ceiling
Every package sets a maximum menu price per drink it will cover, and ordering something above that ceiling may mean paying the difference or paying for the drink separately, depending on the cruise line’s rules. That detail catches passengers off guard when a specialty cocktail or premium spirit exceeds the package’s cutoff.
The Break-Even Math
Regulars typically calculate a package’s value by dividing its daily cost, gratuity included, by the average price of the drinks they’d actually order, arriving at a specific number of drinks per day needed to break even. That number commonly lands somewhere between three and five drinks, depending on the package, ship, drink prices, and the passenger’s usual habits.
Pre-Cruise Versus Onboard Pricing
Many cruise lines price their beverage packages differently depending on when they are purchased, with advance purchases often costing less than buying onboard. The difference can be significant, making it worth checking the pre-cruise price before assuming the onboard rate is the only option.
The Math Rewards Honesty About Habits
None of these packages are inherently good or bad deals; they’re a bet on a specific drinking pace held consistently across an entire cruise, including days spent ashore where the package may not apply. Regulars tend to do the arithmetic honestly rather than optimistically, which is usually the difference between a package that pays for itself and one that quietly didn’t.
The passengers who skip the package entirely aren’t necessarily drinking less. They’ve just decided their actual pace doesn’t clear the number the math requires.
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