Cruise Drink Package: Is It Worth It?

Short answer: The drink package is worth it if you average six or more drinks per day. At around 72 USD per day on Royal Caribbean, the break-even sits at roughly six cocktails at 12 USD each. Drink less and you lose money. And the biggest catch: usually every adult in the cabin has to buy in too.

You are standing at the pool bar, the sea is glittering, and the bartender slides a cocktail across to you. It tastes fantastic. Then the receipt arrives: 12 USD. For one glass. The next day you think you will just get the drink package. Unlimited drinks, no more math. Sounds good. Until you see the price: around 72 USD per person, per day.

And that is where the real question begins. Not whether the package is convenient, but whether it actually pays off. Let us look at that honestly, with real numbers. If this is your first sailing, our cruise beginners guide helps you nail the overall budget first.

What does the drink package really cost?

Prices swing by cruise line and ship, but the ballpark is clear.

On Royal Caribbean, the Deluxe Beverage Package runs a median of about 72 USD per person, per day. Depending on the ship, the range sits between 55 and 90 USD. Book it on sale and you often land around 69 USD. The package covers cocktails, beer, wine, sodas, water, and specialty coffee. The details are on the official Royal Caribbean Deluxe Beverage Package page.

On Carnival, the CHEERS! package costs around 83.94 USD per day, including the service charge. Same principle here: the price is charged per person and per sailing day, not per drink.

That last point matters. You pay for every day of your cruise, whether you drink a lot that day or nothing at all. This is exactly what decides the math later.

How many drinks a day make it worth it?

Here is where the math kicks in, and it is simple.

Take Royal Caribbean at 72 USD per day. A cocktail on board runs about 12 USD. Divide 72 by 12 and you get 6. So you need about six alcoholic drinks per day for the package to pay off. Drink six or more and you save. Drink fewer and you lose.

The good news: the package covers more than just cocktails. Count your morning latte, the poolside smoothie, and the bottled water, and the threshold drops. Then four to five cocktails per day plus those side drinks are often enough to break even.

A realistic example: two specialty coffees in the morning (6 USD each), one smoothie (7 USD), four cocktails across the day (12 USD each), and two bottles of water (4 USD each). That is 12 + 7 + 48 + 8 = 75 USD. Above the 72 USD package price. In that case it is worth it.

What is the catch with the cabin rule?

This is where most people’s math falls apart.

Most cruise lines require that every adult aged 21 and up in the same cabin buys the package once one person books it. So you cannot get it just for the heavy drinker. If two of you travel and only one enjoys a drink, you still pay twice.

Run the numbers. Two people, seven days, 72 USD per day. That is 1,008 USD for drinks alone. If one of you barely drinks, you burn half of it.

The second catch: non-alcoholic packages are much cheaper, but also hit their limit faster. With Carnival’s Bottomless Bubbles for sodas, the break-even sits at just three to four sodas per day. If you mostly drink water and coffee, you often do not need the package at all.

When is it NOT worth it?

There are situations where you can happily skip the package.

On port-heavy itineraries, you spend many days ashore. On port days you barely drink on board, often just one or two drinks instead of four or five. Yet you still pay the full daily price. On a route with five port days out of seven, you are paying for days you are hardly on the ship. If time ashore matters more to you than the bar, read our tips on how to extend cruise port cities. And on a relaxed river cruise through Europe, a big drink package rarely pays off anyway.

If you are a casual drinker, it rarely pays off either. Two or three drinks a day plus a coffee? Then you stay below break-even and come out ahead paying as you go.

One often-missed trick: buy the package online before departure. Cruise lines usually offer 10 to 20 percent off online versus the onboard price. So if you decide on the package, book it ahead of time.

The decision grid

So you do not have to overthink it, here is the short version.

Worth it if:

You average six or more drinks per day
Every adult in the cabin drinks regularly and happily
Your itinerary has many sea days when you are on board
You also consume specialty coffee, smoothies, and bottled water
You book the package ahead at a discount

Not worth it if:

You average fewer than four drinks per day
Only one person in the cabin drinks, but you both have to pay
Your route is very port-heavy with many days ashore
You mostly drink water and coffee
You want to stay flexible and simply pay as you go

Plan your cruise details and shore excursions in the Zercy Logbook. That keeps your route, port days, and budget in one place, so you can see at a glance which days the package actually pays for itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the drink package cost on average?

On Royal Caribbean, the median is about 72 USD per person, per day, with a range of 55 to 90 USD depending on the ship. Carnival’s CHEERS! package costs around 83.94 USD per day including the service charge.

How many drinks do I need for it to pay off?

At 72 USD per day and a cocktail price of about 12 USD, the break-even sits at roughly six drinks daily. Count coffee, smoothies, and water, and four to five cocktails are often enough.

Who in the cabin has to buy the package?

Yes, usually. Most cruise lines require every adult aged 21 and up in the same cabin to buy the package once one person books it. Getting it just for the heavy drinker generally is not allowed.

When should I skip the package?

When you drink fewer than four drinks per day, or your route has many port days where you are ashore. Then you pay for days you are barely on board, and paying as you go works out cheaper.

Cruise Drink Package: Is It Really Worth It?