Cruise ship drink packages: Which ones are worth it?
Worth it: Norwegian Cruise Line
If you're sailing on Norwegian Cruise Line, you can buy the unlimited open bar package. The open bar package includes unlimited soft drinks and juices, over 100 different cocktails, beers, seltzers, wine, and straight spirits. The price of the unlimited open bar depends on the length of the cruise. For example, a four-day cruise cost $120 total for the open bar, which amounts to $30 a day. For a longer cruise, the savings get even better. If you're on a longer cruise for 8-11 days, the drink package will cost $27 a day. If you're cruising for over 12 days, that price goes down even further to $23 a day.
An average cocktail aboard NCL will cost you between $10 and $15. Most beers are about $7 to $8 and a glass of wine ranges from $9 to $12. If you are on one of the shorter cruises that is $30 per day for the unlimited drinks, and you are having at least three drinks that cost $10, this package is already worth it. For the longer cruises, the price is even lower, so it's a no-brainer. I recently used the drink package for a 10-day cruise, and I thought it was more than worth it to pay $27 a day. I enjoyed knowing that the drinks were all covered and paid for beforehand.
Potentially worth it: Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Line offers a few drink packages that cover many different aspects. There is the Bottomless Bubbles which gets you unlimited soda, two separate wine packages that allow you to get bottles of wine at a discounted price, and then there is the Cheers! package, which covers everything.
The Cheers! package costs $82.54 per day. This covers everything from soda, specialty coffees, all spirits, beer, and wine that are $20 or less on the menu. There are a few stipulations with the package, like a limit of 15 alcoholic drinks per 24-hour period. You can also only order one drink at a time, which stops people from sharing their package with others.
On Carnival, the average beer cost will be about $6.50, wine is $9.50, and mixed drinks and cocktails range from $7.50 to $20. If you plan the more expensive mixed drinks and cocktails, and have about four per day — the package is worth it. However, if you're sticking towards the lower-priced, you'd have to drink nine to 10 drinks daily. Now, the package does include soda and coffee — but those drinks only cost about $3 on average. Ultimately, this depends on how much you are planning to drink. Carnival's pricing for the beverage package doesn't offer a great deal for someone who isn't going to drink more than five average drinks per day.
Worth it: Holland America Line
Holland America Line offers three different drink packages. There is the Have It All Package, the Elite Beverage Package, and the Signature Beverage Package. Each package is roughly the same price per day — so, what's the difference between them?
The Have It All Package is $60 per day, and includes wifi, specialty dining, shore excursions, and the Signature Beverage Package. This includes 15 drinks per day with drinks up to $11. These drinks include beer, cocktails, wine, soda, and coffee. Now, the Signature Beverage Package itself costs $60.95 — which is a bit odd, since the Have It All Package includes more for 95 cents less. If you drink between five and six drinks that cost $11 per day onboard, this is definitely worth it. Getting the Have It All Package also gets you those other perks, so it's a great deal.
The Elite Beverage Package costs $65.95 per day and covers drinks that cost $15 or less. It also has unlimited non-alcoholic drinks, whereas the other package keeps the 15-drink limit, no matter the type. For just a few bucks extra a day, this package is definitely worth it. With fewer limits and more drink options, you'd be saving a good amount of money. You only need to order between four and five $15 drinks per day to break even.
Worth it: MSC Cruises
On MSC, there is now only one option when it comes to a drink package that includes alcohol. Other packages were discontinued in December of 2024, however the remaining package offers quite a variety. The Premium Extra Package includes drinks that cost up to $16, specialty coffee and tea, soft drinks, bottled water, premium-brand spirits, wine, high-end cocktails, beer, and more. There is a 15-drink limit on the alcoholic options, however, you can get as many sodas and coffees as your heart desires.
The price for the Premium Extra Package isn't explicitly listed on MSC's website, however, it does say that if you book the package ahead, it would be 40% off. Other cruisers have stated that for a seven-day cruise, the package comes out to about $70 per day – although this number can fluctuate depending on your cruise length and region. If this number is the average, however, we do think that the package is worth it. If opting for those $16 high-end cocktails, you'd only need to drink about four to make it worth it. Plus, if you're sprinkling in cheaper drinks like coffee, soda, bottled water, or wine at dinner — the package still pays for itself.
Potentially worth it: Azamara Cruises
Azamara Cruises has two different beverage packages available. However — Azamara actually includes some alcohol with the cruise fare. Basic beers and seltzers, bottom-shelf rum, vodka, tequila, gin, brandy, and bourbon are available. It also includes wine by the glass, juices, espresso-based coffees, and more. Now, with all of that being free onboard, are the drink packages worth it?
There is the Premium Package, which costs $31.95 per day, and the Ultimate Package, which costs $39.95 per day. Both of these include a larger array of alcohol choices, which is laid out very clearly on the cruise line's website. Now, if you are planning on spending money on specific types of wines, beers, or spirits that aren't included onboard — one of the packages may be worth it. Especially if you are interested in cocktails at popular, specialty bars onboard like the Atlas Bar. They cost about $17.95 per drink. For just two of those cocktails per day, it might be worth it to get the package. If you are okay with the base availability of alcohol, however, the packages may just end up being an extra expense that may not be entirely necessary.
