Is a Cruise Drink Package Worth It for Two Drinks a Day?
For most travelers who expect to order only two alcoholic drinks per day, a cruise drink package is not worth the cost. Paying for each drink separately will usually leave you with a lower onboard bill, especially if some of your vacation days are spent exploring ports rather than using the ship’s bars.
The decision becomes less obvious when a package also covers specialty coffee, bottled water, soda, fresh juice, energy drinks, or nonalcoholic cocktails. Two alcoholic drinks alone rarely justify an unlimited package, but two cocktails plus a full day of premium nonalcoholic beverages might bring you closer to the break-even point.
Quick answer
- Choose pay-as-you-go pricing if you realistically expect two alcoholic drinks per day and mostly drink included water, coffee, tea, or juice at other times.
- Calculate the package using its complete daily cost, including any required service charge or gratuity.
- Check whether every adult in the same stateroom must purchase a package, since this can double the practical cost for a couple.
- Count port days, embarkation day, and other low-consumption days rather than basing the decision on your busiest sea day.
- Include nonalcoholic drinks only when they are beverages you would genuinely buy without a package.
The simplest break-even test
Start with the package’s total per-person daily cost. Then divide that amount by the average menu price of the drinks you are likely to order.
Daily package cost divided by average drink price equals the number of drinks needed to break even.
For example, imagine a package costs $80 per person per day after required charges, while the cocktails you prefer cost an average of $14 each. You would need to consume nearly six qualifying cocktails per day to match the package cost. Two cocktails would total $28, leaving a difference of $52 before considering any nonalcoholic beverages.
This is only a hypothetical illustration, not a current price quote. Package prices, drink limits, covered beverages, taxes, and gratuity structures vary by cruise line, ship, itinerary, purchase date, and promotion. Use the current figures displayed in your cruise planner or booking account before making the final calculation.
Why two drinks per day usually favor paying as you go
A beverage package is priced around frequent use and convenience. If you order one drink before dinner and another during an evening show, the package has many unused hours in which it is producing no financial value.
Paying individually also lets your consumption vary naturally. You might order two cocktails on a sea day, one glass of wine after a long excursion, and nothing alcoholic on a morning-heavy port day. With a package, you generally pay the required amount even on days when you use it lightly.
The package can also create an unhelpful mental incentive to order more simply to make the purchase feel worthwhile. The better comparison is not how many drinks you could obtain, but how many you would comfortably and responsibly order without prepaid access.
When two alcoholic drinks could still support a package
A package may make sense when the two alcoholic drinks are only part of your expected beverage spending. Consider a traveler who regularly buys specialty coffee in the morning, bottled water throughout the day, a soda with lunch, a nonalcoholic cocktail by the pool, and two alcoholic drinks in the evening. Depending on the package’s inclusions and current price, that combined pattern could approach the break-even point.
You prefer expensive drinks that fit within the package limit
Two premium cocktails or higher-priced glasses of wine provide more package value than two basic beers. However, some beverages above a stated menu-price threshold may require you to pay the difference, while bottles, souvenir glasses, room-service beverages, and certain venues may be excluded.
You value a predictable vacation budget
Some travelers knowingly pay more for the convenience of minimizing individual drink charges. That can be reasonable, but it is a budgeting preference rather than a savings strategy. Decide how much extra you are willing to pay for that predictability.
Your cruise fare already includes a beverage benefit
A promotional fare or suite category may include a beverage package or offer one as part of a broader bundle. Review the entire fare difference, including any added service charges, rather than treating the package as automatically free. A bundled fare can still cost more than a lower fare combined with a la carte beverages.
The stateroom rule can change the calculation
One of the most important details for couples is whether both adults sharing a stateroom must buy the alcoholic package. Royal Caribbean states that guests purchasing its Deluxe Beverage Package must purchase it for all guests of legal drinking age in the same stateroom. Carnival similarly states that each adult assigned to the same stateroom must purchase its CHEERS! program.
This matters when one traveler wants several drinks per day and the other expects only one or two. A package that appears reasonable for the higher-consumption traveler may become poor value when the second required package is included.
Policies and possible exceptions differ, so check directly with the cruise line before purchasing. Do not assume that a rule from a previous sailing, another brand, or an online discussion applies to your reservation.
Do not calculate from your busiest day
Travelers often imagine the day they will spend beside the pool and use that as the basis for the entire cruise. A more accurate estimate considers every payable day.
- Embarkation day: Boarding time, safety procedures, unpacking, and dinner may leave fewer drinking hours than a full sea day.
- Port days: Beverages purchased ashore are normally separate from the onboard package, and you may spend most of the day away from the ship.
- Early excursion mornings: You may choose a quieter evening before a long tour or early meeting time.
- Final evening: Packing, travel preparation, and an early departure may reduce your normal consumption.
- Weather or seasickness: Conditions can change how appealing alcoholic drinks feel, even when the package has already been paid for.
Create a realistic day-by-day estimate. If your plan shows two drinks on most days and perhaps three or four on one sea day, paying individually will commonly remain the stronger financial choice.
What to check before buying
Read the current package terms rather than relying only on the headline description. Confirm whether the displayed price includes gratuity or service charges, whether taxes may be added in certain ports, and whether the package must be purchased for the entire voyage.
Also review the per-drink price ceiling, excluded brands, beverage limits, waiting periods, private-island rules, room-service exclusions, and whether specialty coffee or bottled water is covered. Carnival’s published CHEERS! terms, for example, describe a full-voyage purchase requirement, a rule requiring adult stateroom occupants to participate, exclusions for several beverage types and locations, and a daily limit on alcoholic drinks. Royal Caribbean identifies its packages as single-guest products that cannot be shared and applies a same-stateroom purchase requirement to its alcoholic package.
The relevant question is not simply, “Are drinks included?” It is, “Are the specific drinks I would otherwise purchase included where and when I plan to order them?”
A practical decision for different travelers
Two cocktails and included beverages the rest of the day
Best choice: Pay as you go. This is the clearest case against an alcoholic package. Your likely spending is limited, and you are not giving up much convenience by signing individual checks.
Two cocktails plus several premium nonalcoholic drinks
Best choice: Calculate carefully. Price the coffee, water, soda, juices, and alcohol you would actually order. A nonalcoholic package combined with separately purchased alcohol may be less expensive than the full alcoholic option.
One partner drinks more than the other
Best choice: Examine the stateroom requirement first. If both adults must purchase the package, calculate the combined cost and combined expected consumption. Do not evaluate only the heavier drinker’s usage.
You want freedom from tracking every charge
Best choice: Decide whether convenience justifies the premium. A package may still be satisfying even when it is not the cheapest choice, provided you understand the likely difference and are not relying on increased consumption to recover the cost.
Frequently asked questions
How many drinks per day usually make a cruise package worthwhile?
There is no universal number. Divide the total daily package cost by the average price of your preferred drinks, then account for nonalcoholic beverages you would genuinely purchase. For many packages, two alcoholic drinks by themselves will fall well below the break-even point.
Should I count bottled water and specialty coffee?
Yes, but only if the package includes them and you would pay for them separately. Do not assign value to beverages you would take merely because they are included.
Can my partner and I share one drink package?
Generally, beverage packages are intended for one named guest and cannot be shared. Some cruise lines also require every adult of legal drinking age in a stateroom to purchase the alcoholic package when one person buys it. Check the current rules attached to your sailing.
Is it cheaper to buy a package before the cruise?
Advance offers may differ from onboard pricing, but promotions and package prices can change. Compare the complete pre-cruise price with your realistic a la carte estimate rather than purchasing solely because a discount is advertised.
What is the best alternative for a light drinker?
Paying individually is usually the simplest option. Travelers who consume many coffees, sodas, juices, or bottled waters can also compare a nonalcoholic package while purchasing one or two alcoholic drinks separately.
The bottom line
If you plan to have only two alcoholic drinks per day, begin with the assumption that paying as you go will cost less. A full package becomes more competitive only when you add meaningful spending on included nonalcoholic beverages, choose relatively expensive qualifying drinks, receive the package through a favorable fare bundle, or place substantial value on predictable billing.
Use the current package price, calculate the cost for every required traveler and every payable day, and compare it with what you would order without trying to maximize the package. That approach produces a more useful answer than any universal drinks-per-day rule.
