🛳️ Cruise drinks and beverages

Avoid the ripoff. If you don't drink, thank the package buyers for keeping the fare low!

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19 Tips

1. Ship drinks are not included. A cruise ship is not all-inclusive like a resort where drinks are covered. You have to pay for them.

2. Often not even at the cruise line’s private beach. Check your cruise line’s private beach port stop. Your cruise drink package may be honored there even though it’s THEIR own beach.

3. Soda is also not included.

4. Plenty of free beverages. Cruise ships do offer a decent selection of beverages. Help yourself at the buffet or order them in the dining room. These typically include water (not bottled), lemonade, coffee, hot tea, hot chocolate, and milk.

5. Bring your drinks with you. Cruise lines generally allow passengers to bring one unopened bottle of wine per adult and a 12 pack of soda.

6. Look but don’t touch the ship store liquor. You can buy duty-free liquor at the ship store but you can’t drink it onboard. They hold it for pick up the last day of the cruise so you can take it on your flight home.

7. Look but don’t touch the port liquor. Many ports feature wonderful and low-cost wine and liquor at local shops. When you return to the ship, staff will take your purchased bottles and give you a receipt. Your cabin attendant will bring the bottles to your room the last evening.
   
   It’s possible to sneak your port liquor onboard … if you don’t declare it, security doesn’t see it, and the baggage scanner doesn’t pick it up. But don’t count on it.

8. Drinks are included on some cruise lines. In addition, some high-end lines (Azamara, AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways) include beer and wine with lunch and dinner.

9. Enjoy liquor at the casino. Gamblers typically get free drinks. Some people have reported getting free drinks at the casino bar even if they’re not actively playing.

10. Free booze! There are other various onboard opportunities for free drinks. These include Captain’s Welcome Parties, art auctions, vendor events such as jewelry or art boutique promotions, liquor/duty-free shop tastings, loyalty events for frequent cruisers, and adult game shows (winners). Check the daily schedule for phrases like “complimentary champagne” or “free tastings.”

11. Membership has privileges. Check your cruise line loyalty program and suite amenities, which may cover some drinks.

12. Make sure your beverage of choice is covered. The cruise lines have various drink packages that cover different levels of liquor, mixed drinks, cocktails, nonalcoholic cocktails, soda, wine, beer, juices, and soda. Premium liquor, specialty cocktails, wine bottles, energy drinks, Starbucks and special coffee and tea drinks, and bottled water may not be included in standard or any packages.

13. Tips are covered, sort of … The ship automatically adds a gratuity to a drink package or individual drink charge.

14. … so don’t double tip. But be careful adding a tip to a drink charge as it’s already there. Of course, you’re welcome to tip extra for special service.

15. Cruises are excellent for non and light drinkers. Base cruise prices are comparatively low compared to all-inclusive resorts because drinks are extra on the ship. In fact alcohol and other beverages are a huge profit center for the cruise lines. So drinkers are essentially subsidizing the cruise for you. Thank them at the bar for keeping your base fare low!

16. Consider an all-inclusive resort if you’re a big drinker. Drinks are included at resorts. So the overall cost may be more attractive to you compared to cruises with expensive drink packages.

17. Drinks are expensive onboard. Drink packages run up to $100+ per person per day. Typical liquor drinks are $15-20 each. We think you should pass on the packages.

18. Say no if you don’t have a drinking buddy. Almost all lines require everyone of legal drinking age in the same cabin to purchase the alcohol package. So if you drink but your partner or cabinmate doesn’t, that’s another reason to skip the package.

19. Don’t purchase the package on embarkation. You’ll pay full price then. Prepay it before the trip. The cruise line sends out several drink package offers with nice discounts.