Are Cruise Drink Packages Worth It? How to Compare the Cost
A drink package is worth comparing when you know which drinks the fare already includes. The package's own dollar price is Not listed until a sailing quote, so start with the inclusion column.
It’s All Cruises · October 25, 2026
Run the comparison before you add a package! On several standard fares, beer, wine, premium drinks and soda are extra. On Free at Sea, Princess Plus and Have It All, some of those rows become included or partly included, with caps.
Quick facts
| Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| Package dollar price, unsold | Not listed. It changes by sailing |
| Royal Caribbean standard drinks | Extra. Water, tea and selected juices included |
| Carnival standard soda | Extra. Lemonade and iced tea included |
| Princess Plus alcohol | Partly. Up to US$15, 15 alcoholic drinks a day |
| Have It All alcohol | Partly. Signature selection up to US$12, and 15 beverages a day on eligible cocktails |
| Checked | September 20, 2026 |
What the fare already says about drinks
| Item | Royal Caribbean | Carnival | Norwegian Free at Sea | Princess Plus | Holland America Have It All |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soft drinks | Extra. Water, tea and selected juices included | Extra. Lemonade and iced tea included; soda costs extra | Included. With selected beverage package | Included. Fountain soda; cans excluded | Included. Within the Signature package allowance |
| Beer and wine | Extra | Extra | Partly. Selected beers and wines; package gratuities extra | Partly. Up to US$15; 15 alcoholic drinks daily | Partly. Signature selection, up to US$12 per drink |
| Premium drinks | Extra | Extra | Partly. Eligible spirits and cocktails; exclusions apply | Partly. Same price and daily limits | Partly. Eligible cocktails; 15 beverages per day |
| Wi-Fi | Extra. VOOM sold separately | Extra. Internet plans sold separately | Partly. 150 minutes per guest, one device | Included. One device | Included. Surf plan; streaming excluded |
A fair comparison
- List the drinks you actually order in a day. The table says whether they are already included, capped or extra.
- A cap is not the same as included. Princess Plus stops at US$15 a drink and 15 alcoholic drinks. Premier raises the eligible price to US$20 and drops the daily count limit.
- Norwegian Free at Sea is selected beers, wines and eligible spirits, with exclusions. Package gratuities on those drinks are extra.
- Virgin's recorded base fares leave beer, wine and premium drinks as a bar tab. Soda and water are included. There is no separate kids' club: Virgin sails adults only.
- Viking's ocean fare includes house beer and wine at lunch and dinner, not a full-day bar. Silver Spirits is a paid add-on with eligible drinks up to US$18.
- If the quote does not show a package price, the price is Not listed. Do not invent a break-even number.
Checked September 20, 2026 for the mainstream and premium US fare terms in this table. Virgin and Viking checked on their own recorded dates: Virgin from the 2026 Voyage Book, Viking with the ocean-fare table.
Frequently asked questions
Is a drink package always a saving?
Not from these tables. A saving needs the package price and your own drinks. The package price is Not listed here.
Does included soda mean alcohol is included?
No. Carnival and Royal Caribbean standard fares include some non-alcoholic drinks and leave beer, wine and premium drinks extra.
What is a daily cap?
Princess Plus and Holland America Have It All both record a 15-drink style limit, with a maximum price per drink. Drinks above the cap are a different charge.
Are package gratuities the same as the daily service charge?
No. Norwegian notes package gratuities on the beverage package as extra even when the drink row is partly included. The daily service charge is its own row.
Filed under ocean, drinks packages, write first