princess cruises drink packages

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Worth It? Princess Cruise Drink Packages Explained (Prices, What’s Included, and More)

Wondering if the alcoholic drink package on Princess is worth it? Or maybe you know you want the package, but want to know all the details of how it works before you buy.

Drink packages have a lot to offer for passengers. Instead of having to worry about paying for each drink — and keeping track of the bar tab — you can simply head up to the bar whenever you want something and order. So whether you have five cocktails or six beers, or a mix of coffee in the morning, wine in the afternoon, and margaritas at dinner, you’ll pay one flat fee.

But there is a lot to know about these packages, including some fine print that can help you decide if they are worth it or not on your next cruise.

In This Article...

What Drink Packages Does Princess Offer?

Princess provides two offerings for passengers when it comes to alcoholic drink packages.

These packages are the Plus Beverage Package, featuring drinks up to $15 per glass and the Premier Beverage Package, which is a higher-end offering with drinks up to $20 per glass .

Purchasing one of these packages gives you access to dozens of drink options while on your cruise, running everything from cocktails to beer, water, juices, and soda.

In addition, Princess also offers several non-alcoholic package options, including a soda package, a coffee package, and a Zero-Alcohol Drink Package that includes everything from mocktails to soda to energy drinks. However, we will focus our attention on the ins and outs of the alcoholic drink packages on Princess.

How Much Do Drink Packages Cost?

Unlike some cruise lines that charge varied prices, Princess has stable costs on the drink packages.

The lower tier Princess Plus Beverage Package costs $64.99 per person, per day starting February 2023. There is an additional 18% gratuity charge tacked onto this amount. Therefore, a passenger would pay $76.69 per day. Over the course of a 7-day cruise, the total would come to $536.82.

The higher-end Princess Premier offer runs $84.99 per person, per day or $100.29 after the gratuity amount. That comes to a total of $702.02 for a person on a 7-day cruise.

However, you can get the drink package for less if your purchase it through one of Princess’ all-inclusive deals (Princess Plus and Princess Premier). We have more details on this below.

How Does Gratuity Work With the Package?

Princess charges an 18% gratuity on the cost of the drink package when you buy . So while it might have a headline price of $64.99 per day, the actual cost is $76.69. This gratuity covers any drinks you get with the package, however.

So if you make a purchase from the bar with the drink package, it will not have an additional gratuity tacked on — your drink is no cost from the bar. Without the package, you would pay the menu price, plus an extra 18%.

How Do I Purchase the Princess Drink Package?

To purchase the package, you have a few options. First you can purchase the package you want before you sail through your online account or through calling the cruise line. In this case, you’ll have to pre-purchase at least four days of getting on the ship.

You can also wait to purchase the package once on the ship. It will be sold onboard during embarkation day.

But there is another way to buy, and that is with the Princess Plus and Princess Premier all-inclusive offers . These deals offer gratuities, wi-fi, a drink package, and more included in the cruise fare. They also provide the best deal for the drink package. See our section titled “Is it Better to Buy the Drink Package or Get it Through Princess Plus/Premier?” below.

What’s Included in the Package?

When you purchase your package, you’re getting most drinks on the ship included. Both packages include beer, liquor, wine by the glass, bottled water, fountain sodas, specialty coffee/tee, milkshakes, and energy drinks.

Having either package also grants you a 25% discount on bottles of wine, large bottles of water and cans of soda.

For the Plus Beverage Package, it includes these beverages priced $15 per glass or less. For the Premier Beverage Package, it includes beverages up to $20 per glass, giving you more access to high-end drinks.

Princess says that the Plus package offers 50 spirits, along with 25 wines by the glass and 25 beers, the Premier package offers “75 spirits, 40+ wines by the glass, 20+ high-end, crafted cocktails.”

What’s NOT included in the Drink Packages?

Most drinks you want will be included in the package, but there are some restrictions on beverages you can purchase. All of the following are specifically mentioned as not available with the drink package:

• Bottles of alcohol for sale on the ship (except beer)
• Drinks from the mini-bar
• Buckets of beer
• Souvenir glassware

Apart from that, most beverages you see on the ship will be available under the package.

Is it Better to Buy the Drink Package or Get it Through Princess Plus/Premier All-Inclusive Offers?

With most cruise lines, you have a simple option — buy the drink package or not. On Princess, it’s slightly more complicated. That’s because Princess offers all-inclusive options for their passengers. You can buy the standard base fare with just the cruise included, or you can buy one of the following offers:

• Princess Plus ($60 per person, per day) : Includes cabin, plus wi-fi (one device), daily gratuities, and Plus Beverage Package plus premium desserts, fitness classes, and juice bar.
• Princess Premier ($80 per person, per day) : Includes cabin, plus wi-fi (four devices), daily gratuities, specialty dining (two meals), photo package, Princess Prizes, and Premier Beverage Package plus premium desserts, fitness classes, juice bar, and reserved theater seating.

As you can see, the price for these all-inclusive options is less than the cost of the drink package alone . In addition, you receive even more perks — such as daily gratuities and wi-fi — included.

If you know you plan to purchase a drink package, then it’s a much better value to get it through the all-inclusive offers instead of purchasing it by itself at the current prices.

You can read more about these Princess offers here .

Can I Share the Package?

No, you can’t get a package and then share drinks from it. Princess says specifically that “packages may NOT be shared, are NON-transferable and NON-refundable.”

Will the cruise line know if you get a drink and then pass it one to someone without the package? Likely not, however, it is against the rules. If caught, then the cruise line says they reserve the right to cancel the package.

Do I Have to Buy the Package for the Entire Cruise?

Yes. One aspect of drink packages — including Princess’ offering — is that they are required to be bought for the entire cruise if you decide to purchase. You can’t pick and choose days.

Princess specifically says that “partial/pro-rated packages or purchase for segments of a guests voyage are NOT accepted.”

Is There a Limit on the Number of Drinks You Can Have?

There is a limit on the number of alcoholic beverages that you can order per day.

Princess places a limit of 15 alcoholic drinks per 24 hours , going from 6 a.m. to 6 a.m. If you try to exceed this limit, then the cruise line says it’s “at the discretion of shipboard management and crew” but will be charged the menu price.

However, non-alcoholic beverages don’t count in this figure and there is no limit on how many you can have. So don’t worry that having a bottle of water in between drinks is going to limit how many cocktails you can have.

Does The Drink Package Work on Private Islands or Ports?

When in a typical port of call, the drink package does not extend to land. Since these spots are independent of the cruise line, don’t expect to be able to use drink offer to get a beverage on shore.

However, Princess says that the package can be used on their private islands . So if visiting one of these spots, you can use the package just like on the ship.

Are Princess Drink Packages Worth the Money?

Whether or not a drink package is worth the money is often a point of contention. With the Princess deal, however, we think it’s definitely worth it for most people .

If purchased on its own, the math behind the package may not work for you. After all, you have to drink enough each day to make up for the cost of the drink package. With Princess’ all-inclusive offers, however, the math shifts strongly in favor of having the package.

For example, the Princess Plus package costs passengers $60 per day. For that amount, you get daily gratuities ($16 per day for most cabins), wi-fi, and the drink package.

Even if you don’t use the wi-fi service at all, the cost of gratuities is something you’d pay for no matter what. Subtracting that cost out, it means you’ll pay $44 total for the drink package . That’s the cost of only a handful of drinks each day, and don’t forget that non-alcoholic beverages like specialty coffees, water, and soda are also included.

So if you know you want the package, we suggest opting for one of Princess’ all-inclusive options as it’s less expensive. And when you consider what’s included in the deal, it makes the math work strongly in favor of the drink package if you plan to drink even a moderate amount.

For more on drink packages, you can explore the links below:

• Everything to Know About Alcohol & Drinks on a Cruise (Costs, Rules, & More)
• Worth It? Everything About Cruise Line Drink Packages
• Cruise Line Drink Package Calculator

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I read this article hoping to find an answer, are the soda-only or non-alcoholic drink packages worth it? No one in my party drinks alcohol, but we are all addicted to soda, energy drinks, and milkshakes. We don’t need the other perks of the cruise-line packages. I guess I just answered my own question.

If “addicted” then yes, it should be worth it. If you just like it, take advantage of being able to bring a 12-pack on with you and save some money.

This is a great explanation, but one thing missing from consideration is whether both people in the cabin drink alcohol. If one purchases a package, the other also must purchase the package. My traveling drinks alcohol, I do not. While I understand that other drinks are included, I can’t even come close to drinking $35 worth of non-alcoholic beverages per day, every day (~$15/day gratuities and $10/day wifi, leaves $35/day for beverages). On my most recent cruise, we opted not to do the package and saved a lot of money (over buying it), buying our beverages “on the go.” So the bottom line is, do the math and consider your drinking habits. Thanks for publishing this explanation.

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Home » Cruise Tips » Complete Guide to Princess Cruises Drink Packages

Complete Guide to Princess Cruises Drink Packages

Our Guide to Princess Cruises Drink Packages (2023) covers all the new plans and all-inclusive fares to help you decide if you should upgrade.

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Are you wondering if you should purchase a Princess Cruises drink package? You are not alone, as it is a question we get quite often from fellow cruisers. While there are many  pros for buying a beverage package , there are also some reasons why  cruise ship drink packages might be waste of money .

Further, with the new Princess Plus and Princess Premier cruise packages, you might be wondering if it is worth upgrading to this more all-inclusive pricing. So, in this Complete Guide to Princess Cruises Drink Packages for 2023, we detail all the new beverage packages, drink prices, and FAQs to help you decide if one is right for your next cruise.

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Complete Guide to Princess Cruises Drink Packages (2023)

Are drinks included on princess cruises.

While some beverages are included in the standard Princess Cruises fare , many drinks will cost you extra money.

Princess Cruises does offer a variety of complimentary beverages. These include juice during breakfast, non-bottled iced water, iced tea, tea, and brewed coffee.

Other beverages like specialty coffees, smoothies, fresh juice, soft drinks, bottled water, and energy drinks are all an additional fee. Likewise, all alcoholic beverages cost extra.

What are the Princess Cruises drink packages?

Princess Cruises has recently revamped its drink package offerings to now include two alcoholic drink package options, the Plus Beverage Package and the Premier Beverage Package.

There are also three non-alcoholic Princess Cruises drink packages: the Zero Alcohol Drink Package, Classic Soda Package, and New Grounds Coffee Package.

Additionally, similar to other brands like Celebrity Cruises , Princess Cruises has also rolled out two more all-inclusive packages, the Plus Package and the Premier Package. We will discuss these packages a bit later.

Princess Cruises Drink Package Basics

There are a few basic things you need to know about the Princess Cruises drink packages before we dive into the details of each option.

• Each drink package is priced per day, per person.
• Packages must be purchased for the entire duration of the cruise.
• A service charge of 18% will be added to the total purchase price of a drink package at checkout (excluding Australia itineraries). Additionally, a tax may be added at the time of purchase for certain itineraries or ports of embarkation. 
• These packages may be purchased online pre-cruise up to four days prior to sailing or once onboard the ship. The package is offered onboard on embarkation day only.
• Beverage packages are non-refundable and non-transferable within three days of sailing and/or once onboard the ship.
• Of course, there is no sharing of the package or using your drink package to order drinks for other cruisers.
• You are limited to only one beverage per order, alcoholic or non-alcoholic.
• However, unlike many other cruise lines, all passengers staying in the same stateroom do  NOT  have to purchase the Princess Cruises drink package.
• Alcoholic beverages are limited to 15 drinks in a 24 hour period (6 AM to 6 AM). Non-alcoholic drinks do not have this limitation.
• The packages may be used on private islands, at all food and beverage venues, and other areas such as the theater that offer beverage service.

How do you purchase Princess Cruises drink packages?

Guests can purchase add-ons including drink packages via the online cruise planner up to four days prior to their sail date. Princess Cruises drink packages can also be purchased onboard during the first day of the cruise only. Unlike most cruise lines, just one person can purchase a drink package.

Similarly, guests can upgrade to one of the new more inclusive packages up to four days before sail date or during embarkation day. However, both the first and second guest on the reservation will need to purchase the same pricing fare.

Age restrictions apply for purchases of the Plus and Premier drink packages.

How much are the Princess Cruises drink packages?

When it comes to different drink packages on Princess Cruises, cruisers can select from a number of alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. Of course though, you will want to know the Princess drink package prices when considering if one is worth it for you.

Plus Beverage Package is US $64.99 per day plus 18% service charge (totaling $76.70 per day) for all itineraries except Australia. For all Australian-based vessels, the package is AUD $110.00 per day which includes a service charge.

Premier Beverage Package is US $84.99 per day plus 18% service charge (totaling $100.30 per day) for all itineraries except Australia. For all Australian-based vessels, the package is AUD $140.00 per day which includes a service charge.

Zero-Alcohol Package is USD $39.99 per day plus 18% service charge (totaling $47.19 per day) for all itineraries except Australia. The package is AUD $65.99 per day which includes a service charge for all Australian based vessels. 

Classic Soda Package is USD $12.99 per day plus 18% service charge (totaling $15.32 per day) for all itineraries except Australia. The package is AUD $20.68 per day which includes a service charge for all Australian based vessels.

When looking at the prices of the alcoholic drink packages, you will notice that they are MORE expensive than upgrading to one of the more all-inclusive pricing fares. The Plus package is $60 per person, per day and the Premier package is $80 per person, per day.

Princess Cruises Drink Package Prices:

• Plus Beverage Package – $64.99 per person, per day plus 18% gratuity
• Premier Beverage Package – $84.99 per person, per day plus 18% gratuity
• Zero Alcohol Package – $39.99 per person, per day plus 18% gratuity
• Classic Soda Package – $12.99 per person, per day plus 18% gratuity

Is there a limit on drinks with Princess drink packages?

Unlike some cruise lines like Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises which do not have any limits, Princess Cruises drink packages DO have a daily limit.

Alcoholic beverages are limited to 15 drinks in a 24 hour period (6 AM to 6 AM). However, non-alcoholic drinks do not have this limitation and do not count towards the 15 drink limit.

Of course, staff do have the right to refuse you bar service if you are intoxicated. Knowing your limits is just as important on a cruise ship as it is during your regular life!

What is the difference between the Princess Cruises Plus Beverage Package and Premier Beverage Package?

Previously, Princess Cruises only offered one alcoholic drink package. The former “Premier” drink package is now the Plus Beverage package. This package features all the previous inclusions. Now, there is also a new Premier Beverage package which is a more inclusive drink package option.

In short, the Plus drink package covers drinks up to $15, and the Premier covers drinks up to $20.

Princess Cruises Plus Beverage Package

The Princess Cruises Plus Beverage Package is priced at $64.99 per person, per day plus an additional 18% gratuity.

This drink package includes beer, spirits, wine by the glass, and cocktails up to $15 USD ($22 AUD). It also includes all non-alcoholic beverages including bottled water (500ml only), fountain sodas, the new Juice Bar, fresh juices (if available), specialty coffees and teas, frappes at Coffee & Cones, milkshakes (if available), and Red Bull energy drinks.

Further, the package includes a 25% discount on all bottles of wine, one-liter bottles of water, canned soda, and bottled juices. 

This package has a daily limit on alcoholic beverages of 15 beverages over a 24-hour period.

Princess Cruises Plus Beverage Package does not include bottled spirits or bottled wine, any items offered in retail venues, Mini-Bar items, and souvenir Glassware.

Additionally, the package excludes events such as Wine Tastings, Chef’s Table, Buckets of Beer, Specialty Dining cover charges, or food items for sale such as ice cream.

Summary of what’s included in the Plus Beverage Package:

• Cocktails, wine by the glass, beer, specialty coffees, fountain sodas, bottled water, fresh juices and healthy smoothies, new juice bar, mocktails, and crafted cocktails by Mixologist Rob Floyd
• 50 spirits, 25 wines by the glass, 25 beers, all specialty coffees & non- alcoholic drinks
• 25% discount on wine bottles
• 25% discount on large bottles of water and cans of soda

Princess Cruises Premier Beverage Package

The Princess Cruises Premier Beverage Package is priced at $84.99 per person, per day plus gratuity.

This drink package includes everything from the Plus Beverage Package as well as additional top-shelf premium beverages. It includes a premium selection of beer, spirits, wine by the glass, and cocktails up to $20 USD ($30 AUD).

Further, guests can enjoy all non-alcoholic beverages including bottled water (500ml only), fountain sodas, the new Juice Bar, fresh juices (if available), specialty coffees and teas, frappes at Coffee & Cones, milkshakes (if available), and Red Bull energy drinks. 

The package also provides guests a 25% discount on all bottles of wine, one-liter bottles of water, canned soda, and bottled juices. If dining at a specialty restaurant, a large (one-liter) bottle of still or sparkling water is covered by the package.

This drink package also has a daily limit on alcoholic beverages of 15 beverages over a 24-hour period.

Similarly, Princess Cruises Premier Beverage Package does not include bottled spirits or bottled wine, any items offered in retail venues, Mini-Bar items, and souvenir Glassware.

Just like the Plus package, the Premier package also excludes events such as Wine Tastings, Chef’s Table, Buckets of Beer, Specialty Dining cover charges, or food items for sale such as ice cream.

Summary of what’s included in the Premier Beverage Package:

• Top shelf spirits, reserve wines by the glass, and new high-end crafted cocktails by Mixologist Rob Floyd
• Selection of 75+ spirits, 40+ wines by the glass, 20+ high-end crafted cocktails
• Premier wines by the glass including Duckhorn, Stag’s Leap, Grgich Hills, and Cattier Champagne
• Private Woodford Reserve Bourbon Selection created exclusively for Princess
• Personalized Jack Daniel’s Whiskey Single Barrel Select

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Princess Cruises Non-Alcoholic Drink Packages

Zero alcohol drink package.

The Zero Alcohol Drink Package (formerly Princess Cruises Premier Coffee and Soda Package) is $39.99 per person, per day plus 18% service charge.

The Zero Alcohol Drink Package includes all specialty coffees and teas, hot chocolate, fountain sodas, fresh juices and healthy smoothies (juice bar), bottled water, Frappes at Coffee & Cones, mocktails, Red Bull Energy Drinks, and Milk Shakes (if available).

The package also provides a 25% discount on canned items such as soda or bottled juices.

This package does not include any other bottled or canned items, mini-bar items, or vending machine items. Of course, the package also excludes all alcoholic items and does not provide a discount for any alcoholic drinks.

Classic Soda Package

The Princess Cruises Classic Soda Package is $12.99 per person, per day plus 18% service charge.

This package includes all fountain sodas, fresh juices, mocktails, and smoothies. It also includes one souvenir tumbler based on availability.

However, the package does not include any bottled or canned items (no bottled water), specialty or premium coffees and teas, hot chocolate, ice-cream based drinks, mini-bar items, or alcoholic beverages.

New Grounds Coffee Package

Princess Cruises offers a new beverage package for coffee lovers, The Grounds Coffee Package. This package includes the pre-purchase of a specified number of specialty coffees and complimentary brewed coffee and hot chocolate.

The number of espresso-based drinks does vary by itinerary. Thus, pricing for this package will vary based on your sailing.

Guests may redeem the number of specialty coffees purchased in the package in locations where espresso is available. This will include select bar and dining areas and varies by ship and/or itinerary.

The coffee package is valid only on the voyage for which it is purchased. If the maximum number of coffees pre-purchased are not used during the voyage, the remaining value is not refundable. It is also not transferable to a future voyage.

Pre-purchased specialty coffees may be shared, but complimentary brewed coffee, teas, and hot chocolate continue to be limited to the purchaser.

This package does not include canned coffee items or mini-bar items. Further, it can not be redeemed when ordering room service either.

Princess Cruises Drink Prices:

Below are a list of the sample drink prices on Princess Cruises. You can also check out our  bar menus from a recent Discovery Princess cruise to determine the cost of your favorite beverages.

• Beers- $6.75
• Wines by the glass- $11
• Mixed Drinks/Cocktails- $8-10
• Specialty Cocktails- $14+
• Specialty Coffee- $3.50
• Bottled Water (500 ml)- $2.65
• Soda- $2.50
• Energy Drinks- $4.50
• Other Non-Alcoholic Drinks- $5.50

If a drink does cost more than the maximum dollar amount of the drink package, guests will only pay the the difference (+18% gratuity on the difference).

Are Princess Cruises drink packages worth it?

This brings us back to the original question. Are Princess Cruises drink packages worth it? That is a question that only you can answer based on your own drinking habits. Essentially, will you consume enough to make the purchase “worth it”?

For us, beverage packages usually save us money. Though, we also just enjoy the added convenience of not worrying about the bill the end of the cruise.

Using the chart below, you can do the quick math to see if you would routinely hit the daily “break even” point for the above drink packages.

Now, you should also take into account a few other things before deciding whether you should purchase a drink package or not.

Other Considerations

Some considerations include the length of the cruise and how many ports of call are on the itinerary.

For instance, will you be able to sustain the same drinking pattern over the course of a 10-day or 14-day cruise? If your cruise is port intensive, will you be on the ship enough to make good use of your Princess drink package?

Further, each passenger can bring one bottle of wine or champagne (no larger than 750 ml) onboard in their carryon luggage during embarkation. Any additional bottles of wine can be brought onboard for a $15 corkage fee.

The final, and perhaps the most important consideration, are the new all-inclusive fares. The new Princess Plus and Princess Premier packages make it difficult to justify purchasing just a beverage package alone.

The price of a Plus drink package is $64.99 per day, while upgrading to the Princess Plus fare is only $60 and provides additional benefits.

The same is true for the Premier pricing. The Premier drink package is $84.99 per day, while the Princess Premier fare is only $80 with even more benefits.

Essentially, if you want to purchase an alcoholic drink package, it’s a no-brainer to upgrade. If just one person in the stateroom wants a drink package, or if the second guest is under 21 years old, it makes the decision a bit harder.

Additionally, if you want a non-alcoholic package, you probably won’t recognize much cost savings by upgrading unless you planned to take advantage of the other add-ons anyway, like WiFi or fitness classes. Adding the costs for just the Zero Alcohol package ($39.99), gratuities ($16), and WiFi ($15), you will recognize a small savings of $10.99 a day.

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Princess Plus and Princess Premier Cruise Packages – What’s the difference?

So, what exactly are these all-inclusive pricing fares we keep talking about and what do they include?

Basically, when you book a Princess cruise, you will now have the option of three different price levels. These levels are Princess Standard, Princess Plus, and Princess Premier.

The Princess Standard fare is basically a cruise only rate.

Princess Plus

Guests can upgrade to the Princess Plus fare for $60 per person, per day. This fare includes the Plus Beverage Package, WiFi for one device per guest, and Crew Appreciation (gratuities) .

Guests also get two premium desserts per day, two fitness classes per cruise, and an unlimited juice bar.

Per Princess Cruises’ website, this is an overall savings of 54%.

The Plus Beverage package alone is $64.99 per day. The WiFi for one device is $15 per day. The Crew appreciation is based on stateroom category. For Interior, Oceanview, and Balcony, it is $16 per person, per day; Mini-Suite and Reserve Collection $17; Suites $18.

As you can see, you are basically getting WiFi and gratuities for free by choosing this rate instead of just purchasing a drink package. Not to mention, you also get the other perks like dessert, fitness classes, and the juice bar.

Summary of what’s included in Princess Plus pricing:

• Princess® dining, accommodations and entertainment
• MedallionClass® experience
• Plus Beverage Package (drinks up to $15 each)
• Wi-Fi (1 device per guest)
• Crew appreciation
• Premium desserts (2 per day)
• Fitness classes (2 per cruise)
• Unlimited juice bar

Princess Premier

Guests can also upgrade to the Princess Premier fare for $80 per person, per day. This fare includes the Premier Beverage Package, WiFi for 4 devices per guest, Crew Appreciation, and two specialty dining meals per guest.

With this fare, guests also get a photo package, unlimited premium desserts, unlimited fitness classes, unlimited juice bar, a Medallion accessory, and reserved seating in the theater.

This is an overall savings of 66%.

Additionally, Premier guests have the chance to win Princess Prizes. Princess Prizes is a promotion on board that allows guests to win prizes through their stateroom door portal. The prize portal is activated when a guest opens their stateroom door using their Medallion device. Prizes currently include entry into an end-of-cruise drawing for $5,000 or more in cash, onboard credits, onboard dining experiences, free cruises, and $100,000 cash.

The cost of the Premier Beverage package is $84.99 per day. The cost of WiFi for four devices is $40 per day.

Running the numbers, even if you planned to purchase just a Plus drink package, along with WiFi or specialty dining, you should consider this upgrade as it does include quite a bit more for only $80 per day.

Summary of what’s included in Princess Premier pricing:

• Premier Beverage Package (drinks up to $20 each)
• Wi-Fi (up to 4 devices per guest)
• 2 specialty dining meals per guest
• Photo package (unlimited digital + 3 prints)
• Princess Prizes
• Premium desserts (unlimited)
• Fitness classes (unlimited)
• Medallion accessory
• Reserved theater seating (for production shows only)

Terms and Conditions

• Both Princess Plus and Princess Premier are available to ALL guests and ALL stateroom types. They are available for purchase pre-cruise or onboard during the first day of the cruise.
• Third and fourth guests are not required or defaulted to the package of first and second guests in a stateroom. If these guests want to opt in, they will need to contact Princess to have it applied to the booking.
• Even if the 3rd and 4th guests do not have a package, certain items can be shared. WiFi for 4 devices per Princess Premier guest, two specialty dining meals per Princess Premier guest, and the Photo Package are shareable. The meals shared with the 3rd and 4th guests will be counted towards the total four specialty dining meals per stateroom.
• With the new Premier package, reserved theater seating and free shipping for Medallion devices and accessories will also apply to all guests in the stateroom.
• When upgrading, guests who are under 21 will receive the Zero-Alcohol Package. No refund will be offered for the difference
• With Princess Plus, Platinum and Elite guests will automatically receive a 50% discount if they decide to upgrade WiFi to 4 devices.
• Premium desserts include gelato, candies, toppings, a pastry or cookie, and alcohol if desired. Depending on your ship, you will find these at the Gelato café, Swirls, Coffee & Cones, or the pastry shop at World Fresh Marketplace. Excludes SMiZE premium ice creams.
• As part of Princess Cruises’ partnership with XPonential Fitness, there are 3 types of classes to choose from: StretchLab, Pure Barre, and YogaSix. Guests can sign up at the fitness center.
• The new Juice Bar features 4 juice blends and 2 power shots (ginger and turmeric). Each juice is a 6 oz serving and will be unlimited for guests with a package. They are also available a la carte for $6-$8 each for guests with no package.

Have you purchased one of the Princess Cruises drink packages? Do you think upgrading to Princess Plus or Princess Premier is worth it? Drop us an anchor below to share your experiences with drink packages on a cruise.

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There is a lot of confusion on Princess ships right now for people who purchased a drink package before Princess changed the limits. Even though the Plus package says it is for drinks up to $15, some people who purchased earlier will be limited to $12 drinks. So depending on when you purchased, there are actually two different packages.

Still unclear….can drink package be used at specialty dining venues

DB & The Princess

Welcome Aboard! We are Don and Heidi, the husband and wife travel team behind EatSleepCruise.com. We took our first cruise vacation together 13 years ago and have been hooked ever since. Follow along as we share our travel tips, cruise reviews, information on ports of call, and the latest cruise news to help you plan the ultimate cruise vacation. Are you ready to embark on your journey to “sea the world, one port at a time”?

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Princess Cruises Drink Packages: The Ultimate Guide for 2024

By: Author Carrie Ann Karstunen

Posted on Published: April 8, 2022  - Last updated: February 11, 2024

On a Princess cruise, you can buy a beverage package or pay for your drinks individually. But are Princess Cruises drink packages worth it?

When you’re cruising with Princess, there’s a very limited selection of complimentary drinks included with your basic cruise fare. If you’d like to enjoy your favorite sodas, specialty coffees, or adult beverages, it’ll cost you extra.

Some cruisers opt to pay as they go, but there’s also the option of buying a drinks package that covers your drinks for the entire cruise. You’re probably wondering if it’s smarter to pay for your drinks individually or to spring for one of the Princess beverage packages.

Here’s everything you need to know about Princess Cruises drink packages to help you make that decision.

What Princess Cruises drink packages are available for 2024?

For 2024, Princess Cruises offers four beverage package options at various price points. You can choose from all-inclusive packages that cover almost anything you’d like to drink, or one of two non-alcoholic options. One soft drink package covers the basics, and another also includes specialty coffees and teas.

Let’s start with the most comprehensive (and most expensive) drinks package and work our way down to the cheapest.

Along the way, I’ll do some calculations to let you know how much each of the Princess drink packages will cost you in total for the average seven-day cruise.

Premier Beverage Package

The most inclusive of Princess’ drinks packages, the Premier Beverage Package includes any of the following drinks with a menu price of up to $20 USD ($30 AUD for Australia and NZ cruises) each:

• Wine by the glass
• Fountain soda
• Specialty coffees
• Fresh juices
• Bottled water (sparkling or still, 500ml or under)
• Frappés at Coffee & Cones
• Hot chocolate
• Red Bull energy drinks
• “Zero-proof” mocktails

Note: If a drink costs more than the menu price limit of $20 USD / $30 AUD, you’ll just be charged the difference.

This package also provides a 25% discount on all bottles of wine and one-liter bottles of water.

At meals in the for-a-fee specialty dining venues on board, the package covers one large bottle (1L) of still or sparkling water.

The Premier Beverage Package is not available for voyages of two nights or fewer, or for voyages under seven nights for Australia-based itineraries.

Premier Beverage Package exclusions

The following drinks are excluded from the Premier Beverage Package on all Princess sailings:

• Bottled wine or spirits in the retail shops onboard
• Stateroom mini-bar items
• Drinks sold in souvenir glassware (passengers may use the package for the drink itself and pay an additional charge for the glass only)
• Beverages offered via self-service or vending machines
• Wine tastings, buckets of beer, or BOGO drink offers
• Drinks ordered for room service

How much does the Premier Beverage Package cost?

For most sailings, the Premier Beverage Package costs $84.99 USD per person, per day. A service charge of 18% is included when booking, bringing the cost to $100.30 per day.

Cost for a seven-day cruise per person: $702.10 USD

Pro tip: It’s actually cheaper to buy a Princess Premier cruise fare (which also includes WiFi, gratuities, and much more) than to pay for this drinks package à la carte!

For all Australian-based ships, the package is $140 AUD per day, which includes a service charge. The Plus Beverage Package is not available for pre-purchase for voyages from Australia and New Zealand.

Cost for a seven-day cruise per person: $980.00 AUD

Plus Beverage Package

The second tier of Princess beverage packages, the Plus Beverage Package includes any of the following drinks with a menu price of up to $15 USD ($22 AUD for Australia and NZ cruises) each:

• Bottled water (500ml or under)

Note: If a drink costs more than the menu price limit of $15 USD / $22 AUD, you’ll just be charged the difference.

Although the Plus Beverage Package used to cover one large bottle (1L) of still or sparkling water at meals in the for-a-fee specialty dining venues on board, this perk is now only available with the Premier Beverage Package.

The Plus Beverage Package is not available for voyages of two nights or fewer, or for voyages under seven nights for Australia-based itineraries.

Plus Beverage Package exclusions

The following drinks are excluded from the Plus Beverage Package on all Princess sailings:

How much does the Plus Beverage Package cost?

For most sailings, the Plus Beverage Package costs $64.99 USD per person, per day. A service charge of 18% is included when booking, bringing the cost to $76.70 per day.

Cost for a seven-day cruise per person: $536.90 USD

Pro tip: It’s actually cheaper to buy a Princess Plus cruise fare (which also includes WiFi, gratuities, and more) than to pay for this drinks package à la carte!

For all Australian-based ships, the package is $110 AUD per day, which includes a service charge. The Plus Beverage Package is not available for pre-purchase for voyages from Australia and New Zealand.

Cost for a seven-day cruise per person: $770.00 AUD

Zero-Alcohol Package

Formerly called the Coffee & Soda Package, Princess’ most inclusive non-alcoholic drink package includes:

• Premium and specialty coffees and teas
• Fountain sodas
• Fresh fruit juices
• Frappes at Coffee & Cones

Zero-Alcohol Package exclusions

The following drinks are excluded from the Zero-Alcohol Package on all Princess sailings:

• All alcoholic beverages
• Bottled water and juice or canned sodas
• Beverages offered in shops on board
• Beverages offered via vending machines (except Coke Freestyle machines where available)

How much does the Zero-Alcohol Package cost?

For most sailings, the Zero-Alcohol Package costs $29.99 USD per person, per day. An 18% service charge is included when booking, bringing the daily cost to $35.39.

Cost for a seven-day cruise per person: $247.73 USD

For all Australian-based vessels, the package is $45 AUD per day, which includes the service charge.

Cost for a seven-day cruise per person: $315.00 AUD

Classic Soda Package

If you’re looking for unlimited soft drinks (but you don’t also need specialty coffees), Princess’ Classic Soda Package might be the right choice for you.

This package includes:

• Canned soda and juice

Classic Soda Package exclusions

The following drinks are excluded from the Classic Soda Package on all Princess sailings:

• Specialty or premium coffees and teas
• Ice cream-based drinks

How much does the Classic Soda Package cost?

For most sailings, the Classic Soda Package costs $14.99 USD per person, per day. An 18% service charge is included when booking, bringing the daily cost to $17.69.

Cost for a seven-day cruise per person: $123.83 USD

For all Australian-based vessels, the package is $23 AUD per day, which includes a service charge.

Cost for a seven-day cruise per person: $161.00 AUD

Princess Cruises drink packages FAQ

If you have questions about drink packages for your upcoming Princess cruise, you’ve probably been scouring Princess’ website looking for answers. I know I did before my very first cruise with Princess!

I’ll answer the most common questions about Princess Cruises drink packages below—it’s a combination of the questions I spent hours looking for answers to before my first Princess cruise in 2017, and questions from readers.

Hopefully I’ll save you some time with my Princess Cruises drink package FAQ. If I don’t have the answer to your question, pop it in the comments at the end of this post. I respond to every comment!

How do you buy a Princess Cruises drink package?

For most sailings, passengers can buy any of Princess’ beverage packages online via your Cruise Personalizer . For most cruise beverage packages, you’ll have the option to buy online up to four days before your cruise sails.

If you haven’t bought a drink package before embarkation day , you still have the option to do so—but only on day one and day two of your cruise.

For Australia and New Zealand cruises, the drinks packages are only sold on board on embarkation day.

Another option is to upgrade to Princess Plus or Princess Premier when you book your cruise. These are more expensive fares, but include either the Plus or Premier Beverage Package plus extra perks like unlimited Wi-Fi and crew gratuities.

Do you need to tip for drinks purchased with Princess’ beverage packages?

When you purchase a beverage package on Princess, you’ll pre-pay your gratuities (18% of the package total).

Once on board, there’s no need to tip your server or bartender extra each time you receive a drink. But if you’d like to add an extra tip for great service, you absolutely can.

You may also like: Tipping on a Cruise Ship: What You Need to Know About Cruise Gratuities

Do you need to pay tax on your drinks?

When you’re sailing in international waters, there’s no tax on your drink purchases (whether you have a beverage package or not). But if you’re in a jurisdiction that taxes drinks, you’ll see a small charge for tax on your onboard account. This typically happens on embarkation day, in ports, and when you’re leaving port but haven’t yet reached international waters.

Tip: If you’re not sure if you’re in international waters yet, check to see if the onboard shops are open. They’ll only be open when you’re in a tax-free zone.

Can you buy a drink package for certain days of the cruise?

Princess doesn’t allow passengers to buy a drink package only for certain days of a cruise. Although it would be nice to pay for the package just when you’ll use it most (like on sea days ), if you buy a drink package it needs to be for every day of the voyage.

Are you charged for your Princess drink package for disembarkation day? Does the package work that day?

When buying the Premier Beverage Package, Plus Beverage Package, Zero Alcohol Package, or Classic Soda Package, you won’t be charged for disembarkation day.

Although I’ve never seen any official policy stating that drinks packages still work on disembarkation day, I always get my specialty coffee on disembarkation morning and I’ve never been charged!

Can you share your Princess beverage package with another guest?

None of the Princess drink packages permit sharing with other passengers. The cruise line can cancel your drink package if you’re caught sharing, without a refund!

Do Princess Cruises drink packages work on their private islands?

On Princess Cays, the cruise line’s private island in the Bahamas, Princess cruisers can use their drink package at any of the bars, just as you would on the ship.

You may also like: Ultimate Guide to Princess Cays

Do Princess drink packages work with room service?

None of Princess’ drink packages work when you’re ordering room service. However, you can order any of the complimentary beverages with your room service order.

How old do you have to be to buy a beverage package on a Princess cruise?

There’s no age requirement to purchase either of the non-alcoholic drinks packages on Princess (Zero Alcohol Package and Classic Soda Package).

To purchase the Premier or Plus Beverage Packages, guests must be age 21 or over. On sailings in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, China, and Singapore, the drinking age on board is 18, and in Japan it’s 20. However, on these cruises, guests under 21 can’t purchase a Premier or Plus Beverage Package even if they’re allowed to buy alcohol on a per-drink basis.

Is there a limit to how many drinks you can order per day with a Princess beverage package?

Princess limits alcoholic drinks to 15 beverages per person in a 24-hour period, beginning at 6 AM each day. The cruise line says that “alcoholic drinks requested above the daily limits are at the discretion of the shipboard management and crew and charged at regular menu prices.”

However, since Princess introduced the daily drink limit a few years ago, I’ve never seen a bartender allow anyone more than 15 drinks.

Tip: Ordering a “double” counts as two drinks toward the daily limit. But ordering a single drink that has more alcohol in it (such as a martini or a Beverly Hills Iced Tea) only counts as one drink.

Non-alcoholic drinks are unlimited with Princess’ beverage packages, and they don’t count toward the 15-drink daily limit.

Does Princess still have a coffee card program?

Princess Cruises retired its New Grounds coffee program in February 2023. Cruisers who want specialty coffees as part of a drink package now need to purchase either the Zero-Alcohol Package, Plus Beverage Package, or Premier Beverage Package. Specialty coffees can also be purchased individually at menu prices.

What do you do if you have a Princess drink package, but your onboard account was charged for an included drink?

I’ve never been on a cruise where I had a drink package and I wasn’t accidentally charged the menu price for an included drink at least once. This doesn’t only happen on Princess!

Smart cruisers always check their onboard accounts periodically for mistakes, and definitely before the morning of disembarkation. If you thought that the line at Guest Services was insane on embarkation day, just wait until the morning that you get off the ship!

The best course of action is to go to Guest Services when you notice a mistake and there’s not a huge line. Don’t wait until you’re home from your cruise! The representatives onboard are far more likely to help when you’re standing right in front of them.

Tip: If you want to be 100% sure that no one accidentally drinks something in your room that has a fee attached, ask your room steward when they introduce themself if they can remove the drinks altogether. This includes mini-bar items as well as any bottles of water provided for your convenience.

Is it worth it to get a drink package on a Princess cruise?

If you’re thinking about buying a drink package for your upcoming Princess cruise, it’s important to have a few factors at the top of your mind. Beverage packages aren’t cheap, and you’ll want to consider:

• Will you mainly drink the beverages that are free with your cruise fare?
• Can you get any free alcoholic drinks on your Princess cruise?
• Are there any allowed drinks you’d like to bring from home on your cruise vacation?
• How much do the drinks you like cost on Princess if you buy them individually?
• Will you drink enough to make buying a package worth the money?

In this section, I’ll help you answer all of these questions so you can decide if it’s worth it to get a drink package on a Princess cruise.

What drinks are free on Princess Cruises?

When you’re considering purchasing a drinks package on Princess, it’s good to know which drinks are already included with your cruise fare. If you’re OK with just drinking these beverages during your cruise, you won’t need to buy a package (or purchase individual drinks) at all!

Free drinks on Princess Cruises include:

• Hot tea (except at International Café)
• Brewed coffee (except at International Café)
• Fruit juice (at breakfast only)

Tip: Ask for extra fruit juice at breakfast and you can store it in your stateroom mini-fridge to enjoy throughout the day!

Can you ever get free alcoholic drinks on a Princess cruise?

There are a few times during your cruise that you’ll be offered a free alcoholic drink. However, 99% of the time it’ll just be a small glass of sparkling wine.

That said, here’s where you can enjoy a free glass of bubbly on your Princess cruise:

• Captain’s Welcome Aboard Party
• Captain’s Circle (past passenger) Party
• Art Auction
• Events at the Effy store (Morning Mimosas, Pink Party)
• Lightning Fast Art Auction

You may also like: 21 Princess Cruise Tips You Need to Know

Can you bring your own drinks on a Princess Cruise?

Princess permits passengers to carry on one 750 ml bottle of wine per guest. The cruise line charges a $20 corkage fee if you drink the wine in a bar or restaurant. They permit additional bottles, but will charge the $20 fee regardless of where guests drink that wine, including in your stateroom.

Guests can carry on up to 12 cans or cartons of water, sodas, or other non-alcoholic beverages on embarkation day (not in your checked luggage).

How much are drinks on a Princess cruise if you buy them individually?

These prices are based on the most recent (2024) menus and include the most common drinks that cruisers purchase. Of course (especially if you’re ordering premium alcohol) prices can skew higher.

But here’s a general price range of typical drink prices on Princess in 2024 (note that these prices are for ships that use USD):

• Beers: $6.25 – $10
• Wine (by the glass): $10 – $19+
• Cocktails and standard spirits: $7.50 – $18+
• Mocktails: $7
• Espresso drinks: $2.50 – $4.50
• Fountain soda: $2.50
• Bottled water (500ml): $2.65

You may also like: Are Cruise Drink Packages Worth It?

How many drinks will you consume each day on your cruise?

Most people tend to drink a little more on vacation, whether that’s soda, alcohol, or specialty coffees. Think back to your last vacation and consider how many servings of your favorite drinks you had each day.

Here’s how many servings of some popular drinks you’ll need to consume each day to break even with a Princess drink package:

Plus Beverage Package – $64.99 per day

Strawberry Daiquiri (menu price $10.00): 6-7 per day to break even

Heineken (menu price $7.00): 9-10 per day to break even

Glass of house Sauvignon blanc (menu price $11.00): 6 per day to break even

Zero-Alcohol Package – $29.99 per day

Fountain soda (menu price $2.50): 12 per day to break even

Café Mocha (menu price $3.50) – 8-9 per day to break even

Mocktail (menu price $7.00): 4-5 per day to break even

Bottled water (menu price $2.65): 11-12 per day to break even

Classic Soda Package – $14.99 per day

Fountain soda (menu price $2.50): 6 per day to break even

Mocktail (menu price $7.00): 2-3 per day to break even

Obviously, most cruisers won’t exclusively drink one beverage on a cruise! So consider what you enjoy drinking and how many of each you’d like to have before choosing the right drink package—or skip the package altogether!

More Princess cruise posts you’ll love:

• 21 Princess Cruise Tips You Need to Know
• Princess Premier Cruise Package on Princess Cruises
• Princess Plus on Princess Cruises: Can it Save You Money?
• Ultimate Balcony Dining on Princess Cruises
• Princess Cruises Pub Lunch Review (With Menu)
• Ultimate Guide to Princess Cays

If you’ve ever bought one of Princess Cruises’ drink packages, did you think it was worth the price? Or do you have more questions about the beverage packages I haven’t answered? Let me know in the comments below!

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Monday 28th of August 2023

Hi, Carrie Ann. I am sailing on The Emerald Princess in September with six other 65 year-old young ladies. If we each bring one bottle of wine and our own tumbler, would we be able to drink that on the ship outside of lounge areas, etc. free?

Hi Karen, Princess' official policy is that you won't be charged a corkage fee if you consume the wine in your room. However, if you pour the wine in your room (either into a glass or a tumbler like you mentioned) and then walk to another area to enjoy it, no one will say a word or charge you! Just leave the actual bottles in the room and you should be fine. Have an amazing time on your cruise!

Monday 10th of July 2023

Hi Carrie Ann….Are frozen mocktails included in the non-alcoholic packages? I enjoy virgin frozen pina coladas and virgin margaritas. Thanks.

Hi Clara! Yes, Princess currently includes frozen mocktails in both the Zero-Alcohol package and the Classic Soda Package. Thanks for the question!

Sunday 3rd of July 2022

I have the plus beverage package aboard the Princess cruise ship. Are mocktails and smoothies covered under this plan?

Monday 4th of July 2022

Hi Tom, mocktails are included in your Princess Plus beverage package. Interestingly, Princess no longer lists smoothies as part of the drink package, although they have in the past.

My theory is that smoothies aren't as commonly available on Princess ships compared to other types of drinks, so they're just no longer advertising them (but they're also not listing them as excluded items)

I did find this blog post on Princess' website that still references smoothies as part of Princess Plus. Thanks for a great question!

Patricia Blackmore

Tuesday 10th of May 2022

Can you bring carry on lager in your cooler. Size 12x12x12?

Hi Patricia, the only alcoholic beverage that Princess allows guests to carry on is wine (one 750 ml bottle per person). You can carry on non-alcoholic drinks, but not lager or any other beer. Thanks for the question!

Wednesday 4th of May 2022

I am a diet controlled diabetic, so I like to have sugar free drinks. We are on Princess Plus on next cruise, what sugar free sodas are available and can you have sugar free tonic with your gin? Is the ‘fresh’ juice actually that or a sugar added equivalent? Are the smoothies made with fresh fruit. I cannot find this information and my email to Princess the answer was evasive or ignored completely. Is the iced tea unsweetened? Thanks

Thursday 5th of May 2022

Hi Moira, Princess has Diet Coke available on their ships, and may have other sugar-free Coca-Cola products (availability can vary by sailing). I've never noticed sugar-free tonic water on any of my Princess cruises. However, if you know you'll want it for your gin & tonics, you can carry on cans of your preferred brand (they just limit your carry on beverage cooler to 12″x 12″x 12"). The fresh juices might not be available on all ships, but just an FYI - the juices they serve at breakfast aren't fresh and I'm sure they have added sugar. If your ship does also serve fresh juices, I'd be surprised if they add sugar. The smoothies are made with fresh fruit, but I'm not sure of the sugar content of the other ingredients they might add. As for iced tea (in my experience) it's always been unsweetened and on the strong side. You can get unsweetened brewed iced tea at the International Café - it tastes much better, and it's open 24/7. Hope this helps!

Princess Cruises Drink Packages: The Ultimate Guide (2024)

When booking a Princess cruise, you’ll need to decide whether to get a drinks package or pay for your drinks individually.

With Princess Cruises, the decision isn’t as straightforward as “Is the Princess drink package worth it?” This is because Princess Cruises offers four different drinks packages, as well as two special fares – Princess Plus and Princess Premier – which both give you free drinks.

In fact, Princess Cruises’ pricing gets really confusing when you compare the drinks packages and the special fares.

Don’t worry – this simple guide will help you make the right decision about whether to buy a Princess Cruises drink package or upgrade to the Princess Plus or Princess Premier fares which come with free all-inclusive drinks.

Princess Cruises Drink Packages

Here are the four drink packages that are available…

Prices are in US dollars. If you’re cruising from Australia, the pricing is different and is priced in AUD .

In addition to these packages, Princess Cruises offers the ‘Princess Plus fare’ and the ‘Princess Premier fare’. These bundle the drink packages with wifi, crew tips and a whole host of other extras.  I’ll give you more info on those further in this article.

If you just want the quick maths on whether a drink package is worth it, this calculator is for you…

Now, let’s take a closer look at Princess Cruises drinks prices and what you get in each package…

1. Plus Beverage Package

Price = $64.99 per day + 18% service charge (totalling $76.69).

Includes drinks up to $15:

• Choice of 25 beers
• Choice of 25 wines by the glass
• Choice of 50 spirits
• Cocktails and mocktails
• Bottled water (500ml)
• Fountain sodas
• Fresh juices and smoothies from the juice bar
• Speciality teas and coffees
• Frappés at Coffee & Cones
• Red Bull energy drinks

Plus is the most popular drink package. But, if you prefer high-end crafted cocktails, premier wines, top-shelf spirits and Champagne, then you should upgrade to the Premier package…

2. Premier Beverage Package

Price = $84.99 per day + 18% service charge (totalling $100.29).

Includes drinks up to $20:

• Choice of 40+ wines by the glass
• Choice of 75+ spirits

Unless you like to drink several alcoholic drinks each day, you’re unlikely to get your money worth from the alcohol packages. So instead, you should consider one of the following…

3. Zero-Alcohol Drink Package

Price = $29.99 per day + 18% service charge (totalling $35.39).

• Cans of soda
• Hot chocolate

4. Classic Soda Package

Price = $14.99 per day + 18% service charge (totalling $17.69).

• Cans of sodas
• Juices (excluding the fresh juice bar)

What’s not included?

None of the Princess drink packages include:

• Bottles of wine or spirits
• Buckets of beer
• One litre bottles of water (except when dining at speciality restaurants)
• Bottled juices
• Room service
• Self-service or vending machines
• Items from retail shops
• Souvenir glasses

The Plus and Premier Beverage Package will get you a 25% discount on bottles of wine, one-litre bottles of water and cans of soda.

Princess Plus & Princess Premier Fares

Now before, you go ahead and buy a drink package, don’t!!!

You’re always better off getting the Princess Plus or Princess Premier fare that bundles in wifi, tips and other extras, rather than just buying the drinks package.

Both the Princess Plus fare and the Princess Premier fare are $15-20 per day cheaper than just getting the drink package, when you include the service charge costs of the drinks packages.

This doesn’t make much sense, I know. But that’s how it is. There are zero benefits to just buying the drinks packages on their own.

To make sure, I spoke to a member of Princess Cruises’ customer service team:

So for absolute clarity – if you think you’d want an alcoholic drinks package, don’t buy one – pay for the Princess Plus or Princess Premier fare instead.

If you’d like to know more about exactly what’s included, then I recommend that you check out my Princess Plus Vs Premier Guide to help you decide which to choose.

Tip: You can choose the Princess Plus for adults and the standard fare for children. This means that the adults can benefit from the drinks package and the wifi that might be wasted on kids. You can’t do this online, but you can if you book over the phone or with a travel agent.

NEW DEALS JUST RELEASED!

See the latest Princess Cruises offers…

Upgrading After Booking

You can upgrade your cruise to Princess Plus or Princess Premier after booking. To do that, you can call the travel agent that you booked with, or if you booked directly with Princess Cruises you can call them.

You can also upgrade on the first day of your cruise at one of the desks that you’ll find near the atrium.

Is A Drinks Package Worth It?

In short, the two alcoholic drinks packages are never worth buying. You get them included with the Plus or Premier cruise fares, along with other extras, but those special fares are cheaper than buying the drinks packages alone!

Whether or not the Plus or Premier cruise package is worth it depends on how many drinks you plan to drink each day.

The easiest way to calculate whether you should buy a drinks package or choose the Princess Plus or Premier fare is to use my drinks package calculator tool.

But, if you’d rather work it out for yourself, read on for the drinks prices…

Princess Cruises Drinks Prices

The bar prices on Princess Cruises ships are in line with most other cruise lines such as Carnival and P&O Cruises .

Princess Cruises Drinks Prices in 2024:

• Cocktail: $10 to $18
• Mocktail: $7
• Beer: $7 to $7.50
• Glass of wine: $10 to $19
• Soft drinks: $2.50
• Bottle of water (500ml): $2.50

Here are photos of the poolside drinks menus that I took onboard Sky Princess in August 2023…

You can see more Princess Cruises drink menus here .

Some Drinks Are Free

It’s important to consider that there are some drinks that are free of charge for everyone, whether you have a Princess drinks package or not…

Free drinks on Princess Cruises ships include:

• Glasses of iced water
• Brewed coffee
• Fruit juice (with breakfast)

You can see a full list of free drinks on Princess Cruises here .

You Can Bring Your Own Booze

You can also bring drinks on to the ship in your luggage. This may reduce the overall amount that you spend on drinks during your cruise.

Princess Cruises allows each adult to bring one 750ml bottle of wine or champagne on board to drink in your stateroom.

You’re welcome to bring additional wine and champagne, but each bottle will have a $15 corkage fee. If you’ve paid the corkage fee, you can drink your wine anywhere on the ship, including in restaurants and bars.

Guests cruising with Princess Cruises can also bring an unlimited amount of soft drinks and water in cans, bottles or cartons.

Don’t sneak extra alcohol

Sneaking alcohol on to a cruise ship is not a good idea. Your luggage will be scanned and if you’re caught then the drinks will be discarded.

Does Princess Cruises offer free drink packages?

From time to time, Princess Cruises used to offer free drinks packages as a booking incentive.

The last time this was offered was in 2019, when the ‘Sip + Sail’ promotion offered a free alcoholic drinks package to guests booking a balcony stateroom or suite, and a free non-alcoholic drinks package to guests booking an inside or oceanview stateroom.

As the Princess Plus Fare has now become permanent and the Princess Premier Fare was launched in 2022, it seems unlikely that free drinks packages will be offered on cruises in the foreseeable future.

Does Princess Cruises ever offer discounted drink packages?

While some cruise lines like Royal Caribbean have fluid drinks package pricing that goes up and down over time, on Princess cruises, the price is fixed.

The best way to get a discount on your Princess Cruises package is to opt for the Princess Plus Fare which includes free drinks, free wifi and free pre-paid gratuities.

Important Things To Know

Before you take your cruise, I want to make you aware of a few drink package related things. If you get these wrong, you could face unexpected charges, or even risk having your drink package voided.

1. Not every guest in your cabin needs a package

Most cruise lines require that if one person has a drink package, then everybody in the cabin must have one. MSC Cruises even makes kids aged three and over get a kids package, if the parents want a drink package.

However, on Princess Cruises that is not the case . You may buy a drink package for only one person if you wish. But…

2. You cannot share drinks packages

Sharing of drinks packages is forbidden on Princess cruises. If you are caught giving drinks to another passenger, your drinks package may be cancelled without a refund.

3. Drinks packages aren’t available on every cruise

Princess Cruises’ drinks packages are not available on Australian cruises of six nights or less and are not available on one- or two-night cruises.

4. You can only have 15 alcoholic drinks per day

Alcoholic drinks are limited to 15 beverages per 24-hour period (6 am to 6 am).

Unlike on Carnival Cruises where the system prevents any further alcoholic drinks from being served, with Princess Cruises, any extra drinks may be served, but this is down to the discretion of the bartender.

So, if you don’t look drunk, you can go ahead and order that 16th drink, and you’ll be charged for it as if you didn’t have a package.

There is no limit to the number of non-alcoholic drinks that you can have per day.

5. You can order multiple drinks at a time

On a Princess Cruise, you can order multiple drinks at once, within reason. If you order too many the bartender will probably want to know who they are for and is likley to only serve one per person.

When there was along line at the bar, I queued up with my mum and ordered two beers (one each). She then immediately ordered two beers and was served. This is worth doing when the bar is very busy.

On the app, you can also order multiple drinks at once…

6. If you order expensive drinks, you just pay the difference

Let’s say you havew the Princess Plus Beverage Package that includes drinks priced at up to $15. If you order a drink that costs $16 drink, you will be charged the extra $1.

7. You must buy the package for every day of your cruise

As with all cruise drinks packages , If you buy a Princess Cruises drink package, you must buy it for every day of your cruise. You cannot buy it for only part of your cruise.

8. The minumum drinking age depends on where the cruise departs

On Princess cruises, guests must be 18, 20 or 21 years old, depending on the itinerary.

For cruises between Australia/New Zealand, China, Europe and Singapore ports, the drinking age is 18 . For cruises between Japanese ports, the drinking age is 20. Everywhere else, it is 21.

9. The drinks package works on Princess Cays

When you buu a Princess drink package you’re not limited to only using it onboard your ship. The packages also work on Princess Cruises’ private island, Princess Cays , which is located in the Bahamas.

The Bottom Line

If you’re considering getting a drink package for your Princess Cruise, then you should instead consider the Princess Plus and Princess Premier fares.

The respective fares include their equivalent drinks packages, but are actually cheaper. It’s so confusing, but it’s true!

The only time to consider buying a standalone drinks package would be if you wanted a non-alcoholic one, but even then the Zero-Alcohol package, combined with tips, would be more expensive than the Plus fare. Only the Classic Soda Package makes sense as standalone purchases.

Read more about the Princess fare options, which include drinks packages, in my Princess Plus & Princess Premier guide .

Related posts:

• Princess Cruises Ships by Age: Newest to Oldest
• Princess Cruise Stock Benefits Explained
• Princess Cruise Ships Ranked From Best To Worst
• Princess Cruises Happy Hour

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

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48 thoughts on “Princess Cruises Drink Packages: The Ultimate Guide (2024)”

Hi. Exactly how much extra is the cost of a Princess Plus package if the higher fare is taken? And can one “upgrade” to a Plus fare on board? Thanks

We’ve booked as a family of 4 for next year. Our son is Type 1 Diabetic and only drinks blackcurrant cordial, which we take on-board with us. If we had 2 non-alcoholic packages (myself and my wife), would we be able to get a soda package for our daughter, without having to buy for our son?

Hi, we are travelling with 2 kids (13 and 8). If we buy the Premier package for us and soda packages for the kids, can they sit with us in the reserved show seats?

How much is a bottle of wine on the Princess cruises? My husband and I will probably drink one bottle of wine per day per person. We plan to bring two bottles of wine with us, but what about the other five days? Is it cheaper to buy bottles of wine onboard or is it better to bring extra bottles of wine and pay the corkage fee. BTW, when do you them you have extra bottles of wine and then pay the corkage fee? Do they do this when we get on the ship?

It’s cheaper to buy wine on board than bring your own and pay corkage.

Where did you ever get that idea? You can save a LOT of money if you BYOW. I have analyzed the full PCL wine list versus retail (using Total Wine for the most part) and there was exactly ONE bottle that was cheaper on the ship.

So agree with you. In Australian waters Princess wines over $50 a bottle, you can purchase a nice bottle from the local for $20 exactly the same bottle of wine. Surely Princess could negotiate better prices for their wines.

Classic Soda package is not offered in 2023. I had to get an in-cabin 6 cans for the price of one package instead. Sky Princess cruise sailing out of Southampton in August.

Hi, just to clarify. 3 in a room, 2 adults with premier plus. Do we need to purchase a soft drinks package for our daughter (14 yrs). Thanks

You don’t have to, you can buy her drinks separately. If Princess sees you using your drinks package to order drinks for her though then they will stop you, as you aren’t allowed to share, even with soft drinks. Hope that helps. Jenni

We have just completed a cruise on Enchanted Princess with Princess Plus. We were not charged for drinks ordered for delivery in cabin. We were also able to order “doubles” of spirits and wine.

Hi David, thanks for letting me know. As far as I can tell the policy hasn’t changed and you should’ve been charged, but I’ll keep looking into it. As far as I know, drinks ordered to the room are still excluded. Jenni.

Not true. They were included, but you may be aware of new policy implemented this month where activating Ocean Now is a 1-time charge of $15 per booked voyage and RS is $5 per time if ordered by cabin phone. If you use ON to order to where you are (including cabin) then the $5 fee does not apply.

Do the drink packages start the moment you board the ship on day one? For instance on embarkment day, can I use my Medallion to order a drink as I am walking to my room for the first time?

Yes, they start straight away.

I cannot find any reference to milk. Is milk included in the fare? Is it included in the drink packages? Is it always charged? What is the cost of a glass of milk?

Milk is always available for free.

I have heard conflicting reports about the 15 drink limit. I have heard that once you reach 15 drinks in a day that you will not be allowed to even buy another drink that you are cut off for the day and that what you should do to avoid this is the ask to purchase your drinks when you get close to the limit to avoid going over. This is my first Princess cruise, normally we are on Royal Caribbean when does not have this limit. I anticipate that some days, for instance the day at Princess Cay or at Sea days my group may run into this issue so just looking for any clarification.

Hi Jenni Me & the wife are going to cruise on the Princess plus fare. And I suppose I’ll be the one going to the bar each time. How can I stop my medallion getting maxed out. Can I just take my wife’s medallion with me, or would she have to accompany me?

You don’t need to go to the bar, they’ll come to you. But if you do go to the bar she doesn’t need to go with you.

Really useful info, thanks. Can I just check that the princess plus drinks package can still be used in speciality restaurants such as Salty dog gastro pub and the crown grill etc? Many thanks in advance.

Hi Paul. Yes, you can use it in all of the venues on board. Jenni

When you have princess plus can you order speciality coffees in the main dining room or speciality resturants especially breakfast time.

Yes you can 🙂

Really helpful article, thank you. We’ve just booked a Princess Plus trip for next year and you’ve answered most of the questions me and my wife had. Just one thing remains unclear – there are some bars onboard (Crooner and Wheelhouse specifically) which indicate that extra charges might apply. Am I correct in thinking that these charges apply for food and that drinks are included in the Premier Drinks Package (subject to the PDP T&Cs)?

If you have the Princess Plus package and order drinks via the Medallion app, are those covered? From my research, I believe they are. So if that is the case, what is the difference between Room Service and Medallion ordering (app or TV)?

Yes they are! With the app they’re delivered to public areas e.g. bars and lounges, whereas room service is just for you room so that would have an extra fee.

The Princess website shows that drinks over $12 are charged the difference in price and not the full price of the drink. Is this something that has changed since you posted this information?

Hi Gregg. Yes, it looks like that has changed on the Princess website. I have updated my guide accordingly. Thanks for your help! Jenni

Can you use your drinks package in the dining room e.g. to have a glass of wine or 2.

Yes you can.

Hi When the ship is in port can I still take advantage of the drinks package if I don’t leave the ship or return earlier than the ships departure? Thanks

You absolutely can!

Does anyone know what drinks are include in the Fountain Sodas?

I note that if you have the Premium Package you also get a 25% discount off wine bottles. Now does that apply right across the Princess Wine List or just to a set price limit of say $100 per bottle maximum?

For example if a bottle of Dom Perignon is priced as $250 on the wine list, a 25% discount would bring the price down to $187.50. Ditto a good US or French Red that is say $400 on the wine list but with the 25% discount that reduces to $300. If it applies to the whole wine list, having a 25% discount is a lovely addition to have while cruising.

Hi Craig. I’ve just checked in the Ts&Cs and it says: “The package provides a 25% discount on the following excluded items: all bottles of wine, one liter bottles of water, canned soda and bottled juices.” So that sounds like you’re good to go with a discount on any bottle of wine you like! Jenni

Great info, thanks very much. Just as a side question, When does the drinks package run out on debark day? Is it 6am as advertised, or 12am midnight? I don’t want to incur charges on the last evening unwittingly.

Thanks as always for your information. Great site

Hi Bruce, great question! I’m pretty sure it runs until you get off the ship on the last the morning. I’ve never heard of anyone being charged for drinks on disembarkation day. Jenni

Thanks but what do you think is the best option to take when we are taking grandkids of 14 & 15 with us for a week we have 2 cabins 1 adult & 1 teenager in each so we seem to have to pay$30 each? even though kids won’t be drinking alcohol?

Hi Pauline. You don’t need to buy a drink package for the kids on Princess cruises. You can just buy drinks as you go. Or there’s a soda package that may be good for teenagers. Jenni

Very informative thank you . In the last paragraph you say if you are thinking about a drinks package you should ask for the princess fare . I think you mean the princess plus fare? It may confuse some who don’t realise it’s a typo .

Ah yes, thanks so much for spotting that! I’ve corrected it now. Thank you! Jenni

Thanks for the article very useful. The picture provided by princess for the premium drinks package is wrong/misleading though as it shows a can of coke and cans of soda are not included from your description.

Thank you. And you’re right, that’s a very good spot! Jenni

Hi Does the premium drinks package include Champagne by the glass?

Hi Alan. Yes, in the Premier package Champagne is included, but not the Plus package. Jenni

H Jenni, you’ve just mentioned wine & Prosecco would be included by the glass with Princess Premier but not champagne as it’s over the $12 per drink limit, but the premier package allows up to $18 per glass? Can you explain. Many thanks Ron

Hi Ron, thanks for flagging this – I’ve corrected that comment now. You’re right that the Premier package does include Champagne by the glass. Jenni.

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Princess Cruises Drink Packages: Worth It? (With Calculator)

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. We may receive compensation when you purchase via my links at no cost to you. See my disclosure for more information.

Are you considering purchasing a drink package for your upcoming cruise on Princess Cruises?

In our Ultimate Guide to Princess Cruises Drink Packages, we’ll discuss the different types of packages available and why you shouldn’t purchase a Princess Cruises drink package.

Let’s dive in.

Table of Contents

Princess Cruises Drink Packages and Prices

Princess Cruises offers a choice of four drink packages. We’ll explore each package to help you decide which one is right for you.

Premier Beverage Package

The Premier package costs $84.99 per person per day plus an 18% service charge , added at checkout. Including the service charge, the total cost of the package is $100.29 per day.

On a 7-day cruise, the Princess Cruises Premier Drink Package costs $702.02 per person for the entire cruise.

The Premier beverage package includes:

• Wine by the glass
• Specialty coffees and teas
• Fountain soda
• Bottled water
• Fresh juices
• Healthy smoothies
• 25% discount on wine bottles
• 25% discount on large bottles of water and cans of soda

The Premier drink package allows you to purchase drinks up to a $20 limit. The package

You simply pay the difference if you buy a drink over $20.

You don’t need to worry about the price limit as most top-shelf spirits, reserve wines, and high-end crafted cocktails by Mixologist Rob Floyd are under the limit.

While the Premier Beverage Package includes nearly every onboard beverage, the following beverages are not included in the drink package:

• Bottled spirits
• Buckets of beer
• Bottles of wine
• Minibar or vending machine purchases
• Room service
• Items offered in the onboard shops

The Premier package cannot be combined with other promotions or special offers, including wine tastings, buckets of beer, Buy One Get One offer, Chef’s Table, or Specialty Dining cover charges.

Plus Beverage Package

Princess Cruises Plus Beverage Package is a step down from the Premier package. But it’s the cruise lines most popular alcoholic drink package.

It includes all the same drinks as the Premier package, but the Plus Drink Package has a price limit of $15 per drink.

The Plus Beverage Package costs $64.99 per person per day and $76.69 after adding the automatic service charge.

For a 7-night cruise vacation, the total package cost is $536.82 per person.

Zero Alcohol Package

Zero Alcohol Package is Princess Cruises’ non-alcoholic drink plan.

The Zero Alcohol Package includes the following beverages:

• Premium coffee and tea
• Hot chocolate
• Zero-proof mocktails
• Bottles of water
• San Pellegrino and Evian water
• Red Bull energy drinks
• One souvenier tumbler per package

Princess’ Zero Alcohol Package costs $29.99 per person per day or $35.39 per person per day after the automatic gratuity.

For a 7-night sailing, the package costs $247.72.

Classic Soda Package

The Classic Soda Package has a price of $14.99 per person per day, plus an 18% service charge added at checkout. Including the service charge, the Classic Soda package costs $17.69 per person per day.

On a 7-day cruise, you can expect to pay $123.82 per person for the entire length of the cruise.

The Classic Soda Package offers the following beverages:

• Fountain sodas

It’s important to note this beverage package doesn’t include bottled or canned items, specialty or premium coffees, ice cream based drinks, hot chocolate, or minibar items. And it should go without saying the Classic Soda Package doesn’t include alcoholic beverages.

Drink Prices on Princess Cruises

Before deciding if purchasing the drink package is worth it , it’s essential to understand the cost of Princess Cruises drinks.

In the chart below, you’ll find the approximate prices if you pay the full price for the drinks on the ship.

When deciding whether or not to purchase the drink package, it is a good idea to calculate how much you would be spending if you bought the individual drinks rather than the package. Knowing the prices before you cruise can help you decide if purchasing a drink package makes financial sense. Sometimes, you’ll spend less money when you are buying drinks individually.

Is Princess Cruises Drink Package Worth It?

Determining if the drink package is worth the price depends on your drinking habits.

What drinks will you consume? How many drinks do you purchase every day? Will you be getting off the ship at the ports of call?

But, even when you drink enough to cover the cost of the package, you shouldn’t purchase a Princess Cruises drink package on its own .

That’s because Princess Cruises offers two inclusive cruise fare packages that combine the drink package with your cruise fare, along with other perks like WiFi, priority boarding, and more.

Princess Cruises offers three cruise fares. The standard fare includes basic accommodations, drinks, meals, and entertainment. Princess Plus and Princess Premier bundle your cruise fare with a drink package, WiFi, room service, and more.

Princess Plus and Princess Premier cost less than the drink package, but you still receive a Plus or Premier drink package bundled with the inclusive fare.

You’ll actually save money by buying the upgraded cruise package instead of the drink package.

Don’t believe me?

Let’s look at the prices.

Princess Plus costs $60 per person per day and includes the Plus Beverage package, regularly priced at $64.99.

With Princess Plus, you receive the following:

• Princess Cruises Plus Beverage Package
• Gratuities included with the cruise fare
• Two boutique fitness classes per voyage
• Two premium crafted desserts per day
• Unlimited premium fresh juices.
• Unlimited MedallionNet 2.0 Internet with Fleetwide Starlink and 5G for a single device.
• Two prix fixe meals at any casual dining location per sailing
• Free OceanNow Delivery Service Activation
• Complimentary Room Service
• “Green Lane” Express Boarding, including free Medallion device delivery.

Princess Premier costs $80 per person per day and includes the Premier Beverage Package, regularly priced at $89.99.

With Princess Premier, you receive the following:

• Princess Cruises Premier Beverage Package
• Two nights of complimentary specialty dining
• Reserved seating in the Princess Theatre
• Unlimited boutique fitness classes per voyage
• Unlimited premium crafted desserts per day
• Unlimited Digital Photo package and Princess Prizes
• A complimentary Medallion accessory
• Unlimited MedallionNet 2.0 with Fleetwide Starlink and 5G for up to four devices.
• Unlimited prix fixe meals at any casual dining location

I’m not sure how Princess Cruises came up with their pricing. But there’s no benefit to purchasing the drink package instead of the upgraded cruise fare.

If you want the Plus drink package, purchase the Princess Plus cruise fare.

If you want the Premier drink package, purchase the Princess Premier cruise fare.

However, Princess Plus and Princess Premier are sold in limited quantities. If you cannot purchase the inclusive pricing package, use our calculator below to help you decide if the drink package is worth it.

Princess Cruises Drink Package Calculator

Enter the quantity of drinks you expect to consume to help you decide if the drink package is right for you.

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Princess Cruises Beverage Package Rules

Before purchasing one of the Princess Cruises drinks packages, you need to know a few basic details.

Like most cruise lines, Princess Cruises’ beverage packages are priced per person per day. Further, the drink package must be purchased for the entire cruise. This means you can’t buy the package on individual days.

At checkout, the cruise line adds an 18% gratuity to your purchase. However, the service charge is waived on Australian sailings.

The drink packages are not available for purchase on itineraries of two nights or fewer (or Australian voyages of seven nights or less.)

Guests may use the beverage packages at the cruise lines’ private islands, onboard restaurants, and venues that offer beverage service, including the theatre.

While we recommend purchasing the package in advance, you can buy a drink package onboard the ship, but only on the day you embark on the cruise ship.

Before embarkation day, you can purchase any Princess Cruise drink packages up to four days before you set sail. You can buy the plan from the Cruise Personalizer , telephone, or your travel agent.

The beverage package is non-refundable and non-transferable within three days of the sail date or if you purchase the beverage package on the cruise ship.

As expected, Princess Cruises does not allow passengers to share the drink package. In other words, you won’t be able to use the drink package to purchase beverages for other passengers. Further, there is a daily limit of 15 alcoholic drinks per day, and you’ll only be able to order one drink at a time.

However, unlike most cruise lines, not all passengers sharing a stateroom need to purchase the drink package. So, if only one guest wants to buy a drink package, the other passengers won’t need to buy one.

An incredible advantage if you ask us!

Frequently Asked Questions

What drinks are free on princess cruises.

Princess Cruises’ free drinks include glasses of water, lemonade, standard tea, brewed coffee, iced tea, and fruit juices with breakfast.

Can You Take Drinks Onboard a Princess Cruise?

Yes, you can bring alcohol on a Princess Cruise . Each adult guest can get one 750ml bottle of wine or champagne on board. You can consume the bottle in your stateroom at no extra charge.

If you want to consume your wine or champagne around the ship, including in restaurants, you must pay a $15 corkage fee per bottle.

Passengers can bring additional bottles of wine or champagne on the ship. However, each bottle will be subject to the $15 corkage fee regardless of where you consume the bottle.

Guests can also bring unlimited soft drinks and water onboard a Princess cruise.

Can You Share the Drink Package on a Princess Cruise?

You cannot share the drink package on a Princess cruise. If a crew member catches someone sharing drinks with another passenger, the cruise line reserves the right to cancel that guest’s beverage package without providing a refund.

Does Everyone in the Cabin Need to Purchase a Princess Cruise Drink Package?

Princess Cruises is one of the only cruise lines that doesn’t require everybody sharing a cabin to purchase the drink package if one person buys it.

If only one person wants a drink package, you won’t need to purchase it for everyone in the cabin.

How Many Drinks Can You Order at a Time?

You can only order one drink at a time. There is no set time limit on drink orders; however, you won’t be allowed to purchase two drinks back to back immediately.

What is the Drinking Age on a Princess Cruise?

The drinking age on Princess Cruises varies based on the itinerary. For cruises that depart from Australia, New Zealand, China, Europe, or Singapore, the drinking age is 18. For cruises that sail to Japan, the drinking age is 20.

Everywhere else, including cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean, the drinking age is 21.

Is There a Daily Drink Limit on Princess Cruises?

Princess Cruises has a daily limit of 15 alcoholic drinks per person . There is no limit to the number of non-alcoholic beverages you can purchase.

Can I Purchase the Princess Cruises Beverage Package on Individual Days?

The Princess Cruises drink packages must be purchased for the entire length of your cruise. You cannot buy the drink package on individual days or during your voyage.

Does the Princess Cruises Drinks Package Include Minibar Purchases?

Princess Cruises drink packages do not include items in your cabin minibar. Consuming drinks from the minibar will result in an extra charge.

Does the Princess Cruises Drinks Package Include Room Service?

The Princess Cruises drink packages don’t cover room service or mini bar purchases. Drinks purchased through room service will be charged to your onboard account.

Can You Use the Princess Cruises Drink Package at the Private Islands?

Yes. You can use any Princess Cruises drink packages at the private islands, including the cruise lines Princess Cays in the Bahamas.

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Home » Princess Drink Packages Compared: Plus vs. Premier

Princess Drink Packages Compared: Plus vs. Premier

Last updated on February 9th, 2024 at 05:02 pm

Cruising with Princess Cruises offers an indulgent experience filled with luxurious amenities, and one aspect that adds to the enjoyment is the selection of beverage packages. As of December 2022, Princess Cruises introduced two new drink packages : Plus and Premier. 

These packages enhance the onboard experience by providing guests with a variety of refreshing beverages. If this is your first cruise , or you fifth, be aware that all cruise lines have policies for what beverages you can bring on board .  In this post, we will explore the key differences between Princess Drink Packages: Plus vs. Premier and help you decide which one suits your preferences.

Table of Contents

Princess Plus Drink Package

The Plus Drink Package is a well-rounded offering that caters to the majority of guests’ beverage needs. These include beverages that cost up to $15 USD each. Let’s take a closer look at its features:

Plus Beverage Selection

The Plus Drink Package includes a wide range of options, such as beer, wine by the glass, cocktails, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages. This package covers most popular drinks, allowing guests to enjoy their favorite beverages without any additional costs.

According to the Princess website, the Plus Cruise Drink Packages includes:

• Cocktails, wine by the glass, beer, specialty coffees fountain sodas, bottled water, fresh juices and healthy smoothies (juice bar), new juice bar, mocktails and crafted cocktails by Mixologist Rob Floyd
• 50 spirits, 25 wines by the glass, 25 beers, all specialty coffees & non-alcoholic drinks
• 25% discount on wine bottles (including rare vintages)
• 25% discount on large bottles of water and cans of soda

Plus Price and Availability

The Plus Drink Package is available for purchase at a fixed price per day, making it a convenient choice for guests who prefer to have their drinks covered throughout the cruise. It is important to note that the package is available for the entire duration of the cruise and cannot be purchased on a per-day basis.

To give you an idea of pricing, at the time of this writing (June 2023), the Plus beverage package is $64.99 per person per day.

Plus Inclusions

With the Plus Drink Package, guests can savor their favorite drinks up to a specific dollar limit per beverage. If the selected drink exceeds the limit, the difference in price will be charged separately.

However, the majority of drinks fall within the package’s limit, ensuring that guests can enjoy a wide variety without additional charges.

Princess Premier Drink Package

The Premier Drink Package, as the name suggests, offers a more elevated and inclusive experience. Top-shelf Premier beverages cost up to $20 USD each.  Here’s what sets it apart:

Premier Extensive Beverage Selection

The Premier Drink Package encompasses a vast selection of beverages, including premium spirits, fine wines, cocktails, beers, and non-alcoholic options.

This package is ideal for guests with discerning tastes or those who wish to explore a wider array of high-end choices.

According to the Princess Cruie website, the Premier Cruise Drink Packages include:

The Premier Beverage Package includes everything the Plus Beverage Package has and:

• Top-shelf spirits, reserve wines by the glass and new high-end crafted cocktails by Mixologist Rob Floyd
• Selection of 75+ spirits, 40+ wines by the glass, 20+ high-end, crafted cocktails
• Premier wines by the glass including Duckhorn, Stag’s Leap, Grgich Hills and Cattier Champagne
• Private Woodford Reserve Bourbon Selection created exclusively for Princess
• Personalized Jack Daniel’s Whiskey Single Barrel Select

Premier Unlimited Beverage Enjoyment

Unlike the Plus Drink Package, the Premier Drink Package allows unlimited consumption of beverages without any dollar limits per drink. This means you can indulge in your favorite high-end drinks or explore new and exclusive options throughout your cruise without any additional charges.

Premier Perks

In addition to unlimited drinks, the Premier Drink Package offers extra perks, such as access to the exclusive Premier Lounge and priority service at the bars. These benefits further enhance the overall cruising experience for those who opt for this package.

To give you an idea of pricing, at the time of this writing (June 2023), the Plus beverage package is $84.99 per person per day.

Know Before You Go

As is customary with all cruise ships regardless of which cruise line, age restrictions will apply for the purchase of any beverage package.

Alcoholic drinks are limited to 15 beverages pre 24-hour period (6 a.m. to 6 a.m.), for the Plus Beverage Package.

On Princess Cruises, a beverage package can be pre-purchased at least four days before sailing, but not within three days of sailing. You will also be able to purchase the package on board on embarkation day , but beverage packages will not be sold after embarkation day. It seems contradictory that you can purchase a package four days ahead, but not three days ahead and yet you can purchase a package on the day you leave, but those are the stipulations that Princess adheres to.

Beverage packages are not refundable or transferable when they are purchased on board. Advanced purchases are not refundable or transferable within three days of sailing.

Here are some of the exclusions for drink packages, and Princess reserves the right to implement exclusions without notice.

• The package does not apply to bottled spirits or bottled wine or any items offered in retail venues or shops on board.
• The package does not apply to Mini-Bar items.
• The package does not apply to souvenir Glassware.
• The package excludes and is not combinable with other Programs, Promotions, Onboard Specials, or Events such as Wine Tastings, Chef’s Table, Buckets of Beer, Specialty Dining cover charges, or food items for sale such as ice cream, etc.

If you want to check out the fine print, click below for more info on the Plus and Premier beverage packages aboard Princess Cruises.

Plus Beverage Package Terms & Conditions

Premier Beverage Package Terms & Conditions

If you are planning to book a cruise with Princess, be sure to check their website for promotions and up-to-date information on Princess Cruise Drink Packages .

Final Thoughts

Whether you choose the Plus or Premier Drink Package on your Princess Cruises voyage, both options offer a remarkable selection of beverages to cater to your preferences.

The Plus Drink Package provides a comprehensive range of drinks at a fixed price per day, accommodating most guests’ needs. On the other hand, the Premier Drink Package offers an elevated experience with unlimited access to premium beverages, along with exclusive perks.

Consider your individual preferences, budget, and desired level of indulgence when making your choice. Regardless of the package you select, you can look forward to enjoying a delightful array of beverages as you cruise with Princess Cruises.

So, raise a glass and embark on an unforgettable voyage, immersing yourself in the luxury and relaxation that Princess Cruises has to offer. Cheers!

Want to know more?

Check out our post on Royal Caribbean Drink Packages , or find out what beverages you can bring onboard.

This page contains affiliate links for which we may receive financial compensation when a purchase has been made through one of our affiliate partners.

About Jonathon Hyjek

Jonathon is the tech guy behind CruiseportAdvisor.com. When he's not stuck in front of his computer, Jonathon enjoys travel & cruising (even after being on a cruise ship that caught fire - a story for another day!)

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Princess Cruises Drink Packages (with bar menus and drink photos)

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Are you planning a Princess Cruise? That’s great! Princess Cruises have some of the best options for drink packages, both alcoholic, non-alcoholic and specialty coffee.

Princess also has an all-inclusive type pricing option called Princess Plus , where the Premium Beverage Package is included as a perk.If you enjoy even more perks, consider the newest way to book your Princess cruise, Princess Premier.

In this post, I’ll go over the details of each drink package. I’ve also included some frequently asked questions by other cruisers and Princess Cruises bar menus.

Plus, at the end, check some Princess drink favorites to tempt you as you await and anticipate your next cruise!

The Ultimate Guide to Princess Cruises Beverage Packages

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click and buy that I may make a commission, at no cost to you. Please see my disclosure policy for details.

Princess Cruises Drink Packages

Princess Cruises have 3 drink packages available, or 4, depending how you look at it.

• Premium Beverage Package
• Premier Coffee and Soda Package
• Soda Package
• Grounds Coffee Package

Premier Beverage Package

The Premier Beverage Package includes alcoholic drinks up to $12 such as beer, wine by the glass, cocktails, and liqueurs and spirits. In addition, non-alcoholic drinks such as virgin cocktails, fountain soda, fresh juice, bottled water, milkshakes and frappes, energy drinks, and specialty coffees and teas are included as well.

The cost is $59.00 USD per day, per person plus an additional 18% gratuity or service charge.

There are some terms and conditions you should know. While still considered an all-inclusive option, there is a daily limit of 15 alcoholic drinks per day, per person. Drinks brought by room service and *mini-bar items (including water bottles) are not included.

*I’ll include a little cruise cabin hack at the bottom of this post to avoid this.

Premier Coffee & Soda Package

For those that won’t get value from the all-inclusive drink package, the non-alcoholic beverage package includes just about everything else.

With the Premier Coffee and Soda Package, you’ll enjoy specialty coffees and teas at the International Cafe and in the dining room, as well as virgin cocktails or “mocktails”, fountain sodas, fresh juice, hot chocolate, energy drinks and milkshakes (when available).

The Premier Coffee & Soda Package is $19.99 USD per person, per day, plus an additional 18% service charge.

Classic Soda Package

This Classic Soda Package is best for non-coffee drinkers and is the simplest of Princess’ drink packages. It includes all fountain sodas, fruit juices, mocktails and smoothies.

The Classic Soda Package is $9.99 USD per person, per day, plus an additional 18% service charge.

New Grounds Coffee Package

For those of you that have cruised with Princess in the past, you’ll likely be aware of the Princess Coffee Card, which offered 15 specialty coffees plus unlimited brewed coffee for about $36. This was a very popular specialty coffee option!

Princess Cruises has replaced the original coffee card with a new specialty coffee package – the New Grounds Coffee Package . The coffee package is now linked to your onboard account.

With the New Grounds Coffee package, you get specialty coffees or teas which can be used anytime during your cruise – the number of coffees varies by the length of your cruise. As well, you’ll have unlimited fresh brewed coffee, tea and hot chocolate from the International Cafe throughout your cruise.

Here are the details:

The specialty coffees can be shared, however, the unlimited fresh brewed coffee, tea and hot chocolate is said to be only for the original purchaser. In our experience, there is leeway on this. The cost of the coffee package depends on the length of your cruise, and the information can be found on your cruise personalizer.

On our last Princess Cruise , the cost of the New Grounds Coffee Package was in line with the old package. The main difference is that you can no longer hold over unused specialty coffees on a punch card for your next cruise. Being fair, it’s still a great value.

Cruise tip: Try the frozen specialty coffees, and ask the baristas for suggestions. They are perfect when coming back to the ship after a hot day in a cruise port of call.

Is the Beverage Package ever included on a Princess Cruise?

In the last few years, Princess has had promotions a couple of times a year in which the Premium Beverage Package has been offered as a perk. See below for an explanation of Princess Plus – a great option for many cruisers .

Tip: Keep an eye on Princess’ sales by signing up for their emails as well as promotions through large online cruise websites to take advantage of the best offers.

Suggested:  Princess Cruises: 15 Tips, Tricks and Insider’s Secrets

Princess Cruises Perks – Princess Plus

For the best overall value, you may want to consider a fairly new perks offer from Princess, which they call Princess Plus . By opting for Princess Plus, you’ll receive the Premium Beverage package , unlimited free wifi and free gratuities.

Something to note, is that unlike Norwegian Cruise Line’s Free at Sea perks , the 18% tips on the drink package, are included with Princess Plus. So the price you see is what you get (no extras).

Princess Drink Packages – Frequently Asked Questions

How does princess plus work.

With Princess Plus , the Premier Beverage package is given to all guests in the cabin. So for instance, if you’re on a family cruise and staying with your kids in your cabin, they’ll receive a drink package as well. If they’re under 21, they’ll get the Premium Soda and Coffee package.

3rd and 4th guests also receive free wifi (on many ships this is Princess’ Ocean Medallion internet ) and free gratuities, so it’s a pretty good deal

If you’d like an all-inclusive type option for your cruise, Princess Plus will be your best bet!

Is there an extra gratuity charge with the Princess Drink Package?

An 18% gratuity or service change is added to your purchase of the Premium Beverage Package and all drink packages with Princess Cruises, at the time of purchase. You won’t be charged an additional amount once on board, as you “purchase” each drink.

If you opt for Princess Plus, which includes the beverage package perk, the gratuities have been included in the total price, and you will not be charged an additional gratuity.

Does the Princess drink package have daily drink limit?

Yes, there’s a daily limit of 15 alcoholic drinks per person, per day. There’s no limit for sodas, bottled water, and other non-alcoholic drinks.

Does Princess Cruises ever offer discounts on beverage packages?

Princess Plus, the almost all-inclusive option is actually combinable with many promotions, including Captain Circle fares and offer offers.

If you’d like to purchase a drink package separately, these go on sale on rare occasions. The best way to find a drink package discount, or any other onboard specials, is to log into your cruise personalizer and keep an eye on your emails.

Tip: Even if you don’t get a discount on a beverage package, there are many ways to get additional onboard credits with Princess , which you can use towards any onboard purchases.

Is the drink package worth it?

This question is often asked, however it’s really quite personal. The best way to decide if the all-inclusive beverage package is worth it, is to do a comparison of what it might cost you if you ordered each drink individually.

At $59.00 USD per day (plus 18% gratuity), with the Premium Beverage Package there are up to 15 alcoholic drinks included plus mocktails, fountain soda, fresh juice, bottled water, milkshakes and frappes, energy drinks, and specialty coffees and teas.

Some things to keep in mind when evaluating this are:

• Your itinerary – do you have many days in port where you’ll be off the ship or at sea?
• How much do your favorite drinks cost?
• Are you opting for the drink package included with Princess Plus or another offer? Even if you don’t drink a lot, the overall value may be to your benefit. Make sure to calculate your overall savings

On our most recent cruise on Princess (2020), the prices on drinks were as follows:

Frozen cocktails and poolside drinks were about $8-11, martinis $10-12, wine about $9-12 a glass, and beer is about $6-7. Here are some drink menus for you to see for yourself.

More drink menus will be at the bottom of this post.

Can you bring wine on a Princess Cruise Ship?

Yes, you can bring one bottle of wine per person onto your Princess Cruise Ship, without charge. If you’d like to bring additional bottles, you’ll be charged a $15 USD corkage fee upon embarkation .

Cruise tip: Make sure that you put your wine bottles in your cruise carry-on bag , as you enter the port terminal during the boarding process , to avoid broken bottles in your main luggage (and a big mess!).

What drinks are included or free on Princess Cruises?

If you don’t purchase a beverage package, there are still some drinks that are included on your cruise. 

What’s included:

• Fruit juice (available in the morning)
• Milk and chocolate milk (available in the morning)
• Fruit flavored drink, lemomade, and unsweetened ice tea
• Drip coffee and tea in the buffet and room service
• Water (not bottled)

If you’d like to buy water bottles to keep in your cabin or bring with you on cruise port days , you can purchase a few bottles for a reasonable price.

Does Princess Cruises give a souvenir tumbler with their drink packages?

Yes, if you buy a drink package, you’ll get a souvenir tumbler with your purchase.

Princess Cruises Drink Menus (photos)

More bar and drink menus are available here: Princess Cruises Bar Menus and Drink Lists: Cocktails, beer and wine

Popular Drinks on Princess that You Must Try

I couldn’t end this post without a few suggestions of drinks you’ll want to try, especially if you have the drinks package!

Here are some favorites of Princess Cruises Fans.

Dirty Banana

Toasted Almond Martini

Chairman of the Board

Deep Sea Martini

Apperol Spritz

The Isacc 

Fun fact – The Isacc cocktail was created for Princess Cruises 50th Anniversary in honor of Isacc, the original Love Boat Bartender we all love and adore! It’s not actually on any Princess menus, but if you ask a Princess bartender to make it and they will happily oblige!

Video: Princess Premier and Princess Plus Beverage Package & Perks

Here’s the latest information about Princess Premier, the pricing and what is included in the new Princess Cruises perk option. As always, you can book a cruise only rate or with Princess Plus .

If you are going on a Princess Cruise these are 3 articles that you should read next, before you go.

Princess Cruises – 15 Tips, Tricks and Insider’s Tips All Cruisers Need to Know

Princess Plus: What’s Included and Is it Worth it?

12 Top Reasons to Cruise with Princess Cruises

30 Cruise Cabin Hacks (avoid the mini bar charges)

Have you tried the Princess Beverage package and did you find it worth it? What drink have you enjoyed and recommend? Please let me know in the comments below.

Happy Cruising,

P.S. If you found this helpful, please don’t keep it to yourself ;-). Please share on Facebook or PIN to your favorite Pinterest board (share buttons at the top). Thanks so much!

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Going on our first cruise with princess regal from Southampton on the 21 August 21,40th wedding anniversary celebration, never sailed from Southampton before, never been on a ship this size before. Only 3 days but it will be a great experience.

Hi Stephen,

Fabulous first cruise! Enjoy every minute!!

I really appreciate your videos. Will you be sharing about Princess Premier Package which begins on June 25th?

Hi Katie, I talked about Princess Premier in this video: https://youtu.be/cFRTEsQOVFM

I’ll add it to the post & update shortly. Thanks for mentioning it!

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Our Cruise Drink Packages – Variety at a Value

We have drink packages that serve up everything from cappuccinos to craft cocktails for less, plus beverage package.

Beverages up to $15  USD* each

• Cocktails, wine by the glass, beer, specialty coffees fountain sodas, bottled water, fresh juices and healthy smoothies (juice bar), new juice bar, mocktails and crafted cocktails by Mixologist Rob Floyd
• 50 spirits, 25 wines by the glass, 25 beers, all specialty coffees & non- alcoholic drinks
• 25% discount on wine bottles (including rare vintages)
• 25% discount on large bottles of water and cans of soda

A value of $64.99 USD* per day

View Plus Beverage Package Terms & Conditions

If you purchased before December 2022 and haven't upgraded: View Plus Beverage Package Terms & Conditions

Premier Beverage Package

Top-shelf premium beverages up to $20  USD* each

• Top shelf spirits, reserve wines by the glass and new high-end crafted cocktails by Mixologist Rob Floyd
• Selection of 75+ spirits, 40+ wines by the glass, 20+ high-end, crafted cocktails
• Premier wines by the glass including Duckhorn, Stag's Leap, Grgich Hills and Cattier Champagne
• Private Woodford Reserve Bourbon Selection created exclusively for Princess
• Personalized Jack Daniel's Whiskey Single Barrel Select

A value of $84.99  USD* per day

View Premier Beverage Package Terms & Conditions

If you purchased before December 2022 and haven't upgraded: View Premier Beverage Package Terms & Conditions

No-Alcohol Drink Packages

Zero Alcohol Package

Enjoy premium and specialty coffees and teas along with sodas, fresh juices and healthy smoothies (juice bar), hot chocolate, "zero-proof" mocktails, bottled water, San Pellegrino, Evian and Red Bull Energy Drinks througout your entire cruise with this zero-alcohol beverage package.

The Zero-Alcohol Drink Package is $29.99 USD* per person, per day.

Available for purchase on board or for booked guests in Cruise Personalizer .

View Zero-Alcohol Drink Package terms & conditions.

Classic Soda Package

This package includes all sodas, fruit juices, mocktails and smoothies.

The Classic Soda Package is $14.99 USD* per person, per day

View Classic Soda Package terms and conditions.

*Price listed is in USD and excludes service charge. An 18% service charge will be applied to all itineraries excluding Australia. Purchase price may vary due to currency exchange rates. Beverage package charges are calculated based on the total number of days of your cruise. Packages must be purchased for full length of voyage, cannot be shared, are non-transferable and are non-refundable within 3 days of sailing.

Please note product offerings may vary on voyages departing from and returning to Australia and New Zealand.

Cocktails, Crafted Just for You

Cocktails with a Story

Our expert Mixologist, Rob Floyd, has refreshed the cocktail menus across the entire Princess fleet using his unique blend of knowledge, technique and flair for storytelling. Exclusive cocktails from the master himself join guest favorites with locally inspired flavors to create moments remembered long beyond the last day of the voyage.

Watch Rob Floyd video

Fresh Is an Ingredient

Rob Floyd’s signature cocktails are made with freshly squeezed citrus, fruit muddled in the glass and carefully chosen herbs for a drinking experience unlike any other. From light and fruit-forward to crisp, complex and engaging, each bar has cocktails created just for its unique atmosphere. Come see what’s new!

Learn how to make our new cocktails

Good Spirits® At Sea

It’s the place where every drink is an experience and tells a story, connecting you to those around you and regional flavors around the world. Based on Good Spirits, the popular TV series that traveled to far-away destinations in search of local ingredients for original cocktails, our lively bar is the perfect place to explore new drinks. Our onboard mixologist immerses you in the culture of your chosen destination as he crafts your cocktail. Catch the original series on the MedallionClass® app or your stateroom TV.

Calling All Wine Lovers

World-class in Every Glass

Curated for your enjoyment, our award-winning wine assortment offers something for everyone. Whether you’re a wine lover or a wine novice, you’ll find top selections from the world’s best wine regions — and at every price point. From Chilean Cabernets to New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, immerse yourself in the globe’s diverse wine regions and cultures. Raise a glass to over 100 new wines on our fleetwide menus featuring biodynamic, organic and sustainable, rare vintages, women winemakers and more!

Partners in Wine

Grab a seat at the table for new experiences with some of the world’s leading vintners. We’ve partnered with two iconic Napa Valley-based wineries: Silverado Vineyards and Caymus Vineyards. Each experience brings you chef-designed multicourse meals perfectly paired with wine for the optimal experience. Exclusive to Princess guests, these food and wine dinners will expand your palate. Book your spot at these limited-space gourmet events on the app or call the Dine Line.

Discover more about these exclusive epicurean experiences:

Watch Wine Lovers Video

Silverado Winemaker Dinner Menu (PDF)

Caymus Vineyards Winemaker Dinner Menu (PDF)

Good Times, Fine Wines

Let our very own sommeliers help you discover your next favorite vintage. A Princess wine tasting is the ultimate way to explore new varietals from all over the world. You’ll enjoy a diverse selection of premium wines — for all palates and prices. And each is paired with a savory canapé to enhance your experience.

We take wine seriously, so we’re proud to announce our onboard dining room received the prestigious Wine Spectator's 2023 Award of Excellence.

Even More Cruise Drinks to Enjoy

Premium Lavazza Coffee

Start your day or end a meal with your coffee-based beverage of choice, thanks to our new partnership with Lavazza. Enjoy a made-from-scratch pastry with your coffee at breakfast from the International Café or recharge with an iced frappé at Coffee & Cones. Savor a fresh cup of coffee any time you crave it, and delight in specialty espresso drinks prepared by professional baristas. A full menu of espresso-based selections are available on board and can be customized to suit your taste.

Afternoon Tea

Indulge in a traditional afternoon tea service, served on board daily, complete with tea sandwiches, cookies, scones and the classic hearty jams and rich, creamy spreads. Choose from a selection of flavorful teas and relax in an elegant dining room.

You May Also Like

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Princess Cruises Beverage Package Options

Enhance your vacation with any choice of the following beverage packages while optional, many guests opt for these choices for a worry-free, inclusive cruise.

Princess Cruises want you to feel refreshed in the most refined way possible. They don't want you to simply have a mixed drink; they want you to experience a brand new or tried-and-true recipe made with the freshest garnishes. They want you to dig deep into their expertly-crafted wine list and sample vintages from all over the world. Your coffee will be made fresh with exotic beans, and your aromatic tea served during a proper afternoon tea.

Call 1-800-377-9383 to learn more about Princess Cruises' beverage packages!

Learn More About Princess Cruises

Search Princess Cruises

Request a Call

Why should I choose a beverage package?

• Convenience - Do you think royalty gets out their wallet, or do they just order? With a Princess drink package, you're royalty.
• Transparency - Add a beverage package before you leave so you can drink to your hearts desire with no unexpected bills when you get home.
• Variety - Coffee and cocktails? Why not? If you have a drink package on Princess Cruises, you can get whatever, whenever!

Premier Beverage Package

This package invites you to enjoy cocktail recipes from around the world, mixed with top-shelf liquors. You can also relax with a refreshing bottled or draft beer or glass of wine. Also included are specialty coffees, teas, bottled waters, and an unlimited number of various soft drinks. Every drink on the menu is unlimited and included in the Premier Beverage package, as long as it is under $12 USD.

$59.99 USD per person, per day. (price does not include 18% service charge)

Premier Coffee & Soda Package

For those looking for an alcohol-free cruise, this package gives you access to Princess' enormous variety of coffees and teas, as well as juices, fountain-drink sodas, and hot chocolates. It also allows you to experience the many interesting cocktail concoctions sans the alcohol, with their delightful mocktails.

$19.99 USD per person, per day. (price does not include 18% service charge)

Classic Soda Package

If you prefer you drinks to be served over ice, this package lets you enjoy unlimited fountain sodas, fresh juices, mocktails and refreshing smoothies. Get all the sweet without the heat.

$9.99 USD per person, per day. (price does not include 18% service charge)

New Grounds Coffee Package

This final package allows you to pre-order a select number of your favorite specialty coffees and/or teas to enjoy during your cruise. You may also order this package on the ship; however, your favorites might not be available last minute, so it's best to plan ahead. Unlimited brewed coffees and hot chocolates are also included.

Prices vary based on selection.

* Drink package details and pricing subject to change; accurate at time of publication.

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The NEW Princess Beverage Packages with Updated Bar Menus

by Prof. Cruise · Published August 1, 2022 · Updated August 26, 2022

Today’s post is brought to you by the letter P. Don’t worry, it’s not about my notoriously small bladder (as anyone who’s ever shared a cruise cabin with me and been awoken four times during the night can attest). That’s a different kind of pee. No, it’s about Princess’s newly expanded selection of drink packages: Princess Plus and Princess Premier. See, lots of “P’s,” right? And with the recent addition of “Princess Premier” came new bar menus, so I’ve thrown on as many of those as I’ve been able to track down (I’ll continue to add more as I find them, so check back).

I’ll also mention Princess’s two all-inclusive packages, also called “Princess Plus” and “Princess Premier,” just to maximize the P’s and further confuse you. So, without further TMI’s, here’s the 411 on the current Princess beverage packages…

Princess Drink Packages: Princess Plus vs. Princess Premier

Princess Plus Beverage Package Includes:

Princess Premier Beverage Packages Includes:

• Beverages up to $12 each*
• Cocktails, wine by the glass, beer, specialty coffees, fountain soda, water (500ml only), juices, mocktails
• 25% discount on wine bottles
• 25% discount on large bottles of water and cans of soda
• Beverages up to $18 each**
• All beverages included in the “Plus” package
• Top shelf spirits, reserve wines by the glass
• Premier wines by the glass including Cloudy Bat, Stag’s Leap, Grgich Hills, and Cattier Champagne
• Private Woodford Reserve Bourbon Selection
• Personalized Jack Daniel’s Whiskey Single Barrel Select

Stand alone cost: $59.99 per person, per day + 18% service charge (so, $70.79 total)

Stand alone cost: $79.99 per person, per day + 18 % service charge (so, $94.39 total)

* For beverages priced above $12, guests with the Princess Plus beverage package will only have to pay the amount above $12. So if a beverage is priced at $16, they would only pay $4.

** For beverages priced above $18, guests with the Princess Premier beverage package will only have to pay the amount above $18. So if a beverage is priced at $20, they would only pay $2.

Princess Coffee & Soda Package

Princess also offers a beverage package that includes all non-alcoholic drinks. Here are the details:

Princess Classic Soda Package

And for those who don’t drink coffee OR alcohol (this one is good for kids), Princess offers the Classic Soda Package:

Updated Princess Drink Menus

If you’ve sailed on Princess over the past few weeks, you’ve likely noticed some changes to the bar menus, mostly to the wine sections, with a separate listing on some menus for those wines available with “Princess Plus” and “Princess Premier.” These menus are a little confusing as ALL wines are available with both packages, you’ll just pay the difference above $12 if you have Princess Plus and order from the Princess Premier menu. Here are the updated menus with some notes on what’s different:

New Casino Bar Menu on Princess

New Crooner’s Bar Menu on Princess

Note that the wine list highlights those included in the “Princess Plus” package and those in the “Princess Premier” package and that only generic wines (with no hint as to the vineyard, location, or year) are listed under the “Princess Plus” package. Those with the “Plus” package can still order off the “Premier” list, but will have to pay the difference in cost above $12.

New Crown Grill Bar Menu on Princess

New Explorer’s Lounge Bar Menu on Princess

Note that the wine list highlights those included in the “Princess Plus” package and those in the “Princess Premier” package and that only generic wines (with no hint as to the vineyard, location, or year) are listed under the “Princess Plus” package. Spirits are also listed separately under “Princess Plus” and Princess Premier.” Those with the “Plus” package can still order off the “Premier” list, but will have to pay the difference in cost above $12.

New Grounds/International Cafe Menu on Princess

All specialty coffees are included in both the “Princess Plus” and “Princess Premier” packages.

New Good Spirits at Sea Bar Menu on Princess

New Main Dining Room Wine List for the “Plus Package” and the “Premier Package”

New Sabatini’s Bar Menu on Princess

Here’s the bar menu at Sabatinis specialty Italian restaurant.

New Take Five Lounge Menu on Princess

New Vista Lounge Bar Menu on Princess

New Wheelhouse Bar Menu on Princess

New Wake View Bar Menu on Princess

New World Fresh Marketplace (Buffet) Bar Menu on Princess

Common Questions about the Princess Drink Packages Answered

Q: Is there a limit to the number of alcoholic beverages I can order in a day?

Q: How do bartenders/waiters know I have a beverage package?

It will be communicated to them through your OceanMedallian and you will be appropriately charged based on the package you have purchased.

Q: Do I need to tip if I have a Princess Plus or Princess Premier beverage package?

You will be required to pay an 18% service charge when you purchase the package. You are not required or expected to tip on top of that. However, you’re welcome to offer bartenders and waiters an additional cash tip at your discretion.

Q: Will I have to pay tax on drinks if I have a Princess Plus or Princess Premier beverage package?

While docked at some ports you will have to pay tax on the retail price of drinks covered under your beverage package.

Princess All-Inclusive Packages: Princess Plus and Princess Premier

With more and more cruise lines jumping on the “all inclusive” bandwagon (not that a cruise ship can jump or fit on a wagon – I need a better idiom), Princess introduced the “Princess Plus” and more recently, “Princess Premier” cruise packages that include more than just a beverage package. Because most will elect to purchase one of these all-inclusive packages instead of just a beverage package on it’s own (which would actually cost you more than the all-inclusive option), here’s a description of what they include and the cost per person, per day:

$50 per person, per day

$75 per person, per day, princess standard.

If you’re the kind of cruiser who sails as cheaply as possible so you can sail as often as possible (you’re in VERY good company with yours truly), you can still opt for traditional pricing which Princess now calls, “Princess Standard:”

And with that…

Class Dismissed.

Don’t forget to share this with your social medial groups and PIN to refer back to later!

Today’s Cruising Pro Tip: Don’t buy travel insurance through your cruise line

Never purchase  travel insurance  through your cruise line. It will be more expensive and cover less than plans you can buy on your own. That said, I ALWAYS recommend you buy travel insurance for your cruise. I recommend purchasing insurance through a site like  travelinsurance.com  where you can compare plans in terms of coverage and cost and get exactly what you want at the best price. Also check with your credit card company. Many cards include free travel insurance (although it doesn’t usually cover very much).

Homework (10 points): Share your thoughts on the new packages and menus in the comments. And be sure to follow Prof. Cruise on your preferred social media sites:

Twitter  (@cruiseprof)

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*I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you when you purchase products or services through links on my site. All funds go toward maintaining the blog. Thanks for your support!

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Tags: Princess bar menus Princess beverage packages Princess Plus Princess Premier

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7 Responses

• Pingbacks 1

Thank you for providing such useful information. Love your articles!!!

Thank you for putting this compilation of menus together! It helps a great deal to determine what is still included with the Princess Plus package. If you happen to come across a SeaView Bar menu, that is the only venue I know that lists the “Pear to Flare” drink which is one of my favorites. Thank You!

This was so useful thanks as I have been trying to figure out most cost effective package for me for ages! One question – if I travel Princess Standard & don’t buy a drinks package either, do I simply pay the price on the menu for each drink or is there service or tax added on top? Example is a pina colada going to cost me $8.75 or more than that?

They also add 18% gratuity to the cost.

As Holley mentioned, you’ll pay an 18% gratuity on top of that. You will also pay tax in certain ports (Alaska and Hawaii ports, for example).

No mention of VINES. I believe the 18% gratuity is included in the price of both Plus and Premier.

[…] Go HERE for the newest Princess bar menus updated in August […]

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About Prof. Cruise

Given name Sarah, but also answers to Prof. Cruise. Retired after 10 years as a college professor to focus full-time on her primary research interest: travel. With a concentration in cruising.  Home port: Seattle.  Mom of a shaggy-haired dog and a shaggy-haired human.  Lover of books and dessert.  Fancies herself a bit of a comedian – you’ve been warned.

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It's easy to run up a monster bill ordering wine, beer and mixed drinks by the glass on a cruise ship. The cost of alcoholic drinks on cruise vessels — particularly cocktails — can be pricey. But for those who regularly order several alcoholic drinks a day when cruising, there's a way to save: a flat-fee drink package.

Nearly all the major mass-market cruise lines offer flat-fee drink packages that, in some cases, can save you money when cruising. The exceptions are Disney Cruise Line and Virgin Voyages , though both offer alternative ways to save on beverage purchases.

What's included in a cruise ship drink package, and how do they work? And, perhaps more to the point, how much do cruise drink packages cost? Read on for the answers in this ultimate guide to cruise drink packages.

For more cruise guides, news and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

For a line-by-line guide to drink package costs, inclusions, limitations and fine print, scroll to the second half of the guide.

What is a drink package on a cruise ship?

Cruise ship drink packages let you order as many drinks as you want while on a cruise for one flat fee. This takes the place of paying for drinks one at a time.

At some lines, there are several tiers of drink packages. Basic tiers often include just sodas and bottled water. More elaborate (and expensive) tiers will add alcoholic and nonalcoholic cocktails, wine, beer and specialty coffee drinks. In some cases, there will be more than one tier of such all-encompassing plans.

Some lines also offer coffee cards that let you get a fixed number of fancy coffee drinks at a shipboard coffee bar for a discounted price. Some also offer wine-specific packages.

How much do alcoholic drink packages cost on cruise ships?

The cost of cruise ship drink packages varies widely by line. At several of the biggest cruise brands, including Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America , the main drink packages that include all types of drinks cost about $60 per person per day. Other brands, such as Norwegian Cruise Line , charge as much as $138 per person per day for a top-tier package.

Drink packages that don't include alcoholic drinks, such as soda packages, typically cost far less. Soda packages often are under $10 per person per day. Note that some cruise lines discount drink packages if you buy them online in advance of sailing, and others offer periodic sales on their drink packages online.

Related: How to get free or cheap drinks on a cruise

Can you buy drinks on a cruise without a drink package?

Yes. All major cruise lines will let you buy drinks on an a la carte basis when cruising. You don't need a drink package to be able to drink alcoholic beverages or any other type of beverage on a ship.

Can you share a drink package on a cruise ship?

In many cases, no. Several of the biggest cruise lines, including Carnival, Holland America and MSC Cruises, have a rule that if one adult in a cabin orders a drink package, all adults in the cabin must order the package. This is to prevent two or more people in a cabin from sharing a single drink package.

Two lines that notably don't have such a rule are Princess Cruises and Windstar Cruises . Technically, you are not supposed to use your package to buy drinks for other people.

Are drink packages on cruise ships really unlimited?

It depends. Some cruise lines, such as Carnival, limit the number of alcoholic drinks that any one person can order using a drink package to 15 in a day. That is, of course, an enormous number — more than most people will ever want to order.

Related: The 8 best drinks to order with a cruise ship beverage package

Where can you use a cruise ship drink package?

Cruise ship drink packages generally are honored anywhere you can order a drink on a ship — think bars, lounges and eateries. However, you usually can't use them when ordering room service. They also generally don't apply to drinks taken out of cabin minibars. Be sure to check the fine print in your particular line's drink package before placing an order for a drink to your room.

Some cruise lines also let you use your packages when visiting their private islands .

A line-by-line guide to cruise drink packages

Below is a line-by-line look at available drink packages at the major lines that offer them. Note that the pricing listed is per person per day. In cases where a line offers more than one drink package, we've highlighted the most inclusive package in detail while also noting other packages cruisers can consider.

Carnival Cruise Line drink package

Package name: Cheers! Beverage Program

Cost per day: $64.95 when purchased on board, not including an 18% automatic gratuity charge; $59.95 plus the gratuity charge when purchased in advance of sailing

Available on: All ships except those sailing in Europe or Australia

What it includes: Beer, wine by the glass, mixed drinks, specialty cocktails, soda, juices, nonalcoholic cocktails, energy drinks, specialty coffees, teas and most bottled water. The package also features a 25% discount on wine bottle purchases.

Limitations related to drink cost: Cannot be used for drinks priced over $20

Fine print: More expensive drinks are available at a 25% discount. If one adult in a cabin purchases the package, all adults in the same cabin also must purchase it. There's a limit of 15 alcoholic drinks per person in a 24-hour period.

Celebrity Cruises drink package

Package name: Premium Drink Package

Cost per day: $109, not including a 20% automatic gratuity charge, for passengers who have purchased a cruise-only rate. Passengers staying in the premium Retreat areas on Celebrity ships receive the Premium Drink Package for free.

Available on: All ships except those in the Galapagos (where drinks are included in the fare)

What it includes: A large selection of beers including craft beers, wine by the glass, mixed drinks, specialty cocktails, Coca-Cola products, juices, nonalcoholic cocktails, energy drinks, specialty coffees, teas and premium bottled water. The package also offers a 20% discount on wine bottle purchases.

Limitations related to drink cost: Cannot be used for drinks priced over $17

Other packages: Celebrity also offers a less inclusive "classic" drink package that is included in the fare for its sailings if you choose the All Included fare (rather than the cruise-only fare). When purchased separately, it costs $89 per person per day, not including a 20% automatic gratuity charge.

Fine print: Packages do not include drinks from in-room minibars. Drinks ordered through room service also aren't included.

Related: These cruise ship bars are not to be missed when cruising

Holland America drink package

Package name: Elite Beverage Package

Cost per day: $59.99, not including an 18% gratuity charge

Available on: All ships

What it includes: Beer, wine by the glass, mixed drinks, specialty cocktails, soda, juices, nonalcoholic cocktails, energy drinks, specialty coffees, teas and bottled water

Limitations related to drink cost: Cannot be used for drinks priced over $15

Other packages: The slightly less expensive Signature Beverage Package only includes drinks costing up to $11. It costs $54.95 per day. In addition, the line offers a nonalcoholic drink package called Quench that brings unlimited bottled water, juices, specialty coffees, Coke products and mocktails. It costs $17.95 per day. There's also a Coca-Cola Products package available that covers purchases of Coke products on ships for $8 per day.

Fine print: If one adult in a cabin purchases a package, all adults in the same cabin also must purchase it. Packages do not include drinks from in-room minibars or ordered through room service. The package is not valid on Holland America's private island, Half Moon Cay, or for minibar charges.

Related: How to book a cruise with points and miles

MSC Cruises drink package

Package name: Premium Extra Package

Cost per day: $85 for sailings of seven nights or more if booked in advance; $100 if booked on board. Pricing is $88 and $104, respectively, for sailings of six or fewer nights.

What it includes: Drinks by the glass including draft, craft and bottled beer; a selection of wine and Champagne by the glass; premium-brand spirits, liqueurs and cordials; a variety of frozen and classic cocktails; soda; juices; nonalcoholic cocktails; energy drinks; hot chocolate drinks; specialty coffees; teas; and bottled water. The package also offers a 25% discount on wine and Champagne bottle purchases.

Limitations related to drink cost: Cannot be used for drinks priced over $16

Other packages: A less expensive Easy Plus package is available that only includes drinks priced up to $10. It costs $61 per day for sailings of seven nights or longer when booked in advance ($72 when booked on board). Easy Plus package pricing for shorter sailings is $64 per day ($76 when booked on board).

An even cheaper Easy package is available. It only includes a limited number of drinks and is not valid in extra-charge specialty restaurants. It costs $46 to $60 per day, depending on when it's booked and the length of the sailing.

MSC Cruises does not add service charges to drink package purchases, in contrast to the policy at most lines.

Fine print: If one person in a cabin purchases a package, all people in the same cabin or traveling group also must purchase a package (children in cabins will be charged for a less expensive, nonalcoholic package). Packages are not available on sailings shorter than three nights, with the exception of South America sailings. Note that the package is valid on Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve , MSC Cruises' private island in the Bahamas.

Related: Can I bring my own alcohol onto a cruise ship?

Norwegian Cruise Line drink package

Package name: Premium Plus Beverage Package

Cost per day: $138, not including a 20% gratuity charge

Available on: All ships except Pride of America

What it includes: All beverages by the glass (top-shelf spirits, cocktails, beer and wine) and select premium bottles of Champagne and wine. Also includes unlimited Starbucks coffee and specialty drinks, bottled water, soda, juices and energy drinks. There's a 40% discount on other bottles of wine as well.

Limitations related to drink cost: None

Other packages: Norwegian has one less inclusive, less expensive alcoholic beverage package. The Unlimited Open Bar Beverage Package, priced at $109 per day, adds spirits and cocktails priced up to $15. This is the drink package that many travelers get comped as part of Norwegian's Free at Sea promotion (though you still have to pay 20% of the package price for gratuities). In addition, the Hawaii -based Pride of America has a single drink package that costs $109 per day.

Fine print: If one passenger in a cabin purchases a package, everyone in the same cabin as well as other cabins tied to the same method of payment must purchase the package, too. Children are charged for a less expensive, nonalcoholic package. Packages do not include drinks from in-room minibars or ordered through room service. Beverage packages can be used on Norwegian's private island in the Bahamas, Great Stirrup Cay.

Related: My strange night out at Norwegian's new 'zero waste' cruise ship bar

Oceania Cruises drink package

Package name: Prestige Select Beverage Package

Cost per day: $30, including gratuities

What it includes: Under Oceania's relatively new "simply MORE" value promise, all passengers receive a House Select beverage package for free with their booking that lets passengers order Champagne, wine and beer with lunch and dinner at onboard restaurants. For $30 more, passengers can then upgrade to the Prestige Select package that allows for ordering beer, wine by the glass, mixed drinks and cocktails at any time. Soda, bottled water and specialty coffees already are included in the fare on Oceania sailings. The Prestige Select package also comes with a 20% discount to wine-pairing dinners on Oceania's Marina and Riviera.

Other packages: As noted above, a House Select package — which covers Champagne, wine and beer with lunch and dinner at onboard restaurants — is included in the fare when booking an Oceania cruise as part of the line's relatively new "simply MORE" program.

Fine print: None

Princess Cruises drink package

Package name: Premier Beverage Package

Cost per day: $84.99, not including an 18% gratuity charge (Princess calls these "crew appreciation" charges). On Australia cruises, the package costs 140 Australian dollars (about $89) per day. There is no gratuity charge on the Australian package.

What it includes: Beer, wine by the glass, mixed drinks, specialty cocktails, soda including canned soda, juices including juice bar offerings, nonalcoholic cocktails, energy drinks, smoothies, milkshakes, specialty coffees, teas and bottled water. The package also brings a 25% discount on wine bottle purchases.

Limitations related to drink cost: Drinks that cost $20 or under are included. Passengers who order drinks that cost more than $20 must pay the difference between the purchase price and $20. For packages on Australia sailings, the cost cutoff is 30 Australian dollars.

Other packages: Princess also offers a less pricey Plus Beverage package that can be used for drinks priced up to $15 (20 Australian dollars on Australian sailings). It's priced at $64.99 (110 Australian dollars on Australian sailings).

Fine print: There's a limit of 15 alcoholic drinks per day.

Royal Caribbean drink package

Package name: Deluxe Beverage Package

Cost per day: $56 to $105, not including an 18% gratuity charge (pricing varies by ship and itinerary)

Available on: All Royal Caribbean ships

What it includes: Beer, wine by the glass, spirits, mixed drinks, cocktails, soda, juices, nonalcoholic cocktails, energy drinks, specialty coffees, teas and premium bottled water. The package also offers a 40% discount on wine bottle purchases for bottles priced up to $100. More expensive bottles come with a 20% discount.

Limitations related to drink cost: Cannot be used for drinks priced over $14

Fine print: If one adult of legal drinking age in a cabin or traveling under the same booking number purchases a package, all adults of legal drinking age in the same cabin also must purchase it. Packages do not include drinks from in-room minibars or those ordered through room service. Drinks served in souvenir glassware, specialty beers and beverages served inside licensed Starbucks stores on ships are not covered by the package. Beverage packages can be used on Royal Caribbean's private islands, Perfect Day at Coco Cay and Labadee .

Viking drink package

Package name: Silver Spirits Beverage Package

Cost per day: $25, including gratuities

Available on: All ships, including river and expedition ships

What it includes: Beer, wine by the glass, mixed drinks and cocktails priced at up to $18. Soda, beer and house wines by the glass ordered at lunch and dinner are already included in the fare at Viking; so are specialty coffees and teas at all hours. The package also brings a 15% discount on wine bottles and premium beverages costing more than $15 that aren't included in the package.

Limitations related to drink cost: Cannot be used for drinks priced over $18

Windstar Cruises drink package

Package name: Captain's Exclusive Beverage Package

Cost per day: $65, not including an 18% gratuity charge. Windstar also has begun offering optional All-Inclusive Pricing rates for cruises that include unlimited drinks at no extra charge.

What it includes: Beer, wine by the glass, spirits and cocktails. Soda, specialty coffees and other nonalcoholic beverages are already included in the fare on Windstar sailings. The package also brings a 30% discount on wine bottle purchases for bottles costing up to $100.

Other packages: The less costly Topmast Discoveries Beer and Wine Package, at $55 per day, includes a choice of beers and premium wines but not spirits and cocktails. Windstar also offers an All-Inclusive Fares add-on package that gives passengers included drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities for an upcharge of $89 per day.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• Top ways cruisers waste money
• The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin

Princess Cruise Drink Package – Is It Worth It [Updated 2023]

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There are a number of different Princess Cruise Drinks Packages available for purchase. Are they worth the money?

Princess Cruises Drinks Packages have changed a lot in recent times and have updated again in August 2023.

The recent changes relate to Room Service and the introduction of changes to charges for a new category of dining now called Casual Dining.

And these August 2023 changes are going to make a lot of Princess Cruisers unhappy.

Including me.

What Are the Princess Cruise Packages Available

Princess Cruise Lines introduced Princess Plus and Princess Premium.

These are drinks packages that also include other features such as crew appreciation (gratuities) and Wi-Fi.

This is a more all-inclusive pricing system where you pay a set amount each day.

It includes either the Princess Plus or Premium Beverage Package along with some other perks such as Wi-Fi, crew appreciation (gratuities), fitness classes, a juice bar, and premium desserts.

The recent changes also relate to Casual Dining and Room Service charges.

I have just sailed with Princess and upgraded to Princess Premium.

I sailed on Discovery Princess in November 2023.

I will explain what is included in each package, and also give my thoughts on whether the upgrade, particularly to Princess Premium is actually worth it.

For many guests, Princess Plus and Princess Premium are good value – but there are some exceptions that we will discuss below.

Princess Cruise Drink Package Options

This guide shows you the drink prices and menus so that you can work out whether or not a Princess Cruise Drink Package is worth it for you.

There are four types of drinks and other packages which include drinks now available on all Princess cruises. This is a change from the previous seven options.

Here are the Packages available:

Princess Plus Package

• Princess Premier
• Zero Alcohol Package
• Coffee and Soda Package
• The Plus Beverage Package
• The Premium Beverage Package

These are the old Packages that are no longer available:

• The Soda Package
• The Premium Coffee and Soda Package
• The Coffee Grounds Package

The more “conventional” drinks packages of the Plus Beverage Package and Premium Package are still available according to the Princess Website

However, these are not a good value at all as they cost more than the “bundled” Plus and Premium Packages at $64.99 and $84.99.

I am guessing that these options will be removed soon as there is no logical sense in purchasing them, and they have already been removed from the Princess Cruise App and Cruise Personalizer.

Here is a summary of the old benefits of Princess Plus and Princess Premier:

The changes which are being phased in over August 2023 mean that this now looks like this:

Princess Cruises Website

You can see that the changes have been added in Ocean Now Delivery, Room Service Delivery , and Casual Dining Meals.

The way the pricing originally evolved is that it was very attractive to have either the Princess Plus Package or the Princess Premier Package which includes a drinks package, wifi, crew appreciation, fitness classes, and an unlimited juice bar.

The Princess Premier Package also features 2 Speciality Dining Meals Per Guest, an Unlimited Digital Photo Package with 3 Prints, a Medallion Accessory, and Princess Prizes.

At first sight, the new additions of Ocean Now Delivery, Room Service Delivery, and Casual Dining look as though that’s a good thing. At first, you think to yourself, well fabulous, I am getting more for my money.

Unfortunately, you aren’t.

Ocean Now Delivery and Room Service Delivery used to be free.

Many of the casual dining options that you will now pay for if you don’t have the package were free as well.

A lot of Princess Cruisers are not going to be happy at all.

We discuss later what exactly the charges are if you don’t have an upgraded package, and also what casual dining actually is.

When you first book your cruise you will have the option to see pricing for your stateroom without the package as well as with the add-ons.

If you choose not to have a package at all then you will book Princess Standard.

You can change your mind and book in your Cruise Personalizer up to three days prior to your sailing date.

If you board your cruise ship and then want to add any of the packages you can do that on the first day of your sailing.

You can also upgrade a package if you have paid for another one.

For example, on my last Princess cruise, I had already included the Princess Plus Package. I wanted to see whether the extra benefits of Princess Premier were worth it (more on that later) so I upgraded on the first day

The upgrade cost was the price difference between the two packages. This was $20 a day per person.

Let’s look at what each package includes so you can see if it will be worth it for you to include them.

WHAT DRINKS ARE INCLUDED IN EACH DIFFERENT PACKAGE?

Remember that we aren’t just talking about drinks being included, so we will look at the other benefits separately.

However, the main part of each of the packages is the drinks, so we will look at what each includes.

The Princess Plus Package is priced at $60 per day.

The Plus Package includes a wide selection of drinks on your Princess Cruise.

It includes:

• Fountain Soda
• Small Bottled Water
• Red Bull Products
• Coffee and Tea including Specialty Items
• Wine by the Glass

All drinks with a price of $15 or less on the beverage menus are included.

For sailings that depart from and return to Australia and New Zealand, the price limit is $22 AUD.

The package excludes bottles of wine, but you will be given a 25% discount if you decide to purchase a bottle.

Unless you are particularly wanting to try a bottle of wine that is not offered by the glass, this isn’t really great use of the Package. 

You will also get a 25% discount on one-liter bottles of water and bottled juices.

As you can have the 500 ml bottles of water included in the package I am not sure why you would want to buy a large bottle, when you could have the smaller ones which are included!

You can use the Package at all food and beverage venues, including those on Princess Cruises’ private island, and at the theater onboard the ship.

You cannot also use it for Room Service where the tip is included.

The New Princess Premier Package

This new package was introduced in February 2023.

This is an upgraded drinks and amenities package from the Princess Plus Package and includes:

• Top-shelf spirits, reserve wines by the glass, and new high-end crafted cocktails by Mixologist Rob Floyd
• Selection of 75+ spirits, 40+ wines by the glass, 20+ high-end, crafted cocktails
• Premier wines by the glass including Duckhorn, Stag’s Leap, Grgich Hills, and Cattier Champagne
• Private Woodford Reserve Bourbon Selection created exclusively for Princess
• Personalized Jack Daniel’s Whiskey Single Barrel Select
• 25% discount on wine bottles (including rare vintages)
• 25% discount on large bottles of water and cans of soda

How Do You Buy the Princess Plus or Premier Beverage Package?

You can buy it online via your Princess Cruise Personalizer up to three days prior to boarding your Princess ship.

It is also offered on the first day of sailing when you are onboard.

There are no refunds once you have bought the Package. 

You are limited to 15 alcoholic beverages per day. This is counted in a 24-hour period which runs from 6 am until 6 am.

Also, if any passenger appears to have had one too many alcoholic beverages they can be refused service. 

There is no limit to the amount of non-alcoholic beverages you can have on the Princess Cruise Drinks Package.

If you want 20 lattes then that’s allowed. Probably not very advisable though!

Princess doesn’t have the rule that some other cruise lines have, that every adult in your stateroom has to buy the Package.

It is fine for just one guest in the cabin to have the Package.

What you can’t do though is share. If you are caught sharing you will have your Premier Package revoked.

Just don’t do it.

HOW MUCH DO DRINKS COST ON A PRINCESS CRUISE?

So that you can see whether or not a Premium or Plus Package would be good value for you it is useful to see some of the prices of the drinks on Princess Cruises.

Here are some samples of the bar and drinks menus.

All are taken from Discovery Princess in February 2023:

Here are the options showing some of the drinks which are included in the Premier Package,

If you have the Plus Package and want to have a drink that is priced above $15 you will be charged the upgrade cost.

So for example if you want a $19 you would be charged a $4 upgrade cost.

The choice is very good and most of the drinks are included in the Princess Plus Package.

WHAT ARE THE OTHER BENEFITS OF THE PRINCESS PREMIER AND PRINCESS PLUS PACKAGES?

At this point, you can are probably already working out whether or not a package will be worth it to you, based solely on the drinks element of the Premier and Plus Packages.

Most alcoholic drinks are in the $10 to $12 range.

If you are buying drinks a la carte an 18% auto gratuity will be added.

So, the price of drinks is around $12 to $14.

On that basis, you need around 5 alcoholic drinks if this is the only part you take into account.

However, this is too simple an equation – because this isn’t just a drinks package.

You need to add in the other benefits.

Crew Appreciation is Included

If you do not get the Premier or Plus Packages crew gratuities are charged according to your stateroom category:

• Interior, oceanview, and balcony cabins: $16 per person per day
• Mini Suites and Club Class: $17 per person per day
• Suites: $18 per person per day

So if you are paying $60 a day for the Plus Package and you are in an interior, oceanview, or interior stateroom the “other perks element” that you are purchasing is costing $44 a day.

That amount is $43 if you are in a Mini-Suite or Club Class, and $42 for a Suite.

If you just look at the alcoholic drinks element to start saving then at $44 per day you break even around the 3 alcoholic drinks point.

Wifi Packages

Both Packages include WiFi.

The Plus Package includes WiFi for one device .

The Premier Package includes WifFi for four devices.

If you buy this without a package it is $15 per day for a single-device plan and $40 per day for a four-device plan.

Most Other Drinks are Included

It isn’t just drinks with alcohol that are included. These are too:

A can of soda is $2.50. With a gratuity, the total is $2.95

Coffee is priced around $4 with a gratuity. I realized I completely forgot to take a photo of the coffee menu – but will get one on my next cruise in a few weeks.

Therefore you could easily spend $10 a day on non-alcoholic drinks if you like coffee and soda.

The Princess Juice Bar

Unlimited Juice from the Juice Bar is included in the Plus and Premier Packages.

I was so excited about this. And so very very disappointed in the reality.

By Juice Bar I was expecting freshly squeezed juice and blended drinks.

This was definitely not what was on offer.

I tried The Immune Booster, The Cleanser, The Antioxidant, and The Rejuvenator.

I really wanted The Booster but was told every day they didn’t have turmeric. So not only was it spelled incorrectly on the menu, but it also wasn’t available!

However, even if it had, I doubt I would have been impressed. The “fresh” juice was already made up and in plastic containers.

No measurement was taken of any of the ingredients and the blender remained unused.

I could see some fresh fruit in bowls at the side, but nothing went in the blender or the drink!

The resulting drinks were at best disappointing and pretty unpleasant.

I really hope that Princess ups their game on this as this is being presented as a huge benefit, and if you are buying a la carte then you are paying $8 to $12 plus gratuity.

Princess Premium Desserts

This was another failure in my opinion.

But this may just be a temporary issue.

I sailed the week that these were introduced and I think that possibly the problems were due to a lack of training and understanding.

Whatever, it was, I didn’t get a premium dessert.

For me, this wasn’t too much of an issue as really I was only motivated to get one as I wanted to see what the new desserts were like and to get photos for this article!

Desserts are not really my thing so this wouldn’t have inspired me to buy a package or upgrade.

I downloaded the menu via the QR code:

For every Premium Dessert that we asked for we were told that one of the ingredients wasn’t available, so it wasn’t an option.

The Server seemed very confused as to where we had even seen the menu.

The menu below was the one that was available at the counter.

It’s difficult to comment on the Premium Desserts as they weren’t actually available.

If you enjoy a sundae and they are available, then this is a $12 or $14 charge without a gratuity, so that will add to the value of the Package if you think you will have a number of these.

The Princess Plus Package gives you unlimited Premium Desserts. Might not be exactly wise to get the maximum value out of this unless you want to consume a ludicrous amount of calories!

Fitness Classes

You get 2 classes per cruise with the Premium Package and unlimited classes with the Plus Package.

Classes include those from Pure Barre, YogaSix, and StretchLab.

If this is something that you would enjoy doing this most definitely will introduce a lot of value into the Packages.

Medallion Accessory

If you have the Premier Package you will also get a Medallion Accessory.

I was intrigued to find out which one it would be

Of course, it’s the least expensive one offered – the Medallion Clip.

But if you don’t already have one I found the Clip so much nicer than the lanyard.

I am not a huge fan of wearing a lanyard but usually do as it’s just convenient. However, the Clip was a definite hit as it was really easy to deal with.

Reserved Theater Seating

This one, the jury is still out for me on what I think about this benefit.

The idea is that Premier Package holders have priority seating in the theater.

How it worked on our cruise was that there were a number of dedicated seats in the middle and left of the theater that was for Premier Package holders only.

Firstly, you need to know that this is just for the Production Shows. On a 7 night cruise, there are usually two production shows. So for 5 nights, you don’t get this benefit.

The seats that were allocated were the best seats in the house so that is definitely a plus.

It wasn’t made clear anywhere but you are supposed to enter by the upper left door to the theater so then the crew can see if you have the Premier Package.

We didn’t know this and entered through the wrong door, but saw the clearly marked seats and sat down.

DH then went to get a drink and when he entered back into the theater was asked for his room number.

However, you could easily have sat in the designated seats without being asked.

When we were waiting we did see a Crew Member asking some guests to move.

However, when the show was 5 minutes from starting the Crew Member removed some of the blue Premier covers from the seats and people just moved to the better ones.

I think there are some details here that need. to be worked out.

I really like the perk of “better” seating.

However, it didn’t seem to be very well organized, and the downside is that it is limited just to the Production Shows.

Photography Package

If you have the Premier Package you get unlimited digital downloads and 3 prints included.

Usually, I don’t buy a photo package, maybe just a print or two, but this encouraged me to actually have some photos taken.

I was glad I did as we have some good downloads and the 3 prints are something I probably just wouldn’t have bought but are nice to have.

If you have a lot of photos taken then this is a good reason to think about upgrading to Premier.

Room Service and OceanNow Delivery

Both of these used to be free.

Now they are included with both the Princess Plus and Princess Premier Packages.

But if you do not have a package you will be paying for this.

One of the brilliant features of the Princess Medallion technology is that you can order drinks from your phone to be delivered to you anywhere on the ship. This is OceanNow.

Having food and drinks delivered to your stateroom is Room Service.

If you don’t have either package, Princess Standard, you will pay a one-time access fee of $14.99 per person per voyage will apply for OceanNow delivery and a $5 room service fee will apply for each order placed by stateroom phone.

Note this is per person. So if there are 2 guests in your stateroom (and most often of course this is the case) you will now have a charge of $30 to even use the Medallion App to order your food.

If you place an order by phone that’s going to cost you $5 per order!

And make sure your kids know this too, because if they order via the app they will have that $14.99 access fee on your account as well.

What is Casual Dining?

This is a new “class” of dining on Princess cruise ships.

It is important to understand that this does not affect the dining in the main dining rooms. That is still included in your cruise fare.

However, the changes bring new charges to other dining venues on Princess ships that were previously free of charge.

The restaurants include:

• Alfredo’s Pizzeria
• O’Malley’s
• Ocean Terrace
• Gigi’s Pizzeria
• Salty Dog Gastropub

Select casual dining venues will now include a cover charge of $14.99 for the new 3-course prix fixe meals. A la carte items may also be purchased individually.

If you have the Princess Plus Package you will be entitled to 2 Casual Dining Meals.

If you have Princess Premier you have unlimited Casual Dining Meals.

Some of these dining venues used to be free. Alfredo’s Pizzeria was a place I particularly enjoyed and that was free. Now it’s going to add $14.99 if you want to eat there and don’t have a Plus or Premier.

Salty Dog Gastropub was an $18 charge for an appetizer, two plates, and one dessert. So in theory this might be a “saving. However, let’s see how that works out. I wonder if the new 3-course meal will be for less food than the $18 charge was for?

Is the Princess Plus Package Worth It?

For many guests, it is definitely worth it.

Princess Cruises has probably the best value of any of the cruise line drinks packages.

The cost is $60 per day per person.

Gratuities are $16 per day. Wifi is $15 for one device.

Therefore most people will already be at $31 per day, This leaves $29 to “find” before you break even.

If you have more than a couple of alcoholic drinks, some soda, and enjoy the coffee you are probably going to break even at the very least.

If you are going to go to Fitness Classes, drink the Juice (hopefully it will improve), and have a Premium Dessert or two (when the Crew is trained properly) then it is definitely going to be worth adding it.

Now add the Casual Dining, Room Service, and OceanNow into the mix, more and more people are going to see this as something that is worth the upgrade cost.

The unfortunate thing, of course, is that an element of this, up to August 2023, used to be free anyway.

Is Princess Premier Worth It?

This is a bit more difficult to call.

If you want more than 2 Fitness Classes a day, drink premium alcoholic beverages, and have better theater seating is worth it to you then this is worth thinking about.

I probably won’t do it again.

The value of the Specialty Dining part of the Premium Package is also worth considering. With Crown Grill now at $39, you are going to be spending $48 with gratuity.

The Specialty Dining element is worth around $96 (slightly less if you go to Sabatini’s).

The total upgrade cost of Premier of $140 per person over the Plus Package for a 7-day cruise is worth thinking about if you are definitely going to do specialty dining.

Also if you want to get the 4-device package this would cost an additional $24 per day and $156 for the 7 nights. If this is crucial for you and you are using the dining credit too, then the Premier Package is for you.

Unless it really is a huge inconvenience for you to log out of one device and into another then $24 per day is somewhere where you could make a saving.

Would I upgrade to the Premier Package again?

I didn’t feel that the overall value was worth an additional $20 per day over and above the Plus Package for a 7-night cruise.

For 2 guests that is an additional $280 that I feel could have been put to better use.

The premium drinks and other benefits just didn’t make it a good option for me.

WHAT ARE THE OTHER PRINCESS CRUISE DRINKS PACKAGES?

There are two other options:

Princess Classic Soda Package

The Classic Soda Package includes fountain sodas, fresh juices (if available), mocktails, and smoothies.

The cost for the Princess Soda Package is $14.99 per day plus an 18% service charge (totaling $17.69 per day) for all itineraries except Australia. The package is AUD $23 per day which includes a service charge for all Australian-based vessels.

The package includes:

• Fountain Sodas
• Cans of soda and juices (excluding the fresh juice bar)

Here is a menu from February 2023 showing the prices of some of the drinks which would be included in the Princess Soda Package.

Therefore, if you are thinking that you will drink a couple of mocktails and a fountain soda every day you will save money with the Princess Classic Soda Package.

There are certain items that are excluded namely bottled or canned items, specialty or premium coffees, teas, hot chocolate, ice-cream-based drinks, or any items offered in Retail Venues or Shops onboard.

Room Service and Mini Bar items are also excluded.

However, always compare the price of what is included with Princess Plus.

At $60 a day, the Soda Package is priced at $42.31 less than Princess Plus.

But you need to take into account the $16-a-day crew appreciation which is also included in Princess Plus.

That takes it down to a price difference of $26.31 per day.

Remember that coffee drinks, alcoholic beverages, and the Juice Bar are not included.

If you think that you will purchase more than 2 alcoholic drinks, order Room Service, or have specialty coffee then the value of Princess Plus may be a better fit.

Princess Zero Alcohol Package

The Zero Alcohol Package includes:

• Specialty and Premium Coffee and Tea
• Hot Chocolate
• Fresh Juices (if available)
• Cans of Sodas
• Frappes at Coffee and Cones
• Milk Shakes (if available)
• Bottled Water
• San Pellegrino
• Evian Water

This Premier Coffee and Soda Package is priced at $29.99 per person per day.

The added gratuity takes this to $35.39 per person per day. 

The rules are the same for all the packages – it is only for the person it is purchased for and it is not transferable.

Also, it can’t be used for Room Service or Mini Bar items, bottled or canned items, or any items offered in Retail Venues or Shops onboard.

As the Premium Plus option is only $25 per day more, if you think that any of the other benefits are going to be worth it for you, then this one really isn’t going to make sense for many guests. That extra $25 almost covers the minimum of $16 a day gratuities that you will be paying anyway.

New Grounds Coffee Package

I think that this used to be one of the best values of all the Princess Cruise Drinks Packages.

However, this is no longer available.

Which Drinks are Free on a Princess Cruise?

If you really don’t want to have any of the packages, some of the drinks are included in your basic Princess Cruise fare.

Some drinks are already included with your Princess Cruise.

According to the Princess Cruise website, these are

• Brewed Coffee
• Fruit Flavored Drink
• Non-Bottled Water
• Fruit Juice and Milk in the mornings

You may discover that these aren’t that easy to find on most Princess ships though!

However, in my experience, these are only available at certain locations, such as the buffet. Often there is another location on the pool deck tucked away in the corner somewhere!

Free Brewed Coffee is available in all restaurants and the Buffet.

Princess cruise lines still win my own personal award for “worst tasting coffee at sea”.

The taste of this does seem to have improved recently, but it still isn’t great!

Can You Take Your Own Wine on a Princess Cruise?

You can also take one bottle of wine per adult onboard a Princess cruise with you without being charged.

If you take an additional bottle you will be charged a corkage fee at the port of $15 per bottle.

Usually, there is a table just after you go through security where you will be directed to pay the wine corkage fee if you have more than one bottle each.

If you are taking a bottle of wine with you, always remember to pack this in your carry-on luggage.

Never try to sneak wine onboard a cruise. It’s against the rules and they will find it and confiscate it. Just don’t even try.

Princess Cruise Elite Lounge Drinks

If you are a Platinum or Elite Princess level you will be invited each night to a reception that includes discounted cocktails.

The Princess loyalty program has some of the best perks of any cruise line, and the reception is a really nice perk.

There is always a good selection of snacks available and the discounted cocktails are a good value if you have not purchased one of the Plus or Premium Packages

What do you think of the Princess Cruises Premier and Plus Packages?

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Alison Meacham is the founder of EverythingMouse Disney Blog. For over 15 years she has shared her love of Disney Parks, Disney Cruises and Universal Orlando.  In over 30 years of Disney Travel she has spent countless months in Disney Parks and has sailed on over 45 cruises. A British native and now a United States resident she splits her time between California, Florida and the UK. And spends a serious amount of time sailing the seven seas. She helps over 200,000 people per month follow their Disney travel dreams.

Thursday 8th of February 2024

Add me to the disappointed list. I am taking my granddaughter on her first cruise in March. I have almost always cruised with Princess. This will be my first cruise since the pandemic and boy, how things have changed. The draw of the cruise was that you paid one price and everything on board (with a few exceptions) was included. We will see how this goes, it may also be my last cruise.

Tuesday 3rd of October 2023

FYI, the fitness package in the plus plan is 2 classes total-per cruise. Not per day. At least this what it specifically states on a 8 day cruise

Friday 6th of October 2023

Thank you for pointing this out - I have corrected that on the article!

Monday 2nd of October 2023

Great article - thank you, Maureen! Our Princess cruise date is quickly approaching. After reading your article, we compared the cost of the Princess Plus package we purchased with what you actually get. (Yes, we should have been more diligent when booking months ago.) We'll be in a port nearly each day, so wifi isn't really necessary. We have wine with dinner occasionally, but just one glass. Add in the other things, like fitness classes that we don't need or want...we decided we would be paying waaaay more than necessary. We contacted Princess and cancelled that package and received a full refund. Princess is a cruise line that will become better known for nickle and dimeing passengers than they are for providing an nice cruise experience. We'll take this cruise, without all of the expensive add-ons/packages, but, this will likely be our last Princess cruise. They just aren't providing the basic things in a package an average passenger desires. Fifteen drinks per day? Really? Paying extra for pizza? Are you kidding me?

I am glad that you found the article helpful and that it enabled you to make a better choice for whether or not you should choose one of the packages. The packages really aren't the best choice for everyone, but for some they make sense. I hope you have an amazing cruise!

Friday 22nd of September 2023

Thanks so much for a detailed explanation. I like to have everything figured out before our trip so we can know what to expect and just lay back and enjoy the trip! ?

Wednesday 27th of September 2023

I am glad that you found this helpful. I hope that you enjoy your cruise!

Sunday 17th of September 2023

Feels like they're going the way of airlines where your ticket only gets you a seat on the plane, and everything else is an extra charge. Disappointing. The days of all-inclusive cruising seem to be over and it's quite sad to see. Thank you for the thorough walkthrough of the drinks information as I was looking for this all over and couldn't find the details. As a light drinker I can now see there's no benefit in getting a package and will just buy a la carte.

I am glad that you found this helpful and that it helped you make a choice.

The Best Cruise Line Drink Packages Compared

When it comes to cruise line drink packages, not all are created equal. And, unless you are sailing with a luxury all-inclusive cruise line, only coffee, tea, water, and juices are included with the cruise fare -- all other drinks incur an extra charge.

Back in the day, the only option for excluded drinks was to pay as you go. But over the past decade, cruise lines have introduced optional beverage packages for purchase, allowing guests to pay one price and enjoy a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks throughout their entire cruise.

Cruise Critic compared beverage packages from five major cruise lines, plus one worth mentioning, to see how cruise line drink packages vary from line to line. Here's what we found:

On This Page

The rules around cruise line drink packages, carnival cruise line drink packages, celebrity cruises drink packages, holland america line drink packages, princess cruises' drink packages, royal caribbean drink packages, viking drink packages, are cruise line drink packages worth it.

Although every cruise line has its own unique beverage packages on offer, all lines have a few common ground rules about cruise line drink packages:

Guests must be 21 or older to purchase an alcoholic beverage package.

The beverage package must be purchased for the entire duration of the cruise.

Both guests in the stateroom must purchase the beverage package, and to prevent sharing, guests can only order one drink at a time.

Package prices are always based on per person, per day.

There is a limit to the number of alcoholic beverages (usually 15) per day or within a 24-hour period.

Beverages sold in souvenir glassware, pitchers, and buckets, as well as those ordered through room service and the in-room mini-bar are excluded from the beverage package. Top-shelf spirits are also sometimes excluded as well.

Editor's Note: Prices listed here are based on current rates charged by each cruise line at press time. Rates, terms and conditions, and inclusions/exclusions are subject to change at any time.

Carnival’s CHEERS! beverage program includes all alcoholic beverages by the glass priced at $20 or less, sodas, mocktails, smoothies, juices, specialty coffees & teas, milkshakes, energy drinks, and 500-ml bottles of water. A 25% discount is offered on drinks over $20, wine and champagne by the bottle, and beverage seminars and classes.

For non-drinkers and under-aged guests, Carnival offers its Bottomless Bubbles program which includes unlimited fountain sodas and juices.

Cost: CHEERS! package: $59.95 per peson, per day if purchased before embarkation, $64.95 if purchased onboard.

Bottomless Bubbles: $6.95 per person, per day for kids 17 and under, $9.50 per person, per day for adults 18 and over. An 18% service charge will be added to all beverage packages.

Pros: Discounted rate for advanced purchase before the cruise; covers drinks up to $20 which is a high limit compared to other cruise lines.

Cons: For some inexplicable reason, freshly-squeezed juices are excluded.

Celebrity offers two alcoholic beverage packages. The Classic Package includes alcoholic beverages up to $10 per serving, specialty coffees and teas, juices, sodas, bottled water, and a 10% discount on wines by the bottle. The Premium Package offers a wider selection of beverages including top-shelf brands up to $17 per serving and a 20% discount on bottles of wine.

Celebrity also offers a Zero-Proof non-alcoholic beverage package that includes bottled waters by Evian, Perrier, San Pellegrino & Panna, specialty coffees and teas, smoothies, mocktails, Red Bull energy drinks, and fresh juices.

Cost: Classic Package: $89 per person, per day / Premium Package: $109 per person, per day / Zero-Proof Package: $30 per person, per day. A 20% service charge will be added to all beverage packages.

Pros: Offers two package options depending on guests’ preference.

Cons: Celebrity’s packages and service charges are the most expensive of the cruise lines on our list.

Holland America offers its Signature and Elite Beverage Packages for alcoholic drinks up to $11 and $15 per serving, respectively, as well as specialty coffees and teas, fountain drinks, juices, and bottled water.

Non-drinkers and those under 21 can opt for the Quench Package which includes specialty coffees and teas, juice, fountain drinks, and bottled water, or a Coca-Cola Package with unlimited fountain drinks.

Cost: Signature Package: $54.95 per person, per day / Elite Package: $59.99 per person, per day /Quench Package: $17.95 per person, per day / Coca-Cola Package: $8 per person, per day. An 18 percent service charge will be added to all beverage packages.

Pros: The cost to upgrade to the Elite Package is minimal; the availability of a less expensive soda-only package is great for families with children or those who only enjoy sodas.

Cons: The Quench Package still has a limit of 15 beverages per day, even though they are non-alcoholic.

Princess has bundled its beverage packages with other onboard perks into a new pricing option. When booking their cruise, guests can choose the Princess Plus Program which includes a beverage package with beer, spirits, wines by the glass, and cocktails priced at $15 and under, as well as 500-ml sparkling or still bottled water, sodas, fresh juices, smoothies, specialty coffees and teas, and Red Bull energy drinks. In addition, guests receive complimentary Wi-Fi (one device per guest), prepaid gratuities, two premium desserts, and two fitness classes.

Guests who prefer top-shelf brands can choose the Princess Premier Package, which has a $20 limit on drinks (and the same non-alcoholic inclusions as above), complimentary Wi-Fi (up to four devices per guest), prepaid gratuities, two specialty restaurant meals, a photo package, unlimited premium desserts and fitness classes, and reserved seating in the theatre during production shows. Both packages include a 25 percent discount on bottles of wine, one-liter bottles of water, and can sodas.

Cost: Princess Plus $60 per person, per day / Princess Premier $80 per person, per day.

Pros: Terrific value with additional perks for around the same price, or even less, than what other cruise lines charge for their beverage package alone.

Cons: Guests under 21 who book Princess Plus or Princess Premier will receive the Zero Alcohol drink package, but not at a reduced rate.

Royal Caribbean’s Deluxe Beverage Package includes wine, beer, and spirits up to $12 per serving, specialty coffees and teas, can sodas, fresh and bottled juices, still and sparkling bottled water, and a 40 percent discount on bottled wines up to $100 and 20 percent off wines above $100.

Royal also offers a Refreshment Package that includes all non-alcoholic beverages, freshly-squeezed juices, still and sparkling water, specialty coffees and teas. And soft drink lovers can choose the Classic Soda Package which includes unlimited fountain sodas. Both packages include a refillable Coca-Cola souvenir cup.

Cost: Royal Caribbean employs dynamic pricing for its beverage packages, meaning costs can be more, or less, depending on voyage sailing, length and departure date. On average: Deluxe Beverage Package: $84 per person, per day / Refreshment Package $34 per person, per day / Classic Soda Package: $13.50 per person, per day. An 18% service charge will be added to all beverage packages.

Pros: Generous discounts towards bottles of wine; pre-cruise purchase discounts can be attractively priced.

Cons: Royal Caribbean's dynamic pricing means drink package costs can fluctuate dramatically from sailing to sailing.

Viking makes it on our comparison list because its Silver Spirits Beverage Package is the most economical of all the cruise lines. Viking’s cruise fare already includes beer, wine, and soft drinks at lunch and dinner, so upgrading to the Silver Spirits Package will offer guests premium wines by the glass, cocktails, house champagne, beers, liquors, and soft drinks up to $18 per serving at all times during the cruise, as well as a 30% discount on premium beverages and 50% discount for premium tasting events.

Cost: $19.95 per person, per day

**Pros: **The least expensive beverage package of all cruise lines.

Cons: Viking doesn't offer a a lower-priced, non-alcoholic beverage package.

Having a beverage package offers peace of mind and convenience, but is it worth the price? The answer depends on your drinking habits and the types of drinks you usually consume.

A good way to calculate the value is to divide the per-day cost by the cost of a drink ($10-14 for wine or cocktails, for example). Depending on the package, you may need to have at least 6 to 7 drinks per day, every day, to make it worthwhile. If you are a light drinker, consider paying as you go.

Keep in mind that beverage packages also include non-alcoholic drinks. So, in addition to alcohol, if you enjoy lattes in the morning, a few sodas with your lunch, and take bottled water on your excursions, you will quickly add up to -- or even surpass -- the cost of the drink package.

Even better news, many cruise lines are throwing in a complimentary beverage package as a limited-time promotion to attract customers. Others - like Norwegian Cruise Line – have built the beverage package and other amenities into their prices as permanent perks. It takes the decision out of the equation, and all you have to do is to enjoy your time onboard. Cheers, and bottoms up!

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Cruise drink packages: your options by cruise line.

Discover what's included and excluded, to decide what pick is right for you.

Cruise Drink Packages

Courtesy of Princess Cruises

Explore cruise offerings for cocktails, wine, beer, soda and more.

Cruise drink packages can provide incredible value for people who plan to regularly imbibe on their voyage and want the convenience of an unlimited open bar package – whereas they may not be a good deal for light drinkers. Other options include alcohol-free drink packages, which let cruisers indulge in soft drinks, hot chocolate, specialty coffees and a range of other nonalcoholic beverages.

Whether or not to get the drink package is a question all cruisers face, and there's no perfect answer for everyone. Read on to learn about the drink packages offered by the major cruise lines and what each beverage package includes.

Expert tip: The price of each beverage package will vary from sailing to sailing and may change at any time. Also note that cruise drink packages are almost always nontransferable and nonrefundable, and that everyone in your cabin needs to buy a package. If kids are cruising with adults who purchase an alcoholic drink package, a nonalcoholic package must be purchased for them.

Carnival Cruise Line

Celebrity cruises, disney cruise line, msc cruises, norwegian cruise line, princess cruises, royal caribbean international.

Courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line

Cheers! Beverage Program

What it includes: All spirits (including cocktails) are included. Beer and wine by the glass are also included in this package if they cost $20 or less on the menu. Individuals also get unlimited nonalcoholic frozen cocktails, energy drinks, specialty coffees, bottled water, hot tea and other nonalcoholic drinks. This package comes with 25% off the following categories: spirits or wine by the glass that cost more than $20, the menu price for wine or Champagne by the bottle, and beverage seminars and classes.

What it doesn't include: Beverages not included in this package are limited to: drinks in souvenir glasses, full bottles of liquor, drinks offered on the gangway, drinks delivered through room service or in the cabin's minibar, larger shared drinks, and beverages sold in enomatic wine machines. The Cheers! Beverage Program also does not cover food items and drinks offered through special promotions that relate to merchandise, cigars or cigarettes.

Cost: Starts at $59.95 per day, per person

Additional details: This drink package can be offered on all Carnival Cruise Line sailings, including ships like the Carnival Venezia, Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration. Individuals must be at least 21 years old to buy this package for their cruise. It can be purchased before embarkation or once on the ship. Note that, for sailings out of New York and Texas, this package doesn't kick in until 6 a.m. the day after departure.

Bottomless Bubbles

What it includes: All-you-can-drink soda and juice are included.

What it doesn't include: Specialty coffee drinks, energy drinks, alcoholic beverages and all other drinks not specifically listed in the package are not included.

Cost: Starts at $9.50 per day for adults and $6.95 per day for kids

Additional details: This package doesn't include drinks delivered through room service or available in the cabin minibar. It's available to be purchased before or during the cruise; if purchased after a sailing departs, Bottomless Bubbles is nonrefundable.

Book a Carnival Cruise Line sailing on GoToSea, a service of U.S. News.

Steve Dunlop | Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises

Classic Drink Package

What it includes: This package includes liquors, cocktails, frozen drinks, wines by the glass and beers up to $10. Wines by the bottle qualify for a 15% discount.

What it doesn't include: This package doesn't include energy drinks, soda, specialty coffees or any other beverages not specifically listed in the package.

Cost: Starts at $89 per day, per person

Additional details: This package can be used at the ship's bars, in the main dining room, and in casual dining and specialty restaurants. Drinks in the in-room minibar or delivered via room service do not qualify. You can only order one drink at a time with any of the Celebrity Cruises drink packages.

Premium Drink Package

What it includes: This package includes everything in the Classic Drink Package, in addition to: specialty coffees and teas, craft and artisan beers, Coca-Cola products, bottled water, and wine by the glass up to $17 per serving. It also comes with a 20% discount on wine by the bottle.

What it doesn't include: Drinks that cost more than $17 per glass are not included.

Cost: Starts at $109 per day, per person

Additional details: This package can be used at bars, in the main dining room, and in casual dining and specialty restaurants. Drinks from the minibar or room service are not covered by the package.

Zero-Proof Drink Package

What it includes: This drink package comes with a range of nonalcoholic drinks, including premium bottled water such as San Pellegrino and Panna, organic teas, specialty coffees, Red Bull energy drinks, frozen smoothies, Coca-Cola products, mocktails, Vitamin Water drinks, bottled iced tea and more.

What it doesn't include: Alcoholic beverages are not included in this package.

Cost: Starts at $30 per day, per person

Additional details: This package can be used at bars, in the main dining room, and in casual dining and specialty restaurants. Minibar and room service drinks do not qualify.

Find a Celebrity Cruise on GoToSea.

Courtesy of Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line is unique because it does not offer traditional drink packages you can purchase pre-cruise or on the day of embarkation. Not only that, but all Disney cruises include the following beverages at no additional charge:

• Soft drinks, coffee and tea during meals
• Nonalcoholic beverages offered at drink stations throughout the ship
• Soft drinks served at the Vibe lounge for teens

Disney also lets cruisers prepay for specialty packages of wine, Champagne, beer or seltzers, although available packages can vary by departure port. As an example, cruise passengers departing from Port Canaveral, Florida, can pre-purchase a seven-bottle premium wine package for $330, a six-pack of beer for $36.25, or a six-pack of Truly seltzers for $32.50, among many other options.

Explore Disney Cruise Line deals on GoToSea.

Courtesy of MSC Cruises

Easy Package

What it includes: This package includes select cocktails, nonalcoholic cocktails and mixed drinks, one brand of each type of spirit, house wines, draft or bottled Heineken, fountain soda, canned soda, fruit juices by the glass or bottle, bottled water, hot tea, specialty coffees, hot chocolate and beverage gratuities.

What it doesn't include: This package doesn't include brand-name spirits or beers other than Heineken, or any other drinks not specifically listed in the package.

Cost: $322 per sailing, per adult for seven-night itineraries

Additional details: This package can be used at bars, lounges, buffets, in the main restaurants and on MSC Cruises ' private island. It does not apply in the in-room minibar or specialty restaurants.

Easy Plus Package

What it includes: The Easy Plus Package gives cruisers access to a broader range of drink options that cost up to $10 (or 9 euros), so more alcoholic brands are included overall. Drinks that qualify include frozen drinks and cocktails, protein shakes, spirits, draught and bottled beers, nonalcoholic cocktails, bottled water, various hot drinks, wines by the glass and gratuities. A 10% discount on bottled wine purchases on board also applies.

What it doesn't include: This package doesn't include brand-name spirits, and beer options vary. Drinks that cost more than $10 (or 9 euros) are not included.

Cost: $427 per sailing, per adult for seven-night itineraries

Additional details: This package can be used at bars, lounges, buffets, in the main and specialty restaurants, and on the cruise line's private island . Drinks in the signature venues are not covered.

Premium Extra Package

What it includes: This drink package covers a wider range of brand-name alcoholic beverages that cost up to $16 (or 14 euros). Beverages that qualify can include pretty much any drink you can purchase on the ship with very few exceptions. Covered drinks include: premium cocktails, all nonalcoholic cocktails and drinks, protein drinks, premium spirits, fine wine by the glass, Champagne by the glass, draft and bottled beer, bottled water, specialty hot drinks, and gratuities. A 25% discount on bottled wine purchases on board also applies.

What it doesn't include: Drinks all over the ship that cost more than $16 (or 14 euros) are not included.

Cost: $595 per sailing, per adult for seven-night itineraries

Additional details: This package can be used everywhere except in MSC's signature venues.

Alcohol-Free Package

What it includes: This drink package includes most nonalcoholic beverages on the ship, including mocktails, fresh fruit drinks, protein drinks, energy drinks, sodas, flavored water, hot drinks, soft serve ice cream and gratuities.

What it doesn't include: Alcoholic drinks offered on the ship are not included.

Cost: $196 per sailing, per adult or $133 per kid for seven-night itineraries

Additional details: The nonalcoholic package can be used at bars, lounges, buffets, in the main restaurants and on MSC Cruises' private island. It does not apply in the in-room minibar or in specialty restaurants.

Compare MSC Cruises on GoToSea.

Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line

Unlimited Open Bar Package

What it includes: This package includes drinks all over the ship that cost $15 or less, such as cocktails, spirits, beers and wine by the glass. Unlimited soft drinks and juices are also included, and cruisers get 20% off bottles of wine and Champagne purchased on board.

What it doesn't include: This package doesn't include alcoholic beverages that cost more than $15 per glass.

Cost: Starts at $109 per day, per person; cruisers can get this package automatically added to their sailing with the "Free at Sea" promotion.

Additional details: A 20% service charge is added to each drink, and this package can be used all over the ship and on Norwegian Cruise Line 's private island.

Premium Plus Beverage Package

What it includes: This package is an upgrade from the Unlimited Open Bar Package you can buy or get included with the "Free at Sea" promotion. It comes with a broader selection of drinks that can cost more than $15, including spirits, cocktails, beer and wine by the glass. Guests can also enjoy the cruise line's brand of rose Champagne by the glass plus select premium bottles of wine at dinner. Also included are unlimited soft drinks, juices, bottled water, energy drinks, specialty drinks and Starbucks drinks. Premium Plus also comes with a 40% discount off bottles of wine and Champagne not included in the package.

What it doesn't include: This package includes all drinks by the glass offered on Norwegian vessels.

Cost: Starts at $138 per day, per person; cruisers can upgrade from the Unlimited Open Bar Package for $29 per day.

Additional details: A 20% service charge is added to each drink. Use this package all over the ship and Great Stirrup Cay.

Hawaii Beverage Package

What it includes: This package is for Hawaii sailings only, which applies to the Pride of America . Drinks up to $15 per glass are included, such as cocktails, spirits, wine by the glass, beer, bottled water and soft drinks. Starbucks drinks also count toward the package during meals.

What it doesn't include: This package doesn't include drinks that cost more than $15 per serving.

Cost: $109 per day, per person

Additional details: A 20% service charge is added to each drink, and this package can be used all over the ship.

Unlimited Soda Package

What it includes: True to its name, NCL's unlimited soda package comes with bottomless soft drinks like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Fanta and more.

What it doesn't include: This package only includes unlimited soft drinks, so no other drinks qualify.

Cost: $9.95 per day, per person

Additional details: A 20% service charge is added to each drink. This package cannot be purchased on cruises that are two days or less.

Unlimited Starbucks

What it includes: This package includes any drinks you can dream up at Starbucks, including Frappuccino beverages, lattes, classic coffees, teas and more.

What it doesn't include: No other drinks are included in this package.

Cost: $12.95 per day, per person

Additional details: A 20% service charge is added to each drink. You must be at least 18 at the time of the sailing to purchase.

Find a Norwegian Cruise Line itinerary on GoToSea.

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Plus Beverage Package

What it includes: This package includes beverages up to $15. Included in the package are cocktails, wine by the glass, specialty coffees, beer, fountain sodas, bottled water, smoothies, juice bar drinks, mocktails and specialty cocktails curated by Rob Floyd. In total, 50 spirits, 25 wines by the glass and 25 different beers qualify. Cruisers also get 25% off bottles of wine, large bottles of water and cans of soda.

What it doesn't include: This package doesn't include large bottles of water or cans of soda; you get a discount instead. Drinks over $15 also do not qualify.

Cost: $64.99 per day, per adult

Additional details: This Princess Cruises package is offered for purchase before the cruise and on embarkation day, but it is not available for pre-purchase within three days of sailing. It can be used all over the ship, although minibar items and drinks in souvenir glasses do not qualify.

Premier Beverage Package

What it includes: This package includes beverages up to $20, as well as everything that the Plus Beverage Package covers. Premium wines by the glass like Duckhorn, Stag's Leap, Grgich Hills and Cattier Champagne are included in this package, as are Woodford Reserve bourbon and Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select whiskey. In total, 75 spirits, 40-plus wines by the glass and 20-plus high-end cocktails qualify. Cruisers also get 25% off bottles of wine and rare specialty wine, large bottles of water and cans of soda.

What it doesn't include: Some wines do not qualify, nor do large bottles of water or cans of soda, although discounts apply.

Cost: $84.99 per day, per adult

Additional details: This package is offered before the cruise and on embarkation day, but not for pre-purchase within three days of sailing. Minibar items and drinks in souvenir glasses do not qualify.

Zero Alcohol Package

What it includes: The Zero Alcohol Package comes with premium and specialty coffees, teas, fountain sodas, fresh juices, smoothies, hot chocolate, mocktails, bottled water and Red Bull energy drinks.

What it doesn't include: This package does not include alcoholic beverages or any other drinks not specifically listed.

Cost: $29.99 per day, per adult

Additional details: This package is offered up until three days before the cruise as well as on embarkation day. You cannot use it at the in-room minibar or for souvenir glasses.

Classic Soda Package

What it includes: Enjoy sodas, fruit juices, mocktails and smoothies throughout the sailing.

Cost: $14.99 per day, per adult

Additional details: This package is available for purchase until three days before the cruise or on embarkation day. Minibar items and souvenir glasses are excluded.

Explore Princess Cruises deals on GoToSea.

Courtesy of Royal Caribbean International

What it includes: Royal Caribbean's Classic Soda Package includes Coca-Cola Freestyle beverages, Coca-Cola drinks served in a souvenir cup and all fountain soda on an unlimited basis.

What it doesn't include: No other drinks are included in this package, including alcoholic drinks.

Cost: Varies

Additional details: An 18% gratuity is added to drink packages on most Royal Caribbean sailings. Drink packages work at cruise ship bars, lounges, the main dining room, the Windjammer Cafe and the line's private destinations. Drinks delivered through room service or available in the minibar are not covered.

Refreshment Package

What it includes: The Refreshment Package includes everything in the Classic Soda Package plus premium coffees and teas, juices, bottled water, mocktails and milkshakes at Johnny Rockets.

What it doesn't include: Alcoholic drinks are not included in this package.

Additional details: An 18% gratuity is added to Royal Caribbean drink packages on most sailings. Drink packages apply across cruise ship bars, lounges, the main dining room, the Windjammer Cafe and the line's private destinations. Room service and minibar beverages do not qualify.

Deluxe Beverage Package

What it includes: This package includes everything you get in the Classic Soda and Refreshment Packages, plus alcoholic beverages. The Deluxe Beverage Package is inclusive of cocktails, spirits, liqueurs and beer.

What it doesn't include: This package excludes drinks in Starbucks venues on Royal Caribbean sailings.

Additional details: An 18% gratuity is added to drink package drinks on most sailings. Drink packages work at cruise ship bars, lounges, the main dining room, the Windjammer Cafe and the line's private destinations. You cannot use this package for room service or minibar drinks.

Compare Royal Caribbean International cruises on GoToSea.

Courtesy of Viking

Viking's river and ocean cruises offer complimentary beverages on board – even alcoholic beverages during meals. Specifically, guests can enjoy house wines, beers and soft drinks on the ship during lunches and dinners. Specialty coffees and hot teas are also available around the clock.

Guests who want more access to drinks can purchase the one available upgraded drink package through Viking. Also note that Viking lets guests bring your own alcohol on board the ship ahead of time, which you can consume without any added fees.

Silver Spirits

What it includes: For both ocean and river sailings, this package includes an open bar with local wines by the glass, cocktails, beers, specialty coffee drinks, juices and more throughout the day and outside of mealtimes.

What it doesn't include: This package includes almost all potential beverages offered on Viking sailings. For ocean sailings , the package excludes Champagne and drinks that cost more than $18.

Cost: $25 per night, per person

Additional details: Drink packages are not available on river cruises that travel through Egypt.

Book a Viking cruise on GoToSea.

Frequently Asked Questions

Drink packages can be worth it on a cruise if you consume enough beverages to justify the cost of a package. If a drink package you're considering costs $85 per day, for example, you can try to estimate whether you would drink enough alcoholic drinks, specialty coffees and sodas to add up to or exceed this cost.

If you're a light drinker, these packages may not be a good deal for you at all.

Because drink packages are frequently discounted before a cruise, it makes sense to buy one pre-departure if you can. Also note that some cruise lines only offer drink packages on the day of embarkation and stop offering them for the rest of the cruise.

Cruise drink packages can never be shared. With all the major cruise lines, each guest in your cabin must purchase a package.

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Holly Johnson is a professional travel writer who has covered cruises and other family travel for more than a decade. She has cruised more than 30 times across most of the major cruise lines and has ventured on itineraries around the world. Johnson used her personal experience and research expertise to curate this article.

You might also be interested in:

• First-Time Cruise Tips: Mistakes to Avoid
• How Much Does a Cruise Cost?
• The Top All-Inclusive Cruises
• Cruise Lines with the Best Food
• The Best Cruise Insurance Plans

Tags: Travel , Cruises

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Cruise line all-inclusive packages: Everything you need to know

L uxury lines aren't the only ones offering all-inclusive cruise packages these days. Mainstream and upscale cruise lines, which traditionally have offered a basic fare and then charged passengers a la carte for onboard expenses, have begun to offer more inclusive fare add-ons. Cruisers are buzzing about these new options, which allow them to pay upfront for popular amenities and not feel nickel-and-dimed on board.

This new pricing strategy, which goes beyond popular drinks packages , has large-ship cruise lines such as Celebrity, Holland America and Princess jockeying to compete with luxury lines and their all-inclusive fares. Small-ship cruise lines Azamara and Windstar have also hopped on the trend.

These packages are designed to make the cruise experience hassle-free by allowing passengers to pay for most of their onboard expenses — such as beverages, Wi-Fi and gratuities — before they board. However, they might not always be the best option for every cruiser.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Here's a look at which cruise lines offer all-inclusive packages, what's included, how much they cost and the factors that can make them a great deal or a potential waste of money.

Celebrity Cruises' all Included package

The package.

Celebrity Cruises — known for having a grown-up, bar-centric ambience on board its ships — offers an All Included cruise fare on any itinerary (excluding the Galapagos Islands). With this fare type, passengers get two included amenities: basic Wi-Fi and Celebrity's Classic beverage package.

The package used to include crew tips, but Celebrity removed that benefit in 2023.

What's the cost of the All Included package? That depends on the destination, itinerary length and time of year. Celebrity Cruises would not provide an average, but in all the fares we priced out, passengers could expect to pay $70 per person, per day, above the base cruise fare. However, it's possible the difference in pricing can be higher on certain cruises.

When browsing for cruises on Celebrity's website, the prices you will see are the Cruise Only fares (except when noted, mostly on Retreat and AquaClass categories). During the booking process (right after cabin selection), you can choose either the higher All Included fare or the lower-priced Cruise Only fare.

Tip: If you'd like to book a balcony cabin at the All Included price, always price out AquaClass and Concierge cabins, as well. Those room types, which offer extra amenities, sometimes cost just a few dollars more (or even less) at the cruise-only fare than a veranda cabin with the add-on package.

All passengers on the reservation must select the same fare. One person can't book All Included and the other Cruise Only. Families sailing in the same cabin must all book the same fare type, although underage passengers will only have access to nonalcoholic beverages.

Related: Best all-inclusive cruise lines

The two amenities that come with an All Included booking are typically priced as follows:

• Classic beverage package: $89 per person, per day, plus a 20% bar gratuity on every drink ordered
• Basic Wi-Fi: $20 per person, per day

The Classic beverage package only includes drinks priced up to $10. Note that the All Included fare covers the bar gratuity normally charged to guests who purchase a beverage package independently.

Celebrity's Basic Wi-Fi plan is its value-priced option, which offers access to basic web functions: texting on messenger services, web browsing and email.

Let's crunch the numbers. Bought a la carte, Celebrity's Classic beverage package and basic Wi-Fi will cost $109 per person, per day; you will be on the hook for a 20% automatic bar gratuity on each drink ordered.

At $70 extra per person, per day, Celebrity's All Included fares are a good value for cruisers who plan to toss back multiple basic cocktails daily — there's no daily limit — and are content with basic Wi-Fi.

Passengers who book All Included fares can also opt to upgrade to the Premium beverage package (for drinks costing up to $17) for an additional $20 per person per day. This must be done within the Cruise Planner platform after final payment is made and up to two days prior to sailing.

Alternatively, they can pay the overage ($2 on a $12 glass of wine or cocktail, for instance) plus a 20% gratuity on the overage.

That puts the total cost of the All Included package at roughly $90 per person, per day, with the upgraded drinks package. Celebrity's Premium beverage package is regularly priced at $109 per person per day, plus there's an automatic 20% gratuity added to the package price (bringing the total daily cost to $130.80).

That means passengers already considering the Premium Beverage Package will definitely save by purchasing the All Included package.

Celebrity cruisers can also upgrade their package to Premium Wi-Fi — which allows messaging and video chat on messenger services, web browsing, email, social media posting, video chat live and watching videos and movies. The upgrade costs an additional $10 per person per day.

The difference between the All Included package cost with basic or premium Wi-Fi is the same as if you purchased a Wi-Fi plan a la carte.

Holland America's Have It All

Passengers booking a cruise on any Holland America ship now have the option to get four premium amenities included with the Have It All package . The line's premium package makes a HAL cruise semi-inclusive when passengers upgrade their base fare.

Here's what's included:

• The Signature beverage package, which includes wines, beers, spirits, cocktails and nonalcoholic options (such as sodas and specialty coffees) that cost $11 and under, as well as bar gratuities. There's a daily limit of 15 beverages per person.
• Specialty dining, with one dinner at either Pinnacle Grill, Canaletto or Tamarind included on a six- to nine-night cruise; two dinners on a 12- to 20-night cruise; and three dinners on a cruise of 21 days or longer (excluding Grand Voyages).
• Wi-Fi Surf package for web surfing, social media and email on one device.
• Shore excursions credit of $100 per person on a six- to nine-night cruise, $200 on a 12- to 20-night cruise and $300 on a cruise that's 21 days or longer (excluding Grand Voyages).

Related: What's included in your cruise fare?

Right now, the Have It All package costs $50 per person, per day (reduced from $99 per day as of April 21, 2023). This price reduction is a temporary promotion, and an end date is not specified. When it does change, other perks may be added to the promotion.

Two passengers sharing a cabin must both select Have It All at the time of booking. Unlike most cruise all-inclusive packages, however, HAL's Have It All doesn't include crew gratuities. These will be added to passengers' onboard accounts at $16 per person, per day for guests in cabins and $17.50 per day for guests in suites.

Here is what all the elements of the Have It All package would cost if purchased separately for a seven-night cruise:

• Shore excursion credit: $100 per person, per cruise
• Specialty dining: $25-$40, based on restaurant selected
• Wi-Fi: $105 (at $15 per day)
• Signature beverage package: $384.65 (at $54.95 per person, per day)

Right now, the Have It All package costs $350 per person for a seven-night cruise, which is actually less than the $384.65 Holland America charges for its Signature beverage package for a cruise of this length. Plus, passengers get an extra $230 to $245 in shore excursion, specialty dining and Wi-Fi perks. So, at the $50 per person, per day rate, the Have It All Package is a terrific value, even for moderate drinkers.

However, when the price reverts to $99 per person, per day, or $693 per person for a seven-night cruise, the Signature beverage package ($384.65) and shore excursion, specialty dining and Wi-Fi perks ($245) only add up to $629.65. That's $63.95 less than Have It All pricing. Although, with Have It All, service charges of 18% per beverage (or $1.98 per $11 beverage) are included.

So, if you drink around 33 beverages costing $11 on a seven-night cruise (or about five a day) you can break even. And remember, you'll still need to pay daily crew gratuities.

According to Holland America, other/additional perks may become available with the Have It All package when the price changes.

Princess Plus and Princess Premier

Princess Cruises continues to modify the amenities included in its Princess Plus package , which the cruise line says offers at least a 50% savings over a la carte costs (based on a seven-night cruise). Passengers can also book the Princess Premier package for additional included perks said to offer more than 65% savings.

Princess Plus is priced at $60 per person, per day. What's included?

• Plus Beverage Package, which includes drinks up to $15 (with a 15-drink alcoholic beverage limit per day)
• Wi-Fi for one device per guest ($15 per day if booked separately)
• Crew appreciation, aka gratuities ($16 per person per day for stateroom guests or $18 per person per day for suite guests)
• Two "premium desserts" per day (purchased at the Gelateria, Swirls or Coffee and Cones)
• Two fitness classes per cruise
• Unlimited juice bar drinks
• Two "casual dining" meals per guest, per cruise (at casual sit-down restaurants, like Alfredo's and Kai Sushi, and pop-up venues, like Planks and Steamers)
• Room service delivery at no extra charge
• OceanNow delivery (ordering food and items on your app to wherever you are on board) at no extra charge

Princess Premier costs $80 per person, per day. It features the following perks:

• Premier beverage package, which includes drinks up to $20 (with a 15-drink alcoholic beverage limit per day)
• Wi-Fi for up to four devices per guest
• Crew appreciation
• Two specialty dining meals per guest
• Photo package (unlimited digital plus three prints up to 8 inches by 10 inches in size)
• Unlimited "premium desserts" (at Gelateria, Swirls or Coffee and Cones)
• Unlimited fitness classes
• Wearable Medallion accessory
• Reserved theater seating for production shows
• Unlimited casual dining
• OceanNow delivery at no extra charge
• Princess Prizes (a chance to win extras like a wine tasting, Chef's Table experience, onboard credit or even a free cruise)

For either plan, each beverage package also includes bar gratuities (18% per beverage when ordered without the Plus or Premier packages). Passengers under 21 will automatically receive the Zero Alcohol package, which includes fountain sodas, juice bar, fresh juices, bottled water, specialty coffees and teas, frappes, milkshakes and Red Bull energy drinks.

Both packages are capacity-controlled and, if sold out, may not be available for all cabin categories at the time of booking; if available, they can also be purchased on the first day of a cruise.

The first and second guests in a cabin must each book the same Plus or Premier package, but the third and fourth guests are not obligated to do so, meaning a family doesn't have to pay for amenities that kids won't use.

Wi-Fi, specialty dining and the photo package are shareable, so a family of four with two parents on the Princess Premier plan can have their children's devices on Wi-Fi, take home great family photos and enjoy one specialty dining experience with the entire family.

It might take a while to add up the cost of all the amenities, but you don't have to. For couples, the Princess Plus package is a no-brainer.

Wi-Fi and crew appreciation (totaling $31-$33 per person, per day) alone account for more than 50% of the $60 per person, per day (or $420 per person for a seven-night cruise) package charge. With less than $30 per day left to break even and with drinks up to $15 included, you don't have to overindulge to get your money's worth. Those premium desserts, casual meals, fitness classes and unlimited juice bar beverages are the icing on the cake.

For $80 per person, per day, or $540 per person for a seven-night cruise, Princess Premier offers additional savings — mostly if you already planned on purchasing a beverage package and think you'll use at least some of the other perks.

Related: Are cruise line drinks packages worth the price? What to know before you buy

The Premier Beverage Package costs $84.99 per person, per day, which is more than the price of the Princess Premier all-inclusive package. If you prefer premium wines and spirits and were planning on purchasing the upgraded drinks package, Princess Premier will more than pay for itself.

The two specialty dining meals are valued at $74 per person, per cruise, or more; this also gets you close to breaking even if you weren't going to purchase a beverage package. Wi-Fi for up to four devices normally costs $40 per day or $280 per seven-night cruise. Combine the two, and you're already ahead. Unlimited desserts, casual dining, fitness classes and juice bar drinks only add to your value.

The bottom line: At $80 per day, Princess Premier can be a good value — especially in comparison to other cruise-line all-inclusive packages costing the same or even more.

Azamara's Experience More

While Azamara 's basic cruise fares already include crew gratuities and standard spirits, beers and select wines (a choice of two whites, two reds and a rose daily), the cruise line's Experience More packages bundle additional onboard amenities at savings of 27% to 32%.

There are four options priced per couple/cabin and one designed for solo travelers. All are available on cruises of eight days or longer, with the exception of one package specific to shorter sailings (seven days or fewer).

The least expensive option for two people sharing a cabin is the Experience More Essentials package. It includes a Premium Beverage Package for two (with additional beer and spirits selections), unlimited Wi-Fi for one device and a $300 shore excursion credit. It's priced at $699 per cabin.

The Experience More on Short Cruises package is the only one available on sailings of seven days or fewer. It includes the Ultimate Beverage Package for two, unlimited Wi-Fi for one device, a $200 shore excursion credit, a $100 onboard spa credit, Chef's Table (a multicourse tasting menu) or Three Table Tour (one night at Aqualina, one night at Prime C and one night at your choice of restaurant) and one bag of laundry per voyage. It's priced at $799 for two people in the same cabin.

Related: Why you should splurge on a cruise ship specialty restaurant

The Experience More Enjoyment package includes the Premium Beverage Package for two, unlimited Wi-Fi for two devices, a $500 shore excursion credit and a $200 onboard spa credit. It's priced at $1,099 for two people.

The most comprehensive option for two people is the Experience More Indulgence package. It includes the Ultimate Beverage Package for two, unlimited Wi-Fi for two devices, $700 shore excursion credit, $250 onboard spa credit, Chef's Table or Three Table Tour, and five bags of laundry during the voyage. It's priced at $1,599 for two people.

Singles can get in on the savings, too, with the Experience More for Solo Travelers package. It features the Ultimate Beverage Package for one, unlimited Wi-Fi for one device, a $350 shore excursions credit, a $150 onboard spa credit, Chef's Table or Three Table Tour, and three bags of laundry during the voyage. It's priced at $899 per person.

What's the difference between the Premium and Ultimate beverage packages in these offers? The Premium package includes a larger selection of beer than the included list, plus name-brand spirits such as Absolut, Captain Morgan and Bombay Sapphire. The Ultimate package includes all the Premium offerings plus a selection of wine and Champagne by the glass, Evian and Perrier water and more top-shelf spirits.

If bought separately, the Premium package costs $16.95 per person, per day, and the Ultimate package costs $23.95 per person, per day.

Azamara has done the math for passengers:

• Experience More Essentials: priced at $699, valued at $958.50
• Experience More on Short Cruises: priced at $799, valued at $1,103
• Experience More Enjoyment: priced at $1,099, valued at $1,637
• Experience More Indulgence: priced at $1,599, valued at $2,357
• Experience More for Solo Travelers: priced at $899, valued at $1,224

If you already plan on booking shore excursions and specialty dining reservations, enjoying wine and spirits beyond those included in the cruise fare, using Wi-Fi and paying for amenities such as specialty dining or spa treatments, the all-inclusive upgrades offer good value.

However, if you don't plan to take advantage of all the extra-fee services on board, you'll need to do the math around the amenities you would use to determine whether a package is right for you.

Windstar Cruises' All-Inclusive Fare and All-In Package

Windstar Cruises offers an All-Inclusive Fare option for a set daily fee. For Windstar, all-inclusive means unlimited beverages, unlimited Wi-Fi and all gratuities. Passengers can also still opt to book a base cruise-only fare and pay for onboard expenses on an a la carte basis.

Passengers who choose the All-Inclusive Fare prepay $89 per person, per day; the package must be booked within five days of the sail date. Those who book a cruise-only fare can also purchase the All-In Package for $99 per person, per day once they are on board.

Both the inclusive fares and onboard package cover unlimited Wi-Fi, crew gratuities and wine, beer and cocktails ordered on board (as well as the 18% beverage service charge usually tacked onto bar bills).

We took a look at the a la carte items included in the inclusive package to determine the value of Windstar's offering (based on a weeklong sailing).

• Crew gratuities: $16 per person, per day
• Beverage package: $65 (for Captain's Exclusive Beverage Package, which includes cocktails, aperitifs and more). These also incur an 18% service charge.
• Unlimited Wi-Fi: $245 for a seven-night cruise ($35 per person, per day)

Wi-Fi and tips account for $51 of the $89 daily charge before factoring in bar charges. That leaves $38 for beverages. So, the value is there with the All-Inclusive Fare if you plan to enjoy at least three or four alcoholic beverages daily throughout your cruise — and you'll avoid the added service charges.

However, guests who only indulge in the occasional glass of wine or cocktail will not see the full value of the package. Similarly, passengers who prefer to buy one of Windstar's cheaper, more limited usage Wi-Fi plans (200 megabytes or 500 megabytes of data) or intend to share the cost of the Unlimited Wi-Fi plan by logging in one device at a time, might find the $89 or $99 daily charge is not worth it.

Bottom line

Should you upgrade to one of these packages? While convenience is certainly a motivating factor, whether a plan has value depends in most cases on what you think your bar tab will be.

If vacation mode means you'll be tossing back tropical cocktails at the pool all day or enjoying multiple glasses of wine at both lunch and dinner, booking an all-inclusive package is a smart option. If you're not a big drinker or enthusiastic social media user, the better deal is sometimes to stick with the basic fare and pay as you go for what you use.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• 15 ways cruisers waste money
• The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Princess Cruises is taking a page out of the ultra-luxury cruise industry with new all-inclusive, $3,000 cabins

• Princess Cruises says its new Sun Princess and upcoming Star Princess will have all-inclusive cabins.
• Guests who've booked the new Sanctuary Collection category would get an inclusive package and private lounge.
• It's a move that could appeal to ultra-luxury cruisers .

If you want to go on an all-inclusive vacation at sea, you no longer need to book an ultra-luxury, ultra-expensive cruise line .

Just sail on Princess Cruises' new ship instead.

In October, Princess says its two-month-old Sun Princess will debut in the US with the company's first-ever Sanctuary Collection, an adult-only lounge exclusive to guests who've booked one of the collection's high-end cabins. These luxurious accommodations comprise 10% of the ship's 2,157 staterooms, including all its suites.

But the Sanctuary's biggest perk arguably isn't the lounge's private pool and restaurant — it's the all-inclusiveness , a rarity among mass-market cruise lines.

It's the Carnival Corp. brand's latest appeal to ultra-luxury cruisers

Mass-market cruise lines like Princess, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian typically follow the " budget airline " strategy: charge a cheap base fare and offer plenty of irresistible up-charged amenities (like specialty restaurants, as is the case of Sun Princess).

It's a stark contrast to the high-end cruise industry, where all-inclusivity is often considered the standard.

For example, luxury cruise line Explora Journey's fare includes alcoholic beverages, WiFi, and access to the spa — amenities that would typically cost extra on ships like Sun Princess. On Regent Seven Seas , all this, plus excursions, pre-cruise hotels, and roundtrip flights are also included in the cost to sail.

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Over the last few years, Princess has begun following in these high-end cruise lines' foosteps.

In 2022, it launched Princess Premier, an optional inclusive package covering amenities like WiFi, drinks, some upcharged restaurants, and workout classes. It's the same package Sanctuary Collection guests would get, along with the private restaurant and adult-only lounge with cabanas, a pool, and private events.

The exclusive lounge concept is nothing new. Royal Caribbean's two largest cruise liners have a "neighborhood" exclusive to suite guests. The same applies to Norwegian, Celebrity, and MSC Cruises' vessels.

However, while these competing retreats offer perks like drink packages, WiFi, or private restaurants, none are as "inclusive" as Princess'.

In 2024, Sun Princess' Sanctuary cabins start at more than $3,000 per person for a weeklong Caribbean cruise in mid-December. To compare, the cheapest interior cabin for the same itinerary starts shy of $700 per person.

The cruise line says its next ship, Star Princess, which will debut in late September 2025, will also carry the Sanctuary Collection.

Following in the footsteps of high-end, all-inclusive cruise lines could be a wise decision for Princess. These luxury vacations at sea have become increasingly popular as travelers continue to spend big on their trips.

Like Princess, expedition cruise company HX recently shifted to an all-inclusive model as well.

Back on dry land, hotel giants like Hyatt and Marriott have also seen a boom in these "everything free" resorts .

Apparently, every vacationer — whether on water or solid ground — just wants one thing: stress-free poolside lounging with bottomless drinks.

Watch: Inside the world's biggest cruise ship that just set sail

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