The Master Cruise Beverage Cost Guide
These figures represent fleet-wide estimated averages subject to dynamic pricing shifts. Actual costs can scale significantly by ship generation, length of itinerary, and pre-cruise sales vs. onboard retail updates. Always verify current pricing for your specific sailing.
Total Cost Matrix Breakdown
| Cruise Line | Package Type | Package Name | Estimated Total Daily Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIDA Cruises | Alcoholic | AIDA Comfort Deluxe | $42.00 |
| AIDA Cruises | Non-Alcoholic (Premium) | AIDA Kids & Teens Comfort | $15.00 |
| Carnival Cruise Line | Alcoholic | Cheers! Beverage Program | $88.44 |
| Carnival Cruise Line | Non-Alcoholic (Soda) | Bottomless Bubbles | $11.21 |
| Celebrity Cruises | Alcoholic | Premium Package | $114.00 |
| Celebrity Cruises | Non-Alcoholic (Premium) | Zero Proof Drink Package | $36.00 |
| Celebrity Cruises | Non-Alcoholic (Soda) | Classic Soda Package | $18.00 |
| Costa Cruises | Alcoholic | My Drinks | $51.75 |
| Costa Cruises | Non-Alcoholic (Premium) | My Soft Drinks | $28.75 |
| Holland America Line | Alcoholic | Elite Beverage Package | $64.84 |
| Holland America Line | Non-Alcoholic (Premium) | Quench Beverage Package | $29.50 |
| MSC Cruises | Alcoholic | Premium Extra Package | $75.00 |
| MSC Cruises | Non-Alcoholic (Premium) | Easy Plus (Non-Alcoholic) | $27.00 |
| MSC Cruises | Non-Alcoholic (Child) | Minors Package | $19.00 |
| Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) | Alcoholic | Unlimited Open Bar Package | $130.80 |
| Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) | Non-Alcoholic (Soda) | Unlimited Soda Package | $11.94 |
| P&O Cruises | Alcoholic | The Deluxe Drinks Package | $64.00 |
| P&O Cruises | Non-Alcoholic (Premium) | The Non-Alcoholic Drinks Package | $30.00 |
| Princess Cruises | Alcoholic | Princess Plus Package | $64.99 |
| Princess Cruises | Non-Alcoholic (Premium) | Classic Soda Package | $14.99 |
| Royal Caribbean | Alcoholic | Deluxe Beverage Package | $100.30 |
| Royal Caribbean | Non-Alcoholic (Premium) | Royal Refreshment Package | $40.12 |
| Royal Caribbean | Non-Alcoholic (Soda) | Classic Soda Package | $15.93 |
Daily Break-Even Quotas: Individual Consumption Math
Using baseline individual pricing (Cocktails: $14-15, Beers: $8, Soda: $4.50, Specialty Coffee: $5), an individual must meet the following daily consumption targets to justify package costs:
- Royal Caribbean Deluxe Beverage Package ($100.30/day): ~7.16 Cocktails OR ~12.54 Beers.
- Carnival Cheers! Beverage Program ($88.44/day): ~6.31 Cocktails OR ~11.05 Beers.
- MSC Cruises Premium Extra Package ($75.00/day): ~5.36 Cocktails OR ~9.38 Beers.
- Norwegian Cruise Line Unlimited Open Bar Package ($130.80/day): ~9.34 Cocktails OR ~16.35 Beers.
- Princess Cruises Princess Plus Package ($64.99/day): ~4.64 Cocktails OR ~8.12 Beers (Note: This package includes Wi-Fi and gratuities, making the drink-only break-even lower).
- Celebrity Cruises Premium Package ($114.00/day): ~8.14 Cocktails OR ~14.25 Beers.
- Costa Cruises My Drinks ($51.75/day): ~3.69 Cocktails OR ~6.47 Beers.
- Holland America Line Elite Beverage Package ($64.84/day): ~4.63 Cocktails OR ~8.10 Beers.
- AIDA Cruises AIDA Comfort Deluxe ($42.00/day): ~3.00 Cocktails OR ~5.25 Beers.
- P&O Cruises The Deluxe Drinks Package ($64.00/day): ~4.57 Cocktails OR ~8.00 Beers.
For non-alcoholic options:
- Royal Caribbean Royal Refreshment Package ($40.12/day): ~8.02 Specialty Coffees OR ~8.91 Sodas.
- Royal Caribbean Classic Soda Package ($15.93/day): ~3.54 Sodas.
- Carnival Bottomless Bubbles ($11.21/day): ~2.49 Sodas.
- MSC Cruises Easy Plus (Non-Alcoholic) ($27.00/day): ~5.40 Specialty Coffees OR ~6.00 Sodas.
- MSC Cruises Minors Package ($19.00/day): ~4.22 Sodas.
- Norwegian Cruise Line Unlimited Soda Package ($11.94/day): ~2.65 Sodas.
- Princess Cruises Classic Soda Package ($14.99/day): ~3.33 Sodas.
- Celebrity Cruises Zero Proof Drink Package ($36.00/day): ~7.20 Specialty Coffees OR ~8.00 Sodas.
- Celebrity Cruises Classic Soda Package ($18.00/day): ~4.00 Sodas.
- Costa Cruises My Soft Drinks ($28.75/day): ~5.75 Specialty Coffees OR ~6.39 Sodas.
- Holland America Line Quench Beverage Package ($29.50/day): ~5.90 Specialty Coffees OR ~6.56 Sodas.
- AIDA Cruises AIDA Kids & Teens Comfort ($15.00/day): ~3.33 Sodas.
- P&O Cruises The Non-Alcoholic Drinks Package ($30.00/day): ~6.00 Specialty Coffees OR ~6.67 Sodas.
The Forced Cabin Break-Even Trap (Single Active Drinker)
Many cruise lines mandate that if one adult in a stateroom purchases an alcoholic beverage package, all other adults in the same stateroom must also purchase an alcoholic or non-alcoholic package. This creates a significant financial trap for couples where only one person is a heavy drinker.
The Math: Consider a Royal Caribbean Deluxe Beverage Package at $100.30/day. If two adults are in the stateroom, the total daily cost becomes $200.60. If only one person drinks alcohol, that individual must consume approximately 14.33 cocktails ($14-15 each) daily to break even for the entire stateroom’s package cost.
For Carnival’s Cheers! program, at $88.44/day per person, the stateroom total is $176.88. The solo drinker must consume approximately 12.63 cocktails daily to break even.
CRITICAL CLOSURE UPDATE: Previous loopholes, such as calling customer service to request an exemption for non-drinkers, have been entirely eliminated by most major cruise lines. The “all adults in the stateroom” rule is now absolute and strictly enforced.
SAFETY CAP HAZARD: This trap becomes particularly dangerous on lines like Carnival, which impose a strict 15-alcoholic-drink limit per 24 hours. If a solo drinker needs to consume 12.63 cocktails to break even, they are already approaching this hard limit, leaving little room for additional consumption or for the second person to enjoy any included non-alcoholic benefits without further inflating the per-drink cost for the primary drinker.
Port-Day Depreciation: The Core Math
Itineraries packed with long port days systematically destroy the utility of a daily beverage package. The package cost remains fixed for the entire day, regardless of how much time is spent onboard.
Mathematical Proof: A typical sea day offers 16-18 hours of potential onboard drinking. A port day, with an 8-hour excursion, reduces this to 8-10 hours. If a package requires 7 drinks to break even on a $100/day cost, the effective “per hour” consumption rate doubles on a port day (e.g., 7 drinks in 8 hours vs. 7 drinks in 16 hours).
This means you must consume drinks at a significantly faster rate during the shortened onboard hours to justify the package’s daily cost. For many, this is unsustainable or leads to overconsumption, negating the perceived value. The fixed daily cost does not adjust for reduced onboard access, making packages less economical on port-heavy cruises.
