Celebrity Cruises Drink Packages 2026: Prices & Is It Worth It?
Celebrity does drink packages a bit differently to most of its rivals. Rather than one obvious “buy this or don’t” decision, a lot of Celebrity cruisers already have a package bundled into their fare without even realising it — and that changes the maths completely.
Here’s the full breakdown: what’s actually in each tier, what it costs in 2026, and the genuinely different way Celebrity handles cabin-sharing and exceptions compared to its sister brand, Royal Caribbean.
Celebrity drink packages compared
| Package | Price (per person, per day)* | What’s included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Drinks Package | £80–£95 (approx. $105–$120) | Everything in Classic, plus top-shelf spirits, wines by the glass up to $19, craft/artisan beers, specialty coffees and premium bottled water | Cocktail and wine enthusiasts who don’t want to think about drink prices |
| Classic Drinks Package | £68–£82 (approx. $89–$109) | Beer, wine, spirits and cocktails up to $12 each, plus soft drinks, juice and standard coffee/tea | Regular drinkers happy with solid, non-premium brands |
| Zero Proof Package | £23–£30 (approx. $30–$40) | Unlimited non-alcoholic drinks: mocktails, soft drinks, juice, specialty coffee/tea, premium bottled water | Non-drinkers, teens, and anyone skipping alcohol |
*Prices are pre-cruise Cruise Planner rates and exclude the automatic 20% gratuity. Celebrity uses dynamic pricing, so your exact cost depends on the ship, itinerary and how far ahead you book — always check your own Cruise Planner for a final quote.
The “Always Included” fare changes everything
This is the bit that trips people up the most, and it’s worth understanding before you even look at package prices. Celebrity’s standard “Always Included” fare already bundles in the Classic Drinks Package, gratuities, and basic Wi-Fi — you may already own a drinks package and not realise it.
If you booked a “Cruise Only” or stripped-back fare instead, you won’t have this, and you’ll be paying for every drink individually unless you add a package separately through the Cruise Planner or the app.
The practical upshot: before you even think about whether to buy a package, check which fare type you booked. If you’re already on Always Included, your real decision isn’t “package or no package” — it’s whether the £13–£18/day upgrade from Classic to Premium is worth it for you.
What’s actually included in the Premium Drinks Package?
This is Celebrity’s top tier, and the gap between it and Classic is bigger than on some other cruise lines. It covers:
- Spirits, cocktails, beer and wine by the glass — up to $19 per drink ($23 on UK and Australia sailings)
- Top-shelf brands specifically — think Grey Goose, Patrón, Don Julio Reposado, Bombay Sapphire
- Craft and artisan beers not available on Classic
- Specialty coffees and premium teas
- Premium bottled water
- All the non-alcoholic drinks included in Classic
Important: both adults sharing a cabin must have the same package tier. If one of you upgrades to Premium, the other has to as well — Celebrity doesn’t allow one Classic and one Premium in the same stateroom.
What happens if a drink costs more than the limit?
Same mechanism as most cruise lines: order something above your package’s per-drink cap and you don’t pay full price, just the difference, plus gratuity on that difference. On Classic ($12 cap), a $16 cocktail costs you roughly $4 plus gratuity. On Premium ($19 cap), you’d need a genuinely expensive pour before you’re paying anything extra at all — which is really the whole selling point of upgrading if you like your wine and spirits a notch above standard.
Rules, exceptions and edge cases you need to know
The cabin-sharing rule — and Celebrity’s genuinely more flexible exceptions
Like Royal Caribbean, Celebrity generally requires everyone of legal drinking age sharing a cabin to have the same package. But unlike Royal Caribbean — which removed all exceptions to this rule in August 2025 — Celebrity still builds in some genuine flexibility:
- Pregnant guests are given a Zero Proof package automatically, rather than being made to buy (or go without) a package at all
- Teens under the legal drinking age also receive a Zero Proof package as standard on the Always Included fare, rather than being forced onto whatever tier the adults chose
This is a small but genuinely useful difference if you’re travelling as a family or with a non-drinking partner — worth knowing if you’ve read about Royal Caribbean’s stricter policy and assumed Celebrity works the same way. It doesn’t.
What’s NOT included, even with Premium
- Room service and the in-cabin minibar are never included, on any package tier
- Packages are for single-guest use only and can’t be shared between two people, even briefly
- Any drink above your tier’s price cap is only partially covered — see the price cap section above
You can bring your own wine — with a catch
Celebrity allows each drinking-age guest to bring one sealed 750ml bottle of wine or champagne onboard on embarkation day. Drink it in your cabin and it’s free. Take it to a restaurant or bar and you’ll pay a corkage fee of $35 per bottle — genuinely one of the highest in the industry.
Here’s the part worth knowing: that corkage fee is waived entirely if you already have a Classic or Premium Drinks Package, or the Always Included fare. If you’re bringing a bottle you actually want to drink somewhere other than your cabin, this is one more small argument in favour of already having a package.
Gratuity works slightly differently to how you might expect
A 20% gratuity is added to your package price at checkout, calculated on the package cost — not on individual drinks. So a $90/day Classic package actually costs you $108/day once gratuity is included. If you skip a package and pay à la carte instead, gratuity is added to each individual drink instead, at the same 20% rate.
How does Celebrity compare to Royal Caribbean’s drink packages?
Since the two lines share a parent company, it’s a comparison a lot of cruisers actually want. Roughly:
- Celebrity Classic ($12 cap) sits below Royal Caribbean Deluxe ($14 cap) on per-drink coverage, but Celebrity’s Classic is also usually a little cheaper day-to-day.
- Celebrity Premium ($19 cap) covers considerably more per drink than either of Royal Caribbean’s tiers, reflecting its higher price point and Celebrity’s slightly more premium positioning as a brand overall.
- Both lines require cabin-mates to match package tiers, but Celebrity’s built-in exceptions for pregnant guests and teens are more generous than Royal Caribbean’s current policy.
Is a Celebrity drink package worth it?
It depends on your fare type as much as your drinking habits:
- You’re on the Always Included fare and rarely drink above $12 a glass: you likely already have everything you need with Classic — no action required.
- You’re on Always Included but enjoy better wine, top-shelf spirits, or craft beer: the Classic-to-Premium upgrade (roughly £13–£18/day extra) is usually worth it if you’re having more than 2–3 premium drinks a day.
- You booked Cruise Only and have 3–4 drinks a day: run the maths against à la carte pricing — it’s often close, so check what your specific ship charges before committing.
- You booked Cruise Only and are a light or non-drinker: skip a package entirely, or consider Zero Proof only if you’re a heavy coffee/mocktail drinker.
Worth remembering: tap water, standard coffee, tea, and juice are already complimentary onboard regardless of fare type — so it’s worth checking what’s free before assuming you need to pay for anything at all.
Frequently asked questions
The Classic Drinks Package typically runs £68–£82 per person per day, and Premium £80–£95, both before the 20% gratuity. The Zero Proof non-alcoholic package runs roughly £23–£30. Exact pricing depends on your ship, itinerary, and how far ahead you book, due to Celebrity’s dynamic pricing.
The Classic package covers beer, wine, spirits and cocktails up to $12 per drink, plus soft drinks and standard coffee/tea. Premium covers everything in Classic plus top-shelf spirits and wine by the glass up to $19, craft beers, and specialty coffee. Zero Proof covers unlimited non-alcoholic drinks only.
If you booked Celebrity’s “Always Included” fare, yes — it comes bundled with the Classic Drinks Package, gratuities, and basic Wi-Fi. If you booked “Cruise Only” or a stripped-back fare, you’ll need to add a package separately if you want one.
Generally yes — both adults sharing a stateroom need matching package tiers. However, Celebrity makes exceptions for pregnant guests and under-age teens, who receive a Zero Proof package automatically rather than being required to match an adult’s paid tier.
No. Room service and the in-cabin minibar are excluded from every drink package tier, with no exceptions.
Yes — one sealed 750ml bottle of wine or champagne per drinking-age guest, on embarkation day only. It’s free to drink in your cabin, or $35 corkage to drink it in a restaurant or bar — waived if you have a drinks package or Always Included fare.
Celebrity Premium covers drinks up to $19 per serving, notably higher than Royal Caribbean Deluxe’s $14 cap, reflecting Celebrity’s positioning as the more premium of the two sister brands. Celebrity Premium is also typically priced higher per day as a result.
Prices and inclusions are correct as of 2026 but change frequently due to Celebrity’s dynamic pricing model. Always confirm current pricing in your own Cruise Planner before booking.