The CHEERS! Drink Package on Carnival Celebration typically costs $65–$85 per person, per day when purchased pre-cruise through the Cruise Planner — gratuity is included in that price, and all adults in your cabin must buy it.
Photo: Carnival Cruise Line
Most people asking about the Carnival Celebration drink package are really asking one question: is it worth the money, and what does it actually cost? Here's the straight answer with no marketing spin.
What the CHEERS! Package Costs on Carnival Celebration
The CHEERS! Drink Package is Carnival's all-inclusive alcohol option, available on Carnival Celebration (an Excel-class ship sailing from Miami). Pre-cruise pricing through your Cruise Planner runs $65–$85 per person, per day, and that price already includes the 20% gratuity — which is significant since Carnival raised its beverage service charge to 20% in April 2026.
Dave's take: The drink package math is simple: you need to average 5-6 drinks daily, every day, including port days when you're off the ship, just to break even. Most people overestimate their drinking on vacation — I track this across sailings, and it rarely pencils out unless you're genuinely that thirsty.
— Dave Giovacchini, Travel Mutiny
If you wait and buy it on embarkation day, expect to pay more. Always check your Cruise Planner for your specific sailing's price, since Carnival uses dynamic pricing.
| Package | Price Per Person/Day | Alcohol Included | Gratuity Included | Daily Drink Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHEERS! (pre-cruise) | $65–$85 | Yes (up to $20/drink) | Yes (20%) | 15 alcoholic drinks |
| CHEERS! (onboard) | Higher — varies | Yes (up to $20/drink) | Yes (20%) | 15 alcoholic drinks |
| Zero Proof Package | Lower — check planner | No | Yes | No limit |
| Bottomless Bubbles (Soda) | $11.99/day | No | Additional 20% | No limit |
Quick break-even math: At roughly $75/day all-in, you need to consume around 5–6 drinks per day to come out ahead — factoring in cocktails at $11–$14 each plus the 20% gratuity you'd otherwise pay per drink.
Photo: Travel Mutiny
Key Factors That Affect Whether CHEERS! Is Worth It
The cabin rule is non-negotiable. Every adult in your stateroom must purchase CHEERS!. If your travel partner doesn't drink much, the math gets ugly fast. There are very limited exceptions (documented medical conditions, pregnancy) but Carnival does enforce this policy.
Celebration Key is a dead zone for your package. This is the one that catches people off guard: CHEERS! does NOT work at Carnival's private island, Celebration Key (or Half Moon Cay). You pay out of pocket at all private island venues. If your itinerary has a Celebration Key stop — and most Carnival Celebration sailings do — budget extra cash for that port day.
The $20 drink cap is legitimately generous. Most mainstream cruise line packages cap out at $12–$15 per drink. Carnival's $20 ceiling covers nearly every cocktail on the menu without surprise upcharges. On Royal Caribbean, a $16 premium cocktail triggers an overage fee. On Carnival Celebration, it's fully covered.
Mediterranean sailings: CHEERS! is unavailable. Not relevant for Celebration since she sails Caribbean itineraries from Miami, but worth knowing if you ever compare notes with other cruise lines.
Sea days are your friend. Carnival Celebration itineraries often include multiple sea days on longer voyages. More sea days = more drink opportunities = better package value. A 3-night Bahamas run with one sea day? The math probably doesn't work. A 7-night Caribbean with 2–3 sea days? Much more defensible.
Photo: Carnival Cruise Line
Practical Tips to Get the Best Value
1. Buy pre-cruise, not onboard. The Cruise Planner discount is real. Buying on embarkation day consistently runs higher. Check your planner regularly — prices fluctuate and sometimes drop closer to sailing.
2. Do the personal drink audit honestly. Count your average drinks on a normal vacation day: morning Bloody Mary, pool cocktails, wine at dinner, nightcap. If you're hitting 5–6 without trying, CHEERS! pays. If you're a 2-drink-with-dinner person, skip it.
3. CHEERS! includes more than alcohol. The package covers specialty coffees, energy drinks, bottled water, fresh-squeezed juices, and non-alcoholic frozen drinks. A $6 specialty coffee twice a day plus your alcoholic drinks changes the math significantly.
4. Soda drinkers: Bottomless Bubbles separately. At $11.99/day, Bottomless Bubbles makes sense for non-drinkers or kids. Note the 20% service charge is not included in that price — it gets added on top.
5. Don't buy CHEERS! just for port days. If you're off the ship exploring from 8am to 6pm and only onboard for dinner, you're not getting full value that day. Factor in how many hours you'll actually be on the ship drinking.
6. Watch the 15-drink daily limit. Carnival caps alcoholic drinks at 15 per person per day. That's not a real constraint for most people, but it's there.
Carnival Celebration-Specific Notes
Carnival Celebration is one of Carnival's flagship Excel-class ships with a massive bar program — Big Chicken Bar, The Golden Jubilee, Rudi's Seagrill, multiple pool bars, and more. The variety of venues actually works in the package's favor since you're never far from a bar. The ship also has Emeril's Kitchen (specialty dining with a $35 cover) and Bonsai Sushi ($20 cover) — CHEERS! covers drinks at these venues but not the dining cover charge itself.
Bottom line: for a 7-night Caribbean sailing on Celebration with 2+ sea days and two drinkers who like variety, CHEERS! at $65–$85/day pre-cruise is defensible. For a short sailing, a light drinker, or a cabin split between heavy and non-drinkers, skip it and pay as you go.
Use CruiseMutiny to run the full numbers for your specific itinerary before you commit — it takes about 2 minutes and shows you exactly where your break-even point falls.