We bought the drink package but now i think it was a waste

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A cruise drink package costs $50–$120/person/day pre-cruise and only pays off if you consume 5–6 drinks daily including specialty coffee and water — most moderate drinkers lose money on it.

We bought the drink package but now i think it was a waste Photo: Carnival Cruise Line

You're not alone in this regret. Drink packages are one of the most aggressively marketed cruise add-ons, and cruise lines design them to look like obvious value — they're not always. Here's how to figure out whether yours was actually a waste, and what to do about it.

The Break-Even Math Nobody Shows You

Most mainstream cruise drink packages run $50–$120/person/day pre-cruise (check your Cruise Planner for your exact sailing — pricing is dynamic and changes constantly). At the industry average of around $70/person/day, here's what you need to drink just to break even:

Drink Type Typical Price (before gratuity) With 18–20% Gratuity
Domestic beer $7.50 ~$9.00
Well cocktail $11.50 ~$13.80
Signature cocktail $13.50 ~$16.20
Wine by the glass $11.00 ~$13.20
Specialty coffee $6.00 ~$7.20
Bottled water $4.00 ~$4.80

At $70/day, you need roughly 5–6 drinks including coffees and waters to break even. That means 2 cocktails, 1 beer, 1 coffee, and 1 or 2 bottled waters per day — every single day of the cruise, including port days when you're off the ship for 8 hours.

We bought the drink package but now i think it was a waste Photo: Carnival Cruise Line

The Three Reasons Most People Overpay

1. Port days wreck your average. On a 7-night Caribbean itinerary with 4 port days, you might only drink 2–3 drinks those days instead of 5–6. You'd need to massively overconsume on sea days to compensate. The industry's own break-even guidance says packages are worth it on sea-heavy itineraries with 4+ sea days — not port-heavy ones.

2. The gratuity is already baked in — or is it? Most packages advertise the per-day rate as gratuity-included. That's actually a point in their favor. If you were buying individual drinks, you're adding 18–20% on every single one. On Carnival and Norwegian, the service surcharge rose to 20% in 2025–2026, making individual drinks even pricier and packages slightly more defensible — but only if you drink enough.

3. Price caps catch you off guard. Celebrity's Classic Drink Package covers beverages up to $12 per serving. Their Premium Package covers up to $19 per serving. Order anything above those thresholds and you're paying the difference plus 20% gratuity on top of what you already spent on the package. A $14 cocktail on the Classic package costs you an extra $2.40 out of pocket (the $2 difference + 20% gratuity). If you're consistently ordering premium cocktails at $13–$20, the Classic package actively works against you.

We bought the drink package but now i think it was a waste Photo: Carnival Cruise Line

Honest Tier Comparison: Is Your Package Worth It?

Drinker Type Daily Drinks Package Worth It? Better Strategy
Light drinker (1–2/day) Beer or wine at dinner No — big loss Pay as you go
Moderate drinker (3–4/day) Mix of cocktails + beer Maybe break-even Depends on itinerary
Heavy drinker (5–6+/day) Cocktails, coffee, water Yes Package wins
Non-drinker / rare drinker Sodas, water Hard no Zero-proof package only
Port-heavy itinerary (5+ ports) Any level Likely no Pay as you go
Sea-heavy itinerary (4+ sea days) 4+ drinks Likely yes Package makes sense

Practical Tips to Minimize the Damage (and Do Better Next Time)

If you're already on the cruise:

  • Max out every single day. Bottled water counts — grab them at every meal and every bar visit. Specialty coffees count. A Perrier at lunch counts. Treat the package like a subscription you need to justify.
  • Some lines allow cancellation on day 1 if you haven't used it. Ask guest services immediately — it's a long shot but worth 5 minutes.
  • Use it for things you'd normally skip. A $6 Red Bull, a $4 bottled water, a $6 espresso. These add up fast and are genuinely expensive à la carte.

For your next cruise:

  • Calculate your realistic daily drink number before buying. Not your vacation fantasy number — your actual number. Be honest.
  • Buy pre-cruise. On-board pricing is typically 10–20% higher than Cruise Planner pricing.
  • Watch for sales. Cruise lines frequently drop package prices in the Cruise Planner — sometimes 20–30% off. Set a reminder to check weekly after booking.
  • If one person in your cabin is a light drinker, both cabinmates are often required to buy the package (Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian all enforce this). That doubles the break-even math and usually kills the value.
  • Consider a non-alcoholic/zero-proof package if your drinking is modest — Celebrity's Zero Proof Package covers premium water, specialty coffees, Red Bull, smoothies, and sodas for significantly less per day.

The Bottom Line

Drink packages are a smart buy for a specific type of cruiser: someone doing a sea-heavy itinerary who will genuinely drink 5–6 items per day including coffees and waters. For everyone else — especially on port-intensive Caribbean or Mediterranean sailings — paying as you go almost always comes out ahead. The cruise lines know exactly what they're doing when they push these packages at booking.

Before your next sailing, run your own numbers with CruiseMutiny to see exactly what the package will cost you versus paying individually — and whether the math actually works for how you cruise.

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