Is a cruise worth it if you don't drink alcohol?

Last updated: April 11, 2026 · By Dave Giovacchini

Yes, a cruise is absolutely worth it if you don't drink alcohol — in fact, non-drinkers often get significantly better value since they skip the $75–$110/day beverage package that inflates the true cost for drinkers by 30–40%.

Photo: MSC Cruises

The cruise industry is built around selling you a beverage package. Practically every mainstream cruise line pushes their all-inclusive drink deal hard — and it's priced assuming you'll drink enough to justify it. If you don't drink alcohol, you sidestep one of the biggest hidden costs in cruising entirely. That's not a disadvantage. That's a financial edge.

The Real Numbers: What Non-Drinkers Actually Save

Let's be blunt. A 7-night cruise for two adults on a mainstream line like Royal Caribbean or Norwegian looks very different depending on whether you're buying the beverage package.

That's a real, significant number. A non-drinking couple on a 7-night cruise can save $1,250–$1,820 compared to a couple who each buys the standard beverage package. That's practically another cruise.

Photo: Carnival Cruise Line

What You're Actually Paying For on a Cruise (Alcohol Aside)

Here's what makes cruising genuinely excellent value for non-drinkers — it's everything else that's already bundled into your fare.

Accommodation: Even a basic inside cabin eliminates the need to book and pay for hotels separately. On a 7-night itinerary hitting 4–5 ports, that's hotel nights you're not buying.

Food: Mainstream cruise lines include the main dining room, buffet, and often a few casual dining spots. That's three full meals a day at no extra charge. A non-drinker who eats well can extract serious value here — easily $60–$100/day in food value per person.

Entertainment: Broadway-style shows, comedy clubs, live music, pools, water slides, trivia nights, cooking demonstrations — all included. Compare that to paying $80–$150/person for a single Broadway show ashore.

Fitness and Spa (partially): The gym is free on virtually every ship. Spa treatments cost extra, but access to saunas and thermal suites is sometimes included on certain ships.

Transportation: The ship moves you between destinations overnight while you sleep. You're not paying for flights between ports, rental cars, or ferries.

Photo: Carnival Cruise Line

Key Factors That Determine Value for Non-Drinkers

Cruise line selection matters a lot. Some lines bundle more into the base fare than others. Virgin Voyages includes tips and non-alcoholic drinks (all sodas, juices, and specialty coffee) in every fare — a non-drinker gets nearly everything they want without paying a cent extra. Celebrity Cruises' "Always Included" fares bundle Wi-Fi, tips, and a classic beverage package (which still has non-alcoholic value even if you swap it).

Length of cruise. The longer the sailing, the more you extract from bundled food and entertainment. A 3-night Bahamas run is less impressive value than a 14-night Mediterranean. Non-drinkers benefit from longer sailings proportionally more because the daily food and entertainment value compounds while the fixed costs (flights to port, pre-cruise hotel) stay the same.

Cabin category. Non-drinkers who redirect beverage savings into a better cabin get a dramatically upgraded experience. That $700–$800 saved per person? That's the price difference between an inside cabin and an oceanview or balcony on many sailings.

Port-heavy vs. sea-day itineraries. If you're in port every day, you're off the ship and not using the included amenities. Non-drinkers who love exploring ports get great value regardless. Non-drinkers who want to relax and use the ship's facilities should prioritize itineraries with 2–3 sea days.

Specialty dining. This is where non-drinkers sometimes splurge — and it's worth it. A $35–$55/person specialty restaurant dinner on a ship is genuinely excellent value compared to comparable restaurants ashore. Budget $100–$200 for the week on specialty dining if food is your thing.

Practical Tips: How Non-Drinkers Maximize Cruise Value

1. Skip the beverage package entirely — but budget for soft drinks. On most mainstream lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian), sodas cost $2.50–$4.00 each unless you buy a soda package ($9–$12/day). If you drink a lot of soda, the soda package pays off. If you're a water-and-coffee person, skip it.

2. Bring your own water bottles. On embarkation day, most cruise lines allow you to bring a reasonable amount of non-alcoholic beverages onboard — check each line's specific policy. Many allow a 12-pack of water or soda per person. This alone saves $20–$40 over a 7-night cruise.

3. Target "drink-inclusive" cruise lines. Virgin Voyages includes all non-alcoholic drinks. Some Norwegian sailings and Celebrity itineraries include beverage packages in promotional fares that have non-alcoholic value. Always check what's actually bundled before booking.

4. Use beverage savings to upgrade your cabin. This is the smartest non-drinker move. Take the $700+ you're not spending on booze and put it toward a balcony cabin. Watching the ocean from your private balcony with a coffee and a book beats any bar experience on the ship.

5. Book specialty dining early. Specialty restaurants book up fast — reserve on embarkation day or before departure through the cruise line app. Prices are typically 20–30% cheaper when booked in advance vs. onboard.

6. Use loyalty programs strategically. Non-drinkers who cruise repeatedly get the same loyalty benefits as drinkers (priority boarding, cabin upgrades, onboard credits) without the beverage package cost. The value compounds faster in real terms.

7. Compare cruise fares on CruiseHub. Booking through a partner like CruiseHub can surface promotional fares that already include perks — sometimes non-alcoholic drink packages, specialty dining credits, or onboard spending money that makes the deal even better for non-drinkers.

Best Cruise Lines for Non-Drinkers in 2025–2026

Not all cruise lines treat non-drinkers equally. Here's a quick ranking based on included value:

The bottom line: non-drinkers are not second-class cruise passengers. They're the ones getting the honest deal. Every dollar the cruise industry makes pushing beverage packages to drinkers is a dollar that doesn't come out of your pocket. The bundled value of accommodation, food, entertainment, and port-to-port transportation is real and substantial — and you access all of it without the $75–$110/day tax that drinkers pay.

If you want to run the actual numbers for a specific sailing — itinerary, cabin category, line, and all — the CruiseMutiny tool breaks it down without the sales spin.