10 Ways to Get FREE DRINKS on Your Next Cruise - Some of Them are Easier than You Might Think…

Cruise ships can be expensive places to be. A glass of wine can often cost in excess of $15 (US) on some cruise lines, with a beer approaching $10, if not higher. For this reason, it’s useful to know how you can sometimes get around paying for drinks, in order to save a little bit of money during your cruise. After all, everyone loves a free drink, don’t they?

In this post, I’m sharing 10 ways that you can get FREE drinks on your future cruises. I’ll be honest - I’m not going to be telling you ways to get unlimited free drinks, but with a few free drinks up your sleeve, you might just want to skip paying for a drinks package.

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First, how do drinks on cruise ships work?

When you cruise, you have two options for your drinks: you can either purchase a drinks package to your account, or you can work on a ‘pay as you go’ approach. There’s a third option that’s only really applicable to one cruise line. I’ll explain the first two options, and then cover this third one after.

Drinks on cruise ships can work in a few different ways. Cruise ships are all cash-less, so everything will be billed to your onboard account, which you’ll settle before you disembark the ship at the end of the cruise.

With the first option, the cruise line will charge you a set amount 'per day’, and that will then unlock drinks for you. Some cruise lines offer you the ability to unlock unlimited drinks as a result of buying their drinks package, with others offering you ‘up to X drinks’ as part of a drinks package. It’s important to check the small print to your chosen cruise line’s drinks package before you purchase it to avoid disappointment! At the point of writing this post, most cruise lines that apply limits to drink numbers apply a limit of 15 drinks per day. This can include both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, so it’s important that you know what is (and isn’t) included!

The second option allows you to ‘pay as you go’. With this, you simply pay for each drink as and when you order it, much like what you would do if you went to a bar ‘on land’ at home. This is how I often cruise, unless I’m travelling with friends or family that I know I’ll spend time at the bars with. If I’m cruising solo, it’s almost impossible for me to get through the amount of drinks I’d need to in order to make a drinks package ‘good value’, and so I tend to opt for the ‘pay as you go’ approach.

The third option that you have applies to one cruise line only: Virgin Voyages. With Virgin, you can purchase what they call ‘Bar Tab’. Think of this as bar credit that you load onto your account in advance of the cruise. Virgin Voyages don’t offer traditional drinks packages - only ‘Bar Tab’ or ‘Pay as you Go’ once onboard. Note: if you opt to purchase bar tab before you cruise, you’ll get a little bonus amount on your account, so it pays to do this in advance!

Cruising with Virgin Voyages? Think about adding ‘Bar Tab’ to your onboard account!

Ok, what are the 10 ways that you can get free drinks on your future cruises? Let’s get started!

1. Look for events in your Daily Schedule that might include complimentary drinks.

Every cruise line has their own version of a ‘Daily Schedule’. This is where you’ll be able to browse all of the events onboard - do you see any here that might include drinks?

That’s right - there are events on cruise ships that actually offer complimentary drinks. You’ll need to have a look through your daily schedule once onboard to find out what these could be. If you’re new to cruising, then a ‘daily schedule’ is what’s delivered to your cabin or stateroom everyday, and it details everything that’s going on around your cruise ship. The events with drinks might specifically state it in the schedule, but that’s often unlikely. I guess that’s because they don’t want everyone to turn up to get a free glass of fizz, do they?

Of course, the onboard duty free shops will probably offer drinks tastings, but this isn’t going to be much more than a tiny tipple to try to encourage a sale. If you’re looking to relax with your drink, you’re probably going to want to think about other options…

Think about things like cocktail demonstrations or performances involving drinks. They’re not going to pour drinks and then take them away - they’ll usually offer the drinks that they pour during these sessions to nearby cruisers. I’ve seen cocktail masterclasses in the past where upwards of 30 different drinks are offered out, so it’s worth having a look for!

Another event that usually offers some form of included drink is the onboard art auction. Most cruise ships feature an art gallery, allowing passengers to browse and shop from a relatively extensive art collection during their cruise. We’re not here today to talk about the standard, quality or legitimacy of this art (let’s save that for another conversation, shall we?), but these events will usually take place on a sea day, and they’ll often include things like complimentary fizz.

The slight ‘catch’ with events like this is that you’ll probably be pressurised to consider purchasing art, but purchasing absolutely isn’t necessary - you can absolutely pop along, enjoy a drink or two, and watch the bids rolling in around you. I often find these auctions fantastic people-watching opportunities - they can be well worth taking a seat at for 30 minutes if you’re looking to pass some time!

Cruise ships have art galleries onboard, and these can be a great option for getting a free drink or two from time to time!

2. Does your cruise ship have a ‘Captain’s Welcome’? If so, attend that - there’s potentially going to be a free drink (or two) involved!

Most of the cruises that I’ve taken recently have had some form of ‘Captain’s Welcome’ event. At this event, the Captain will introduce themselves to you on stage, and then also introduce their Senior Officer team. They’ll usually tell you a few things about them, their family, their careers or just about anything else that you probably didn’t know about before your cruise!

This is a great way to get to know some of the faces that you’re probably going to hear coming through the announcement system over the course of your cruise. It’s a really great way to break down the formal barriers that can often exist between passengers and senior crew members. Our Captain onboard Celebrity Ascent even encouraged passengers to approach for a selfie at some point during the cruise!

Not all cruise lines will offer a Captain’s Welcome event, and not all those that do will offer free drinks, but some do! I’ve been cruising with Fred. Olsen Cruise lines recently, and they even have complimentary canapés at this event - well worth popping along to!

You’ll usually find this event taking place on the second evening of the cruise, although this can vary by cruise line and also by ship. The first night will often be for you to settle into the ship, and this event will formally kick things off the following evening. You’ll find it listed in your daily schedule - keep a look out for it!

If the cruise ship that you’re travelling on has a Captain’s Welcome event, go along!

At these events, you’ll often find yourself with a complimentary drink to toast the cruise!

3. Have you joined the loyalty programme for your cruise line? If not, do that ASAP!

Okay, you’re probably not going to score free drinks when you cruise if this is going to be your first time on a cruise ship, or your first time with this cruise line. However, as your ‘nights at sea’ build up, you might be surprised at what can be offered to you as an incentive to keep coming back.

The cruise industry places a HUGE emphasis on the topic of loyalty. Of course they do - there’s so much competition out there that cruise lines need to encourage and thank you for continuing to choose them over the others!

Most loyalty schemes will reward you with 1 point per night that you spend onboard. That means that a 7 night cruise will usually result in you securing 7 points on the loyalty programme (as a minimum). You can also often get additional points if you book at the time of a good offer or incentive, or if you cruise in a higher grade of cabin (like a Suite, for example).

There are some great examples of where these programmes can result in free drinks for cruisers. Once you reach the Diamond tier of the MSC Cruises loyalty programme, you’ll receive a complimentary bottle of fizz in your cabin when you board the ship on embarkation day. If you want more, then you’ll want to know about the Crown & Anchor Society, the loyalty programme from Royal Caribbean International. With this one, those in the Diamond tier will receive four complimentary drinks (up to the value of $14US) per day. A great incentive, isn’t it?!

If you’re not sure if the cruise line you’re going to be travelling with has a loyalty programme, just check their website. They probably do have their own programme - not having one is VERY rare in today’s cruise industry!

Each cruise line will have their own loyalty programme, and being a member of these can unlock exclusive events while you’re onboard. They’re free to join - be sure to do this before you cruise!

4. Want free water, tea or coffee? Here’s where to find it…

So far, we’ve prioritised talking about alcoholic drinks in this post. However, almost every cruiser is keen to also understand if they can get things like free water, tea and coffee when they cruise.

On almost every cruise ship, you’ll have 24/7 access to water within the buffet venue. This will usually come from a water machine, and these usually also offer ice at the touch of a button. Note: not every cruise line offers water all day - if you’re cruising with Costa Cruises as an example, you’ll need to pay for water by the glass outside of meal times!

If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to know about where you can get your caffeine fix. Within the buffet venue onboard, you’ll usually find large decanters of drip coffee available all day and all night, in addition to a barista-style coffee shop elsewhere onboard. The drip coffee at the drinks station within the buffet will be free of charge (or included in your cruise fare), but those fancy barista coffees will usually come at an additional charge!

If you’d like tea, then most cruise lines will also offer an array of different tea options right beside the coffee machines. If you happen to be cruising on a British cruise line, or a cruise ship based from a U.K. homeport for the season, you can usually expect to find a really good tea selection to choose from!

In short, don’t worry - water, tea and coffee - the ships will usually have you covered!

Want a free coffee during the day? Not a problem - head to the buffet!

5. Use your ‘on board credit’ to pay for your drinks, making them ‘free’!

If you’re lucky enough to book your cruise during a special offer window, or if you book while you’re on another cruise, you can often find that the cruise line will include some ‘on board credit’ (also known as OBC) with your booking. That essentially means that you’ll have some money available to you that you can spend onboard.

Okay, this one isn’t really offering you ‘free’ drinks per se, but you didn’t pay anything to get that OBC, so I guess this suggestion does belong on this list!

A note on OBC - be sure to check that you’ve used all of yours before the end of your cruise, as it usually won’t be refunded. It’s a case of ‘you use it or you lose it’, so don’t get caught out!

Got OBC on your account? You can use it to cover your drinks bill!

6. Take part in the game shows and quizzes onboard!

On cruise ships, you’ll find a wide range of activities to keep you busy while you’re sailing. These activities include things like game shows and general knowledge quizzes, where you’re able to form a team and go against your fellow passengers.

Most of the larger format game shows that take place in the main theatre will offer cash or OBC as a prize, and you’ll often have to pay to enter them. If you’re looking to win some alcohol, pop along to the trivia sessions. Lots of these will have things like bottles of wine for the winning team, so they can be well worth a try - especially if you’re cruising on a ship with a particularly expensive bar!

If you do win a bottle at one of these events, you’ll usually be given the option of either enjoying it where you’re currently sitting, or taking it back to your cabin or stateroom with you. That means that you can enjoy it back in the comfort of your own room, or you can take it to another part of the ship with you.

A top tip from me - if you do win a bottle of wine at a trivia session, why not check if you can take it into dinner with you the following evening? Not only will you have bragging rights as you walk out of the room with your bottle of wine, but you’ll also save a few £/$/€ at dinner tomorrow. Worth asking!

You’ll find daily trivia sessions and game shows within your Daily Schedule, your ‘go to’ place for everything that’s happening on the ship.

7. Book a Shore Excursion that includes drinks!

You might not have thought about this one before, but did you know that lots of shore excursions on cruises will include drinks?

If you’re cruising to somewhere warm, for example the Caribbean, you can expect to find small boat cruise excursions offering things like free bar services during your excursion. You might also find that excursions to visit all-inclusive hotels will include drinks while you’re relaxing there.

If you’re cruising in Europe, there are so many excursions that will take you to beer breweries or vineyards. These trips will usually include tastings, and then you’ll also have the option to purchase something to take back onto the ship with you. On this point - you’re able to purchase alcohol in port throughout your cruise, but you’ll usually then be required to ‘check it in’ with the security team on the ship when you arrive back. The onboard team will then take care of your purchases, and return them to you on the final night of your cruise.

I see and hear of people on almost every cruise I take being caught out and surprised by this one. Think about it - if the cruise lines allowed passengers to bring their own drinks onboard with them at all of the ports, the bars would generate a tiny fraction of what they currently turn over.

Cruising in warmer climates? You’ll often see excursions to all-inclusive resorts available, and these will often come with some form of drinks inclusion!

Hoping to visit a vineyard on your cruise? These types of excursions will usually include tastings!

8. Do you enjoy playing in the casino? You’ll want to make yourself known to the casino host and their team onboard your cruise ship!

If you’re new to cruising, then you can be forgiven for not realising that the casinos on the ships are very popular. I find this to be the case particularly on the US-based ships, and not as much on the British lines.

If you play in the casino, you’ll often be able to earn free drinks while playing, and you might also unlock perks like a free bar if you play enough. These perks are ultimately designed to attract you back into the casino, so it’s important that you’re aware of your spend if you do get tempted by this incentive.

An example I would offer you here is from my cruise onboard Cunard’s Queen Mary 2. As you played in the casino, a ‘drink meter’ would build up on a separate screen. Once you had played a certain amount of money through the machine, you were then ‘rewarded’ with the ability to claim a free drink. The waiting staff would keep watch of these meters, and would then discount the amount by 1 each time you claimed a drink.

I’m not a big player when I cruise, but I did manage to get a few drinks for free on that cruise. If you’re a much bigger player, you’ll sometimes find that the cruise line will offer you unlimited free drinks while you’re playing, or while you’re in the general casino area. If you’d like to know what your specific cruise line offers to players, it’s easy - you can give them a call before you get onboard. Otherwise, make a point of speaking with the casino host as early in the cruise as possible - they’re usually really transparent with what you need to do to unlock certain incentives.

The Casino onboard Queen Mary 2 offered you the chance to ‘earn’ complimentary drinks while playing: the more you spend on the machines, the more drinks you earn.

The Casino on a cruise ship can be a good place to get some free drinks, although you’ll have to spend some money in there…!

9. Instead of buying drinks onboard, take them with you!

You might not have thought about this one, but did you know that most cruise lines will allow you to take some form of alcohol onto your cruise ship with you on embarkation day?

This is such a simple way to avoid paying as much for drinks - why not take a bottle of wine on with you, which will mean that you won’t be buying that same bottle onboard (and at the onboard prices…!).

I’ve put a summary together that’s broken down by cruise line, which might help you to determine what you’re able to take on your cruise. You can find that guide here. Note: I always advise on checking your specific cruise line’s website to be sure, as these things can change at short notice, and usually without much publicity for obvious reasons!

Got a favourite tipple? You can take alcohol with you on some cruise ships!

10. Book your cruise with a cruise line that includes drinks.

If you do your research, you’ll find plenty of cruise lines out there that include drinks packages as standard with the cruise fare. These cruise lines are usually found within the ‘premium’ tier, which will mean that the base cruise fare will usually be a good bit higher than the ‘mainstream’ cruise lines, but it’s always worth checking them out.

If you’re cruising with one of the large mainstream lines, you can often expect to pay hundreds of dollars to add a drinks package, and so it can sometimes be worth ‘upgrading’ to a more premium cruise line to get your drinks included!

An example I’d offer here is that I took a river cruise with Riviera Travel, a travel firm based in the U.K. With my cruise fare, I had a drinks package automatically applied after 6pm each evening, making it really worry free every evening of the trip - I’d highly recommend looking at options like this! It’s not just river cruises that offer packages like this - there are plenty of ocean cruises doing the same, too!

Alcohol can be included with the standard fare on some cruise ships. I took a river cruise that had some alcohol included, saving you from expensive bar tabs or unexpected bills later in the cruise!

So, that’s 10 ways that you can get free drinks on cruise ships. If you’ve found this post useful (I really hope that you have), then please support my website by sharing it with your friends. Please also subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking here.

To hear more about the above points, here’s a YouTube video on the topic of free drinks. Leave me a comment on the video to say hello - I’d love to hear from you!

Happy cruising!