Drinks packages are among the most expensive additions to your cruise booking, sometimes costing well over $100 per day. The big question - are they really worth it? Well, this is exactly what I’m going to explore with you today.
In this article, I’m going to tell you about 10 things that you need to know and think about in order to ensure that you don’t simply waste your money by assuming you need to add one to your cruise booking.
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If you would rather watch a YouTube video on the topic of drinks packages rather than read this page, you’re in luck. You’ll find a link to a YouTube video that I put together to cover these points - just click the video below to watch it now!
Let’s get started - what are the 10 things that you need to know and think about when it comes to drinks packages on cruises?
1. How Much are you Actually Going to Drink vs How Much Does it Cost?!
It’s important to remember that you don’t NEED to have a drinks package when you cruise. I’m often surprised when I meet a new cruiser who assumed that you had to choose from one of the available packages in order to drink anything onboard - that’s not the case! You’re able to either purchase a drinks package or ‘pay as you go’ - don’t fall into the trap of purchasing one because you think that you have to!
A very useful exercise to complete is to think about how much you’re likely to drink while you’re onboard, and then look at a bar menu for your chosen cruise line to understand how much each day could cost you. For me, I know that I’m likely to have a glass of wine in the evening at dinner, and perhaps an additional drink afterwards. For that reason, I rarely purchase a full drinks package, as I’d struggle to get value for my money.
That said, if I’m cruising with a friend, or someone I know that I’ll enjoy spending time at the bar with, I’m more likely to purchase one as it’s far more likely that I’ll consume more drinks throughout my time onboard.
When I complete this exercise of checking prices against my planned consumption, I sometimes find myself being fairly close cost-wise. In other words, I’m only a few dollars away from ‘breaking even’. In this scenario, I often purchase the relevant package, in order to enjoy the luxury of not worrying about costs adding up once I’m on the ship.
So yes - point 1 - think about how much you’re likely to drink, and then check how much this would cost you if you opted to ‘pay as you go’.
Don’t assume that you need to purchase a drinks package - it’s entirely up to you! © Fraser at Sea.
2. Remember Service Charges!
When you’re weighing up the benefits of having a drinks package, remember to check the position of your cruise line on the topic of service charges. On most cruise ships, you’ll be required to pay a ‘service charge’ on lots of onboard purchases - things like spa treatments and drinks often come with these additional fees.
These are really worth thinking about - on some cruise ships, the service charge can be as steep as 20%! This will really change the price of your drink - suddenly a $15 glass of wine is costing you £18, and an $8 pint of beer is costing you $9.60 in this scenario.
Most cruise lines don’t require passengers who have pre-paid for their drinks package to pay any service charges on their drinks orders, which can be a great incentive for many people.
Keen to avoid a 20% service charge on each drink purchase? Consider purchasing a drinks package! © Fraser at Sea.
3. How Much Time are you Likely to Spend Onboard?
This should always be one of the key things on your mind when you’re considering adding a drinks package to your cruise. In short, if you’re not going to be on the ship very much, then you’re not going to be making use of the bar facilities onboard.
Some cruise itineraries are port-intensive, meaning that you’re going to spend a lot of time ‘in port’ throughout the cruise. In this situation, I would rarely purchase a package, as I’m more likely to be waking up early to head off the ship and explore. If my itinerary features lots of days ‘at sea’, then that’s a very different story. I love relaxing with a glass of wine in the late afternoon before heading to dinner on some sea days, and so I’m likely to spend more at the bar on these days of the cruise.
While you’re thinking about the time you’re going to spend onboard, it could be worth thinking about any onboard events. For example, are you cruising with a line that will host ‘gala evenings’, or are you cruising with a much more informal line? If the former, then you might be more inclined to purchase a package to help you enjoy the festivities - lots of people enjoy walking around the ship in their finery while sipping a glass of champagne (especially if it’s included in their drinks package…!).
Does your chosen cruise line operate formal events during the cruise? If so, then you might enjoy a few extra drinks during these occasions - remember this! © Fraser at Sea.
4. Cruising the Caribbean? Lucky you - think about Private Island Inclusions!
If you’re cruising in the Caribbean region, there’s a fair chance that your cruise line will own their own private island. These are usually found around the Bahamas, and they offer a ‘picture perfect’ version of the Caribbean, with long sandy beaches and lots of sun loungers for cruisers to enjoy.
While you’re relaxing on the beach, or exploring the island, you might want to sip on your favourite drink - this could be alcoholic or non alcoholic. Lots of people assume that you always need to think about alcohol when it comes to drinks packages, but that isn’t the case - lots of cruise lines also offer non-alcoholic packages!
Some cruise lines don’t include the drinks on their private islands in their drinks packages, but others do. I recently (at the point of writing this article) cruised with Norwegian Cruise Line to Great Stirrup Cay, and I was delighted to learn that my drinks package applied on the island. This allowed me to keep ‘topped up’ on my favourite Orange Fanta without worrying about my bar tab building up…
Cruise line private islands are beautiful places, but drinks often aren’t included in packages. Check before you go ashore to prevent any unexpected surprises! © Fraser at Sea.
Drinks were included during my recent call to Great Stirrup Cay - result! © Fraser at Sea.
5. Are There Any Other Benefits to Purchasing a Drinks Package?
When you think about drinks packages, you probably instantly think about individual drinks being purchased from a bar onboard. You might not think about some of the additional benefits that often come with these packages.
This varies by cruise line, but some benefits can be fantastic if you’re going to take advantage of them. For example, some lines will offer passengers travelling with a drinks package a significant discount on bottles of wine, allowing them to enjoy wines that wouldn’t otherwise be available in their chosen package.
You might also get discounted entry to special events during your cruise. For example, cruisers with a drinks package can sometimes be enticed to take part in events like cocktail masterclasses, wine tastings or martini classes with a discount. Think about it - if you have a package that entitles you to an open bar, you’re less likely to pay full price for something like a wine tasting.
It’s important that you check the details for your specific cruise line before you make your decision, if this sort of thing is important to you when you cruise!
Those with a drinks package can often be entitled to additional benefits throughout the cruise, like entry to special wine tasting events. © Fraser at Sea.
6. Purchasing your Drinks Package Online BEFORE the Cruise Will Likely Save you Money!
Over the years, I’ve met countless people who don’t realise this is the reality. Prior to taking the cruise, they don’t purchase a drinks package despite the fact they know that they’re going to want one once onboard. They assume that the cruise line will present them with ‘special offers’ once they’re onboard in a ‘final attempt’ to secure a drinks package sale.
The reality? Well, it’s quite the opposite.
You’re rarely going to find a cruise line offering you a better price to purchase a package on the ship than what you would have been able to pay for it beforehand. This is because you’re now a captive audience - if you want a drinks package and you’re on the ship, you’ve got no other choice - there’s no competition!
In my experience, you’re able to save up to 30% by purchasing your drinks package before sailing. This isn’t a discount to be overlooked - if your line is one of those with a drinks package retailing at $100pp per day, you could be saving $30pp PER DAY by paying before the cruise! You can do this really easily by logging into your online account in advance of the cruise, but it’s important to remember that online sales will usually close 3-4 days before the ship is due to depart.
In short, if you know that you’re going to want to cruise with a drinks package, add it to your booking BEFORE you head to the port!
Cruise lines will offer you ‘special offers’ to purchase a drinks package once you’re onboard, but they will very rarely be better value than purchasing before the cruise would be! ©Fraser at Sea.
7. Think about ‘Combo Packages’ instead of Drinks Packages.
Over the last few years, cruise lines have created more packages, designed to offer a more cost-effective way to purchase some of the most common add-ons. For example, you might be able to purchase a package that will entitle you to some shore excursion credit, some Internet capability, a few Speciality meals during the cruise, and also a basic drinks package. This can often be much better value than purchasing a full drinks package.
An example that I’d offer you here is the ‘Free at Sea’ package offered by Norwegian Cruise Line (at the point of this article being written). This package offers me the benefits that I’ve listed above, and I’m always really impressed at the low purchase price that it commands. On all of my NCL cruises, I’ve added this package to my cruise, and I’ve never regretted it - I’ve been able to make my money back in just a few days in most cases!
You should be able to find all of the available packages, and the prices associated with them, in your online account. In some cases, you might need to add the package at the point of booking your cruise, so don’t rush in - speak to either the cruise line or your booking agent to be sure that you don’t miss your opportunity!
I’ve applied the ‘Free at Sea’ package to all of my NCL cruise bookings - it’s much better value than a drinks package would be with most cruise lines! © Fraser at Sea.
8. If you do Purchase a Drinks Package, do your Homework to Understand What’s Available
Gone are the days when cruise lines will offer you the chance to purchase their only drinks package. The reality now is that there are often three, four or maybe even five different packages to choose from. You might find that some of these packages offer you top-shelf spirits, while others offer you wines and beers. There are also things like coffee packages and water packages, so it’s incredibly important to understand what each package offers you before you click the purchase button!
It’s not just the different packages that you need to think about - you also should consider the other offers that your cruise line has. For example, most lines out there will give you the option to skip a full drinks package and simply order a selection of wine to enjoy throughout the cruise. In most cases, you’ll order wines by the case (so in multiples of 6), and these will be delivered to your table each evening during the evening dinner service.
In my case, this can sometimes prove to be much better value than purchasing each glass one at a time, due to the fact that I usually enjoy a glass of wine with my dinner and then don’t drink much outside of this time. In most cases, you would be able to refill your glass to leave the dining room with, allowing you to take a drink with you to the theatre, for example.
To find out what your cruise line offers, just sign into your online account or give them a call - they’ll be more than happy to advise you on what’s available!
You’ll be able to purchase wines by the case through your online account before the cruise. The above example is from a recent cruise that I took with P&O Cruises. © Fraser at Sea.
9. Think about TAXES!
You’ve probably come on a cruise to forget about words like ‘taxes’, however it’s very important when it comes to the topic of drinks on cruise ships. In some cases, you’re going to have to pay taxes on your drinks, regardless of whether or not you have a drinks package applied to your account.
I recently took a cruise in the Mediterranean with Norwegian Cruise Line. I embarked the ship in Civitavecchia (Italy) and disembarked in Barcelona (Spain), and therefore didn’t need to pay any additional taxes on my drinks or my other onboard purchases. However, those that embarked the ship after me to travel back to Italy from Spain were required to pay taxes on all of their onboard purchases. If this had applied to me and I hadn’t realised before the cruise, this certainly would have left a bitter taste in my mouth!
Here’s the letter I received via email, confirming NCL’s position on taxes in the Mediterranean. © Fraser at Sea.
This point isn’t as simple as ‘don’t cruise from Barcelona’ as I’ve taken countless cruises from there before and have never been required to pay additional taxes. The takeaway here is that you really should check with your cruise line if there will be any situations like this during the cruise, particularly if you’re travelling in a region that you don’t have a huge amount of experience in!
Trust me - you’ll thank yourself later for checking that now…
I took this photo in Barcelona at the end of my cruise that I didn’t get charged additional taxes on, but those embarking today would have! © Fraser at Sea.
10. If You’re Cruising with a Line that Operates a Dynamic Pricing Approach, Understand how much You’re Willing to Pay for a Drinks Package…
If you’re new to the cruise world, then it might sound odd that some cruise lines will have varying prices for something like a drinks package. It’s true - they offer promotions week-by-week to try and entice their future passengers to make a purchase.
For example, you might receive an email today that’s offering you 10% off drinks packages, and then another email in a few days’ time offering you 15% off. This is fairly common across the cruise industry, so it’s worth checking if you’re going to be cruising with a line that this applies to.
It’s difficult to tell when the ‘lowest price’ is going to present itself, and for this reason it’s important for you to understand what a ‘good price’ is for YOU. That way, when the price reaches that level, you can confidently make your purchase. Think of it a little like the stock market - what does the price have to drop to in order for you to purchase your stocks?
Dynamic pricing is fairly common across the cruise industry, but don’t let it worry you. Decide on your ‘happy price’, and purchase your package(s) when it drops to that! © Fraser at Sea.
Those are some of the things that it’s important that you think about on the topic of drinks packages. Hopefully this post will help you to save some money on your future cruise(s) - don’t fall into any of the common traps!
If you’ve enjoyed this article, then please share it - this is the quickest and easiest way to support my content. Also, why not check out another of my posts below?
Here’s a YouTube video that I think you’ll enjoy. In this one, I’m telling you about 14 things that you can get for free on lots of cruise ships. This one’s worth a watch, because the cruise lines aren’t going to tell you that they offer these things…!
