The Fred. Olsen drinks package is now called the Premium Drinks Package. It costs £32 to £44 per person per night when booked in advance, depending on cruise length, and £4 a night more if you buy it on board. Since January 2026, every Freedom Fare already includes selected house beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner. So the upgrade only pays off if you drink regularly outside meals or prefer branded spirits and cocktails.
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This guide covers the 2026 and 2027 prices, what is and isn’t included, typical bar prices, and a simple break-even table so you can decide before you sail.
Fred. Olsen Drinks Package Prices for 2026 and 2027
Fred. Olsen prices its Premium Drinks Package per person, per night, in bands that get cheaper the longer you sail. Prices are in sterling, so currency changes don’t affect what you pay on board.
| Cruise length | Pre-booked (pp/night) | Bought on board (pp/night) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 5 nights | £44 | £48 |
| 6 to 27 nights | £40 | £44 |
| 28 to 69 nights | £36 | £40 |
| 70+ nights | £32 | £36 |
On a typical 14-night cruise, that’s £560 per person pre-booked, or £1,120 for a couple. A 71-night grand voyage at £32 a night comes to £2,272 each. Fred. Olsen says prices can change, so check the current rate when you book.
Look out for half-price and free drinks offers
Fred. Olsen regularly runs promotions on the package. In summer 2026, for example, it offered the Premium Drinks Package at half price, from £20 per person per night, on selected Bolette, Borealis and Balmoral sailings between October 2026 and January 2027 for bookings made by 30 July 2026. Offers like this come and go, so if you’re flexible on dates, watching for them can save several hundred pounds per person.
What’s Already Included in Your Fare
From January 2026, Fred. Olsen moved to what it calls inclusive pricing. On a Freedom Fare, the following are part of the price:
- Selected house beer, red, white and rosé wine by the glass, and draught soft drinks with lunch and dinner
- Waiter service in the main restaurant, the casual dining venue and the speciality restaurants
- Crew gratuities
- Shuttle buses where a port is more than a mile from the ship
- Tea and coffee facilities in your cabin
- Free tap water at bars and restaurants
The dining drinks are served with your meal only. They don’t apply at the bar before dinner, by the pool or at a show. That’s the gap the Premium Drinks Package fills.
What the Premium Drinks Package Includes
The package covers drinks in the bars and lounges throughout the day, as well as better choices with meals. According to Fred. Olsen, it includes:
- The full cocktail and mocktail menus
- Branded spirits, including gin, rum, vodka and liqueurs, as singles or doubles
- A selection of whisky and brandy (premium labels excluded)
- Branded lager, ale and cider in bottles, cans and on draught
- All red, white, rosé and sparkling wine by the glass
- Sherry, port, Madeira and vermouth
- Soft drinks, mixers and juices
- Alcohol-free spirits, beer and wine by the glass
Package holders also get 25% off bottles of red, white and rosé wine and premium whiskies and brandies, plus 10% off Champagne, sparkling wine bottles and dessert wine.
Fred. Olsen states there is no set limit on the number of drinks, although bar staff apply a responsible service policy. Some older third-party guides mention a 15-drinks-a-day cap, but the line’s own page no longer lists one. The package is linked to your cruise card, which you show when ordering.
What isn’t included
- Speciality coffees
- Drinks from the Bookmark Café and the Serenity Tea Room
- Room service drinks
- Red Bull
- 750ml glass bottles of mineral water
- Wine and Champagne by the bottle (discounted, not free)
- Premium whiskies and brandies (discounted, not free)
Is coffee included in the Fred. Olsen drinks package?
No. Speciality coffees such as lattes and cappuccinos aren’t covered, and neither is anything from the café or tea room. Standard tea and coffee with meals and the tea-making kit in your cabin are part of the cruise fare anyway, so most guests won’t go without.
Fred. Olsen Drinks Price List 2026
To judge the package, you need to know what you’d pay without it. These are typical bar prices reported for early 2026. They may change, so treat them as a guide.
| Drink | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Pint of draught lager | £5 to £6 |
| Bottled beer or cider | £4.50 to £6 |
| Glass of house wine (175ml) | £6 |
| Glass of premium wine (175ml) | £9 |
| House spirit (25ml) | £4 |
| Mini mixer | £2.25 |
| Signature cocktail | £7.95 |
| Classic cocktail | £7.25 |
| Mocktail | £5 |
| Canned soft drink | £3 |
| Cappuccino or latte | £4 |
By cruise standards these prices are modest, which is one reason the package isn’t an automatic yes.
Is the Fred. Olsen Drinks Package Worth It? A Break-Even Guide
Because drinks with lunch and dinner are already included, count only what you’d buy outside meals, plus any upgrade from house wine to something better. The table shows roughly how many paid drinks per person per day you’d need to match the pre-booked price.
| Package price | Cocktails at £7.95 | Wine at £6 | Gin and tonic at about £6.25 | Pints at £5.50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £44 (1 to 5 nights) | 5.5 | 7.3 | 7.0 | 8.0 |
| £40 (6 to 27 nights) | 5.0 | 6.7 | 6.4 | 7.3 |
| £36 (28 to 69 nights) | 4.5 | 6.0 | 5.8 | 6.5 |
| £32 (70+ nights) | 4.0 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 5.8 |
| £20 (half-price offer) | 2.5 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.6 |
At full price on a two-week cruise, you’d need around five cocktails or six to seven glasses of wine each day on top of your included meal drinks. That’s a lot for most people. At the half-price rate, though, two or three drinks a day covers it.
Who should buy it
- Guests who enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail, an after-show nightcap and a drink on deck most days
- Anyone who prefers branded spirits, sparkling wine or a wider wine choice to the house pours
- Long-voyage passengers on the £32 or £36 bands
- Anyone who can catch a half-price promotion
Who should skip it
- Light drinkers happy with house wine or beer at dinner
- Guests on port-heavy itineraries who spend most days ashore, such as a Norwegian fjords cruise from the UK with long days in port
- Coffee lovers hoping to cover café drinks, which aren’t included
If you’re weighing up packages across different lines, our roundup of cruise drink package loopholes explains which money-saving tricks actually work.
How to Book the Premium Drinks Package
You can add the package when you book, or later through Fred. Olsen’s reservations team or your travel agent, up to a few days before departure. It can also be bought on board, but at £4 per person per night more. Fred. Olsen’s published terms don’t spell out whether everyone in a cabin must buy it, so ask when you book if only one of you wants it. The Oceans loyalty discount can’t be combined with the package.
The package is available across the current ocean fleet of Bolette, Borealis and Balmoral. Braemar has since been sold and is no longer part of the fleet, so ignore older guides that mention her.
If you are booking Bolette, see our guide to the best cabins on Bolette and which locations to avoid.
The drinks packages are the same on every ship, so our guide to the Fred. Olsen fleet can help you pick the right ship for your cruise.
FAQs
How much is the Fred. Olsen drinks package?
The Premium Drinks Package costs £44 per person per night for cruises of up to five nights, £40 for 6 to 27 nights, £36 for 28 to 69 nights and £32 for 70 nights or more when bought in advance. It’s £4 a night more on board.
Are drinks included on Fred. Olsen cruises?
Yes, partly. Since January 2026, Freedom Fares include selected house beer, wine and draught soft drinks with lunch and dinner. Drinks at the bars outside mealtimes are extra unless you buy the Premium Drinks Package.
Is coffee included in the Fred. Olsen drinks package?
No. Speciality coffees and drinks from the café and tea room are excluded. Standard tea and coffee with meals and in-cabin facilities are part of the fare.
Is there a limit on drinks with the package?
Fred. Olsen says there’s no set limit on the number of drinks, though staff can pause service under its responsible drinking policy.
Can I bring my own drinks on board?
Fred. Olsen allows guests to bring their own soft drinks and snacks on board in hand luggage. Check the line’s current alcohol policy before packing wine or spirits.
