Ambassador Cruise Line has renamed its three adult drinks packages, with the changes taking effect in September 2026 as the cruise line moves to make the differences between its options easier to understand.
The former Expedition Package is now known as the Premium Drinks Package, while the Explorer Package has become the Classic Drinks Package. The Experience Package, which provides an alcohol-free selection, has been renamed the Non-Alcoholic Package.
Despite the new terminology, Ambassador says there have been no changes to the drinks, discounts or other benefits provided by the three packages. The move is therefore a change of name rather than an overhaul of the drinks package offering.
What The New Ambassador Drinks Package Names Mean
Under the revised system, Ambassador’s three main adult packages are the Non-Alcoholic, Classic and Premium Drinks Packages.
The Non-Alcoholic Package includes soft drinks, mocktails and non-alcoholic beer, while the Classic Drinks Package adds alcoholic options including house brands from the bar list and house wines by the glass.
Passengers purchasing the Classic package also receive a 50% discount on premium beverages that are not included outright.
The Premium Drinks Package is the most comprehensive of the three. It covers the drinks available with the Classic package as well as premium wines, premium drinks from the bar list, premium teas and speciality coffees.
Gratuities for the cruise are also included with each of Ambassador’s three adult drinks packages. Ambassador generally charges gratuities of £7 per person, per night, falling to £6 per night on cruises lasting 15 nights or more.
The cruise line additionally offers Adventurers drinks packages for children on selected family-friendly sailings. These have not been included in the September renaming of the three adult packages.
Prices And Package Rules Remain Important
The amount passengers pay for an Ambassador drinks package varies according to the package, cruise duration and whether it is purchased in advance or closer to departure.
For cruises of between five and 29 nights, advance prices are currently £20.95 per person, per night for the Non-Alcoholic Package, £42.95 for the Classic Drinks Package and £49.95 for the Premium Drinks Package.
The equivalent prices for purchases at the higher rate are £22.95, £47.95 and £55.95 respectively.
Different rates apply to shorter cruises and voyages of 30 to 69 nights. On the longest cruises, advance prices fall to £18.95 per night for the Non-Alcoholic Package, £37.95 for Classic and £44.95 for Premium.
Passengers also need to take Ambassador’s package rules into account before buying. Guests sharing a cabin are generally required to purchase the same drinks package for the entire cruise, although separate arrangements apply when travelling with children.
Packages cannot be purchased for selected days of a sailing. Guests buying in advance can secure the lower rate until seven days before departure, while those who wait until boarding have only the first 24 hours of the cruise to add a package.
There are exclusions even with a drinks package. Bottled wines, bottled water and drinks or snacks from the minibar are not included.
Ambassador also changed its drinks policy in April 2026, removing the previous daily limit on the number of drinks available through a package while reducing standard spirit measures from 40ml to 25ml. Guests can order only one drink at a time and must wait 15 minutes before ordering another.
The latest change does not alter any of those conditions. Instead, the new names are intended to make the level of each package more immediately apparent, particularly by identifying the alcohol-free option as Non-Alcoholic and distinguishing the two alcoholic tiers as Classic and Premium.
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