The best cruise drink package hacks in 2026 are the ones cruise lines allow: buy your package before you sail, use your wine carry-on allowance, use loyalty or suite drink perks, and pick a smaller package (soda, coffee or wine bottles) if you won’t drink enough alcohol to justify the full one. None of these needs you to bend a rule. They just need a bit of planning and some honest maths about how much you drink.
Below are eight legitimate loopholes that still work for 2026 and 2027 sailings. We’ve also added a simple break-even check so you can see whether a package makes sense for you at all.
Why most cruise drink package hacks are really about timing and maths
Drink packages on mainstream lines are priced per person, per day, and almost always come with an automatic service charge on top. Royal Caribbean adds 18%, and Carnival raised its beverage service charge from 18% to 20% in December 2025. Most lines also require every adult in a cabin to buy the same alcoholic package if one adult does. That rule is why so many “hacks” online are really ways of cheating the system. Sharing a package or swapping cards breaks the terms and can get a package cancelled without a refund. If you want the details, our guide to Royal Caribbean drink package rules and why cheating isn’t worth it covers what goes wrong.
The good news is that the legal options save more money than most of the rule-breaking tricks anyway.
The 8 cruise drink package loopholes that still work in 2026
1. Buy before you board, and keep watching the price
Pre-cruise prices are almost always lower than onboard prices. Royal Caribbean sells its packages through the Cruise Planner, and prices for the same sailing go up and down with frequent sales. Because a package can usually be cancelled and rebought before sailing, a common, allowed tactic is to buy early and then check again during later sales. If the price drops, cancel and rebuy at the lower rate. Carnival also charges less for CHEERS! when you buy it ahead of time than when you buy it onboard, and it honoured old prices for passengers who had already bought packages before its April 2026 price changes. Buying early also protects you from the next increase.
2. Use your wine and champagne carry-on allowance
Most big lines still let adults bring a limited amount of wine or champagne on embarkation day. This is the closest thing to a true loophole, and it is completely within the rules. Drink your bottle in your cabin and you usually pay no corkage. Open it in a restaurant and a corkage fee applies. The allowances at the time of writing are in the table further down.
3. Choose a partial package instead of the full one
If you mainly want fizzy drinks, specialty coffee or a glass of wine at dinner, an alcoholic package is usually poor value. Look instead at:
- Soda packages such as Royal Caribbean’s Classic Soda package or Carnival’s Bottomless Bubbles (now $11.99 per adult per day before the service charge, after an April 2026 increase)
- Refreshment-style packages covering specialty coffee, mocktails, juices and bottled water
- Wine bottle packages, where you prepay for a set number of bottles at a discount and the restaurant stores any you don’t finish for your next dinner
Non-alcoholic packages are often exempt from the rule that everyone in the cabin must buy the same package, so a couple can mix and match.
4. Book a fare that already includes drinks
Sometimes the cheapest drink package is the one built into the fare. Celebrity’s All Included fares bundle a drinks package. Norwegian’s More at Sea promotion includes an open bar on most fares, though you still pay the service charge. Princess Plus and Premier fares include a beverage package. Compare the bundled fare with the cheapest fare plus a package bought separately. Sometimes the bundle wins and sometimes it doesn’t, especially if one person in the cabin barely drinks.
5. Pick a line where the basics are free
Virgin Voyages includes soft drinks, juices, filtered water and basic coffee for all guests. You only pay for alcohol, through a bar tab rather than an all-or-nothing package. At the luxury end, lines such as Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, Silversea and Explora Journeys include most drinks in the fare, and Viking includes beer and wine with lunch and dinner. If drinks are a big part of your budget, a higher fare with drinks included can work out cheaper. Our comparison of the Virgin Voyages bar tab versus traditional drink packages sets out how the numbers compare.
6. Earn loyalty and suite drink perks
Frequent cruisers get some of the best legitimate free drinks at sea:
- Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor: Diamond members get four drink vouchers per person per day, Diamond Plus get five and Pinnacle Club get six. Each voucher covers a drink up to a set value (around $14 on most sailings) and resets daily.
- Celebrity Captain’s Club: Elite, Elite Plus and Zenith members get an evening happy hour, usually 5pm to 7pm, at participating bars, with a set menu of house cocktails, wine, beer and spirits.
- Suites: top suite categories on several lines include lounge access with complimentary drinks at certain hours, or a full drinks package.
If you’re close to the next loyalty tier, booking back-to-back sailings or a slightly longer cruise can unlock these perks sooner.
7. Use happy hours, drink-of-the-day specials and onboard events
Without a package, the daily planner is your friend. Many ships run a discounted drink of the day, bar happy hours, and wine or spirit tastings that cost less than buying the same drinks separately. Formal nights, captain’s receptions and art auctions sometimes come with complimentary sparkling wine. Casino players who rack up enough play can earn free drinks while gambling, though you shouldn’t gamble just to get them.
8. Make port days work for you
Port days are where many passengers lose value on a full package, because they’re ashore for most of the day. Drinking ashore at local prices is often cheaper than a ship’s bar. On very port-heavy itineraries, skipping the package and paying as you go can save a lot. Some lines also let you buy wine or local spirits in port, although spirits are usually held until the end of the cruise rather than handed back straight away.
Can you bring alcohol on a cruise? Carry-on rules by line
Yes, on most major lines, but usually only wine or champagne, in limited amounts, carried on at embarkation. Beer and spirits are generally not allowed. Policies change, so always check your cruise line’s official FAQ before you pack.
| Cruise line | Wine/champagne allowed at embarkation | Typical corkage outside your cabin |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Caribbean | One 750ml bottle per adult (21+) | Around $15 in dining venues |
| Carnival | One sealed 750ml bottle per adult (21+) | $15 per bottle |
| Norwegian (NCL) | Sealed bottles, no fixed limit | $15 per 750ml, $30 per 1.5L, charged wherever opened |
| Celebrity | A small allowance (check current per-cabin limit) | $25 |
| Princess | One 750ml bottle per adult; extra bottles allowed for a fee | $20 in public areas, and $20 on extra bottles |
| Disney | One bottle of wine or six beers per adult | About $20 in dining rooms |
| Virgin Voyages | Two 750ml bottles per cabin | Fee applies outside the cabin |
| MSC | Generally not permitted at embarkation | Not applicable |
Two practical tips. First, put the bottle in your hand luggage, not your checked bag, so it’s visible at security and isn’t lost in the luggage system. Second, check how the wine would be handled if you open it in a restaurant: corkage fees are often charged per bottle regardless of size.
How to save money on cruise drinks: a quick break-even check
This is the step most guides skip, and it’s the one that saves the most money. Before you buy any package:
- Take the daily price and add the service charge (18% to 20% on most lines).
- Divide by what a typical drink you’d order costs onboard. Cocktails on mainstream ships often cost $13 to $16 before the service charge.
- That’s how many drinks you need every day, including port days and the first and last days, just to break even.
For example, a package costing $80 a day plus 18% comes to about $94.40. With cocktails at around $15, you’d need six or more drinks every single day to come out ahead. Specialty coffees, bottled water and mocktails help, but if you’re realistically a three-drink-a-day person, paying as you go plus one or two of the loopholes above will almost certainly cost less. Our cruise drink packages comparison lists what each line’s packages include, so you can plug in real numbers.
Cruise drink hacks to avoid
Some tips that circulate online can cost you more than they save. Hiding spirits in mouthwash bottles or “rum runners”, sharing one package between two people, or ordering doubles for a friend all break cruise line rules. Security scanners at embarkation regularly find hidden alcohol, and the line can confiscate it, cancel your package or, in serious cases, remove you from the ship. Stick to the legitimate options and you keep both the savings and your peace of mind.
If you haven’t booked yet, it’s also worth looking at current cruise deals for 2027, as many promotions now include drinks or onboard credit that you can put towards your bar bill.
If you’re booking Norwegian, it’s worth reading our breakdown of whether NCL Free at Sea is worth it before you accept the perks, because the service charges decide whether it’s a good deal.
Sailing with Costa instead? Our Costa Cruises drinks package guide explains the current packages, prices and cabin rules.
On Norwegian, the drinks package often comes bundled with the fare, so check what NCL Free at Sea includes before buying extras.
FAQs
Is there a legal way to share a cruise drink package?
Not for alcoholic packages on most mainstream lines. If one adult in a cabin buys one, every adult usually has to buy the same one. Non-alcoholic packages such as soda or coffee packages are often exempt, so a couple can each choose a different option.
Can you bring alcohol on a cruise?
On most big lines you can bring a limited amount of wine or champagne at embarkation, typically one 750ml bottle per adult. Beer and spirits are generally not allowed, and MSC usually doesn’t permit any. Check your line’s current policy before packing.
Is a cruise drink package cheaper before the cruise?
Yes. Pre-cruise prices are normally lower than onboard prices, and lines such as Royal Caribbean run regular sales in their online planners. You can often cancel and rebuy if the price drops before you sail.
How many drinks a day make a drink package worth it?
Divide the daily price plus the service charge by the cost of a typical drink. For many mainstream packages that works out at five to seven drinks a day, every day of the cruise.
Do port days affect whether a drink package is worth it?
Yes. You pay for the package every day, even when you’re ashore. On itineraries with lots of port stops, paying as you go is often the cheaper option.
