Food and drink - Luxury Cruising

These 9 Drinks Are Always FREE On Carnival Cruises

September 16, 2026

by Luxury Cruising Editorial Carnival Cruise Lines Cruise News Food and drink

Carnival’s CHEERS! package can look tempting at first glance… Unlimited cocktails, speciality coffees, bottled water, energy drinks. It all sounds great until you realise the price can add hundreds to your cruise fare!

This image shows three bottles of liquor displayed on a bar counter aboard a Carnival Cruise ship. The bottles include Campari, Amaro Nonino, and Amaro Montenegro, each accompanied by a small glass of the corresponding drink in front of them. The background features a well-lit bar area with a variety of other bottles on shelves, and a sign that reads "AMARI." The setup highlights the selection of Italian liqueurs available on the cruise.

And that leaves a lot of first-time Carnival cruisers wondering the same thing – if you skip the drinks package, will you actually get anything decent to drink for free?

The good news is yes, absolutely. Carnival includes more free drinks than many people realise, and unless you’re planning to drink cocktails all day long, you might find the complimentary options are more than enough.

There are a few catches though.

The 9 Free Drinks On Carnival Cruises

1. Water

Tap water is completely free on Carnival cruise ships, and you can get it all over the ship.

You can ask for iced water in restaurants and bars, while water dispensers are available in the buffet area. The water onboard is filtered and perfectly safe to drink.

A lot of cruisers actually prefer the taste to the tap water back home.

The tap water in your cabin bathroom is safe too, although it may not always be very cold. If you like icy water, ask your cabin steward for an ice bucket.

What isn’t free is bottled water. Carnival sells bottled still and sparkling water separately, or it’s included with some drinks packages and casino offers.

One tip – bring a reusable bottle or insulated tumbler. Most regular Carnival cruisers do.

2. Lemonade

Carnival’s lemonade is one of the most popular free drinks onboard.

You’ll usually find it at the self-service drink stations on the Lido deck near the buffet. It’s American-style lemonade rather than fizzy Sprite-style lemonade, so think sweet, tart and refreshing.

It’s available throughout much of the day and makes a nice alternative when you’re bored of plain water.

A lot of cruisers bring powdered drink mixes or reusable tumblers to make the free lemonade last longer around the ship.

3. Iced Tea

Unsweetened iced tea is another free staple on Carnival ships.

You’ll normally find it alongside the lemonade dispensers in the buffet area, and it’s also available in the Main Dining Room.

If you’re American, you should know Carnival’s iced tea isn’t sweet tea by default. You’ll need to add sugar or sweetener yourself.

Some guests even make their own sweet tea by brewing hot tea over ice with extra sugar packets.

4. Coffee

Regular brewed coffee is free on Carnival cruises – good news if you need that caffeine hit.

You can grab it from the buffet drink stations and restaurants throughout the day, and it’s usually available almost around the clock.

The free coffee is basic drip coffee rather than barista-made coffee, but most guests seem perfectly happy with it.

If you want cappuccinos, lattes, iced coffees or espresso drinks, those count as speciality coffee and cost extra unless you have CHEERS! or another package that includes them.

This is where many people get caught out when looking at the drinks packages. If you drink several speciality coffees every day, the package starts making more sense.

But if you just want a standard coffee in the morning? You’re covered already.

5. Hot Tea

Tea drinkers won’t go thirsty either, so more good news for fans of hot beverages.

Carnival offers complimentary hot tea bags at buffet drink stations and in restaurants, with options usually including English Breakfast, green tea and herbal teas.

The quality is fairly standard cruise tea, but it does the job.

If you’re sailing from the UK, you may notice more tea options appear than on Caribbean sailings. Carnival does adapt slightly to British passengers on European itineraries, though only with minor touches like this. Don’t expect a completely British experience onboard.

6. Hot Chocolate

Carnival’s hot chocolate has a surprisingly loyal fanbase. You’ll usually find it at selected buffet beverage stations, although it can be easy to miss because not every machine offers it.

A lot of guests mix the hot chocolate with the free coffee to make a DIY mocha.

Others swirl it into Carnival’s soft-serve ice cream for what might be one of the least healthy but most enjoyable cruise snacks possible.

7. Milk

Milk is available free during breakfast service, including regular milk and often skimmed milk too.

You’ll normally find cartons in the buffet area near the cereal and breakfast stations.

If you need dairy-free alternatives like soy milk or almond milk, Carnival can often provide them if requested, although availability can vary by ship.

8. Chocolate Milk

At breakfast, many Carnival ships also offer cartons of chocolate milk.

This tends to be one of those hidden little cruise favourites that regular Carnival cruisers quietly get excited about.

If you don’t immediately see it in the buffet, it’s worth asking.

9. Fruit Juice

Carnival offers free fruit juice during breakfast hours.

The exact options vary, but usually include orange juice, apple juice and sometimes tropical blends like orange-guava-passionfruit juice.

Outside breakfast hours, juice generally becomes chargeable unless it’s included with your package.

That catches some first-time cruisers out, especially if they’re used to cruise lines that offer juice all day.

Other Ways To Get Free Drinks On Carnival

There are also a few situations where Carnival guests may get extra complimentary drinks onboard.

Art Auctions

Some art auctions offer free sparkling wine or Champagne-style drinks while you browse.

It’s not guaranteed on every sailing, but it’s common enough that experienced cruisers know to keep an eye out.

Just remember the goal is usually to encourage guests to buy artwork.

Casino Offers

Carnival often gives casino guests complimentary drinks offers, especially through casino promotions.

Some offers include free drinks while playing in the casino, although rules vary depending on the promotion and your casino status.

Typically, drinks are meant to be ordered while actively gambling rather than simply walking up to the bar.

These perks can include alcoholic drinks, soda, speciality coffee, bottled water and energy drinks.

VIFP Parties And Special Events

Carnival’s VIFP loyalty programme sometimes includes invite-only events with complimentary drinks.

These can vary depending on your loyalty level, the sailing and special promotions running at the time.

Some suite guests and casino guests may also receive invitations to private events with free drinks.

Suite Perks

If you’re staying in a suite on your Carnival cruise, you’ll get two large bottles of water free.

There’s been some confusion over this – it used to be that you had to claim the bottles from a bar, and people would drink the bottles in their minibar instead, thinking those were the free ones, then complain about charges…

It’s all been simplified now and the free bottles are in your suite, with a tag explaining that they’re free.

Bringing Your Own Drinks On Carnival

Carnival’s drink rules are stricter than some cruise lines, but you are allowed to bring some drinks onboard yourself.

Each guest can carry on:

One 750ml bottle of wine or Champagne per adult
Up to 12 sealed cans or cartons of non-alcoholic drinks

There are some important rules though…

The soft drinks must be cans or cartons – not plastic bottles. And they need to be packed in your carry-on luggage rather than your checked bags.

This can be a really good money-saving trick if you’re driving to the port. If you’re flying, though, carrying a 12-pack through airports and transfers may not feel worth the hassle.

A lot of Carnival cruisers compromise by bringing a few favourite drinks onboard and then relying on the free lemonade, iced tea and water for the rest of the cruise.

Suggested read: Carnival Cruise Luggage Rules

What Isn’t Free On Carnival?

These drinks are not included unless you buy a drinks package or pay individually:

Speciality coffee like cappuccinos, lattes and espresso
Bottled water
Soda
Energy drinks
Milkshakes
Mocktails
Fresh juices and smoothies
Alcoholic drinks

Is Carnival’s CHEERS! Package Worth It?

This really depends on how you cruise.

Thousands of cruisers use my free drink package calculator to find out before they sail….

For many people, CHEERS! only starts making financial sense if you’re drinking several alcoholic drinks per day alongside bottled water, speciality coffees or energy drinks.

A couple of cocktails and a morning latte usually won’t justify the cost.

And this is where Carnival’s free drinks selection helps more than people expect.

You can already get:

Water
Lemonade
Iced tea
Coffee
Tea
Hot chocolate
Breakfast juices

…without spending anything extra.

If you mostly drink wine with dinner, it may actually work out cheaper to skip CHEERS! and either pay as you go or look into Carnival’s wine packages instead.

NEW DEALS JUST RELEASED!

See the latest Carnival cruise offers…

The Bottom Line

Carnival definitely wants guests to buy drinks packages – that part is obvious. But the free drinks situation onboard is actually pretty decent.

You won’t be stuck drinking plain tap water all week unless you want to.

Between the lemonade, iced tea, coffee, tea, juices and hot chocolate, there’s enough variety that many cruisers happily skip CHEERS! altogether and save themselves hundreds.

And if you bring a few cans onboard yourself, you may find you barely miss the package at all.

Source link

13 Cruise Ship Food Facts That Most Guests Never Know

August 9, 2026

by Luxury Cruising Editorial Cruise Lines Cruise News Food and drink

Unlimited food is one of the biggest selling points of a cruise – and to be fair, it lives up to the hype. Late-night pizza, multi-course dinners, snacks whenever you feel like it… it’s all there.

But once you look a little closer, it’s clear this isn’t just a case of “help yourself and enjoy.” There’s a whole system behind it, and most of it stays completely out of sight.

I’ve always found that side of cruising really interesting. What feels effortless as a guest is actually planned down to an almost obsessive level. Some of it’s impressive, some of it’s a bit surprising, and a few things might even change how you think about eating onboard.

Because as indulgent as it all feels, there’s a lot going on in the background that cruise lines don’t exactly advertise.

1. Cruise Ships Load a Huge Amount of Food – All at Once

Before passengers even step onboard, there’s a massive operation happening at the port.

Ships aren’t just topping up supplies. They’re loading everything needed to feed thousands of people for the entire trip. That means tens of thousands of eggs, tonnes of fruit and veg, and more meat, dairy, and dry goods than you can really picture.

What’s even more impressive is how quickly it happens. In just a few hours, pallets are moved onboard in a process that’s clearly been refined over time. It’s fast, organised, and leaves very little room for mistakes.

Once the ship sails, there’s no quick trip to the supermarket if something runs out. Everything depends on getting that initial load right.

Actually, that’s a little white lie. On some more premium cruise ships, the senior kitchen crew might head to local markets while in port to pick up some extra ingredients – and sometimes there’s even excursions where you can join them!

2. There’s a Lot More Thought Put Into Food Waste Than You’d Expect

You’d think waste would be a huge problem with this much food – and in the past, it definitely was.

These days, cruise lines put a lot of effort into reducing it. Kitchens track what gets eaten and what comes back uneaten, then adjust portions and prep accordingly as the cruise goes on.

Buffets are a good example. Instead of piling everything out at once, food is topped up in smaller batches. It looks the same to you, but it means less ends up being thrown away.

It’s not perfect, and it probably never will be. When you’re feeding thousands of people with unpredictable appetites, some waste is unavoidable. But there’s a lot more strategy behind it than most people realise.

3. Crew and Guests Eat Very Different Food

It’s easy to assume the crew are eating the same meals as guests, just in a different dining room. In reality, it’s quite different.

Crew have their own dining areas, with menus designed to be practical, filling, and familiar. On an international ship, that usually means a mix of cuisines that reflect where crew members come from.

It’s less about presentation and more about keeping people fed and energised through long shifts.

That doesn’t mean the food is bad – far from it. It’s just not the same multi-course experience you get as a guest. It’s a reminder that behind the holiday atmosphere, this is still a workplace.

4. Buffets Are Designed More Carefully Than They Look

Cruise buffets can feel a bit chaotic at first, but they’re actually very deliberately set up.

Things like plate size, layout, and even the order you see food in all play a role in what people take. Smaller plates naturally limit portions. Putting salads first nudges people to fill some space before reaching the heavier options.

Even the placement of popular dishes is planned, often spread out to avoid queues building up in one spot. It’s why a lot of larger ships have buffets where everything’s duplicated on both sides – and the positions on each are carefully thought through. Anything to cut crowds and queues down and keep things flowing.

It’s not about controlling you, exactly. It’s more about keeping things flowing smoothly and cutting down on waste at the same time. Once you notice it, it’s hard to unsee.

5. A Lot of Food Is Prepped Ahead of Time

With the volume of meals being served, everything can’t be cooked from scratch the second you order it.

A lot of the work is done earlier in the day – chopping, prepping, partially cooking, or even fully preparing components that just need finishing.

In the main dining room, your plate might arrive quickly, but most of the effort has already happened behind the scenes.

That’s how they keep things consistent and avoid long waits. It’s not quite the same as a small restaurant kitchen, but it works for the scale they’re dealing with.

6. Food Safety Is Taken Seriously – Really Seriously

Food safety on cruise ships isn’t something they take lightly.

With so many people in one place, even a small issue could spread quickly. That’s why there are dedicated teams focused entirely on hygiene and safety.

Princess cruise kitchen crew talking with each other

There are strict rules around everything – how food is stored, how long it can sit out, the temperatures it needs to reach. On top of that, ships go through regular inspections to make sure standards are being followed.

Some of it’s visible, like the hand-washing stations at buffet entrances. It might feel a bit over the top, but there’s a good reason for it.

7. Ordering More Than One Dish Is Completely Normal

One of the best things about cruise dining is the flexibility.

In most main dining rooms, you’re not limited to one starter, one main, and one dessert. If you want to try a couple of things, you can. No awkwardness, no raised eyebrows.

Two starters? Go for it. Two desserts? Also fine.

It takes the pressure off choosing, which makes the whole experience feel a lot more relaxed. And if something’s not to your taste, you can just order something else.

You just need to check the specific rules for your cruise line because a couple of them have started charging if you order too much. Starters and desserts are typically fine, but it’s the mains/entrees where there may be a limit. Even then, you’re typically fine with two!

8. Dietary Requirements Are Usually Well Covered

Cruise lines have got pretty good at handling dietary needs.

Whether it’s allergies, intolerances, or lifestyle choices like vegetarian or vegan diets, most ships can accommodate with a bit of notice.

In main dining rooms, you can often pre-order meals a day ahead so the kitchen has time to prepare something suitable. Buffets usually label options too, though it’s always worth double-checking if it’s something serious.

It’s not always completely seamless, especially on larger ships, but overall it takes a lot of the stress out of eating away from home.

As a vegan, I rarely find a cruise ship where I can’t enjoy good variety. Some are definitely better than others though!

9. “Free” Food Isn’t Really Free

It might feel like everything’s included, but of course, the cost of food is built into your cruise fare.

Cruise lines have to balance quality with cost, and part of that strategy is offering specialty restaurants for an extra charge.

That way, base prices stay competitive, while giving people the option to upgrade if they want something a bit different.

You’ll also notice smaller upsells here and there – drinks, premium items, that sort of thing. Nothing too pushy, but it’s definitely part of the bigger picture.

10. Specialty Restaurants Are Where Things Get More Interesting

If the main dining room is about consistency, specialty restaurants are where cruise lines get a bit more creative.

That’s where you’ll find more unusual dishes, higher-end ingredients, and sometimes even menus designed by celebrity chefs.

Because you’re paying extra, these restaurants don’t have to appeal to everyone. That gives them more room to experiment.

If you want something that feels a bit less standard, this is usually where you’ll find it.

11. Not Everything Goes Straight in the Bin

There are strict rules around what can be reused, but not all leftovers are automatically thrown away.

Ships have systems in place to deal with food waste properly – whether that’s processing it onboard or offloading it in port under strict regulations.

You’d be surprised at how sophisticated some of the modern systems are – dehydrating the remains, turning huge volumes into much smaller amounts of waste product. It’s all very clever.

It’s not something you’ll notice as a guest, but it’s a big part of how modern cruise ships operate.

12. Ingredients Come From All Over the World

To keep menus consistent, cruise lines rely on a global supply chain.

Different ingredients are loaded at different ports, depending on availability and regulations. Fresh produce might come onboard in one destination, while frozen or dry goods are stocked somewhere else.

It takes a lot of coordination, but it’s what allows ships to serve similar dishes no matter where you are in the world.

13. The Best Food Isn’t Always Where You Expect

It’s easy to stick to the main dining room or buffet, but some of the best food onboard is often in smaller, quieter spots.

Cafés, poolside grills, little grab-and-go places – they don’t always get as much attention, but they can be surprisingly good.

Guests enjoying a delightful dining experience at Alfredo's Pizzeria on Royal Princess, with a waiter serving a fresh, hot pizza. The atmosphere is casual yet elegant, as the diners engage in cheerful conversation, with wine glasses and a variety of pizzas on the table, accentuating the restaurant's cozy and inviting ambiance.

They tend to have simpler menus, but they do those few things really well. And because they’re less crowded, the whole experience feels more relaxed.

It’s worth exploring early on. You might find your favourite meal ends up being somewhere you nearly walked straight past.

TODAY’S BEST CRUISE DEALS!

Don’t miss these offers…

Final Word

Cruise food might feel effortless when you’re piling your plate high or ordering a second dessert, but there’s a huge amount going on behind the scenes to make it all work.

From careful planning and waste control to clever design choices and hidden upsells, it’s a system built to keep things running smoothly while still feeling indulgent.

The good news is you don’t need to think about any of that while you’re onboard – but knowing a few of these details might just help you make the most of it.

If you found this interesting, please share!

Jenni with Disney Cruise ship at Castaway Cay

Source link

Couple enjoying dinner at a table for two on a cruise ship deck with the sea behind them

How to Get a Table for Two on a Cruise (and Avoid Sharing at Dinner)

November 5, 2026

by Luxury Cruising Editorial Cruise Lines Cruise News Food and drink

Yes, you can usually get a table for two on a cruise, but it is rarely automatic. The easiest routes are to choose a flexible dining option (Freedom, Anytime, My Time or Freestyle) and ask for two at the door each evening, or to request a table for two at booking and confirm it with the maître d’ on embarkation day. On a few lines, mainly Disney and some fixed-sitting fares, sharing is built in, so it pays to know the rules before you book.

Below we cover why shared tables exist, fixed vs flexible dining, each major line’s policy and a step-by-step plan. Policies change, so always check the current terms for your sailing.

Why cruise ships seat strangers together

Cruise table sharing is not about making you awkward; it is about logistics. A main dining room may need to feed well over a thousand people in two or three sittings, and large round tables for six, eight or ten use floor space far more efficiently than lots of small tables. Fixed sittings also let the galley plan exactly how many covers to cook for at 6pm and 8pm, and they let the same waiters look after the same guests all week.

There is a social tradition too: many long-standing British lines still treat the shared table as part of the experience, so tables for two are genuinely limited on some ships.

Fixed vs flexible dining: the choice that decides who you sit with

Which of these you pick affects table sharing more than anything else.

Fixed (traditional) dining

You are given a set time, typically an early sitting around 6pm and a later one around 8pm to 8.30pm, plus a table number that stays the same for the whole cruise. You keep the same waiters and, on a shared table, the same companions every night. P&O Cruises calls this Club Dining, Celebrity calls it Select Dining Early or Late, and Holland America calls it pre-set dining.

If you choose fixed dining and want privacy, you must request a table for two in advance. Requests are usually “subject to availability”, and late requests are often waitlisted.

Flexible (anytime) dining

You turn up within opening hours, or book a time, and are seated as tables free up. The big advantage for couples is that you can ask for a table for two every single evening. The trade-offs are possible queues at peak times, a different waiter most nights and, on some lines, prepaid gratuities or limited places.

Candlelit table set for two by a window, the kind of private table couples request on a cruise — A table for two by the window is the most requested seat in many main dining rooms. Photo: Nadin Sh on Pexels

Cruise line table-sharing policies compared

Here is how the main lines handle main dining room seating at the time of writing. Speciality restaurants will normally seat you as a couple on any line.

Cruise line	Fixed option	Flexible option	Chance of a table for two
P&O Cruises	Club Dining: same table, time and companions nightly	Freedom Dining: turn up when you please	Good with Freedom; request in advance for Club
Cunard	Britannia early or late sitting	Britannia open dining via a virtual queue in the app	Limited in Britannia; Britannia Club and Grills have a dedicated table all voyage
Fred. Olsen	6pm or 8pm sitting on Borealis, Bolette and Balmoral	Varies by fare and ship	Freedom fares can request two, four, six or eight; Saver fares are allocated
Princess	Set the same time and venue each night	Dine My Way bookings or walk-ups	Reasonable; book through the MedallionClass app and ask for two
Celebrity	Select Dining Early or Late	Select Dining Anytime (limited places)	Good with Anytime; Early/Late shares are common
Royal Caribbean	Traditional early, main or late seating	My Time Dining, roughly 6pm to 9.30pm	Good with My Time; prepaid gratuities required
Norwegian (NCL)	None	Freestyle: no fixed times or assigned seats	Good; ask the host each night
MSC Cruises	Assigned seating at a fixed time for the voyage	Dine on Your Time on selected ships; My Choice for Aurea guests	Hardest of the big lines; small tables are scarce
Holland America	Classic pre-set dining, around 5pm or 7.30pm	Flexible open dining, around 5pm to 9pm	Fair; table size is on request only for pre-set
Disney Cruise Line	Rotational dining with a fixed table and time	None in the main restaurants	Request only; small parties may be combined
Virgin Voyages	None	20+ eateries, no main dining room	Very good; no fixed seating at all

P&O Cruises

P&O is the clearest example for British cruisers. Club Dining means you share a table each night at the same time with a group of fellow guests, while Freedom Dining lets you arrive whenever you like during opening hours. You can change your preference in My P&O Cruises after booking, and Freedom Dining is the safer bet for couples. For a wider look at how P&O’s food and dining compare with a close rival, see our P&O Cruises vs Princess Cruises comparison.

Cunard

In the Britannia restaurant you can choose an early or late sitting, reserve a table at selected times, or join an open dining virtual queue in the My Voyage app that alerts you when a table is ready. Tables for two are in high demand. Guests in Britannia Club, Princess Grill and Queens Grill accommodation have their own table for the whole voyage and simply arrive during opening hours, which is the most reliable way to dine privately on a Cunard Queen.

Fred. Olsen

Fred. Olsen makes the fare type matter. On a Freedom fare you can choose your restaurant and dining time, subject to availability, and request a table for two, four, six or eight. On a Saver fare your restaurant, time and table size are assigned automatically, although at the time of writing you can pay a small nightly fee to pick your dining time.

Princess and Celebrity

Princess uses Dine My Way through the MedallionClass app, so you can book the same time and venue every night or vary it, and add a note about seating preferences in your profile. Celebrity offers Select Dining Early or Late with the same tablemates and waiters, or Select Dining Anytime, which has a limited number of places and tends to go to those who book early. Edge-class ships have four complimentary main restaurants that Anytime guests can choose between.

Royal Caribbean and NCL

Royal Caribbean’s My Time Dining lets you reserve a time, roughly between 6pm and 9.30pm, through the app or Cruise Planner, but you must prepay gratuities. Norwegian has no fixed times or pre-assigned seats at all under Freestyle Dining, so asking for two at the door is normal.

MSC Cruises

Most MSC guests have assigned seating at a fixed time for the voyage. Dine on Your Time is offered only on selected ships, and Aurea Experience guests get My Choice Dining at any time during opening hours. Small tables are relatively scarce in many MSC dining rooms, so couples should put in a request early and speak to the maître d’ on day one.

Holland America

Holland America offers classic pre-set dining at set times or flexible open dining across the evening. With pre-set dining you can ask your travel adviser for a seating time, a table size and specific companions before you sail; the maître d’ assigns the final table, and size is on request only. Open dining makes a table for two easier to get.

Disney rotational dining

Disney works differently. Your party keeps the same table number, the same servers and the same early or late time, while the restaurant changes each night. Disney may combine small to medium-sized parties at one table, so a couple can find themselves with another family. You can ask to be seated alone, but it is a request rather than a guarantee.

Virgin Voyages

Virgin has no main dining room and no traditional buffet. Instead there are more than 20 eateries included in the fare, with reservations recommended for the sit-down restaurants at peak times and walk-ins welcome. Because there is no fixed seating, table sharing simply is not part of the system.

Couple sharing dinner at a table for two, the set-up many cruisers request — A table for two is easiest to get with flexible dining or a request made well before you sail. Photo: Jep Gambardella on Pexels

How to request a table for two on a cruise: step by step

Pick the right dining option when you book. If privacy matters more than routine, choose flexible dining. If you love the same waiter every night, choose fixed dining but add a table-for-two request straight away.
Check your fare type. Cheaper fares on some lines, such as Fred. Olsen’s Saver fare or Cunard’s Late Saver fares, allocate your dining automatically. A higher fare can buy you the right to choose.
Put the request in writing. Add it in your online booking account or ask your travel agent to note it.
Look at your table assignment on embarkation day. It may appear in the app, on your cruise card or on a card in your cabin.
Visit the maître d’ early. Many ships hold a dining desk session on the first afternoon. Go before the first sitting, be polite and ask whether a table for two is available, even if it is at a different time. Our guide to the costly first-day cruise mistakes to avoid covers this and other embarkation-day jobs.
Be flexible on time. Tables for two at 6pm often go first. Asking for the later sitting, or an off-peak slot on flexible dining, can open up options.
Use the other venues. Speciality restaurants, the buffet and casual eateries will almost always seat you as two.

Remember that a shared table is not permanent. If your companions are not a good match, the maître d’ can usually move you quietly after the first night,.

Why sharing a table can be a good thing, especially for solo travellers

Before you rule out sharing completely, it is worth weighing the upside. A shared table gives you instant company and people to swap port tips with.

For solo cruisers in particular, a shared table removes the question of where to sit and who to talk to. Fixed dining on a shared table is one of the simplest ways to meet people. Our complete solo cruise guide has more on finding company on board, from single-cabin fares to social events.

Couples on flexible dining can also ask to join a shared table on nights when they fancy meeting new people.

A quick tip most guides miss: think about the seating plan

Even a table for two is not always private: small tables are often lined up along a wall with narrow gaps, so you may be closer to the next couple than on a round table for six. If you want genuine quiet, ask for a window table, a corner table or a later sitting when the room is less busy.

Solo travellers who would like company at dinner may prefer hosted singles cruises, where shared tables are part of the plan.

FAQs

Can you get a table for two on a cruise?

Usually, yes, but it is not guaranteed. Choose flexible dining and ask at the door each night, or request a table for two at booking and confirm with the maître d’ on embarkation day.

Do you have to sit with strangers on a cruise?

No. On most lines you only share if you choose fixed dining and do not request a smaller table. Flexible dining, speciality restaurants and the buffet let you dine as a couple. Disney is the main exception, as it may combine small parties.

What is the difference between Club Dining and Freedom Dining on P&O?

Club Dining gives you the same table, time and companions every night. Freedom Dining lets you turn up whenever you like during opening hours, which makes a table for two easier to get.

Can I change my dining table once on board?

In most cases, yes. Speak to the maître d’ or head server, ideally on the first day. They can often move you to a different table or sitting, subject to availability.

Which cruise lines have no assigned seating?

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Freestyle Dining has no fixed times or pre-assigned seats, and Virgin Voyages has no main dining room or fixed seating. Most other lines offer a flexible option alongside fixed sittings.

9 Cruise Drink Package Traps That Catch People Out

May 13, 2026

by Luxury Cruising Editorial Cruise Lines Cruise News Food and drink Money saving tips

Buying a drink package on a cruise feels like a no-brainer. One price, unlimited drinks, no awkward bar bills at the end of the week. What could possibly go wrong?

Quite a lot, as it turns out.

I’ve lost count of the number of cruisers who’ve said, usually halfway through their holiday, “I wish I’d known that before I booked.”

Drink packages look brilliant on the booking screen, but the reality onboard is often very different. Small rules, hidden costs and timing quirks can quietly turn a “great deal” into something you’re trying to justify by day three.

Most people don’t realise how much the maths, the itinerary and even who you’re travelling with can affect whether a package actually makes sense. And there’s one particular mistake almost everyone makes when deciding when to buy.

Before you click “add to booking”, here are the things people only realise when it’s already too late.

1. The Maths Doesn’t Always Work Out

On paper, a drink package looks like a bargain. Unlimited drinks for a fixed daily price feels reassuring, especially when cruise bar menus can look eye-watering.

The problem is the break-even maths. Most packages require you to drink a fairly serious number of alcoholic drinks every single day to get value.

People tend to picture sea days by the pool, cocktails in hand, but forget about early port starts, excursion days, tired evenings and the occasional hangover. Add in the fact that soft drinks, water and coffee might already be included elsewhere and suddenly the numbers stop adding up.

Many cruisers only do the real calculation once they’re onboard and by then it’s far too late. The biggest surprise is not that drink packages are expensive, but how rarely they actually save money.

My drinks package calculator can definitely help. You just enter the drinks you expect to have, it it works out your spend, with and without the drink package.

2. The Best Drinks Aren’t Included

A drink package rarely covers absolutely everything. Premium spirits, top-shelf whisky, certain wines, champagne and speciality cocktails often sit above the package price limit. You’ll still get charged the difference, or sometimes the full amount.

My worst experience of this was with Celebrity Cruises. We bought the Classic drink package, and then was disappointed to discover that it only covered drinks up to $12. And there were no cocktails that cheap on the menu!

Being charged up to $8 extra for each drink was very annoying, and made me wish I hadn’t bought the package at all.

The same goes for non-alcoholic drinks on some lines. Fresh juices, branded bottled water, energy drinks or speciality coffees may not be included unless you’ve checked very carefully. This catches people out when they assume the package covers every drink they fancy, only to see small but regular charges appearing on their account.

Paying for a drink package and then being charged extra for water is very annoying. And it also doesn’t feel very responsible of the cruise lines.

3. Everyone In the Cabin Has to Buy The Same

This one catches people out again and again. On many cruise lines, if one adult in a cabin buys a drink package, every other adult in that cabin has to buy it too. It’s designed to stop sharing, but in practice it can completely change the value.

If you’re travelling with someone who barely drinks alcohol, is pregnant, prefers soft drinks or just doesn’t fancy seven cocktails a day, you’re suddenly paying double for something only one person really wanted.

What felt like a reasonable daily cost becomes a big upfront spend very quickly. Some people assume they can sort it out onboard or make an exception. You usually can’t.

In fact, Royal Caribbean recently cracked down on this – meaning there are no exceptions, even with a doctor’s note.

This rule is normally buried in the small print, not the glossy marketing. It’s one of those details people don’t fully clock until they’re already committed and doing the maths with a sinking feeling.

4. Port Days Can Make It Impossible To Break Even

Drink packages typically only work when you’re actually on the ship. That seems obvious, but it’s surprisingly easy to overlook just how much time you’ll spend off it. On port days, you might be ashore for eight or ten hours, sometimes longer, and your package does nothing for you there.

By the time you’re back onboard, you may only have a couple of hours before dinner, or you might be exhausted and heading for an early night. Yet you’re still paying the full daily package price.

Cruises with lots of ports, long excursions or early starts are where drink packages lose the most value. People tend to realise this halfway through the cruise, when they notice how few drinks they’re actually ordering on busy days. It’s not that the package is bad. It’s that the itinerary quietly works against it.

There are some exceptions for some cruise lines’ private islands, but you need to check the rules for your cruise line.

With Royal Caribbean, your package will work on Perfect Day at CocoCay. With Carnival the opposite is true for its private islands – the Cheers package only works onboard the ship. And with NCL on Great Stirrup Cay, it depends on your chosen package.

5. There’s Usually a Daily Drink Cap

Unlimited doesn’t always mean unlimited. Several cruise lines put a daily cap on drinks, often somewhere in the mid-teens – 15 is a common number. For most people, that sounds generous and it usually is, but it can still come as a shock.

A cruise ship bartender serving a drink to a cruise guest

If you hit the limit, that’s it. Any additional drinks are charged at full menu price, though hitting 15 drinks in a day might mean they decide not to serve you anymore that day. This is rarely front and centre in the sales pitch, but it matters if you’re buying a package specifically for the freedom to not think about limits.

It also means the package isn’t a licence to go completely wild, even if you wanted it to be. Most people never reach the cap, but the frustration comes from only discovering it exists after you’ve already paid for “unlimited” drinks. It’s another small detail that changes expectations once reality kicks in.

Some cruise lines only count alcoholic drinks in the limit, but others count every drink, even bottles water, coffee and soft drinks.

6. Gratuities and Charges Add Sneaky Extra Costs

The headline price of a drink package is rarely the final price. Most cruise lines automatically add gratuities or service charges on top, often around 15 to 20 percent. That turns a package that looked just about affordable into something noticeably more expensive.

It’s particularly frustrating because these charges are often added later in the booking process, or only clearly shown at checkout. People budget for the advertised daily cost and don’t fully factor in the extras.

Over a week-long cruise, those additional charges add up quickly. It’s not that gratuities are unreasonable, but they do change the value equation. Many cruisers only realise how much more they’ve actually paid once they look back at their booking confirmation or onboard account. By then, the decision is locked in.

7. You Feel Pressure to Drink to Get Your Money’s Worth

This is one of the biggest emotional downsides of a drink package and it’s rarely talked about. Once you’ve paid a big upfront cost, it’s very easy to feel like you should be ordering drinks just to justify it.

People find themselves having another cocktail when they don’t really want one, or choosing alcohol over water because it feels wasteful not to. Instead of feeling carefree, the package creates a strange mental checklist.

Have I had enough today? Should I order another? Am I behind? For a holiday that’s meant to be relaxing, that pressure can be surprisingly annoying. Plenty of cruisers report enjoying their drinks less because they felt obligated to keep ordering. It’s not everyone’s experience, but it’s common enough to be worth thinking about before you buy.

8. If You’re Going to Get One, The Best Time to Book It Is Now

If you’ve decided a drink package is right for you, booking it before you sail is always the smartest move. Cruise lines regularly offer discounts pre-cruise, and prices can increase once you’re onboard. Even better, many allow you to cancel and rebook if the price drops.

That means there’s very little downside to locking in a package early. You secure a lower price, spread the cost into your holiday budget, and keep the flexibility to reprice later if a better deal appears.

Waiting until you’re onboard usually means paying full price with no option to change your mind later. People often assume deals will pop up during the cruise. They rarely do.

If you see a deal onboard like ‘Buy One Get One Free’ on drink packages, it will almost certainly be a deal on inflated price, and will cost more than it did on land.

If you’re even leaning towards a package, booking early gives you the most control and the least stress.

9. You Can’t Change Your Mind Once You’re Onboard

Once the cruise has started, flexibility disappears quickly. Most drink packages have strict rules around cancellations. Usually, if you don’t cancel by the end of the first day, you’re committed for the entire sailing.

Cruise Mummy with cocktail on Holland America ship

That means if you realise the package doesn’t suit your drinking habits, your itinerary, or your energy levels, you’re stuck with it. There are rarely refunds, partial credits or exceptions. People often assume they can downgrade, swap or cancel later if it’s not working out.

In reality, cruise lines are very firm on this. The regret tends to set in around day three, once patterns become clear. By then, the option to change your mind is long gone.

TODAY’S BEST CRUISE DEALS!

Don’t miss these offers…

Final Word

A drink package isn’t about how much you can drink. It’s about how you actually travel.

For some cruisers, it’s perfect. For others, paying per drink feels more relaxed, more flexible and ultimately more enjoyable. The key is knowing the catches before you board, not after.

I’ve got some handy guides on different cruise lines’ drinks packages – make sure you check those out too.

If you found this interesting, please share!

Source link

Cocktail glass on a cruise ship deck rail with the ocean behind, illustrating cruise drink package hacks

8 Legit Cruise Drink Package Loopholes That Still Work in 2026

November 2, 2026

by Luxury Cruising Editorial Cruise Lines Cruise News Cruise Tips Food and drink Money saving tips

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.

Two bottles of red and white wine on a wooden table beside glasses — Bringing your allowed bottle of wine aboard is one of the simplest legal savings. Photo: Rachel Claire on Pexels

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.

Colourful cocktails lined up on a sunny pool bar counter at sea — Counting the drinks you will really order is the best way to judge a package. Photo: HM Grand Central Hotel on Pexels

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.

Carnival Drink Menus With Prices (2026)

February 17, 2026

by Luxury Cruising Editorial Carnival Cruise Lines Cruise News Food and drink

Carnival’s drinks aren’t as cheap as you might think. And some of the prices surprise even seasoned cruisers.

It’s easy to get caught up in holiday mode, order the first cocktail that sounds fun, and only notice the total when it hits your Sail & Sign account. I’ve seen $20 drinks disappear fast… especially once gratuities are added.

When I sailed on Carnival Celebration, I photographed the menus at every bar so I could see exactly what was included, what cost extra, and which drinks were actually worth it. Some look amazing on paper. Not all of them live up to the hype.

Here’s what you need to know before you order, including the prices most people don’t check until it’s too late.

Drink Package Calculator

Are you wondering whether Carnival’s Cheers drink package is worth it or not? I can help with that!

My drink package calculator will work out the total cost of your drinks, so that you can see whether you’d break even or not with a drink package.

Just pop your email address below and it will be sent to you immediately.

Drink Prices

Note: The menu photos in this article are from my cruise in November 2022. They show the drink selection accurately, but some prices may now be higher. I’ve flagged any confirmed increases where possible.

If you just want to know roughly how much drinks are on Carnival cruise ships, here’s the quick answer to that…

Carnival Cruise Bar Prices 2026:

Cocktails: $12 – $14+
Beer (16oz): $7.50 – $9.75
Wine by the glass: $10 – $15
Spirit and mixer: $8 – $15
Soft Drinks: $3 – $3.50
Speciality Coffee: $3 – $5.50
Energy Drinks: $4.95
Smoothies: $7
Bottled Water: $2.25 – $5

The Carnival drinks prices aren’t terrible – they’re similar to what you’d pay on other cruise ships that have a similar style to Carnival. You’ll pay more than you would on land, but not a huge amount more.

Now, let’s take a closer look at each of the Carnival drinks menus…

Each Carnival ship has a bar in the atrium. Here, you can enjoy a good selection of drinks, including beers, wines, spirits, cocktails and soft drinks. A cocktail is usually the most popular choice here. These are my photos of the menus, but I know that prices have increased by around $2 per cocktail and $1 per beer/wine since.

Carnival Atrium Bar tropical classic menu

Alchemy Bar Cocktail List

Found on almost all Carnival ships (except Carnival Paradise), the Alchemy bar is a cross between a bar and a pharmacy! This vintage-themed cocktail bar is the place to go if you like to see tantalising cocktail creations mixed before your eyes.

Here, cocktails now cost $14.25, but they are a little more special than normal. Non-alcoholic versions now cost around $10. A bit of a jump from these 2022 prices:

NEW DEALS JUST RELEASED!

See the latest Carnival cruise offers…

Every Carnival ship has a casino, and within it, there’s a bar. You won’t find full menus here, but there are some small menus on the tables that list cocktails and craft beers.

These are all slightly more expensive options, so there’s an element of upselling going on here. The menu also suggests upgrading your mixed drinks with an extra shot for $4. Because, of course, if there’s anywhere on the ship that Carnival wants you to get a little tipsy, it’s in the casino!

Bear in mind that if you do double up, the extra shot won’t be covered by your Cheers drinks package, so you’ll be charged for it.

Prices at the casino bar have risen between $0.50 and $2 since I took these photos.

Available on Carnival Jubilee, Celebration, Mardi Gras, Panorama, Horizon, Vista and Sunshine, the Havana Bar is a Cuban-themed bar. While the Havana pool area is only for guests staying in Havana rooms, the Havana Bar is open to all.

Here, you can enjoy Cuban coffees, Cuban sodas and rum-based cocktails.

These prices have increased by $0.75-$2 per drink since I took this photo. For reference, all cocktails are now $12.50.

Guy’s Pig & Anchor Brewhouse

On the new Excel-class and Vista-class ships, you’ll find Guy’s Brewhouse. An addition to the popular Guy’s Smokehouse, this pub serves an exclusive line of Parched Pig craft beers.

You can also get cocktails here, either in a regular glass or in a large mason jar that you can take home with you.

The cocktails all cost an extra $2.50 than these prices – they’re all $13 now, and the beers have increased by $1 to $8.50.

RedFrog Tiki Bar

Only on the newest Carnival ships – Carnival Jubilee, Carnival Celebration and Mardi Gras – the Red Frog Tiki bar is a South Pacific-themed bar where you can enjoy Polynesian punch, rum cocktails and RedFrog beers.

Most of the drinks have increased by $2 since I took these pictures – cocktails are now $12-$12.75, a pint is $8.25, and most rums are around $12.50.

On every Carnival ship, you’ll find the Serenity adults-only retreat. Only for those aged 21 and up, this relaxing area has comfy loungers and daybeds. I love that the drinks menus here are attached to the daybeds – so that you can easily see which cocktails, sangrias, wines and beers you can order without leaving your seat.

Cocktails here are now around $12.25 a glass.

Most Carnival ships feature the coffeeshop, JavaBlue. This is the go-to place for fancy coffees, including spiked versions, as well as milkshakes and floats.

Prices have increased by $1-$2 per drink since I took these photos.

Carnival today's spiked special drinks menu

Final Word

Drink prices on Carnival aren’t outrageous, but they add up quickly, especially once that 20% service charge is applied.

If you’re planning more than a couple of drinks per day, run the numbers through the calculator above before you sail. It takes 30 seconds and could save you a lot of money.

And if you already have onboard credit, make sure you’re using it strategically.

A little planning at the bar can make a big difference to your final bill.

NEW DEALS JUST RELEASED!

See the latest Carnival cruise offers…

If you found this interesting, please share!

Source link

Why Ambassador Cruise Line Is a Dream for Cruisers With Dietary Requirements

January 15, 2026

by Luxury Cruising Editorial Ambassador Cruise Line Cruise News Food and drink

Worrying about what you’re going to eat can ruin a cruise before it even starts. If you have special dietary requirements, the idea of buffets without labels and set menus with limited choices is enough to make you think twice about booking at all.

I’m vegan and I’ve sailed with Ambassador Cruise Line twice now. The difference between my first cruise and my most recent one was huge. Since launching in 2021, this cruise line has massively improved how they handle dietary requirements.

Have dietary requirements?

See Ambassador’s dining experience

Affiliate link: if you book through it, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

On my latest trip, they were so confident in how they handle food allergies, intolerances and religious and ethical food preferences, that they even invited me to have a look around the kitchen so I could see exactly how my food was prepared.

And that’s why I can now say this with confidence… If you need a cruise line that actually takes dietary requirements seriously, Ambassador has quietly become one of the best out there.

Why food is the biggest worry for people with dietary requirements

As you’ll know if you have dietary requirements, food is not a small detail on holiday. A lack of suitable things to eat can really ruin your trip. Before I started cruising, I’d been to several all-inclusive resorts where I had to survive on plain salad, chips and bread!

It can happen on cruises too. It’s so frustrating to stand in front of a buffet full of beautiful food, but with no labels, and nobody keen to help you find out whether you can eat any of it or not.

For vegans and vegetarians, if we eat the wrong thing by mistake, it’s not the end of the world – although it can certainly be upsetting. But for people with allergies, mistakes can be life-threatening. So its vital that cruise lines get it right.

What Ambassador used to be like

When I first sailed with Ambassador Cruise Line, they were not bad for special diets, but they weren’t exactly amazing either. You usually had to ask for things in advance. Options existed, but they felt a bit bolted on rather than built into the experience.

The crew were kind and tried to help, but they did occasionally serve me the wrong thing. It was clear that they were trying, but there was some room for improvement.

What changed and why it matters

Between my first and second cruise, something clearly shifted. Ambassador didn’t just add more options, they changed the way they handle food for people with dietary requirements.

One of the smartest things they introduced was using different coloured plates for special meals. Vegan food is served on a blue plate, rather than the standard white plates that most guests get. I haven’t seen any other cruise line do this.

It means that food for guests with dietary needs is instantly recognisable in the kitchen and in the dining room, so there’s zero chance of it being mixed up with someone else’s dish.

In the restaurant, my waiter would always place my plate down and say, “This is the vegan option,” so I was never in any doubt. It sounds small, but it is huge. It shows there is a system, not just good intentions.

Sometimes, my food would even come with a little wooden sign in it, so there could be no doubt that it was the right one! I love this!

What I saw when I looked around the galley

Being invited into the galley was a real eye-opener. It showed how seriously Ambassador takes food safety.

I was thrilled to see a dedicated vegetarian section of the kitchen, completely separate from the rest. All the chopping boards and knives were colour coded, so there was no risk of anything being used for the wrong type of food.

I also saw demonstration plates already set up with special diet meals, so the chefs and waiters could see exactly how each dish should look when it went out, massively reducing the chance of serving the wrong plate to someone.

On the walls, there were posters about food allergens and handling procedures. It felt organised, professional and calm, which is exactly what you want when you are trusting someone else to cook your food.

What else Ambassador does for guests with dietary requirements

This level of care isn’t just in the kitchen. When you get on board, if you’ve submitted dietary info in advance, you’ll receive a letter in your cabin inviting you to meet with the chef and the restaurant manager to go through your needs.

Menus are clearly labelled with allergens, and the buffet is too. Even the room service menus have allergy labels and options to suit everyone. This is pretty rare to see on a cruise in my experience.

My vegan experience on Ambassador

As a vegan, this was honestly one of my best cruise experiences so far. On my first sailing, I managed, but on my second I genuinely enjoyed every meal.

I keep a list of the best cruise lines for vegans and I update it each time I cruise. I was able to move Ambassador Cruise Line up to the number two spot!

Number one is SeaDream Yacht Club, but it would be very hard to compete with them. The ships have just 100 guests and a crew-to-guest ratio of 1:1. Plus, the owners are vegans and also own a chain of vegan restaurants. It’s a high bar!

I absolutely loved the food on Ambassador Cruise Line. On many other cruises I’ve been on, the starter and dessert can seem like an afterthought of plain salad and lemon sorbet. But on Ambience, every course was made with care and attention.

The crew remembered my name and what I needed and made sure I was looked after every day.

Gluten-free and allergy guests say the same

I was not the only one feeling this. I spoke to other guests who had gluten-free and allergy requirements, and they were saying the same thing.

They felt listened to. They felt safe. They felt confident eating on board without constantly checking and double-checking every plate.

That peace of mind is priceless when you’re on holiday!

How to get the best experience if you have dietary requirements

To get the most out of any cruise, including Ambassador, there are a few simple things that help.

Tell them your dietary requirements when you book. Go to your dietary meeting and speak to the restaurant manager on the first day.

Don’t be afraid to explain exactly what you need. Once they know, they genuinely do everything they can to make sure you are happy.

In the dining room, you can ask to see the menu for the following day. Make sure that there’s a dish that you like. If there isn’t, let them know and they will suggest alternatives for you.

Also, it’s often worth asking if there’s anything available that’s not on the menu. Most cruise ships have secret menu items that they don’t tell you about. For example, you can almost always get a vegetable curry or a jacket potato with cheese and salad in any cruise ship main dining room.

Who Ambassador Cruise Line is best for

Ambassador cruises are perfect if you want a relaxed, classic cruise where you feel looked after. It is especially good for anyone who can’t just eat anything off a buffet and needs a bit more care and attention.

If food has ever made you nervous about cruising, this is a line worth considering.

Ambassador does not shout about how good they are for special diets, but they should. From my own experience, they have gone from being decent to being absolutely brilliant.

If you found this interesting, please share!

Source link

Related: Thinking about a winter sailing? Read our guide to Ambassador’s Northern Lights cruises from the UK.

Have dietary requirements?

See Ambassador’s dining experience

10 Secret Menu Items You Can Ask For On Any Cruise

July 30, 2025

by Luxury Cruising Editorial Cruise Lines Cruise News Food and drink

Cruise menus are packed with choice… but what if I told you there’s even more? A whole world of off-menu goodies you can get – if you know what to ask for.

These aren’t shady hacks or awkward requests. They’re totally normal items that just don’t get advertised. And the best bit? Most crew members will be happy to help if you ask nicely!

Here are the secret items cruisers in-the-know are already enjoying…

(I’ve included photos of these items on certain ships, but they’re actually available on most cruises, if you ask.)

1. Proper Indian Curry

Curry on Princess Cruises — Secret curry on Princess Cruises

Many of the chefs onboard are from India – and they know how to cook. They also have a LOT of curry that they make for themselves that they’re happy to let you try.

Even if you don’t see curry on the menu in the main dining room, just ask. You’ll often get something far tastier than the standard fare. Steamed rice and naan bread too, if you’re lucky.

Many of the Indian crew members are vegetarian, so if you are too, be sure to try this secret menu item on your next cruise – you won’t rerget it.

2. Veggie Burgers at the Pool Bar

Secret veggie burger on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

Scan the menu at the burger station and you’ll probably see beef, chicken, maybe fish. But what you won’t see? The veggie burger they’re hiding in the back!

I find it so weird that cruise ships often don’t have them on the menu, but they have them in the fridge. My theory is that they’re more expensive than meat burgers so they don’t want to have to make too many of them.

The burgers are cooked fresh so they’ll probably take ten minutes, but totally worth the wait!

3. Veggie Sausages and Bacon at Breakfast

Secret veggie sausages and bacon on P&O Cruises

The buffet’s hotplate will be loaded with meat. But if you’re vegan or vegetarian, don’t settle for cereal!

Ask a server or chef for plant-based breakfast items. Many cruises stock veggie sausages and even vegan bacon – you just have to ask. Sometimes, there’ll be a sign at the buffet letting you know they’re available, but not always.

Just like the burgers, I think the cruise lines don’t want to spend the extra money on faux meat – I imagine it can be even more expensive to get outside of the UK. But, these items are almost always avaiable, so be sure to ask.

4. Chocolate Spread

There’s no Nutella jar on the buffet. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have chocolate on your pancakes! Ask in the buffet or main dining room and they’ll often bring you a portion.

It might not be Nutella, but they’ll do what they can. It might be chocolate sauce, or I’ve even had crew members on a Royal Caribbean ship go away and microwave some chocolate for us!

If you have chocoholic kids, it’s all the same. They’re just happy to be allowed a sweet breakfast as once they’re home they’ll be back to Weetabix and fruit.

5. The Children’s Menu (Even for Adults!)

Don’t be shy – if you’re craving mac and cheese, chicken nuggets or even a peanut butter and jelly sandich, just ask for the kids’ menu!

It’s always available. And honestly? Sometimes that’s exactly what hits the spot.

I’ve ordered off the kids menu for myself before and nobody batted an eyelid. I actually ordered two mains to make sure I had enough food – no problem!

Even if you just want to get a side of fries or garlic bread and order your main of the regular menu – go for it!

6. Plain Food (For Picky Eaters or Delicate Stomachs)

plain pasta — Pasta and bread on MSC Cruises

Not everyone wants rich sauces and fancy names. Whether you’ve got a sensitive stomach or a fussy eater in the group, you can always ask for simple meals like plain grilled chicken, white rice, baked potatoes or buttered pasta.

My kids are both fussy eaters and when we cruise with Fred. Olsen they asked for buttered pasta every day. I didn’t take a photo of it though, because why would you?

7. Iced Coffee (Even If It’s Not on the Menu)

Your caffeine fix doesn’t need to be hot. If the coffee shop menu only shows lattes and cappuccinos, just ask for an iced version. Most cruise coffee bars can make one in seconds – even if it’s not advertised.

All they need to do is pour a shot of espresso over ice and add cold milk, right? Want it sweet? Ask for a shot of syrup too.

8. Surprise Cocktails

Cocktail on a cruise — Mystery cocktail on Princess Cruises

Seen the menu? Bored already? Don’t be afraid to go off-script. Bartenders love a challenge. Ask for your favourite cocktail – even if it’s not listed. Or better yet, ask them to surprise you.

They’ll usually whip up something fun, colourful and strong enough to make you forget what day it is.

When I cruised with SeaDream Yacht Club I discovered that they don’t even have a drinks menu. They just make whatever you want. Kinda cool!

9. Cheese Plate To Go

Love cheese and crackers but too full after your meal? Take them with you!

Most cruise ship restaurants will happily wrap up a cheese plate in cling film if you ask. Pop it in your cabin fridge and you can enjoy a private snack later on your balcony with a glass of wine. Fancy.

10. Vegan Menus

Most cruise lines now offer a full vegan menu – but they don’t hand it out unless you ask.

So ask.

This gives you more options beyond the regular menu – and many of them are incredible. They’re also usually pretty healthy, which is great if you’re watching your figure.

Want more cruise secrets like this? Keep this list handy for your next sailing – and never settle for what’s “just on the menu” again.

TODAY’S BEST CRUISE DEALS!

Don’t miss these offers…

If you found this interesting, please share!

Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

What They Can Really Detect

July 15, 2025

by Luxury Cruising Editorial Cruise Lines Cruise News First time cruisers Food and drink

Cruise bar prices can be steep, so it’s no surprise many passengers consider bringing their own booze onboard. Whether it’s a bottle of wine for dinner or a few beers to enjoy in your cabin, the savings can add up.

But how closely do cruise lines check? With bag scanners, manual inspections and strict policies, sneaking alcohol onboard isn’t as simple as it sounds. Before you try to outsmart security, here’s what you need to know about how cruise ships detect alcohol – and what happens if they catch it.

What Cruise Scanners Can Actually Detect

Cruise ship scanners can’t outright detect alcohol, but they can detect liquids. The security team will check every bag scanned, and if they see a liquid container, they are likely to open it up and check what’s inside.

The scanners are the same as those you’d find at the airport, and both your checked bags and your carry-on bags will be put through them. They use x-rays which can penetrate into your bags and show an outline of everything inside.

However, they also cause liquids to appear as a dark colour, so they can quite easily spot any bottles of liquid. Once they see liquid, they will normally open it up to check what the liquid is.

Suggested read: Can You Bring Bottled Water On A Cruise?

So in short, no, they can’t detect alcohol, but they can detect any liquid – and they’re pretty vigilant about checking what that liquid is. Whether it’s alcohol or something more sinister that could be used to create an explosive, they’ll want to know!

What Else Cruise Scanners Can Detect

Cruise scanners will detect all kinds of objects – because they use X-rays, they’ll show a clear outline of everything inside your suitcase or bags. The security team are also highly trained to look for items disguised as other things, so they can easily spot contraband.

The security teams, both portside and on the cruise ship, are experts in their jobs – this isn’t something they do for an hour before picking up their ‘main’ responsibilities elsewhere.

Think about how many thousands of bags they have scanned in their career – they know the kinds of things to look out for. So if you were thinking of taking any banned items onto your cruise ship, you should expect a high likelihood of it being found.

Large group of suitcases with cruise ship in the background

Depending on the severity of the item found, the cruise line may treat you differently. If you’re caught trying to sneak an extra bottle of wine onto the ship, you’re likely to just have it confiscated.

But try to bring something like drugs or a weapon onboard and you’ll not only be refused the chance to board, but you’ll be handed over to the local authorities as well. So don’t try to sneak drugs onto your cruise ship!

Alcohol is Allowed on Some Cruises

A lot of the time, you’re actually allowed to take alcohol onto a cruise ship – but not as much as you want.

Open suitcase packed for holiday on bed at home

After all, cruise lines are businesses and they need to make money. They want you to either pay for their drinks packages or buy your drinks individually.

Letting you bring as much booze onto the ship as you want would undermine that and cause a bit of a hit in their profit margins.

Here’s a look at which cruise lines permit you to bring alcohol onto your cruise, as well as guidelines on limits for non-alcoholic drinks too:

Cruise Line	Alcohol allowance (per person)	Non-alcoholic drinks allowance (per person)
Carnival	One bottle of wine	12 x 330ml cans or cartons
Celebrity	One bottle of wine (two per stateroom)	No limit
Costa	Not allowed	Water only permitted for medical needs
Cunard	One bottle of wine	No limit
Disney	Two bottles of wine or six beers	No limit
MSC Cruises	Not allowed	Water only permitted for medical needs
NCL	Unlimited wine – $15 fee per bottle	Water only permitted for medical needs
P&O Cruises	One litre of wine or Champagne	No limit
Princess Cruises	One bottle of wine for free. $15 per additional bottle	No limit
Royal Caribbean	One bottle of wine	12 x 500ml bottles, cans or cartons (per stateroom)

If you try to bring more than you’re allowed onto the ship, and you’re caught, you’ll still be allowed to keep the permitted amount of alcohol, but the rest will be confiscated.

How Cruise Lines Enforce Their Alcohol Policies

Cruise lines’ official policies vary on guests who try to sneak alcohol onboard – some say they will confiscate the alcohol, while others reserve the right to refuse guests boarding. In reality, the alcohol is usually confiscated and sometimes returned at the end of the cruise.

However, let me be clear – I am not saying that it will be fine if you do try to sneak alcohol onto a cruise ship. Especially with cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, which do say they may refuse boarding, there is a chance it could happen.

I can’t find any stories of someone being refused onto the ship, but all it takes is one security guard deciding to take a harder line and you might end up missing out on your cruise.

And because you had willingly broken the terms of your cruise contract, you wouldn’t be able to ask for a refund either.

So, in most cases, what tends to happen?

If you have alcohol in your carry-on luggage or it’s found on your person, then security will ask you about it, and if they find out that it is alcohol, they will take it from you.

If this happens port-side, it’s likely that you won’t see the alcohol again, because they don’t tend to have storage facilities for your contraband.

However, if your extra alcohol was in your checked luggage, things vary.

On some cruise ships, you might have your suitcase delivered to your room as normal, but with the alcohol missing.

On others, you may be asked to go and collect your luggage yourself, where you’ll be asked about the banned alcohol.

This video shows what happens. Bear in mind it has an explicit language warning:

That video also shows the alcohol being logged with tickets, so that the passengers could collect the bottles at the end of the cruise.

If your alcohol is taken from your suitcase, you’ll receive a letter explaining what happened. And again, sometimes you may be able to collect it at the end of the cruise, but at other times you won’t.

In that video, the passenger receives a letter which states:

“With the exception of all liquor, beer, and other forms of alcoholic beverages canned or bottled, your items will be stored in a secure location and returned to you on debarkation morning in the…

…All liquor, beer, and other forms of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages canned, bottled, or in cartons, will be discarded and no compensation will be provided.”

So you need to be aware that, if you take the risk, you might end up having your alcohol removed permanently and you won’t be reimbursed.

How Cruise Ship Security Checks for Alcohol

There are a couple of ways that security on your cruise ship will check for alcohol. Obviously, they will use the scanners to look for liquids, but then how do they know whether something is alcoholic?

If the liquid is in an opaque container, or it’s not a clear liquid, usually the security team will open it up and smell it. Even if the bottle is sealed, their priority is making sure you aren’t sneaking alcohol onboard, so they’ll break the seal and smell what’s inside.

But if the water is clear, and there’s a chance it’s just water, there’s a really simple trick that they will use.

When water is disturbed – tapped or shaken – the bubbles that form inside are quite large and will rise to the top quickly.

With alcohol, the bubbles are smaller and much slower.

Body Scanners on a Cruise

You will go through a body scanner when you board a cruise ship, but this is typically a metal detector instead of a more complex scanner, so it won’t be able to detect alcohol if hidden on you.

This means that, if you did want to sneak alcohol onto a cruise ship, a wearable might be a better option – there are bras and fake bellies that you can use!

However, the security staff are pretty savvy. If they suspect anything about you when you come onto the cruise ship, you may be patted down. And if they find you trying to sneak alcohol onto the ship using a wearable, the consequences are likely to be more severe than if you’d tried to sneak it through in your bags.

That’s because it shows a real dedication to breaking the rules to try and use a wearable like this, and so the security team will be concerned about what other dangers you might pose to the ship.

Rum-runners

Rum-runners are flasks for alcohol that are not bottle-shaped – they tend to be flat, which can make it harder for cruise ship security to spot them on the scanners. However, it is not impossible, as the X-ray images still show the darker liquids, and security staff are trained to look for rum-runners.

Remember, these people know what they’re doing, and so while there’s a chance you might get lucky on a larger ship where thousands of bags are being scanned, the security teams know what rum-runners look like.

Just like how they’re wise to people using mouthwash bottles for liquor.

I can’t tell you how likely you are to succeed using a rum-runner – cruise lines are hardly going to post those statistics, are they? But while there are plenty of success stories:

There are also plenty of failures:

Final Word

While the consequences of smuggling alcohol onto your cruise ship don’t tend to be too drastic, it’s a risk you’re taking since some cruise lines could decide to stop you from boarding.

If you do try to sneak alcohol on cruise ships, and you do get caught, don’t argue or cause a fuss. That’s going to massively amplify your risk of being kicked off the ship!

I’d recommend sticking to the guidelines and avoiding smuggling altogether – that’s the best way to make sure you’re not stressed on check-in day and you don’t need to have any awkward conversations with security staff.

But if you really do want to give it a try, then click here to find out how most people do it.

TODAY’S BEST CRUISE DEALS!

Don’t miss these offers…

If you found this interesting, please share!

Costa Cruises Drinks Package Guide: Prices, What’s Included and Rules

November 6, 2026

by Luxury Cruising Editorial Costa Cruises Cruise News Food and drink

The Costa Cruises drinks package range now comes down to two main options: My Drinks, which costs from about £20 to £36 (or €20 to €36) per adult per day when added online with your cruise and around £42 a day on board, and My Drinks Plus, which comes included with suites and costs around £57 a day if bought on board. Children aged 3 to 17 get a cheaper alcohol-free version, under-3s are free, and everyone sharing a cabin has to take the same package.

Below you will find what each Costa drinks package covers, how the prices differ between markets and booking channels, the cabin and age rules, and the drinks you get without paying anything extra.

Costa Cruises drinks packages at a glance

Costa has cut its range down a lot in the last few years. Older guides list a long line of options, including separate soft drink, draught beer, mineral water, wine-with-meals and coffee packages. On Costa’s own UK and European websites (checked November 2026), the line-up is now built around two packages:

My Drinks: the standard all-day package. It comes as part of the Comfort Plus fare, or you can add it to a basic My Cruise fare.
My Drinks Plus: the premium package. It is part of the All Inclusive Suite offer and can also be bought on board.

Every package has a version for guests aged 3 to 17. It drops the alcohol and costs less than the adult price. Some travel agents and older price lists call the alcohol-free options “My Soft Drinks” or “My Drinks Young”. If you only want non-alcoholic drinks as an adult, ask Costa or your agent whether a soft drinks package is on sale for your sailing, because the options shown on the website are not the same everywhere.

Costa drinks package prices (late 2026)

Costa doesn’t publish one fixed price. It shows a range that depends on the ship, the itinerary and when you book. These are the figures on its official sites at the time of writing:

Package	Pre-booked with cruise (adult, per day)	Bought on board (adult, per day)	Ages 3-17	Under 3
My Drinks (UK site)	From £20 to £36	£42	Alcohol-free version, cheaper than adult price	Free if booked with cruise
My Drinks (EU site)	From €20 to €36	€42	Alcohol-free version, cheaper than adult price	Free if booked with cruise
My Drinks Plus (UK site)	Included with a suite	£57	Included in suites, or £19 on board	Included in suites
My Drinks Plus (EU site)	Included with a suite	€57	Included in suites, or €19 on board	Included in suites

Costa’s US website describes the same two packages but doesn’t show prices. North American agents have quoted euro rates for some sailings, with My Drinks at roughly €29 to €38 a day and My Drinks Plus at roughly €40 to €48 a day. These rates varied between mini-cruises, standard Mediterranean voyages and transatlantic crossings. Treat any of these figures as a guide only and check the live price in your booking or in MyCosta.

All prices are per person, per night of the cruise. You can’t buy a package for only some days of the voyage.

Colourful cocktails lined up on a bar counter, the kind of drinks a cruise package covers — Cocktails, aperitifs and wine by the glass are the core of the My Drinks package. Photo: Arina Krasnikova on Pexels

What’s included: My Drinks vs My Drinks Plus

This comparison is based on Costa’s official package table for UK and European sailings:

Drink	My Drinks	My Drinks Plus
Vergnano coffee, cappuccino, tea, herbal tea, hot chocolate	Yes	Yes
Water by the glass at any bar	Yes, unlimited	Yes, unlimited
San Benedetto 0.5-litre water bottles	1 per adult per day	Unlimited
Wine, sparkling water, soft drinks and draught beer with meals	Unlimited	Unlimited
Pepsi, 7UP, orangeade, iced tea	Yes	Yes
Looza fruit juices	No	Yes
Draught Carlsberg	Yes	Yes
Bottled Corona and Beck’s	No	Yes
Aperol Spritz, Crodino, mocktails	Yes	Yes
Classic cocktails (gin and tonic, mojito, Bacardi Breezer)	Yes	Yes
Premium and molecular cocktails	No	Yes
Brandy, whisky, cognac, Averna, Disaronno, Sambuca, Amaro del Capo	Yes	Yes
Prestigious (top-shelf) spirit brands	No	Yes
Cabin minibar	No	Yes, where a minibar is fitted

In practice, My Drinks covers most of what a typical guest orders: coffees, house wine by the glass, draught beer, spritzes and standard cocktails. My Drinks Plus adds bottled beers, juices, unlimited water bottles for shore days, premium spirits and more elaborate cocktails.

Comfort Plus and suites: when a drinks package is already included

Before you add a package yourself, check your fare type. Costa sells cruises under three main fares:

My Cruise: full board and entertainment, with no drinks package. Promotional fares also exclude drinks.
Comfort Plus: everything in My Cruise plus the My Drinks package for everyone in the cabin.
Super Comfort Plus: Comfort Plus plus a My Explorations shore excursion package.

If you book a suite, you get My Drinks Plus through the All Inclusive Suite offer, and it covers everyone sharing that suite. Comparing a My Cruise fare plus the package against the Comfort Plus fare for the same cabin is often the quickest way to see which works out cheaper.

Costa drinks package rules you need to know

Everyone in the cabin must buy it. All guests on the same booking reference or sharing a cabin have to take the same package. One person can’t buy it while the others pay per drink.
Under-18s get no alcohol. The package for ages 3 to 17 is alcohol-free. In most regions you must be 18 to be served alcohol on board, though the minimum can be higher where local law requires it.
Under-3s are free when the package is booked with the cruise.
Pre-booking is cheaper. On the UK site, the gap between the lowest pre-booked rate (£20) and the on-board price (£42) is more than double. You can add a package after booking through MyCosta or customer services. You can also buy one on board, usually only at the start of the cruise.
Not valid everywhere. Packages don’t work in the Archipelago and Casanova restaurants. Some bars and themed venues serve a smaller drinks list.
Service charge. Costa’s package prices are generally quoted with the bar service charge already built in, and drinks bought one at a time carry a service charge too. This is separate from the daily hotel service charge (gratuities). That is added to your on-board account unless your fare already includes it.
One drink per order, for the passholder. Packages are personal and can’t be shared. Expect staff to serve one drink at a time to the person holding the card.

A self-service breakfast buffet with coffee cups and fresh food laid out — Water, tea and coffee are free at Costa buffets during opening hours. Photo: pedro furtado on Pexels

Free drinks on Costa: what you get without a package

Costa includes fewer free drinks than some other lines, so this part affects your budget:

Buffet: water, tea and coffee are generally free in the self-service buffet while it’s open. That makes breakfast the meal where you’re least likely to need a package.
Main restaurant: drinks at lunch and dinner, including bottled water, are normally charged unless you have a package.
Bars: everything is charged, including barista coffee.
Kids: Costa’s packages give children free or discounted soft drinks and juices. Without one, their drinks are charged like anyone else’s.

Costa doesn’t allow guests to bring their own alcohol on board, so you can’t use your own bottles to cut the bar bill. For legitimate ways to save, our guide to cruise drink package loopholes that still work in 2026 explains what is and isn’t allowed.

Is the Costa Cruises drinks package worth it?

Few guides do the maths, so here is a simple test. Divide the daily package price by what you would normally spend on one drink on board. With bar drinks priced individually (coffee at a few euros, cocktails at several times that), a £30-a-day package pays for itself somewhere around four to six drinks a day. The exact number depends on what you order.

Good value if you drink wine with lunch and dinner, have an afternoon spritz and an evening cocktail, and drink several cappuccinos a day.
Probably not worth it if you have one glass of wine at dinner, or you’re ashore all day on port-heavy itineraries. On a busy Mediterranean route you might spend long days on Mediterranean shore excursions, and the package does nothing for you on land.
Watch the cabin rule: if one person in a couple barely drinks, you still pay twice the daily rate.

If you do buy on board, it’s worth sorting out on embarkation day. Our list of costly first-day cruise mistakes covers this and other early decisions. Always check the current price and terms on Costa’s official drinks package page before you commit.

Not sure which ship to pick? Our Costa ships by size, age and class guide compares the whole fleet.

FAQs

How much is the Costa Cruises drinks package per day?

At the time of writing, My Drinks costs from about £20 to £36 (or €20 to €36) per adult per day when pre-booked, and around £42 or €42 on board. My Drinks Plus is included with suites and costs around £57 or €57 a day on board.

Does everyone in the cabin have to buy the Costa drinks package?

Yes. All guests on the same booking or in the same cabin must take the same package. Children aged 3 to 17 get the cheaper alcohol-free version.

Are any drinks free on Costa Cruises?

Water, tea and coffee are generally free at the buffet during opening hours. Drinks in the main restaurant and bars are charged unless you have a package.

Can I buy a Costa drinks package on board?

Yes, usually at the start of the cruise, but the on-board price is higher than the pre-booked rate. Adding it through MyCosta before you sail normally saves money.

What is the difference between My Drinks and My Drinks Plus?

My Drinks covers coffee, house wine, draught beer, spritzes and classic cocktails. My Drinks Plus adds premium spirits, premium and molecular cocktails, bottled beers, juices, unlimited water bottles and the cabin minibar.

The 9 Free Drinks On Carnival Cruises

1. Water

2. Lemonade

3. Iced Tea

4. Coffee

5. Hot Tea

6. Hot Chocolate

7. Milk

8. Chocolate Milk

9. Fruit Juice

Other Ways To Get Free Drinks On Carnival

Art Auctions

Casino Offers

VIFP Parties And Special Events

Suite Perks

Bringing Your Own Drinks On Carnival

What Isn’t Free On Carnival?

Is Carnival’s CHEERS! Package Worth It?

NEW DEALS JUST RELEASED!

The Bottom Line

Related Posts

1. Cruise Ships Load a Huge Amount of Food – All at Once

2. There’s a Lot More Thought Put Into Food Waste Than You’d Expect

3. Crew and Guests Eat Very Different Food

4. Buffets Are Designed More Carefully Than They Look

5. A Lot of Food Is Prepped Ahead of Time

6. Food Safety Is Taken Seriously – Really Seriously

7. Ordering More Than One Dish Is Completely Normal

8. Dietary Requirements Are Usually Well Covered

9. “Free” Food Isn’t Really Free

10. Specialty Restaurants Are Where Things Get More Interesting

11. Not Everything Goes Straight in the Bin

12. Ingredients Come From All Over the World

13. The Best Food Isn’t Always Where You Expect

TODAY’S BEST CRUISE DEALS!

Final Word

Related Posts

If you found this interesting, please share!

Why cruise ships seat strangers together

Fixed vs flexible dining: the choice that decides who you sit with

Fixed (traditional) dining

Flexible (anytime) dining

Cruise line table-sharing policies compared

P&O Cruises

Cunard

Fred. Olsen

Princess and Celebrity

Royal Caribbean and NCL

MSC Cruises

Holland America

Disney rotational dining

Virgin Voyages

How to request a table for two on a cruise: step by step

Why sharing a table can be a good thing, especially for solo travellers

A quick tip most guides miss: think about the seating plan

FAQs

Can you get a table for two on a cruise?

Do you have to sit with strangers on a cruise?

What is the difference between Club Dining and Freedom Dining on P&O?

Can I change my dining table once on board?

Which cruise lines have no assigned seating?

1. The Maths Doesn’t Always Work Out

2. The Best Drinks Aren’t Included

3. Everyone In the Cabin Has to Buy The Same

4. Port Days Can Make It Impossible To Break Even

5. There’s Usually a Daily Drink Cap

6. Gratuities and Charges Add Sneaky Extra Costs

7. You Feel Pressure to Drink to Get Your Money’s Worth

8. If You’re Going to Get One, The Best Time to Book It Is Now

9. You Can’t Change Your Mind Once You’re Onboard

TODAY’S BEST CRUISE DEALS!

Final Word

Related Posts

If you found this interesting, please share!

Why most cruise drink package hacks are really about timing and maths

The 8 cruise drink package loopholes that still work in 2026

1. Buy before you board, and keep watching the price

2. Use your wine and champagne carry-on allowance

3. Choose a partial package instead of the full one

4. Book a fare that already includes drinks