If you’ve never cruised before, you might be wondering what the rules are around alcohol and where it’s permitted on the ship.
Are there strict bar areas that you have to stick to, or can you walk around with your drink?
Let’s take a look.
Alcoholic Drinks On The Move
Generally, you are allowed to walk around a cruise ship carrying alcoholic drinks with you. As long as you’re behaving respectfully, you’re welcome to grab a drink from any bar or server and take it with you around the ship.
There might be some limitations depending on the cruise line and where you’re headed. Obviously, you won’t be able to take a drink with you on certain attractions on a cruise line, and some shops may ask you to finish your drinks outside before you browse.
But there’s usually no problem with ordering a drink and then heading off around the ship to explore and find somewhere nice to enjoy it.
Drinks Around The Pool
On most cruise ships you’ll be allowed to drink around the pools, and some have poolside bars to even encourage this. However, you might not be allowed to have a glass container – your drink may be poured into a plastic cup if you’re poolside.
If you buy a drink in a glass in another location on the ship and you then head to the pool, a crew member may ask you to move or may bring you a plastic cup to swap your drink into. It’s purely for safety reasons, so nobody slips over on a wet surface and breaks a glass.
Drinks In The Tub
Most cruise lines allow guests to drink while in the hot tub, provided they’re drinking out of a plastic or aluminium container. Glass is banned for obvious safety reasons. Some cruise lines will even have servers walking around the pool area, taking orders and delivering drinks to guests in the hot tub.
So if your idea of heaven is to sit in a hot tub and sip on a cocktail, you should be fine – provided you’ve ordered your drink in a plastic cup or you order from a server while you’re in the hot tub. Just be careful not to spill it while you’re enjoying the bubbles.
In my experience, MSC Cruises doesn’t allow guests to drink in the hot tub, and they’ll tell you to get out. This is weird, because that seems the be the only thing that the crew on deck do enforce!
They certainly don’t police anyone who’s reserving sunbeds with towels or skipping the handwashing station at the entrance to the buffet.
Drinks In Your Cabin
Guests are welcome to take drinks back to their cabin on a cruise. You can head to a bar, order a drink, and then carry it back to your room to enjoy it. A lot of guests enjoy a nightcap this way.
In theory, there’s nothing to stop you from taking a drink back to your cabin, finishing it, and then pouring yourself a drink from the alcohol you’ve brought onboard and carrying it around with you to the rest of the ship.
If you’re on a ship that charges a corkage fee for wine you’ve brought onboard, but only when you’re drinking in public spaces, this is one way you can get around it.
Drinks In The Restaurants
You can take alcoholic drinks into the restaurants with you, but there are also drink servers in the restaurants who can take your order for you, so you don’t need to.
Some cruise lines offer freedom dining where you can turn up for a table whenever you want, but there might be a wait – so it may be a good idea to take a drink with you while you’re waiting to be seated.
The one thing to note is if you plan on taking bottles of wine into the restaurant. If it’s wine that you’ve brought from home, then you might be charged a corkage fee.
Drinks In The Theatre
You can usually take drinks into a theatre on a cruise ship, but be aware that most cruise ship theatre seats won’t have cup holders, so you may need to hold onto your drink or place it on the floor and hope you don’t kick it over by accident.
Some cruise lines won’t let you take drinks in and will stop you at the door and ask you to finish them. But others have more of a lounge-style setup with tables and chairs, and have drinks servers who’ll bring your drink to you. So it varies by ship.
Drinks In The Spa
You’ll likely have no problem with taking drinks into the spa on your cruise. Iced water with fruit is usually available in there, and you may also be able to order Champagne. But if you happen to have an unfinished drink at the time of your booking, just take it in with you.
Here’s a photo of me enjoying an iced coffee in the spa on Enchanted Princess…
Final Word
On most cruises, you’re welcome to wander the ship with a drink in your hand, at least in most areas. It’s just like one large resort, so grab your favourite tipple and then find your perfect spot to enjoy it. Just make sure you ask for plastic glasses if you want to head over to a pool or hot tub.
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.
And many cruise passengers who’ve only been cruising in the last 10-20 years might have never even heard of it!
So, what exactly is the Baked Alaska Parade? Which cruise ships have it? And why do some people think it’s so cringe?
Baked Alaska Parades explained
A Baked Alaska Parade is when, during dinner, crew members will parade through the main dining room of a cruise ship carrying baked Alaska desserts, while the passengers dining in the room twirl their napkins in the air.
Baked Alaska is a classic dessert that consists of three main components: cake, ice cream, and meringue. The dessert starts with a layer of sponge cake. On top of the cake, a layer of ice cream is added, typically flavors like vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry. The ice cream is then covered with a dome-shaped meringue made from beaten egg whites and sugar.
The unique aspect of Baked Alaska is that the entire dessert is briefly baked in a hot oven, just enough to brown the meringue while keeping the ice cream inside frozen. The meringue acts as an insulating layer, protecting the ice cream from melting during the baking or torching process.
When the tradition first started and for many years, the baked Alaska desserts would be set alight, and the wait staff would be weaving around the room holding flaming meringue dishes.
Now, the tradition only exists on a handful of ships. And where ‘fire’ is used, it’s in the form of either battery-powered tea lights or sparklers instead of real flames, for safety reasons.
I’ve taken over 30 cruises and only experienced my first Baked Alaska Parade fairly recently. My first glimpse of this spectacle was on Ambassador Cruise Line’s ship Ambition, when guests started waving their napkins and a stream of chefs appeared carrying the icy desserts above their heads!
Here’s what that looked like…
The history of Baked Alaska on cruise ships
It’s hard to find the history behind the Baked Alaska Parade on cruise ships, because while it’s been a long-running tradition, it’s not something that has a clearly defined starting point.
The earliest mention of what might be a Baked Alaska parade that I can find comes from the book The Only Way To Cross, written by John Maxtone-Graham in the early 1970s.
The book documents the history of ocean liners, and makes a mention of waiters on a 1905 cruise on the Amerika carrying combinations of fire and ice on a parade through the dining rooms.
But it’s more in the 1950s and beyond that the Baked Alaska Parade became a more regular event on cruise ships, and specifically became about the Baked Alaska dessert.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly where the tradition really became regular, and of course, many of the cruise guests in the 50s and 60s are no longer with us to share their stories.
But it persisted through the 1970s and 1980s and there is a lot of mention of it from past guests on cruise forums.
A lot of cruise lines started to fade this tradition out in the late 90s and into the 2000s.
The cruise industry, in general, began to modernise – traditional dining was being replaced by more flexible options, and many cruise lines were making a real effort to attract a younger audience who were not familiar with the tradition.
Not only that, improved health and safety standards meant that having waiters dancing around a packed dining room with flaming desserts may not have been the wisest decision. Although I can’t find any stories of the parade ever going wrong!
The reason behind the parade
Baked Alaska dessert gained popularity as an extravagant and visually impressive dessert. Its association with luxury and celebration made it a natural fit for cruise ships, which strive to provide memorable experiences for their passengers.
The parade serves as a way for cruise ships to showcase their culinary expertise and entertain guests simultaneously.
It offers a chance for passengers to appreciate the culinary artistry involved in creating such an elaborate dessert and provides a memorable shared experience during the voyage.
Baked Alaska is one of the most difficult desserts to make. And parading it around a room, held over your head, while it’s set alight, just adds to the complexity – and therefore the impressiveness.
You can still enjoy these odd events!
These days, only a select few cruise lines still offer a Baked Alaska Parade. You’re more likely to find it on Princess Cruises and Ambassador Cruise Line, although some sister cruise lines of Princess (Carnival, Holland America Line and Seabourn) do occasionally have the parade.
The tradition of the Baked Alaska Parade may have gone very quiet at the turn of the millennium, but it did not completely disappear. Carnival did get rid of it, only to bring it back in 2017.
Modern Baked Alaska Parades don’t have flaming desserts though. They will usually have electric lights atop the desserts – much safer, if less spectacular.
This video shows the baked Alaska parade on a Princess Cruises ship…
Another option for cruise lines is to use sparklers – these at least offer a bit of razzle-dazzle even if they are much safer than a completely flaming dessert.
The video below is from the now-defunct Cruise & Maritime Voyages…
Or in some cases, no lights are used at all – and it’s just the baked Alaska desserts being carried through the room!
The parade is used to give guests the chance to thank the crew responsible for running their dining experiences – including the chefs and galley staff, and the wait staff. Depending on the cruise line it will either happen on a formal night, or on the last night of the cruise.
One tradition which has stuck for many cruise lines is the use of the song ‘Feeling Hot Hot Hot’ by The Merrymen for the parade. The song became something of a Baked Alaska Parade anthem, creating the party atmosphere and being a fun wink at the fiery desserts being carried around the room.
It’s not something you’ll find on every cruise with these cruise lines. Ambassador Cruise Line is the only one which mentions it in their official itinerary plans, so if you like the idea of a Baked Alaska Parade (or you used to enjoy them, and want to relive them) then consider booking on an Ambassador ship.
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Baked Alaska Parades aren’t as popular as they once were though…
Other culinary cruise traditions
The Baked Alaska Parade is not the only culinary cruise tradition. Here are some others that are worthy of note…
Food sculptures
It used to be common for chefs to create impressive sculptures from food – often fruits and vegetables – to be displayed in the buffet.
They’d actually be a great photo opportunity for guests. Sculptures aren’t as common anymore, particularly due to guests being more aware of food waste. But fruit carving is still popular and you may still see ice sculptures in some rare cases.
Fruit carving display
Midnight buffet
A midnight buffet used to be seen as a real treat on a cruise – the chance to have a fun extra meal in the middle of the night and really indulge.
Many cruise ships still keep the tradition alive in some form, though rarely a full buffet – most people aren’t looking to eat too much after dinner, so there’d be a lot of wastage.
Modern cruises tend to focus on late-night pizzerias, or room service options instead. If the buffet is open, it may just have cheese and biscuits, soup, fruit and maybe a curry and some rice.
Cocktail fountains
Cruise lines would often have a cocktail fountain – a literal fountain of a cocktail that you could help yourself to using your glass. Think of it as being like a chocolate fountain, but booze.
These aren’t very common anymore either, particularly with increased awareness of hygiene on a cruise. I saw a cocktail tower on my recent cruise on board Fred Olsen’s Borealis, but it was just for display purposes.
Cocktail tower
Cocktail of the day
A minor tradition but still one that you’ll often find on cruise ships today is a cocktail of the day – a special drink that guests can usually enjoy at a discount. It helps encourage guests to try a different drink each day.
Chef’s Table
Some cruise lines have a small dining venue named the Chef’s Table, where limited dining parties can enjoy a fine dining meal created by the executive chef on the ship. This will usually be closer to a fine dining restaurant experience ashore, including taster courses and often wines selected by a ship’s own sommelier.
The Chef’s Table
Wine tasting
Wine tasting experiences are classy affairs where guests can enjoy sampling a selection of different wines. These events will often be themed around the destinations that the ship is sailing too, helping create a more immersive experience.
Cookery classes
Some cruise lines offer guests the chance to learn some new cooking skills of their own during their cruise. Limited sessions in specially designed kitchens give guests the opportunity to see how some of their favourite cruise meals are made.
Captain’s cocktail party
A long-standing tradition for cruise ships has been for the Captain to host events onboard for select guests, where drinks and hors d’oeuvres would be served. These days it’s less common for a Captain to host an event but often there will be an officer party – though it isn’t usually as exclusive as they once were.
On Princess Cruises, for example, suite guests can attend a special cocktail party with the officers.
Captain’s Dinner
It used to be the case that a lucky few cruisers would be invited to eat dinner at the Captain’s table. This rarely happens now, but some cruise lines still do it on formal nights from time to time, depending on who the captain is.
Final word
Honestly, I was quite surprised to learn about Baked Alaska Parades and the history behind them. They used to be so widespread and they’re a lot less common now.
Are they fun, or are they a cheesy interruption to your nice dinner? I’m not sure how I’d feel having one on every cruise – but with more cruises aimed at families, I think kids would love having more opportunities to enjoy their wait staff having fun – as long as they were actually enjoying parading around the room!
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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.
Think you can drink on a cruise at 18 just because you’re legal at home? Think again!
Cruise rules are completely different, and they could ruin those cocktail dreams of yours before they even begin.
There are some sneaky age rules that catch a lot of people out – but don’t worry, once you know them, you’ll know exactly who to book with and where to sail if you don’t want to miss out.
Most cruise lines have a minimum drinking age of 21
On most cruises, the minimum drinking age is 21. Some cruise lines have a lower drinking age of 18, and on some cruise lines, it depends on where the ship is sailing – with most cruises that include ports in the US or Middle East having the higher legal age of 21.
The policy does vary by cruise line though. There are some cruise lines which let guests drink on Europe voyages, and others that permit drinking for 18- to 20-year-olds in some regions if parents sign a waiver.
So if you’re 18, 19 or 20 years old and you want to drink on your cruise, it’s important you choose the right cruise line.
There are also some cruise lines which follow Norwegian drinking law, which is slightly different. On those, guests aged 18 to 20 may be able to drink beer and wine, depending on parental permission, but spirits are not allowed until guests turn 21. So that cocktail of the day might just be out of reach for a couple of years.
There’s also one interesting unique policy, and it’s that of P&O Cruises. On a P&O ship, guests aged 16 and 17 are allowed to drink “modest amounts” of beer, cider and wine to be consumed with a meal on the ship, provided they’re accompanied by a parent or guardian.
It’s the same law as applies when in a licensed premises in the UK. But again, it excludes spirits.
“Modest” is a bit vague though, isn’t it?
When in port, local laws will apply
When you’re sailing on a cruise and you disembark the ship, you must follow the local drinking laws. This means there may be some cruises where 18-year-old guests are not allowed to drink on the ship, but they are permitted to drink while ashore.
Similarly, there may be some ports such as Amsterdam, where you’re allowed to smoke weed ashore but not on the ship!
Senior Frogs Bar in the Bahamas
The laws for cruise ships are about serving alcohol, not about having intoxicated people on the ship – so you will be allowed to board if you’ve had a couple of drinks while visiting a licensed premises ashore.
However, you’ll be subject to the same rules as adults when it comes to being drunk – if you’ve had too much while you’re ashore you may not be allowed back onto the ship.
It’s also worth clarifying that cruise lines’ private islands are treated the same as being on-board, so for example, even though the Bahamas has a legal drinking age of 18, if you’re on a cruise line’s private island in the Bahamas and the drinking age on the ship is 21, it’ll be 21 on the island too.
Some cruise lines have a drinking age of 18!
The only cruise lines that have a permanent minimum drinking age of 18 are British cruise lines such as P&O Cruises, Fred. Olsen and Marella Cruises as well as Virgin Voyages.
Most other cruise lines will permit drinking on itineraries that avoid the US and Middle East, although for Carnival it’s only cruises from Australia where the age limit changes.
Here’s a more in-depth look at the legal drinking age rules:
For most cruises that have a US or Middle East port on the itinerary, you won’t be permitted to drink at 18, even when the ship is in international waters. A drinking age limit will apply to the whole itinerary.
Bahamas cruises and drinking ages
The legal drinking age in the Bahamas is 18, so provided guests are disembarking the ship and drinking at a private establishment, they are allowed to drink at 18 whilst on a cruise.
Cruise line-owned destinations will apply the same drinking age as they would for drinks on the ship.
Caribbean cruises and drinking ages
Most Caribbean cruises include a US port, even if it is just the home port, and so guests must be 21 or older to drink while on the ship, even while sailing the Caribbean.
18- to 20-year-olds can disembark at most Caribbean islands and drink in private bars not run by the cruise line, though.
Mexico cruises and drinking ages
Provided a Mexican cruise itinerary does not include any US port, guests aged 18 or over can drink onboard on most cruise lines. If a US port is included on the itinerary, 18- to 20-year-olds can only drink while ashore in Mexico, but not on the ship.
Carnival’s drinking age is usually 21, but…
On most Carnival cruises, the minimum age to buy and consume alcoholic drinks on the ship is 21. The only exception is for cruises sailing from Australia, where the minimum drinking age is 18.
Norwegian Cruise Line lets 18-year-olds drink, itinerary permitting
18-year-olds are allowed to drink beer and wine on an NCL cruise, provided that the cruise does not have a US port on the itinerary. Also, an accompanying parent must be on the cruise and must sign the Young Adult Alcoholic Beverage Waiver, except on round-trip European and Australian cruises.
Disney’s European cruises allow 18-year-olds to drink
Guests on a Disney Cruise Line ship in Europe may drink alcohol if they are aged 18 to 20 and their parents or guardians on the same cruise sign a Beverage Consent Form. The form is not needed for round-trip cruises from Australia and New Zealand. Elsewhere in the world the drinking age on Disney ships is 21.
Royal Caribbean also allows 18-year-olds to drink in select situations
You can drink on a Royal Caribbean cruise if you are aged 18 or older and your cruise originated from a port in South America, Europe, Asia, Australia or New Zealand. Any other cruises have a drinking age of 21. The minimum drinking age is also 21 on Royal Caribbean’s private islands, regardless of where the cruise originated.
MSC Cruises allows guests aged 18 and older to drink on all cruises except those which feature a North American or Caribbean port of call. Those cruises have a higher drinking age of 21.
Read MSC’s Boarding Condititions to see the alcohol policy. It’s a long document so use search to find the relevant section.
It only states that minors can’t drink alcohol, but it defines minors earlier in the document as those under the legal drinking age of the area the ship is cruising in.
Legal drinking age by cruise line
Here’s a look at the minimum drinking age for the major cruise lines depending on where the ship is sailing, according to their own policies.
I’ve not added a column for cruises in the US or Middle East because the same rule applies across the board – if a cruise line is visiting a US port then the minimum drinking age is 21.
Even cruise lines like Fred Olsen and Marella Cruises, on their rare calls to North American ports, raise their typical drinking age to 21.
Cruise Line
Drinking age on non-US or non-Middle East cruises
Azamara
18
Carnival
21
Celebrity Cruises
18
Costa Cruises
18
Cunard
18
Disney Cruise Line
18 with parental permission
Fred. Olsen
18
Holland America Line
18 (20 in Japan)
Hurtigruten
18 for beer and wine. 20 for spirits.
Marella Cruises
18
MSC Cruises
18
Norwegian Cruise Line
18 with parental permission. 18 without parental permission in Europe and Australasia only. Beer and wine only.
Oceania Cruises
21
P&O Cruises
18 (16 with a meal)
Princess Cruises
18 (20 in Japan)
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
21
Royal Caribbean
18
Seabourn Cruises
18
Silversea Cruises
21
Viking Cruises
21
Virgin Voyages
18
Final word
There you have it then – a comprehensive list of the legal drinking age for cruise ships, and when you’ll be allowed to have a drink depending on where in the world you are sailing.
For any guests planning on travelling without their parents, you’ll want to also check the rules as some cruise lines treat all under-21s as minors, so it may not be allowed.
I’ve made it easy for you though – my guide to the best cruises for 18-year-olds without parents has everything you need to find the cruise lines where you can travel, drink and have fun on your first independent cruise sailing.
And of course, whatever age you are, drink responsibly! Getting kicked off a ship for being too drunk will leave you with more than just a horrendous hangover to deal with – it’ll be a lot of stress too!
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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.
Under 21? Read on to find out at what age you can drink on a cruise ship.
The legal age to drink alcohol on a cruise varies between 16 and 21 years. The exact age to drink on a cruise depends on the cruise line, the location of the cruise ship, the type of alcoholic beverage and whether the young persons’ parents are present or not.
As a general rule, you have to be 21 to drink on a cruise in the United States and 18 elsewhere in the world. There are some exceptions, but don’t worry – we’ve done all the hard work for you!
Drinking Age By Cruise Line
The table below shows how old you have to be to drink on a cruise ship.
Cruise Line
United States & Private Islands
Rest of the World
Carnival
21
21
Celebrity Cruises
21
21 (18 with parents’ permission)
Costa Cruises
21
18
Cunard
21
18
Disney Cruise Line
21
21 (18 with parents’ permission)
Fred. Olsen Cruise Line
21 (18 in international waters)
18
MSC Cruises
21
18
Norwegian Cruise Line
21 (18 in international waters with parents’ permission)
21 (18 with parents’ permission)
P&O Cruises
21
18 (16 with a meal)
Princess Cruises
21
18 (20 in Japan)
Royal Caribbean
21
18
Virgin Voyages
21 (18 in international waters)
18
Please note that there are many exceptions to the age limits above and also some differences about what constitutes as the United States for these policies. You can read more about this below.
FAQs – Legal Age To Drink On a Cruise
Can 18-year-olds drink on a cruise in the US?
It is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to drink alcohol in the United States. However, this law does not apply to cruise ships when they are international waters.
You can read more about what international waters means and what’s legal there in this article.
Whilst most cruise lines have policies to prohibit under 21s from drinking at sea, others allow guests aged 18, 19 and 20 to drink alcohol when the ship is a certain distance from the US shoreline.
Some cruise lines count any cruise that includes at least one US port in the itinerary as a US cruise. For others, only cruises that depart from US ports are included in this definition. This can make a difference, for example, for a transatlantic cruise from Southampton to New York.
Cruises to Alaska and Hawaii sometimes have their own rules. For example, Norwegian Cruise Line allows 18-year-olds to drink beer or wine with a parental waiver, but this rule doesn’t apply to Alaska or Hawaii cruises where guests must be 21 or over to drink.
Can you drink on a cruise at 18 with your parents’ permission?
Some cruise lines allow guests aged 18, 19 and 20 to drink on a cruise with the permission of a parent or guardian.
The parent or guardian will usually have to fill in a waiver to allow their son or daughter to drink. The parent or guardian must also be a passenger on the cruise.
Also, you can’t just ask your 21-year-old friend to be your guardian for the duration of the cruise, they must be your full-time legal guardian for the waiver to be accepted.
Can you drink if you turn 18 or 21 during your cruise?
If you celebrate a milestone birthday on board a cruise, most cruise lines will allow you to drink alcohol from the day that you’re old enough. You’ll need to visit the guest services desk with your ID to have them update your cruise card.
Cruise Line Policies
Carnival Cruise Drinking Age
Carnival Cruise Line’s policy states:
“Guests must be 21 years of age or older to be served alcohol on board. Proper I.D with birth date is required”.
“The minimum age for a guest to drink or possess alcoholic beverages on ships sailing from North America, the United Arab Emirates, or at any of our private destinations, is 21. The minimum age for a guest to drink or possess alcoholic beverages on ships sailing from South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand is 18. In all other cases, the drinking age of the home port shall control our determination of a legal drinking age.
“The Guest agrees that no alcohol shall be purchased or consumed by any Guest under the age of twenty-one (21) on cruises embarking or disembarking Guests at U.S. ports, or under the age of eighteen (18) for all other cruises. “
“Guests who are under 18 years of age are not permitted to purchase or consume alcohol on board. However, whilst in U.S. waters, Cunard enforces and abides by the U.S. legal drinking age of 21 years.”
“The drinking age on board is 21, and a valid photo I.D. is required. However, during round-trip cruises departing from any European country that has a lower drinking age, parents or guardians may sign a Beverage Consent Form that allows their 18- to 20-year-old children to consume alcoholic beverages while in the adult’s presence. In addition, for round-trip cruises from Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland and Brisbane, Guests 18 years of age and older may purchase and consume alcoholic beverages without parental consent.”
“For voyages that include a port in the USA, persons under the age of 21 may not order or consume alcoholic beverages. For voyages that do not include a port in the USA, persons under the age of 18 may not order or consume alcoholic beverages”
“The minimum drinking age for all alcoholic beverages on Norwegian Cruise Line ships is 21. Guests who are 18 – 20 years of age can purchase and consume beer or wine when the ship is in international waters (3 miles out of US territorial waters). The age modification does not apply for Alaska and Hawaii sailings. The parent or legal guardian must be onboard the sailing with the young adult and present themselves at the Front Desk so they can sign the form allowing the consumption of beer and wine only.
On cruises embarking in a country where the legal drinking age is lower than 21 and where a young adult (age 18, 19 or 20) is not travelling with a parent or legal guardian, they will generally not be permitted to consume alcohol. There may be exceptions made to this restriction in areas of the world where local laws require and Norwegian Cruise Line concurs. Details on such exceptions can be obtained from the Guest Services Desk.”
“Anyone under the age of 18 (or under 21 when in United States of America waters) will not be served alcoholic beverages on board and must not be in possession of alcohol. Please don’t be offended if we ask you to verify your age.
It is prohibited to attempt to purchase alcohol for those under 18 in the bars and shops on board, although 16 and 17-year-olds may be bought modest amounts of beer, cider or wine to drink with a meal in the restaurants when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian”.
“The age for drinking on Princess ships is 21 years old. For cruises between Australia/New Zealand, China, Europe, Singapore and South America ports, the drinking age will be 18 years old. For cruises between Japan ports, the drinking age will be 20 years old”.
“The minimum age to consume alcohol on Royal Caribbean International ships on sailings originating in North America is 21.
The minimum age to consume alcohol on Royal Caribbean International ships on sailings originating in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is 21.
The minimum age to consume alcohol on Royal Caribbean International ships on sailings from South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand is 18.
The minimum age to consume alcohol at all private destinations remains 21 without regard to where the sailing originated. “
“The drinking age in international waters is 18, in the United States it’s 21, and in other ports, we’ll go with whatever their country’s laws specify.”
The general rule is that you have to be 21 or over to drink alcohol on a US cruise and 18 or over for the rest of the world. There are some exceptions to this and each cruise line has its own policy.
If you’re in any doubt, please confirm with the cruise line before you book your cruise.
And if you’re ready to take a cruise without your parents at 18, then check out my guide to the best cruises for 18-year-olds to help you decide which ship to choose.
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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.
Wondering if you can bring your own alcohol or soft drinks on a cruise? It’s a common question and the answer is very much, ‘it depends’.
While bar prices on board many ships are similar to your local pub back home, some cruise ships do charge quite a lot more – particularly if exchange rates aren’t in your favour and you’re charged a service charge on top!
So, bringing a bottle of wine or liquor to drink in your stateroom could be an easy way to save some of your hard-earned cruise spending money.
But, before you go ahead and stash the Stella in your suitcase, you’ll need to be aware of the drinks policy of the cruise line you are sailing with.
Taking your own drinks on a cruise – rules vary!
The policies for bringing your own drinks on a cruise vary depending on the cruise line. Some cruise lines let you bring your own alcohol, soft drinks and water on board, but others strictly forbid it. Out of the cruise lines that allow you to bring alcohol, most limit this to one bottle.
Read on for the lowdown on which drinks you’re allowed to bring with each cruise line…
Bringing alcohol on a cruise
Most cruise ships allow you to bring one 750ml bottle of wine per person on board the ship. You are allowed to drink the wine in your stateroom. If you prefer to drink it in one of the bars or restaurants, a corkage fee will be charged.
There are exceptions to this rule. Costa and MSC Cruises does not allow guests to bring any alcohol on board whatsoever. Norwegian Cruise Line doesn’t limit how much wine you can bring, but guests will be charged a $15 fee per bottle, no matter whether they drink it in their stateroom or in a public area.
Princess Cruises allow you to bring one bottle free of charge and their alcohol policy states that guests will be charged a corkage fee of $15 for each additional bottle. However, the fee may not always be enforced.
Sanna Burns from VeganCruiser.co.uk states that she always brings her own vegan wine when she sails with Princess Cruises and has never yet been charged the corkage fee.
Disney Cruise line is a little more generous, allowing two bottles of wine per person, as well as allowing you to swap this allowance to six beers should you prefer. P&O Cruises also allows more than average, with up to one litre of wine or Champagne – but since May 2024 you can no longer bring spirits onboard.
Read on for the alcohol allowance for each cruise line…
How much are you allowed?
Cruise Line
Alcohol allowance per passenger
Non-alcoholic drinks allowance per passenger
Carnival
One bottle of wine
12 x 330ml cans or cartons
Celebrity
Two bottles of wine
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)
The table above shows how many drinks each passenger can bring on their cruise.
If you plan to drink more than this, then it might be a good idea to get a drinks package. Pop your details in the form below, and I’ll send you my handy drinks package calculator so you know whether to get one or not.
Whilst many cruise lines don’t have set limits on the amount of soft drinks or water each passenger can bring with them, many do require that they are carried on as hand luggage and not checked in with your suitcases.
Most cruise lines will let you take a bottle of wine onboard
How to stop wine bottles from breaking in your luggage
Imagine opening your suitcase to find a bottle of red wine has smashed all over your clothes. You’d have to go for the tie-dye look all holiday! This has happened to me once before with shower gel, which was bad enough, but I imagine that alcohol and broken glass would be 100 times worse!
Don’t take the risk; instead, buy a wine bottle protector to make sure your glass bottles can’t smash in transit.
Cruise line policies on bringing your own drinks onboard a ship:
Should you wish to check the exact policy on bringing your own alcohol, you’ll find links to each of the cruise line’s alcohol policies below:
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Taking soft drinks on a cruise
Most cruise lines do not restrict guests from bringing their own soft drinks or water on board to drink in their stateroom. However, the policy on this varies depending on the cruise line with some cruise lines restricting all drinks, only allowing water when it is needed for medical reasons.
Bringing soda on Carnival cruises
Carnival Cruise Line allows guests to bring soft drinks in cans or cartons but not bottles. This is because people have been known to sneak alcohol using plastic bottles. The limit is twelve 330ml (12-oz) sealed cans or cartons per passenger.
Bringing soda on Celebrity cruises
Celebrity Cruises allow guests to bring on unlimited water or soda when they embark or in port. If you wish to bring a case of soft drinks you could attach a luggage tag, check it in with your luggage and it will be delivered to your stateroom.
Bringing soda on Costa cruises
Costa Cruises do not allow guests to bring any soft drinks whatsoever on to their cruise ships. Water is only permitted if it is for medical needs and guests should let the cruise line know if they need to bring on water or distilled water for this reason.
Bringing soda on Cunard cruises
Cunard allows guests to bring unlimited soft drinks and water on board at the start of the cruise and in ports of call.
Bringing soda on Disney Cruise Line cruises
Disney Cruise Line allows guests to bring unlimited soft drinks on board in their carry-on luggage when they embark but not in checked suitcases. Disney Cruise Line offers soft drinks for free with meals, but there is a charge at other times and bottled water is always chargeable on board.
Bringing soda on MSC cruises
MSC Cruises do not allow guests to bring any soft drinks or water onto their cruise ships. If you need to bring water for medical reasons, you should let MSC Cruises know before you cruise as they may require you to fill in a form.
Bringing soda on NCL cruises
Since 2016, Norwegian Cruise Line has prohibited guests from bringing any soda, juices or water on board. The exception is purified or distilled water for medical needs which must be in factory-sealed containers.
Bringing soda on P&O cruises
P&O Cruises allows guests to bring unlimited soft drinks and water on board their cruiser ships. You can also bring more soft drinks on board at each port of call too if you wish.
Bringing soda on Princess cruises
Princess Cruises allow guests to bring unlimited soft drinks on board its ships including soda, juices and water. These can be in cans, bottles or cartons. You can also bring small coolers full of non-alcoholic beverages if you wish.
Bringing soda on Royal Caribbean cruises
Royal Caribbean allows guests to bring non-alcoholic drinks as carry-on items on embarkation day. The limit is twelve 500ml (17-oz) cans, cartons or bottles per person.
Why some cruise lines won’t let you bring soda onboard
The reason why some cruise lines have started to limit the drinks brought on board is to speed up the security process. All luggage is checked for prohibited items, including alcohol.
In the past, guests have attempted to sneak alcohol on board in a variety of ways, a common one being in soft drink bottles. Prohibiting soft drinks, or limiting them to cans or cartons instead of bottles makes it much harder for people to sneak alcohol onboard.
If you’re thinking of sneaking extra alcohol onboard a cruise ship you should remember that as more passengers are caught doing this, it will increase the likelihood of more cruise lines following suit in limiting or banning bringing your own drinks on board.
Cruisers often ask “Can you take soda on a cruise ship?” Or, “Can you take energy drinks on a cruise?”
As far as I’m aware, cruise lines don’t tend to distinguish between different kinds of soft drinks and so this should be fine. If you have experienced otherwise, please let us know in the comments below.
Saving money by bringing your own drinks on a cruise
If your cruise line allows it, then bringing your own alcohol on board can be an easy way to save money on your cruise holiday. Just be sure to buy a wine bottle protector to make sure your bottles don’t smash in your suitcase!
On our recent cruise onboard P&O Britannia, I brought a litre of gin and my husband brought a litre of rum on board. We also brought several large bottles of lemonade. Doing this saved us over £400, compared to how much it would have cost us to buy the same drinks in the bars.
Plus, we found it much more convenient to have these in the fridge in our room and enjoy a drink whilst getting ready to go out in the evening.
Do you like to bring your own alcohol or soft drinks on a cruise? Let us know about your experiences in the comments below.
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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.
As a vegan, I found dining on a Disney cruise ship to be very different from any other cruise I’ve experienced.
Disney is one of the best cruise lines for vegans. but things work differently on a Disney ship. You may like this, you may not. But, if you’re planning to take a Disney cruise and you’re vegan, there are some things to know before you go that will make your experience 10x better.
You can read more about my cruise on the Disney Magic here and on the Disney Wish here. Otherwise, read on for the things you need to know when taking a Disney cruise as a vegan, vegetarian or plant-based person.
Knowing these things in advance will make sure that you have a great dining experience. As long as you plan ahead, you’re sure to enjoy vegan friendly cruises with Disney.
Disney Cruise Ships do not offer vegan menus. However, there is usually one vegan starter and main in each menu, and these are labelled as plant-based.
Despite the lack of menus, vegans certainly won’t go hungry on a Disney cruise. The helpful team will always be able to offer you something. And if you don’t like the single option that’s on offer, they will make you something else.
Currently, all Disney Cruise Line food and drink menus are available to view via Disney’s Navigator app, but only during your cruise. You can also request a disposable paper menu in each venue and you’ll also find a menu outside the door of each restaurant on the ship.
Disney Cruise Menus
Each of the five Disney cruise ships has different restaurants on board, and the menu is different in each restaurant.
Here is an example of some of the menus from my most recent cruise, so that you can take a look at the vegan offerings in the restaurants on the Disney Wish.
1923
Worlds of Marvel
Arendelle
Breakfast Menu
The photo below shows the breakfast menu, which was identical on board the Wish and the Magic.
Disney Cruise Line breakfast menu
As you can see, nothing is labelled as vegan. Most of the things that are suitable for vegetarians are not labelled as vegetarian either. However, there are a whole host of secret vegan menu items that you can request, if you know to ask! Read on for more about those…
Are Disney Cruises Vegan-Friendly?
Despite the lack of vegan menus and inconsistent labelling, Disney cruises are very vegan-friendly. Chefs are happy to adjust almost any of the dishes on the standard menu to make them suitable for vegans.
Sometimes, I barely looked at the menu, as before I had a chance to, our waiter was there chatting about what the chef would like to make specially for me.
As you have the same waiter looking after you, they will remember your dietary requirements after the first night. However, at the very beginning, it can be tricky.
Not Every Crew Member Is Trained About Vegan Diets
When I first sat down in the 1923 restaurant, I advised the waiter that I was vegan. He brought me a special ‘allergy menu’ which was similar to the main menu, but it didn’t have any vegan options on it. In fact, the whole vegetarian section was missing.
I explained that I didn’t have an allergy but that I didn’t eat meat, fish, dairy or eggs. He then gave me the regular menu, but brought me gluten-free bread, instead of the regular bread that my vegan friend on another table was told was fine to eat.
At lunch, I ordered the Impossible burger from the poolside cafe. I asked if any other side dishes were vegan and was told that they all were – potato salad, coleslaw, and mac and cheese. Even when I questioned this, the server was adamant that they were. They weren’t though, although they did appear to be vegetarian.
vegetarian side dishes
I do feel that this problem could be easily solved if Disney Cruise Line opted to label foods as vegan and vegetarian, rather than relying on the knowledge of each crew member.
In the buffet, it’s impossible to wander around choosing what you’d like to eat. If you ask whether something is vegan, the servers don’t know, so they send you to the manager, who asks what you would like to eat.
I had this pasta freshly made for me, and while I did really appreciate the effort and it’s delicious, I do sometimes like to have a few different things on my plate.
When I have the kids to sort out, I’d rather just grab a few things for myself rather than have to speak to find the right person, ask for something special and then wait for it to be made.
How To Eat Vegan on a Disney Cruise
If you plan to eat a plant-based, dairy-free or vegan diet on a Disney cruise, there are four things that you must do…
1. Tell Disney Cruise Line About Your Dietary Requirements When You Book The Cruise
When you book your cruise, you must inform Disney Cruise Line of any special dietary needs or food allergies.
You’ll be prompted to do this when you book online. If you book over the phone or with a travel agent, don’t forget to mention that you’re vegan.
If you’ve already booked your cruise and haven’t told Disney that you’re vegan, you should do it as soon as possible. Ideally, you should give at least four weeks notice, but late is always better than never.
2. Tell Your Server That You Are Vegan
The first time you sit down to eat, you should let your server know that you’re vegan. While they will have a record of this on your booking, telling them straight away means that you can skip the bit where they recommend various steaks and things that you’re not interested in.
It also gives them a prompt to help you with the menu and to check what else might be available for you.
On a Disney cruise, the menu labelling can be very hit and miss. It’s rare to find anything labelled as vegan, even though some of the items may actually be free of animal-derived ingredients.
You can ask your server which items on the menu are suitable for vegans. They will advise you and may suggest some things that can easily be adjusted e.g. cooked in oil instead of butter.
Don’t be afraid to ask for things that aren’t on the menu. If you fancy a bowl of pasta, for example, they will almost certainly be able to make that for you. Disney Cruise Line has amazing service and they make you feel like nothing is too much trouble for the waiters and chefs.
Some secret options you can ask for include avocado on toast at breakfast, vegan omelette (these are incredible), vegan sausage, vegan chicken-style tenders and vegan Mickey waffles.
4. Pre-Order Your Food For The Next Day
The great thing about Disney cruises is that you eat in all of the restaurants on rotation, and your servers will move with you. Because you have the same waiter every day, it’s easy to order your food for the next night at the end of your meal.
If you plan to eat in the main restaurants at breakfast or lunch, you can also pre-order either the day before or the meal before.
The advantage of pre-ordering your vegan food is that you’ll get a wider choice of options. You’ll also have less of a wait, as some things like vegan sausages can take a while to cook.
If your cruise calls as Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, then you should definitely pre-order your food for on the island in the dining room the night before.
Disney Cruise Vegan Food Photos
On my Disney cruises, I ate in all of the main dining rooms, the buffet, the poolside snack bars, and the speciality dining restaurants. Here are some photos of my food to help you to know what to expect…
Animator’s Palate
On the first night of our cruise, we dined in Animator’s Palate. This colourful restaurant can be found on the Disney Wonder, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy as well as the Disney Magic.
While we studied the menu, we tucked into freshly baked bread with vegan butter.
For starters, I ordered the arugula leaves with red beets, orange segments and marinated white beans with mustard dressing. It was delicious and a lovely healthy start to the meal.
(Disney Cruise Line’s menus are all in American English, but for us Brits, arugula is rocket and beets is beetroot!)
For the main, I again ordered off the standard menu. The vegan-friendly option was black bean chipotle cakes over corn kernels and brown rice topped with tomato and cilantro salsa.
None of the desserts on the menu were suitable for vegans so the waiter cheerfully offered to bring me a surprise. It was a poached pear with raspberry sorbet.
I had never tried a poached pear before and it’s not something I would ever think to order. It wasn’t to my liking, but the sorbet was absolutely delicious.
After dinner, I enjoyed a lovely coffee with almond milk.
Rapunzel’s Royal Table
For breakfast, we ate at Rapunzel’s Royal Table. This themed restaurant on the Disney Magic offers the same menu as the other main restaurant that was open for breakfast – Lumiere’s. Alternatively, you can eat breakfast at the buffet restaurant, Cabanas.
Disney Cruise Line’s breakfast menu was a little odd as only a couple of items (fruit and crepes) were marked as vegetarian, even though most of the other items like pancakes, waffles, cereals and yoghurts appeared to be vegetarian too. The fruit was also marked as ‘dairy-free’, but nothing else was.
It didn’t matter, because our waiter suggested a whole host of vegan options including egg-free omelettes, vegan sausage, mushrooms and avocado, none of which were on the menu!
I said yes to everything.
The vegan omelette was incredible! It looked so realistic that I had to check that it was definitely vegan. I asked what it was made of and was told ‘it’s a secret’.
My vegan sausages arrived a couple of minutes later. To be honest, I’d forgotten that I’d ordered them as I was so impressed by the omelette!
Accompanying my breakfast, I enjoyed a delicious vegan cappuccino made with almond milk.
We didn’t eat dinner at Rapunzel’s Royal Table because we had a booking at the speciality restaurant, Palo, that evening (more on that later in this review). However, we did attend Rapunzel’s to watch the show and so that the kids could eat there before we dropped them off at the kid’s club.
It was tricky not to eat at Rapunzels, but there’s no way that I could avoid the bread. The pretzel bread was probably the best bread I’ve ever had. You have to try it!
I took a good look at the menu at Rapunzel’s Royal Table and spotted a couple of things that appeared to be vegan-friendly or that they could easily be adjusted to be so.
For starters, there was a salad with cucumber, potato and carrot topped with baby oakleaf and Lolla Rosa.
One of the mains was marked as both vegetarian and dairy-free. That was a chilli-spiced tofu ramen with soy-vegetable stock, strands of rice noodles, shiitake mushrooms, baby bok choi, red onion, red bell pepper and cilantro.
Lumiere’s
On the final day of our cruise, we ate lunch and dinner at Disney’s Beauty and the Beast-themed restaurant, Lumiere’s. Our waiter had encouraged us to pre-order our lunch the night before, and he strongly recommended a pasta dish.
When we arrived and looked at the menu, we were shocked to discover that it also featured an Impossible Cheeseburger! This was labelled as ‘Does not contain Animal Meat, Dairy, Eggs or Honey’. The first time I’d seen a vegan or plant-based label on anything on the Disney Magic, although there was better labelling on my subsequent cruise on the Disney Wish.
The pasta was on its way, but our waiter said not to worry, he would bring both! I was a little worried that we didn’t have long to eat as we had a matinee performance of the show booked, but he assured us that he would make sure that we had enough time. The food arrived really quickly, so we didn’t have to rush.
The Impossible burger tasted amazing, and I loved the vegan roasted garlic aioli.
I know that some strict vegans avoid Impossible burgers as this new meat alternative had to be tested on animals to be approved by the FDA. They also taste a lot like meat. But, if you can accept both of those, then this is something that you’ll definitely want to look out for on the lunch menu in Disney Cruise Line’s main dining rooms.
We returned to Lumiere’s that evening for another fantastic dinner…
Our waiter suggested a tomato soup that was nowhere to be seen on the menu. It was delicious with the warm French country bread that was on offer.
For main, I ordered the grilled marinated tofu with roasted zucchini, eggplant, red peppers, Israeli couscous and lime-cilantro drop. This was in the vegetarian section of the menu and was accidentally vegan. It tasted as good as it looked.
For dessert, I again opted for the ‘vegan surprise’. The raspberry sorbet appeared again, which I didn’t mind at all as it tasted so good. This time I also got some kind of dark chocolate and raspberry pudding which was incredible. This wasn’t on the menu, but I’m sure it would have been very popular if it were!
Eating Vegan at Cabanas (Disney Cruise Line’s Buffet)
We only ate at Cabana’s once on our Disney cruise. It was okay, but not as good for vegans as most other cruise ship buffets that I’d experienced.
Firstly, there’s not a whole lot of choice. The buffet is much smaller than you’ll get with other cruise lines. I expect that this is because Disney’s main dining rooms are so good that a lot of people tend to skip the buffet for anything other than snacks.
Nothing was labelled as vegan-friendly in Cabanas, so I asked the server behind the counter whether some pasta was suitable for vegans. I expected a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but instead, the lady said that she would fetch the head chef!
The chef came out of the kitchen and talked me through everything on the buffet. The only vegan items were French fries and salad, as even the vegetables were cooked in butter. However, he kindly offered to make me a fresh vegan version of anything that was there. I opted for some orzo pasta and he made up a batch without cream that was delivered to my table ten minutes later.
I’ll be honest with you – I wasn’t hugely impressed by Cabanas. However, it would be unfair of me to judge it off only one meal.
I usually like cruise ship buffets because they’re quick and have lots of choices. Cabanas was, unfortunately, neither of these things for me. If you have to wait for food to be cooked specially for you, the rest of your party could have finished before you start.
If you’re dining with kids at Cabanas, you can order your food, help the kids get theirs, then yours should be ready and you’ll all finish together. That could work.
Eating Vegan at Palo (Disney Cruise Line’s Speciality Restaurant)
Although I paid for this cruise myself, Disney Cruise Line very kindly offered us a complimentary meal at Palo. I was a little hesitant to try this adults-only Italian restaurant as I’d checked out the menu and nothing appeared to be vegan at all. I’d also searched for Palo vegan reviews online and not found anything reassuring.
However, we decided to go along for dinner and I’m so glad that I did!
If you’re vegan, you can ignore Disney Cruise Line’s Palo menu completely and trust that the chef will conjure up some amazing vegan dishes just for you. The vegan food at Palo is incredible.
Here’s what I ate…
Eating Vegan at Disney Cruise Line’s Outdoor Venues
The Disney Magic has a couple of poolside casual eateries. The Duck-In Diner serves classic American fast food like burgers and hot dogs, while Pinocchio’s Pizzeria is the place to go for pizza slices fresh from the oven.
At The Duck-In Diner, the vegan offering was different each day and was advertised very clearly with a sign…
I tried the plant-based chili dog and it was great, as were the fries. It seemed to be missing the vegan cheese, but I didn’t mind enough to go back for it.
The vegan hot dogs are made fresh to order so they take around ten minutes to cook. I didn’t have to stand around waiting for it, though. I was advised to sit down and they would deliver it to my table when it was ready.
We didn’t get time to try the pizza, but I enquired and was told that vegan pizza could be made to order, which was great to know!
By the pool, you can also get lots of fresh fruit like melon and grapes, as well as a good selection of salad items.
On the Disney Wish, the poolside vegan options were even better with lots of items on the main menu including Impossible burgers, vegan hot dogs, vegan pizzas with plant-based pepperoni and vegan tacos and burritos!
Disney Cruise Vegan Room Service
Room service is free of charge on Disney cruises, although it’s nice to tip the person who delivers it a couple of dollars.
We didn’t order room service, but I had a look at the Disney cruise room service menu on the app. Nothing was labelled as vegan, but I took note of the items that appeared to be. You should definitely check before you order though as they may well suggest some more things when you call to place your order!
Disney Cruise Line Room Service Vegan Options:
Mixed Garden Salad
Fresh Fruit Bowl
Salted Peanuts (additional cost)
Salted Cashews (additional cost)
Vegan Dining for Kids on Disney Cruises
My kids are both vegetarian and very fussy eaters. While my daughter would like to be vegan, I won’t allow her to be until she adds more variety to her already-limited diet.
As long as your kids are happy to eat the kind of food that adults eat, including vegetables, salads and sauces, they will have no problems eating vegan on a Disney cruise.
Breakfast
Disney cruise ships have some great vegan breakfast options for kids. The fresh fruit comes in the shape of a boat! There should be no problems swapping the strawberry yoghurt for a dairy-free alternative.
Disney’s famous Mickey waffles are also available as a vegan option, along with a vegan sausage and whatever other sides you care to ask for.
Lunch and Dinner
On the Disney cruise kids’ menus, there was always pasta, pizza, vegetables, salad, fries and mashed potatoes as well as the meat options.
I would imagine that it would be very easy for the chef to make vegan tomato pasta and vegan mashed potatoes for kids to go with the already vegan-friendly items like fries, bread and salad.
The Disney Cruise Line chefs will basically make anything that your child asks for, within reason. When my son couldn’t decide between pizza and pasta, the waiter straight away offered to bring both.
When he was asked what vegetables he would like with it, he said ‘apple’. The waiter just smiled, but sure enough, there was a sliced apple on the side!
Disney Cruise Vegan Food FAQs
Here are answers to some of the commonly-asked questions about vegan food on Disney cruises. If you’d like to know anything else, please ask in the comments section below.
Do Disney cruises have dairy-free milk?
On Disney cruises, vegans and those who avoid cows’ milk can request almond milk or soya milk. You can even get a cappuccino made with plant-based milk.
Do Disney cruises have vegan butter?
On Disney cruises, vegan butter or margarine is available on request. Alternatively, you can request balsamic oil and vinegar to dip your bread roll into.
Do Disney cruises offer meat alternatives?
Disney cruises offer a variety of meat alternatives including Impossible Burgers, Beyond Sausage, plant-based chilli dogs and egg-free omelettes.
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Don’t miss the latest Disney Cruise Line offers…
To Conclude
I really enjoyed the food on my Disney cruises, but I’m glad that I did my research before I went. The key to eating well as a vegan on a Disney cruise is to communicate your needs and wishes with the crew on board.
In my experience, Disney Cruise Line will go above and beyond to make sure that you’re happy and well-catered for, whatever your dietary requirements may be. And however fussy your kids are! So a vegan Disney cruise is certainly possible, and enjoyable.
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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.
The decision of whether or not to get the drinks package for your cruise is always a tricky one, but MSC Cruises makes this decision seem even more complicated than it has to be.
MSC Cruises has five drinks packages to choose from. And, they make it really hard to know how much they cost, and what you get for your money.
I’ve cruised with MSC Cruises four times. I usually buy the drink package and I’ve done lots of research to help you make the right decision.
MSC Drinks Package Prices 2025
MSC Cruises no longer publishes the prices of drink packages on the website. Instead, guests are asked to log in to see the prices for their cruise.
This makes things tricky for people who want to know how much the drinks package costs before they book a cruise. But don’t worry, I got you…
My husband and I on MSC Virtuosa
The package of your drinks package will vary depending on your destination, the length of your cruise, which package you choose and when you buy it. For alcoholic drinks, you can expect to pay $61 to $101 per person, per night.
See the tables below for all of the MSC drink package prices for 2025…
For Cruises in North America and the Caribbean
(USD Currency Onboard)
Cruise Length
Purchase Date
Premium Extra
Easy Plus
Easy
Alcohol-Free
Kids
All drinks upto $16
All drinks up to $10
Selected drinks
Selected drinks
Age 4-20 years
7+ Nights
Buy Onboard
$98
$70
$53
$32
$22
7+ Nights
Prepaid
$85
$61
$46
$28
$19
6 Nights or Less
Buy Onboard
$101
$74
$56
$35
$24
6 Nights or Less
Prepaid
$88
$64
$49
$30
$21
For ships with USD onboard currency sailing in the Caribbean or Northern America, a 18% drink package gratuity is included.
For Cruises in Europe and the Middle East
(EUR Currency Onboard)
Cruise Length
Purchase Date
Premium Extra
Easy Plus
Easy
Alcohol-Free
Kids
All drinks up to €14
All drinks up to €9
Selected drinks
Selected drinks
Age 4-17 years
7+ Nights
Buy Onboard
€85
€62
€45
€28
€20
7+ Nights
Prepaid
€74
€54
€39
€24
€17
6 Nights or Less
Buy Onboard
€89
€54
€49
€30
€21
6 Nights Or Less
Prepaid
€77
€47
€43
€26
€18
For ships with EURO onboard currency, a 15% drink package gratuity is included.
For MSC Virtuosa Cruises from the UK in the Summer
(GBP Currency Onboard)
Cruise Length
Purchase Date
Premium Extra
Easy Plus
Easy
Alcohol-Free
Kids
All drinks up to £14
All drinks up to £10
Selected drinks
Selected drinks
Age 4-17 years
7+ Nights
Buy Onboard
£73.60
£54.05
£39.10
£24.15
£17.25
7+ Nights
Prepaid
£64
£47
£34
£21
£15
6 Nights or Less
Buy Onboard
£77.05
£57.50
£42.55
£26.45
£18.40
6 Nights or Less
Prepaid
£67
£50
£37
£23
£16
Discounted Drinks Packages
There may be other special offers on drinks packages available at the time of booking. For example, when I booked a cruise on MSC Euribia recently, I was able to add on the Premium Extra drink package for just £40 per person, per day.
Here are the prices for my two-night cruise without drinks and with drinks…
Whichever package you choose, you should always buy it before your cruise. If you wait until you’re onboard, you’ll pay 15% more.
Are MSC Drink Packages Worth the Expense?
Whether or not the MSC drink packages are worth it depends on how much you drink. To work out how many drinks it costs to ‘break even’ on your package, you need to know how much each drink costs.
And to work out which package is best for, you, you’ll need to know what’s included in each. And what happens if you order a drink that’s not included in your package.
Use The Drink Package Calculator
To make things really simple, you can use my drink package calculator. Just enter the drinks you plan to have, and it will tell you which is the best package for you, and how much that will save you.
Now, read on and I’ll explain what’s included in each package, how much the drinks cost without a package and the other vital things you should know…
What’s Included In MSC Drink Packages?
To help you decide which drinks package is the best, here are the menus of what’s included in each package on MSC Cruises…
1. MSC Premium Extra Package
Premium Extra Drink Package Menu:
Includes all drinks priced up to $16 / €14 / £14
Selection of draught, craft and bottled beers
Entire selection of wines and Champagne by the glass
Extensive variety of frozen and classic cocktails
Premium brand spirits
Liqueurs and cordials
Sodas
Fruit juices
Energy drinks
Mineral water
Coffee (latte, espresso, cappuccino, etc.)
Hot chocolate and teas
25% discount on wine and Champagne bottles purchased on board
Drinks can be consumed in all bars (except the Starship Club on MSC Virtuosa), the buffet, the main dining rooms and speciality restaurants. It can also be used on Ocean Cay MSC Reserve and in the Raj Polo Tea Room and The Coffee Emporium on board MSC World Europa.
This package doesn’t include drinks in the onboard Lavazza coffee shops and other signature venues.
2. MSC Easy Plus Package
Easy Plus Drink Package Menu:
Includes all drinks priced up to $10 / €9 / £10
Variety of draught and bottled beers
Selection of wines by the glass
Variety of frozen and classic cocktails
Non-alcoholic cocktails
Selected spirits
Liqueurs and cordials
Soft drinks
Mineral water
Coffee drinks (latte, espresso, cappuccino, etc.)
Hot chocolate and hot teas
10% discount on bottles of wine purchased on board
With the Easy Plus package, drinks can be consumed in all bars (except the Starship Club on MSC Virtuosa), the buffet, the main dining room and ALSO in speciality restaurants. This is an important difference from the Easy package, which doesn’t allow you to order drinks in speciality restaurants.
It can also be used on MSC Cruises private islands, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve and Sir Bani Yas, and in the Raj Polo Tea Room on board MSC World Europa (but not in The Coffee Emporium)
If you plan to dine in a few speciality restaurants during our cruise, this deal is probably a better choice than the Easy drinks package.
Classic hot drinks (espresso, cappuccino, latte, hot tea, hot chocolate)
Drinks can be consumed in all bars, the buffet and main dining rooms but NOT in speciality restaurants or the Starship Club.
This package offers great value for money and is ideal if you’re on a budget and happy to stick with drinking draft Heineken, the same wines each day or choose from a small list of cocktails.
Here’s what the menu looks like on board so you can see exactly which drinks you can have…
Drinks can be consumed in all bars (except the Starship Club on MSC Virtuosa), buffet, main dining room, Ocean Cay, but NOTspeciality restaurants.
5. MSC Minors Package
Minors Drink Package Menu:
Wide choice of alcohol-free cocktails
Sodas
Energy drinks
Mineral water
Flavoured water
Fruit juices
Coffee drinks (latte, espresso, cappuccino, etc.)
Soft drinks
Hot chocolate
Hot teas
Soft-serve ice cream
This package is for children aged 3 to 17 on European cruises and aged 3 to 20 on North American and Caribbean cruises.
Drinks can be consumed in all bars (except the Starship Club on MSC Virtuosa), buffet, main dining room and Ocean Cay. They can only be consumed in speciality restaurants if the minor’s family purchased the Easy Plus or Premium Extra Packages.
Drinks Not Included in MSC Cruises Drink Packages
MSC drinks packages do not include drinks in souvenir glasses, drinks from your mini bar or drinks ordered via room service.
The drink packages also do not include drinks from ‘signature venues’. These include the MSC Virtuosa Starship Club, Venchi1878 establishments and Jean-Philippe Maury Venues.
Drinks in the MSC World Europa Raj Polo Tea Room are only included in the Premium Extra and Easy Plus Packages. Drinks in the MSC World Europa Coffee Emporium are only included in the Premium Extra Package.
Drinks from this robot bartender are not included in any drink package
Charges for Additional Beverages Not Included in the Package
If you want to enjoy a drink that’s not included in your package, you can order it and will only pay the difference between the package limit and the price of the drink.
This is great, as some other cruise lines will charge you the full price for the drink.
MSC Bar Prices
MSC drinks packages can be a great deal, but of course, you’ll need to drink enough to ‘break even’ and get your money’s worth.
So let’s take a look at the drinks prices…
Here are some examples of the MSC bar prices:
MSC Drinks Prices:
Cocktails: $7 to $16
Mocktails: $6
Spirits: $7 to $12
Large draft beer: $6
Bottled beer: $6.50
Glass of wine: $6 to $14
Fruit juice: $2.95 to $7.50
Water: $2.75 to $5.50
Energy drink: $4.95
Canned soda: $3.25
Glass of soda: $2.25
Coffee: $2.50 to $4.25
I took photos of every drink menu on the ship, so if you’d like to see the prices of any specific drinks, you can see photos of MSC drink menus here.
What drinks are free on MSC Cruises?
The following drinks are free on MSC Cruises:
Water
Coffee
Tea
Ice tea
Milk
Juices (at breakfast only)
Not all drinks are available for free in all bars. For the best selection of free drinks, head to the Main Dining Room or the casual (buffet) restaurant.
Wine Prices
A glass of wine on MSC Cruises costs $6 for a standard house wine, up to $14 for something nicer. Bear in mind that the servings can sometimes be small. This is what a glass of wine looks like (if you’re unlucky – sometimes they’re much bigger!)
If the ship is busy, the service can be pretty slow. So bear in mind that you may be either queueing at the bar or trying to catch the attention of a waiter quite often. If you don’t have a drink package, it makes sense to order wine by the bottle to avoid this issue.
Beer Prices
On MSC Cruises you won’t get a pint of beer. Instead, large beers are served in pilsner glasses which appear to be around three-quarters of a pint in size. And unless you’re in the British pub, you can only get Heineken. This costs $6 for a large glass or $3.50 for a small.
There is a wider selection of bottles lagers, craft beers, ales, pilsner, stout, cider and alcohol-free beer. These all cost $6.50 or $7.
Personally, I think that $6.50 for a small can of alcohol-free Heineken is a rip-off. It seems crazy that a large draft standard Heineken is cheaper!
Is water free on MSC Cruises?
Tap water is available free of charge on MSC Cruises and the water in your cabin is safe to drink. Bottled water costs $2.75 for a 17oz (500ml) bottle. Bottled water is free if you have a drinks package.
Are tea and coffee free on MSC Cruises?
On MSC Cruises, tea and coffee is available free of charge but only at the buffet area. You can get all kinds of teas and coffees such as cappuccino and espresso for free throughout the ship with a drinks package.
You’re entitled to speciality coffees like cappuccino with the drinks package, but sometimes if the staff were busy they would tell me that they could only make brewed coffee.
This is one of the many things that annoys me about MSC Cruises. You can read more on that in this article: Why Are MSC Cruises So Cheap?
If your cruise includes UK ports such as Southampton, you’ll find a kettle in your room with tea and coffee. Otherwise, you won’t.
Cabin stewards don’t always refill the tea and coffee, unless you ask them to. Which can be mildly annoying.
Are MSC Drink Packages Worth It?
Before you go ahead and buy a drinks package, it’s worth doing a little bit of maths to figure out how many drinks you’d need to have per day to ‘break even’ on your package.
Whichever MSC drink package you choose, you’ll need to drink around five drinks per day to break even. Of course, the exact number depends on what you like to drink and which package you choose.
When thinking about whether a package is good value or not, think about how much time you plan to spend on the ship. Whilst you might easily get through five or six drinks on a sea day, you might not have so many if you’re off the ship all day and only having a couple in the evening.
MSC Cruises Drinks Package Calculator
To help you work out whether the drinks package is worth it or not, I’ve built a handy calculator tool.
The calculator will show how much your bar bill will be if you don’t have a drinks package. You can then compare this to the price of the drinks package to decide whether it’s worth it or not.
Just pop your details in the form and you’ll receive an email with a link to the calculator…
Things To Know About MSC Drink Packages
Here are the answers to your most commonly-asked questions about drinks on MSC Cruises. If you have a question that isn’t covered here, please add it to the comments below and I will answer it for you.
1. Everyone must have the same drink package
On MSC Cruises, all passengers travelling together (sharing a cabin or a table) must have the same drink package, with the exception of children who must have the minor’s drinks package.
This rule applies to everyone aged three or over. You don’t need to purchase a package for children under three.
You can’t share a drinks package. If you give drinks to anyone who doesn’t have a package, you face having your package cancelled without a refund.
2. You can’t bring your own drinks
While most cruise lines let you bring a bottle of wine in your lugagge, MSC Cruises does not allow guests to bring any drinks on board. This includes alcohol, soft drinks and water. You may bring water if you have a medical need for it and you can bring unlimited baby milk.
4. You do get free drinks with the Yacht Club experience
MSC Yacht Club guests get a Premium Extra drink package as part of their exclusive benefits.
5. You’ll pay more if you buy the package on the ship
You can order your MSC drinks package before you cruise or on board your ship. It’s 15% cheaper to buy your drink package before your cruise. You can do this via the ‘Manage My Booking’ section of the MSC Cruises website.
6. The drinking age varies for different cruises
The drinking age on MSC Cruise ships depends on the itinerary, not the nationality of the passenger. It is generally 18 years old on European cruises and 21 years old on Caribbean cruises.
7. There’s no limit on how many drinks you can have
Unlike some other cruise lines that limit you to 15 drinks per day, MSC Cruises don’t have a set maximum number of drinks per day. However, if you appear to be intoxicated you are unlikely to be served more alcohol.
8. Drink packages aren’t available on every cruise
Drink packages are available on most MSC Cruises ships. But they’re not available on cruises from South Africa and China. Due to Saudi law, no alcohol will be served during calls in Saudi Arabian ports.
9. MSC drink packages work on private islands
Your MSC drink package can be used to get free drinks on MSC Cruises’ private island, Ocean Cay as well as the private resort of Sir Bani Yas in the UAE. However, there will not be as many different drinks available on the island as there are on the ship.
Drinks Package Special Offers
If you’re interested in the all-inclusive drinks package on
MSC Cruises, you should be sure to look out for MSC all-inclusive deals which
are sometimes offered by specialist cruise travel agents.
Travel agents can package up cruises with flights, a pre-cruise hotel and all-inclusive drinks to create a great value all-inclusive package cruise holiday.
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MSC Cruises Free Drinks Package Offer
One very popular offer is the MSC ‘ALL-IN drinks and Wi-Fi offer’ which is sometimes available on the MSC Cruises USA website. This offer includes free drinks, free Wi-Fi and free onboard credit.
Before you go ahead and book an all-inclusive deal with free drinks and wifi, I’d suggest working out how much it would cost to buy each part of the package separately to make sure that it’s actually good value. Consider whether you actually want the drinks and the wifi, or whether they just seem good because they’re packaged up in a deal.
If your all-inclusive MSC Cruise bundle comes with the Easy or Easy Plus package and you want to upgrade, you can do that either before your cruise or on board. As always, it’s cheaper to do it before you cruise.
Easy to Easy Plus costs $15 per day onboard
Easy to Premium Extra costs $44 per day onboard
Easy Plus to Premium Extra costs $28 per day onboard
You’ll save 15% on these prices if you purchase the upgrade online or via your travel agent before your cruise.
Other Drinks Packages on MSC Cruises
MSC Yacht Club Drinks Package
The luxurious MSC Yacht Club gives guests many perks including:
A luxury suite in the Yacht Club area of the ship
Access to the Top Sail lounge
Private dining in the Yacht Club restaurant
Entry to the exclusive pool area
Priority boarding
Butler service
Premium internet package
Included drinks
MSC Yacht Club guests enjoy the equivalent of the Premium Extra drinks package which can be used in all bars and restaurants throughout the ship. Yacht Club guests also enjoy a free minibar.
MSC Dine & Drinks Package
On MSC World Cruises, the Dine & Drinks package is included as standard. With this, you get house wines, draught beer, soft drinks and mineral water during lunch and dinner in the main restaurants and in the buffet.
Discontinued Drink Packages
If you’ve cruised with MSC Cruises a few years ago, you may be familiar with some of the drinks packages which have now been discontinued. These include…
MSC Premium Drinks Package
For cruises departing from November 2021 onwards, the MSC Premium drinks package has been renamed to the MSC Easy Plus drink package.
MSC Premium Plus Drinks Package
For cruises departing from November 2021 onwards, the MSC Premium Plus package has been renamed to the MSC Premium Extra package.
MSC Aurea Drinks Package
MSC Cruises Aurea Experience is an upgrade that’s available to guests staying in balcony cabins or suites. The MSC Aurea experience used to come with a free Easy drink package but this is no longer the case. Other perks like the free massage have also been removed.
MSC Drink Vouchers
Until 2019, MSC Cruises used to regularly offer cruisers 12 free drinks vouchers when they booked a Fantastica cabin. These paper coupons could be exchanged for a glass of wine, pint or bottle of beer, spirit and mixer, non-premium cocktail, soft drink, mineral water or hot drink. The coupons no longer exist.
MSC Allegrissimo Drinks Package
The MSC Allegrissimo drinks package is the name of a package that has been discontinued. The Allegrissimo offer was most similar to the Easy drinks package. The main difference is that the Allegrissimo drinks package also included ice cream.
MSC Mealtime Drinks Package
Another discontinued deal is the one where you could get free wine and beer with meals. The mealtime drinks package no longer exists, and now you can always get drinks at any time of day.
MSC Classic Drink Package
If you’re used to cruising with Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises, you’ll be familiar with the term ‘classic drinks package’. MSC Cruises don’t call their main package the ‘classic package’. Instead, you can choose from Easy, Easy Plus or Premium Extra drinks packages.
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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.
When you cruise with Royal Caribbean, a lot is included already – your accommodation, your entertainment, and a lot of the food options are covered in your fare.
Drinks are one of the bigger expenses not covered, though. You’ll need to pay for these separately. And a lot of people prefer to book a drinks package, rather than have to pay for each drink individually.
The drinks package prices can be quite high though. So, how do you take advantage of the best Royal Caribbean drinks package promotions, and how do you save? Let’s take a look.
Royal Caribbean Drinks Package Pricing
Royal Caribbean has five drinks packages, and the pricing can be confusing as it will often vary depending on your ship, itinerary, and sailing date. The main drinks package is the Deluxe Beverage Package, which costs anywhere from $50 to $115 per day.
This is the drinks package which includes unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The other drinks packages are for non-alcoholic drinks only.
As you can see, the three packages that offer unlimited drinks don’t always have set pricing, so it can be confusing if you’re a Royal Caribbean newbie.
The Deluxe Beverage Package is different because it doesn’t have a ‘set’ price. The price will change depending on the cruise.
For example, here’s the Deluxe Beverage Package on a 7-night cruise on Enchantment of the Seas, showing that it is $71.99 per day, reduced from $90 per day:
And here’s the same package for the inaugural cruise on Icon of the Seas, showing the price as $91.99 per day, reduced from $115 per day:
The Refreshment and Classic Soda packages do have set daily prices, but that doesn’t mean you’ll have to pay those, since they can often be included in a promotion.
So, how do you get the best price for your drinks package?
Royal Caribbean Drinks Package Promotions
There are several ways that you can take advantage of the best prices for your Royal Caribbean drinks package. Timing matters, because the best offers will only be available for a short while.
1. Book Before You Cruise
The first tip is always to book your beverage package before you sail – if you book in advance, you can expect to save around 20% of the cost, at least.
If you wait until you board your cruise, you’ll only have the first day in which you can book a drinks package – otherwise, you won’t be able to and you’ll be paying for drinks individually, which could be a lot more expensive depending on how much you drink.
Booking in advance secures the package for you and means you get a decent discount already. But there are better offers available than just 20% off.
2. Look Out For Offers
Every now and then, Royal Caribbean will run promotions to give even bigger discounts on your drinks package.
The sale periods vary – sometimes they’re seasonal, whereas at other times they might be random.
Common Royal Caribbean Drink Package Promo periods include:
Black Friday (and the week leading up to it)
Halloween
4th July
If you’re not based in the US, it’s best just to check in on the cruise planner every couple of weeks, to see if there’s a sale on.
It’s important to note that the offers won’t always be the same. In 2022, for example, the package was reduced by 35% for Halloween but the Black Friday promotion wasn’t as good – and a lot of people were left disappointed.
On very rare occasions, you might be able to secure Royal Caribbean’s 40% off drinks package discount. This isn’t common, so if you see your drinks package discounted by 40%, book it quickly!
35% off is typically the best that most people see, and only during sale periods.
Tip: Don’t rely on just the percentage discounts. Sometimes the full price will be inflated, so a higher percentage discount might actually be a worse deal.
So if you see a good price, you shouldn’t be tempted to wait and try to get it lower – it may be a good plan to snap it up. Especially when you consider this next tip…
3. Purchase & Cancel
One of the best bits of advice from past Royal Caribbean guests is to book your drinks package as soon as you can, and then cancel and re-book if you see a special offer for it.
You can track the offers in the cruise planner for your cruise – just make sure you log in and check periodically. That way, you’ll spot if there is an offer, and you can cancel your existing beverage package and then rebook it immediately for the new price.
There is one important point though – refunds for existing beverage package bookings will take 7-10 days to process, so only cancel your beverage package if you have the funds to rebook it immediately, without the refund.
Otherwise, you might cancel it, wait to get the money back, and then find that the price has gone even higher when you go to book it again.
4. Cheat The System
There is a way to cheat the Royal Caribbean system to get the best possible price for the Deluxe Beverage Package. But it is a cheat, and if you are caught, you could end up paying a lot more.
Officially, if you want to book the Deluxe Beverage Package, then all adults sharing your stateroom have to book the same package. You can’t have one adult on the Deluxe package, and one on the Refreshment package. If you book online, it won’t let you do that.
However – you can call Royal Caribbean and ask to have different packages. You’ll need to explain why your partner/roommate doesn’t drink, though don’t expect to have to give a life story, or medical evidence.
Just be prepared for them to ask the reason, and then they should permit you to book different packages in the same stateroom.
Then, you could be the one to go and grab drinks from the bar, and share them with your partner.
If you’re caught though, your drinks package will be voided without a refund – so you’ll have lost your money and you’ll have to pay individually for any more drinks you have on your cruise.
Personally, I wouldn’t risk it. And speaking of risk…
5. Risk Boarding Day Offers
Sometimes, the best offers may not be available before you cruise, but might only be an option when you board. On some cruises, you might be able to get a ‘Buy One, Get One Half Price’ discount when you board your cruise.
Now, that half price will be half the full price you pay, so it’s not as good a deal as it sounds, but it is still better than saving just 20% on two people.
Here’s an example:
Say the price quoted for your cruise is $115 per person, per day for 7 days
If you book in advance, you’ll save 20% each – so you’ll pay $92 per person, per day
For the total cruise, that’s $92 x 2 people x 7 days = $1,288
If you wait til you board and there is a buy-one-get-one-half-price offer, you’ll pay $115 x 7 for one person, and then $57.5 x 7 for the second person
That’s a total cost of $805 for guest one, and $402.5 for guest two – a total of $1,207.50
You’d save $80.50 this way, but the offer might not be available, so it’s a big risk
If the offer isn’t available, you’d have to pay full price – $1,610 for the week
It’s up to you, but personally, I would play it safer and book before you cruise – the $80 saving isn’t worth risking over $300 if the promotion isn’t available.
Final Thoughts
It can be tricky getting the best promotion prices for your Royal Caribbean drinks package. But just make sure you check the cruise planner every now and then, and you’ll see if there are any amazing offers that are worth cancelling your existing package and rebooking.
But also consider firstly, do you need the drinks package? Or would you save by buying drinks individually anyway? After all, the package is often more expensive than the cruise itself…
If you’re not sure, I suggest grabbing a copy of my drink package calculator to work out how much the drink package is worth based on what you plan to drink.
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.
P&O Cruises’ cruise ship Iona features 30 bars and restaurants. Some of the restaurants on Iona are exclusive to this ship and her sister ship Arvia, so read on to find out what to expect when it comes to the dining options on Iona.
This guide to dining on P&O Iona shows which restaurants are included in your cruise fare and which have an extra charge. There are links to sample menus where these are available, but you should also check out my guide to P&O Cruises menus.
Iona has four main restaurants, named Coral, Opal, Aqua and Pearl. These restaurants, which are located on Decks Six and Seven, are open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and five-course dinners.
Main Dining Room Food on Iona
In a first for P&O Cruises, Iona offers all Freedom dining. This means you can arrive at any of the main restaurants whenever you like and sit wherever you choose. There are no set dining times on this ship.
Each of the main dining rooms serves the same menus, although it changes every day. Even on a 14-night cruise we never ate the same meal twice. There are different menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Here’s an example of a dinner menu in one of the main dining rooms on Iona:
The Horizon Buffet
✅ Included in the price
The Horizon restaurant is the place to go for quick breakfasts and lunches, informal dinners and snacks outside of mealtimes. Located on the Lido Deck, between the SkyDome Pool and the Infinity Pool, it’s a great place to go when you don’t want to be away from the pool for too long.
In the buffet, each dish is clearly marked to show what allergens it contains. As a vegan, I did find that many of the dishes were shown to contain milk, even the veggie sausages and veggie bacon, which was a little annoying.
Each day at 5 pm, a corner of the buffet restaurant hosts a Children’s Tea where kids can enjoy dinner at around the same time as they do at home. This means that they can be well-fed on kids’ favourites before heading off to enjoy the entertainment of the kids’ club in the evening, while parents enjoy a romantic meal for two.
The Chef’s Table
✅ Included in the price
Iona offers an exciting way to enjoy the glamour of Gala Evenings – with dinner at The Chef’s Table.
Located in an area of the Horizon restaurant (which will be specially styled for the occasion), The Chef’s Table gives guests the opportunity to feast on a menu designed by ‘Food Heroes’ Marco Pierre White and Eric Lanlard. Wines are expertly paired to accompany each course by wine expert Olly Smith.
This included dining experience is very popular so sure to book your place before your cruise via the P&O Cruises cruise planner to ensure that you don’t miss out. On our cruise, I never saw any availability for it.
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The Quays
✅ Included in the price
The Quays is Iona’s vibrant food hall where you’ll find three different restaurants offering street food and takeaways from all over the world. This lively hub offers the opportunity for indoor or outdoor dining, both with spectacular sea views.
The Quays features:
Hook, Line and Vinegar – A posh fish and chip shop that serves scampi, crab and other fancy seafood delights
The Boardwalk Diner – Serving American BBQ hot dogs, burgers and Southern soul food
Fusion – Offering a variety of Asian-inspired street food
Don’t miss the selection of side salads and desserts that are hidden around the corner.
You can also get a secret veggie burger. It’s not on the menu, but if you ask in the Boardwalk Diner they will make you one. If you’re vegan, they even do a special dairy-free brioche bun.
Vegan burger from the Quays
Taste 360
✅ Included in the price
Taste 360 offers a street food-style dining experience on the Lido Deck. Here, you can enjoy flavours inspired by the destinations that Iona visits – whether that be Spanish dishes or traditional Norwegian favourites.
You’ll also find an abundance of burgers, chips, hot dogs and fresh oven-baked pizza to keep everyone happy. Pizza is served by the slice, but don’t be afraid to ask for a whole one – they come fresh out of the oven every few minutes!
Grab-and-Go Bar
✅ Included in the price
Take your pick from self-service snacks like packaged sandwiches, fresh salads, yoghurts and pots of chopped fruit.
Iona’s Grab-and-Go bar is located by the Infinity Pool, so you can just pick up what you want and take it back to your seat or sunlounger, without missing any time in the sunshine.
Grab & Go Bar
The Olive Grove
✅ Most dishes included in the price (supplement for others)
Located by The Quays food court, The Olive Grove is a Mediterranean restaurant serving antipasti, Spanish paella, Moroccan lamb tagines, grazing boards and sharing platters. Choose to eat inside or in the sunshine of the conservatory.
The following dining options are all available for an extra charge…
Ripples
💷 For an extra charge
Iona’s has two ice cream parlours – one in the SkyDome and one in the Quays food court. In partnership with Snowflake Luxury Gelato, Ripples serves artisan sundaes, ice cream cookies and gelato afternoon tea.
The afternoon tea costs £12 but, as you can see, it has enough to feed the whole family so it’s great value for money.
Afternoon Tea at Ripples
Ice cream isn’t free on Iona, except for kids in the buffet at 5pm during the children’s tea. So, even if you don’t go to the children’s tea, I suggest that you still take the kids there for an afternoon treat to save you from paying for ice creams from Ripples.
The Epicurean
💷 From £28 per person
The Epicurean offers the most exquisite fine dining on Iona with flavours of the destinations that you visit during your cruise. On cruises to the Norwegian Fjords, guests can enjoy a six-course taster menu created by award-winning Norwegian chef, Kjartan Skjelde.
Example dishes at the Epicurean
Fillet of lightly smoked mountain trout with horseradish cream, pickled cucumber and puffed rye
Fillet of Jæren coastal lamb, potato cream mayonnaise, white onions, baby carrots, hispi cabbage, jus gras, butter emulsion and chive oil
White chocolate espuma and cloudberry sorbet with meringue, caramelised white chocolate and cloudberries
An Afternoon Tea in the Epicurean is an indulgent treat featuring savoury porcini and pancetta éclairs, pistachio petit choux with red berries, marble swirls red velvet cake pops and orange blossom and bee pollen scones.
Iona’s Beach House offers relaxed dining with families in mind. Enjoy Caribbean and South American classics such as hanging kebabs, hearty grills, seafood and chocolate fondues.
💷 Starters from £4, Mains from £5.50, Desserts from £3
The Keel & Cow is Iona’s gastropub where you can enjoy British classics such as the Prime Minister burger which is hailed as ‘the best burger at sea’.
The Prime Minister Burger
An 8oz dry-aged prime beef patty, Isle of Wight blue cheese, dry-cured bacon, beefsteak tomatoes, pancetta jam, onion marmalade, roasted garlic mayonnaise and pickled gherkins, all served in a salted bun.
The Prime Minister Burger Photo credit: P&O Cruises
Other pub favourites to order at Iona’s pub will include pie and mash, fish and chips and a choice of prince steaks.
💷 Starters from £5.50, Mains from £9, Desserts from £3.50
Sindhu offers the very best in Indian cuisine. In the stylish surroundings of the conservatory, Sindhu’s expert chefs prepare tiffin-style lunches and delicious evening meals with countless courses.
💷 Starters from £2.75, Mains from £8.00, Desserts from £4.50
The Glass House is a wine bar that is open for light bites, lunch and evening meals. Here, you can enjoy a glass of wine and watch aerial artists in the Grand Atrium.
Wine expert Olly Smith has hand-selected wines from around the world which are paired with food in a tapas menu designed by José Pizarro.
In the adult-only Limelight Club, you can enjoy a three-course meal with entertainment by some of Britain’s best-loved celebrity performers.
This venue is adults-only. Although you enter at 7pm, the show doesn’t start until 9pm, so you’ll need to be mindful of this and check the opening hours for the kids’ clubs if you’re cruising with children.
Starter in the Limelight Club
Example dishes at The Limelight Club
H. Forman & Son Mojito cured salmon with cucumber jelly, lemon aioli, pickled cucumber and nori crisps
Pavé of line-caught sea bass with a pancetta, broad bean, shallot and pea fricassée, lemon and herb gnocchi and white wine parmesan cream
Dark and white chocolate mascarpone bomba, raspberries and Amarula ice cream
Located in the Grand Atrium with the most wonderful sea views, this cafe serves sweet treats from master pâtissier Eric Lanlard. Enjoy a Costa coffee or a Teapigs tea while you watch pop-up performances from street entertainers.
Iona has one formal night on each seven-night cruise. Fourteen-night cruises have two formal nights. Formal wear is required in the Main Dining Room and speciality dining rooms but not in the Horizon Buffet on these nights.
Special dietary requirements? No problem!
Like all P&O Cruises ships, people with special dietary needs such as vegan, gluten-free and food allergies are very well-catered for on Iona. You can meet with a chef on the first day of your cruise to ensure that your needs are met.
If you have a special dietary requirement, you should let P&O Cruises know before you cruise.
Pre-booking is required for certain speciality dining venues on Iona. To pre-book, log in to your P&O Cruises planner within three months of your departure date. You can also book dining or join a virtual queue using your mobile phone on board.
Here’s what that looks like…
Dining times
These are the dining times in the main dining room on Iona:
Breakfast: 07:30 – 10:00
Lunch: 12:00 – 13:30
Afternoon Tea: 15:30 – 16:30
Dinner: 17:30 – 21:00
For speciality restaurants, the time varies depending on the restaurant.
Plenty of options for fussy kids too!
A typical P&O Cruises kids’ menu will consist of:
Kids mains
Beef Burger in Buns
Pizza Margherita
Mini Minced Beef And Onion Pasty
Spaghetti Bolognaise
Chicken Nuggets
Grilled Chicken Breast
Poached Salmon
Pork Sausages
Fish Fingers
Pasta with Tomato Sauce
Hot Dog
Fried Egg
Omelette
Kids sides
Fresh Vegetables of the Day
French Fries
Grilled Stir-Fried Vegetables
Mashed Potato
Creamed Corn
Potato Smiley Faces
Spaghetti Hoops
Garden Peas
Carrots
Kids desserts
Selection of Ice Creams with Sweet Sauces
Sorbet of the Day
Fruit Jellies
Cupcake
Chocolate Cookies
Chocolate Brownies
Children can mix and match as many dishes as they want from this menu. A tip I would give is to specify how much you would like. Be sure to ask for two sausages or two fried eggs, otherwise, you’ll just get one and the portions can be quite small.
Conclusion
With 30 different venues, the Iona cruise ship restaurants and bars offer an abundance of food and drink choices. Many of these options are included in the cruise fare so that guests can dine in a variety of different venues without paying any extra. For something special, Iona has speciality restaurants offering the finest cuisine from around the world.
People with special dietary requirements and parents of young children can relax knowing that there will always be plenty of options available when you choose to holiday with P&O Cruises.
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.
P&O Cruises ship Iona is the perfect ship for British families, with sailings from Southampton to a variety of European destinations and lots of onboard fun for kids of all ages.
We loved our two-week cruise on Iona with our seven- and five-year-old kids and would definitely return. We’ve also since enjoyed a cruise on her sister ship, Arvia, and loved that one too.
If you’ve booked a cruise, or are considering booking a cruise on board Iona, read on for all the information about Iona’s kids’ clubs, family dining options and family-friendly destinations.
Just like the other family-friendly cruise ships in the P&O Cruises fleet, Iona offers The Reef club with a programme of entertainment and activities that will appeal to all youngsters of all ages – from toddlers to teens.
There isn’t just one P&O kids club – instead, included in the cruise fare are kids’ clubs which are split into different age groups and offer a safe and fun environment in the care of qualified Reef rangers.
Please check the latest kids’ club with P&O Cruises before you book your cruise. This is particularly important if you have children in different age groups as you may find that they’re not able to attend sessions at the same time, which could throw a spanner in the works when it comes to enjoying your child-free relaxation time!
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Splashers – Age 2-4
Splashers (age 2-4)
Two-, three- and four-year-olds will love the bright and colourful Splashers club which features slides, toys, books and activities such as arts and crafts and dressing up.
Surfers – Age 5-8
Surfers (5-8)
Five- to eight-year-olds can attend Surfers, the Iona kids club featuring a soft play area. Kids can play computer games, watch films and enjoy puppet shows. There are themed days such as Pirate Day and they’ll be able to take part in treasure hunts around the ship.
Scubas – Age 9-12
Scubas (9-12)
The Scubas club for nine- to twelve-year-olds looks really cool. It’s relaxed and welcoming, with computer games, air hockey and pool tables. There’ are organised activities available, or kids can just chat and play games with their friends.
Scene – Age 13-17
Teenagers have their own space on Iona, a hang-out called Scene, which is located on deck 6, far away from the kids’ clubs. I really like this idea, as I know that many teens wouldn’t go anywhere near a ‘kids’ club’, but this is more of a chilled-out space where they can hang out with others, as well as testing their skills with the latest gaming technology.
Iona’s Family Facilities
As well as the Reef kids’ club, Iona hosts a myriad of other places where families can have fun together. So even if your child chooses not to attend the organised activities of the kids’ club, there’ll still be loads for them to do.
The Splash Zone
The Splash Zone
The Splash Zone is a really cool water-play area that is used by the kids’ club at some times, and at other times parents can bring their children. I know that my two absolutely loved this – they even wanted to go in on a cold day, although I wouldn’t recommend that!
The Nursery
The Nursery
The Nursery looks like a really great area for babies and toddlers. Sadly, at the time of writing the nursery hasn’t yet opened due to the restrictions. However, I do hope that it opens soon.
The Night Nursery
Iona also features the Night Nursery, which is one of the most-loved features of P&O Cruises’ family-friendly ships by parents of under-fives. But again, this hasn’t yet been able to open.
The idea behind the Night Nursery is that parents can leave their children between 6 pm and 2 am to sleep in a quiet area under the watchful eye of qualified staff. They are given a pager so that they can be alerted should their children wake.
We absolutely loved the Night Nursery on Britannia. Walking away from our sleeping children with a glass of wine in hand, heading out to the theatre or casino was such an invigorating feeling when you’re used to a babysitter being a rare and special treat! Best of all, the Night Nursery, like all the other children’s facilities, is completely free of charge.
Ocean Studios
Iona features a four-screen cinema complex. There are screenings throughout the day so families can always choose an age-appropriate film, complete with popcorn, ice cream and snacks. This is the perfect way to spend a rainy day at sea – because they do sometimes happen when sailing from the UK!
The Club House
The Club House is an indoor/outdoor space at the aft (that means rear, for cruise newbies) end of the Promenade Deck. Here, families can get together to play games and enjoy fun entertainment such as games shows.
Our favourite Club House activity was making models of Wallace and Gromit. Then the real Wallace and Gromit turned up to say hello!
Wallace and Gromit
Wallace and Gromit could regularly be seen around the ship, as could their friend Sean the Sheep. There were always lots of Wallace and Gromit-themed activities and meet-and-greets on the daily program and we loved watching the Sean the Sheep movie in the theatre.
Swimming Pools and Hot Tubs
Iona has four swimming pools (excluding the spa):
Beachcomber pool – An outdoor pool at the front of Deck 18
Panorama pool – An outdoor pool at the aft of Deck 18 with plenty of seating in the sun and shade
Skydome pool – Located mid-ship on Deck 16, this large indoor pool has a domed glass roof. This pool transforms into a stage in the evening.
Infinity pool – A glass-sided pool at the aft of Deck 16 which offers spectacular views.
Iona has 24 hot tubs:
6 hot tubs surrounding the Beachcomber pool on Deck 18
2 hot tubs in the sunbathing area on Deck 18 mid-ship
2 hot tubs in The Retreat adults-only area on Deck 18
4 hot tubs on the Sun Deck on Deck 17
2 indoor hot tubs by the Skydome Pool on Deck 16
6 infinity hot tubs on the Promenade Deck on Deck 8
2 large hot tubs by the Sunset Bar at the aft of Deck 8
We found the Iona pools to be a little cold, even the indoor pool. However, because there were so many hot tubs, we were always able to find a warm jacuzzi to relax in, whatever the weather.
Pop-up Performances
Iona has two standout spaces – the Grand Atrium and the SkyDome. In these exciting entertainment hubs, families can enjoy surprising spectacles such as aerial performers and circus acts.
Family-Friendly Dining Options
Iona offers a great deal of flexibility when it comes to food with over 30 restaurants and bars to choose from.
Most of the dining venues on the ship are great for all ages, but there are some that are particularly great for kids…
Taste 360
Located poolside in the SkyDome, Taste 360 offers pizza slices, french fries, hotdogs, burgers and other street food options that kids will love.
The Boardwalk Diner
Part of The Quays dining piazza, this American-style soul food diner serves up chargrilled burgers, hot dogs, southern-fried chicken, fries and much more. There’s also a secret veggie burger (it’s not on the menu, you have to ask for it).
Hook Line and Vinegar
I just love the name of this fish and chip restaurant. Wherever you are in the world, cruisers can enjoy traditional British fish, chips and mushy peas.
The Horizon Buffet Restaurant
This self-service buffet restaurant is open around the clock and offers food from around the globe, accompanied by panoramic ocean views.
Each day at around 5 pm there’s a special kids tea. The buffet is closed to everyone else while it serves up a selection of favourites that kids always love.
The buffet is also a great place to eat breakfast. Another secret for you – kids can have waffles on request. You won’t see them on the buffet, but if you ask a staff member in a yellow apron, they’ll get them for you.
The Main Dining Restaurants
There are four main restaurants on board Iona and all offer Freedom Dining – which means that you can arrive at a time to suit you. Freedom dining gives the option to meet new people each night, or enjoy a romantic evening for two should the mood take you, which I think is just perfect.
Children are welcomed in the main dining room, even on formal nights. There’s a great kids’ menu which you can see here.
Snacks and Sweet Treats
In addition to all the restaurants mentioned, guests can also enjoy Italian-style gelato from the two Ripples ice-cream bars. I would highly recommend the ice cream afternoon tea. It costs £12, but it’s large enough to feed the whole family.
However, if you don’t want to pay for ice cream, you can also get it from the buffet during kids tea for free. You don’t need to eat a meal, you can just walk in and make yourself an ice cream at that time.
As well as ensuring that children are well catered for on board, P&O Cruises has also crafted a range of shore excursions that are perfectly planned to ensure that families have an amazing holiday when they leave the ship too.
Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands
Iona offers 14-night cruises to Spain and Portugal, as well as seven-night cruises to Germany, Holland and Belgium.
As well as winter sun, families sailing to Spain, Portugal and the Canaries will be able to enjoy child-friendly excursions such as:
Riding a cable car and toboggan in Madeira
Enjoy a tree-top high-ropes course in Cadiz
Making a splash in the Aqualand Maspalomas Water Park in Gran Canaria
Touring the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona
Learning how to make traditional Portuguese custard tarts in Lisbon
The Norwegian Fjords
Iona will sail from Southampton to the Norwegian Fjords each week between April and September. On cruises to the Fjords, families will be able to enjoy an exciting range of excursions such as:
Visiting the Atlantic Sea-Park aquarium in Alesund
Meeting the animals at the Øvre-Eide Farm in Bergen
Spending the day building sandcastles at Sola Beach in Stavanger
Riding in an open-top buggy to see the Briksdal Glacier in Olden
Kayaking past waterfalls in Geirangerfjord
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Final Thoughts
We loved our two weeks on Iona and would definitely recommend this ship for families with children aged five to ten. One thing to consider if your kids are younger than this is that the kids’ clubs might not be fully operational – so check with P&O for the latest info on that.
If you have older kids and teenagers who like to be constrantly entertained, then P&O Cruises’ might not be the bets for them as you won’t find any water slides, rock climbing walls, bumper cars or anything like that.
If you’d prefer a ship with those kinds of facilities, I recommend that you instead check out what Royal Caribbean has to offer here: The Best Royal Caribbean Ships for Kids.
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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.
