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Nine Drinks That Are Completely Free on Royal Caribbean Cruises

by Cruise LinesCruise NewsFood and drinkRoyal Caribbean

When you book a Royal Caribbean cruise, an important decision is whether to buy a drinks package or pay for your drinks individually.

On a Royal Caribbean cruise, the drinks can be pretty expensive. You can take a look at the menus to see exactly how much they cost.

However, savvy cruisers will know that lots of drinks are completely free of charge on Royal Caribbean cruises. If you stick to these, you won’t need to spend a penny on drinks for your cruise.

Wondering if the Royal Caribbean drinks package is worth it? Thousands of cruisers use my free drink package calculator to work it out:

1. Water

Tap water is free on a Royal Caribbean cruise. And there are lots of places you can get it on the ship. You can ask for a jug of iced water in any restaurant, or get iced water by the glass for free at any bar.

Most people say that tap water on cruise ships tastes better than water on land. It’s filtered well, and doesn’t have to travel through as many pipes as it does in your home.

You’ll also be able to help yourself to water in the Windjammer buffet, as well as from drink dispensers around the ship.

It’s not sanitary to use a water dispenser to fill your personal bottle that you’ve been drinking out of. It’s recommended that you use one of the clean glasses provided, and then pour it into your bottle.

Boy with glass of water on Royal Caribbean cruise
His breakfast choices may be unhealthy, but Adam only ever drinks water

The tap water in your stateroom is also perfectly safe to drink and tastes just fine. On hot days, the water isn’t always very cold, but you can always ask your stateroom attendant to bring you some ice for in your room.

If you prefer to drink bottled water, you won’t be able to get this for free on the ship, unless you bring it on board with you.

Suggested read: Can You Bring Your Own Drinks on a Cruise Ship?

Main Dining Room
Main Dining Room

2. Flavoured water

It’s not just plain old tap water that you can enjoy for free on a Royal Caribbean cruise. You’ll also find a choice of flavoured waters available for free in the Windjammer buffet restaurant.

The flavoured water on Royal Caribbean ships is really nice. I think it’s a bit more like fruit cordial than water. And there are always at least two flavours to choose from.

3. Lemonade

In the Windjammer Marketplace buffet, the machines that dispense flavoured water also dispense lemonade. Royal Caribbean’s lemonade tastes absolutely delicious – it’s cloudy, with a little pulp and just the right amount of sweetness.

If you prefer fizzy lemonade like Sprite or Minute Maid, you can get this on board too, but you’ll have to pay for it.

4. Coffee

On Royal Caribbean cruise ships you can get complimentary coffee in the main dining room, Windjammer buffet, Cafe Promenade, Lafe Latte-tudes, the Park Cafe and also through room service.

There’s a choice of regular or decaf coffee. When it comes to milk you can choose from whole, semi-skimmed (half and half) skimmed, (fat free), soy or almond.

There’s a difference between the free coffee and speciality coffees like Cappuccino and Espresso, as these have an extra charge. Some ships have Starbucks on board, and the coffee from there isn’t free either.

Royal Caribbean’s free brewed coffee tastes fine. It’s not amazing, but it’s pretty good. Always ask for a ‘brewed’ coffee to make sure that you get the free version. If you’re something of a coffee aficionado, you might want to pay to upgrade to the fancy coffees.

Royal Caribbean free coffee

5. Tea

You’ll find a selection of complimentary hot teas to choose from in Royal Caribbean’s main dining rooms and Windjammer buffet. There’s quite a big choice, includingEarl Grey, English Breakfast tea, black tea, green tea, orange tea, peppermint tea, chamomile tea and other herbal teas.

You can also get unsweetened iced tea for free in the main dining room and buffet. If you prefer sweet tea, one tip is to add a little lemonade.

Royal Caribbean fruit juice machine
This machine always has iced tea as an option

If you cruise from the UK, you’ll also find a kettle in your room with tea bags. Isn’t it great that Royal Caribbean realises how much Brits love a cup of tea first thing in the morning?

6. Hot chocolate

On Royal Caribbean ships, you’ll find packets of hot chocolate mix in the Windjammer buffet. You can also order hot chocolate or hot cocoa in the dining rooms, Cafe Promenade and through room service for free.

The hot chocolate is very chocolatey, so you may wish to add a little milk to it.

7. Milk

In the Windjammer buffet, you can help yourself to milk. There’s semi-skimmed and skimmed milk next to the coffee and cereal, but you can also ask for almond or soya milk if you prefer that.

If your room has a kettle (cruises from the UK do), you’ll get small pots of milk. But if you need dairy-free milk for your morning cuppa or want some whole milk to feed your baby or toddler, call room service and they will bring some to you. You can keep it in your fridge until you need it.

Almond milk delivered by Royal Caribbean milk room service
As I’m vegan, I requested almond milk on room service for my coffee. It was delivered free of charge.

8. Chocolate milk

In the Windjammer buffet, you’ll often see single-serve cartons of chocolate milk. If they’re not there, just ask and the staff will bring one out for you. You can also request chocolate milk in the main dining room – the staff will make it up for you using chocolate milk powder. Chocolate milk is also available for free via room service.

Girl drinking chocolate milk on mariner of the Seas
My daughter drank a lot of chocolate milk on Mariner of the Seas

9. Fruit juice

On Royal Caribbean cruise ships, fruit juices are available free of charge. In the main dining rooms and buffet, you’ll find a choice of fruit juices that usually include apple juice, orange juice, and one or two other types such as grapefruit juice or tropical breakfast juice.

Family enjoying fresh juice al fresco on a cruise ship
Fresh juice al fresco – is there anything better?

Most other cruise lines only offer free fruit juice at breakfast time. So I love that on a Royal Caribbean ship, you can help yourself to free fruit juice in the buffet at any time of day. The photo above shows us enjoying fruit juice at lunchtime.

If you prefer freshly-squeezed juice, you can request this for an extra charge.

Girl enjoying free orange juice
Enjoying freshly-squeezed orange juice in the Main Dining Room

Other ways of getting free drinks

So now you know which drinks you can get for free. If those aren’t enough for you, it’s worth looking into the various Royal Caribbean drinks packages. Those can make all of your drinks free, once you’ve bought the package of course.

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There are also some other times when you can get alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for free on Royal Caribbean cruises, as explained below.

Free fizz at art auctions

If you attend one of the art auctions on board your cruise, you’ll be handed a glass of free Champagne. It’s probably not real Champagne, but it tastes good and it’s free. Just be careful that you don’t drink too much and end up bidding on some art that you don’t really want!

My free mimosa at the Royal Caribbean art auction.

After I drank this free mimosa, I placed a bid on some art and and bought it! It was only $60 though and it hangs in pride of place in my living room, so I feel like I got a good deal.

Concierge Club and Suite guests

If you’re staying in a suite or are a Diamond, Diamond Plus or Pinnacle Crown & Anchor member, you’ll have access to the Concierge Lounge, Diamond Lounge or Suite Lounge. The type of lounge depends on the ship.

In your VIP lounge, you’ll get complimentary alcoholic drinks during happy hours between 5pm and 8pm.

Diamond Lounge list of times

Guests staying in suites on Oasis Class ships used to be able to get free wine, beer and soft drinks between 11am and 11pm, but it appears from a discussion in a forum that this has now been halted.

Crown & Anchor parties

Guests who are at least a Gold member of Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society will receive an invite to a Welcome Back party, where complimentary wine and cocktails are served.

There’s usually a second party for Platinum members and above, called the Top Tier event. Look out for the cards placed in your stateroom with the invitations.

Bring your own – it’s cheaper than buying onboard!

When you board your Royal Caribbean cruise ship, each stateroom may bring up to two 750ml bottles of wine or Champagne. You can drink these in your stateroom free of charge. If you want to drink them in a public area, a corkage fee will be applied.

You can bring soft drinks too…

You can bring up to 12 cans, bottles or cartons of non-alcoholic drinks per stateroom on board with you on boarding day. So sodas are fine – just make sure you pack them in your carry-on luggage.

Read more: Can You Bring Bottled Water On A Cruise?

To conclude

There are lots of free drinks available on Royal Caribbean cruise ships, especially in the Windjammer Marketplace Cafe and the main dining rooms. In most bars and lounges, you may be limited to tap water for the free drink selection. But the Windjammer is open almost all of the time, you can always head there and get your free drinks to take away.

Remember that with the Royal Caribbean soda policy, you’re allowed to bring 12 cans or bottles with you, so that’s another way you can save. Or bring bottled water if you prefer to drink that. The tap water is clean and refreshing, but you may not want to leave your cabin to get it (and I wouldn’t recommend drinking the warm tap water in your stateroom bathroom!).

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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.

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P&O Cruises Drinks Menus and Prices

by Cruise LinesCruise NewsFood and drinkP&O Cruises

If you like to enjoy a drink or three on your cruise holiday, it’s a good idea to find out what drinks are available and how much they cost before you book.

This article has pictures of P&O drinks menus with prices, so you can easily see the cost of drinks on P&O Cruises.

Cocktail glass and jug

If you’re wondering whether the P&O Cruises drinks package is worth it, I have built a P&O drinks package calculator which will work it out for you, based on your individual drinking preferences.

Just enter your email address here and I’ll send it to you immediately.

You’ll also find more information about P&O drinks packages here: P&O drinks package: Is it worth it?

And if you’re interested in the food menus, you can see those here: P&O food menus.

How Much Are Drinks on P&O Cruises?

P&O Cruises Drinks Prices:

  • Pint of beer: £5.05 to £5.40
  • Bottle of beer: £4.85 to £5.15
  • Glass of wine: £5.75 to £9.25
  • Spirits: £4.45 to £7.10
  • Cocktail: £7.15 to £8.50
  • Mocktail: £3.75
  • Soft drinks: £2.55 to £3.60
  • Bottle of water: £2.00

Depending on where you live in the UK, you may find that P&O drink prices are similar to what you’d pay in your local pub.

Wherever in the world you cruise to, drinks on P&O Cruises’ ships are all priced in pounds sterling, so it’s easy to know how much you’re spending.

P&O Cruises Drinks Menus

Each P&O Cruises ship will have many different bars and restaurants onboard, and each venue will have different drinks available. The pub has lots of different beers but a smaller cocktail menu, whereas the cocktail bars have lots of cocktails and a smaller choice of beers.

The following menu is the standard P&O drinks menu and wine list. You’ll find this in several places on board P&O Cruises’ ships, such as the poolside bars and the buffet restaurant. As you can see, P&O bar prices are quite reasonable.

P&O Cruises bar and lounge menu for cocktails
P&O Cruises bar and lounge menu for spirits
P&O Cruises bar and lounge menu for cwine and soft drinks

P&O Cruises serve kosher and vegan wines. You can ask onboard for more information.

P&O Cruises Costa Coffee menu

Here’s the menu for the Costa Coffee shop on P&O Cruises’ ships. You can also get Costa speciality coffees in many of the other bars and lounges on your ship.

Brodies Pub Drinks Menu

Each ship in the P&O Cruises fleet has a traditional British pub. These include The Rising Sun on Arcadia, Champions Bar on Aurora, The Yacht & Compass on Oceana, The Exchange on Ventura and Brodies on Azura, Britannia and Iona.

Each pub has its own unique character and charm, but all offer an extensive drinks menu and wine list. Below are photos of the drinks menus from Brodies on board Iona:

P&O Cruises’ Wine List

Here is the P&O Cruises’ wine list. It’s available in each of the restaurants as well as selected bars and lounges on each ship.

Crow’s Next Drinks Menu

The Crow’s Nest is an elegant bar, located at the very top of the ship. It has an extensive menu with a large choice of cocktails and spirits. The Crow’s Nest is a popular spot to enjoy a nightcap before bed. It’s also a lovely place to go for a pre-dinner drink, especially if you can admire the views before it goes dark.

See The Crow’s Nest Drinks Menu

Anderson’s Bar Drinks List

Iona has its very own gin distillery on board, so you can enjoy Marabelle gin that was crafted on the ship. Marabelle gin is available in every bar, but here is the menu for Anderson’s Bar and Library which has the largest selection of gins.

More Bar and Lounge Drinks Menus

The other bars and lounges on P&O Cruises ships include The 710 Club, The Glass House, Emerald Bar, The Keel and Cow and The Limelight Club. Each has their own drinks menus too.

I haven’t added them all here, but they’re of similar size to the other drinks menus so there are lots of choices.

Room Service Drinks List

If you’d like to enjoy a drink in your room or perhaps on your balcony, then the following menu lists the drinks that are available to order via room service:

P&O Cruises room service drinks menu

If you have a drinks package with P&O Cruises, you should note that room service drinks aren’t included in your drinks package.

You can order full 70cl bottles of spirits on room service, including whisky, vodka, gin and rum. This is a good option for anyone doing a longer cruise such as a world cruise.

Read more: P&O Cruises Room Service Menu

Mini Bar Drinks

Each cabin also has a mini bar which is replenished daily. The following drinks menu and price list for the mini bar is from a couple of years ago, so the prices have increased slightly since then, but this will give you an idea.

P&O Cruises mini bar drinks price list

Mini bar drinks are also not included in the P&O Cruises drinks package.

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Bringing Your Own Alcohol On P&O Cruises Ships

P&O Cruises allows each passenger aged 18 and over to bring up to 1 litre of wine or Champagne, and unlimited soft drinks, on board the ship when they embark. If you purchase any more alcohol, either ashore or in the onboard duty-free shop, it will be held in storage until the end of your cruise.

The alcohol that you bring on board can be consumed in your stateroom without a charge. So if you enjoy a drink while getting ready to go out in the evening, or perhaps a nightcap, then bringing your own drinks can be a great way to save money on your cruise.

If you want to drink your wine elsewhere on the ship, there’s a £20 corkage fee to pay.

You used to be able to bring spirits onboard too but they’ve changed that policy now. On previous cruises, we saved over £400 by bringing our own drinks, compared to if we had bought the same spirits and mixers individually at bar prices. Plus, they were there in our fridge, which was very convenient. So it’s a shame that the policy has changed.

How to stop glass bottles breaking in your suitcase

Worried about your bottle of wine getting smashed in your case? You can get inflatable bottle protectors on Amazon to prevent that from happening. Sure, you could just wrap your bottles in clothes, but why take the risk?

P&O Cruises All-Inclusive Drinks Packages

In 2019, P&O Cruises introduced a drinks package that can turn your cruise from full-board to all-inclusive. P&O drinks packages are available on cruises of five nights or more, and must be purchased for every day of the cruise.

Mojito

Is the P&O Cruises Drinks Package Worth It?

Before you go ahead and buy a P&O drinks package, it’s vital that you work out whether it’s good value for money. That will depend on what you drink and how much of it.

In my next article, I detail what’s included (and not included) in the P&O Cruises drinks package, and which drinks are always free.

Read more: Guide to P&O Cruises drinks packages

Alternatively, you can use my quick and easy drinks package calculator to do all the maths for you. Just pop your details in this form and I’ll send it to you.

Peroni
Cheers!

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Cruise Mummy

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.

Read more about me

Source link

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P&O Cruises Menus (With Photos)

by Cruise LinesCruise NewsFood and drinkP&O Cruises

P&O Cruises offer a fantastic selection of food, with included dining available in the main dining rooms and Horizon buffet. In addition, you’ll find a choice of speciality restaurants where you can choose to dine for a supplement if you wish.

The menus on board change every day, so one thing’s for sure, you’ll never be bored of the food!

p&o cruises food

In this guide to P&O Cruises food, I’ve included sample menus for the most popular dining venues to give you an idea of what to expect.

As you can see, there are lots of options for people eating gluten-free and vegetarians. Vegans should also check out the special vegan and vegetarian menu.

So, pick which P&O cruise menu you’re most interested in, or scroll through to see them all.

P&O Cruises give guests the choice of dining in the main dining room or the buffet restaurant each day. There are advantages to each, and I’d definitely recommend that you try them both at least once during your cruise.

I like to eat breakfast in the buffet, because it’s faster and there’s more choice. A buffet breakfast is ideal if you have kids who like certain things, or if you have an excursion planned so want to eat quickly and get off the ship.

However, eating breakfast in the main dining room is a lovely, relaxing start to the day. The breakfast menu has a good selection of food, and you can sit back and relax while everything is brought to you.

If you’re staying in a suite (not a conservatory or mini suite), you can also enjoy breakfast in the Epicurean, Glasshouse or Sindhu once during your cruise for no extra charge.

Here’s a typical main dining room P&O breakfast menu:

Continental Breakfast

  • Fruit Juice – Orange, Apple, Pineapple, Tomato
  • Fruit – Orange, Grapefruit, Melon
  • Fruit Compotes – Figs, Prunes, Apricots, Apple
  • Cereal – All-Bran, Alpen, Bran Flakes, Corn Flakes, Frosties, Fruit ’n Fibre, Porridge, Rice Krispies, Shredded Wheat, Special K, Weetabix
  • Yoghurts – Natural, Fruit

Hot Breakfast

  • The P&O Cruises Breakfast – Grilled Back Bacon, Lamb’s Liver, Tomato, Black Pudding, White Pudding, Cumberland Sausage, Hash Browns, Eggs
  • English Breakfast – Back Bacon, Pork Sausage, Tomato, Fried Bread, Saute Potatoes, Grilled Mushrooms, Black Pudding, Plum Tomatoes, Baked Beans
  • Vegetarian Breakfast –  Vegetarian Bacon, Vegetarian Sausage, Tomato, Fried Bread, Saute Potatoes, Grilled Mushrooms, Plum Tomatoes, Baked Beans
  • Fish – Kippered Herrings, Smoked Haddock
  • Eggs – Boiled, Fried, Scrambled, Poached
  • Omelette – Plain, Ham, Cheese, Mushroom, Tomato

Bakery Items

  • Pastries – Croissants, Danish Pastries, Muffins
  • Morning Rolls – White, Wholemeal, Multigrain
  • Toast – With Jams, Marmalade, Honey
  • Pancakes – American Style with Maple Syrup

Healthy Breakfast Options

  • Smoothie of the Day
  • Porridge Oats
  • Bircher Muesli
  • Oats, Apples, Dried Fruits, Nuts, Seeds and Natural Yoghurt
  • Cereals with Skimmed or Soya Milk
  • Fresh Fruit Salad
  • Poached Eggs on Wholemeal Toast
  • Smashed Avocado on Wholemeal Sourdough Toast

Hot Drinks

  • Teas and Infusions
  • Freshly Brewed Coffee
  • Decaffeinated Coffee
  • Hot Chocolate

Chef’s Specialities

  • Monday – Eggs Benedict
  • Tuesday – Grilled Gammon Steak with Fried Eggs
  • Wednesday – Traditional Kedgeree
  • Thursday – Grilled Minute Steak
  • Friday – Devilled Kidneys
  • Saturday – Corned Beef Hash
  • Sunday – Scrambled Egg with Oak Smoked Salmon

As P&O Cruises is a British cruise line, all of the food is typically British. So things like bacon, sausages and baked beans will be the ones that you’re used to at home, rather than the more American or European food that you’ll find on other cruise ships.

P&O Cruises Main Dining Room Menus

On P&O cruises, the main dining room lunch and dinner menus change each day, although there are a few popular dishes that will be available every night.

Main Dining Room Dinner Menu

Below is an example of what you can expect from a typical dinner menu. However, P&O Cruises regularly offer special menus on certain evenings. These include the Gala Dinner menu (designed by Marco Pierre White), a special menu designed by the executive chef of each ship, a fine dining menu, and a themed dinner menu such as Caribbean or Mediterranean.

P&O Cruises example main dining room meny

Tip for vegans: There’s always a vegan option. You can ask to see the menu for the next day to check if you will like it. If not, you can pre-order something else.

Starters

  • Lightly Spiced Crab and Leek Pasties
  • Hampshire Chalk Stream Hot Smoked Rainbow Trout (gf)
  • Pâté de Campagne
  • Wild Mushroom Panna Cotta (v)
  • Atlantic Prawn Cocktail 
  • Minestrone Soup (v) 
  • Cullen Skink Soup (gf)
  • Cream of Tomato Soup (v) 
  • Chicken Caesar Salad

Main Courses

  • Crab, Crayfish and Broccoli Bake with a Cheddar Glaze
  • Skate Wing in Lemon Black Butter (gf)
  • Beef Fillet Medallion
  • Twice Baked Onion and Garlic Soufflé (v)
  • Grilled Salmon Fillet (gf)
  • Pan-fried Chicken Breast (gf)
  • Sirloin Steak
  • Prime Leg of Lamb (gf)
  • Medallions of Pork Fillet (gf)

Desserts

  • Baked Treacle Tart Sauce (gf)
  • Honey Panna Cotta Strawberries, Honeycomb and Mint (gf)
  • Kumquat and Almond Cake
  • Chocolate and Pretzel Ganache with Dark Chocolate Mousse
  • Fresh Seasonal Fruit Salad (gf)
  • Ice Cream – Vanilla, Elderflower or Chocolate
  • Ginger sorbet
  • Strawberry, Elderflower and Lemon Sundae
  • Cheese and Biscuits

While the menu changes each day, there are some items that are always available. These are:

  • Atlantic Prawn Cocktail with Marie Rose Sauce and Brown Bread
  • Cream of Tomato Soup with Basil Oil and Croûtons (v)
  • Grilled Salmon Fillet with Potato Wedges, Seasonal Vegetables and a Lemon Hollandaise Sauce
  • Pan-fried Chicken Breast with Potato Wedges, Roasted Root Vegetables and a Garlic and Thyme Butter
  • Sirloin Steak with Thick Cut Chips, Seasonal Vegetables and Béarnaise Sauce
  • Fresh Seasonal Fruit Salad with Cream

Remember that you’re not limited to one of each course, so you can order whatever you like. If you fancy two starters and no dessert, go for it! The portions aren’t huge, so if you’re a big eater I’d recommend ordering a few different things.

Main Dining Room Lunch Menu

Here’s an example of a typical lunch menu in the main dining room…

Sindhu is P&O Cruises’ Indian restaurant. It’s one of the most popular restaurants and you’ll find it on every ship. Dining at Sindhu costs between £17.50 and £25 per person, except on Iona where the menu is a la carte, so you’ll just pay for the items that you order.

Starters

  • Jal Tarang – Hand Dived Scallops, Broccoli Couscous, Cauliflower Purée (gf)
  • Machhi Koliwada – Spice Crusted Haddock, Mumbai Caesar Salad, Lime Pickle Mayonnaise (gf)
  • Dakshin Murg – Tikka Grilled Chicken, Coconut and Chickpea Salad, Mint and Tamarind Dip (gf)
  • Tandoori Ratan – Basil King Prawns, Chicken Tikka and Smoked Lamb Skewer, Mint Chutney (gf)
  • Gosht Murtabak – Spiced Ground Beef Flatbread, Onion Relish, Curry Sauce
  • Aloo Samosa Chaat – Textures of Potato, Vegetable Samosa, Tamarind Chutney (v)

Main Courses

  • Kadhai Jhinga – King Prawns, Stuffed Peppers, Green Pea Couscous, Spiced Tomato Sauce
  • Coorgi Meen Kari – Pan-fried Red Mullet, Native Sea Bass, Lentil Crusted Cod Mustard Upma, Coconut and Tamarind Sauce
  • Murgh Irani Korma – Cardamom Infused Chicken Korma with Cashew Nuts, Raisin Pilau Rice (gf)
  • Thattukada Duck Roast – South Indian Style Duck, Spiced Potatoes, Duck Jus (gf) 
  • Akkha Gosht – Roast Lamb Rump, Keema Matar, Pak Choi, Baby Carrots, Rogan Jus (gf)
  • Kolhapuri Gosht – Beef Tenderloin, Curried Mash, Garlic Spinach Purée, Bhuna Masala Sauce (gf)
  • Dum Ki Seviyan Khumb Gucchi Biriyani – Vermicelli and Rice, Morels, Seasonal Mushrooms Baked in a Sealed Pot (v)
  • Sindhu Signature Plate – Coconut Prawn Masala, Chicken Tariwala Curry, Lamb Bhuna (gf) (Vegetarian option available)

Desserts

  • Dark Chocolate Sphere – White Chocolate Mousse, Raspberry Coulis (gf)
  • Atul’s Banoffee Apple Pie – Delicately Spiced Pastry, Whipped Cream
  • Aam Aur Berry Ki Kheer – Chilled Rice Pudding, Mango and Strawberries (gf)
  • Chocolate and Chilli Tart – Lime Infused Crème Fraîche
  • Kulfi Trio of Indian Ice Cream – Mango, Chocolate, Malai (gf)

If you’re vegan or vegetarian you may also be interested in my review of the vegetarian options at Sindhu.

The Epicurean is P&O Cruises’ fine dining restaurant, and a firm favourite when it comes to speciality dining. The Epicurean menus offer a fusion of modern British favourites and classic, sophisticated dining.

You’ll find The Epicurean restaurant on board Azura, Britannia, Iona and Ventura. Each venue offers a grand yet relaxing atmosphere and impeccable service.

Dining at The Epicurean usually costs around £30 per person.

Starters

  • King Prawn and Mediterranean Octopus Cocktail (gf)
  • Duo of Cured Smoked Salmon (gf)
  • Frogs Legs Sucette
  • Quicke’s Farm Mature Cheddar Mousse and Serrano Ham
  • Pulled Smoked Gressingham Duck Leg and Hackleback Caviar
  • Tomato Tastings and Buffalo Mozzarella (v) (gf)
  • Seasonal Soup (v) (gf)

Main Courses

  • The Epicurean Fish and Chips
  • Whole Dover Sole á la Meunière
  • Black Leg Chicken Breast
  • Redman Limousin Irish Beef Fillet and Ox Cheek
  • Laksa of Marinated Silken Tofu Tempura (v) (gf)
  • Whole New England Lobster (gf)
  • Dorset Crown Lamb Rump (gf)
  • American Grain-Fed Aged Angus Sirloin Steak (gf)
  • Onley Grounds Farm 28 Day Aged Cote De Boeuf for Two (gf)

Sides

  • Green Asparagus (gf)
  • French Beans (gf)
  • Thick Cut Chips (gf)
  • New Potatoes (gf)

Desserts

  • Crème Brûlée and White Chocolate Sphere (gf)
  • Elements of Summer Trifle
  • Coconut Panna Cotta (gf)
  • Valrhona Dark Chocolate Tart
  • Banana and Peanut Butter Cannelloni
  • Taster for Two
  • Selection of Artisan British and European Cheese

The Beach House is the place to go for hearty comfort food, offering American and Caribbean-style dishes. With dinner costing £7.50 to £10 per person with a small supplement for certain dishes, The Beach House is one of the most affordable speciality restaurants at sea.

You’ll find The Beach House on board Aurora, Azura, Britannia, Iona and Ventura. There’s no need to book in advance, you can just turn up.

Starters

  • Island Spiced Chicken Wings with Mac & Cheese Chips
  • Crab Tostadas (gf)
  • Mexican Poke Bowl (vegan) (gf)
  • Beach House Nachos (v)
  • Halibut and Salmon Ceviche Cocktail (gf)
  • Pork Chicharrones (gf)
  • Sweet Potato and Mozzarella Crispy Skins (v) (gf)

Mains

  • Fajita Sizzlers – Chicken (gf), Steak (gf) or Halloumi (v) (gf)
  • Caribbean Seafood Basket
  • Honey and Garlic Glazed Chicken (gf)
  • Beer Can Chicken Sharer (gf)
  • Chilli Sin Carne (vegan) (gf)
  • Traditional Caribbean Macaroni Pie (v)
  • Lava or Salt Block Prime Fillet Steak with Grilled King Prawns (gf)
  • Taco Trio
  • Asado Sharer
  • Slow-cooked Curried Goat Pot
  • Fisherman’s Hanging Kebab (gf)

Desserts

  • Rum Glazed Roasted Baby Pineapple
  • Golden Dulce de Leche Tart
  • Coconut and Chocolate Budino
  • Deep Filled Apple Pie
  • Banana Split
  • Toasted Marshmallow Fondue Sharer

(gluten-free option available)

The Glass House offers light bites and a la carte all-day dining. Dishes are expertly paired with wines by P&O Cruises’ wine expert, Olly Smith.

You’ll find The Glass House on board Aurora, Azura, Britannia, Iona and Ventura. Starters cost from £2.75, mains from £8 and desserts from £4.50.

Small Plates

  • Korean Sticky Chicken Lollipops
  • Roasted Beetroot Croquetas (vegan)
  • Chinese Spiced Crispy Lamb (gf)
  • Charred Galician Octopus and Cantabrian Anchovy Fillets (gf)
  • Walnut-Crusted Savoury Profiteroles Filled with Dorset Truffle Ice Cream (v)
  • Prawn Potstickers (gf)
  • London Gin & Tonic Cured Salmon and Beetroot Gravadlax (gf)
  • Mini Spiced Chickpea & Edamame Scotch Eggs (v)
  • Tuna Poke
  • Soy Marinated Quorn and Papaya Salad (vegan)
  • Venison Cecina and Salami Elk (gf)
  • Pork Belly, Chorizo and Butter Bean Cassoulet

Large Plates

  • Braised Veal Cheek
  • Roasted Shallot and Coffee Beef Short Rib
  • Pulled Oxtail Bonbon
  • Cord-Fed Chicken Breast
  • Tandoori Chicken Thighs
  • Southern Fried Buttermilk Chicken
  • Iberico Pork Pluma
  • Deep-Fried Trotter Terrine
  • Pave of Crispy Suckling Pig
  • Crispy Cajun Soft Shell Crab
  • Grilled Garlic Tiger Prawns
  • Lobster Mac
  • Charred Cauliflower Steak (vegan)
  • Mediterranean Vegetable Gratin (vegan)
  • Teriyaki Tempeh and Edamame Beans (vegan)

Desserts

  • Blueberry and Elderflower Parfait
  • Strawberry and Sweet Basil Poke Cake
  • Chocolate, Blackberry and Beetroot Whoopie Pie
  • Rosehip Arctic Roll
  • Baileys Chocolate Truffle Tea Cake
  • Jammy Dodger Corn Flake Tart
  • Dark Chocolate Ganache
  • Rosewater Coconut Rice and Bananas Foster Spring Rolls
  • Matcha Tea Chiffon Cake
  • Cheese Board

P&O Cruises offers room service 24 hours per day for a small fee. Here’s a photo of the room service menu with prices…

P&O Cruises room service menu page 1
P&O Cruises room service menu page 2
P&O Cruises room service menu page 3
  • Fruit Juices and Smoothies – Orange, Apple, Pineapple, Tomato, Carrot, Fruit Smoothie
  • Yoghurt – Natural, Fruit, Soya
  • Cereals – Cornflakes, Rice Krispies, Alpen, All Bran, Weetabix
  • Fruit and Compotes – Melon, Mixed Berry Compote, Grapefruit, Prunes, Fruit Plate, Greek Yoghurt, Toasted Granola
  • Bakery Items – Plain Croissant, Almond Croissant, Custard Dabnish, Pain au Chocolate, Strawberry Danish, Plain Muffin, Blueberry Muffin, Double Chocolate Muffin
  • Toast – White Toast, Wholemeal Toast, Butter, Marmalade
  • Panini – Cumberland Sausage, Bacon and Tomato
  • Baguettes – Roast Beef, Baked Ham, Brie and Cranberry Sauce (v)
  • Wrap – Roast Pepper, Mixed Leaf and Houmous (v)
  • Sandwiches – Club Sandwich, Prime Sirloin Steak Panini
  • Kids Sandwiches – Ham, Egg Mayo and Cheese
  • Soup of the Day
  • Greek Salad
  • Oak Smoked Salmon
  • Chicken Liver Pate
  • Southern Fried Chicken
  • Chicken Tikka Masala
  • Lasagne Al Forno
  • Beef and Ale Pie
  • Hot Dog
  • Spicy Red Bean Burger (v)
  • Pizzas – Margherita (v), Pepperoni, Chicken, Mushroom & Sweetcorn
  • Omelettes – Cheese, Ham, Tomato, Mushroom (gf)
  • High Energy Salad (v)
  • Prawn and Tuna Nicoise Salad (gf)
  • Tex Mex Combo Sharing Plate
  • Asian Bento Box Sharing Plate (v)
  • Ocean Catch Sharing Plate
  • Cream Tea
  • Banoffee Chocolate Cake
  • White Chocolate and Raspberry New York Cheesecake
  • Caramelised Apple and Hazelnut Crumble Tart
  • Summer Berry English Trifle Coupe (gf)
  • Continental Cheese Selection
  • French Fries
  • Green Salad (gf)
  • Garlic Bread with Cheese
  • Vegetable Crudités with Houmous (gf)
  • Cookies
  • Chocolate Brownie
  • Blueberry Muffin
  • Jam Doughnut
  • Sandwich – Croque Monsieur
  • Baguettes – Roast Beef, Baked Ham, Brie and Cranberry Sauce (v)
  • Greek Salad (v) (gf)
  • Chicken Liver Pate
  • Chicken Tikka Masala
  • Spicy Red Bean Burger (v)
  • Double Decker Cheese Burger
  • Pizzas – Margherita (v), Pepperoni, Chicken, Mushroom & Sweetcorn
  • Banoffee Chocolate Cake
  • Summer Berry English Trifle Coupe
  • Continental Cheese Selection

Suggested read: What’s Included in a P&O Cruise?

You can place an order for room service using the telephone in your cabin. For breakfast room service, you simply hang a card outside your door the night before. The card looks like this:

P&O Cruises breakfast room service card

The P&O Cruises kids’ menu is the same every day, but it has plenty of choices that can be mixed and matched.

Be sure to specify how many of each item you would like. If you ask for sausage, egg and chips, your child will only get one sausage and one egg. So ask if you’d like two!

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

Sides

  • Fresh Vegetables of the Day
  • French Fries
  • Grilled Stir-Fried Vegetables
  • Mashed Potato
  • Creamed Corn
  • Potato Smiley Faces
  • Spaghetti Hoops
  • Garden Peas
  • Carrots

Desserts

  • Selection of Ice Creams with Sweet Sauces
  • Sorbet of the Day
  • Fruit Jellies
  • Cupcake
  • Chocolate Cookies
  • Chocolate Brownies

The menu on your ships may vary slightly. Above is the list from the P&O Cruises website, but below is a photo of the menu that was given to use on Iona in 2022.

P&O Cruises kinds' menu from 2022

P&O Cruises Vegetarian and Vegan Menus

P&O Cruises offers vegan and vegetarian options in every restaurant, including the main dining rooms, speciality restaurants and buffet.

If you have any special dietary requirements, it’s important that you or your travel agent let P&O Cruises know when you book your cruise. When you arrive in your cabin, you should have a letter to acknowledge your request and invite you to meet with a chef if you wish.

There’s also a special diet gathering on the first day of the cruise. This is good to attend if you have food allergies, or to make sure that you’re well catered for during your cruise. You’ll find details on the daily planner.

P&O Cruises special diets gathering

In the Main Dining Room, there’s no longer a vegan and vegetarian menu. Instead, the options are always included on the main menu.

In other venues, you should ask your waiter. Many dishes can be adjusted to make them suitable for vegans or vegetarians upon request.

The vegan and vegetarian menu in the main dining room changes each day. It’s a good idea to ask to see the menu for the following day. If you don’t like something, let your waiter know and the chef will prepare something else for you.

Starters

  • Avocado Pear with Crumbled Goat’s Cheese Crotin (gf)
  • Waldorf Salad (gf)
  • Chilled Cucumber Consommé (vegan) (gf)

Main Courses

  • Wild and Cultivated Mushroom Bourguignon (gf)
  • Feta, Tomato and Spinach Filo Pastry
  • Thai Green Vegetable Curry (vegan) (gf)

Desserts

  • Vanilla Soya Rice Pudding (vegan) (gf)
  • Minted Pineapple (gf)
  • Cheeseboard

P&O Cruises offer many different drinks menus with almost every drink you could want. You can see photos of all of the drinks menus and prices here: P&O Drink Menus.

P&O Cruises drinks menu

In Summary

Whichever P&O Cruises ship you choose, you’ll enjoy a huge selection of food options in a choice of included and speciality dining venues.

This article showcases some of P&O Cruises’ most popular restaurants. Other restaurants are available too, depending on the ship. These may include the Ocean Grill on Arcadia, The Limelight Club on Britannia and Eric Lanlard’s Afternoon Tea, which is available on all ships except Aurora.

The largest choice of restaurants can be found on Iona. I have a special guide to Iona restaurants that you should take a look at if you plan to cruise on this ship.

Those with special diets such as vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free are well catered for on P&O Cruises’ ships. Menus change every day and dishes can be adjusted to suit your needs.

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Cruise Mummy

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.

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royal-caribbean-drinks-prices.jpg

The Best Time to Buy A Royal Caribbean Drink Package

by Cruise LinesCruise NewsFood and drinkRoyal Caribbean

I get so many people asking me when the best time is to buy the Royal Caribbean drink package. So, I thought the best thing to do would be to write this guide that explains exactly when you should buy it to get the best price…

Royal Caribbean drinks prices

The best time to buy your package is today!

The best time to buy your Royal Caribbean drink package is today because the price can go up at any moment and it may not come back down. If the price drops, it’s easy to cancel your order on the Cruise Planner and buy it again at the lower price.

The worst time to buy your Royal Caribbean drink package is once you’re onboard the ship as you will always pay more for it than you would have if you pre-purchased it. Even with onboard offers of ‘Buy One Get One For Free’, you’ll still end up paying more as the onboard prices are so inflated.

The second worst time to buy your drink package is when you book your cruise. Unless you can get a free or discounted drink package as part of a booking offer with your travel agent, you won’t get the best price by booking it on the day that you book your cruise. Wait a day few days and then check the price on the Cruise Planner.

Royal Caribbean cocktail

Always look out for sales

Royal Caribbean drink packages go on sale in the Cruise Planner every few weeks with advertised discounts of between 10% and 30%. There’s usually always a good sale for Black Friday, too. Sales are most likely to start on Wednesdays.

Read more: Royal Caribbean Drink Package Promotions

Even within a sale period, the price will still fluctuate up and down each day.

I would advise that you don’t pay any attention to the % discounts as they are pretty meaningless. As the base price goes up and down in an unpredictable manner, a bigger % discount doesn’t always equate to a bigger saving.

The price will be shown in your local currency. Here’s what the Cruise Planner looked like for my Royal Caribbean cruise back in 2022…

Royal Caribbean drink package price

A few days later, I logged in again and could see that there was a BUY ONE GET ONE 50% OFF SALE!

However, that was meaningless as the price had actually gone up!

Royal Caribbean BOGOF drinks

Drink packages are pretty expensive…

The price of the Royal Caribbean varies. It depends on your ship and your itinerary but not only that, the price goes up and down over time. The price is pretty unpredictable, but you’ll usually see the Deluxe Beverage Package for between $63 and $105 per day.

If you’re not sure if Royal Caribbean’s drink package is worth it or not based on what you usually drink, then I recommend that you check out my full Guide to Royal Caribbean Drink Packages to work that out.

Alternatively, you can use my free Royal Caribbean Drink Package Calculator to get a quick answer about how many of each drink you’ll need to have before you break even.

Just leave your email and it will be sent to your inbox instantly…

Remember that there are different drink packages to choose from, so if you don’t drink a lot of alcohol then the Refreshment Package or the Classic Soda Package will probably be a better option for you.

How to get a discounted drink package

If you want to get the lowest price for your Royal Caribbean drink package, you’ll need to put in a bit of work. Log into Royal Caribbean’s Cruise Planner and note the price of the package each day.

When a sale is launched, if the price is lower than you’ve seen it before, that’s a good time to buy it.

Final thoughts

Royal Caribbean’s drink packages can seem pretty expensive, but then the drinks are quite expensive too. Take a look at the Royal Caribbean Drinks Menus with Prices to see how much your favourite drinks will cost you.

If you have any questions about Royal Caribbean drink packages then I highly recommend that you check out the FAQ section at the bottom of this guide as it’s probably covered there.

If you do decide that you want to get the drink package, I highly recommend that you keep an eye on the price in the Cruise Planner, particularly around Black Friday. If you see a great deal on the drink package, you can still get it at that price, even if you’ve already purchased it, by cancelling your original order.

Related posts:

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Cruise Mummy

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.

Read more about me

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Colourful cocktails on a bar counter aboard a cruise ship

Holland America Signature Beverage Package: Price and Is It Worth It? (2027)

by Cruise LinesCruise NewsFood and drinkHolland America Line

For most people, a Holland America drink package is worth it only if you will have around four or five alcoholic drinks a day, every day of the cruise. The Signature Beverage Package costs roughly $56 to $61 per person per day before the service charge, and Elite costs about $5 a day more. If you like a glass of wine with dinner and maybe one cocktail, paying as you go is usually cheaper. If you were already thinking of buying a package, look at the Have It All fare first. It includes the Signature package plus Wi-Fi, specialty dining and a shore excursion credit, often for not much more than the drinks package costs alone.

Holland America Signature Beverage Package and Other Drink Packages at a Glance

Holland America currently sells four beverage packages. Prices are per person, per day, for the whole cruise. The figures below are the pre-cruise prices on Holland America’s own FAQ at the time of writing. Other recent guides quote about $5 more, which is closer to what you may pay onboard. Treat every number here as a guide and check your booking before you pay.

Package Approx. price per day Per-drink limit What it covers
Coca-Cola Around $8 to $9 No price cap Unlimited fountain soft drinks
Quench Around $18 15 drinks a day Espresso coffees, juices, mocktails, Coca-Cola products, Red Bull, bottled water
Signature From around $56 to $61 Drinks up to $12, 15 a day Everything in Quench, plus beer, wine by the glass, spirits and cocktails
Elite From around $61 to $66 Drinks up to $16, 15 alcoholic a day Everything in Signature, plus premium spirits, wines and cocktails, with unlimited zero-proof drinks

On top of these prices there is a service charge. Holland America raised its beverage and restaurant service charge from 18% to 20% for sailings from around June 2026. Some of its own pages still show 18%, and the wording on whether the charge is included in the quoted price or added at checkout is not consistent. So check the final total. At 20%, a $55.95 Signature package works out to about $67 a day.

The rules that catch people out

  • Everyone in the cabin buys it. If one adult of legal drinking age buys Signature or Elite, every other drinking-age adult in the same stateroom has to buy it too, for the whole cruise.
  • 15 drinks per day. On Signature, soft drinks and coffees count toward the 15. On Elite, only alcoholic drinks count and zero-proof drinks are unlimited.
  • One drink at a time. You cannot order for a friend or share. Drinks ordered for someone else are charged at bar prices.
  • Over the cap, pay the difference. On Signature, a drink above $12 is still yours, and you just pay the amount over $12.
  • Exclusions. The minibar, in-room dining, the self-service draft beer and drinks bought at Half Moon Cay or RelaxAway are not covered.
  • No refunds. Packages cannot be transferred or refunded. Holland America also advertises savings, often $10 a day, for buying select packages before you sail.

What’s Free, and What You’ll Pay Without a Package

Holland America gives you quite a lot without charging extra. These drinks are included in your fare:

  • Brewed drip coffee and hot tea
  • Iced tea and lemonade
  • Tap water (the ship’s water is safe to drink)
  • Milk, plus juice at breakfast

Everything else is charged per drink, with the service charge added. Recent guides put typical onboard prices at around:

  • Beer: about $8
  • Wine by the glass: about $11 to $13
  • Classic cocktails: about $11 to $12. Specialty cocktails: about $13 to $14
  • Specialty coffee: about $3 to $4.50
  • Fountain soda: about $3
  • Bottled still or sparkling water: about $4 to $6

Some bars run a happy hour, often in the late afternoon, with discounted drinks for guests who don’t have a package. If you drink at a moderate pace, it is worth checking the daily programme for it.

Two glasses of red wine on a set dinner table
Photo: Matheus Bertelli on Pexels

Break-Even Maths: How Much Do You Need to Drink?

Here is a simple way to work it out. Assume the Signature package costs about $67 a day including a 20% service charge, and that a typical cocktail or glass of wine costs $12. With the same 20% charge, each drink then costs about $14.40.

  • Signature: $67 ÷ $14.40 is about 4.7. So you need roughly five alcoholic drinks a day, or four plus a couple of specialty coffees and a bottle of water, before the package pays for itself.
  • Elite: it costs only about $6 more a day including the charge, so it makes sense if you order premium spirits, top-shelf wines or Dale DeGroff cocktails above the $12 cap. If most of your drinks are standard beer and house wine, the extra spend is wasted.
  • Quench: at around $18 plus the service charge, you need roughly four to five specialty coffees, mocktails or bottled waters a day. Many people drink less than that.
  • Coca-Cola: at about $8 to $9 plus the service charge, three or four fountain sodas a day covers it.

Port days change the sums. On a busy itinerary you may be ashore for most of the day, so your onboard drinking falls, but you still pay for the package on every day of the cruise. On a cruise with lots of sea days, the numbers favour the package much more.

Have It All: Often the Smarter Way to Buy Drinks

Holland America’s Have It All fare adds a set of extras to your cruise fare for a daily price per person. According to Holland America’s US site, it is currently $65 per person per day, or $60 for cruises departing before summer 2027. It includes:

  • The Signature Beverage Package (drinks up to $12, 15 a day)
  • The Surf Wi-Fi package
  • Specialty dining: 1, 2 or 3 nights depending on cruise length, at venues such as Pinnacle Grill, Canaletto, Sel de Mer and Tamarind
  • A shore excursion credit of up to $100, $200 or $300 per person, depending on cruise length

Prices and inclusions differ in other markets. The UK and European versions, for example, also mention prepaid crew appreciation. Read the terms for the region where you book. If you already want the Signature package and would use Wi-Fi, Have It All is usually the better buy, because the drinks alone cost almost as much.

Look out for the Have It All Early Booking Bonus on select future sailings too. When we checked, it upgraded the drinks to the Elite Beverage Package and the Wi-Fi to Premium. It also added onboard credit and prepaid gratuities for selected 2027 and 2028 departures. These offers are time-limited and change often, so our guide to cruise deals for 2027 is a good place to see when promotions like this tend to appear.

A sommelier opening a bottle of wine with a corkscrew
Photo: cottonbro studio on Pexels

Bringing Your Own Wine

Holland America is one of the more generous mainstream lines on wine. Guests may bring wine or champagne onboard, in bottles of 750ml or less. A corkage fee of $20 per bottle applies, whether you drink it in the dining room or in your stateroom, according to the line’s current FAQ. The line doesn’t publish a strict bottle count, but it says excessive quantities may be refused. Wine bought on a Holland America winery shore excursion is exempt from corkage, limited to one bottle per person.

Spirits, beer, sodas and other soft drinks are not allowed. Bottled water is limited to a small amount per stateroom, and alcohol bought in port or duty free is held until the end of the cruise. If you love good wine but don’t drink much else, bringing a few favourite bottles and paying corkage can work out far cheaper than any package. See the official Holland America policy before you pack.

Verdict: Which Package Suits Which Drinker?

  • Light drinkers (zero to two drinks a day): skip the packages. The free coffee, tea, iced tea and lemonade cover the basics, and paying per glass will cost less.
  • Wine-with-dinner couples: pay as you go, or bring a few bottles and pay corkage. A bottle from the wine list shared over dinner is often better value than separate packages.
  • Moderate-to-heavy drinkers (five or more a day): Signature pays off, and Have It All usually beats buying Signature on its own.
  • Premium spirits and fine wine fans: Elite, ideally through an Early Booking Bonus fare that includes it.
  • Non-drinkers who love lattes and mocktails: Quench, but only if you’ll use it every day.
  • Soda fans and families: the Coca-Cola package is cheap and easy to justify.

If you are sailing to the Caribbean, remember that drinks at Half Moon Cay are excluded from packages. Our look at the refreshed Half Moon Cay private island covers what’s there.

UK cruisers comparing lines may also find our guide to Marella Cruises drinks packages useful.

Still choosing a ship? Our Holland America ships ranked best to worst explains which vessels suit Alaska, Europe and longer voyages.

If food matters as much as drinks to you, see our ranking of which cruise line has the best food before choosing a ship.

If you are also considering a smaller ship, see whether the Windstar all inclusive and beverage packages are better value.

FAQs

Do both people in a cabin have to buy the Holland America drink package?

Yes, for the alcoholic packages. If one guest of legal drinking age buys Signature or Elite, all other drinking-age adults in the same stateroom must buy it for the full cruise. Underage guests in that cabin are expected to buy Quench.

Is the service charge included in the drink package price?

A service charge applies to every package, and Holland America raised it to 20% for sailings from around mid-2026. Some of its pages still say 18%, and the wording varies on whether it’s included or added. Check the final total in your booking.

Can I buy a drink package once I’m onboard?

Usually yes, on the first or second day of the cruise. Buying before you sail is generally cheaper, as Holland America often offers a daily discount for pre-cruise purchases.

Are coffee and tea free on Holland America?

Brewed coffee, hot tea, iced tea, lemonade, water and breakfast juice are free. Espresso drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos cost extra unless you have Quench or a higher package.

Buffet of fresh dishes on a cruise ship, illustrating the cruise line with the best food debate

Cruise Line With the Best Food: 10 Top Picks by Budget (2026)

by Cruise LinesCruise NewsCruise TipsFood and drink

The cruise line with the best food depends on what you are willing to pay. For included, no-surcharge dining, Oceania Cruises and Viking are the strongest picks; among mainstream lines, Virgin Voyages (adults only, every restaurant included) and Celebrity Cruises (the best paid specialty restaurants) lead the field; and at the top end, Explora Journeys, Regent Seven Seas and Seabourn serve restaurant-quality food with almost nothing extra to pay.

Below we rank the cruise lines with the best food by budget tier, explain what is actually included in your fare versus what costs extra, and list the standout restaurants worth booking. Menus, venues and prices change often, so treat any figures as a guide at the time of writing (October 2026) and check with the line before you sail.

How we judged the cruise line with the best food

Most “best food” lists only look at the fanciest restaurant on board. That is not how most people eat on a cruise. Over a week you will probably have most meals in the main dining room, the buffet and casual venues, so we looked at four things:

  • Included food quality: how good the main dining room, buffet and casual spots are without paying more.
  • Specialty dining: the quality and variety of the extra-tariff (or included) alternative restaurants.
  • Hidden costs: how much you need to add to your fare to eat well.
  • Recognition: current industry awards, such as the Cruise Critic 2025 Best in Cruise awards, announced in late 2025.

Best cruise food at a glance: comparison table

Cruise line Tier Specialty restaurants included? Standout venue Best for
Virgin Voyages Mainstream (adults only) Yes, all restaurants Gunbae (Korean BBQ), Pink Agave, The Wake Variety without extra charges
Celebrity Cruises Premium No (paid) Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud, Fine Cut Steakhouse Best paid specialty dining
Princess Cruises Mainstream No (paid) Sabatini’s, Crown Grill Reliable classic dining rooms
Holland America Line Premium No (paid) Pinnacle Grill Traditional dining, fresh bakery
Royal Caribbean Mainstream No (paid) Chops Grille, Izumi Families who want choice
Oceania Cruises Upper premium Yes, no surcharge Jacques, Polo Grill, Toscana, Red Ginger Foodies on a sub-luxury budget
Viking Upper premium (adults only) Yes (except Kitchen Table) The Chef’s Table, Manfredi’s Destination-focused menus
Explora Journeys Luxury Mostly (Anthology extra) Anthology, Marble & Co. Grill Fine dining on a small ship
Regent Seven Seas Luxury Yes Prime 7, Chartreuse Truly all-inclusive dining
Seabourn Luxury Yes Solis, Sushi Relaxed fine dining

Best mainstream cruise lines for food

Mainstream lines have the lowest fares, but the food gap between them is big. The main thing to understand is that on most of these lines the best restaurants carry a cover charge or are priced à la carte.

1. Virgin Voyages: best included food on a mainstream line

Virgin Voyages won Best Dining for ocean cruise lines in Cruise Critic’s 2025 Best in Cruise awards, and it is easy to see why. There is no traditional main dining room and no conventional buffet. Instead, every restaurant on board is included in your fare and you can book a table at any of them, from Gunbae Korean barbecue and Pink Agave Mexican to The Wake steakhouse. The Galley food hall replaces the buffet with made-to-order counters. Drinks other than water, soda, tea and coffee cost extra, and so do tips. The ships are adults only, which suits couples but rules out families.

2. Princess Cruises: the most dependable main dining rooms

Princess is a solid choice if you mostly eat in the included venues. Its main dining rooms are consistent, the pizza and pasta are popular, and the paid specialty restaurants, especially Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria and Crown Grill steakhouse, are good value compared with similar venues elsewhere. The newer Sphere-class ships, Sun Princess and Star Princess, add more casual and specialty options.

3. Royal Caribbean: the most choice, at a price

Royal Caribbean’s big ships have dozens of places to eat, which is great for families. The included food (main dining room, Windjammer buffet, casual cafes) is fine rather than special. The highlights, such as Chops Grille steakhouse, Izumi sushi and hibachi, and Wonderland on some ships, are paid. If you plan to eat in specialty restaurants most nights, look at the Unlimited Dining Package before you sail, as pre-cruise pricing is usually lower than buying on board, and prices vary by ship and sailing.

4. Norwegian, Carnival and Disney

Norwegian Cruise Line has a strong range of paid restaurants (Cagney’s Steakhouse, Le Bistro, Teppanyaki) and some fares bundle specialty meals. Carnival’s included casual food is a genuine strength, with Guy’s Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina regularly praised. Disney Cruise Line’s rotational dining, where you move between themed restaurants with the same servers, is excellent for families, while the adults-only Palo and Remy are the foodie highlights (both paid).

Elegantly plated main course served on a white plate in an upscale restaurant
Premium lines like Celebrity charge extra for their best specialty restaurants. Photo: Taha Samet Arslan on Pexels

Best premium cruise lines for food

Premium lines sit between mass market and luxury. You get better main dining rooms and more polished service, but still pay for the best restaurants.

5. Celebrity Cruises: best specialty dining in its class

Celebrity won Cruise Critic’s 2025 award for Best Specialty Dining among ocean lines. On the Edge-class ships, including the newest, Celebrity Xcel, the list of paid venues is long: Le Voyage by Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud, Fine Cut Steakhouse, Raw on 5, Le Petit Chef (where animated projections play out on your plate) and Mosaic at The Bazaar on Xcel. The included main restaurants and the Oceanview Cafe buffet are above the mainstream average, and suite guests eat in the exclusive Luminae restaurant. Expect specialty dinners to cost from around $50 per person or more, so a specialty dining package can make sense if you will use it several times. Celebrity has also changed some Concierge Class perks; see our report on how Celebrity swapped Concierge Class canapés for free room service.

6. Holland America Line: traditional and comforting

Holland America is known for classic dining rooms, bread and pastries baked on board, and the Pinnacle Grill steakhouse (extra charge). It suits travelers who like a slower, more traditional evening. If you are also budgeting for drinks, our guide to whether Holland America drink packages are worth it breaks down the options.

Best upper-premium lines: gourmet food with no surcharges

This is the sweet spot for many food lovers, because the best restaurants are part of the fare.

7. Oceania Cruises: the best food cruise line for the money

Oceania markets itself on its cuisine, and it backs that up. On its newest ship, Oceania Allura, the specialty restaurants (Jacques for French classics, Red Ginger for pan-Asian, Toscana for Italian and Polo Grill steakhouse) carry no surcharge, alongside the Grand Dining Room, the Terrace Café buffet, Waves Grill and the Aquamar Kitchen for lighter, health-focused dishes. Paid extras are limited to private dining and wine-pairing experiences such as Privée. Larger ships also have a hands-on Culinary Center for cooking classes. For many cruisers, Oceania is the cruise line with the best food once you weigh quality against price.

8. Viking: destination dining for adults

Viking’s ocean ships include every restaurant in the fare except The Kitchen Table, a paid cooking-and-dining experience. The Chef’s Table serves rotating tasting menus themed around regions of the world, Manfredi’s is a well-regarded Italian, and Mamsen’s serves Norwegian comfort food. Beer and house wine are included with lunch and dinner. Viking ships carry under 1,000 guests and are adults only, which keeps dining calm rather than crowded.

Formal dining room with set tables and sea views through large windows on a cruise ship
Luxury lines include fine dining and wine in the fare. Photo: Elizabeth Ferreira on Pexels

Best luxury cruise lines for food

At luxury level, almost everything is included and portions are cooked to order, so the differences come down to style and atmosphere.

9. Explora Journeys

Explora Journeys won Cruise Critic’s 2025 Best Dining award in the luxury category. Its ships have six restaurants, five of them included, covering pan-Asian, Mediterranean, French and steak (Marble & Co. Grill), while Anthology, a gastronomic tasting-menu venue, costs extra.

10. Regent Seven Seas and Seabourn

Regent includes every specialty restaurant, such as Prime 7 steakhouse and Chartreuse (French), plus drinks, so you rarely sign a bill. Seabourn has dropped its Thomas Keller partnership and now runs Solis, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, along with Sushi and caviar service. If you are choosing between luxury lines on more than food, our comparison of Silversea vs Seabourn covers service, suites and price. Silversea’s S.A.L.T. program, built around local ingredients and recipes, is another strong option for curious eaters.

What is included vs what costs extra

This is the part most rankings skip, and it changes which cruise line has the best food for you. A mainstream cruise can end up costing more than an upper-premium one once you add specialty meals.

  1. Always included: main dining room, buffet, most casual venues and basic drinks (water, tea, coffee). Virgin also includes soda.
  2. Usually extra on mainstream and premium lines: steakhouses, sushi, chef’s tables, interactive dining shows and room service on some lines, with most specialty dinners costing roughly $30 to $130+ per person at the time of writing.
  3. Included on Oceania, Viking, Virgin and most luxury lines: all or nearly all specialty restaurants. Only private dining, wine pairings or a single tasting-menu venue costs extra.
  4. Tips and service charges: added daily on most mainstream lines and often charged at 18 to 20 percent on paid restaurant bills and drinks.

A simple test: if you would book specialty restaurants on four or more nights of a seven-night cruise, compare the total against an Oceania or Viking fare. The difference is often smaller than it first looks. For ways to cut the fare itself, see our guide to cruise deals for 2027.

Tips for eating well on any cruise

  • Book specialty restaurants before you sail. Popular slots on sea days and the last night fill quickly.
  • Look for first-night or lunch offers. Many lines discount specialty dining on embarkation day or at lunch.
  • Ask about off-menu items. Main dining rooms often have an always-available menu and can adjust dishes.
  • Tell the line about dietary needs early. Allergies, gluten-free and vegan requests are easier to handle when noted at booking.
  • Eat local in port. Even on a foodie line, a market lunch ashore is part of the experience.

For a slice-by-slice comparison, we have also ranked the best cruise ship pizza, free and paid, by cruise line.

If you eat a fully plant-based diet, see our guide to the best cruise lines for vegans before you book.

If you follow a plant-based diet, read our guide to eating vegan on a Disney cruise before you book.

FAQs

Which cruise line has the best food in 2026?

There is no single winner. In Cruise Critic’s most recent Best in Cruise awards (2025), Virgin Voyages won Best Dining among mainstream ocean lines, Celebrity won Best Specialty Dining and Explora Journeys won in luxury. Oceania and Viking stand out for including gourmet restaurants in the fare.

Which mainstream cruise line has the best food?

Virgin Voyages is the best for included food, since every restaurant is part of the fare. If you are happy to pay for specialty dining, Celebrity Cruises offers the strongest range of extra-cost restaurants, while Princess has dependable main dining rooms.

Who has better food, Carnival or Royal Caribbean?

Carnival is often preferred for included casual food such as Guy’s Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina, while Royal Caribbean offers more variety and stronger paid specialty restaurants on its large ships. It depends on whether you plan to pay for specialty dining.

Which cruise line includes specialty restaurants in the fare?

Oceania, Viking, Virgin Voyages, Regent Seven Seas and Seabourn include their specialty restaurants, with only a few exceptions such as private dining or chef’s table experiences. Explora Journeys includes five of its six restaurants.

Virgin-Voyages-Bar-1-1.jpg

Virgin Voyages Drink Packages & Prices

by Cruise NewsCruise TipsFood and drinkVirgin Voyages

When you book a cruise, you’ll usually make a decision about whether to buy an all-inclusive drinks package or pay for your drinks individually.

But how does this work on Virgin Voyages? I was lucky enough to be one of the first people aboard Scarlet Lady, so in this guide, I’ll explain everything you need to know about drinking on a Virgin Voyages cruise.

Virgin Voyages doesn’t offer drink packages

Unlike most other cruise lines, Virgin Voyages does not offer a drinks package. You will not find any type of all-inclusive drinks deals on a Virgin Voyages cruise. Instead, you can purchase a ‘Bar Tab’ to cover the cost of drinks.

The Bar Tab explained

With the Virgin Voyages Bar Tab, you select how much money you want to add to it. You can then use this to pay for drinks during your cruise.

You can use your Bar Tab at every bar and restaurant on Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady, Resilient Lady or Brilliant Lady, as well as on Virgin Voyages’ private resort, Bimini Beach Club.

You also get bonus credit when you preload your Bar Tab before you cruise:

  • Add $200, get a free $25 for a total of $225
  • Add $300, get a free $50 for a total of $350
  • Add $500, get a free $100 for a total of $600
  • Add $750, get a free $175 for a total of $925
  • Add $1,000, get a free $250 for a total of $1,250

While cruise lines generally don’t let people share drinks packages, you can share a Virgin Voyages Bar Tab. You can just buy one for your cabin and use it to buy drinks for whoever you like.

To start your bar tab, just log in to the Virgin Voyages website and head to the My Account section.

Read more: Virgin Voyages Bar Tab vs. Traditional Cruise Drink Packages

Manor Nightclub on Scarlet Lady

Are the drinks expensive? Not really…

The good news is that drinks prices with Virgin Voyages are actually pretty reasonable. There’s also a good selection of soft drinks that are free of charge.

Beers such as Heineken, Amstel Light, Narragansett, and Kalik are all about $6-$7. Basic gin, rum and whisky cocktails are about $10. Wine prices vary of course, but there’s a good selection available for under $11.

This luxury cruise line’s signature drink is Champagne, which is available for just $9 a glass. If you’re feeling fancy, vintage Champagne can cost anywhere up to $1,000 a bottle.

Tips are included in all drinks prices on Virgin Voyages, so the price you see on the menu is the price you pay.

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Some drinks are included already

Virgin Voyages offer ‘basic bevvies’ for free. The included drinks are:

  • Filtered still and sparkling water
  • Fruit juices (not pressed)
  • Fizzy drinks and sodas
  • Teas and drip coffees
self service free drinks machine on Scarlet Lady

Virgin Voyages drink menus

Here’s what you can expect to see on the drinks menus on Virgin Voyages ships…

  • Draught Beer (12oz) – $6 to $8
  • Draught Beer (54oz) – $20 to $29
  • Can of Beer – $6 to $11
  • Spirit (single) – $6 to $25
  • Spirit (half bottle) – $45 to $55
  • Cocktails – $12 to $17
  • Bottle of Beer – $6 to $15
  • Glass of Wine – $7 to $22
  • Bottle of Wine – $28 to $1445
  • Glass of Champagne – $9 to $65
  • Bottle of Champagne – $48 to $445
  • Shots – $7 to $15
  • Red Bull – $5
  • Specialty Coffee – $3 to $5
  • Specialty Tea – $5
  • Hot Chocolate – $4

Virgin Voyages Mini Bar menu

The Virgin Voyages mini-bar menu includes not only beers, wines and cocktails, but also a sleep kit and an intimacy kit for when things get steamy!

Virgin Voyages Mini Bar Menu

Shake for Champagne

Champagne drinking is positively encouraged on-board Virgin Voyages’ glamorous ships. So much so, that the Virgin Voyages ‘Sailor app’ includes a ‘Shake for Champagne’ feature.

All you need to do is shake your phone to reveal the secret Champagne delivery button and a bottle of Möet will be delivered to your location anywhere on the ship.

It’s never too early for champagne and there’s always something to toast to while aboard Scarlet Lady. We want our Sailors to enjoy a glamorous holiday and what better way to feel like a RockStar than a sip of bubbly whenever and wherever you want it.

Tom Mcalpin, CEO of Virgin Voyages

Bringing your own drinks on a Virgin cruise

Guests ages 21 or over on Virgin Voyages cruises are allowed to bring two 750ml bottles of wine per cabin. You can’t bring any other alcohol such as beer or spirits, and the wine must be in your carry-on bag, not in your checked luggage.

You can also bring water or soft drinks on board if you wish, however, you really don’t need to as these are included in your cruise fare.

Virgin Voyages has banned single-use plastics from its ships. So, if you must bring your own water or soft drinks, steer clear of plastic bottles and opt for cans or cartons.

Virgin Voyages’ drinking age

Virgin Voyages is one of the few cruise lines with US departures that allows guests aged 18 or over to drink alcohol at sea. As soon as the ship is 12 nautical miles off the coast of the US and in international waters, the bar will be open for those aged 18, 19 and 20 in addition to the adults who are 21 or over.

It used to be the case that the cruise line only allowed 18- to 20-year-olds to cruise on itineraries in Europe, if they were married to another guest, an active member of the military or were sharing a cabin with someone aged over 21.

However, they have since relaxed the rules so under-21s can now cruise by themselves or as a group on all sailings.

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Scarlet Lady review

I was lucky enough to enjoy an overnight stay on Scarlet Lady. Click here to read my honest review of the ship.

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Cruise Mummy

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.

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Cocktails on a bar counter by the sea, the kind of drinks a Celebrity drink package covers

Celebrity Classic vs Premium Drink Package: Prices, Caps and Which Is Worth It

by Celebrity CruisesCruise LinesCruise NewsFood and drink

The big difference in the Celebrity Classic vs Premium drink package comes down to the price cap. Classic covers drinks costing up to $12 each, and Premium covers drinks up to $19. Bought on its own, Premium usually costs about $13 to $25 more per person per day. On an All Included fare, Celebrity lists the upgrade at around $20 per person per day. If most of your drinks are beer, house wine and standard cocktails, Classic is enough. If you order martinis, top-shelf spirits or the better wines by the glass, Premium often pays for itself.

Below you’ll find what each package includes, what they cost as of November 2026, the rules that catch people out, and a break-even table so you can work out which tier suits how you actually drink.

Celebrity Classic vs Premium drink package at a glance

Both packages work in the main restaurant, the specialty and casual restaurants, and every bar and lounge on board. Each one also includes non-alcoholic drinks. What separates them is how expensive a drink you can order before you start paying extra, plus a few extras on the non-alcoholic side.

Feature Classic Premium
Per-drink cap Up to $12 Up to $19
Typical spirits Standard brands such as Absolut, Bacardi, Jim Beam, Beefeater Adds top shelf such as Grey Goose, Patrón, Bombay Sapphire, Courvoisier VSOP
Wine by the glass House and everyday labels Adds a wider, pricier by-the-glass list, including Champagne
Beer Mainstream lagers and imports Adds craft and premium imports
Specialty coffee and tea Yes Yes
Fresh-pressed juices Generally not included Included
Bottled water Standard bottled water Premium brands such as Evian, Acqua Panna, San Pellegrino
Zero-proof cocktails, alcohol-free beer and wine Yes Yes
Discount on wine by the bottle 15% 20%
Typical pre-cruise price About $55-$90 per day About $70-$105 per day
20% service charge Added on top Added on top

Brand line-ups change from time to time and can differ between ships, so treat the names above as typical examples, not a guarantee.

What the Celebrity Classic beverage package includes

The Celebrity Classic beverage package covers beer, spirits, cocktails, liqueurs, frozen drinks and wine by the glass, as long as the menu price is $12 or less. In practice, that takes in most draught and bottled beers, the house wines and many of the standard cocktails on bar menus. The non-alcoholic side includes specialty coffees and teas, soft drinks, bottled water, zero-proof cocktails and alcohol-free beer and wine.

What Classic tends to miss is the signature stuff. That means many martinis, cocktails made with named premium spirits, and the higher-priced wines by the glass. It’s also the drinks you’ll see at the destination bars on the newer ships. Order something above $12 and Celebrity charges you the difference plus a 20% service charge.

What the Celebrity Premium drink package adds

The Celebrity Premium drink package raises the cap to $19 per serving. In practice, that covers nearly everything on a standard bar menu: top-shelf vodka, gin, tequila and cognac, a wider choice of craft and imported beers, and most premium wines by the glass. Premium also adds fresh-pressed juices, premium bottled water and energy drinks. For coffee drinkers who also like a morning juice and a bottle of Evian by the pool, those extras add up.

Premium still isn’t unlimited. Rare whiskies, cognacs and Champagnes priced above $19 still cost the difference, and wine by the bottle only gets 20% off. If you’re staying in a suite, the Retreat fare already includes Premium. You can read more on that in our look at whether Celebrity Retreat is worth the price.

Bartender pouring a cocktail at a ship bar with bottles of spirits lined up behind the counter
Spirit brands and cocktail prices decide which drinks package suits you. Photo: Szymon Shields on Pexels

Celebrity drink package prices in 2026

Celebrity prices its drink packages dynamically. The price changes with the ship, the itinerary, the sail date and any sale running at the time. A short European sailing on an older ship can cost much less per day than a Caribbean cruise on one of the Edge-class ships. Here are typical ranges at the time of writing, per person per day, before the 20% service charge:

Package Pre-cruise (Cruise Planner) Onboard (newest ships)
Classic About $55-$90 Up to about $100
Premium About $70-$105 Up to about $125
Zero Proof (non-alcoholic) About $40 About $45

Buying pre-cruise is nearly always cheaper. You can buy in the Cruise Planner up to 48 hours before departure, and you can cancel there for a full refund up to two days before sailing. Members of Captain’s Club, Celebrity’s loyalty programme, usually get a further percentage off at the higher tiers. Whichever way you buy, the 20% service charge is added on top. It covers the bar gratuity, so you won’t be asked to tip on each covered drink.

Buying separately vs the All Included fare

Most Celebrity sailings are now sold with an “All Included” fare option. It replaced the earlier “Always Included” branding. All Included bundles your cruise fare with the Classic drink package and Basic Wi-Fi for everyone in the stateroom. Retreat suites get the Premium package and Premium Wi-Fi instead. Two points are worth knowing:

  • Crew gratuities are no longer bundled. Since October 2023, newly booked All Included fares have left out daily staff gratuities. The beverage service charge is still covered. You can prepay the daily tips separately.
  • Single guests don’t get extra value. A solo traveller paying a single supplement doesn’t receive a second drinks package or Wi-Fi.

Before you book, compare the All Included price with the standard fare plus a separately bought Classic package for the same sailing. Sometimes the bundle is clearly cheaper. On other sailings a sale on the stand-alone package brings the two close together.

How much it costs to upgrade from Classic to Premium

If you’ve booked All Included, you can upgrade to Premium in the Cruise Planner before you sail. Celebrity’s All Included FAQ lists the pre-cruise upgrade at $20 per person per day, beverage service charge included. Upgrading on board is possible but costs more. If you’re buying packages separately, the gap between Classic and Premium usually runs about $13 to $25 a day depending on the ship. Celebrity has raised upgrade pricing before, so check the figure for your sailing in the Cruise Planner.

The non-alcoholic Zero Proof package

Celebrity’s only alcohol-free package is the Zero Proof (non-alcoholic) package, at roughly $40 to $45 a day plus the service charge. It includes specialty coffees and organic teas, fresh-pressed juices and smoothies from the Spa Café, premium still and sparkling water, Red Bull, Vitamin Water, soft drinks and zero-proof cocktails. Heavy coffee drinkers who also want juice and bottled water may find it good value. If you only want a couple of lattes a day, paying per drink is usually cheaper.

Teens get this package when an adult in the cabin buys an alcoholic package. That means ages 13 to 20 on US sailings, and 13 to 17 on sailings from Europe, Asia and Australia. Children 12 and under don’t need one.

Two people raising glasses of white wine on a sunny ship deck overlooking the sea
Every adult in the cabin needs the same drinks package. Photo: Emre Ayata on Pexels

Rules to know before you buy

  • Everyone in the cabin must match. If one guest of legal drinking age buys Classic or Premium, every guest of legal drinking age in that stateroom must buy the same tier. Upgrading one person means upgrading everyone. Exceptions apply for pregnancy and for medical reasons, including recovery from alcoholism. Those guests get the Zero Proof package instead.
  • There’s no daily drink limit. You may have seen a 15-drinks-a-day cap mentioned online. Celebrity’s FAQ says there is no daily limit on its drink packages.
  • One drink at a time. You can only order one drink per package at a time. A second drink ordered at the same time is charged at bar prices.
  • No sharing. Packages are for the holder only. Ordering for a friend without a package can get your package cancelled.
  • Not covered: room service, the minibar and gift-shop purchases. Packages aren’t sold on Galapagos sailings or on some 2-3 night Southampton cruises.
  • Over the cap, you pay the difference. On Classic, a $16 cocktail costs you $4 plus 20%, or $4.80.

There are a few legitimate ways to get more value from a package, such as ordering at the main dining room or bringing your allowed bottles of wine on board. Our roundup of cruise drink package loopholes that still work covers what’s allowed.

Is the Celebrity Premium drink package worth it? Break-even examples

The simplest test for All Included guests is this. Add up what you’d pay in over-cap charges on Classic each day, then compare the total with the roughly $20-a-day upgrade. Each example below includes the 20% service charge on the difference.

Your typical sea day Extra cost on Classic Better choice
Coffees, 3 beers, 2 glasses of house wine (all $12 or less) $0 Classic
3 cocktails at $14 $7.20 Classic
4 premium cocktails at $16 $19.20 Roughly even
2 martinis at $17, 2 glasses of wine at $16, plus a fresh juice $19.20 plus the juice Premium
5 top-shelf drinks at $18 $36.00 Premium

A few things push the decision toward Premium. Port days, when you drink less on board, push the other way. Keep in mind that everyone in the cabin has to upgrade, so a couple pays roughly $40 a day between them. On a 7-night cruise that comes to about $280 before any onboard sale. If one of you mostly drinks beer, Classic for both is often the better deal.

If you’re buying separately rather than on All Included, start with the plain break-even. Divide the daily package price, including the 20%, by the average price of your usual drink. On a $70 Classic package that works out to $84 a day, or about seven $12 drinks. On a $90 Premium package it’s $108 a day, or six drinks at $18. To see how Celebrity’s packages compare with other lines, read our guide to cruise drink packages compared.

Our verdict: Classic or Premium?

Choose Classic if you mostly drink beer, house wine, standard cocktails and coffee, or if your cruise is port-heavy. Choose Premium if you like named spirits, martinis or the better wines by the glass, or if you’d use the fresh juices and premium water every day. On the newest ships, where many cocktails cost more than $12, Premium is more likely to pay off. For anyone who doesn’t drink alcohol, Zero Proof or paying as you go is the sensible choice. Whatever you pick, buy pre-cruise and compare the All Included price before you book.

FAQs

What is the difference between Celebrity Classic and Premium drink packages?

Classic covers drinks up to $12 each and Premium covers drinks up to $19. Premium also adds top-shelf spirits, more wines by the glass, fresh-pressed juices, premium bottled water and a 20% (rather than 15%) discount on bottles of wine.

How much does it cost to upgrade to Premium on Celebrity’s All Included fare?

Celebrity lists the pre-cruise upgrade at $20 per person per day, beverage gratuity included, when you upgrade in the Cruise Planner. Upgrading on board costs more, and every adult in the cabin must upgrade.

Is there a daily drink limit on Celebrity drink packages?

No. Celebrity says there is no daily limit, but you can only order one drink at a time and packages can’t be shared.

Do both adults in a cabin have to buy the Celebrity drink package?

Yes. Every guest of legal drinking age in the stateroom must buy the same package tier. Pregnant guests and those with a medical reason not to drink can take the Zero Proof package instead.

Does the Celebrity drink package include gratuities?

The 20% service charge on the package covers the bar gratuity on included drinks. It doesn’t cover daily crew gratuities, which are charged separately, even on All Included fares booked since October 2023.

drinks-on-princess-cruise-ship-3-1.jpg

These 8 Drinks Are FREE on Princess Cruises

by Cruise LinesCruise NewsFood and drinkPrincess Cruises

Most of the drinks that you can enjoy on a cruise need to be paid for as an extra, unless you’re on an all-inclusive cruise or you’ve booked a drinks package. Princess Cruises is no different – if you don’t have a drink package, you’ll need to make sure you’ve got some money set aside for your drinks during your sailing.

Free iced water flavoured with fresh cucumber and orange slices on Princess cruise ship

But there are a selection of drinks available for free on each Princess Cruises ship, so if you are on a tighter budget, you won’t go thirsty.

Water, lemonade, tea – here’s what’s free

There are eight drinks you can enjoy for free on a Princess cruise – tap water, lemonade, iced tea, hot tea, brewed coffee, hot chocolate, milk and fruit juice. Some of these drinks are only available at specific locations on the ship too, and may incur a charge elsewhere.

Free water, coffee and fruit juice on Princess cruise ship

Compared to other cruise lines, Princess Cruises offers slightly less than the average number of free drinks, especially with the limitations on where you can get those drinks. It’s not a huge difference – Royal Caribbean offers 9 free drinks, for example – but you may still get a little frustrated if you don’t want to spend extra.

That’s why a lot of people will prefer a Princess drinks package. Yes, you have to pay extra, but once you’ve paid for it up-front, you’re done and you can enjoy the drinks you want without thinking about the extra cost.

And Princess has a lot of different drinks package options you can choose from. They aren’t just for people who drink alcohol – there are non-alcoholic packages, dedicated soda packages, and even specialist coffee packages.

Read more: Princess Cruises Drinks Packages

My drinks package calculator is a handy tool that will help you work out whether it’s worthwhile, based on the cost of the package, the typical Princess Cruises drinks prices, and how much you think you’ll want to drink on your cruise.

Where to find the free drinks

1. Water

Water is one of the few drinks that is available freely on Princess Cruises in most locations around the ship. Specifically tap water though – bottled water is available but it isn’t free, so you’ll need to pay if you prefer a specific brand.

You can get tap water in any of the restaurants on your Princess ship, either as a glass or as a jug with ice.

You can also get a glass of water at any bar on the ship, while there will be water machines available in the buffet restaurant where you can help yourself too.

Free iced water on Princess cruise ship

In The Sanctuary and the Spa, you’ll find a selection of iced water dispensers with water that’s flavoured with fresh cucumber or orange slices.

Free iced water flavoured with fresh cucumber and orange slices on Princess cruise ship

The tap water in your room is safe to drink too, so you’ll always have something to drink in the middle of the night. Tap water is heavily filtered and treated on a cruise ship to make sure it’s safe and suitable for drinking. You can request an ice bucket from your room steward too, if you want to cool it down (the tap water might not be the coldest).

Some people even say that the tap water on a cruise ship is better tasting than that at home. Obviously, home tap water varies all over the world and even within countries, so this might not be true for you, but it’s very clean and can be refreshing on those warmer days.

2. Lemonade

Lemonade is a cruising staple – many cruise lines offer it as a free option, and Princess Cruises is no different. On some ships (but not all) you can get lemonade free from the Horizon Court buffet restaurant during lunch and dinner, so between 11.30 am and 11 pm.

This is American-style lemonade, which means it isn’t carbonated. It’s sweet but with a definite sour kick to it – it feels more authentic than some of the lemonades you might be used to if you normally drink a lemonade soda.

If you’re determined to cruise on a budget, but you don’t want to just drink water, it’s easy enough to pop into the buffet and grab a glass of lemonade when you need a drink, rather than paying for a soft drink at the bar.

3. Fruit juice

While lemonade is offered for lunch and dinner in the Horizon Court, you won’t normally be able to get it for breakfast. Instead, fresh fruit juice is available that you can help yourself to.

You’ll find jugs of orange juice by the tea and coffee…

Free hot water, coffee, regular milk, skim milk and orange juice on Princess cruise ship

But, if you prefer something a little more exotic, head over to the food section and along with the fruit and smoothies you may find freshly squeezed juices of the day, like watermelon juice.

Free watermelon juice on Princess cruise ship

Fruit juices are also included if you’d prefer to have your breakfast in the Main Dining Room. Your waiter will bring your chosen juice to your table.

Breakfast in the dining rooms is a lot more laid back and slower, so if you’re just looking for a quick drink and snack before embarking on an excursion, the buffet is the better choice.

4. Iced tea

You’ll be able to ask for unsweetened iced tea on a Princess Cruise in the Main Dining Room, while it’s also available for you to enjoy in the Horizon Court.

Free iced tea and orange juice on Princess cruise ship

It’s only free in these locations though – if you order it from a bar or from the International Cafe in the atrium of the ship, you will have to pay for it. If you’re craving iced tea then try to grab one when they’re available freely.

5. Hot tea

If you like your tea to be a little more British or Asian in style, then hot tea is also available during breakfast in the Main Dining Room, and throughout the day in the Horizon Court buffet. Varieties include English Breakfast tea, Earl Grey and Herbal Tea.

Free hot tea on Princess cruise ship

On most Princess Cruises, you won’t have a kettle in your stateroom – although sometimes on sailings out of the UK and in Asia they will be provided. Usually, you’ll need to head to the Main Dining Room or buffet restaurant if you want your tea fix.

Again, ordering hot tea from other locations around the ship, including the International Cafe, will incur an extra charge.

6. Brewed coffee

Brewed coffee is the same as hot tea on a Princess ship – you’ll be able to enjoy it in the Main Dining Room and in the Horizon Court buffet restaurant without paying any extra. Some ships even have self-service coffee machines by some of the pools.

Free brewed coffee on Princess cruise ship

But it is only standard coffee – any speciality coffees will incur an extra charge, and regular brewed coffee also needs to be paid for at the International Cafe.

There is a special drinks package just for coffee lovers – the Grounds Coffee Package includes 15 speciality beverages that you can order at various bars around the ship.

Kettle, tea and coffee on Princess cruise ship

7. Milk 

Wherever you can get tea and coffee you can also find milk. And that means that if you’d like to enjoy a glass of the white stuff, you can do so free of charge. You can pour yourself a glass of regular or skim milk in the buffet, or request a glass of milk in the main dining room.

If you’re plant-based, vegan, lactose intolerant or have a dairy allergy, you’ll be pleased to know that you can also request soya or almond milk. If you’d like this in your room to use in your tea and coffee, just call room service and they will bring you a jug of dairy-free milk free of charge.

Free milk on Princess cruise ship

8. Hot chocolate

Some of the coffee machines that you’ll find in the buffet area also make hot chocolate. So if this is your drink or choice or you want to treat the kids, then be sure to check the machine to see if there’s a button for hot chocolate, as depending on the ship, some have it.

Free hot chocolate on Princess cruise ship

Other ways you can get free drinks

There are some other free drinks you can enjoy on a Princess cruise, but they aren’t available completely freely for all guests.

Hit the art auctions for free fizz

If you attend one of the art auctions on a Princess sailing, you’ll normally be given a free glass of sparkling wine as you arrive. Guests who’ve had a drink are more likely to spend more on art, so it’s a small price for Princess to offer when they are looking for guests to treat themselves to a new painting.

free mimosa at art auction

Book Club Class or above

There is a selection of free drinks available to guests if they book a Mini Suite or above on a Princess sailing.

Mini Suite guests will be welcomed on-board with a glass of sparkling wine, which is upgraded to Champagne for guests in a Club Class Mini Suite or a full Suite. Club Class is called the Reserve Collection on the newest ships.

Club Class/Reserve Collection guests and above will also enjoy a complimentary half-bottle of white and half-bottle of red wine in their room for their arrival. These are only to be consumed in your room though – you can’t take them to the dining rooms.

And if you book a full Suite, you’ll arrive to a fully-stocked minibar which is yours to enjoy freely – for that first round. Once you’ve consumed your free minibar drinks, you’ll be expected to pay for any further drinks. 

But you do also get free bottled water delivered to your room daily, which is a nice additional perk of being a suite guest. Plus you can head to the speciality dining restaurants for breakfast, which includes mimosas.

Read more: Princess Cruises Suite Perks

Go to onboard events

Select special events may be available where you can enjoy a free drink with Princess Cruises, although many of these vary.

They can also depend on your stateroom, or your Captain’s Circle membership (the Princess Cruises loyalty program). Guests in a Suite, or who are at the Elite level of the Captain’s Circle, may get exclusive invites to parties or a special wine-tasting event (where you don’t have to spit out your free drink!)

Suggested read: Princess Cruises Happy Hour

Free wine on Princess cruise ship

Look out for events hosted by the Effy jewellery store on the ship too, as special occasions there may include a free glass of fizz when you arrive. It’s bad form to turn up, have the drink and then leave immediately though.

Don’t forget to bring your own!

While it’s not ‘free’ to bring your own drinks on-board a cruise, since you have to have bought them in advance, it can be a cheaper way to enjoy a drink.

Guests with Princess are allowed to bring an unlimited amount of soft drinks and water, provided it is in sealed commercial cans, bottles or cartons. 

You can’t bring flasks on board since the cruise line will argue they could contain additional alcohol beyond the permitted levels. And sneaking alcohol on board a cruise ship is a bad idea. Your luggage will be scanned, and it will be searched.

You’re welcome to bring one bottle of wine or Champagne onto the ship with you per person, as long as it’s no bigger than 750ml. It’s only to be consumed in your stateroom, unless you pay a $15 corkage fee – then you can drink it anywhere, including the bars and the restaurants. You can also bring extra bottles but then the corkage fee is mandatory.

So you could bring a few bottles of alcohol, or a lot of cans of your favourite soft drink, in your suitcase. But obviously, that’ll impact how much else you’re able to pack and bring with you, so bear that in mind.

Is it worth sacrificing a couple of outfits so you can save on the cost of a couple of drinks at the bar?

The bottom line

The selection of free drinks from Princess Cruises isn’t exactly extensive, but it’s enough that you could get by if you really didn’t want to spend extra on a cruise. Especially if you also brought some extra drinks with you to enjoy in your stateroom.

But if you’re someone who gets thirsty often, and who has a particular drink that you prefer – or if you just want to relax with a cocktail or a beer – then definitely check out the Princess drinks packages that are included in the Princess Premier and Princess Plus fares, as they might offer much better value than paying for each drink individually.

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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.

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Piña colada and other tropical cocktails on a table, some of the best cruise drinks to try on board

20 Best Cruise Drinks to Try on Your Next Cruise (2026)

by Cruise LinesCruise NewsFood and drink

The best cruise drinks are the ones built for sunshine and sea air: frozen rum classics like the piña colada and Miami Vice, Caribbean punches such as the Painkiller and rum swizzle, and each cruise line’s own signature cocktails, like Carnival’s Caribbean Colada or Royal Caribbean’s Cucumber Martini. Light spritzes and sparkling brunch drinks round out the list, and almost every bar will make a mocktail version if you ask.

Below are 20 favourite cruise drinks, with what goes into each one, why it works on a ship, and where it tends to be famous. After that you’ll find good alcohol-free picks, rough 2026 drink prices and a quick guide to whether a drinks package is worth it.

20 Best Cruise Drinks to Try on Your Next Sailing

Frozen and tropical favourites

  1. Piña Colada: rum, cream of coconut and pineapple juice blended with ice. It’s the unofficial drink of Caribbean cruising, and almost every pool bar keeps a blender busy making it. The drink comes from Puerto Rico, which makes it a natural choice on a San Juan itinerary.
  2. Miami Vice: half piña colada, half strawberry daiquiri, poured so the two layers sit side by side. It’s a good pick when you can’t decide between creamy and fruity, and you can order it on almost any mainstream line.
  3. Caribbean Colada (Carnival): Carnival’s own twist on the colada, served frozen at the RedFrog Rum Bar and BlueIguana Tequila Bar on the Lido deck. If you’re sailing with Carnival, this is the one to try first.
  4. Love Connection (Royal Caribbean): layers of strawberry daiquiri, mango daiquiri and piña colada. Royal Caribbean bartenders make it at any bar with a blender, and it works just as well without the rum.
  5. Frozen Margarita: tequila, lime and orange liqueur blended with ice, often in mango, strawberry or guava. Carnival’s BlueIguana bar serves several flavours, and frozen margaritas are a sensible order on Mexican Riviera and Cozumel sailings.
  6. Blue Hawaiian: rum, blue curaçao, pineapple and coconut. Its bright colour is a big part of the appeal, and it photographs well against a sea view.
  7. Mudslide: vodka, coffee liqueur and Irish cream, often blended with ice cream. It’s rich enough to count as dessert, so it suits an evening rather than a hot afternoon.

Caribbean rum classics

  1. Mojito: white rum, fresh mint, lime, sugar and soda. It’s lighter and less sweet than the frozen drinks. Many bars also make a frozen version, and Royal Caribbean lists the Frozen Mojito among its fan favourites.
  2. Painkiller: dark or navy rum, pineapple, orange juice and cream of coconut, topped with nutmeg. It comes from the British Virgin Islands, and Carnival’s RedFrog bar serves its own version, Red’s Painkiller.
  3. Bahama Mama: coconut rum with orange and pineapple juice, plus grenadine on many ships. It’s a classic on short Bahamas sailings and private-island days.
  4. Rum Swizzle: Bermuda’s national drink, made with dark and light rum, fruit juices and bitters, and traditionally “swizzled” with a stick. Order it on a Bermuda cruise from New York, New Jersey or Boston.
  5. Dark ‘n’ Stormy: dark rum, ginger beer and lime. Another Bermuda favourite, and the ginger makes it a refreshing choice in the heat.
  6. Coco Loco: rum, sometimes with tequila or vodka, mixed with coconut and pineapple and often served in a real coconut. You’re as likely to find it at a beach bar in port as on board.

Cruise line signature cocktails

  1. Cucumber Martini (Royal Caribbean): Grey Goose vodka, lemongrass syrup, sweet and sour, cucumber and basil. It’s famously mixed tableside at 150 Central Park on Oasis Class ships and is also served at champagne bars. Crisp and not too sweet.
  2. Cucumber Sunrise (Carnival): Belvedere vodka, lime, watermelon syrup, orange juice and muddled cucumber. It’s the best-known order at Carnival’s Alchemy Bar, where cocktails cost about $14.25 in recent reports.
  3. Lime & Coconut (Royal Caribbean): coconut rum, coconut milk, coconut and guava syrups and lime. It’s the house drink of the Lime and Coconut pool bar on newer Royal Caribbean ships.
  4. Espresso Martini: vodka, coffee liqueur and fresh espresso. It has become one of the most requested after-dinner drinks across the major lines, and it’s a natural fit before a late show.

Lighter sips for brunch, ports and dinner

  1. Mimosa: sparkling wine and orange juice. It’s the classic sea-day brunch drink and easy to keep light.
  2. Aperol Spritz: Aperol, prosecco and soda with an orange slice. It’s low in alcohol and bittersweet, and it’s everywhere on Mediterranean cruises, where you can order the same drink at a café in port.
  3. Pimm’s Cup: Pimm’s No.1 with lemonade or ginger ale, cucumber, mint and fruit. It’s a summer favourite on British-market ships and Northern Europe sailings, and some US bars will make one on request.

Honourable mentions: the Singapore Sling (gin, cherry liqueur and pineapple) on Asia itineraries, and Royal Caribbean’s PB&J Old Fashioned at the Mason Jar restaurant and bar.

Colourful frozen tropical cocktails on a bar beside a sunny pool deck
Frozen drinks and mocktails are a big part of pool deck life. Photo: Helena Lopes on Pexels

Best Non-Alcoholic Cruise Drinks

You don’t need alcohol to enjoy the bar menu. Most of the drinks above can be made “virgin”, and the major lines now list proper spirit-free cocktails:

  • Virgin piña colada or Love Connection: all the coconut and fruit, no rum. These are popular with families.
  • Carnival spirit-free cocktails: Carnival offers several signature cocktails in alcohol-free form, including the Martini Seduction at Alchemy Bar (non-alcoholic cane spirit, passion fruit and lime), at around $10.25 in recent reports.
  • Nojito: a mojito with soda in place of rum. Very refreshing after a day in port.
  • Iced specialty coffees and smoothies: good mid-morning choices, though they’re often charged separately or need a coffee or premium package.
  • Lemonade, iced tea and water: on most mainstream lines these are free at the buffet, and it’s worth alternating them with cocktails on hot days. Carnival’s free options are covered in our guide to drinks that are always free on Carnival cruises.

How Much Do Cruise Drinks Cost in 2026?

Prices change by line, ship and venue, so take these as rough guides. On mainstream US lines, most cocktails cost about $12 to $16, and specialty bars or premium spirits cost more. An automatic service charge of about 18 to 20% is usually added to every bar bill. Beer generally costs less than cocktails, and frozen drinks are usually priced like standard cocktails. Souvenir glasses and refillable cups cost extra.

Is a Cruise Drinks Package Worth It?

A package only pays off if you’d drink enough of these favourites anyway. The usual rule of thumb is that you need about five or six alcoholic drinks a day to break even, and many people drink less than that. This table shows where the main US lines stand as of October 2026:

Cruise line Package (approx. 2026) Value tip
Carnival CHEERS!: about $89.94 per person per day, including the 20% service charge. Carnival is moving to dynamic pricing from 1 December 2026. Everyone aged 21 or over in a cabin normally has to buy it together, so add up the cost for the whole cabin before you book.
Royal Caribbean Deluxe Beverage Package: about $98 to $119 per day before sailing on Caribbean cruises. It covers drinks up to about $14 each. Prices often drop during Cruise Planner sales and usually rise once you’re on board.
Norwegian (NCL) Free at Sea Open Bar, with a daily service charge of about $28.50. The Plus upgrade costs about $49.99 per day. Check whether your booking has More at Sea or Free at Sea terms. They changed for bookings made after 5 November 2025.

Royal Caribbean also has a lesser-known option, which we explain in the Royal Caribbean drinks package most cruisers don’t know exists. If you’re sailing with a premium or British line, see our guides to Holland America drink packages and the Marella drinks package, where drinks may already be included in your fare.

Couple holding drinks at the railing of a cruise ship deck at sunset over the ocean
Sail-away is a popular time for a signature cocktail. Photo: SamFoll SF on Pexels

Tips for Ordering Drinks on a Cruise

  • Look for the cruise line’s own drinks. House specialties like the Caribbean Colada or the Cucumber Martini are what each line does best, and bar staff make them all day.
  • Ask for less sugar. Frozen drinks can be very sweet, so ask for half the syrup or extra lime.
  • Drink water in the sun. Heat, sea air and alcohol add up quickly, so alternate cocktails with water and pace yourself. Bartenders can refuse service if they need to.
  • Check the menu price before you order. Premium spirits and specialty bars can cost more than your package covers, and the difference is charged to your cabin.
  • Remember the rules. The minimum drinking age on US-based lines is generally 21, although some lines allow 18 on certain European or South American sailings with an adult’s consent.

Planning your next sailing? Our 2027 cruise deals guide lists the offers worth watching, including fares that come with drinks included.

Sailing with Virgin? Find out how the Virgin Voyages Bar Tab works, including the bonus credit on each tier.

Before you buy a package to try these, read our guide to the Royal Caribbean drink package rules so you know what is and is not allowed.

Before you pack, check our list of items commonly confiscated at cruise security, because many lines hold banned items until the end of the sailing.

FAQs

What is the most popular drink on a cruise ship?

The piña colada is widely seen as the most popular cruise drink, especially in the Caribbean. The Miami Vice, frozen margaritas and mojitos come close behind.

What drinks should I get on a cruise?

Start with your cruise line’s signature drinks, such as Carnival’s Caribbean Colada or Royal Caribbean’s Cucumber Martini. Then try regional classics like the rum swizzle in Bermuda or an Aperol Spritz in the Mediterranean.

What cruise line has the best drinks?

It depends on what you like. Royal Caribbean and Carnival have the widest choice of themed bars and signature cocktails, while luxury lines usually include premium drinks in the fare.

Are non-alcoholic drinks free on a cruise?

Water, iced tea, lemonade, basic coffee and some juices are usually free on mainstream lines. Sodas, mocktails, specialty coffees and smoothies normally cost extra unless you buy a package.

How much is a cocktail on a cruise in 2026?

On mainstream US lines, most cocktails cost about $12 to $16, plus an automatic service charge of around 18 to 20%. Specialty bars and premium spirits cost more.