The Windstar all inclusive package (officially the All-Inclusive Package, still often called the “All-In”) costs from around $99 per guest per day when bought at least five days before sailing, or about $109 per day onboard. It bundles unlimited select beer, wine and cocktails, unlimited WiFi and your gratuities. For most couples it pays off at roughly four to six alcoholic drinks per person per day, and it is clearly better value than the drinks-only package.
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Below we break down what a standard Windstar fare already covers, exactly what the package adds, the rules that catch people out, and the maths for three realistic types of traveler, so you can decide before you book. Prices are as published at the time of writing (October 2026) and do change, so always confirm on windstarcruises.com or with your travel advisor.
Are Windstar Cruises All Inclusive?
Not by default. Windstar is often described as “nearly inclusive” because the base fare is more generous than on big-ship lines, but alcohol, WiFi and gratuities are extra unless you buy the package or your fare includes it as a promotion.
What the base fare already includes
- Your suite or stateroom, with daily housekeeping and evening turndown
- All dining, including the specialty restaurants Candles and Basil + Bamboo, with no cover charge
- 24-hour room service
- Coffee, tea, soft drinks, juices and water
- Watersports from the marina platform on most ships, weather permitting
- The fitness center, classes, lectures, port talks and onboard entertainment
- Signature extras such as the on-deck barbecue and, on some sailings, Destination Discovery Events ashore
What costs extra on a standard fare
- Alcohol: bought by the drink, plus an 18% beverage service charge
- WiFi: around $35 per day for an unlimited plan, billed for the length of the cruise
- Hotel service charge (Windstar’s gratuities): $16 per guest per day, added automatically to your onboard account
- Shore excursions, spa and salon treatments, laundry and specialty items such as premium bottles of wine
If you are still choosing a ship, our guide comparing every Windstar cruise ship covers the sailing yachts and the all-suite Star Class yachts in detail.
What Is in the Windstar All Inclusive Package?
The package rolls the three biggest onboard extras into one daily price:
- Unlimited select drinks: domestic and imported beers, more than 30 wines and sparkling wines by the glass, cocktails made with house and select premium spirits, cordials, aperitifs and mini-bar drinks. Current descriptions name brands such as Grey Goose, Hendrick’s, Johnnie Walker Black and Hennessy among the select spirits.
- Unlimited WiFi for the whole voyage.
- Gratuities: the daily hotel service charge plus the 18% beverage service charge on drinks covered by the package.
Package guests also typically get 30% off bottles of wine priced at $100 or less. What is not included: very top-shelf spirits, rare wines, many specialty or signature cocktails, spa treatments, excursions and laundry. Early versions of the All-In bundle (launched in 2019) included unlimited laundry, but current package descriptions do not list it, so budget for laundry separately.
Windstar Package Prices and Terms for 2026 and 2027
| Option | Price per guest per day | Drinks | WiFi | Gratuities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-Inclusive Package (pre-purchase) | About $99 | Yes, unlimited select | Yes | Yes, hotel and beverage |
| All-Inclusive Package (onboard) | About $109 | Yes, unlimited select | Yes | Yes, hotel and beverage |
| Captain’s Exclusive Beverage Package | About $79 pre-purchase, $89 onboard, plus 18% (about $93 total pre-purchased) | Yes, unlimited select | No | No |
| Pay as you go | $16 hotel service charge plus whatever you use | About $6 to $13 per drink plus 18% | About $35 per day | Hotel charge only |
The terms that matter most, based on Windstar’s current package information and recent independent guides:
- Book at least five days before sailing to get the lower price. You can usually still buy onboard during the first couple of days, but at the higher rate.
- Whole cruise only: it is priced for every day of the voyage, not individual days.
- Age 21 and over for the alcoholic element.
- Bought per guest: recent guides report that each guest in a suite can decide individually, but check the current terms for your sailing before assuming a non-drinking partner can opt out.
- Specialty voyages such as Grand Prix, eclipse or mystery cruises are often excluded from promotional all-inclusive offers.
Watch for the free all-inclusive promotion
Windstar regularly gives the package away. Its 2026 offers have included a complimentary All-Inclusive upgrade (worth more than $1,300 for two guests on a seven-night voyage) on select sailings through mid-2027, sometimes combined with onboard credit or a pre-cruise hotel night. If the fare with the package included is only slightly higher than a cruise-only fare, the decision is usually easy. Our roundup of cruise deals for 2027 and when to book explains how these offers tend to cycle through the year.
Is the Windstar All Inclusive Package Worth It? The Maths
Start by stripping out the parts you would pay anyway. Assume an average drink costs about $10.50 before the 18% charge, which makes it roughly $12.40 once the service charge is added.
| What you would otherwise pay per guest per day | Amount | Left of the $99 for drinks | Break-even drinks per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel service charge + your own WiFi plan | $16 + $35 = $51 | $48 | About 4 |
| Hotel service charge + half a shared WiFi plan | $16 + $17.50 = $33.50 | $65.50 | About 5 to 6 |
| Hotel service charge only (no WiFi needed) | $16 | $83 | About 7 |
The key question, then, is not just how much you drink but whether you would buy WiFi anyway. If you want to stay connected, the bar for value drops to about four drinks a day.
Three example seven-night cruises for two
Each example compares paying as you go with buying the package in advance for both guests at about $1,386 ($99 x 2 guests x 7 days). Gratuities are $224 for two, and a seven-day WiFi plan is about $245.
| Traveler type | Drinks and WiFi | Pay as you go | Package | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light: a glass of wine at dinner plus one other drink each | 2 drinks each per day, one shared WiFi plan | About $816 | $1,386 | Skip it, save about $570 |
| Moderate: a pre-dinner cocktail, wine with dinner, a nightcap | 4 drinks each per day, two WiFi plans | About $1,408 | $1,386 | Roughly even, buy it for convenience |
| Social: beers by the pool, wine with lunch and dinner, cocktails | 6 drinks each per day, one shared WiFi plan | About $1,510 | $1,386 | Buy it, save about $120 or more |
Two things these numbers do not capture. First, the package removes the mental arithmetic of signing for every glass, which many guests value. Second, port-heavy itineraries cut the number of hours you are onboard; on a Greek Isles or Caribbean sailing with a port almost every day and long days ashore, you may drink less than you expect.
Windstar Beverage Package: All Inclusive vs Captain’s Exclusive
This is where the decision becomes simple. Pre-purchased, the drinks-only Captain’s Exclusive package costs about $79 plus the 18% service charge, or roughly $93 per day. The All-Inclusive Package costs about $99 and has no service charge added on top. For around $6 more per day you also get WiFi (about $35 value) and the $16 hotel service charge.
In other words, if you are going to buy a drinks package at all, the all inclusive option is almost always the better buy. The drinks-only package only makes sense in the rare case where your fare already includes gratuities and WiFi through another promotion.
Comparing lines? Our breakdown of Holland America drink packages uses the same break-even approach, which is handy if you are weighing a Windstar yacht against a mid-size ship.
Who Should Skip the Package
- Light or occasional drinkers who are happy to buy a bottle of wine for dinner and finish it over two nights. You lose the 30% bottle discount without a package, but a few bottles plus gratuities still often costs less than the package for low drinkers.
- Guests who bring their own wine: Windstar’s carry-on wine policy has historically allowed a couple of bottles per sailing, with a corkage fee if you open them in a restaurant.
- People who want a digital detox: without WiFi, you need about seven drinks a day to break even.
- Guests on very port-intensive or overnight-in-port itineraries, where much of the day is spent ashore.
Tips to Get the Best Value
- Price your cruise both ways. When the free all-inclusive promotion is running, compare the promotional fare with any cruise-only fare that comes with extra onboard credit instead.
- Pre-purchase at least five days before departure to save about $10 per guest per day, or $140 per couple on a week-long cruise.
- Ask about loyalty perks. Windstar’s Yacht Club past-guest program has offered package discounts, so check what applies to you.
- Confirm what is excluded on your ship, especially premium spirits and specialty cocktails, before you order.
FAQs
Are Windstar cruises all inclusive?
No. Windstar fares include all dining, including specialty restaurants, room service, soft drinks, coffee and watersports, but alcohol, WiFi and the $16 per day hotel service charge are extra unless you buy the All-Inclusive Package or book a promotion that includes it.
How much is the Windstar all inclusive package?
At the time of writing it is about $99 per guest per day if bought at least five days before sailing and about $109 per day onboard. It must cover the whole cruise, and prices can change.
Is the Windstar all inclusive package worth it?
It is worth it if you would buy WiFi and drink around four or more alcoholic drinks a day, or about seven if you do not need WiFi. It is also better value than the drinks-only Captain’s Exclusive package for almost everyone who wants unlimited drinks.
Does Windstar have free drinks?
Yes, non-alcoholic basics are free: coffee, tea, soft drinks, juices and water are included in every fare. Beer, wine and cocktails are charged unless you have a package.
Does the Windstar package include gratuities?
Yes. The All-Inclusive Package covers the daily hotel service charge and the 18% beverage service charge on included drinks. Spa gratuities and tips for tour guides ashore are not covered.
What is the Windstar beverage package?
Windstar’s drinks-only beverage package is called the Captain’s Exclusive Beverage Package. It costs about $79 per guest per day pre-purchased, plus an 18% service charge, so roughly $93 a day. For about $6 more, the All-Inclusive Package adds WiFi and the daily hotel service charge, which is why it is the better buy for most guests who want a beverage package.
