Free calculator
Cruise Drink Package Calculator
Enter your cruise line, nights and what you drink in a day, and this free calculator compares the package, service charge included, with paying per drink plus the bar charge. It shows the difference and your break-even number of drinks a day. Carnival's CHEERS! at $83.94 a day with its 20 percent charge needs about seven cocktails every day. Prices and rules are as of November 2026.
A drink package looks simple until you add the service charge, the rule that every adult in the cabin has to buy it, and the days you spend ashore. This calculator puts those on one page and compares the package with what the same drinks would cost at the bar.
Choose a line and a package, then enter what you drink on a normal day. For Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and MSC, which set prices per sailing, type the per-day price shown in your cruise planner. Copy the link to share the result with the person you are sailing with.
Cruise drink packages compared, as of November 2026
Prices are per person per day in US dollars. The last column is how many cocktails a day pay for the package at a $10.50 menu price plus that line's bar charge, after taking off any crew appreciation the package includes.
| Package | Price per person per day | Per-drink limit | Daily limit | Who must buy | Break-even |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carnival CHEERS! | $69.95 before sailing, $74.95 on board, plus 20 percent ($83.94 and $89.94) | $20 menu price, then 25 percent off | 15 alcoholic drinks per 24 hours | Every adult in the stateroom | 6.7 cocktails a day |
| Royal Caribbean Deluxe Beverage Package | Priced per sailing in the Cruise Planner, plus 18 percent | $14 per drink | None | All guests of drinking age in the stateroom | Depends on your quote |
| Celebrity Classic Drink Package | Priced per sailing in the Cruise Planner, plus 20 percent | $12 per drink | None | Every guest of drinking age, same package | Depends on your quote |
| Celebrity Premium Drink Package | Priced per sailing in the Cruise Planner, plus 20 percent | $19 per drink | None | Every guest of drinking age, same package | Depends on your quote |
| Princess Plus | $70 before sailing, $75 on board ($75 and $80 on Sun and Star Princess). Includes bar service charges, crew appreciation and Wi-Fi for one device | $15 per drink | 15 drinks per 24 hours | Guests 1 and 2 on the reservation | 4.1 cocktails a day |
| Princess Premier | $105 before sailing, $110 on board ($110 and $115 on Sun and Star Princess). Includes bar service charges, crew appreciation, Wi-Fi for four devices and dining | $20 per drink | None | Guests 1 and 2 on the reservation | 6.9 cocktails a day |
| Norwegian Free at Sea open bar | $28.50 in gratuities, per guest 21 or over, before sailing. Free at Sea Plus is a $49.99 upgrade | Brand list, no dollar limit published | None stated | All guests in the stateroom | 2.3 cocktails a day |
| MSC Premium Extra | Priced per sailing in My MSC Area, beverage gratuity included | Product list, no dollar limit published | 15 alcoholic drinks per 24 hours | Same package for guests dining together; minors take the Minors Package | Depends on your quote |
How the calculator works, and where the numbers come from
With the package, the cost is the daily price plus any service charge, for every night and every adult who has to buy it. Princess Plus and Premier include crew appreciation, so the calculator takes off that amount, because you would otherwise pay it anyway. It also adds what the package leaves out: anything you drink that it does not cover, such as specialty coffee on Celebrity's Classic package, and the difference on drinks above a price limit.
Paying per drink, the cost is each drink's menu price plus the line's bar charge, multiplied by what you drink. If you say you drink less on port days, the daily count falls on those days, while the package still costs the same, since lines charge for the whole cruise.
Break-even is the package's daily cost divided by the average price of the drinks it covers, at your mix. On CHEERS! at $69.95 plus 20 percent, that is $83.94 a day. With a $10.50 cocktail plus 20 percent, or $12.60, you need about 6.7 a day, every day of the cruise.
Carnival publishes sample bar prices, so its figures are the defaults for every line. Other lines' menus differ, which is why each price can be changed. Above a price limit, the calculator adds the difference plus the bar charge, which Celebrity spells out; on Carnival, drinks above $20 get 25 percent off instead, and that is not modeled. Lines can change prices and rules, so confirm the numbers in your cruise planner before you buy.
For the wider budget, see whether cruise drink packages are worth it, how cruise gratuities work, cruise ship Wi-Fi costs, what is included in a cruise fare, cruising with kids and the cruise cost calculator.
Sources, checked November 2026
- Carnival: CHEERS! beverage program, price, limits and sample bar prices
- Royal Caribbean: Deluxe Beverage Package and beverage package FAQ, stateroom rule and daily limit
- Royal Caribbean: gratuity policy, 18 percent on beverages
- Celebrity Cruises: beverage packages FAQ
- Princess: Plus and Premier packages and terms
- Princess: drink packages, service charge on beverages
- Norwegian: Free at Sea and Free at Sea Plus comparison (PDF) and gratuities FAQ
- MSC Cruises: drinks packages
People also ask
How many drinks a day do you need to break even on a cruise drink package?
On Carnival's CHEERS! at $69.95 plus 20 percent, or $83.94 a day, about seven drinks every day at a $10.50 cocktail plus Carnival's 20 percent bar charge. Mixing in cheaper drinks raises the number. On Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and MSC, which set prices per sailing, the break-even depends on the price in your cruise planner, so enter it above.
Do all adults in the cabin have to buy the drink package?
On most lines, yes. Carnival requires every adult in the stateroom to buy CHEERS!, Royal Caribbean requires all guests of legal drinking age in the same stateroom to buy Deluxe, and Celebrity requires every guest of legal drinking age in the stateroom to buy the same package. Norwegian applies Free at Sea to all guests in the stateroom. Princess applies Plus and Premier to guests 1 and 2 on the reservation. MSC says guests who dine together need the same package and that underage guests in the group take the Minors Package, so check the rule for your cabin.
Does the price of a cruise drink package include the service charge?
It depends on the line. Carnival adds 20 percent to CHEERS!, Royal Caribbean adds 18 percent to Deluxe, and Celebrity adds 20 percent. Princess Plus and Premier include bar service charges and crew appreciation. MSC's packages include the beverage gratuity. Norwegian's Free at Sea open bar has a $28.50 daily gratuity for guests 21 and over before sailing.
Is there a limit on drinks with a cruise drink package?
Some lines cap the number or the price. Carnival CHEERS!, Princess Plus and MSC Premium Extra allow 15 alcoholic drinks in 24 hours, counted from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity state no daily limit. Royal Caribbean covers drinks up to $14, Celebrity Classic up to $12 and Premium up to $19, Princess Plus up to $15 and Premier up to $20.
How does the calculator handle port days?
Cruise packages are charged for the whole cruise, but they generally do not cover drinks at bars in port. If you drink less on port days, tick that option, enter how many there are and how much less you drink. The package cost stays the same, the pay-per-drink cost falls and the break-even gets harder to reach.
What is the minimum age for a cruise drink package?
Alcohol packages are for guests 21 and over on sailings from the US. Younger guests take a non-alcoholic or minors package where the line sells one, such as Celebrity's Zero Proof package or MSC's Minors Package. Some itineraries abroad set a lower drinking age, so check the rule for your departure port.