Do you purchase drink packages on cruises?

[Disneyland1084]

This thread can include any cruise line since I'm assuming drink packages are the same or very similar. I just booked my very first cruise for July 2027 to Alaska on Princess. DH and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. I'm looking at the various drink packages available. My DH and I don't drink alcohol,so the Premier drink package is a definite no. Have any of you purchased the zero alcohol package? What did you think of it,and would you say it's worth it? Though I avoid sodas as much as I can, I plan on enjoying myself on the cruise. I'm looking at the soda package, but then what if I'm in the mood for hot chocolate every day?Please tell me your experiences with all drink packages from all cruise lines. Is it something you get everytime you go on a cruise? Or do you purchase them al la carte?

 

[tvguy]

We bought a soda package for our kids on their first cruise, on HAL. We bought wine my the bottle and spent less than the wine package cost. Our next cruise on Disney, BEFORE soda was included, we did not buy a soda package as our kids said the buffet was open often enough that they could go there and get a lemonade or fruit punch, or milk* for free. Again, we bought wine by the bottle, a bottle lasted two dinners, and paid less than the wine package.
We have a Princess Cruise next month, we have purchased the Princess Plus package, which includes 15 beverages a day, AND your tips, and Internet access. We will see, but I think we will buy wine by the glass this trip may wife wants Internet access so it appears at the very least we will break even just on those items.

*On our Disney cruise, our then 16 year old remarked that they had the best tasting milk he had ever had. About half way through the cruise I saw him get milk. He didn't know the dispenser on the right was milk, and the dispenser on the left was half and half. Yup, he was LOVING an ice cold glass of half and half!!

 

[CynBeth]

We always get the non alcoholic drink package and internet package. To us it is worth it we like having as much as possible paid prior to a cruise.

 

[longboard55]

Did Explora this summer, amazing. All drinks included, we were drinking Grey Goose and Makers Mark. A great ship, small luxuirous and maybe 20% more than the super ships after all the extras you don't have to pay.

On Disney I really do not think a drink package would be any advantage after seeing the prices for drink packages on other ships, not going to order 9 cocktails a day

 

[E&Cmom]

The drink package has never been worth it to us. My DH and daughters ( one who is of drinking age) don’t drink alcohol and I will only have a few drinks per cruise. We just did a 12 day Celebrity cruise ( Japan and South Korea) in June and I think I ordered 2 drinks the whole cruise. Even with non alcoholic drinks we were fine with the free coffee, tea, juices , ice tea, lemonade offered on the cruise. As it was a very port intensive cruise we would often get a drink while out.

DH and I are going on an Azamara Cruise next year for our 25th which includes drinks . It will be interesting to see what we actually drink. I am excited about have specialty coffees more than the alcohol.

 

[OhDannyBoy]

It depends.

If I'm with my kids, maybe a non alcohol one.

Without my kids, it depends on the length. 3 to 5 days, yes. More than 5, no.

I'm a drinker and a gambler. On a short cruise without my kids, I'll easily get my money's worth. Longer cruises i don't drink everyday so I pay per drink.

I know for Royal Caribbean, you need to drink at least 7 drinks a day to make it worth it. To some this would put them in a coma. On weekend cruises I tend to drink that by lunch.

 

[LoveDaisy]

I buy the drink package, I do drink alcohol . I recently sailed Royal Caribbean. I paid $49.99 a day.

Most alcohol drinks are $15 I would get 2-3 a day. $30-45 a day

In addition I would get a glass of fresh squeezed oj, 3-4 bottles of water, 1-2 sodas. I had 1-2 mocktails a day. Some days I would get a milkshake. Guessing that was another $35 a day, if not using the drink package.

 

[OrangeBirdGirl]

When we used to drink soda, we'd get the soda package, I think at that time it was the price of maybe having 3 sodas per day. I'm not familiar with Princess, so if my googling is correct is looks like a can of soda is $3. It looks like the soda package is $15/day. So you just have to figure if realistically you'll drink 5 sodas per day.

We usually cruise NCL and they always offer the free alcohol package. We turn it down as even with gratitudes we don't drink enough to cover just the gratuity fee. I think it's pretty close to break even though like 2 drinks a day. But some days with long ports we have zero. Now, on our upcoming cruise we are going with a group of 12. We'll be sitting around more socializing so we opted for the free alcohol package as we will likely come out a tad bit ahead on that paying the gratuity vs paying per drink.

 

[tvguy]

When we used to drink soda, we'd get the soda package, I think at that time it was the price of maybe having 3 sodas per day. I'm not familiar with Princess, so if my googling is correct is looks like a can of soda is $3. It looks like the soda package is $15/day. So you just have to figure if realistically you'll drink 5 sodas per day.

We usually cruise NCL and they always offer the free alcohol package. We turn it down as even with gratitudes we don't drink enough to cover just the gratuity fee. I think it's pretty close to break even though like 2 drinks a day. But some days with long ports we have zero. Now, on our upcoming cruise we are going with a group of 12. We'll be sitting around more socializing so we opted for the free alcohol package as we will likely come out a tad bit ahead on that paying the gratuity vs paying per drink.

Soda has been controversial on Princess in recent months because some of the packages only include fountain soda, not canned soda. I believe the soda package itself DOES include canned soda. Apparently some people REALLY prefer canned soda.

 

[Skippy918]

My parents took us on a cruise and they bought us all the drink package. I did get some drinks but I definitely did not get my money’s worth. I maybe had 1-3 beverages each day and that was a mix of special coffee, soda and cocktails.
On prior cruises, we don’t do drink packages and it’s fine. I’m cool with the free beverages.

 

[ronandannette]

Nope - never. We don't drink remotely enough to make it worth while. We may have one drink a day each and I'll get a glass of wine (or sometimes a bottle to keep cellared) with dinner. That's about $30/day between the two of us. Even on NCL where they claim to give you the drinks for free, the mandatory taxes are $40/day per person even if you never have a drink.

I would like to have it all taken care of beforehand, though. In my dreams you'd still be able to buy a punch card for a certain number of pre-paid drinks, like in the good old days (mid-90's).

 

[DCL58]

We only cruise DCL, so no drink package since they don’t offer one. If they did, we wouldn’t buy it, because we only have one drink per day - we like a cocktail before dinner.

 

[John VN]

Did Explora this summer, amazing. All drinks included, we were drinking Grey Goose and Makers Mark. A great ship, small luxuirous and maybe 20% more than the super ships after all the extras you don't have to pay.

On Disney I really do not think a drink package would be any advantage after seeing the prices for drink packages on other ships, not going to order 9 cocktails a day

We only cruise DCL, so no drink package since they don’t offer one. If they did, we wouldn’t buy it, because we only have one drink per day - we like a cocktail before dinner.

r.e. 1st bold -- HUGE difference between Explora and DCL and others.

2nd DW and I only cruise MSC Yacht Club ALL INCLUSIVE including all drinks and on numerous cruises our prices are less than a regular DCL Verandah. Looked at Explora but no OCEAN CAY overnight so it's a no-go.

 

[rndmr2]

On a normal basis I rarely drink. Occasionally at a restaurant I might get one drink at dinner. I do drink some on vacation/cruises but not enough to make a package worth it, maybe 1-2 a day. I drink soda, but most of my cruises I have taken over the years were before drink and soda packages were a thing, would just pay per drink. My Husband doesn't drink at all due to meds so when we went on our 20th anniversary in 2023 on Royal we got the refreshment package which I thought would be great because of the Mocktails and my husband likes the specialty coffees but it was a very port intensive cruise and we were barely out much after dinner because all our excursions were so early so we didn't get our money's worth there, we should have just gotten the soda package, def would have gotten our money's worth on that. That's pretty much all we drank with soda at dinner and the Freestyle Machines at the Buffet and Sorrento's.

We did a Bermuda cruise on NCL last year with my SIL and BIL (DH's sister) and we got the package on there since it was "Free" with gratuities and that is one cruise I might have gotten my money's worth even if I paid full price. Probably because of the social aspect I drank more than usual. (the drinks were small too which probably got me to order more. Plus there were like 4 sea days and we weren't up at the crack of dawn for excursions so we were out and about at night.

 

[lilmc]

Nope. I don’t drink alcohol and no sugared cokes. I’ll do soda/sparkling water if available and free, but I’m also fine with just water. I do like a cup of tea at breakfast, so I’ll get that or pay if needed.

 

[MillauFr]

Never buy the drink packages. I prefer to bring my own wine onboard because most of what they have on the ship isn't good.