The hidden costs of a cruise drinks package
A drinks package is sold as a simple flat fee, but gratuities, limits and exclusions decide whether it actually saves you money. Here is what the per-day price leaves out — and how to tell if it is worth it for you.
What the sticker leaves out
The advertised per-day rate is usually before service charge — a gratuity of typically around 18–20% is added on top of the package itself, so the number you see is not the number you pay.
Packages often cover drinks only up to a set price ceiling. Anything above the cap — premium spirits, fine wine, a cocktail list-topper — is charged the difference, so the 'unlimited' package quietly isn't for the drinks you may most want.
Most lines require every adult in the same cabin to buy the package if one does. A couple where only one drinks can end up paying twice, which transforms the real per-person maths.
Many packages cap the number of alcoholic drinks per day and enforce a short gap between orders. Genuine 'unlimited' is rarer than the name suggests, so heavy days don't pay off as much as expected.
Bottled water brands, speciality coffees, fresh juices, minibar items, drinks at private-island or port venues, and anything in a souvenir vessel are commonly outside the package or only partly covered.
The package price shown when booking ahead is often lower than the onboard rate, and it can move with promotions — so the 'saving' depends heavily on when and how you buy it.
Why the per-day price misleads
A drinks package is advertised as a clean daily figure, which makes it easy to compare against a rough guess of what you'd spend at the bar. But that figure is typically quoted before the service charge, so the real cost is meaningfully higher once the gratuity is added — and it must be bought for every night of the sailing and, on most lines, for every adult in the cabin. Then the coverage itself is narrower than 'unlimited' implies: a per-drink price cap, a daily quantity limit and a list of exclusions all chip away at the value. Two cruisers paying the same headline package price can get very different real value depending on what and where they drink, which is exactly why the per-day sticker can't tell you whether it's worth it.
How to work out your true cost
Start by honestly estimating what you'd order on a typical day — coffees, waters, soft drinks, wine or cocktails — and price them à la carte, remembering bar prices also carry a service charge. Multiply the package's daily rate by every night and every adult the cabin rule forces in, then add the gratuity on top of the package. Compare the two totals, and check whether the drinks you actually want sit under the per-drink cap before assuming they're covered. For light and moderate drinkers the à-la-carte route often wins; for steady all-day drinkers the package can pull ahead. Run a specific sailing through the calculator for a sourced, dated figure rather than guessing.
Honest by design
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Rules of thumb only get you so far. Run a specific option through the calculator for a sourced, dated, confidence-graded figure.
Frequently asked
Only if you'll drink enough to beat the daily rate once gratuity is added and the whole-cabin rule is counted. Price a realistic day à la carte first — for light and moderate drinkers paying as you go often costs less, while steady all-day drinkers usually come out ahead with the package.
Usually yes. The advertised package price is typically before service charge, and a gratuity of around 18–20% is commonly added to the package itself — so budget above the headline per-day figure.
On most lines, yes — if one adult in a cabin buys it, every adult in that cabin is generally required to. That whole-cabin rule can double the cost for couples where only one person drinks, so factor it in before assuming a package saves money.
Related guides
See the big picture in the Hidden-Fee Index — how much the advertised price hides across every category — or browse all buyer guides.
This guide explains typical, well-known cost mechanisms for general education — actual fees vary by operator, destination and date. Confirm live prices, fees and your consumer rights with the retailer and official sources before you buy. TrueTotal provides guidance, not financial or legal advice.