Not long ago, adding a drink package to a cruise booking felt as automatic as packing sunscreen. Passengers assumed it was the smart financial move, a way to drink freely without watching the bar tab climb. That consensus is cracking fast, and the reasons are piling up in ways that are hard to ignore. From shocking price hikes to shifting drinking habits and savvier loyalty strategies, more cruisers than ever are boarding ships without a package and doing just fine.
The Prices Have Simply Gotten Out of Hand
Drink packages are some of the most expensive cruise add-ons, with some lines charging over $70 per day for their alcoholic packages. That number, once considered a ceiling, has now become something of a starting point. The numbers have climbed to a point where the average traveler genuinely has to question whether the math works in their favor. As of 2025, Royal Caribbean's Deluxe Beverage Package ranges from $56 to $120 per person, per day, while the Royal Refreshment Package can cost anywhere between $29 and $42 per person, per day.
Carnival Cruise Line hiked the price of its Cheers beverage package by a whopping 16%, going from $70.74 per night for cruises of six nights or longer (if purchased pre-cruise) to $82.54 pre-cruise and $88.54 onboard. The cruise company made the change quietly without publishing any official notice, and Carnival did not make an official announcement or offer any advance warning that a price hike was looming. That kind of stealthy pricing maneuver has left passengers frustrated and, increasingly, willing to walk away from packages altogether.
Cruise Lines Are Eliminating Cheaper Options
Effective December 18, 2024, guests sailing with MSC Cruises to the Caribbean, North America, or Pacific Ocean regions no longer had three alcoholic drink packages to choose from for sailings departing on or after April 1, 2025. Moving forward, the only option is the Premium Extra Package, which costs $70 per day, eliminating the most affordable packages. For budget-conscious travelers who previously relied on MSC's entry-level tiers, this change removed the only affordable route entirely. As of December 18, 2024, the new Premium Extra Package includes a maximum daily limit of 15 alcoholic beverages, and any alcoholic beverages beyond that limit will need to be purchased at full price.
The changes affected passengers sailing with Norwegian, MSC, and Carnival, with some cruisers likely paying an additional $80 or more for drink packages on a 7-night cruise in 2025. Norway overhauled its own structure significantly. Travelers can now expect to pay $210 on a 7-night cruise for the new NCL drink package, whereas previously the daily charge was around $21.80 or $152 for a weeklong sailing. That's a sharp jump that many repeat Norwegian cruisers simply weren't prepared for.
The Math Rarely Works for Moderate Drinkers
Light or moderate drinkers often find they're paying for far more than they actually consume. If you're not knocking back 10+ drinks a day, it's hard to break even on the cost. Passengers are starting to do this arithmetic before they board rather than regretting their purchase mid-cruise. The actual break-even point will vary based on how much you paid for your drink package, but assuming it's around $80, you'll have to drink 6 cocktails or 11 beers per day to get your money's worth.
For a couple on a typical seven-night voyage, a drink package can easily add up to well over a thousand dollars before a single cocktail is ordered. Depending on the cruise line, packages run about $80 to $100 per day after the automatic gratuity is included. On top of that, there is a mandatory 18% gratuity added to the cost of a drink package, which is referred to as a service fee when purchasing it. Many travelers only realize this once they're finalizing their booking, and the sticker shock is enough to make them reconsider entirely.
The "Everyone Must Buy" Rule Is Driving Couples Away
If one guest wants a drink package, Royal Caribbean requires all adults of legal drinking age in the same stateroom to purchase one too. If you are traveling with a friend or family member who isn't a big drinker, you might have to bypass it and order each drink individually. This policy has long been one of the most contentious in the cruise industry. The financial impact is significant, and couples who used to mix packages could save nearly $490 on a typical seven-night cruise.
This change will likely lead some guests to skip the drink package altogether and buy drinks individually instead. If only one person in a cabin drinks enough to justify the cost of a drink package, being forced to pay for two packages makes it far less appealing. The cost will be even higher if more than one cruiser is over the age of 21 in a stateroom, as all adults must purchase the package if one person does. Carnival does not make any exemptions for this rule, even with medical documentation that guests cannot drink. For families or couples with one non-drinker, the deal-breaker is often right there in the fine print.
The Sober-Curious Movement Is Reshaping Who Cruises
The sober curious movement has now become mainstream. Nearly half of Americans (49%) were trying to drink less in 2025, a 44% increase since 2023. Participation in Dry January increased by 36% year over year. This isn't a niche trend anymore. In 2024, 25% of Americans over 21 didn't drink any alcohol at all. After learning about the sober curious movement, 52% of Gen Z and Millennials said they would be likely to participate in it in 2025.
The sober-curious movement is growing, and cruise lines are responding. Sober cruises are often organized by vendors specializing in them and are available on various major cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean, Holland America, and Princess Cruises. Carnival Cruise Line introduced Cheers! Zero Proof on September 3, 2025, a comprehensive nonalcoholic package that bundles mocktails, alcohol-free beer and sparkling wine, premium coffees and teas, juices, water, milkshakes, and energy drinks. Carnival framed the move as a response to growing demand for alcohol-free choices. For these travelers, paying a premium rate for an alcohol-centric package has never made any sense at all.
Loyalty Perks and Smarter Alternatives Are Winning Out
Diamond members in the Crown and Anchor Society get 4 free drinks per day, every day of the cruise. They can be used at any bar, restaurant, or lounge, and it's good for any drink up to $14 in value. It gets even better as you move up the loyalty ladder, because Diamond Plus members get 5 drinks per day and Pinnacle Club members get 6. For frequent Royal Caribbean cruisers, this benefit alone is sometimes enough to skip the package entirely. Even using every single free drink voucher, a Diamond-level guest could probably pay for another 3-4 drinks out of pocket and still come out ahead compared to buying a drink package. On port-intensive itineraries, such as Alaska or Europe, many guests skip buying a drink package entirely and rely on the Crown and Anchor drink benefit.
Pre-cruise package sales often offer 20 to 40% discounts on drink packages, and loyalty perks are also proving valuable for repeat cruisers. Cruise drink packages are morphing across the industry, with new nonalcoholic bundles, stricter terms, and perk trade-offs that make the decision less of a splurge and more of a calculation. For travelers, the headline is simple: cruise drink packages can still offer value, but only when the inclusions line up with how you actually cruise. Passengers are increasingly treating drink packages as optional luxury items rather than default cruise expenses, and they're making it work.
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