A drink package is worth it only if you'll have enough drinks every day to beat its daily price, and on many lines every adult in the cabin must buy it if one does. For most light or moderate drinkers, paying by the drink costs less.
Do the math
Divide the package's daily price by what you'd pay for a typical drink. That's how many drinks a day you need, every day of the cruise, to break even.
For example, Carnival's CHEERS! package has been $69.95 per person per day plus a 20% service charge when bought before you sail: about $84 a day. A cocktail runs about $12 to $14, or around $15 with the same service charge, so you'd need about six drinks a day, every day, to come out ahead. From December 2026, Carnival's package prices vary by sailing, so check the price for your cruise and divide it the same way.
The rule that catches couples out
Packages are priced per person, per day, for every day of the cruise, and many lines require every adult in the cabin to purchase the drink package, if one adult does. So it's not one person's decision: a couple pays for two packages for the whole trip.
When it can make sense
- You'll have several cocktails or specialty coffees every day.
- You want one price up front and no bill at the end.
- The line is running a promotion that includes the package.
- The line sells a bundle that adds Wi-Fi, a specialty meal or an excursion you'd buy anyway. The same every-adult-in-the-cabin rule usually applies.
What we do
My wife and I don't buy a drink package. We don't drink much, and since every adult in the cabin has to buy it if one of us does, it would never pay off for us. We set aside a little money in case we want drinks one night.
See how drinks change the total in what a 7-night cruise really costs.