Cruisers are feeling the pinch as drinks packages cost more than the cruise fare

• As drinks prices increase, some cruisers are exploring other options to save on alcohol.
• On a cruise in Australia, the drinks package can often cost as much as the fare itself.
• Here’s how to get a discount on select drinks, or if you opt for a package, how to secure the best price.

Cruise passengers have reported that they feel priced out of drinks packages, and have been trying various means to get more affordable or avoid alcohol to keep costs down.

Beverages and drinks packages on cruise ships have been increasing in price. While drinks packages make budgeting easier, a Cruise Passenger report found that passengers would have to consume around seven-and-a-half drinks per day on a 13-day cruise.

Cruising remains one of, if not the best value holidays, particularly for families. However, a drinks package can often prove to be as expensive as the cruise fare itself.

For example, in Australia, a Carnival cruise such as this 10-day Vanuatu and New Caledonia itinerary starts from $1104, Carnival’s Cheers Package costs $111 a day.

This would come out to $1110 for a 10-day cruise just for the drinks, which includes alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, and bottled water. Carnival has a 15 alcoholic drink limit per day, which equates to $7.40 per beverage.

But we calculated that if you drink eight alcoholic beverages per day, this would equate to $14 per drink. Cruise Passenger found that it might not be worth purchasing the Cheers Package.

Cruisers have been writing online about how drinks package prices are “absolutely out of control”. 

They have also compared Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line packages with the offers from Princess, saying the Princess Plus not only offers a drinks package for just $65, but it also includes WiFi, premium desserts, and fitness classes.

Whether you want to get the best deal possible on a drinks package or to find ways to save on your drinks day-to-day, here’s what to know. 

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Sailing with Royal Caribbean?

Royal Caribbean’s drinks packages work differently as the line uses dynamic pricing on its drink packages and regularly runs promotions, which means the price changes; some passengers end up paying a lot more or less than others. 

If you’re sailing with Royal Caribbean, here’s how to make sure you’re getting the best deal.

1. Remember that you can cancel and rebook your package. With Royal Caribbean, if you see your drinks package at a better price, you can cancel and rebook it. This means if you look in the cruise planner and see the price has dipped, or see that Royal Caribbean is offering a promotion on drinks package, you can simply go into your cruise planner, or call Royal Caribbean, and cancel your package and book it again at the new price.
2. On Royal Caribbean, you will be told that if one adult-age person has a drinks package, then everyone else staying in the same cabin must get one as well. But if you call Royal Caribbean and give them a reason that another member or members of the travel party does not want an alcohol package, they will downgrade your beverage package.
3. Royal Caribbean fans have started a special price tracking tool. You can go onto the site and type in your cruise details, and it will send you notifications if drinks packages or excursion prices drop.

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For other cruise lines

Other lines have fixed prices for their packages. The benefit of this is that it means if you estimate how much you plan on drinking throughout your holiday, you can do the maths and see if the drinks package will be worth it.

If you don’t think you’re going to opt for a package but do want to drink, here are a few alternatives worth knowing.

1. Check out how much alcohol you’re allowed to bring onboard. Some cruisers don’t even realise they’re allowed to bring alcohol onboard, but many cruise lines allow one or two bottles of wine to be brought onboard. If you’re cruising with other friends or family who aren’t big drinkers, you can ask them to bring extra for you.
2. Casinos offer free drinks: If you plan on hitting the casino anyway, it can be worth knowing that casinos often offer free drinks to cruise passengers who have accumulated a certain number of points.
3. Some higher-level suites include alcohol: Across many cruise lines, some higher category suites often include some alcohol, or offer access to alcohol or exclusive promotions, so if you’re booking fancy, make sure you read your reservation well!
4. Some ships have happy hours: Some cruise lines, such as Carnival, may not have set happy hours for each cruise, but do offer sporadic happy hours and promotions across the ship, which is worth keeping an eye out for.
5. Enquire about drink cards: Sometimes, especially when certain cruises haven’t sold many drinks packages, cruise lines may offer drink cards, where you can pay all at once, at a discounted rate, for 10 or 20 drinks.
6. Rewards programs offer alcohol: Many cruise lines have rewards programs that, after a certain number of sailing days, they’ll offer either welcome drinks, drinks vouchers, drinks packages, or heavy discounts. 
7. Check out some bars in port: Depending on where you’re sailing to, there could be some local options for getting on the booze, often at a great local price. 
8. Try an art auction: Many ships run art auctions and offer free champagne; this doesn’t obligate you to buy any art, but it might tempt you!
9. Just pay as you go: Of course, the most classic method is simply paying for your drinks as you go. If you’re not a big drinker and just want to enjoy a few, this is an easy option.