The rule that surprises couples: both adults must buy it
Royal Caribbean requires every adult of drinking age in the same stateroom to purchase the Deluxe package if one of them does. The policy exists to stop package sharing. If one of you drinks and the other does not, call or chat with the cruise line (or have your travel advisor do it); Royal Caribbean generally allows the second adult to substitute the Refreshment Package instead when asked directly. That single phone call can save a couple hundreds of dollars on a 7-night sailing, and it is the kind of thing I handle for my travelers as a matter of routine.
Carnival has the same both-adults rule for its Cheers package, with the same reasoning.
The break-even math, honestly
Work from drinks per day, not from vacation optimism. Using late-2026 ballpark onboard prices: cocktails roughly $13 to $17, beers $8 to $10, wine by the glass $9 to $14, specialty coffee $4 to $6, bottled water a few dollars. Say the Deluxe package costs $85 per day plus 18 percent gratuity, about $100 all-in.
- 2 to 3 drinks a day: roughly $30 to $50 of value. The package loses badly. Pay as you go.
- 4 to 5 drinks a day plus coffees and waters: $65 to $90 of value. You are near the line; the deciding factor is whether you keep that pace on port days too.
- 6 or more drinks a day: $90 and up. The package wins, and it buys something real on top of the dollars: no end-of-cruise bill shock and the freedom to try a drink and abandon it.
Two honest adjustments. First, port-heavy itineraries hurt the package, because a day in Cozumel is a day you are not drinking on the ship. Sea-day-heavy sailings help it. Second, count your actual at-home habits, not your imagined vacation self. Most people drink more on a cruise than at home, but not triple.
[NEEDS-CHRISTINE: her rule-of-thumb recommendation rate, e.g. roughly what share of her couples she advises to skip the package]
Carnival Cheers: same idea, different numbers
Carnival's Cheers package works the same way with a few twists. As of late 2026 it generally runs somewhere around $60 to $90 per person per day depending on whether you buy pre-cruise or onboard, plus 18 percent gratuity, and pre-cruise is always cheaper. Cheers has a 15-alcoholic-drinks-per-day limit, covers drinks up to a menu price cap, and includes soda, specialty coffee, and bottled water. Carnival's onboard drink prices run slightly below Royal Caribbean's, so the break-even lands in the same 5-to-7-drinks territory. One Carnival quirk worth knowing: on sailings from Texas and New York, state law requires you to wait until the ship reaches international waters before Cheers activates on day one.
Ways to save without any package
If the math says skip it, you still have options. Every major line lets each adult carry on a bottle of wine or champagne. Royal Caribbean's Diamond-and-up loyalty members get daily free drink vouchers. Drink prices are the same all over the ship, but happy-hour style promotions and the casino bar can soften the bill. And buy any package you do want pre-cruise in the planner during one of the frequent sales, never onboard at rack rate. If a sale drops after you bought, you can usually cancel and rebuy at the lower price before sailing, which is another thing a good advisor watches for you.
Drink packages are also one of the places where group bookings quietly shine, because group amenity points can sometimes be applied toward onboard perks. If you are sailing with friends or family, look at my Royal Caribbean group cruise service before anyone books individually; the same cabins booked as a group often come with extras that individual bookings do not get, at no added cost.
Cruise drink package FAQ
Is it cheaper to buy the Royal Caribbean drink package before the cruise?
Yes, almost always. Pre-cruise planner prices run meaningfully below onboard prices, and planner sales appear several times before most sailings. If the price drops after you buy, cancel and rebuy at the lower rate.
Do both adults in a cabin have to buy the drink package?
On Royal Caribbean and Carnival, yes by default: all adults of drinking age in the stateroom must buy the alcohol package together. Royal Caribbean will usually let one adult substitute the non-alcoholic Refreshment Package if you contact them and ask.
What is the $99.75 charge on Royal Caribbean?
A charge like that is typically a pre-cruise purchase from the Cruise Planner, such as one person's beverage package or dining package for the sailing, billed at the time of purchase. Check your Cruise Planner order history; the amount matches whatever daily rate times nights you bought.
Is $2,000 enough for a cruise including drinks?
For one person on a 7-night mass-market sailing, often yes: an interior or ocean-view fare, gratuities, and pay-as-you-go drinks at a moderate pace can land under $2,000 as of late 2026. Add a balcony, a drink package, and excursions and a couple should budget more. The full breakdown is in my guide to how much a cruise costs.
