Celebrity Cruises also offers a full lineup of drink packages, giving you the ability to pay one set daily price and then have your choice of beverages without worrying about a bill. Drink as much as you want, and you’ll know exactly what you’ll spend.
But these packages can be pricey and definitely have some fine print attached that you should know about. So is Celebrity’s drink package worth it? We have all the details, including our take on if you should purchase it or not.
What Drink Packages Are Available on Celebrity?
Celebrity offers multiple drink packages that can be tailored to whatever your tastes, from high-end alcoholic beverages to water and soda. So whether you are an adult that wants to let loose, or you are sailing with a kid that wants non-alcoholic drinks, the cruise line has an option.
Classic Drink Package: The basic drink package that offers everything from cocktails to coffee, beers, wine, bottled water, soda, and more. This package limits you to drinks that are $10 per glass or less.
Premium Drink Package: Have higher-end tastes? Or maybe you just want the freedom of more options? In that case, the Premium Drink Package might be for you. It includes drinks up to $17 per glass, giving you everything in the Classic Package, plus much more.
Non-Alcoholic Package: If you want some of the tasty drinks on the ship but aren’t an alcohol drinker, then there is the Non-Alcoholic Package. This deal offers premium bottled waters (Evian, San Pellegrino, etc.) specialty coffees and teas, plus zero-proof cocktails, soda, energy drinks and bottled teas.
How Much Do Drink Packages Cost?
Following a price increase and some tweaks to the packages in late 2022, Celebrity lists the following prices for each drink package:
- Classic Drink Package: $89 per person, per day
- Premium Drink Package: $105 per person, per day
- Classic Non-Alcoholic Package: $45 per person, per day
Note that these prices are likely to be higher than what you’ll pay. Celebrity offers a discount for booking early, so if you want a drink package, book before you sail and you can normally save 10% or more.
Is Gratuity Included in the Price?
The prices shown above are before gratuity. There is an automatic 20% gratuity that is added onto the daily cost.
So the Classic Drink Package at $89 per day actually costs a total of $106.80 per day after this charge. The Premium Drink Package comes out to $125.99 per person, per day.
Does Everyone in the Cabin Have to Purchase the Package if One Person Does?
What do you do if one person wants a drink package but another person doesn’t? In that case, Celebrity requires that if one person buys an alcoholic package, then all people in that cabin must buy one as well.
The language on the Celebrity website states “All guests of legal drinking age in the same stateroom and under the same stateroom booking number are required to purchase the same alcoholic beverage package. Guests can contact call centers or notify onboard staff to request a modification to the Non-Alcoholic package instead.”
That said, there are some exceptions listed that you may be able to take advantage of:
- Children 12 years old and under: Not required to buy any package.
- Teens (13-20 years in U.S., 13-17 in rest of world): Non-alcoholic package required.
- Pregnant, recovering, or medial issue: Non-alcoholic package required.
What’s the Difference Between the Classic and Premium Packages?
As mentioned above, Celebrity offers two different alcoholic packages. The biggest difference between the two is that the Classic package offers drinks up to $10 per glass while the Premium plan offers drinks up to $17 per glass. The Premium package also offers a 20% discount on wine by the bottle compared to 15% for the Classic offer.
In short, you simply have more options with the higher-end Premium package. (You can see the full list of available alcohol for each package here.)
Still, that’s not to say you’ll go thirsty with either package. Here’s just a sample of what Celebrity says is included with the lower-priced Classic Package:
- Vodkas: Absolut, New Amsterdam, Smirnoff, Wheatley
- Whiskeys: Dewar’s White Label, Famous Grouse, Jim Beam, Johnnie Walker Red, Wild Turkey, Seagram’s VO
- Rums: Bacardi, Captain Morgan’s, Malibu, Myer’s, Wray & Nephew
- Tequilas: Cazadores Reposado, Exotico Blanco
- Beers: Bud, Bud Light, Coors Light, Corona, Estrella Damm Daura, Heineken, Michelob Ultra, Miller Lite, Red Strip, Sam Adams.
- Non-Alcoholic: Juice, non-premium bottled water, premium coffee, soda, non-alcoholic cocktails
In addition, the cruise line says it offers “a large selection of classic cocktails made with Classic Beverage Package spirits.”
As for the higher priced Premium Package, it features what’s listed above, plus a considerable number of additional brand names (this is just a portion of what’s available):
- Vodkas: Belvedere, Ciroc, Grey Goose, Tito’s
- Whiskeys: Bulleit Bourbon, Chivas Regal 12, Crown Royal, Jack Daniel’s Black, Johnnie Walker Black, Maker’s Mark, Glenlivet
- Rums: Brugal 1888, Brugal Anejo, Flor de Cana, Gosling’s
- Tequilas: Don Julio Blanco/Reposado, Patron, Teremana
- Beers: Blue Moon, Guinness, Peroni, Sapporo, Sierra Nevada, Stella Artois, Dogfish Head 90 Minute
- Non-Alcoholic: Coconut water, Evian, Red Bull, San Pellegrino, Vitamin Water
So if you’re just looking for a drink, then the Classic should have you covered. If you have finer tastes or enjoy fancy cocktails, the Premium package is likely a better choice.
We will say that on a recent cruise, the large portion of specialty cocktails were $17 and above per glass.
What If I Buy a Drink Above the $10/$17 Price Limit?
Say you have the Classic Beverage Package — which only has a $10 per glass limit — but want a drink that costs more.
In that case, Celebrity’s policy is that you have to pay for the overage. So if you order a $14 cocktail, then you’ll be charged only $4, plus the 20% gratuity on that overage amount.
It’s the same situation if you have the higher-priced package and go over the $17 per glass limit.
Can I Share Drinks With the Package?
It is universal across cruise lines — including Celebrity — that sharing is not allowed. This is a reason that cruise lines require all adults to buy the drink package if one person in the cabin does so. That way, there isn’t a big worry about sharing.
That said, unless you are blatantly obvious it’s not likely that anyone will know if you do share a drink.
How Many Drinks Can I Buy at Once With the Package?
While most people simply order one drink at a time, there are times where you might want to order more. Unfortunately, Celebrity’s drink package rules state that you can only order one drink at a time. Extras are charged at the regular menu price. So if you’re wanting to get a drink for you and your spouse, you’ll both need to order something instead of just one person heading to the bar.
Is There a Limit on How Many Drinks I Can Order in a Day?
No. While some cruise lines have daily limits on the number of drinks you can buy in a 24-hour period with their drink packages, Celebrity specifically says that there is no daily limit on the cruise line.
That said, if you are obviously overserved, then don’t be surprised if the crew declines to give you another drink.
Do I Have to Buy the Package For The Entire Cruise?
If you decide that you want to buy a drink package, then you should know that it must be bought for the entire length of the cruise. So on a 7-day cruise, you’ll pay the daily charge each day for the entire week.
You can’t just pick and choose days to purchase the package.
How Can I Save Money on the Drink Package?
There’s no doubt that the drink package can cost a lot of money over the course of your cruise. But there are a few ways that you can save some cash.
First, if you know that you’ll want one of the drink packages, then buy it ahead of time. Celebrity offers discounts for pre-booking the packages. On a recent cruise, this discount was 10% off the normal price.
Second, you can potentially save with Celebrity’s “All Included” offer. The cruise lines offers two different fares — cruise only and All Included. With the offer, you pay more than the base cruise fare, but wi-fi, and a drink package is included. (For most cabins, the Classic Drink Package is included; those cabins in The Retreat receive the Premium Drink Package.)
While you’ll want to do the math, this can be a less expensive way to get the drink package. For instance, we priced an 8-night cruise with the All Included package for about $440 more per person over the base cruise fare. The Classic package would cost more than $700 alone for that length of trip (before gratuity).
Is the Celebrity Drink Package Worth It?
There’s no argument that the cost of a drink package can be pricey. Over a 7-day trip, the cost of the Classic Drink Package would run $747 with gratuity included. The Premium Drink Package would cost $882.
So is it worth it?
Obviously, the answer is going to depend on the specific person. Are you the sort of person that isn’t on vacation unless there is a drink in your hand? Then yes, the drink package is likely going to be worth it.
Or are you the sort of person that may like to let loose for a night or two but then take it easy? In that case, it’s likely not. But it’s helpful to do the math.
On a cruise ship beers are typically around $8-12 each. Cocktails run around $10-20 each. (You’ll have some options for the Classic Drink Package, but specialty cocktails are almost always above the $10 price tag.)
For the $89 Classic Drink Package, you have to drink nine $10 cocktails each day to get your money’s worth. For the higher-end Premium Drink Package, you’d have to drink six cocktails priced at $17 each before you come out ahead.
That is a lot, but that figure doesn’t include things like bottled waters, coffees, or sodas, which can also add up quickly.
As well, there is something to be said about not having to worry about having to keep tabs on your bar bill during the cruise. Want to try a new drink? There’s no risk of not liking it. If that’s the case, you can just order something else.
If you are on the fence of being unsure whether the package would be worth it for you or not, remember that the All Included offer may make the choice much easier. With a potentially lower price for the package, it could put the math in your favor.
Unless you’re an alcoholic, the drink package is not worth it even if the cruise line offers a higher fare covering it. You’re better off buying drinks a-la-carte. My recent cruise, we had a drink package. I kept track of soft drinks and alcoholic beverages that we consumed. I used an average of $5 per soft drink and $15 per alcohol drinks. If I had paid out of pocket, I would have spent $430 for our 7 day cruise. I paid an estimated $900 for the included drink package in the fare. The only reason we had so many drinks was because we had the drink package. Ordinarily I wouldn’t drink that much. I think next time we will forego the drink package and just buy drinks a-la-carte and save some money.
Is the 20% gratuities on the drinks that get charged to your account covered by the gratuities package?
Yes, you are charged the 20% on the value of the package. Then you’re covered when you actually get a beverage at the bar.
Is the non-alcoholic package worth buying? I was thinking that we could buy that and only pay out of pocket for a few drinks for me since my husband no longer drinks alcohol. Thanks for your time!
If you got the classic drink package as part of the all inclusive, where do the 20% gratuity come in? Is is part of the cruise price or is it added later?
Tx
I can’t seem to find a price list for none alcoholic drinks like juice and specialty coffee, do you know how much they generally cost? I have a feeling during a day I might like a special coffee a juice and perhaps one non alcoholic cocktail so just 3 drinks would it be better to just pay for them individually?
You can estimate about $3-5 for these items ($5-7 for a non-alc cocktail). At just three drinks, you’d want to skip the drink package. However, Celebrity offers the all-inclusive package with fares. In that case, you’ll want to see how much more the included fare (which has drinks, tips, and wi-fi included) costs versus the bare bones cost.
But at three non-alcoholic drinks, you’ll be spending around $15-20.
Sorry I meant,
Drinks without the drink package.
Is there anything included in the standard cruise without packages.
Not alcoholic drinks. Basic drinks like tea, water, and coffee are included.
Standard “bar brand” type cocktails are around 10 bucks. Some are more. Look at the list of included booze for the different packages. If you don’t see what you like in the classic checkout premium. Moat everything you can order at any of the bars is included in the premium. Only some very high end top shelf stuff like Louis xiii or Macallan 18 or 20 yr old scotch are over the 17 buck limit. If you juat like basic booze the classic is fine. I check with the bartender when ordering to make sure. You may end up signing for an overage if you don’t check.
20% is added on to the total. They add gratuities to drinks if you buy them one at a time as well. No different
Hello, I have been searching to find the answer to the Classic Drink package as to whether or not it includes soda and regular bottle water? I have reached out to celebrity several times but the wait times have been over 2 hours.
If you happen to know the answer to this, I would greatly appreciate your input.
Yes. From Celebrity’s website of what’s included:
“Non-Alcoholic: Juices, Sodas, Non-Premium bottle water, Premium coffees, Premium teas”
So what is the cost of a Jim Beam and water or Canadian Club and water?
Or a frozen drink like a mud slide or strawberry daiquiri?
I’m confused on the difference of the drink packages when you don’t know what is charged per drink
If there are 2 adults in the room with the classic drink package, can only one of them upgrade to the premium package? Since the other doesn’t drink.
Yes. Use your card for premium drinks for you. If the other doesn’t drink just get the zero proof package for them. No need to waste money on a classic. The package is listed on your room key/ID card.
Thanks for great info. I was wondering if I book a celebrity veranda room for 3 guests ( 2 adults and 10 year old kid ) with all inclusive ( drink, wifi and gratuity), do we get any discount for kids or is it same price for kid as adults.
Thanks
So the 10 year old will obviously get the zero-proof package, but not sure if it’s priced less.
Thanks for the info, does the ship offer events like cocktails making glasses or Martin testing g do glasses, that the package will cover?
Tastings are all ala carte charges, not included in drink package.
So wait…the 20% gratuity is added per day instead of per drink?! Is there a way to opt out of the daily gratuity if you don’t intend to use the package that often…like say you don’t get any drinks for a few days or something like that?
With drink packages you pay one set daily fee — no matter what. Drink 10 drinks and you pay the same as if you had 0 drinks. Then the 20% is added on to the daily cost of the package. That’s why you want to do the math before you buy to see if it’s worth it.