Reviewed October 15, 2026. US-market prices and terms for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian, MSC, Carnival, Princess, Holland America, Disney and Virgin Voyages. Every figure on this page was rechecked against the lines’ own pages the day it went up; where a line hides a price, we show the reported range with its date.
A drink package isn’t one price. It’s a price, a service charge, a set of rules and, more and more, a fare that quietly costs more because the drinks are “free.”
So this comparison comes in four parts. This page ranks the lines and runs the math. The other three go deep on the pieces of the bar tab that trip people up.
01Best for: the short version
How do you drink on a cruise?
Norwegian, Free at Sea
At $28.50 a day, the open bar is the lowest drinking cost here until the Free at Sea fare premium passes $23.50 a day. That’s the point where the Princess Plus bundle’s drinks get cheaper. Budget separately for Starbucks and bottled water, because the base bar leaves them out. Then ask what the Free at Sea fare costs against one without perks.
Norwegian’s package, line by lineNorwegian Free at Sea Plus, then Princess Premier
Plus covers premium spirits and wines by the glass, Starbucks and bottled water for about $58.49 a day once you take out the crew charge you’d pay anyway. Princess Premier is next, bought inside its bundle.
What each package poursPrincess Premier or Norwegian Plus
Princess Premier is $105 a day with Wi-Fi on four devices, unlimited specialty dining and excursion credit. Norwegian is $78.49 before any fare premium. Pick by whether you’ll actually use the extras.
Wi-Fi, plan by planSkip the package, or look at Virgin or Disney
Two or three drinks a day rarely justifies an unlimited package once the service charge lands. Virgin adds no service charge to drinks and sells Bar Tab credit with a bonus, and Disney pours free soda at meals and the drink stations. Either can come out ahead for a light drinker.
Find your break-evenRead the cabin rules first
Most lines make every adult in the cabin buy the same package, and several add a package for the younger guests too. A cheap adult rate gets expensive once everyone in the room is counted.
The cabin rules, line by line02Value rankings
Three rankings, because a beer drinker and a negroni-and-Netflix couple aren’t buying the same thing. These are Seabound’s editorial scores, not ratings from guests or the cruise lines. Every price is a pre-cruise price, and the two drinks-only rankings leave Wi-Fi out.
At these numbers, on the best available route: Norwegian leads base drinks, Norwegian leads premium drinks, and Princess leads premium drinks plus streaming.
Base drinks
Standard cocktails, beer and wine. Cost per adult per day, drinks only, with any service charge and fare premium.
- 1NorwegianFree at Sea open bar
The cheapest way onto an open bar here at these numbers. It scores low on inclusions because the base bar leaves out specialty coffee, bottled water, fresh juice and energy drinks. Norwegian doesn't publish what Free at Sea adds to a fare, so that premium sits at $0.00 here, its best case.
7.2/10 - 2PrincessPlus Beverage Package (in Princess Plus)
Buying the drinks inside Princess Plus costs far less than the standalone package, and Wi-Fi for one device and crew appreciation come with it. Inside the bundle, the 15-a-day limit counts sodas and zero-proof cocktails too.
6.6/10 - 3MSCPremium Extra
The broadest menu of any standalone package: specialty coffee, juices, energy drinks, water and sparkling wine by the glass, with the 18% already in the price. Spirits are reported to top out around $16 a drink, and 15 alcoholic drinks a day holds it back.
6.3/10 - 4CelebrityClassic
Classic includes specialty coffee and bottled water, has no daily cap and works at CocoCay. The price moves a lot by ship, and All Included only beats buying it outright when the uplift is low.
6.1/10 - 5Royal CaribbeanDeluxe Beverage Package
Generous rules: no daily cap, and it works at CocoCay, Coco Beach Club included. But Royal Caribbean sells no drinks bundle, and its reported price range is the widest here.
5.9/10 - 6Holland AmericaSignature Beverage Package
Have It All is the cheapest way to Signature drinks, and it adds Surf Wi-Fi, specialty dining and excursion credit. The drinks come with the tightest rules here: 15 a day including most non-alcoholic drinks, and nothing at Half Moon Cay.
5.8/10 - 7CarnivalCHEERS!
Strong inclusions, and drinks priced up to $20 are covered, with 25% off pricier ones. But it's 15 alcoholic drinks a day, one at a time with ten minutes between orders, and it doesn't work at any private destination.
5.7/10
Standalone packages only
- 1MSCPremium Extra
The broadest menu of any standalone package: specialty coffee, juices, energy drinks, water and sparkling wine by the glass, with the 18% already in the price. Spirits are reported to top out around $16 a drink, and 15 alcoholic drinks a day holds it back.
6.3/10 - 2CelebrityClassic
Classic includes specialty coffee and bottled water, has no daily cap and works at CocoCay. The price moves a lot by ship.
6.1/10 - 3TiePrincessPlus Beverage Package
Bought on its own, the Plus Beverage Package costs more than the Princess Plus bundle that contains it. The standalone version counts only alcoholic drinks toward its 15 a day.
5.9/10 - 3TieRoyal CaribbeanDeluxe Beverage Package
Generous rules: no daily cap, and it works at CocoCay, Coco Beach Club included. But Royal Caribbean sells no drinks bundle, and its reported price range is the widest here.
5.9/10 - 5CarnivalCHEERS!
Strong inclusions, and drinks priced up to $20 are covered, with 25% off pricier ones. But it's 15 alcoholic drinks a day, one at a time with ten minutes between orders, and it doesn't work at any private destination.
5.7/10 - 6Holland AmericaSignature Beverage Package
Signature on its own is one of the cheaper packages, with the tightest rules here: 15 drinks a day including most non-alcoholic drinks, and nothing at Half Moon Cay.
5.4/10
Norwegian isn’t ranked here. It shows its standalone open-bar price only behind a login, and almost everyone gets the bar through Free at Sea, which is why it appears under the best available route.
Premium drinks
Top-shelf pours, specialty coffee and premium water. Lines with a single alcoholic package keep their base score.
- 1NorwegianFree at Sea + Plus
Plus adds premium spirits and wines by the glass, Starbucks, bottled water, fresh juice and energy drinks, which covers every item on our checklist. Take out the crew charge you'd pay anyway and it's the cheapest premium route here at these numbers. Norwegian doesn't publish what Free at Sea adds to a fare, so that premium sits at $0.00 here, its best case.
8.9/10 - 2PrincessPremier Beverage Package
Premier drinks bought inside the Princess Premier bundle, less the crew appreciation it prepays. No alcohol cap, and the bundle adds Wi-Fi, dining and excursion credit you can't strip out.
6.7/10 - 3CelebrityPremium
Premium adds premium spirits and fresh juice, with no daily cap. Bought outright or through All Included, the price is the sticking point.
6.6/10 - 4TieHolland AmericaElite Beverage Package
Elite is fairly priced with a broad menu, but allows 15 alcoholic drinks a day and nothing at Half Moon Cay. The Early Booking Bonus can include Elite; Holland America doesn't publish what it adds to the fare, so it isn't scored.
6.3/10 - 4TieMSCPremium Extra
Premium Extra is MSC's only US package, so its premium score is its base score. Its menu already reads like a premium tier.
6.3/10 - 6Royal CaribbeanDeluxe Beverage Package
Deluxe is Royal Caribbean's only alcoholic package. There's no premium tier to step up to.
5.9/10 - 7CarnivalCHEERS!
CHEERS! is Carnival's only full package, so its premium score is its base score.
5.7/10
Standalone packages only
- 1CelebrityPremium
Premium adds premium spirits and fresh juice, with no daily cap. The reported price range is wide, and the 20% lands on top.
6.6/10 - 2TieHolland AmericaElite Beverage Package
Elite is fairly priced with a broad menu, but allows 15 alcoholic drinks a day and nothing at Half Moon Cay.
6.3/10 - 2TieMSCPremium Extra
Premium Extra is MSC's only US package, so its premium score is its base score. Its menu already reads like a premium tier.
6.3/10 - 4TieRoyal CaribbeanDeluxe Beverage Package
Deluxe is Royal Caribbean's only alcoholic package. There's no premium tier to step up to.
5.9/10 - 4TiePrincessPremier Beverage Package
Premier Beverage bought on its own is one of the priciest packages here. Buying it inside Princess Premier is the better route.
5.9/10 - 6CarnivalCHEERS!
CHEERS! is Carnival's only full package, so its premium score is its base score.
5.7/10
Norwegian isn’t ranked here. Free at Sea Plus is only sold on top of Free at Sea, so it’s a bundle, not a standalone package.
Premium drinks + streaming Wi-Fi
Premium drinks plus Wi-Fi that streams, for each adult, with the daily crew gratuity included so every line pays it once. Each line is priced by its cheapest eligible route: bundle or separate packages, whichever costs less at your numbers.
- 1PrincessPrincess Premier
Premier drinks, Wi-Fi on four devices, crew appreciation, unlimited specialty dining and excursion credit for one price. It costs more than Norwegian's route at these numbers, and it includes more.
8.9/10 - 2NorwegianFree at Sea + Plus
The lowest cash outlay for premium drinks plus streaming, with the crew charge prepaid. It scores behind Princess: thinner extras, and each guest streams on one device at a time. Norwegian doesn't publish what Free at Sea adds to a fare, so that premium sits at $0.00 here, its best case.
8.6/10 - 3CelebrityUltimate Bundle (Premium drinks + two-device Premium Wi-Fi)
The Ultimate Bundle, Premium drinks plus Premium Wi-Fi on two devices, beats All Included plus upgrades at this uplift. Its price moves by sailing, so check yours. Strong drinks and Wi-Fi, but no dining or excursion extras to offset the price.
6.5/10 - 4MSCPremium Extra + Browse & Stream
Premium Extra plus Browse & Stream, locked to one device for the cruise. Strong drinks, no extras.
6.1/10 - 5TieHolland AmericaElite + Stream Wi-Fi
Elite plus Stream Wi-Fi. The Early Booking Bonus pairs Elite with Premium Wi-Fi, which Holland America's own Wi-Fi page says doesn't stream video, so it isn't scored here.
5.8/10 - 5TieRoyal CaribbeanDeluxe + VOOM Surf + Stream
Deluxe plus VOOM plus tips, at the midpoint of reported pre-cruise prices. A good Cruise Planner sale can move Royal Caribbean several places.
5.8/10 - 7CarnivalCHEERS! + Premium Wi-Fi
CHEERS! plus Premium Wi-Fi and tips, with one device online at a time. Carnival is moving packages and Wi-Fi to prices that vary by sailing from December 1, 2026.
5.7/10
Reading the ties. Lines on the same score got there by different roads, so read the category numbers under each one. We never break a tie by inventing a decimal.
Disney Cruise Line
Disney doesn’t sell an unlimited alcohol package, so there’s nothing to rank. What you do get is real: soda at meals and the self-serve drink stations is free, and so are coffee and tea 5. Most of the other lines here charge for soda. Alcohol is pay-as-you-go with 18% added 6, and each adult can carry on one bottle of wine or six beers at embarkation 7. Light drinkers often come out ahead here. Heavy drinkers don’t.
Virgin Voyages
No unlimited package either. Virgin sells Bar Tab credit with a bonus ($500 buys $600, and $1,000 buys $1,250) and adds no service charge to drinks 89. Water, fountain soda, drip coffee and tea are free. It suits a couple who orders a few good cocktails a day, not one who wants a refill every hour.
03How we score
Same rules for every line. If a rule favors one line, we’d rather show you the rule than hide it.
- Pre-cruise prices only. No onboard prices in any score.
- Two buying routes. Standalone is the drink package bought on its own, plus its service charge. Best available route is the cheapest known way to that drink tier, including fare bundles: Free at Sea, All Included, Princess Plus and Premier, and Have It All.
- Fare premiums are inputs, not guesses. Norwegian doesn’t publish what Free at Sea adds to a fare, so it starts at $0 and you can move it. Celebrity’s All Included uplift is reported at roughly $55 to $90 a day, and we start at $85.
- Bundled crew gratuities come back out of the drinks-only rankings, so a bundle that prepays tips isn’t penalized for it.
- Offers without a published price aren’t scored: Holland America’s Early Booking Bonus and Carnival’s FunPacks. They’re covered on the drink packages page and in the watch list below.
Drinks-only rankings
- Cost, 50%. All-in per adult per day. $35 or less scores 10, and every $10 above that takes a point off, down to 3.
- Inclusions, 30%. Six things that actually differ between packages: top-shelf spirits, sparkling wine by the glass, specialty coffee, bottled water, fresh-squeezed juice and energy drinks. A drink the line excludes scores nothing; one it doesn’t itemize scores half. See the full matrix.
- Rules, 20%. No daily alcohol limit, soft drinks not counted toward a limit, and use at the line’s private destination.
Premium + streaming ranking
- Cost, 40%, crew gratuity included. $80 or less scores 10, and every $15 above that takes a point off, down to 3.
- Drinks, 20%. The average of the package’s Inclusions and Rules scores.
- Wi-Fi, 20%. Scored on what a guest can actually do: 10 for four streaming devices at once, 7 for one streaming connection that can move between devices, 6.5 when that connection is locked to one device for the cruise. How we read each line’s plan.
- Extras, 20%. 9 for unlimited specialty dining plus excursion credit, 6 for included specialty meals, 2 for nothing extra. Credited in the score, never added to the totals at retail value.
04Norwegian vs. Celebrity, up close
These two come up constantly, and they’re closer on the ship than they are on the bill. Here’s the working view we started with, tested against what both lines publish today.
“NCL’s base Free at Sea drinks may be better value than Celebrity Classic.”
Holds upOn drinks alone, it’s $28.50 a day against reported Celebrity Classic prices of about $66 to $102 once the 20% is added 1011. On price, Norwegian wins unless its Free at Sea fare costs at least $37.49 to $73.49 more per person per day than a comparable fare without perks. Celebrity’s Classic does include specialty coffee and bottled water; Norwegian’s base bar doesn’t.
“Free at Sea Plus is the right match for Celebrity Premium drinks plus Premium Wi-Fi.”
Holds upPlus is the only way to get Norwegian’s premium pours, Starbucks and streaming Wi-Fi in one purchase. Comparing it with Celebrity Premium alone would undersell Plus. Comparing it with Classic would oversell it.
“NCL runs about $28 to $32 a day for the base.”
Confirmed, and now we know what it isIt’s the package gratuity on the Free at Sea open bar: $28.50 on sailings of six nights or more, and $32 on two to five nights since May 1, 2026, bought before you sail 12. It isn’t the $20 crew service charge, and it isn’t a fare increase.
“Plus is roughly $50 more.”
True on the receipt, less in realityPlus is $49.99 a day on top of the $28.50, not instead of it 1213. But it prepays the $20 crew charge you’d owe anyway, so in a standard cabin the real extra cost is about $29.99 a day.
“Discounted Celebrity premium drinks plus Wi-Fi runs around $90 a day.”
Close, before the 20%It’s the Ultimate Bundle: Premium drinks plus Premium Wi-Fi for two devices. On one sailing we checked in October 2026, Cruise Planner listed it at $100.99 a day in a 25%-off flash sale, down from $135 14. Add the 20% service charge and it’s about $121 a day before crew tips. The price moves by sailing and sale, which is why the calculator has a quoted-price option.
Five ways to buy drinks on Celebrity
Classic or Premium plus 20%, priced by sailing. Premium Wi-Fi is extra, per device. Crew gratuities on top 10.
Classic drinks with their service charge, plus Basic Wi-Fi, built into a higher fare. Crew tips aren’t included, and haven’t been since October 4, 2023 15.
Premium drinks for $20 and Premium Wi-Fi for $9.99 per person per day, per Celebrity’s FAQ 15. That page also carries older per-drink limits than Celebrity’s drinks FAQ, so confirm in Cruise Planner.
Premium drinks plus Premium Wi-Fi for two devices, sold as one daily price. Premium Access adds room service and other perks. On one sailing we checked: $100.99 and $104.99 on sale, before the 20% 14.
Where Norwegian wins
- Lowest drinking cost for standard cocktails, by a wide margin.
- Lowest cash outlay for premium drinks plus streaming, crew charge included.
- Plus pours premium brands by name, from Patrón Añejo to Macallan 12, and more than 50 wines by the glass 13.
- Packages work at Great Stirrup Cay.
Where Celebrity wins
- Specialty coffee and bottled water come with Classic, no upgrade needed.
- All Included puts Basic Wi-Fi in front of everyone in the cabin, not 150 minutes.
- When the Celebrity fare for your dates is meaningfully lower, the fare can erase the drink gap.
- The Retreat includes Premium drinks and Wi-Fi outright.
05Show the math: two adults, seven nights
A standard (non-suite) cabin, pre-cruise prices, every charge counted once. Norwegian’s Plus prepays the crew charge, so Celebrity’s crew gratuity goes in its column too. Leave it out and the comparison cheats.
Premium drinks + streaming Wi-Fi
| Charge | Norwegian: Free at Sea + Plus | Celebrity: All Included + upgrades |
|---|---|---|
| Base bundle or fare uplift | Free at Sea fare uplift: enter your quote, $0.00 here | All Included uplift, $85 × 14 = $1,190.00 reported example |
| Drinks | Open-bar package gratuity, $28.50 × 14 = $399.00 | Classic included in the uplift |
| Upgrade | Free at Sea Plus, $49.99 × 14 = $699.86 | Premium drinks, $20 × 14 = $280.00 Premium Wi-Fi, $9.99 × 14 = $139.86 |
| Beverage service charge | Built into the $28.50 and the Plus price: $0.00 | Built into All Included and the upgrade: $0.00 |
| Daily crew gratuities | Prepaid by Plus: $0.00 (would be $280.00) | $19.50 × 14 = $273.00 |
| Streaming Wi-Fi | Included in Plus: $0.00 | Counted in the upgrade above |
| Total | $1,098.86 | $1,882.86 |
Norwegian is $784.00 cheaper, until you count the fare. If the Free at Sea fare costs more than $56.00 per person per day above a comparable fare without perks, Celebrity wins. That’s the number to check on your quote.
One line to check at checkout: Celebrity’s All Included FAQ says the $20 upgrade “includes the beverage gratuity” 15. If yours adds 20% on top, Celebrity rises to $1,938.86, the gap becomes $840.00 and the break-even moves to $60.00 a day. The calculator has a switch for it.
Buying Celebrity’s packages separately instead runs from $1,742.69 (Premium at $59.99, reported on Celebrity Ascent) to $2,297.09 (Premium at $92.99, reported on Celebrity Beyond) 11. Both include Premium Wi-Fi at the reported $32.99 rate on Celebrity’s newest ships, the 20% and tips 17. And the Ultimate Bundle at the $100.99 sale price we saw? With the 20% and tips, Celebrity comes to $1,969.66. That’s $870.80 more than Norwegian’s route, so on price Norwegian stays ahead unless its fare premium tops $62.20 a day.
Drinks only, standard cocktails
| Option | Two adults, seven nights |
|---|---|
| Norwegian Free at Sea open bar ($28.50 × 14) | $399.00 |
| Celebrity Classic, low reported price ($54.99 + 20%) | $923.83 |
| Celebrity Classic, high reported price ($84.99 + 20%) | $1,427.83 |
| Celebrity All Included, $85 uplift (adds Basic Wi-Fi) | $1,190.00 |
Crew gratuities are left out here because both lines charge them either way. Norwegian comes out $524.83 to $1,028.83 ahead on drinks, which is why the base comparison isn’t close. The winner changes when the drinker changes:
- Standard cocktails, no coffee habit: Norwegian’s base bar, comfortably.
- Standard cocktails plus two specialty coffees and bottled water a day: closer than it looks. Norwegian’s base bar charges for those; Celebrity Classic doesn’t.
- Premium spirits, no need for Wi-Fi: Norwegian still leads at $818.86 for two (net of the crew charge) against $1,007.83 to $1,562.23 for Celebrity Premium bought separately. But you pay for streaming Wi-Fi whether you use it or not.
- Premium spirits, specialty coffee and streaming: Norwegian Plus on price, Princess Premier on what’s included, Celebrity when its fare is the cheaper one.
Run it with your quotes
Every field is editable. The defaults are the examples above, so swap in your Cruise Planner numbers.
The $100.99 default is Celebrity’s Ultimate Bundle, Premium drinks plus Premium Wi-Fi on two devices, in a Cruise Planner flash sale on one sailing we checked in October 2026. It’s shown before the 20% service charge, which the calculator adds. Prices move by sailing, so use your own quote.
Norwegian
- Open-bar package gratuity $28.50 × 14$399.00
- Free at Sea Plus (streaming Wi-Fi and the crew charge included) $49.99 × 14$699.86
Total$1,098.86
Celebrity
- All Included fare uplift $85.00 × 14$1,190.00
- Premium drinks upgrade $20.00 × 14$280.00
- Premium Wi-Fi upgrade $9.99 × 14$139.86
- Crew gratuity $19.50 × 14$273.00
Total$1,882.86
Norwegian is $784.00 cheaper for 2 adults, 7 nights, before any Free at Sea fare premium. Celebrity wins on price if the Free at Sea fare costs more than $56.00 per person per day above a comparable fare without perks.
06Perks we didn’t count at full price
Bundles love to quote what their extras would cost at retail. That number only matters if you’d have bought them anyway, so we credit extras in the score and leave them out of the totals.
Free at Sea includes specialty dining meals (one to four, by sailing length), with a gratuity per meal. Plus adds 50% off further specialty dining 1812.
Unlimited specialty dining, excursion credit by voyage length, photos and reserved theater seating 34. If you’d book two specialty dinners and a tour anyway, Premier gets cheap fast.
Have It All adds one to three specialty dinners and $100 to $300 in excursion credit, by length 19. The Early Booking Bonus adds Elite drinks, Premium Wi-Fi and prepaid crew appreciation on eligible bookings 2021.
Four packs, $25 to $99 a day, bundling drinks with dining benefits, booked October 13 to 30, 2026 for sailings from October 31 22. Carnival includes the service charges on the drink and dining benefits; it doesn’t say whether daily gratuities are in.
Our rule: if a perk replaces something you’d have paid for, subtract its real cost from the bundle. If it’s something you’d never have bought, it’s worth $0 to you, however it’s priced.
07What’s changing, and what we couldn’t confirm
- Carnival goes dynamic on December 1, 2026. Drink packages and Wi-Fi move to prices that vary by length, itinerary and season 2324. Carnival hasn’t said where today’s $69.95 CHEERS! rate lands after that.
- Royal Caribbean’s service charge reads 18% on its beverage package FAQ and 20% on its gratuity FAQ 2526. We use 18% for packages; your Cruise Planner checkout settles it.
- Princess’s service charge reads 18% in its package terms and 20% on its beverage page, after a rise in early March 2026 272829. We use 20%.
- Celebrity’s per-drink limits show $12 and $19 on its drinks FAQ and “under $10” and “under $17” on its All Included FAQ 1015. We use the drinks FAQ.
- Celebrity’s $20 Premium-drinks upgrade is described as including the beverage gratuity 15. If your checkout adds 20%, use the switch in the rankings and the calculator.
- Holland America’s Early Booking Bonus includes Elite drinks, Premium Wi-Fi and prepaid crew appreciation, but its fare uplift isn’t published, so it isn’t scored 2021. The offer page mentions streaming; Holland America’s Wi-Fi page says Premium doesn’t stream video 30. Confirm which tier you get.
- Norwegian’s Free at Sea fare premium isn’t published, and one long-running guide says Free at Sea now looks like the base fare 31. It’s the biggest unknown in the Norwegian math, which is why the calculator has a field for it.
- MSC’s “Add Drinks & Wi-Fi” offer ran for bookings September 15 to October 7, 2026 32. Watch for the next one.
- Wi-Fi prices for Norwegian, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Princess and Disney are reported, not published. Most lines show them only after you log in.
Q&AQuick answers
Is Norwegian’s Free at Sea drink package really free?
No. The open bar has no package price, but Norwegian charges a package gratuity of $28.50 per person per day on sailings of six nights or more and $32.00 on two- to five-night sailings, bought before the cruise. The $20 daily crew service charge is separate.
Does Free at Sea Plus replace the base Free at Sea charge?
No. Plus is an add-on at $49.99 per person per day. You still pay the $28.50 or $32.00 open-bar gratuity. Plus does prepay the $20 daily crew service charge in standard cabins, which is why its real extra cost is about $29.99 a day.
Does Celebrity’s All Included fare include gratuities?
Not since October 4, 2023. All Included covers the Classic drink package, its beverage service charge and Basic Wi-Fi. Daily crew gratuities are extra.
Which cruise line has the best drink package value?
For standard drinking, Norwegian’s Free at Sea open bar, while its unpublished fare premium stays under about $20 a day. For premium drinks plus streaming Wi-Fi, Princess Premier scores highest, with Norwegian’s Free at Sea Plus close behind and cheaper. Bought on their own, MSC Premium Extra and Celebrity Premium lead.
Do Disney Cruise Line or Virgin Voyages sell unlimited drink packages?
No. Disney includes soda, coffee and tea at meals and drink stations and sells alcohol by the drink with 18% added. Virgin sells prepaid Bar Tab credit with a bonus and adds no service charge to drinks.
Want the real numbers for your sailing?
Send Seabound Journeys your dates, the ships you’re weighing and how you drink. We’ll price the fare and the packages together, so the winner is the one on your actual bill.
SourcesWhere this comes from
Checked October 15, 2026, US market. Official means the cruise line’s own site; secondary sources are dated and used only where a line doesn’t publish the figure. Scores and recommendations are Seabound’s editorial assessment. The sources establish the facts, not the scores.
- 1NCL — Promotion terms (US) · Official · current terms, sailings from May 1, 2026
- 2Cruise Hive — NCL raises short-sailing drink charge · Secondary · May 1, 2026
- 3Princess — Plus & Premier packages · Official · shows current pricing
- 4Princess — Princess Plus and Premier · Official · undated
- 5Cruise.blog — Disney cruise drink package tips · Secondary · Aug 11, 2025
- 6Disney Cruise Line — Gratuities · Official · undated
- 7BlogMickey — Disney Cruise Line alcohol policy changes · Secondary · May 2026
- 8Cruise.blog — There isn't a Virgin Voyages drink package · Secondary · Jun 18, 2026
- 9Virgin Voyages — VoyageFair Choices FAQ · Official · undated
- 10Celebrity — Beverage packages FAQ · Official · undated
- 11Royal Caribbean Blog — Celebrity drink package prices · Secondary · Mar 24, 2026
- 12NCL — What's included in Free at Sea Plus · Official · undated
- 13NCL — Free at Sea vs. Free at Sea Plus trade sheet (PDF) · Official · undated
- 14Celebrity — Cruise Planner listings for one sailing: Ultimate Bundle, Premium Access, Premium, Classic and Non-Alcoholic packages · Official · viewed Oct 15, 2026
- 15Celebrity — All Included FAQ · Official · undated; terms effective Oct 4, 2023
- 16Cruise Critic — Celebrity gratuity increase · Secondary · Jul 30, 2026; updated Oct 9, 2026
- 17Cruise Mummy — Celebrity Wi-Fi prices · Secondary · updated May 30, 2026
- 18NCL — Promotions terms & conditions (Free at Sea) · Official · undated; current terms
- 19Holland America — Have It All upgrade · Official · undated
- 20Holland America — Have It All Early Booking Bonus · Official · undated; $99-deposit offer ends Nov 2
- 21Holland America — What's included in the Early Booking Bonus · Official · undated
- 22Carnival — FunPacks · Official · booking Oct 13–30, 2026
- 23Cruise Critic — Carnival launches FunPacks · Secondary · Oct 14, 2026
- 24Cruise Fever — Carnival switching to dynamic pricing for Wi-Fi and drink packages · Secondary · Oct 14, 2026
- 25Royal Caribbean — Beverage package gratuities policy · Official · undated
- 26Royal Caribbean — Gratuities FAQ · Official · undated
- 27Princess — Plus Beverage Package terms · Official · undated
- 28Princess — Beverage packages (USD) · Official · undated
- 29Cruise Critic — Princess raises service charge · Secondary · Mar 10, 2026
- 30Holland America — Wi-Fi packages · Official · undated
- 31Cruzely — Everything to know about Norwegian's Free at Sea · Secondary · Dec 19, 2025
- 32MSC (US) — Promotion terms and conditions · Official · Drinks & Wi-Fi offer booked Sep 15–Oct 7, 2026