CRUISE NEW
9 Drink Package Mistakes Costing Seniors Hundreds
Sep
Cruise drink packages sound wonderfully simple. Pay one price, order what you want, and stop thinking about the bill for the rest of your vacation.
But that simplicity can be deceptive.
For older travelers who carefully plan a cruise budget, a beverage package can become one of the biggest optional expenses of the entire trip. The problem isn’t necessarily the package itself. For the right passenger, a drink package can offer convenience and predictable spending. The expensive mistakes happen when travelers buy before understanding the rules.
Consider a seven-night cruise for a couple. Carnival currently lists its CHEERS! package at $69.95 per person, per day when purchased in advance and $74.95 when purchased onboard. At the advance-purchase rate, two people would already be looking at $979.30 in base package cost over seven days before considering other applicable charges or taxes.
That’s why the smartest question isn’t:
“Is the drink package a good deal?”
It’s:
“Is this drink package a good deal for us, on this particular cruise?”
Before buying anything, here are nine costly mistakes senior cruisers should understand.
1. Buying a Drink Package Before Calculating What You Actually Drink
This is the mistake that can make every other mistake more expensive.
Cruise lines market beverage packages around convenience. Instead of thinking about the price of every cocktail, glass of wine, specialty coffee, or soda, you pay for the package and enjoy your vacation.
Convenience has value.
But convenience and savings are not automatically the same thing.
Before buying a package, estimate what you would realistically order on an ordinary cruise day.
Maybe your typical day looks like this:
Coffee in the morning.
Bottled water during the afternoon.
A glass of wine with dinner.
Perhaps a cocktail during an evening show.
Now compare the approximate à-la-carte cost of those drinks with the daily package cost.
Don’t calculate based on what you could consume. Calculate based on what you are actually likely to consume.
This becomes especially important on port-intensive itineraries. If you’re planning long shore excursions and will spend much of several days away from the ship, your onboard consumption may be very different from what it would be on a cruise with several sea days.
The package might still make sense. But run the numbers first.
For example, Carnival currently prices CHEERS! per person, per day and requires it for the full cruise rather than allowing passengers to purchase it only for selected days.
A small miscalculation multiplied across two passengers and seven or ten cruise days can become a surprisingly large expense.
Senior cruise tip: Calculate your expected consumption for a normal day, a sea day, and a port day before comparing that total with the package price.
2. Assuming You Can Buy the Alcohol Package for Only One Person
Imagine this situation.
A 69-year-old cruiser walks up to the beverage-package desk and says:
“I’ll take the alcohol package for myself. My husband barely drinks, so he doesn’t need one.”
She expects a simple transaction.
Instead, the employee stops her.
Why?
Because some cruise lines have rules requiring other eligible adults sharing the same cabin or reservation to participate as well.
Carnival’s current CHEERS! terms state that each adult assigned to the same stateroom must purchase the program. Its booking page also indicates that CHEERS! will be added for adults 21 and older in the selected staterooms.
Norwegian’s current beverage-package information likewise states that its applicable Free at Sea Premium Beverage Package must be purchased for all guests age 21 or older on the same reservation, with an applicable alternative for younger guests.
This matters enormously for couples.
You might look at a package price and mentally calculate:
$70 × 7 days = $490.
But if the applicable rules mean two adults must participate, the relevant calculation could be closer to:
$70 × 7 days × 2 people = $980.
That changes the decision completely.
And don’t assume another cruise line follows exactly the same rules. Beverage-package policies vary by company, package, booking arrangement, sailing and sometimes region.
Senior cruise tip: Before purchasing, ask one very specific question: “If I buy this package, what is my spouse or cabin mate required to purchase?”
That one question could dramatically change your vacation budget.
3. Looking at the Advertised Price Instead of the Final Checkout Price
A daily package price can look reasonable when displayed by itself.
But the number that matters is the final amount you will actually pay.
Depending on the cruise line and package structure, service charges, gratuities, local taxes or other applicable charges can affect the total.
The structure isn’t identical across cruise companies.
Princess, for example, says bar service charges are included in its current Premier Beverage Package. Its current Plus and Premier bundles also include Crew Appreciation as part of the broader package benefits.
Other cruise products can structure charges differently.
That means a traveler shouldn’t take a price from one cruise line, apply assumptions learned on another cruise line, and expect the final totals to work the same way.
Before clicking “purchase,” go all the way to the final checkout screen and inspect the complete total.
If you’re booking over the phone, ask the representative to state the total amount rather than only quoting the daily rate.
Then divide that total by the number of travelers and cruise days yourself.
That gives you a much more useful number for comparison.
Senior cruise tip: Never make the buying decision from the headline daily rate alone. Compare the final package cost against what you realistically expect to spend without it.
4. Assuming Every Drink Is Included
The words “drink package” can create an understandable assumption:
If you bought the package, your drinks are covered.
Unfortunately, it isn’t always that simple.
Packages can have price ceilings, product exclusions, venue restrictions and separate rules for bottles versus drinks by the glass.
Princess provides an excellent current example.
For applicable 2026 sailings, Princess says its Plus Beverage Package includes eligible alcoholic and zero-alcohol drinks priced up to $15 each. The Premier Beverage Package raises that threshold to $20 for eligible drinks.
Princess also distinguishes between included items and discounted items. Certain bottles of wine, larger bottles of water and other excluded products may receive a discount rather than being completely included.
This distinction matters.
Suppose you’ve been ordering wine by the glass all week without thinking about price. Then one evening you select a more expensive bottle assuming your package covers it.
You may discover that “included” and “discounted” are two very different things.
The same caution applies to premium spirits, specialty coffees, bottled water, energy drinks, souvenir glasses and other specialty beverages. Coverage varies by cruise line and package tier.
Senior cruise tip: Check four things before buying:
Maximum covered drink price, excluded beverages, excluded venues, and discounts that are not the same as full inclusion.
Those details matter more than the word “unlimited” printed in a promotional headline.
5. Waiting Until You’re Onboard Before Comparing Prices
Some passengers intentionally wait until embarkation day.
They want to see the ship, inspect the bars and decide whether they really need a beverage package.
That sounds reasonable, but waiting can cost more on some cruise lines.
Carnival currently provides a very clear example.
CHEERS! is listed at $69.95 per person, per day when purchased in advance and $74.95 per person, per day when purchased aboard the ship.
That’s a $5-per-person daily difference.
For two adults on a seven-day cruise:
$5 × 2 × 7 = $70
And that’s before considering any other applicable charges.
Princess also currently publishes different pre-cruise and onboard prices for its Plus and Premier packages. For many 2026 cruises, for example, Princess lists Plus at $65 per person/day pre-cruise and $70 onboard, while Premier is listed at $100 pre-cruise and $105 onboard. Pricing differs for Sun Princess and Star Princess.
This does not mean every drink package on every cruise line will always be cheaper before departure.
Prices, promotions and package structures change.
The lesson is simpler:
Compare before you board.
Don’t wait until you’re standing at the beverage desk to discover that you passed up a lower advance-purchase price.
Senior cruise tip: Check your cruise planner several times before departure and compare the current pre-cruise offer with the cruise line’s published onboard pricing, if available.
6. Thinking “Unlimited” Means the Same Thing on Every Cruise Line
This may be the most misunderstood word in cruise beverage packages.
Unlimited.
It sounds straightforward.
But package rules vary significantly.
Norwegian currently describes the beverage benefit in its Free at Sea program as an Unlimited Open Bar, including eligible premium spirits, cocktails, wine, draft beer, juice and soda, with coverage onboard and at Great Stirrup Cay where applicable.
Princess has a different structure.
Effective January 14, 2026, Princess says its Premier Beverage Package offers an unlimited premium selection of eligible beverages up to $20 each, while its Plus Beverage Package has a 15-beverage daily limit under its current rules. Specialty coffees and teas do not count toward that Plus daily beverage limit, and qualifying small bottled waters are subject to their own separate daily limit.
So two passengers can both say:
“My package includes drinks.”
Yet they may be operating under very different rules.
There may be differences involving:
daily limits,
price limits,
types of beverages,
bottled water,
specialty coffee,
private destinations,
and specific venues.
Never assume a package works like the one you purchased on another cruise line five years ago.
And don’t assume last year’s rules still apply.
Senior cruise tip: Read the current terms for your exact cruise line and package before sailing. Save or screenshot the relevant terms if that helps you remember what is included.
7. Thinking You Can Share One Package With Your Spouse
This sounds like an easy money-saving strategy.
One spouse drinks regularly.
The other only wants an occasional cocktail.
Why not buy one package and share?
Because package sharing is commonly prohibited.
Carnival’s current CHEERS! restrictions explicitly state that only one drink at a time may be ordered and that sharing is not permitted.
Princess’s beverage-package terms also treat packages as personal rather than something passengers can freely transfer between guests.
Even if your spouse only wants one drink, handing over a beverage obtained under your personal package can conflict with the package rules.
This is particularly important when travelers are trying to calculate whether a package is worthwhile for a couple.
Don’t build your savings calculation around a strategy the cruise line doesn’t permit.
Instead, compare legitimate options:
One or more applicable beverage packages.
À-la-carte purchases.
A zero-alcohol package.
A soda package.
Or simply paying individually for every beverage.
The cheapest legitimate option may be different from what you first expected.
Senior cruise tip: Treat every drink package as belonging to the specific guest it was purchased for unless the cruise line’s current terms explicitly say otherwise.
8. Assuming Your Package Works Everywhere During the Cruise
You bought the package for your vacation.
Naturally, you might expect it to follow you throughout your vacation.
But geography and venue matter.
Carnival currently states that CHEERS! cannot be used for Room Service purchases or at destinations the ship visits, including Celebration Key.
Now compare that with Norwegian.
Norwegian currently advertises its Free at Sea Unlimited Open Bar as available onboard and at Great Stirrup Cay where applicable.
Princess’s current Plus and Premier information says those beverage packages may be used on its private islands as well as onboard food-and-beverage venues and other eligible onboard locations.
Three cruise experiences.
Different rules.
That’s exactly why broad statements such as:
“Drink packages work on private islands”
or
“Drink packages never work ashore”
are unreliable.
The correct answer depends on your cruise line and destination.
Venue exclusions matter too.
A minibar, room-service beverage, vending-machine purchase or specialty outlet may be treated differently from ordering at a normal shipboard bar.
Senior cruise tip: Before sailing, identify where you expect to drink most often and verify whether your package works there.
A package isn’t much of a bargain if several of the places where you expected to use it aren’t included.
9. Buying the Alcohol Package When a Cheaper Package Better Matches Your Habits
This final mistake has nothing to do with age.
It has everything to do with knowing yourself.
Some senior travelers enjoy wine, cocktails and spirits throughout their cruise.
Others don’t.
Some primarily want:
specialty coffee,
bottled water,
soda,
mocktails,
tea,
juice,
or other non-alcoholic beverages.
If that’s you, don’t automatically jump to the most expensive alcohol package.
Cruise lines increasingly offer multiple beverage tiers.
Princess currently advertises a Zero-Alcohol Package that includes items such as specialty coffees and teas, fountain soda, hot chocolate, mocktails, bottled water and energy drinks, subject to its current terms.
The important point isn’t that one particular package is best.
It’s that you should compare package categories before deciding.
For some travelers, the premium alcohol package may be excellent value.
For others, a non-alcoholic package plus a few individually purchased glasses of wine could make more sense.
And for another passenger, no package at all may be the better fit.
There is no universal winner.
Your personal consumption pattern determines the answer.
A Simple Drink Package Calculation Before Your Next Cruise
Before purchasing, make a quick estimate.
Write down what you realistically expect to consume during an average day:
Morning specialty coffee.
Bottled water.
Soda.
Beer.
Wine.
Cocktails.
Mocktails.
Evening drinks.
Then estimate the à-la-carte total.
Next, calculate the complete package cost for everyone who must purchase it.
For example:
If a hypothetical package costs $70 per person/day and two people must purchase it on a seven-night cruise:
$70 × 2 × 7 = $980
Now ask yourself:
Would the two of us realistically purchase close to $980 worth of eligible drinks without the package?
If yes, the package deserves serious consideration.
If no, investigate alternatives.
Also remember that the calculation isn’t purely financial.
Some passengers are willing to pay somewhat more for the convenience of knowing most of their beverages are already covered.
That’s a legitimate benefit.
Just recognize when you’re paying for convenience rather than saving money.
Don’t Forget Port Days
Port days deserve special attention when doing your calculation.
Imagine a seven-night itinerary with four long port days.
You leave the ship at 8:00 a.m.
You spend most of the day exploring.
You return late in the afternoon.
Your opportunity to use the onboard package during those hours is naturally reduced.
That doesn’t automatically make the package a bad purchase. You may still use it heavily in the morning and evening, and some cruise lines extend certain package benefits to specific private destinations.
But your calculation should reflect your actual itinerary.
A seven-night cruise with five sea days is not financially identical to a seven-night cruise where you’re ashore most days.
Read the Rules Again Before You Sail
Cruise beverage policies change.
Princess’s current 2026 terms demonstrate exactly why old advice can become unreliable: the company specifies new rules and benefits effective January 14, 2026, including different treatment for its Plus and Premier beverage offerings.
Norwegian also currently publishes 2026-specific promotional structures for Free at Sea and Free at Sea Plus.
That means a YouTube video, Facebook post, forum discussion or blog from several years ago may describe rules that no longer apply.
Even an experienced cruiser can get caught by this.
The phrase:
“That’s how it worked last time.”
is not a substitute for checking the current terms.
Review your cruise line’s official beverage-package page shortly before departure.
The Most Important Question to Ask at the Beverage Desk
If you’re already onboard and still uncertain, don’t start with:
“What’s your best drink package?”
Instead ask:
“Based on my cabin, what would the total package cost be for everyone who is required to participate?”
Then ask:
“Exactly what’s included, and what isn’t?”
Those two questions reveal far more than the headline package price.
For couples, the first question is especially important.
A passenger may be comfortable paying $400 or $500 for personal beverage convenience but feel completely differently when the actual cabin-level cost approaches $1,000 or more.
Find out before purchasing.
Final Thoughts: A Drink Package Should Simplify Your Cruise, Not Inflate Your Budget
Cruise drink packages aren’t inherently a rip-off, and they aren’t automatically a bargain.
They’re tools.
For the right passenger, a beverage package can provide predictable spending, convenience and freedom from constantly signing individual drink charges.
For the wrong passenger—or a traveler who misunderstands the rules—the same package can add hundreds of dollars to the vacation budget without providing comparable value.
Before buying, remember these nine mistakes:
- Buying without calculating your real daily consumption.
- Assuming only one adult in the cabin needs the package.
- Ignoring the final checkout total and applicable charges.
- Assuming every beverage is included.
- Failing to compare pre-cruise and onboard pricing.
- Assuming “unlimited” means the same thing everywhere.
- Trying to share a personal package.
- Assuming the package works at every venue and destination.
- Choosing an alcohol package without comparing cheaper alternatives.
The biggest lesson is simple:
Don’t buy a cruise drink package because everyone else says it’s a deal. Buy it only after you’ve calculated whether it’s a deal for you.
For senior cruisers watching their vacation budget, ten minutes of checking the current rules before purchasing could prevent one of the most expensive optional mistakes of the entire cruise.
Cruise-line pricing, inclusions, age requirements, package limits, taxes, service charges and destination rules can change. Always verify the current terms for your specific cruise line, ship, sailing, booking and package before purchasing.
