Cruising is a great way to travel. It gives you the opportunity to have a budget friendly, almost all inclusive relaxing vacation. However one thing it doesn’t include are beverages. Now you do get coffee, water, and tea complimentary. But if you want alcohol, soda, energy drinks, and coffee shop coffee, that is going to cost you. Most cruise lines offer a drink package to help with this. The question is if it is right for you.  So lets take a look, and do some math to see if it is a good fit .

We have cruised several lines and itineraries, sometimes we purchase the drink package, and other times we don’t.  We have done firsthand research to see which makes the most financial sense, and also ensures we have the best time. What we have found is that it all boils down to math.

So first off lets preface this with the fact that everyone is different.  Between what you drink, how much you drink, what you are willing to spend, and what you want out of your vacation. All of these are key factors to making sure you not only have the best time, but also get the most for your money.

For us we weigh all of our options, based on what we like. We are not soda drinkers however, we do like coffee, and while on vacation we do like the option to have alcoholic drinks. With that being said, we know about how many alcoholic drinks we would have on a sea day versus a port day. So for us it, boils down to math whether or not we get a package or go alacart.

Ok..  Lets get into it. We have compiled information on three popular cruise lines, and what they have to offer, and the breakdown of their drink packages.

1: CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE

This is the one that makes the least financial sense.

Price: 82.54 Per person, per day. Includes gratuities.

This package includes any alcoholic drink under $20. limit is 15 per day. It also includes unlimited: Soda, energy drinks, coffee, shakes, juice, and bottled water. However, you can only get one beverage at a time, with 5 minute intervals. So below we will show average costs for individual drinks, and how many of each you would need to consume to make it worth your while.

MATH:

Cocktail: $12.00- drink more than 6

Beer: $8.50- more than 9

Wine- $11.50-more than 7

Other drinks included that may factor for you: Soda 2.75, Energy drinks 4.95, Secialty coffee 4.25.

2: ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE LINE

This one comes in second .

Price: $62.99 Per person, per day. Includes gratuities. This is an average as they have dynamic pricing.

This one includes all the same as Carnival, however there isn’t a limit on alcoholic drinks. With that being said, you can only order one alcoholic drink at a time, and some bartenders may make you wait or pause before getting another. Also, for soda drinkers, you have to use the souvenir cup to access the freestyle machines. This package includes all drinks $14.00 and under.

MATH:

Cocktail: $14.00- more than 4

Beer- $8.25-More than 7

Wine- $12.50- more than 5

Other beverages: Soda 3.50, Specialty coffee 5.00, Enery drinks 4.50

3: Norwegian Cruise Line

This one is the one that makes the most sense all around.

Price: $30.00 per person, per day. Includes gratuities.

This one right here is a no brainer. When booking, it is the More At Sea package. This Includes some wifi, discounts, and atleast one specialty dining. This package covers all the others do, minus specialty coffee. They have Starbucks. This package is unlimited , no time limits, no drink limits. Get what you want, when you want.

MATH:

Cocktail: $12.50- more than 2

Beer: $7.25- more than 4

Wine: $ 10.00- more than 3

Other beverages: Soda 3.50, energy drinks 6.50.

So there you have it. Find what works for you, but make sure it makes sense. Please also note, that out of these 3, Carnival is the only one that does not honor their drink packages on their private islands. Another note worth thought to consider is how much time you want to spend in line for things. Wait intervals, and drink limits can be a pain, and be time consuming. So keep that in mind as well. One cruises where the package doesnt seem to make sense to us and we alacart we always come out ahead with our tab. Now I will say we do things to makes that work. Like taking on the alotted bottle of wine per person. We also typically buy a wine package, which  comes in a 3 or 5 bottle option. Making each glass around 6 dollars, as opposed to the prices you see above.  So if you like wine, that is an amazing option. We take on water bottles to fill as well. Now on these alacart cruises, we have noticed we drink less, but we certainly dont deprive ourselves . Of course we indulge more when we have these packages, and it is nice to not have to worry about it.

So in conclusion, take this informatiion, and use it to help decide what is right for you, and make the best out of your next adventure.