Princess Cruises Drink Packages: Worth It? (With Calculator)
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Are you considering purchasing a drink package for your upcoming cruise on Princess Cruises?
In our Ultimate Guide to Princess Cruises Drink Packages, we’ll discuss the different types of packages available and why you shouldn’t purchase a Princess Cruises drink package.
Let’s dive in.
Princess Cruises Drink Packages and Prices
Princess Cruises offers a choice of four drink packages. We’ll explore each package to help you decide which one is right for you.
Premier Beverage Package
The Premier package costs $84.99 per person per day plus an 18% service charge, added at checkout. Including the service charge, the total cost of the package is $100.29 per day.
On a 7-day cruise, the Princess Cruises Premier Drink Package costs $702.02 per person for the entire cruise.
The Premier beverage package includes:
- Wine by the glass
- Beer
- Spirits
- Cocktails
- Specialty coffees and teas
- Fountain soda
- Bottled water
- Fresh juices
- Healthy smoothies
- Mocktails
- 25% discount on wine bottles
- 25% discount on large bottles of water and cans of soda
The Premier drink package allows you to purchase drinks up to a $20 limit. The package
You simply pay the difference if you buy a drink over $20.
You don’t need to worry about the price limit as most top-shelf spirits, reserve wines, and high-end crafted cocktails by Mixologist Rob Floyd are under the limit.
While the Premier Beverage Package includes nearly every onboard beverage, the following beverages are not included in the drink package:
- Bottled spirits
- Buckets of beer
- Bottles of wine
- Minibar or vending machine purchases
- Room service
- Items offered in the onboard shops
The Premier package cannot be combined with other promotions or special offers, including wine tastings, buckets of beer, Buy One Get One offer, Chef’s Table, or Specialty Dining cover charges.
Plus Beverage Package
Princess Cruises Plus Beverage Package is a step down from the Premier package. But it’s the cruise lines most popular alcoholic drink package.
It includes all the same drinks as the Premier package, but the Plus Drink Package has a price limit of $15 per drink.
The Plus Beverage Package costs $64.99 per person per day and $76.69 after adding the automatic service charge.
For a 7-night cruise vacation, the total package cost is $536.82 per person.
Zero Alcohol Package
Zero Alcohol Package is Princess Cruises’ non-alcoholic drink plan.
The Zero Alcohol Package includes the following beverages:
- Premium coffee and tea
- Soda
- Fresh juices
- Healthy smoothies
- Hot chocolate
- Zero-proof mocktails
- Bottles of water
- San Pellegrino and Evian water
- Red Bull energy drinks
- One souvenier tumbler per package
Princess’ Zero Alcohol Package costs $29.99 per person per day or $35.39 per person per day after the automatic gratuity.
For a 7-night sailing, the package costs $247.72.
Classic Soda Package
The Classic Soda Package has a price of $14.99 per person per day, plus an 18% service charge added at checkout. Including the service charge, the Classic Soda package costs $17.69 per person per day.
On a 7-day cruise, you can expect to pay $123.82 per person for the entire length of the cruise.
The Classic Soda Package offers the following beverages:
- Fountain sodas
- Fresh juices
- Smoothies
- Mocktails
- One souvenier tumbler per package
It’s important to note this beverage package doesn’t include bottled or canned items, specialty or premium coffees, ice cream based drinks, hot chocolate, or minibar items. And it should go without saying the Classic Soda Package doesn’t include alcoholic beverages.
Drink Prices on Princess Cruises
Before deciding if purchasing the drink package is worth it, it’s essential to understand the cost of Princess Cruises drinks.
In the chart below, you’ll find the approximate prices if you pay the full price for the drinks on the ship.
| Category | Price |
|---|---|
| Beer | $6 – $7 |
| Wine (by the Glass) | $9 – $15 |
| Spirits | $10 – $20 |
| Cocktails | $10-$17 |
| Soda | $2 |
| Bottled Water (500 ml) | $2 |
| Specialty Coffees | $3 – $6 |
When deciding whether or not to purchase the drink package, it is a good idea to calculate how much you would be spending if you bought the individual drinks rather than the package. Knowing the prices before you cruise can help you decide if purchasing a drink package makes financial sense. Sometimes, you’ll spend less money when you are buying drinks individually.
Is Princess Cruises Drink Package Worth It?
Determining if the drink package is worth the price depends on your drinking habits.
What drinks will you consume? How many drinks do you purchase every day? Will you be getting off the ship at the ports of call?
But, even when you drink enough to cover the cost of the package, you shouldn’t purchase a Princess Cruises drink package on its own.
That’s because Princess Cruises offers two inclusive cruise fare packages that combine the drink package with your cruise fare, along with other perks like WiFi, priority boarding, and more.
Princess Cruises offers three cruise fares. The standard fare includes basic accommodations, drinks, meals, and entertainment. Princess Plus and Princess Premier bundle your cruise fare with a drink package, WiFi, room service, and more.
Princess Plus and Princess Premier cost less than the drink package, but you still receive a Plus or Premier drink package bundled with the inclusive fare.
You’ll actually save money by buying the upgraded cruise package instead of the drink package.
Don’t believe me?
Let’s look at the prices.
Princess Plus costs $60 per person per day and includes the Plus Beverage package, regularly priced at $64.99.
With Princess Plus, you receive the following:
- Princess Cruises Plus Beverage Package
- Gratuities included with the cruise fare
- Two boutique fitness classes per voyage
- Two premium crafted desserts per day
- Unlimited premium fresh juices.
- Unlimited MedallionNet 2.0 Internet with Fleetwide Starlink and 5G for a single device.
- Two prix fixe meals at any casual dining location per sailing
- Free OceanNow Delivery Service Activation
- Complimentary Room Service
- “Green Lane” Express Boarding, including free Medallion device delivery.
Princess Premier costs $80 per person per day and includes the Premier Beverage Package, regularly priced at $89.99.
With Princess Premier, you receive the following:
- Princess Cruises Premier Beverage Package
- Gratuities included with the cruise fare
- Two nights of complimentary specialty dining
- Reserved seating in the Princess Theatre
- Unlimited boutique fitness classes per voyage
- Unlimited premium crafted desserts per day
- Unlimited premium fresh juices.
- Unlimited Digital Photo package and Princess Prizes
- A complimentary Medallion accessory
- Unlimited MedallionNet 2.0 with Fleetwide Starlink and 5G for up to four devices.
- Unlimited prix fixe meals at any casual dining location
- Free OceanNow Delivery Service Activation
- Complimentary Room Service
- “Green Lane” Express Boarding, including free Medallion device delivery.
I’m not sure how Princess Cruises came up with their pricing. But there’s no benefit to purchasing the drink package instead of the upgraded cruise fare.
If you want the Plus drink package, purchase the Princess Plus cruise fare.
If you want the Premier drink package, purchase the Princess Premier cruise fare.
However, Princess Plus and Princess Premier are sold in limited quantities. If you cannot purchase the inclusive pricing package, use our calculator below to help you decide if the drink package is worth it.
Princess Cruises Beverage Package Rules
Before purchasing one of the Princess Cruises drinks packages, you need to know a few basic details.
Like most cruise lines, Princess Cruises’ beverage packages are priced per person per day. Further, the drink package must be purchased for the entire cruise. This means you can’t buy the package on individual days.
At checkout, the cruise line adds an 18% gratuity to your purchase. However, the service charge is waived on Australian sailings.
The drink packages are not available for purchase on itineraries of two nights or fewer (or Australian voyages of seven nights or less.)
Guests may use the beverage packages at the cruise lines’ private islands, onboard restaurants, and venues that offer beverage service, including the theatre.
While we recommend purchasing the package in advance, you can buy a drink package onboard the ship, but only on the day you embark on the cruise ship.
Before embarkation day, you can purchase any Princess Cruise drink packages up to four days before you set sail. You can buy the plan from the Cruise Personalizer, telephone, or your travel agent.
The beverage package is non-refundable and non-transferable within three days of the sail date or if you purchase the beverage package on the cruise ship.
As expected, Princess Cruises does not allow passengers to share the drink package. In other words, you won’t be able to use the drink package to purchase beverages for other passengers. Further, there is a daily limit of 15 alcoholic drinks per day, and you’ll only be able to order one drink at a time.
However, unlike most cruise lines, not all passengers sharing a stateroom need to purchase the drink package. So, if only one guest wants to buy a drink package, the other passengers won’t need to buy one.
An incredible advantage if you ask us!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Drinks are Free on Princess Cruises?
Princess Cruises’ free drinks include glasses of water, lemonade, standard tea, brewed coffee, iced tea, and fruit juices with breakfast.
Can You Take Drinks Onboard a Princess Cruise?
Yes, you can bring alcohol on a Princess Cruise. Each adult guest can get one 750ml bottle of wine or champagne on board. You can consume the bottle in your stateroom at no extra charge.
If you want to consume your wine or champagne around the ship, including in restaurants, you must pay a $15 corkage fee per bottle.
Passengers can bring additional bottles of wine or champagne on the ship. However, each bottle will be subject to the $15 corkage fee regardless of where you consume the bottle.
Guests can also bring unlimited soft drinks and water onboard a Princess cruise.
Can You Share the Drink Package on a Princess Cruise?
You cannot share the drink package on a Princess cruise. If a crew member catches someone sharing drinks with another passenger, the cruise line reserves the right to cancel that guest’s beverage package without providing a refund.
Does Everyone in the Cabin Need to Purchase a Princess Cruise Drink Package?
Princess Cruises is one of the only cruise lines that doesn’t require everybody sharing a cabin to purchase the drink package if one person buys it.
If only one person wants a drink package, you won’t need to purchase it for everyone in the cabin.
How Many Drinks Can You Order at a Time?
You can only order one drink at a time. There is no set time limit on drink orders; however, you won’t be allowed to purchase two drinks back to back immediately.
What is the Drinking Age on a Princess Cruise?
The drinking age on Princess Cruises varies based on the itinerary. For cruises that depart from Australia, New Zealand, China, Europe, or Singapore, the drinking age is 18. For cruises that sail to Japan, the drinking age is 20.
Everywhere else, including cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean, the drinking age is 21.
Is There a Daily Drink Limit on Princess Cruises?
Princess Cruises has a daily limit of 15 alcoholic drinks per person. There is no limit to the number of non-alcoholic beverages you can purchase.
Can I Purchase the Princess Cruises Beverage Package on Individual Days?
The Princess Cruises drink packages must be purchased for the entire length of your cruise. You cannot buy the drink package on individual days or during your voyage.
Does the Princess Cruises Drinks Package Include Minibar Purchases?
Princess Cruises drink packages do not include items in your cabin minibar. Consuming drinks from the minibar will result in an extra charge.
Does the Princess Cruises Drinks Package Include Room Service?
The Princess Cruises drink packages don’t cover room service or mini bar purchases. Drinks purchased through room service will be charged to your onboard account.
Can You Use the Princess Cruises Drink Package at the Private Islands?
Yes. You can use any Princess Cruises drink packages at the private islands, including the cruise lines Princess Cays in the Bahamas.
