Ah, the cruise drink package question. The one that has launched a thousand Reddit arguments, ruined at least four marriages, and single-handedly kept cruise forum moderators employed since 2014. Let’s settle this once and for all.
Here’s the thing about drink packages: the cruise lines aren’t offering them out of the goodness of their corporate hearts. They’ve done the math. They know that for most cruisers, the package is more expensive than just buying drinks individually. That’s the whole business model. They’re banking on you overestimating your commitment to poolside margaritas.
But here’s the plot twist: for some of you absolute legends, the drink package is genuinely a screaming deal. The question is which camp you fall into.
The Math Nobody Wants to Do on Vacation
Let’s get real. A drink package on most major cruise lines runs anywhere from $60 to $100+ per person, per day. On a 7-night cruise, that’s $420 to $700 per person before they even hand you a lukewarm piña colada.
To break even at, say, $80/day, you need to drink roughly 6-8 drinks per day. Every. Single. Day. For the entire cruise. Including that morning when the ship is rocking and the thought of alcohol makes you question every life decision.
Now, some of you just read that and thought “easy.” And honestly? Respect. You’re exactly who the drink package was designed for. But most people overestimate their stamina. You’re vacation-you right now, full of ambition and dreams. Sea-day-three-you is a different person entirely, one who just wants water and a nap.
When the Drink Package Is a No-Brainer
You’re a Consistent Drinker (Not Just Day One)
If you genuinely average 5+ alcoholic drinks a day on vacation and maintain that energy across a full week, the math usually works out. This is especially true on cruise lines with higher individual drink prices. A single cocktail on some ships can run $14-18, so it doesn’t take many to hit that daily threshold.
You Love Specialty Coffee
This is the sneaky advantage nobody talks about. Most drink packages include specialty coffee drinks. If you’re a three-lattes-a-day person (no judgment, we’re the same), those $6-7 espresso drinks add up fast. Combine coffee habit + a few cocktails + some fresh-squeezed juice, and you might be breaking even before lunch.
You’re Sailing a Premium Line
Higher-end cruise lines charge more per drink, which paradoxically makes their drink packages a better relative value. When individual cocktails are $16-18, you need fewer of them to break even on the package.
When to Skip It
You’re a Port-Heavy Itinerary Person
If you’re spending most of your days off the ship exploring ports, you’re paying for a drink package you’re barely using. You’ll be drinking at that beach bar in Cozumel instead. The package doesn’t work off the ship.
You’re a Wine-With-Dinner Type
If your drinking consists of one or two glasses of wine at dinner and maybe a cocktail at the show, you’re almost certainly better off paying per drink. The math just doesn’t math for moderate drinkers.
You’re Cruising With Kids
Between managing small humans, early dinners, and the exhaustion of doing literally anything with children on a boat, most parents drink significantly less than they think they will. (Again, no judgment either way.)
The Variables That Actually Matter
This decision comes down to five things:
- Your cruise line — package prices and individual drink prices vary wildly. Cruise line policies differ on everything, including drink pricing.
- Trip length — longer cruises mean more sea days, which usually means more drinking.
- Your actual drinking style — be honest. Not aspirational-you. Real-you.
- What you drink — beer drinkers break even differently than cocktail people.
- Port vs sea day ratio — more sea days = more value from the package.
Stop Guessing. Do the Actual Math.
We built a free Drink Package Calculator that does all of this for you. Pick your cruise line, enter your trip length, be honest about your drinking habits (we won’t tell anyone), and it’ll show you exactly whether to buy it or skip it.
It gives you a daily cost breakdown, compares your estimated spending with vs. without the package, and delivers a clear verdict: BUY IT, SKIP IT, or BORDERLINE (meaning it’s close enough that the convenience factor should decide).
Because honestly, the peace of mind of not tracking every drink might be worth a small premium for some people. And for others, the savings from skipping it could fund a whole extra excursion (once you budget the tips, of course).
The ShipTea Verdict
Stop asking Reddit. Stop polling your Facebook cruise group. Stop making this decision based on what your friend Karen said about her 2019 Bahamas cruise. Your situation is different from everyone else’s, and the only way to know for sure is to run the numbers.
Try the Drink Package Calculator now — it takes about 30 seconds and might save you hundreds.
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- Tipping Calculator — Budget your gratuities
- Cruise vs Resort Calculator — Is a cruise even the right call?
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