For many travelers sailing with Carnival Cruise Line, deciding whether to buy the drink package is one of the biggest pre-cruise questions. While the idea of unlimited drinks sounds appealing, cruise drink packages are expensive add-ons that can easily add hundreds of dollars to the total cost of your vacation.
Because it’s not a small investment, it’s important to understand exactly what you’re paying for, including Carnival’s drink package rules, daily limits, and pricing structure!
Carnival’s most popular option is the Cheers! Beverage Program, which offers cruisers the convenience of paying one flat daily price for most drinks onboard. The promise is simple: fewer receipts, less mental math, and a more carefree cruise experience.
Below is a comprehensive guide to Carnival’s drink package, including costs, limitations, and rules—along with our honest take on whether it’s actually worth it, based on firsthand experience.
What’s included in Carnival’s drink package?
Carnival’s Cheers! Beverage Program is designed to bundle most onboard drinks into a single daily charge. Once you purchase the drink package, all beverages are ordered using your Sail & Sign card throughout the cruise.
Carnival’s drink package includes cocktails, spirits, beer, and wine by the glass, as long as the menu price is $20 or less per drink.
Beyond alcohol, the package also covers sodas, specialty coffees, hot tea, energy drinks, bottled water, and non-alcoholic frozen cocktails. These are all beverages that can add up quickly if you’re paying per drink, so make sure you consider this in your calculations.
Here’s a complete list of what’s included in Carnival’s Cheers! drink package:
- All spirits and cocktails
- Beer and wine by the glass
- Sodas and soft drinks
- Zero-proof frozen cocktails
- Energy drinks
- Specialty coffees and espresso drinks
- Hot tea
- 500ml bottled water
- Other non-alcoholic bottled beverages
- Packaged water in the Main Dining Room and specialty restaurants
- 25% off spirits or wine by the glass priced over $20
- 25% off bottles of wine and champagne
- 25% off beverage seminars and tastings
How much is Carnival’s drink package?
For 2026 sailings, Carnival’s drink package costs $82.54 per person, per day when purchased before the cruise.
If you wait until you’re onboard, the price increases to $88.44 per day. These prices already include gratuities, and booking in advance saves roughly $5 per day.
Pre-purchases must be completed by 11:59 p.m. the night before embarkation if booking online, or by 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time if purchasing through Carnival’s call center. Once the cruise begins, the package becomes non-refundable.
In addition, once your drink package is activated, it cannot be refunded after 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time the evening before departure.
Carnival’s drink package limits explained
One of the most misunderstood aspects of the Cheers! package is its alcohol cap. Unlike some cruise lines, Carnival’s drink package is not unlimited.
Guests are limited to 15 alcoholic drinks per 24-hour period, with the day running from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. However, non-alcoholic beverages do not count toward this limit.
After the fifteenth alcoholic drink, no additional alcohol can be purchased until the next day resets. You aren’t even allowed to purchase alcohol out of pocket once this limit has been reached.
Carnival also makes it clear that the limit is not an entitlement. Bartenders can decline service at any time if a guest appears impaired, even before reaching 15 drinks.
Important Carnival drink package rules to know before you buy
There are some important rules to follow if you’re considering Carnival’s drink package.
First, Cheers! is available only to guests aged 21 and over, and Carnival requires that every adult in the same stateroom purchase the package if one person does. In addition, drinks must be ordered one at a time, and sharing beverages is strictly prohibited.
Carnival’s drink package is non-transferable and non-refundable, and state or local taxes may still apply when the ship is sailing in U.S. waters. These taxes are charged per drink, not per day, and appear directly on your onboard account.
Finally, guests sailing from Texas, Norfolk, or New York should be aware of an additional restriction. On these itineraries, the Cheers! package does not activate until 6:00 a.m. on the second day of the cruise. Alcohol purchased on embarkation day is charged individually, with applicable taxes.
While the Cheers! price includes gratuities, local taxes can still apply when the ship is in U.S. waters. These taxes are calculated based on the price of each drink, not the daily package rate. On European cruises, VAT is included where applicable.
Does Carnival’s drink package have exclusions?
Despite its broad coverage, Cheers! has notable exclusions that you should also consider.
To start, Carnival’s drink package does not cover souvenir glass drinks, bottles of liquor, room service beverages, mini-bar items, or drinks delivered as part of in-stateroom programs.
In addition, beverages purchased at the gangway, during private events, or as part of specialty experiences are also excluded, as are items like cigars, cigarettes, and food.
Finally, Cheers! only works onboard your Carnival cruise ship. Unfortunately, this means your drink package does not extend to ports of call or Carnival’s private destinations, including Celebration Key.
Cheers! Zero Proof: The non-alcoholic option
For guests who don’t drink alcohol, Carnival also offers the Cheers! Zero Proof package, starting at $29.99 per day. This version focuses on non-alcoholic beverages that can be enjoyed throughout your Carnival cruise.
Most of these are items many cruisers already enjoy daily, such as:
- Specialty coffees and espresso drinks
- Sodas and fountain drinks
- Energy drinks
- Bottled water
- Juices
- Zero-proof frozen cocktails
There is no alcohol limit to worry about, and the daily price is lower than the standard Cheers! package, making it a popular choice for non-drinkers and caffeine lovers alike.
Breakeven point for Carnival’s drink package
To properly evaluate the value of Carnival’s Cheers! drink package, it helps to examine the breakeven point. This includes calculating how many drinks you’d need to order each day for the package to pay for itself compared with buying drinks individually.
Since Carnival’s Cheers! package costs about $82–$88 per day when gratuities are included, a simple way to think about the breakeven point is to compare that daily cost with what you’d pay per drink a la carte.
Below is a high-level breakdown showing how many drinks you’d need each day to break even on Carnival’s drink package, with calculations based on average onboard drink prices.
| Drink or Beverage Type | Average Price | Breakeven Quantity per Day |
|---|---|---|
| Cocktails | ~$14 | 6 drinks |
| Wine by the glass | ~$13–$15 | 6 glasses |
| Beer | ~$9–$10 | 8–9 beers |
| Premium cocktails (near $20 cap) | ~$18–$20 | 4–5 drinks |
| Specialty coffee | ~$6 | 14–15 drinks |
| Energy drinks | ~$5–$6 | 14–16 drinks |
| Bottled water (500 ml) | ~$4–$5 | 17–20 bottles |
| Zero-proof frozen cocktails | ~$9–$10 | 8–9 drinks |
| Soda | ~$3–$4 | 22–29 sodas |
In practical terms, you’ll want to plan on having five to six adult beverages per person per day, along with some regular coffees, sodas, or waters. This will typically get you to or past the breakeven mark on a standard Carnival sailing.
Is Carnival’s drink package worth it? My honest opinion
For the right cruiser, Carnival’s Cheers! package can absolutely be worth it, but it’s not the best option for every cruiser.
In my experience, Carnival’s drink package has multiple factors to consider and math is only part of the story. You also need to consider your itinerary, stamina, and mindset once you’ve spent hundreds of dollars upfront.
On paper, Cheers! works best for cruisers who are going to drink consistently every day and actually enjoy doing that.
When cocktails are hovering around the low-to-mid teens after gratuity, you’re generally looking at roughly 6 alcoholic drinks per day to break even, especially if you also take advantage of bottled water, lattes, and a few other included non-alcoholic drinks.
If your itinerary has more sea days, you’ll have more opportunities on the ship to utilize your package. In addition, shorter sailings might help you have a higher stamina to keep drinking consistently. Not to mention, if you’re traveling with a party crowd to celebrate, it might make more sense to splurge.
I tried Carnival’s drink package on a 3-night cruise, and I wasn’t totally convinced it was worthwhile for me.
First, I will say that I liked the convenience of Carnival’s drink package. It was so nice not having to worry about racking up a huge bill at the end of the cruise.
Moreover, I really loved the freedom to try new cocktails without feeling like I was gambling $15 on something I might not even finish. This made the cruise feel more carefree and all-inclusive.
At the same time, my mind is always focused on math (I am a data analyst, after all!). I noticed how easy it is to slip into the “get my money’s worth” mentality during my cruise.
I found myself ordering drinks that I didn’t really want just because I had already paid for them. That’s not exactly relaxing for me, and it’s not the kind of vacation energy I’m hoping to have.
So my honest take is that Carnival’s drink package is worth it if you’re someone who enjoys having several drinks spread throughout the day, plus coffee and bottled water, and you’ll be onboard enough to use it.
If you’re a lighter drinker or you’re sailing on a port-heavy itinerary, you might not get the full value.
Moreover, if you know you’ll tap out after a day or two, you’ll probably be happier (and spend less) paying for drinks as you go. You could even consider splurging on a non-alcoholic option like Cheers! Zero Proof if coffee, soda, and hydration are your main splurges.
