What is the average cost of a Carnival Cruise drink package?

Purchasing drink packages on your next cruise ship can be a helpful way to save money while getting the most out of the experience. Drinks, whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic, can be a big part of your cruising experience, so knowing where you can save money can go a long way. Carnival Cruises offers a lot of drink packages that you can opt for as per your overall budget.

This article can give you better insight into the average cost of a carnival cruise drink package and provide you with more information about the different options you have. It also provides some tips and tricks you can keep in mind before investing in a drink package.

Average Cost and Rules of a Drink Package on Carnival Cruises

The Carnival cruise drink package offers a large variety of options to choose from and allows every passenger to consume up to 15 drinks per day. This limit applies to alcoholic beverages, while non-alcoholic options such as sodas, mocktails, energy drinks, water bottles, tea, etc. can be consumed on an unlimited basis. Carnival alcohol packages require you to pay a fixed daily rate. Many cruise lines offer a large variety of drink package options. Carnival removes this hassle by providing only two drink packages for all, namely, CHEERS! (alcoholic beverages) and Bottomless Bubbles (non-alcoholic beverages).

On average, if you book the carnival cruise drink package onboard while on your trip, you'll have to pay $64.95 for every day of your trip. The options are extensive, and you have the freedom to order any spirit, cocktail, beer, or glass of wine of your choice. The drinks also have a value limit of $20 or less. Suppose you wish to purchase any drink that is valued above the minimum allowed $20. In that case, you get an overall 25% discount for every drink you purchase.

For shorter trips that last anywhere between 3 and 5 days, the per-day prices are a little higher. You have to pay $74.95 per person for every day. For trips that last more than 5 days, per day and per person, the price falls below the aforementioned amount of $64.95.

For Bottomless Bubbles, the pricing falls to $9.50 per adult and $6.95 per child. These prices are based on per-day costs and consist of a lot of drink options such as sodas, juices, sparkling water, root beer, Pepsi drinks, and Mountain Dew, to name a few. The downside to this non-alcoholic carnival cruise drink package is that if you wish to consume specialty coffee and/or tea during your trip, you'll have to purchase these options separately.

Also Read: Carnival Cruise Ships By Age: Newest to Oldest

On top of all of these, there is an 18% gratuity, which is automatically applied to your drink package for the whole trip. The prices, in addition to the gratuity, are as follows:

You can also purchase drinks independently without the drink package. For beers, you can expect to pay an average of $7.00–$8.00 for most brands. If you wish to drink wine on your cruise trip, the minimum average falls to around $8.00 for every glass. Premium wine options will cost you an average of $15.00 per glass. If your choice of alcoholic beverage is a cocktail, then the average price that you'll have to pay falls under $14.00 per glass. If you wish to purchase soft drinks, energy drinks, bottled water, etc., it easily costs between $2.50 and $3.00. Lastly, coffee falls anywhere between $1.95 and $6.50, depending on the kind of brew you opt for.

Also Read: How Much Does a Vacation with Carnival Cruise Cost?

Tips to Remember When Choosing a Carnival Cruise Drink Package

• Compare the prices you will have to pay while purchasing a drink package to the cost of paying for each drink individually. Every passenger has their personal preferences regarding drinks. The frequency of drink consumption is also something that differs from person to person. While understanding your requirements, you should compare the prices of how much you'll pay if you purchase a full-drink package and how much you'll pay if you separately buy each drink. Since drink packages usually consist of a lot of options, it might end up being cheaper for you to buy your favorites separately.
• If you're opting for a carnival cruise drink package, make sure to pre-purchase in advance before embarking on your cruise trip. This tip helps you get your hands on special discounts that are only offered when you purchase such packages either online or way in advance of your trip. The average cost can be reduced by 10% off the overall cost if you pre-purchase the drink package.
• You should opt for a drink package if you are looking to try new and unique options. Packages on cruise lines usually consist of a lot of different kinds of drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Even after having your favorites, you might want to try something completely new to enhance your cruising experience. In times like these, a drink package can come in very handy, as you won't have to pay anything extra to try out newer options.
• If you are an avid carnival cruiser and are part of their loyalty program, 'Very Important Fun Person (VIFP),' you can get some added beverage benefits. Different tiers in the loyalty program offer different benefits. On one tier, you can get a free 1.5-liter bottle for every cruise trip you make. The next tier offers a complimentary drink, another one offers a free beverage, and there are special parties for trips longer than 5 days where you can avail of more free drinks.

Related: Are Carnival Cruises All Inclusive?

Conclusion

Drink packages have become a great way for cruising enthusiasts and passengers to save up on their overall base fare. This helps in establishing a budget way in advance of the trip and also ensures that passengers have more freedom over their drink preferences. To decide if the carnival cruise drink package is suitable for you, all you need to do is compare prices. You'd have to compare what you'd pay for every drink individually with what you'd have to pay for the whole package. Choose Cruisebooking.com for your next Carnival cruise trip to ensure a quick and hassle-free process.