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Whether it’s a morning coffee, a cocktail by the pool or a glass of wine with dinner, drinks are an important part of any cruise holiday. Celebrity Cruises offers several drinks packages to make enjoying your favourites easier, but choosing the right one can make a considerable difference to the overall cost.
With Classic, Premium and Non-Alcoholic options available, alongside Celebrity’s All Included fares, there’s plenty to consider. So, how much are drinks packages on Celebrity Cruises, what’s included and are they worth the money?
Celebrity Cruises has three main drinks packages, each offering different inclusions.
The Classic Drinks Package includes selected beers, spirits, cocktails, liqueurs, frozen drinks and wines by the glass, subject to an individual drink price limit. It also includes bottled water, premium coffees, and teas.
It’s a good choice if you enjoy familiar brands without regularly ordering the most expensive drinks on the menu.
The Premium Drinks Package offers a wider choice of alcoholic beverages, including higher-priced spirits, cocktails, and wines by the glass, along with an expanded selection of non-alcoholic drinks.
Premium guests also receive a 20% discount on eligible bottled wines, compared with 15% with Classic.
Celebrity’s Non-Alcoholic Drink Package includes premium bottled waters such as Evian, Perrier and San Pellegrino, speciality coffees, organic teas, fresh juices, smoothies, Red Bull and non-alcoholic cocktails.
Consider this if you enjoy several coffees, soft drinks, or freshly prepared beverages throughout the day.
Celebrity Cruises uses variable pricing, so the daily cost depends on your ship, itinerary, cruise length and available promotions. For example, if you are on a cruise from the UK, the limit will differ from one departing from US ports.
You can check the price for your sailing through Celebrity’s pre-cruise booking system.
Although package prices vary, Classic and Premium have set limits on the individual alcoholic drinks they cover.
| Package | Individual drink limit |
| Classic | Up to $12, or $14 on sailings departing UK and Australian ports |
| Premium | Up to $19, or $23 on sailings departing UK and Australian ports |
| Non-Alcoholic | Eligible non-alcoholic drinks included |
These figures are the maximum menu prices covered per alcoholic drink, not the daily cost of the packages.
A 20% gratuity is added separately to purchased drink packages, where applicable.
For example, a package advertised at $70 per day before gratuities would cost $84 per day, or $588 for a seven-night cruise.
This is an illustrative calculation rather than a current Celebrity package quotation.
Classic and Premium cover eligible drinks at participating bars, lounges and restaurants. If you order an alcoholic drink above your package’s price limit, you can generally pay the difference plus any applicable gratuity.
Drinks from the minibar and room service aren’t included, and packages cannot be shared between guests.
It’s also worth knowing that Classic doesn’t include every beverage available through the Non-Alcoholic package. For example, smoothies and Spa Cafe fresh juices are excluded from Classic.
Celebrity’s All Included fare combines the Classic Drinks Package with Basic Wi-Fi. If you’re comparing different fare options, it’s also worth understanding what’s included in your cruise fare before deciding which extras you need.
Whether it’s better value depends on the difference between the cruise-only and All Included fares for your sailing.
If you’d otherwise purchase both drinks and Wi-Fi separately, All Included could be the more economical option. However, if you rarely drink alcohol or don’t need Wi-Fi, a cruise-only fare may work out better.
Remember that All Included doesn’t automatically provide Premium Drinks or Premium Wi-Fi. Guests staying in The Retreat should also check their fare inclusions, which differ from standard accommodation.
The easiest way to decide is to compare the daily package cost against what you’d realistically spend without one.
Consider your usual drinks throughout the day. You might enjoy a speciality coffee at breakfast, a soft drink at lunch, a cocktail before dinner and a couple of glasses of wine during the evening.
Add up the individual prices, including applicable gratuities, and compare that figure with your package cost.
Use this simple calculation:
Daily package cost ÷ average price per drink = number of drinks needed to break even.
For example, if your package costs $84 per day, including gratuities, and your drinks average $14 each, including gratuities, you’d need six drinks per day to cover the cost.
Remember to factor in non-alcoholic drinks included in your package, too.
Your itinerary also matters. On port-intensive cruises, you may spend much of the day ashore and drink considerably less than you would during a sea day.
Ultimately, a package isn’t always the least expensive option, but some guests value the convenience of knowing most of their drinks are covered.
Celebrity generally requires adults of legal drinking age sharing a stateroom under the same booking number to purchase the same alcoholic drinks package.
However, guests who don’t drink alcohol can request a modification to the Non-Alcoholic Drink Package, subject to Celebrity’s conditions.
Minimum drinking ages vary by departure region.
For a family cruise with children or teenagers, it’s also worth checking which drink packages are available to younger guests and how the rules differ from those for adults.
Purchasing before departure can be worthwhile, particularly when Celebrity offers promotional prices through its pre-cruise booking system.
It’s also an opportunity to compare the cost of upgrading from Classic to Premium if your fare already includes Classic.
Celebrity allows you to modify purchased packages up to 48 hours before sailing. After this point, packages are non-refundable under its stated conditions.
Classic suits guests who enjoy familiar wines, beers and cocktails. Premium offers more choice for guests who regularly order higher-priced drinks, while Non-Alcoholic is ideal for guests who prefer coffees, smoothies, bottled water, and alcohol-free cocktails.
The best choice depends on your drinking preferences, itinerary and the package prices available for your sailing.
If you’re planning a Celebrity cruise, speak to one of our Cruise Experts at Bolsover Cruise Club. We can help you compare the available fare options, explain what’s included and find the right Celebrity cruise for you.
