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Cruise drink packages are changing: perks, limits, math

A pool-deck bar on a cruise ship shows mocktails, beer taps, wine, and coffee, illustrating evolving cruise drink packages and zero-proof choices.
by
5 min read

Key points

  • Carnival launches a comprehensive Zero Proof package
  • Virgin sticks with Bar Tab after drink package pilot
  • Royal and MSC enforce rules on sharing and limits
  • NCL to exclude ship packages at Great Stirrup Cay in 2026
  • Princess raises package prices and adds perks
  • Travelers should do route and island day math

Impact

Who Is Affected
Cruisers weighing drink packages across major lines.
What Changed
New nonalcoholic options, policy limits, island exclusions, and price-perk updates.
Where
Fleetwide policies with private-island differences at CocoCay, Ocean Cay, and Great Stirrup Cay.
What To Do
Compare inclusions to your habits, sea days, and island time before purchasing.

Cruise drink packages are morphing across the industry, with new nonalcoholic bundles, stricter terms, and perk trade-offs that make the decision less of a splurge and more of a calculation. For travelers, the headline is simple: cruise drink packages can still offer value, but only when the inclusions line up with how you actually cruise. This guide explains what changed, why lines are adjusting, and how to do the math on cruise drink packages before you buy.

Cruise drink packages, by the numbers

Carnival Cruise Line introduced Cheers! Zero Proof on September 3, 2025, a comprehensive nonalcoholic package that bundles mocktails, alcohol-free beer and sparkling wine, premium coffees and teas, juices, water, milkshakes, and energy drinks. Carnival framed the move as a response to growing demand for alcohol-free choices, and it sits alongside the existing Cheers! alcohol package, which keeps the 15 alcoholic-drinks-per-day cap while leaving nonalcoholic items unlimited.

Virgin Voyages, after piloting an unlimited package in early 2025, opted to stay with its Bar Tab model. Bar Tab is a pre-paid beverage credit that can receive bonuses and works both onboard and at the Beach Club at Bimini. Virgin's team says guests prefer the flexibility and transparency of a fund over a fixed daily package.

Oceania Cruises added choice to its "Your World Included" promise on September 17, 2025. New bookings can pick one of two amenities, either complimentary wine and beer by the glass during lunch and dinner hours, or a shore excursion credit of up to $600 per guest, in addition to inclusions like specialty dining, Wi-Fi, and gratuities. The line positioned the change as luxury with optionality.

Royal Caribbean continues to enforce its long-standing rule that if one adult in a stateroom buys the Deluxe Beverage Package, all adults of legal drinking age in that cabin must also purchase it. This policy targets sharing and keeps per-guest economics predictable.

MSC Cruises standardized consumption limits, placing a 15-alcoholic-drinks daily cap across its packages effective April 1, 2025, while retaining unlimited nonalcoholic beverages. The Premium Extra package remains the tier that works in specialty restaurants and, importantly, carries ashore to Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve with a mostly similar selection.

Where island days change the value

Island time is now a meaningful input to cruise drink packages. Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed that, beginning March 1, 2026, shipboard beverage packages, including More at Sea, will not apply at Great Stirrup Cay. Complimentary water, iced teas, and juices will remain, and NCL plans a separate, island-only beverage offer.

Carnival's onboard drink packages, including Cheers! and Zero Proof, do not extend to Celebration Key or other private shoreside venues. Drinks there are pay-as-you-go unless a separate open-bar product is purchased for specific venues.

By contrast, Royal Caribbean's beverage packages work on Perfect Day at CocoCay, including Coco Beach Club, which can preserve package value on an otherwise pricey island day. MSC's Premium Extra package similarly works at Ocean Cay, though the island bars may not stock the full onboard selection.

Analysis

The trend line is toward segmentation and choice. Lines are separating sea-day value from island-day revenue, adding nonalcoholic breadth, and tightening anti-sharing rules. For travelers, the cruise drink packages decision starts with a simple checklist.

First, count sea days versus port days. Packages neutralize sea-day spending, but their value drops if your itinerary is island-heavy and your line excludes private-island purchases. Second, map your habits to the inclusions. Carnival's Zero Proof or Oceania's wine-and-beer-at-meals can be a better fit than an all-alcohol bundle if you lean toward coffees, juices, and mocktails. Third, bake in the rules. Royal's all-adults requirement, MSC's 15-drink cap, and NCL's Great Stirrup Cay exclusion can swing the math by $20 to $60 per person per day.

Finally, consider packages that are not really "packages." Virgin's Bar Tab, with bonus credits and island usability, offers predictable spend without the psychological pressure to "get your money's worth," which some travelers find reduces stress and waste.

Final thoughts

Cruise drink packages still solve a real traveler need, but the best choice now hinges on your itinerary, island days, and drinking style. Before you click buy, run the numbers line by line, including whether your cruise drink packages cover private islands, whether daily caps or all-adult rules apply, and whether a flexible credit like Bar Tab would better match your habits.

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