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Costs

Alaska Cruise Drink Package Costs

By Reviewed by Marin HollowayUpdated 2 min readLast fact checked on .

Unlimited beverage packages on Alaska sailings run roughly $60 to $120 per person per day before gratuity, which pushes the real cost to $71 to $144. Individual drinks cost $8 to $16, so break even sits at five to nine drinks a day depending on the line.

The short answer

Alaska drink packages cost $60 to $120 per person per day plus an 18 to 20 percent gratuity, giving a real cost of $71 to $144. Individual drinks run $8 to $16. Break even is five to nine drinks per person per day, and most lines require all adults in a cabin to buy.

Key points

  • Packages run $60 to $120 per person per day before gratuity.
  • The 18 to 20 percent gratuity is charged upfront, taking the real cost to $71 to $144.
  • Individual drinks cost $8 to $16 on most Alaska sailings.
  • Break even is five to nine drinks per person per day.
  • Most lines require all adults in a cabin to purchase if any one does.

Drink package pricing is straightforward once you include the gratuity, which the advertised price never does. This page gives the real numbers so you can do the arithmetic honestly.

Package prices by line

Unlimited alcohol package, per person per day
LineAdvertisedPlus gratuityValue cap per drink
Carnival$60 to $70$70 to $83Around $20
Holland America$60 to $75$71 to $89Around $15
Princess$65 to $85$77 to $101Around $15
Royal Caribbean$70 to $95$83 to $114Around $14
Celebrity$75 to $110$89 to $132$10 classic, $17 premium
Norwegian$100 to $120$120 to $144Around $15
Cunard$65 to $90$75 to $104Varies
DisneyNo unlimited packagen/an/a
Luxury linesIncluded in fareIncludedNo cap in practice
Value caps matter. A drink above the cap is charged at the difference, not the full price.

What individual drinks cost

Typical onboard drink prices in Alaska
DrinkTypical priceWith gratuity
Draught beer$7 to $9$8 to $11
Bottled beer$8 to $10$9 to $12
Glass of house wine$11 to $14$13 to $17
Glass of premium wine$15 to $22$18 to $26
Standard cocktail$12 to $15$14 to $18
Premium cocktail$16 to $20$19 to $24
Speciality coffee$5 to $7$6 to $8
Bottled water$3 to $5$4 to $6
Soft drink$3 to $4$4 to $5

The break even calculation

Drinks per day required to break even
LineReal daily costAt $14 per drinkAt $16 per drink
Carnival$70 to $835.0 to 5.94.4 to 5.2
Holland America$71 to $895.1 to 6.44.4 to 5.6
Princess$77 to $1015.5 to 7.24.8 to 6.3
Royal Caribbean$83 to $1145.9 to 8.15.2 to 7.1
Celebrity$89 to $1326.4 to 9.45.6 to 8.3
Norwegian$120 to $1448.6 to 10.37.5 to 9.0
Speciality coffees, bottled water and soft drinks also count toward the package value, which lowers the effective break even somewhat for people who drink several of those a day.

What it costs over a seven night cruise

Seven night package cost for two people, including gratuity
LineTotal for two
Carnival$980 to $1,162
Holland America$994 to $1,246
Princess$1,078 to $1,414
Royal Caribbean$1,162 to $1,596
Celebrity$1,246 to $1,848
Norwegian$1,680 to $2,016
For comparison, a couple drinking three each per day at $15 including gratuity spends roughly $630 over seven nights.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a drink package on an Alaska cruise?
Roughly $60 to $120 per person per day advertised, plus an 18 to 20 percent gratuity charged upfront, giving a real cost of $71 to $144 per person per day. Over seven nights for two people that is $980 to $2,016 depending on the line. Norwegian is the most expensive, Carnival and Holland America the least.
How much do drinks cost individually on a cruise ship?
Draught beer runs $7 to $9, house wine by the glass $11 to $14, standard cocktails $12 to $15 and premium cocktails $16 to $20, all before the automatic 18 to 20 percent gratuity. Speciality coffee is $5 to $7 and soft drinks $3 to $4.
How many drinks do I need to break even on a package?
Five to nine per person per day depending on the line and what you drink. Carnival and Holland America break even around five, Princess and Royal Caribbean around six or seven, and Norwegian requires eight to ten. Speciality coffees, bottled water and soft drinks all count toward the total, which helps.
Is gratuity included in a cruise drink package price?
Usually not in the advertised figure. Most lines add 18 to 20 percent on top, charged upfront when you buy the package. It also applies to packages received as part of a promotion, which means a free drinks package can still generate $300 to $500 in charges for two people over a week.
Do both people in a cabin have to buy a drink package?
On most lines, yes. If one adult in a cabin purchases the package, all adults sharing that cabin are usually required to as well. This rule roughly doubles the commitment and makes the combined break even much harder when one person drinks significantly more than the other.
Is a non alcoholic drinks package worth it?
More often than the alcohol one, on an Alaska itinerary. A soft drink and speciality coffee package at $12 to $25 per day breaks even at three or four coffees, which is realistic on a cold sailing where hot drinks replace poolside cocktails. It is the package most travellers overlook and the one that most often pays.

Keep researching

Call an Alaska cruise specialist