Name: American Express® Gold Card
Brand: American Express

Celebrity Cruises drink packages give you the freedom to enjoy both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages during your cruise without worrying about the tab. Adding a beverage package to your cruise moves your vacation one step closer to an all-inclusive experience that stops the day-to-day nickel and diming for every soda, bottle of water and glass of wine.

But drink packages can get a bit confusing. Do you save money with a package, or should you stick to ordering and paying for drinks one at a time? Which drink package is part of the “All Included” cabin pricing, and is that option your best bet?

These are just a few of the questions new Celebrity cruisers (and even some veterans of the line) often ask when considering buying a drink package for their cruise.

In an effort to simplify choices, Celebrity Cruises offers just three beverage packages, including a nonalcoholic package. To help you decide which (if any) package suits your needs and those of your travel companions, I’ve uncovered the details and tested some of the options. Here’s what you need to know before you buy.

What's included in a Celebrity drink package?

Drink from Celebrity’s Cafe al Bacio. CELEBRITY CRUISES/FACEBOOK

Celebrity Cruises’ three drink packages are the Non-Alcoholic, Classic and Premium drink packages. All of the beverage package options include bottled water (usually served in aluminum bottles to reduce single-use plastics on board), specialty coffees and teas, soft drinks, and mocktails.

You may order your drinks from any bar, restaurant or bar server in public areas, such as pools or entertainment venues. You can also use the packages on private islands like Perfect Day at CocoCay.

With a few exceptions, each package builds on the previous (lower-priced) package. Here is what’s included in each Celebrity cruise drink package.

Non-Alcoholic drink package

Celebrity offers one package for nonalcoholic beverages. It does not offer separate water-only or soda-only packages as some cruise lines do. Those drinks are included in the Non-Alcoholic package. (You might see this package listed as either Zero Proof or Non-Alcoholic on the Celebrity website and app.)

As we said before, all Celebrity drink packages include mocktails and premium coffees and teas (like those served at Cafe al Bacio). The Non-Alcoholic package also includes drinks such as Red Bull, Vitamin Water, fresh juices and smoothies at The Spa Cafe, and premium waters like San Pellegrino or Evian.

This package is ideal for those who drink few, if any, alcoholic drinks but need their morning latte or down several glasses of sparkling water or soda daily. Plus, you can enjoy vacation splurges like smoothies or frozen mocktails.

Classic drink package

The Classic drink package includes most of the nonalcoholic drinks available in the Non-Alcoholic package, except the specialty brands like Red Bull and premium waters. You’ll get all beers, wines by the glass, spirits, cocktails and liqueurs priced at $10 or less. Additionally, you get a 15% discount off all bottles of wine, which you can enjoy anywhere on board, including in your cabin.

Examples of drinks that are part of the Classic drink package are beers like Sam Adams, Corona, Coors and Alaska Brewing beers on Alaska cruises. Wines will vary depending on the location of your cruise.

Most cocktails are included in the package. They will be made from non-premium brand ingredients. Liqueurs included in the package are those with lower price tags. Think Kahlua, but not Baileys Irish Cream or Grand Marnier.

You can still order drinks that are over the $10 limit imposed by the package. You’ll simply pay the difference between the $10 limit and the cost of the drink, as well as a 20% gratuity charge on the extra amount. Some cruisers on social media have said they found it necessary on some sailings to say the word “classic” when ordering drinks to avoid being served a premium drink and having an upcharge apply.

Celebrity Cruises’ Classic package works for most drinkers who plan to consume several drinks each day. It will cover bottled water that you can take into port with you to stay hydrated during excursions and sodas for lunch while providing for most of your beer, wine and spirits needs. If you decide you want a different beer or a cocktail with a call liquor, just pay the difference.

Premium drink package

Waitress pulling wine from the wine tower in Grand Epernay on Celebrity Solstice. QUENTIN BACON/CELEBRITY CRUISES/FACEBOOK

Celebrity’s Premium drink package moves the price limit per drink to $17, which covers almost anything you’d drink on board other than higher-priced wines or a few of the pricier spirits. Premium-brand waters and Red Bull are available in this package. You’ll also have a 20% discount on bottled wine available to use, which can absolutely make a difference in your evening wine selections.

Examples of beverages available in this package are beers like Blue Moon, Guinness and Grolsch. Wines by the glass in the package are a step above those found in the Classic package and include Champagnes. Cocktails are made from premium spirits such as Crown Royal, Grey Goose, Bombay Sapphire and Patron Silver. The list of brandies and liqueurs expands considerably.

Many Celebrity cruisers have found it necessary to order their drinks specifically as “premium” beverages or to order by brand to avoid getting drinks made with the cheapest liquors.

The Premium package is perfect for cruisers who don’t want to make money decisions when ordering a drink. If I want a shot of Godiva poured over my late-night ice cream, I don’t really want to stop and wonder if it’s included in my package.

Drink package fine print

Packages do not include beverages ordered from room service, bought in onboard gift shops or consumed from the minibar in your cabin.

There are no daily limits on how many drinks you can have on a Celebrity Cruises drink package, but you can only order one drink at a time. The exception to that is that you can usually request a bottle of water at the same time you order an alcoholic drink.

The drink packages with alcohol come with a caveat — all passengers of legal drinking age in a cabin must buy the same package. So, if your roomie prefers premium spirits, you must also buy the premium package. Nondrinkers can request an exemption from the alcoholic packages but must purchase the Non-Alcoholic package instead.

What do Celebrity drink packages cost?

Now that you know what you can drink with each package, here's what you'll pay for them.

Non-Alcoholic drink package: $45 per person, per day ($54 with gratuity)
Classic drink package: $89.99 per person, per day ($107.99 with gratuity)
Premium drink package: $104.99 per person, per day ($125.99 with gratuity)

The gratuity is 20% and is added when you purchase the package. That eliminates any additional tip on individual drink orders unless you want to tip extra.

Now, let’s complicate the whole decision-making process by factoring in Celebrity’s “All Included” fares.

During the booking process, after you’ve selected your cabin, you’ll be offered an opportunity to upgrade your cruise with an All Included package that adds the Classic drink package and basic Wi-Fi for each guest in the room. It pays to compare the non-upgrade price to the upgrade, then divide the difference by the number of nights and the number of people in the cabin.

I found All Included upgrade prices as low as $35 per person, per night, which makes the drink package less than half price and Wi-Fi free. Once you have the Classic package in place through the All Included add-on, you can easily upgrade to the Premium drink package if you prefer.

While the listed upgrade price is $20 per person, per night, I’ve heard from multiple cruisers that the upgrade is sometimes offered as low as $6.99 per person, per night, making that a bargain as well. Don’t forget the 20% gratuity per person, per night, that’s tacked onto the price.

The best times to buy a Celebrity drink package

Two passengers sit at a table and enjoy cocktails outdoors on a cruise ship — Drinks at the Magic Carpet on Celebrity Edge. ALL INCLUSIVE PHOTO PROJECT/CELEBRITY CRUISES

You can buy your drink package as soon as you book your cruise or wait until you are on board. Which is the better plan?

If your cruise is leaving within the next few months, it’s probably best to go ahead and lock in the price — unless Black Friday happens to fall between purchase and the start of the cruise. Celebrity Black Friday deals on drink packages have historically been the lowest prices available all year.

The $35 per person, per night upgrade to All Included to get the Classic drink package in my example above was during the Black Friday Kickoff sale, a full two weeks before actual Black Friday.

The Celebrity drink package that fluctuates most in price is the Premium package, so it always pays to buy it precruise. Advance prices are at least 5% lower online or in the cruise line app before embarkation day.

The key to getting the best deal, either through the All Included package or buying the drink package precruise, is to do the math to break down the cost per person, per night. That way, you’re always comparing apples to apples, despite BOGO deals or percentages off.

Is a Celebrity drink package worth it?

GILES DULEY/ALL INCLUSIVE PHOTO PROJECT/CELEBRITY CRUISES

It’s time to determine whether you are saving money with these packages or whether that even matters to you. Let’s look at each package again to see how much you need to consume to break even.