Guests may also bring non-alcoholic beverages as carry-on items on boarding day. Non-alcoholic beverages may not exceed 12 standard (17 oz.) cans, bottles or cartons per stateroom. Milk and distilled water brought on for infant, medical, or dietary use are permitted.

Policies on bringing bottled water vary by cruise line in 2026, but the trend is toward prohibiting plastic bottles for security and environmental reasons. Carnival Cruise Line strictly prohibits passengers from bringing any non-alcoholic beverages in bottles; however, you can bring a maximum of 12 sealed cans or cartons (12 oz or less) per person. Royal Caribbean and Norwegian (NCL) have similar restrictions, often banning all plastic bottled beverages but allowing a limited number of cans or glass bottles of water/soda on embarkation day. Most lines make an exception for distilled water required for medical devices (like CPAP machines) if packed in carry-on luggage. To discourage bringing your own, cruise lines sell "water packages" that deliver a case of bottled water directly to your stateroom for a fee, though the tap water on modern ships is highly filtered and perfectly safe to drink.