Do cruise casinos give free drinks?

Historically, drinks have not been free to cruise ship casino gamblers the way they usually are in land-based casinos. There are exceptions, however. Free drinks in the casino are a perk of casino loyalty on Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Princess, Holland America and Norwegian Cruise Line.



Whether a cruise casino provides free drinks depends entirely on the cruise line's loyalty program and your level of play. Unlike land-based casinos in Las Vegas, most mainstream cruise lines (like Royal Caribbean or Norwegian) do not automatically provide free drinks just for sitting at a machine. Usually, you must earn a certain number of "Casino Points" during your current sailing to unlock a "Drinks on Us" benefit. For example, on Carnival Cruise Line, once you reach a specific point threshold, your drinks are complimentary as long as you are actively playing in the casino. However, if you have booked your cruise through a Casino Comp program or have "Elite" status in the cruise line's loyalty club, you may have free drinks in the casino (or even ship-wide) from the moment you board. In 2026, some luxury lines are moving toward all-inclusive models where drinks are free everywhere, but for the major "big-ship" lines, you should expect to pay for your cocktails unless you are a high-volume player or have a pre-purchased beverage package that covers the casino bar.

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On most cruise lines' ships, alcoholic drinks cost extra and incur an automatic 15 to 20 percent service fee. Pricing will vary by line, but it's akin to restaurant and nicer bar prices -- about $12 per cocktail, $8 to $10 per glass of house wine, $14 to $25 for nicer wines.

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You can get free drinks if you gamble a lot Once you earn 5,000 points, you'll become part of the Pearl tier and able to enjoy complimentary house drinks while actively playing in the casino. 15,000 points levels you up to Sapphire, which gives you premium drinks.

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Social media posts and casino announcements would indicate that at least a small handful of people win four- and even occasionally five-figure slot machine payouts on a regular basis. But just as in a land-based casino, it's far easier to lose your stake than it is to win that kind of money.

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Get Free Drinks While You're Gambling Different casinos have different policies about free drinks, so make sure to ask a bartender or cocktail waitress about the policies. In some cases, such as video poker bars, you'll have to play a certain period of time at a certain rate to receive a free, or “comped,” drink.

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Cruise line drinks packages let you order as many drinks as you want while on a cruise for one flat fee. This takes the place of paying for drinks one at a time. At some lines, there are several tiers of drinks packages. Basic tiers often just include sodas and bottled water.

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Guests are not allowed to bring beer or hard liquor onboard for consumption or any other use. Alcoholic beverages (beer, seltzer, or hard liquor) seized on embarkation day will be returned at the end of the voyage provided that they are in the original sealed package.

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Fine or surcharge: On many cruise lines, you may be subject to a fine or a surcharge if they catch you sneaking alcohol onto the ship. Confiscation of alcohol: No matter what other disciplinary action the cruise line takes, you can expect them to confiscate your alcohol as soon as they find it.

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While purchasing a beverage package prior to your cruise is the most cost effective, you can opt to purchase one on board for a slightly higher price.

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While water, juice, and tea are usually free on a cruise, you often have to go to the ship's restaurants to get them. Meanwhile, non-alcoholic drinks like sodas cost extra (usually around $2-3 per serving), so bringing those on with you when allowed can save you a decent amount.

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Most slot machines will just take your cruise card, but some will also take cash. Very few cruise ship casinos are cash-only but a few do exist. (Windstar and Silversea are examples.)

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You probably won't need much actual cash while onboard, as many cruise lines will just charge purchases to your account. Even ship casinos these days have cashless credit systems. On nearly all cruises, passengers are given an itemized bill at the end of the trip listing all charged expenses.

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Specialty cruise lines like Disney Cruise Line, Paul Gauguin and most expedition cruise ships do not have casinos. Premium cruise lines Oceania Cruises and Cunard have casinos, while Viking, Azamara and Windstar Cruises do not. (Windstar and Azamara actually removed casinos from their ships and repurposed the space.)

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Can I pack wine in my suitcase for a cruise? You cannot pack wine in checked luggage for a cruise.

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Yes, you can buy a beverage package. These all-you-can-drink packages allow passengers to pay a set fee up front for unlimited drinks (of a certain type, as outlined by the package's fine print), rather than pay per drink once onboard the cruise ship.

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How to Hack (and Share) the Royal Caribbean Drink Package
  1. 1 Buy your drink package before the cruise.
  2. 2 Share the drink package with someone else.
  3. 3 Order top-shelf liquor at the bar.
  4. 4 Take advantage of the non-alcoholic drinks.
  5. 5 Take bottled water with you on excursions.


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In many cases, no. Several of the biggest cruise lines, including Carnival, Holland America and MSC Cruises, have a rule that if one adult in a cabin orders a drinks package, all adults in the cabin must order the package. This is to prevent two or more people in a cabin from sharing a single drinks package.

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Why Are Cruise Ships Cashless ? Cruise ships do not accept cash onboard because all onboard purchases are charged to passengers personal cruise accounts. Cruise accounts are usually connected to a credit or debit card which is much easier for the cruise lines to process.

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