What drinks are complimentary on a cruise?

What drinks are free of charge?
  1. Water. Water is always free of charge on most cruise ships. ...
  2. Flavored water. Some cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean drink package provides their passengers with several options of flavored waters to choose from. ...
  3. Lemonade. ...
  4. Tea and coffee. ...
  5. Hot chocolate. ...
  6. Milk. ...
  7. Fruit juices.




On most major cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian, a selection of "basic" beverages is always complimentary and included in your cruise fare. These typically include iced water, flavored waters, brewed coffee, hot tea, iced tea, lemonade, and basic fruit juices (usually orange or apple) served during breakfast. Milk and hot chocolate are also usually free in the buffet areas. However, "premium" drinks like canned soda, bottled water, specialty coffees (Starbucks or espresso-based drinks), and all alcoholic beverages—beer, wine, and cocktails—require an additional fee or a pre-purchased beverage package. In 2026, some "upper-premium" and luxury lines (like Viking, Virgin Voyages, or Celebrity in certain cabins) have expanded their complimentary offerings to include sodas and even "house" wine and beer during lunch and dinner. If you are on a budget, a peer-to-peer secret is that you can often find "free" sparkling wine at the art auctions or captain’s receptions, but for daily hydration, the lemon-flavored water in the Windjammer or Lido deck is the standard "free" staple.

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Drinks That Cost Extra on Cruises: Beverages that cost you extra onboard usually include the following: bottled or sparkling water; specialty coffees and teas at bars, cafes and dining venues; smoothies and specialty blended fruit drinks, fresh-squeezed orange juice and juice ordered at onboard bars.

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If you want a broader selection, you will either have to purchase each drink individually or pay for a drink package. To start off, there are some drinks that are included with the standard cruise fare. Water, lemonade, fruit juices, coffee, tea, regular and chocolate milk are all complimentary.

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Food and beverages As part of the cruise price, there is always complimentary food of many types and flavors. Drinks included are tap water, some juices and iced tea on most lines; everything else typically costs extra. Coffee and tea are complimentary, but you'll need to pay for specialty coffee beverages.

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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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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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Food and drinking are usually complimentary on the cruises. You are also allowed to bring your own snack on the cruise so that you can have what you love. A certain time is fixed for every meal - breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can either have it with everybody in the dining room or bring it to your room.

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Carnival Cruise Line: Carnival has one of the loosest beverage policies of all cruise lines, allowing each guest to carry on a maximum of 12 sealed 12 oz. cans or cartons of a non-alcoholic beverage (e.g., sodas, juices, milk, or sparkling water) – a policy that most cruise lines have eliminated.

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The standard point level that must be reached to qualify from slot play is 1,000 points on sailings less than 5 days and 1,500 points on sailings 5 days or longer. Table Players: Table players will be awarded a 'Drinks On Us!' card when they reach comparable table play.

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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.

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Water is always free of charge on most cruise ships. You may be asked to pay a fee for some versions of bottled water. However, you can likely ask for a jug of iced water in any restaurant or bar for no added cost. There are several water dispensers present on a cruise ship so that you can help yourself.

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Can you bring snacks, like candy, on a cruise? Shelf-stable snacks like chips, pretzels, protein bars or any other items packaged in sealed wrappers are permitted on every major cruise line.

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Cruise ships are good at making food available 24/7, so if you're hungry, there's usually no one to blame but yourself. The main dining room usually has set meal times, but sections of the buffet will always be open, and you'll usually be able to find a diner, cafe, or pizza shop that's open at all hours.

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Many first-time cruisers don't realize that they won't be able to go directly to their staterooms upon boarding. Pass the time while you wait for your room to be ready and for the ship to set sail by enjoying lunch on the Lido Deck of the ship.

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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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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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