When I first booked a Princess cruise, one of the most confusing things for me was figuring out whether a drink package was actually worth it.
I’ve cruised with Princess a few times and after lots of research (and a fair bit of onboard taste testing!), I’m here to help you understand the drink packages so you can make the best choice for your cruise.
Princess Cruises doesn’t include alcoholic drinks or sodas in the base fare, so unless you’re happy sticking to free tea, coffee, and water, you’ll need to budget for drinks separately — or get a drinks package to simplify things.
Princess Cruise Drinks Package Calculator
Wondering if a drinks package is really worth it on your next cruise? My easy-to-use calculator does the tough calculation for you!
Simply enter the drinks you usually have on a typical day, and it’ll show you in seconds which package gives you the best value.
✅ Get instant access for free below!
Princess Cruises Drink Packages at a Glance
Here’s a quick table so you can compare the options at a glance:
| Package | Includes | Advertised Cost | Actual Cost (w/18% Service Charge) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plus Beverage Package | Drinks up to $15 | $64.99 per day | $76.69 per day |
| Premier Beverage Package | Drinks up to $20 | $84.99 per day | $100.29 per day |
| Zero Alcohol Package | All non-alcoholic drinks | $29.99 per day | $35.39 per day |
| Classic Soda Package | Sodas, mocktails, smoothies, juices | $14.99 per day | $17.69 per day |
Note: Prices are in USD. Australian sailings use AUD pricing.
My Take on the Packages
👉 Classic Soda Package
If you’re someone like me who enjoys sodas by the pool or with meals, this package is simple and affordable.
You can have unlimited fountain sodas, mocktails, and smoothies. It’s great for kids, too, or adults who aren’t into alcohol.
👉 Zero-Alcohol Drink Package
I tried this once on a health kick! It covers everything non-alcoholic — sodas, bottled water, specialty coffees, mocktails, smoothies, Red Bull, and milkshakes.
It’s perfect if you want variety without alcohol.
👉 Plus Beverage Package
This is the package I usually end up with — it covers most beers, wines by the glass, cocktails (up to $15), specialty coffee, sodas, and bottled water.
You get 15 alcoholic drinks a day (which, trust me, is plenty!). Plus, you get a 25% discount on bottled wine.
👉 Premier Beverage Package
If you like premium wines and top-shelf cocktails, this is for you. Drinks up to $20 are included, and you can enjoy the best selection onboard.
I think this is worth it if you’re planning to indulge in higher-end drinks daily.
Important to Know
- You can’t buy the package for just part of your cruise — it has to cover the whole trip.
- Alcoholic packages are only available to guests of legal drinking age (which varies by itinerary).
- You’re limited to 15 alcoholic drinks per day. Non-alcoholic drinks? Unlimited!
- Sharing a package is not allowed — your package can be cancelled without a refund if you’re caught sharing.
My Pro Tip
Honestly? If you’re thinking of getting a drink package, don’t buy it separately! Instead, consider the Princess Plus or Princess Premier fare.
They bundle the drinks package, WiFi, gratuities, and more, and they usually cost less overall than the drinks package alone once service charges are added.
👉 Princess Plus = Plus Beverage Package + extras
👉 Princess Premier = Premier Beverage Package + extras
What’s Actually Included in Each Princess Drinks Package?
Plus Beverage Package
I’ve used this package a couple of times, and it really covers most people’s needs:
- All beer, wine by the glass, spirits, and cocktails (up to $15 each)
- Specialty coffees (think lattes, cappuccinos, espresso)
- Teas, hot chocolate, and fountain sodas
- Fresh juices, smoothies, Red Bull
- 500ml bottled water (still and sparkling)
- 25% discount on wine bottles and 1-litre bottled water
👉 Limit: 15 alcoholic drinks per day. Non-alcoholic drinks are unlimited.
Premier Beverage Package
If you like premium drinks, this package has you covered:
- Everything in the Plus Package, but drinks up to $20 each
- Unlimited bottled still and sparkling water (any size)
- Access to a wider selection of premium cocktails, wines, and spirits
- Same 25% discount on wine bottles
👉 Again, 15 alcoholic drinks per day, but unlimited softs, coffees, etc.
Zero-Alcohol Package
Perfect if you’re skipping alcohol or for teens:
- Unlimited specialty coffee and tea
- Soft drinks (fountain + canned sodas)
- Bottled water (still and sparkling)
- Fresh juices, smoothies, and milkshakes
- Frappes, Red Bull, mocktails
Classic Soda Package
This is your basic soft drinks bundle:
- Unlimited fountain sodas
- Canned sodas
- Mocktails and smoothies
- Juices (except fresh juice bar)
What’s Not Included
No matter which package you choose, these items are always extra:
- Bottles of wine or spirits (but you get discounts on bottles with Plus & Premier)
- Buckets of beer
- Mini bar items
- Room service drinks
- Drinks from vending machines
- Souvenir cups/glasses
- Retail shop beverages
👉 If you order a drink that costs more than your package covers, you’ll just pay the difference. For example, a $16 drink on the Plus Package = $1 charge.
Example Drink Prices (To Help You Decide!)
Here’s what drinks cost if you buy them individually on Princess:
| Drink Type | Typical Price |
|---|---|
| Beer (bottle/pint) | $7 – $7.50 |
| Glass of wine | $10 – $19 |
| Cocktails | $10 – $18 |
| Mocktails | $7 |
| Soft drinks | $2.50 |
| Bottled water (500ml) | $2.50 |
| Specialty coffee | $3 – $4.50 |
💡 As you can see, a beer, a cocktail, and a soda can easily add up to $20+ per day. And that’s without any specialty coffee or bottled water.
My Pro Tip
From my personal experience, if you plan to have 3+ drinks per day (including sodas, coffee, etc.) and maybe a cocktail or glass of wine at dinner, you’ll probably save money with the Princess Plus fare instead of paying per drink.
Princess Plus vs Princess Premier at a glance
When I cruise with Princess, I always take time to weigh up Princess Plus vs Princess Premier before booking.
Both bundles include drinks packages (Plus or Premier Beverage Package) along with other great extras like Wi-Fi, gratuities, and dining perks.
In this section, I’ll break down what each includes, when they’re worth it, and share tips from my own experience!
Here’s a table I created so you can instantly see the key differences:
| Feature | Princess Plus ($60/day) | Princess Premier ($90/day) |
|---|---|---|
| Beverage package | Plus Beverage (drinks up to $15 each) | Premier Beverage (drinks up to $20 each) |
| Alcohol limit | 15 alcoholic drinks per day | 15 alcoholic drinks per day |
| Wi-Fi | 1 device per guest | 4 devices per guest |
| Crew tips | Included | Included |
| Premium desserts | 2 per day | Unlimited |
| Casual dining | 2 meals per guest | Unlimited |
| Specialty dining | Not included | Unlimited |
| Fitness classes | 2 per cruise | Unlimited |
| Photo package | ❌ | ✅ Included |
| Medallion accessory | ❌ | ✅ Included |
| Reserved theater seating | ❌ | ✅ Included |
| Room service delivery fee | Waived | Waived |
| Drinks delivery anywhere | ✅ | ✅ |
| Shore excursion credit | ❌ | ✅ $150 credit |
📝 Tip: These fares are often better value than buying drinks, Wi-Fi, and gratuities separately.
What you get in each fare
Princess Plus Fare
With Princess Plus, you’ll enjoy:
- The Plus Beverage Package — unlimited drinks priced up to $15 each, including beer, wine, cocktails, spirits, specialty coffee, sodas, smoothies, juices, Red Bull, and 500ml bottled water.
- 15 alcoholic drinks per day cap, but unlimited non-alcoholic drinks
- Wi-Fi for 1 device per guest
- Crew gratuities included
- 2 premium desserts per day
- 2 casual dining meals per guest
- Free room service delivery
- Drinks can be delivered anywhere on the ship
Princess Premier Fare
With Princess Premier, you’ll get:
- The Premier Beverage Package — drinks priced up to $20 each, everything from plus higher-end wines, cocktails, spirits, and all bottled water
- 15 alcoholic drinks daily cap, but unlimited non-alcoholic drinks
- Wi-Fi for 4 devices per guest
- Crew gratuities included
- Unlimited premium desserts
- Unlimited casual dining
- Unlimited specialty dining
- Photo package (includes digital photos)
- Medallion accessory
- Reserved theater seating
- $150 shore excursion credit
- Drinks anywhere, free room service delivery
Is Princess Plus or Premier worth it?
I always do the math before I book. Here’s how I think about it:
Princess Plus is worth it if…
✅ You’ll have at least 2-3 alcoholic drinks per day
✅ You want Wi-Fi and don’t want to deal with tipping charges
✅ You like to have specialty coffees, Red Bull, sodas, or smoothies
Princess Premier is worth it if…
✅ You plan to enjoy premium cocktails/wines/spirits up to $20
✅ You want specialty dining frequently
✅ You’d use Wi-Fi for multiple devices (or share in a family)
✅ You value extras like photo packages or theater seating
When neither might be worth it…
❌ You drink very little alcohol
❌ You’re on a short cruise or plan to spend most time ashore
❌ You’re happy with the free drinks (iced tea, coffee, water, juice at breakfast)
What drinks cost without a package?
Here’s a sample of Princess’ bar prices:
| Drink | Price |
|---|---|
| Cocktail | $10–$18 |
| Mocktail | $7 |
| Beer | $7–$7.50 |
| Glass of wine | $10–$19 |
| Soft drink | $2.50 |
| 500ml bottled water | $2.50 |
👉 It’s easy to spend $25–$40/day on drinks if you like a few cocktails, coffees, and sodas.
Important rules about Princess drink packages
1️⃣ 15-Alcoholic-Drink Daily Limit
- Limit: You can enjoy up to 15 alcoholic drinks per 24-hour period (6:00 AM to 6:00 AM).
- What counts? Beer, wine, spirits, and cocktails all count toward this limit.
- Non-alcoholic drinks? No limit — you can have unlimited soft drinks, specialty coffees, bottled water, juices, Red Bull, etc.
- What happens after 15 drinks? Officially, any additional alcoholic drinks will be charged at the regular menu price. Some bartenders might refuse to serve you extra alcohol if they feel you’ve had enough (for safety reasons).
- My tip: Space your drinks throughout the day so you can enjoy your favorite beverages without hitting the cap too soon.
2️⃣ No Sharing Your Drink Package
- Rule: Your drink package is strictly for your personal use. You cannot order drinks for other guests.
- Examples of sharing that break the rule:
- Ordering a cocktail for yourself and passing it to your friend.
- Using your package to get sodas for kids who don’t have their own package.
- What happens if caught? Princess can cancel your drink package with no refund.
- My tip: If traveling with family or friends, consider getting packages for everyone who wants drinks. It saves awkwardness and potential penalties.
3️⃣ Packages work at Princess Cays
- Good news: Your drink package benefits extend to Princess Cays, the cruise line’s private island in the Bahamas.
- What’s covered? Same drinks and limits as onboard.
- Exception: You might not find the full drink selection that’s available on the ship due to limited island bars.
4️⃣ Must-Buys for the Entire Cruise
- Rule: When you purchase a drink package, you must buy it for every day of your sailing.
- Why? This prevents people from only buying it for sea days or party days.
- Exceptions: None. It’s all or nothing. You can’t buy a package for just part of your cruise.
- My tip: If you’re unsure, do the math before you sail — my calculator or manual estimate will help you see if it’s worth it.
If doing all the math sounds like a headache, my drinks package calculator makes it easy to figure out if a Princess cruise drinks package will actually save you money.
Just enter how many drinks you expect to enjoy each day, and you’ll see whether a package or paying as you go is the better deal. Get instant access for free below!
5️⃣ Bringing Your Own Drinks
- Wine: Each adult can bring one 750ml bottle of wine or Champagne at embarkation.
- Corkage fee: If consumed outside your cabin (e.g., dining room or bar), Princess charges a $15 corkage fee.
- Extra bottles: Allowed, but all extra bottles will incur a $15 corkage fee, even if consumed in your cabin.
- Soft drinks: Unlimited canned or carton soft drinks or water are allowed.
- Liquor or beer: Not permitted — these will be confiscated at embarkation.
6️⃣ Ordering Multiple Drinks
- Rule: You may generally only order one alcoholic drink at a time per person.
- Why? This prevents sharing and overconsumption.
- Tip: If you’re in line at a busy bar with a travel partner, you can both order one drink at a time, or alternate who orders.
- On the app: You can order multiple non-alcoholic drinks at once using the MedallionClass app (handy for coffee or soda).
7️⃣ Drinking Age Rules
- Drinking age varies by region: RegionDrinking AgeEurope, Singapore, China, Australia/NZ18Japan cruises20US/Caribbean/Alaska21
- Special rule: If you’re on a cruise between ports with different drinking ages, Princess applies the stricter policy (usually 21 for US sailings).
8️⃣ No Package Sharing Across Staterooms
- Rule: If you have a package, you can’t order drinks for guests in other cabins.
- Tip: Everyone in the same stateroom doesn’t have to buy a package — so one adult can get a package without forcing the whole cabin to do so. This is unlike some cruise lines (e.g., MSC).
9️⃣ No Use for Mini-Bar, Room Service, or Souvenir Drinks
- Your drink package does not cover:
- Mini-bar drinks in your cabin
- Room service drinks (these are chargeable even with a package)
- Drinks served in souvenir glasses or with collectible cups
- Vending machine or self-serve wine dispensers
My Personal Tips For Getting Value
🔹 Order drinks that maximize your package value — I mix cocktails, premium coffee, bottled water, and sodas
🔹 Use the Medallion app to order drinks to your location — so convenient!
🔹 If you’re on Premier, make use of the photo package — it’s included
🔹 Book specialty dining early if you’re on Premier — no extra cost!
🔹 Plan your sea days — that’s when you’ll get the most value from drink packages
Final word
👉 Always choose Princess Plus or Premier rather than just buying the drinks package.
The bundled fares cost less when you factor in Wi-Fi and tips — it really doesn’t make sense to buy a drinks package separately for alcoholic drinks.
👉 The Classic Soda Package is the only standalone drink package that can sometimes make sense if you don’t want Wi-Fi or other extras.
