Deen on Deck. It's a travel blog.

The question: are cruise line drink packages worth the price?”

Well…it’s complicated.

At $59.95 per person, per day, pre-purchased ($65 once onboard), Carnival’s Cheers package is far from the most pricey out there, But is it a good value? It can be. But GI Joe always said that knowing is half the battle — and knowing the facts on Cheers can help you get your best value.

1. Day 1 of your cruise is NOT necessarily day 1 of Cheers. This one surprised me. In 20 years of cruising, I had never heard that when you set sail out of Texas or New York on Carnival, you will NOT receive the benefits of your drink package on embarkation day. In all other ports, you WILL get your included drinks, but you will be charged tax on them before you enter international waters (usually within an hour of sail away).

2. On Carnival, “unlimited” most definitely has a limit. And that limit is 15. Ok, so that’s not exactly earth-shattering news and practically every Carnival cruiser is aware of the 15 drink limit to the drink package. One thing I was NOT aware of, however, is that the limit is not just to the package — every passenger is limited to 15 drinks in a 24-hour period, package or no. After that, your money’s no good here, and you’ve got to wait until tomorrow.

3. Your drink package works on the cruise line’s private island. Unless you’re on Carnival. The Funships are a bit less fun in this regard than their contemporaries. While almost EVERY other line extends the drink package to their private islands, on Half Moon Cay, that’s not the case. There’s plenty to drink there, but it’s not part of the Cheers package.

4. Are you a fancy pants? Cause the sky ain’t the limit…and you might have to pay more than just the difference. Almost all the lines have a limit on the amount covered per drink in the packages (and often tiers of said packages, from basic to fancy-pants). Usually it’s from $13 to a generous $20 (on Carnival!). If you spend more than that for a single drink, you just pay the difference. So, suppose your drink costs $15 and the limit is $13 — that drink costs you $2. EXCEPT on Carnival. If you’re above the $20 limit, you only get a 25% discount. This means, if you want that $30 scotch, you’re not paying a mere $10 difference for it, you’re shelling out $22.50.

5. Once you buy Cheers, most drinks will be included at no additional charge, but what they’re served in may not be. Carnival’s famous after-dinner MDR shots in the cute little colored glasses? Drink of the day in a souvenir Tervis tumbler on the Lido? Those vessels ain’t free! Keep in mind, there are certain drinks you can only get if you also purchase the cup, and that is usually never included in the drink package.

By now, you’re probably thinking DeenonDeck is pretty anti-drink package, and especially anti-Cheers. Not so! I’ve had some amazing drinks, great times with friends and very happy memories all thanks to the Cheers package. It can be a truly great value, as long as you make your decision knowing exactly what you’ll get and what you won’t, and how to maximize those factors for your best value.

Thanks for reading and see you soon with:
Five Times You Should ALWAYS Get the Cruise Drink Package