If you have watched my Carnival ship tours on the Jackson Jetsetting YouTube channel, you have heard me say that Carnival's loyalty perks are worth more than most cruisers realize, as long as you know how to claim them. The two complimentary drinks for Platinum and Diamond members are a good example, and the launch of Carnival Rewards left a lot of guests unsure how the perk works now.
Carnival brand ambassador John Heald cleared it up in a video on October 28, 2026. The short version: your first two drinks of the sailing are treated as the complimentary ones unless you tell the bartender otherwise, and buying a FunPack does not take the free drinks away.
Below is how the perk works under Carnival Rewards, how to make sure the free drinks land on the cocktails you want instead of a bottle of water, and how the new FunPack bundles fit in. If you want help getting your Carnival Rewards status matched to the right sailing and the right add-ons, my agency handles that at no cost to you.
Carnival Platinum and Diamond Members Still Get Two Free Drinks
The complimentary drink benefit carried over from the VIFP Club, which ended August 31, 2026, into Carnival Rewards. Platinum and Diamond members receive two complimentary beverages per sailing. Gold members receive one complimentary beverage on cruises of five nights or longer. I covered every tier, the Star thresholds, and what changed from VIFP in my Carnival Rewards explainer.
The perk itself did not change. What changed is how the ships are applying it, and that is where the confusion started.
How Carnival Applies the Two Complimentary Drinks
According to Heald, the ship's system treats a Platinum or Diamond member's first two drink orders as the complimentary ones by default. Order a bottle of water on embarkation day and a soda by the pool, and both free drinks are gone before you reach the first bar you wanted to use them at.
The fix is simple, and it only works if you speak up at the moment you order:
- If you do not want a drink to count against the perk, tell the bartender or bar server before they ring it in. The drink is charged to your Sail & Sign account and both free drinks stay available.
- When you are ready to use a free drink, say so as you order. Heald recommends stating it out loud every time rather than assuming the system knows.
- Once both complimentary drinks are used, every drink after that is charged normally or covered by your beverage package.
Pro Tip: Save the two free drinks for a premium cocktail or a glass of wine at dinner. A $14 cocktail is a better use of the perk than a $3 bottle of water, and the system does not care which one it applies to.
Carnival FunPacks Do Not Cancel the Free Drinks
The other half of the confusion came from the FunPack bundles Carnival announced on October 14, 2026. Guests kept asking Heald whether buying a FunPack with a drink package inside it would wipe out the two complimentary drinks. His answer was that the FunPack does not interfere with the perk at all. Platinum and Diamond members who buy a FunPack get the bundle's drinks and the two complimentary drinks on top.
| FunPack | Drink Component |
| Kidstarter | Bottomless Bubbles soda and juice package |
| Zero Proof | CHEERS! Zero Proof package |
| Social | Three alcoholic drinks per day plus unlimited non-alcoholic drinks |
| Epic | Full CHEERS! beverage package |
Depending on the bundle, FunPacks also include arcade tokens, bulk candy discounts, Wi-Fi, shore excursion discounts, and specialty dining discounts. The sale window runs through October 30, 2026, for sailings departing October 31, 2026, through December 31, 2027, and a FunPack has to be purchased at least three days before the cruise. Heald said the bundles have been popular and did not know whether they would come back after the window closes.
If you are weighing the Epic FunPack against buying CHEERS! on its own, my guide to whether cruise drink packages are worth it walks through the break-even math for Carnival's package.
What the Carnival Free Drink Clarification Means for Your Next Sailing
A few practical takeaways from how I am briefing clients:
- Platinum and Diamond members should plan the two drinks. Decide before you board where you want to use them, and say "I am using a complimentary drink" when you order.
- Water and soda are the trap. Those are the orders most likely to burn a free drink without you noticing. Opt out at the bar or bring a case of water through the ship's pre-order.
- FunPack buyers lose nothing. The bundle stacks on top of the loyalty perk, so there is no reason to skip a FunPack to protect two drinks.
- Gold members have one drink to manage. The same opt-out rule applies, and the perk only shows up on sailings of five nights or longer.
The free drinks are a small line item next to fares and gratuities, which I break down in my Carnival cruise cost guide and my Carnival gratuities guide. They are also the perk most often wasted, which is why Heald had to make a video about it.
How Jackson Jetsetting Helps Carnival Rewards Members
When you book your Carnival cruise through Jackson Jetsetting, I make sure your Carnival Rewards number is attached to the reservation so status perks load correctly, I add FunPacks or CHEERS! to the booking when the math works, and I keep an eye on sale windows like this one so you do not miss a deadline. You pay the same fare you would pay booking direct.
If you are comparing loyalty programs before you commit to a line, start with my cruise loyalty programs comparison.
Five Tips I Give Every Client About Carnival Loyalty Drinks
- Say "complimentary drink" out loud when you order one, and say "charge this to my account" when you do not.
- Use the free drinks on something you would pay full price for, such as a specialty cocktail or a glass of wine with dinner.
- Check your Sail & Sign statement in the Carnival HUB app after your first bar visit to confirm the drink was applied the way you asked.
- If a free drink was applied by mistake, ask Guest Services the same day. It is far easier to fix than on the last night.
- Buy a FunPack before the window closes if the drink package inside it fits your sailing. The loyalty drinks stack on top.
Carnival Free Drinks for Platinum and Diamond Bottom Line
Platinum and Diamond Carnival Rewards members still get two complimentary drinks per sailing, Gold members get one on cruises of five nights or longer, and the ships apply the perk to your first drink orders unless you opt out at the bar. FunPacks stack on top of the perk rather than replacing it. Tell the bartender what you want each drink to do, and the perk works the way it should.
Have a Carnival sailing coming up and want help lining up your status, add-ons, and payment schedule? Reach out to Jackson Jetsetting and I will take it from here.
