Celebrity Drink Package Guide: Is It Worth It?

I made a full video walking through the packages and showing the breakeven point on screen, so if you would rather watch me run the numbers, hit play above. Then come back here, because pricing details are easier to follow in writing.

The Two Packages, Plainly

Celebrity sells two main drink packages, Classic and Premium. The Classic package covers a wide range of beers, spirits, cocktails, and wines by the glass up to a per drink limit of around twelve dollars, plus specialty coffee, soda, juices, and bottled water. It also throws in a discount on bottles of wine. For most people, Classic covers the everyday drinks they actually order, since plenty of cocktails and house wines land under that limit.

The Premium package raises the per drink limit to around nineteen dollars, which opens up top shelf liquor, craft beers, a reserve wine list, premium bottled water, and a slightly bigger wine bottle discount. The jump from Classic to Premium usually runs a modest amount extra per day. If you are a particular cocktail or whiskey person, or you want the nicer wines by the glass, Premium is the one to look at. If you are not chasing top shelf names, Classic is plenty.

Don't Forget the Gratuity

Here is the thing the cruise line ad does not put in big letters. A gratuity is added on top of the package price, usually around eighteen to twenty percent. So when you see a daily rate quoted, the real number you pay is higher.

I always do my math with the gratuity included, because that is what hits your card. It is not a reason to skip the package, but it is a reason with yourself about the true cost when you compare it to paying per drink.

How All Included Changes Everything

This is the part that trips people up, so pay attention. Celebrity sells most cruises two ways. There is a cruise only fare, which is just the room and the basics, and there is the All Included fare, which bundles the Classic drink package, basic Wi-Fi, and gratuities into the price. The All Included fare costs more up front, but if you were going to buy the Classic package and Wi-Fi anyway, it is often cheaper to take the bundle than to add those things separately later.

So the real first question is not Classic or Premium. It is whether you book All Included at all. If you do, you already have Classic, and the only decision left is whether to pay a little more per night to upgrade to Premium.

If you book cruise only, then you are deciding whether to add a package from scratch. I sort this out with clients before they book, because choosing the right fare type up front usually saves more money than any onboard decision.

The Math: When the Package Pays Off

Let me give you the simple version I use. Add up the package price plus gratuity to get your true daily cost. Then count what you would actually order in a normal day. Cocktails on Celebrity run in the mid teens, a glass of wine is similar, a beer is a bit less, and specialty coffees, sodas, and bottled waters add up faster than people expect.

Run a quick day in your head. A morning specialty coffee, a couple of bottled waters, a beer by the pool, two cocktails before dinner, and a glass of wine with the meal. That stack alone clears most package prices once you add tax and gratuity on each individual drink.

That is why the rough rule is four or more drinks a day, counting coffees and waters, makes the package worth it. Do not forget those non alcoholic items, because a soda and coffee habit pushes a lot of light drinkers over the line.

When to Skip It

I tell plenty of clients to pass on the package, and here is when. If you have one or two drinks a day, you will spend less paying as you go, even after tax and gratuity per drink. If you are sailing a short three or four night cruise and you know you will be off the ship in port most days, the math gets worse because you are paying for days you barely drink.

And if only one person in the cabin drinks much, that matters too, because cruise lines generally require both adults in a stateroom to buy the package. Two packages for one drinker is rarely a good deal.

One more honest note. Some people drink more when they have a package because it feels free. That is fine if you want it, but be aware of it. The package does not save you money if it only exists because you are now ordering drinks you would never have paid for individually.

What's Actually Included That People Forget

A package is more than just cocktails, and the parts people forget are where a lot of the value hides. Both packages include specialty coffee, and if you are the kind of person who needs a latte or a cappuccino every morning, that alone is several dollars a day you would otherwise be spending at the coffee bar. Bottled water is in there too, which matters more than it sounds, because buying water by the bottle on a ship adds up shockingly fast over a week.

Soda and fresh juice are covered as well, so a family member who does not drink alcohol at all can still get real value from the package through sodas, mocktails, coffees, and waters. That changes the math for couples where one person drinks and the other does not. The non drinker is not getting nothing, they are getting all the coffee, soda, and water they want. When I run the numbers for clients, I always count those items, because leaving them out makes the package look worse than it is.

Should You Buy Before the Cruise or On Board

If you decide you want a package, timing matters. Buying ahead of your cruise through the planner is almost always cheaper than buying once you are on the ship, and Celebrity runs promotions on packages fairly often, so prices move around. I keep an eye on those for clients and grab the package when the price dips. Waiting until you board usually means paying the higher walk up rate, and you lose the chance to catch a sale.

There is one nice piece of flexibility worth knowing. If you buy ahead and the price drops before you sail, you can often cancel and rebook at the lower rate, since pre cruise purchases are usually refundable up to a point. That is a small move that can save real money, and it is exactly the kind of thing I watch for when I am managing a booking. The cruise lines will not chase you down to tell you the price dropped, so somebody has to be paying attention.

✈️ WORK WITH ME

Want help choosing the right itinerary or working out if a package pays off? I'm a travel advisor and I book cruises at no extra cost, and I'll run the math with you. Get a free quote and grab my free tips on Substack: substack.com/@jacksonjetsetting.

Classic or Premium: Which Upgrade Makes Sense

If you have decided you want a package, the Classic versus Premium choice comes down to a few things. Go Premium if you drink top shelf liquor, you care about the better wines by the glass, or you want craft beer and the nicer bottled water. The daily upgrade is small enough that two or three premium drinks a day usually justifies it.

Stick with Classic if you mostly order house cocktails, standard beer, and everyday wine, because almost all of that already falls under the Classic limit. I have sailed happily on Classic plenty of times. You are not missing much unless you have specific top shelf tastes.

If you want a feel for the ships these packages go with, I have written up a couple worth reading. My Celebrity Reflection review Covers an older but beloved ship, and my Celebrity Ascent things to know Post covers one of their newest. The bars and lounges differ a fair bit across the fleet, which can nudge your package decision.

FAQ

Is the Celebrity drink package worth it? If you drink four or more beverages a day, counting coffees, sodas, and waters, yes. If you are a light drinker, paying per drink almost always costs less.

Do both people in the cabin have to buy it? Generally yes. Cruise lines usually require all adults in a stateroom to purchase the same package, so if only one of you drinks, the value drops fast.

What is the difference between Classic and Premium? Classic covers drinks up to about twelve dollars, Premium up to about nineteen, which adds top shelf liquor, craft beer, and better wines by the glass. The upgrade costs a small amount more per day.

Is the package cheaper to buy before the cruise or on board? Pre cruise prices are usually lower, and Celebrity often runs promotions. Buying on board tends to cost more, so decide early if you can.

Does All Included come with a drink package? Yes. The All Included fare bundles the Classic package, basic Wi-Fi, and gratuities into the cruise price, and you can pay a little extra to upgrade to Premium.

Are gratuities included in the package price? Not in the standalone package, no. A gratuity of around eighteen to twenty percent is added on top, so always do your math with that included.

Final Thoughts

The Celebrity drink package is a great deal for steady drinkers and a waste of money for light ones, and the All Included fare quietly makes the decision for a lot of people before they ever think about it. Count your real daily drinks, add the gratuity to the package price, and compare. If you want me to run the actual numbers for your specific sailing and fare, that is exactly the kind of thing I do for clients at no extra cost.

Curious how this stacks up against another line? My Royal Caribbean drink package guide Walks through the same math over there.

More cruise reads:

• How Much Does a Celebrity Cruise Cost? A Real Budget Breakdown
• Celebrity Gratuities Explained: How Tipping Works
• Celebrity Solstice Review: Premium Cruising on a Freshly Refit Ship
• Celebrity Captain's Club Explained: Celebrity's Loyalty Program
• Celebrity Ships by Size: Classes Explained
• What's Included on a Celebrity Cruise (and What Costs Extra)