A drink package can make a Princess Cruises vacation easier to budget, but it is not automatically the right choice for every passenger. The value depends on how many drinks you expect to have each day, what types of drinks you prefer, the length of your cruise, and whether you could benefit from the other features included with Princess Plus or Princess Premier.
For 2026 sailings, Princess offers several beverage options, including the Plus Beverage Package, Premier Beverage Package, Zero-Alcohol Package, and Classic Soda Package. The two alcoholic packages cover a broad selection of drinks, while Princess Plus and Princess Premier bundle beverage benefits with other cruise perks such as Wi-Fi and dining.
The important point is that you should compare the total package cost with your realistic daily spending, rather than buying a package simply because unlimited drinks sounds convenient.
For most itineraries outside Australia, Princess currently lists the standalone Plus Beverage Package at $64.99 per person, per day, before the 18% service charge. That works out to approximately $76.69 per day after the service charge. The Premier Beverage Package is listed at $84.99 per person, per day, or approximately $100.29 after the 18% service charge. Princess notes that prices can change and that taxes may apply on certain itineraries or ports.
Princess also sells bundled packages. For 2026 cruises on most ships, Princess Plus is $65 per person, per day when purchased before the required cutoff, while Princess Premier is $100 per person, per day. Sun Princess and Star Princess have higher package prices. Purchasing onboard or too close to departure can also result in an additional charge.
This creates an important comparison: the standalone Plus Beverage Package can cost more after its service charge than the pre-cruise price of Princess Plus, even though Princess Plus includes the beverage package plus additional benefits.
The Plus Beverage Package covers a wide range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks priced up to $15 per drink on Princess menus.
It includes items such as:
The package also provides a 25% discount on bottles of wine, one-liter bottles of water, and canned soda that are excluded from the package.
There is an important limit. The Plus Beverage Package permits 15 applicable beverages during a 24-hour period, running from 6 a.m. to 6 a.m. Specialty coffees and teas do not count toward that 15-drink limit, and bottled water up to 500 ml is separately limited to 12 bottles per day.
The Premier Beverage Package is designed for passengers who want a wider selection of premium drinks.
It includes drinks priced up to $20 each, including beer, spirits, wine by the glass, alcoholic cocktails and zero-alcohol cocktails. Specialty coffees, teas, fountain sodas, frappés and qualifying bottled water are also included. Up to 12 bottles of sparkling or still bottled water of 500 ml or less are included per day.
Premier also gives passengers access to higher-end selections that may not fall within the Plus price limit, including premium spirits, reserve wines and selected crafted cocktails. Princess states that the Premier Beverage Package has no daily limit on included alcoholic beverages under the 2026 terms.
However, Premier does not cover everything. For example, minibar items, self-service or vending-machine beverages, tobacco, food and souvenir glassware are excluded. Certain bottles and other excluded products may receive a 25% discount instead.
The easiest way to evaluate a drink package is to calculate your expected daily spending.
For example, using the current Plus Beverage Package price of approximately $76.69 per day after the listed 18% service charge, you would need to consume enough qualifying beverages to reach roughly that value each day before the package provides a direct beverage-spending advantage.
Suppose your typical day looks like this:
Example daily drinksExample menu value
2 cocktails at $14$28
2 beers at $8$16
2 specialty coffees at $5$10
2 bottled waters at $3$6
1 soft drink at $3$3
Example total$63
These prices are illustrative rather than a guaranteed onboard bill; Princess states that menus and prices can change by ship and voyage. Published Princess sample menus show beers around $8 and cocktails in the $14–$20 range, with an 18% service charge applied to beverage purchases.
In a situation like this, someone spending around $63 per day on drinks would still be below the approximate $76.69 cost of the standalone Plus package. Adding more cocktails, wine, specialty coffees or other qualifying drinks could change the calculation.
The most useful question is therefore not “Do I like having drinks on vacation?” but “How much would I realistically spend on qualifying drinks every day?”
A package can be poor value for passengers who mainly drink complimentary beverages.
Many cruise guests are satisfied with included water, coffee, tea, and other complimentary options and may only purchase an occasional alcoholic drink. In that situation, paying a package price every day can cost more than paying individually.
It can also be less attractive when you spend a large part of the day ashore. Princess beverage packages are charged based on the cruise duration and must generally be purchased for the full voyage rather than individual days.
For example, imagine a seven-day cruise where you only expect to purchase two or three alcoholic beverages on most days. Buying individual drinks may provide better control over your spending than paying for a package throughout the voyage.
Another consideration is drinking frequency. A package should not encourage you to consume more than you otherwise would simply to “get your money's worth.” The financial calculation should be based on your normal vacation habits.
A package becomes more attractive when you regularly order several qualifying drinks throughout the day.
It may suit passengers who enjoy a combination of:
The convenience is another benefit. Instead of thinking about the price of every drink, you can order qualifying beverages covered by your package without adding an individual charge to your onboard account each time.
The package can also be useful for people who prefer premium drinks rather than only the least expensive options, provided the drinks fall within the package's applicable price limit.
One of the most important things to check before purchasing a standalone drink package is Princess Plus.
For 2026 cruises on most ships, Princess Plus costs $65 per person per day when purchased in advance. It includes the Plus Beverage Package as well as other benefits. Princess currently lists one-device MedallionNet Max Wi-Fi, Crew Appreciation, four casual dining meals per guest, OceanNow delivery, and room-service delivery among its benefits.
That means someone comparing the standalone Plus Beverage Package with Princess Plus should look beyond beverages alone.
The standalone Plus Beverage Package is listed at $64.99 before the 18% service charge, while Princess Plus is $65 per person per day before its package-specific terms. Therefore, the difference in headline price is extremely small, while the bundled package provides additional benefits.
For many passengers, the relevant comparison is therefore:
Standalone drinks only vs. Princess Plus with drinks, Wi-Fi, crew appreciation and other inclusions.
The same principle applies to Premier. The standalone Premier Beverage Package is listed at $84.99 before the 18% service charge, while Princess Premier for most 2026 sailings is $100 per person per day before departure. Premier adds benefits such as Wi-Fi for four devices per guest, specialty and casual dining benefits, professional photos and other package features depending on the voyage.
The Plus Beverage Package may make sense for travelers who expect frequent drink purchases but do not necessarily need the premium selections available through Premier.
It is particularly relevant for passengers whose typical drinks include standard cocktails, beer, wine by the glass, soda, specialty coffee and bottled water.
Before purchasing it, estimate your normal daily consumption and compare that figure with the package's full price, including the service charge.
Premier is more relevant when premium spirits, reserve wines and higher-priced cocktails are important to your cruise experience.
The $20 drink ceiling provides more room for premium selections than Plus, and the 2026 Premier Beverage Package does not have the Plus package's 15-drink alcoholic beverage limit.
However, Premier costs more, so occasional drinkers may not use enough of the package to justify the additional expense.
You do not need an alcoholic beverage package to enjoy drinks onboard.
Princess also offers a Zero-Alcohol Package, which includes specialty coffees and teas, hot chocolate, fountain sodas, mocktails, bottled water up to 500 ml and energy drinks. The current listed price is $29.99 per person, per day plus an 18% service charge on most itineraries.
There is also a Classic Soda Package, currently listed at $14.99 per person, per day before the applicable service charge.
These options can be more appropriate for passengers who primarily want soft drinks, specialty coffee, bottled water and alcohol-free beverages.
Several rules can affect the value of a beverage package.
Princess states that beverage packages are calculated using the total number of days of the cruise and must be purchased for the full voyage rather than selected individual days.
A beverage package is assigned to the individual passenger and cannot be transferred or shared with another guest.
For alcoholic beverage packages, the legal drinking age depends on the sailing region. Princess states that the age is 21 when sailing from North America, 20 for Japan, and 18 for the United Kingdom, Europe, other listed Asian and South American ports, Australia and New Zealand. Guests below the applicable legal drinking age receive the Zero-Alcohol Package in place of an alcoholic package and do not receive a refund for the difference.
Minibar beverages, self-service or vending-machine drinks, tobacco, food and souvenir glassware are among the exclusions listed in Princess's beverage package terms.
Princess explicitly notes that beverage pricing, menu offerings and package terms are subject to change. Checking the package price shown in your own Manage Booking account before purchasing is therefore important.
Before buying a package, take your expected daily drinks and calculate their likely individual cost.
For example:
Expected daily drink spending × number of cruise days = estimated individual beverage cost
Then compare that figure with the complete package cost, including the service charge where applicable.
After that, compare the standalone drink package with Princess Plus or Princess Premier. This second comparison is important because a bundled package may include services you were already planning to purchase separately.
Also consider how much time you will spend off the ship. Spending long days on shore can reduce the number of drinks you purchase onboard, while sea days may lead to greater beverage consumption.
It depends on your personal drinking habits. Calculate your expected daily beverage spending and multiply it by seven. Then compare that amount with the package's total seven-day cost, including applicable service charges.
There is no single number because beverage prices vary. The useful calculation is based on the total dollar value of the drinks you would normally purchase. The Plus package allows up to 15 applicable beverages during its 24-hour period, while specialty coffees, teas and qualifying bottled water are treated separately under the package rules.
Yes. For 2026 sailings, Princess Plus includes the Plus Beverage Package, which covers qualifying drinks up to $15 each, along with additional benefits such as Wi-Fi and Crew Appreciation.
Yes. Princess offers standalone beverage packages. The key is to compare their full cost with Princess Plus because the bundled package includes additional benefits.
No. Princess states that beverage packages cannot be shared or transferred.
Yes. Qualifying bottled water up to 500 ml is included, subject to the package's daily allowance. The 2026 Plus and Premier terms specify up to 12 such bottles per day.
Yes. Specialty coffees and teas are included, and they do not count toward the Plus package's 15-beverage daily limit.
For 2026 sailings, Premier includes unlimited qualifying beverages within its $20 price limit, and Princess states there is no daily limit on included alcoholic beverages. Other restrictions and exclusions still apply.
Princess states that beverage packages are generally purchased for the full length of the voyage rather than selected individual days.
Yes. Princess offers a Zero-Alcohol Package covering beverages such as specialty coffee, tea, mocktails, fountain soda, bottled water and energy drinks.
So, is it worth buying a drink package on Princess Cruises? The answer depends on how you actually drink during your vacation.
A standalone beverage package can make sense for passengers who regularly order multiple qualifying drinks every day. It may be less suitable for travelers who drink only occasionally or spend much of their cruise ashore.
For 2026 sailings, there is another important factor: compare the standalone beverage package with Princess Plus or Princess Premier before purchasing. Princess Plus includes the Plus Beverage Package along with Wi-Fi, Crew Appreciation and other benefits, while Princess Premier combines the Premier Beverage Package with a larger collection of additional perks.
The best way to make a personal decision is to estimate your normal daily beverage spending, include the applicable service charge, multiply it by the number of cruise days, and then compare that result with the available packages in your own reservation. Because Princess can change pricing, menus and package terms, check the current details for your specific sailing before completing the purchase.
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