Celebrity Cruise Drink Packages
Free Drinks & BYOB
The tap water on board is drinkable; bring your own refillable bottle, and you won't need to purchase bottles of water. The buffet area and all restaurants offer free drip coffee, iced tea, hot tea, hot cocoa, milk, lemonade and punch.
Plus, each cruiser is allowed to bring up to 12 cans of nonalcoholic drinks on board on embarkation day. You can also bring a can or two back from ports with you. Your cabin attendant can keep you stocked with ice and glassware in your cabin.
You can also bring one bottle of wine per person on board on embarkation day. There is a $35 corkage fee for opening it in a restaurant, bar or dining venue, but none if you open it and keep it in your cabin.
Drink Packages
Celebrity Cruises' three drink packages are the Non-Alcoholic, Classic and Premium drink packages. All of the beverage package options include bottled water (usually served in aluminum bottles to reduce single-use plastics on board), specialty coffees and teas, soft drinks, and mocktails.
You may order your drinks from any bar, restaurant or bar server in public areas, such as pools or entertainment venues. You can also use the packages on private islands like Perfect Day at CocoCay.
With a few exceptions, each package builds on the previous (lower-priced) package. Here is what's included in each Celebrity cruise drink package.
Non Alcoholic Package - $45 per person, per day ($54 with gratuity)
Celebrity offers one package for nonalcoholic beverages. It does not offer separate water-only or soda-only packages as some cruise lines do. Those drinks are included in the Non-Alcoholic package. (You might see this package listed as either Zero Proof or Non-Alcoholic on the Celebrity website and app.)
As we said before, all Celebrity drink packages include mocktails and premium coffees and teas (like those served at Cafe al Bacio). The Non-Alcoholic package also includes drinks such as Red Bull, Vitamin Water, fresh juices and smoothies at The Spa Cafe, and premium waters like San Pellegrino or Evian.
This package is ideal for those who drink few, if any, alcoholic drinks but need their morning latte or down several glasses of sparkling water or soda daily. Plus, you can enjoy vacation splurges like smoothies or frozen mocktails.
Cost comparison: Specialty coffees average around $6 but can run as much as $10 each. Sodas are $3; water is $3-$5, depending on the brand; mocktails and smoothies are $9.
Classic Drink Package - $89.99 per person, per day ($107.99 with gratuity)
The Classic drink package includes most of the nonalcoholic drinks available in the Non-Alcoholic package, except the specialty brands like Red Bull and premium waters. You'll get all beers, wines by the glass, spirits, cocktails and liqueurs priced at $10 or less. Additionally, you get a 15% discount off all bottles of wine, which you can enjoy anywhere on board, including in your cabin.
Examples of drinks that are part of the Classic drink package are beers like Sam Adams, Corona, Coors and Alaska Brewing beers on Alaska cruises. Wines will vary depending on the location of your cruise.
Most cocktails are included in the package. They will be made from non-premium brand ingredients. Liqueurs included in the package are those with lower price tags. Think Kahlua, but not Baileys Irish Cream or Grand Marnier.
You can still order drinks that are over the $10 limit imposed by the package. You'll simply pay the difference between the $10 limit and the cost of the drink, as well as a 20% gratuity charge on the extra amount. Some cruisers on social media have said they found it necessary on some sailings to say the word "classic" when ordering drinks to avoid being served a premium drink and having an upcharge apply.
Celebrity Cruises' Classic package works for most drinkers who plan to consume several drinks each day. It will cover bottled water that you can take into port with you to stay hydrated during excursions and sodas for lunch while providing for most of your beer, wine and spirits needs. If you decide you want a different beer or a cocktail with a call liquor, just pay the difference.
Cost comparison: Cocktails start at $9, beers $6.50-$10, glasses of wine $8-$10.
Premium Drink Package - $104.99 per person, per day ($125.99 with gratuity)
Celebrity's Premium drink package moves the price limit per drink to $17, which covers almost anything you'd drink on board other than higher-priced wines or a few of the pricier spirits. Premium-brand waters and Red Bull are available in this package. You'll also have a 20% discount on bottled wine available to use, which can absolutely make a difference in your evening wine selections.
Examples of beverages available in this package are beers like Blue Moon, Guinness and Grolsch. Wines by the glass in the package are a step above those found in the Classic package and include Champagnes. Cocktails are made from premium spirits such as Crown Royal, Grey Goose, Bombay Sapphire and Patron Silver. The list of brandies and liqueurs expands considerably.
Many Celebrity cruisers have found it necessary to order their drinks specifically as "premium" beverages or to order by brand to avoid getting drinks made with the cheapest liquors.
The Premium package is perfect for cruisers who don't want to make money decisions when ordering a drink. If I want a shot of Godiva poured over my late-night ice cream, I don't really want to stop and wonder if it's included in my package.
Fine Print
Packages do not include beverages ordered from room service, bought in onboard gift shops or consumed from the minibar in your cabin.
There are no daily limits on how many drinks you can have on a Celebrity Cruises drink package, but you can only order one drink at a time. The exception to that is that you can usually request a bottle of water at the same time you order an alcoholic drink.
The drink packages with alcohol come with a caveat — all passengers of legal drinking age in a cabin must buy the same package. So, if your roomie prefers premium spirits, you must also buy the premium package. Nondrinkers can request an exemption from the alcoholic packages but must purchase the Non-Alcoholic package instead.
This information is from 2024 and is subject to change.