Drink Package Costs by Line: The Complete 2026 Table

From $59 per day on MSC's Easy Plus to $109 on Royal Caribbean's Deluxe before the 18 to 20 percent gratuity applied to the package price, which brings realistic daily costs to $71 to $131. Princess bundles drinks with WiFi and gratuities at $65 all-in, and Norwegian's bundled model costs about $175 per person per week in gratuities.

MSC, at $59 to $69 per day for Easy Plus before gratuity, consistent with the lowest bar prices afloat. Holland America's Signature package at $59.95 is the premium-segment value. At the effective-cost level, Princess Plus at $65 including WiFi and gratuities delivers the cheapest drinks for anyone who wanted those items anyway.

Yes, 18 to 20 percent on the package price itself at purchase, converting an advertised $89 package into $106.80 per day. The same service charge applies to every individual drink for pay-as-you-go passengers, so the comparison stays fair, but the advertised package price is never the price paid.

Beer $7 to $9, wine by the glass $9 to $14, cocktails $12 to $15, specialty coffee $4 to $6 and soda $2.50 to $3.50, all plus 18 to 20 percent gratuity, with MSC cheapest and Royal Caribbean highest. A five-cocktail day runs $71 to $89, which is the number to compare against any package.

At $9 to $13 per day, a soda package pays off at three to four fountain sodas daily, which describes most teenagers aboard and few adults. The refreshment tier at $29 to $45, covering specialty coffee, juice, smoothies and mocktails, breaks even at three to four items for people who buy those regardless.

No: every line sells packages for the full length of the sailing, for every adult in the cabin on the alcohol tiers, which is precisely the design that makes port-heavy itineraries package-hostile. The part-time equivalents are Virgin's Bar Tab credit and ordinary pay-as-you-go, both of which follow actual consumption.