A lot of cruisers buy the drink package thinking they’ve already solved the problem. They pay upfront, feel covered, and assume the value will take care of itself. But that’s exactly where a lot of people go wrong.
Some cruisers buy the wrong package. Some use it on itineraries where the math never really works. Others forget how much of the value comes from bottled water, specialty coffee, mocktails, and other extras — not just cocktails by the pool. And some get caught by exclusions, limits, or off-ship days that quietly make the package far less worthwhile than they expected.
That is why the biggest drink package mistakes usually happen after people decide to buy one.
This article is about the ways cruisers still lose value even after paying for the package — and the smarter moves experienced cruisers make instead.
10 Cruise Drink Package Mistakes That Quietly Cost People the Most
Buying the Package Like It’s an Automatic Add-On
One of the easiest ways to waste money on a drink package is to treat it like a default purchase instead of a value decision. A lot of cruisers see the package, assume it is part of the “real” cruise experience, and add it without thinking much beyond cocktails by the pool.
That is where the trouble starts. The package is not automatically good value just because it looks convenient. The real question is whether it matches the way you actually cruise.
Smart cruisers do not just ask, “Do I want a package?” They ask, “Is this the package I’ll really use enough to justify?”
Only Counting Alcohol and Forgetting Half the Value
A lot of drink package math goes wrong because people only count alcohol. They think in terms of beer, wine, and frozen drinks, then decide the package is either obviously worth it or obviously not.
But on many cruises, the value also comes from bottled water, specialty coffee, soda, mocktails, smoothies, and other non-alcoholic extras that add up quietly from morning to night. A cruiser who would never hit the number on cocktails alone might get a lot closer once the full range of drinks is counted honestly.
Some cruisers overbuy the package. Others undervalue what they would actually use. Both mistakes lead to bad decisions.
Buying the Wrong Package Tier
One of the most common ways cruisers overspend is by jumping straight to the most expensive package without asking whether they really need that level of coverage.
A lot of people mostly want bottled water, premium coffee, soft drinks, mocktails, and the occasional alcoholic drink. In those cases, the full alcohol package can feel exciting but still be the wrong value move.
The most expensive package is not automatically the smartest one. Sometimes the better move is choosing the package that fits your real habits instead of the one that looks the most “complete.”
Waiting Too Long and Paying More Than You Needed To
A lot of cruisers leave the drink package decision until the last minute, then either buy onboard or lock in a package without checking whether they could have done better earlier.
Pre-cruise pricing is often better than onboard pricing, and waiting too long can remove the chance to buy more deliberately. Carnival, for example, currently lists CHEERS! at a lower pre-cruise price than the onboard rate.
The smarter move is to decide early enough to compare properly, not panic-buy once the cruise is already underway.
Forgetting the Non-Alcoholic Drinks That Make the Package Math Work
A lot of cruisers judge the package almost entirely by cocktails, beer, and wine. But on many sailings, the value also comes from bottled water, specialty coffee, soda, mocktails, smoothies, and other extras that quietly stack up from morning to night.
That is where people misread the math. Some dismiss the package too quickly, while others buy it and then fail to use the non-alcoholic side enough to justify the cost.
If you paid for the package, those drinks are part of the value too — not just whatever you order at the pool bar.
Using the Package Too Narrowly Instead of Making Ship Life Easier
Some of the best value from a drink package is simple convenience. It is the bottle of water you keep by the bed, the coffee you grab without thinking twice about the price, the extra waters you bring back to the cabin, or the drink you pick up before heading to a show or an excursion.
A lot of cruisers use the package too narrowly. They think of it only as a way to drink more alcohol, when in reality some of the best value comes from making the cruise feel easier and less full of small extra charges.
Smart cruisers use the package to remove friction, not just to increase volume.
Choosing a Package on an Itinerary That Quietly Wrecks the Math
Drink packages usually look much better on sea-day-heavy cruises than they do on itineraries where you are off the ship most of the day.
If you are in port all morning, eating and drinking ashore, and only back for dinner and a show, you have far fewer hours onboard to make the package worthwhile. That does not mean the package can never work on a port-heavy cruise — but it does mean the math gets harder much faster.
A package that looks amazing on a sea-day itinerary can feel very different on a cruise where you barely use it until late afternoon.
Treating the Headline Price Like the Real Price
A lot of cruisers compare drink packages using only the advertised daily rate and forget that gratuities or other automatic charges can change the real cost.
That matters because a package that looks fine at first glance can feel less impressive once the full checkout price is included.
This does not mean the package is poor value. It means the real cost should be judged as the real cost — not the version that looks best at first glance.
Assuming the Package Works Everywhere
One of the biggest false-confidence mistakes cruisers make is acting like the package follows them automatically wherever they go. It doesn’t. Coverage can vary by cruise line, by venue, and sometimes by destination too.
That matters most on private islands, branded coffee spots, and other locations where cruisers assume the package applies without checking first.
Experienced cruisers verify where the package works before they start counting those drinks as part of the value.
Ignoring the Small Fine Print That Changes the Value
A lot of drink package disappointment comes from assumptions rather than the package itself. People assume every drink is covered, every venue counts, and every order works the way they expect.
In reality, drink limits, one-at-a-time rules, venue exclusions, and drink-value caps can all affect what the package really covers. Those details matter because they change how much flexibility you actually have once you are onboard.
The package works best when you know where the boundaries are — not when you guess.
Conclusion
A cruise drink package can absolutely be worth it. But a lot of people lose value in ways that are easy to miss: buying the wrong tier, cruising on the wrong itinerary, misunderstanding the fine print, or ignoring the extras that make the package math work in the first place.
The package itself is not the value. Using it well is the value.
That is why the real question is not just, “Should I buy the package?” It is, “If I buy it, will I actually use it in a way that makes it worth the money?”
What’s the biggest drink package mistake you’ve seen people make on a cruise? Have you ever bought the package and felt like you didn’t get your money’s worth?
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I agree and love all your ideas. I totally use the drink package to my advantage , only complaint is both over 21 year olds have to purchase it , my husband is alcoholic and still has to pay for something he won’t use. Seems almost encouraging people to consume.