The Best Carnival Drink Package Discount Hack and Drink Package Guide
Updated: November 27, 2025 4:02 AM
Planning a Carnival cruise comes with endless choices — excursions, dining, shows, staterooms — but one decision almost every traveler faces is whether to buy a drink package. Between poolside cocktails, latte runs, and late-night piano bar drinks, the onboard tab can add up fast. Carnival offers two main drink packages, and choosing the right one can save you money and make your vacation a whole lot simpler.
This guide breaks everything down so you can decide what fits your travel style, drinking habits, and budget.
The Two Main Carnival Drink Packages
1. The CHEERS! Package (Alcohol + Non-Alcoholic Drinks)
The CHEERS! package is Carnival’s all-inclusive beverage option for guests who enjoy alcoholic drinks and specialty non-alcoholic beverages.
What’s included:
- Cocktails, beer, and wine (up to 15 alcoholic drinks per day) with a $20.00 or lower menu price
- Sodas
- Zero-Proof frozen cocktails
- Energy drinks
- Specialty coffees (lattes, cappuccinos, iced coffee, espresso)
- Hot tea
- 500ml bottled water
- Packaged water in the Dining Room and Specialty Restaurants
- 25% discount off the menu price for any spirit or wine by the glass above $20.00
- 25% discount off the menu price for wine and champagne by the bottle
- 25% discount off beverage seminars and classes
What it costs:
Purchased before the cruise: $69.95 + 18% gratuities per person per day.
Purchased on the cruise: $74.95 + 18% gratuities per person per day.
You must buy it for the entire cruise, and every adult in the same stateroom must purchase it.
What’s NOT included:
- Drinks above $20
- Souvenir glasses
- Buckets of beer
- Room service beverages
- Cannot be used at any Port stops, including Carnival Corporation owned destinations
Best for: Travelers who enjoy multiple drinks a day — whether that’s cocktails, wine, or iced lattes.
2. Bottomless Bubbles (Unlimited Soda + Juice)
Bottomless Bubbles is Carnival’s soda package, perfect for families and guests who don’t need alcohol but want easy access to soft drinks.
What’s included:
- Unlimited fountain (where available) and canned soda
- Unlimited juices (non-fresh-squeezed)
What it costs:
Adults: $9.50 + 18% gratuities per person, per day.
Kids (17 years old and younger): $6.95 + 18% gratuities per person, per day.
What’s NOT included:
- Room service beverages
- Cannot be used at any Port stops, including Carnival Corporation owned destinations
Best for: Kids, teens, and soda-lovers who want unlimited soda throughout the cruise.
Is a Carnival Drink Package Worth It?
Whether a package is worth it comes down to your drinking habits.
You’ll Probably Save Money If:
- You drink 4+ alcoholic drinks per day
- You like specialty coffee each morning
- You enjoy cocktails on the pool deck and wine at dinner
- You don’t want to check your onboard balance every day
You Might Skip It If:
- You only drink an occasional cocktail or soda
- You plan to spend a lot of time off the ship in port
- You don’t drink specialty coffee, energy drinks, or soda
- You prefer to bring a 12-pack of canned soda and/or one 750-ml bottle of sealed/unopened wine or champagne, per person onboard
Calculate Your Costs
CHEERS!
PACKAGE | PURCHASE INDIVIDUALLY
BOTTOMLESS BUBBLES
PACKAGE | PURCHASE INDIVIDUALLY | PREORDER
* Due to the variation in prices on individual items the total is estimated based on average price in each category.
† Prices include gratuities of 18%, which are required by the cruise line.
§ Your out of pocket cost may be more or less depending on how much you tip. The estimate is based on 18% gratuities.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of CHEERS!
- Buy it before your cruise — onboard prices are higher
- Start your morning with a specialty latte (it’s included!)
- Try zero-proof cocktails during the day if you don’t want to max out alcohol
- Use it for bottled water, especially on port days – get large bottles at dinner the night before
- Don’t rush — Carnival’s 15-drink alcohol limit resets every day at 6am
Sip smarter at sea! Snag 8% off Carnival gift cards at Raise.com and use them to pay for your drink package (and your cruise!) — and if you’re new to Raise, enjoy an extra $10 bonus just for signing up! For transparency, I will also get $10 if you sign up for raise and use my referral link.
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Popular Bars & Drinks to Try on Carnival Ships
If you are looking for a relaxing, refreshing and rejuvenating experience altogether, they offer all of that under one roof.
Cucumber Sunrise
Restorative Basil Drop
Blue’s Patron Margarita
Tijuana Nights
Red’s Rum Treasure
Ting Mojito
Final Thoughts
Carnival’s drink packages are designed to make cruising more carefree — and for many travelers, they do exactly that. CHEERS! is great for guests who enjoy cocktails, specialty coffee, or simply want the convenience of not tracking drink prices. Bottomless Bubbles is a budget-friendly win for families and soda fans.
If you want to relax, sip, and soak up every moment at sea, a drink package might be the best way to do it.
Bonus: Social Media Content Ideas
Photo ideas:
- A colorful frozen drink on the deck railing with the ocean behind it
- A latte from JavaBlue Café
- A drink lineup at RedFrog or Alchemy Bar
- A sunset toast with the wake of the ship in the background
- Kids clinking soda cups (for Bottomless Bubbles)
Short-form video ideas (Reels/TikTok/Shorts):
- “What I drank in a day with CHEERS!”
- Taste-testing 5 Carnival cocktails
- Comparing CHEERS! vs buying drinks individually
- A sped-up cruise bar crawl