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By purchasing the beverage package, I knew what I’d walk off the ship owing, barring extra purchases like shore excursions, spa treatments and the like. I’ve been on some cruises where I’ve looked at my onboard account statement and thought, “Jeez, I should have bought the drink package.” This wouldn’t be that cruise. Carnival Cruise Line drink packages also don’t apply to drinks ordered through room service or the Interactive TV system, or for beverages from your stateroom’s minibar. When you’re out at sea in international waters, you don’t need to worry about paying tax on any of your drinks.
Carnival's Cheers! Beverage Program Price
If guests purchase drinks for friends, one drink will count towards the Cheers package and the remaining drinks will be charged to the guest’s Sail and Sign account. Worse, they may end up in a situation where they feel compelled to drink – and that’s never a good thing. Drink package in hand, I ordered a second pint of ThirstyFrog in the Atrium Bar while listening to the strings trio play classical hits.
Drink Packages
What is the price for individual drinks on board? Sample of beverage prices - prices and product availability are subject to change without notice. Additionally, shouldbecruising.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes receive a commission from purchases made through our links. But, remember that you save 10% if you pre-order the CHEERS! Do the math to see which option saves more money for your situation. Packages can’t be used to order beverages on the private islands of Half Moon Cay and Princess Cays.
Do you need to tip for drinks purchased with a Carnival beverage package?
You’ll just need to pay for any drinks you consume on embarkation day. Carnival offers drink packages for all ages, at various price points. I’ll help you decide if you should buy one and which drink package is right for you. On cruises of six days or more and sailings of five days or less, there is a flat per-person fee per day and guests may receive a discount if purchased before a cruise. The program must be purchased for all days of the cruise. Program onboard, there is no additional discount.
If you’re looking for a low-priced cruise line that offers free drink packages very consistently, Norwegian is your best bet. Or, if your budget is a bit higher, consider an all-inclusive cruise. Outside of comped cruises through the casino, I’ve never seen Carnival offer a free beverage package as a perk for booking a cruise. That’s not to say it will never happen, but it’s pretty unlikely. Carnival’s business model is to keep prices low, and for guests to pay for any extras on an à la carte basis. Package also includes a 25 percent discount on bottles of wine and Champagne or on any wine or spirit by the glass that costs more than $20.
Don’t forget to check out these resources before your Carnival cruise:
Carnival Cruise Line raising Cheers drink package prices - Longview News-Journal
Carnival Cruise Line raising Cheers drink package prices.
Posted: Tue, 03 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The five-minute wait time also includes ordering double shots. The drink packages on Carnival certainly do offer convenience, as you never have to worry about the bar tab at the end of the cruise! They also make your cruise feel more all-inclusive. If you pre-purchased a Carnival drink package, it will be activated upon boarding the ship. You should head to a bar once onboard the ship for a sticker which will be placed on your Sail & Sign card.
The package includes alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks below certain price points and includes the standard drinks available to all guests. Your soft drinks, bottled water, and specialty coffees are also included, so factor those costs into your decision as well. Those little purchases can add up over the length of your cruise. All Carnival drink packages have an extra 18% gratuity on top of the list price. So, you won’t need to tip your bartender or server each time you order a drink with your beverage package – you’ve already pre-paid your tips.
Using this chart, you can do the quick math to see if you would routinely hit the daily drink costs of the above packages. Due to state laws, the Cheers package cannot be sold on the first day of the cruise on departures from Texas, New York, or Virginia. If you have pre-purchased a package, it will only be activated at 6 AM on the second day of the cruise. Drinks purchased on the first day of the cruise will be charged to the guest’s Sail & Sign card in the usual manner.
SELECT OPTIONS FOR THIS ITEM.
Know you’ll have at least three soft drinks each day? Then it really makes sense to buy this package. You can use your Carnival drink package for onboard purchases only. When you’re in port, you can’t use the package off the ship, even on a Carnival-sponsored shore excursion.
The cost for Bottomless Bubbles is $6.95 per day for children under 18, and $9.50 per day for adults age 18 and up. An 18% gratuity is added to the price at the time of package purchase. Carnival last updated its beverage package pricing in May 2022, and also made some small changes to the program in 2023. I’ll explain what each package currently includes and how much it will cost for your cruise. The Cheers Carnival cruise package also excludes drinks offered at the gangway, through room service, minibars and in-stateroom programs, and at any port of call.
Taxes will be charged to your on board account if you buy drinks one-by-one or use a beverage package. When you pre-purchase before your cruise is $59.95 per person, per day, plus an 18% gratuity. State taxes still apply in all U.S. ports, so while your drink is paid for by the package, your Sail & Sign card will be charged the applicable percentage in tax.
The tax percentage varies by port, but it’s never a huge amount—generally somewhere between 5-10% of the cost of each drink. If a jurisdiction charges tax, it will be charged on each drink when the ship is in port and in its territorial waters. Drink package is not available on two-night sailings, charter cruises or Europe cruises, and it must be booked for the entire length of your sailing. Drink package excludes guests from sharing pitchers, cocktails, tubes, floaters and buckets.
Carnival (like most other cruise lines today) requires that if one person buys the CHEERS! Package, every person 21 and older in the same stateroom must also purchase the package. Cruise lines have implemented this policy to crack down on beverage package sharing. An 18 percent gratuity is added to the cost of the package at the time of purchase, and due to state laws, the Cheers! Package is unavailable until the second day of all sailings leaving from ports in New York and Texas. Program participants must wait five minutes between drink purchases, and all bottles and cans are served opened.
Bottomless Bubbles is available for purchase at the Lobby, Casino and Pool Bars. You can purchase the Cheers beverage package on all Carnival ships fleetwide, except on those sailing European and two-day cruise itineraries. So, if one guest in the stateroom wishes to purchase a beverage package, each adult in the cabin that’s old enough needs to purchase one as well. Cruisers must be 21 years of age or older to purchase the Cheers program (alcoholic beverage package). Of course, it is never mandatory to buy a drink package. The drink packages on Carnival are add-ons to your cruise vacation.
Further, on embarkation day, guests are allowed to bring onboard a maximum of 12, 12-ounce cans/cartons of non-alcoholic beverages per person in their carry-on luggage. Guests 21 years of age and older may also bring onboard one 750ml bottle of unopened wine or champagne in their carry-on. This plan covers all alcoholic beverages including beers, wine, and champagne by the glass, as well as cocktails and spirits worth up to $20. This also includes the self-serve beer stations.
And yet, with the piano bar hopping and the music playing, I found myself ordering another martini at last call. Had I been paying $16 a pop for these, I would have probably stopped two drinks prior. Still, I found myself saying yes to a last-call special – simply because I could.
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