A drinks package on Princess Cruises is worth considering if you regularly order cocktails, wine, specialty coffee, or other eligible drinks. But it isn’t automatically the cheapest option. Guests who mostly drink complimentary water, regular coffee, or tea may spend less paying for the occasional extra.
One thing many guests miss: if you want the Plus Beverage Package, the broader Princess Plus cruise package often costs less per day, and it adds Wi-Fi, crew appreciation, and dining. Here’s how the options compare, what they cost, and how to work out whether one makes sense for you.
Quick Answer: A package pays off when the drinks you’d otherwise buy cost more than the daily price, including service charge. For Plus, that’s roughly $77 per day. If you’d drink that much anyway, also compare Princess Plus, which is cheaper than the Plus Beverage Package alone when bought before sailing. It’s not worth it if you order only a drink or two a day.
Key Takeaways
- Four standalone packages: Plus ($64.99), Premier ($84.99), Zero-Alcohol ($29.99), and Classic Soda ($14.99) per person per day, before service charge
- Service charge: Princess’s pages show 18–20% on top, so Plus works out to about $77 per day
- Plus covers drinks up to $15; Premier covers drinks up to $20
- Daily limit: Plus is capped at 15 drinks per 24 hours, with exceptions for specialty coffee, tea, and some water
- Princess Plus ($70 pre-cruise) costs less than the Plus Beverage Package alone
- Packages can’t be shared and must cover the whole voyage
Princess Cruises Drink Packages and Prices
| Package | Price Per Person, Per Day (Before Service Charge) | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Plus Beverage | $64.99 | Eligible alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks priced up to $15 each |
| Premier Beverage | $84.99 | Eligible drinks priced up to $20 each, including premium selections |
| Zero-Alcohol | $29.99 | Specialty coffees and teas, sodas, mocktails, bottled water, and energy drinks |
| Classic Soda | $14.99 | Sodas, fruit juices, mocktails, and smoothies |
A service charge applies on top (Princess’s pages show 18–20% for itineraries other than Australia). Packages must be bought for the full length of the voyage, can’t be shared, and are non-refundable close to sailing.
What Does the Plus Beverage Package Include?
Plus covers beer, spirits, wine by the glass, and cocktails priced $15 or under on the menu, plus specialty coffees and teas, fountain soda, bottled water (500 ml or less), Frappés, zero-alcohol cocktails, and Red Bull. Bottles of wine, one-liter water, and canned soda get a 25% discount.
Limits to know:
- Plus is limited to 15 beverages per 24-hour period (6 a.m. to 6 a.m.), counting alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
- Specialty coffees and teas don’t count toward the limit.
- Bottled water doesn’t count either, but it’s capped at 12 bottles a day.
- Drinks priced above $15 cost the difference, and each order is limited to one beverage.
Plus suits guests who order a mix of drinks but don’t need the top-priced selections.
What Does the Premier Beverage Package Include?
Premier includes everything in Plus and raises the price cap to $20 per drink. It adds top-shelf spirits, reserve wines by the glass, and higher-end crafted cocktails, with selections such as Duckhorn, Stag’s Leap, Grgich Hills, and Cattier Champagne. Wine bottles, large water bottles, and canned soda are also 25% off.
Premier doesn’t automatically save more. If the drinks you prefer already fall under $15, Plus is enough.
Zero-Alcohol and Classic Soda Packages
Zero-Alcohol ($29.99 per day) includes specialty coffees and teas, hot chocolate, fountain soda, mocktails, bottled water, San Pellegrino, Evian, and Red Bull. It suits guests who regularly order specialty coffee, mocktails, or bottled water.
Classic Soda ($14.99 per day) covers sodas, fruit juices, mocktails, and smoothies. It’s the focused choice if you mainly want soft drinks.
Choose Classic Soda if soda is your main drink, and Zero-Alcohol if you want coffee, mocktails, and bottled water too.
Standalone Packages vs. Princess Plus and Premier
Princess Plus and Premier are cruise bundles that include a beverage package plus extras. Because of how they’re priced, the bundle can cost less than the standalone package:
| Option | Pre-Cruise Price Per Person, Per Day | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Plus Beverage Package alone | ≈$77 ($64.99 + service charge) | Drinks priced up to $15 each |
| Princess Plus | $70 | Plus drinks, Wi-Fi for one device, crew appreciation, four casual dining meals, and delivery fee |
| Premier Beverage Package alone | ≈$100–$102 ($84.99 + service charge) | Drinks priced up to $20 each |
| Princess Premier | $105 | Premier drinks, Wi-Fi for four devices, crew appreciation, specialty dining, shore-excursion credit on cruises of 6 days or longer, photos, and more |
Bundle prices add $5 on Sun Princess and Star Princess, and cost $5 more when bought onboard. To get the pre-cruise price, buy at least 96 hours (four days) before sailing.
So Plus costs roughly $7 less per day than the Plus Beverage Package alone, while Premier costs roughly $3–$5 more than the Premier Beverage Package but adds a lot. Only count the extras you’d actually use. For full benefit lists, see our guides to Princess Plus and the Princess Premier package.
How to Calculate Whether a Princess Drinks Package Is Worth It
Compare the daily cost, including service charge, with what you’d spend on drinks:
Break-even = package price per day + service charge
| Calculation | Plus Beverage Package |
|---|---|
| Listed daily price | $64.99 |
| Service charge (18–20%) | ≈$11.70–$13.00 |
| Estimated daily total | ≈$76.70–$77.99 |
| Estimated total for 7 days | ≈$537–$546 |
If you’d otherwise spend less than about $77 a day on eligible drinks, the package won’t save money. If you’d spend more, it may be worth it. Use the actual prices of the drinks you like. For Premier, the same math gives about $100–$102 per day.
Include in your calculation:
- Cocktails, wine, beer, or spirits
- Specialty coffee and tea
- Soda and bottled water
- Mocktails and zero-alcohol drinks
Don’t count free drinks as savings, and check that your favorites fall under the price cap.
When Is a Princess Drinks Package Worth It?
It may be worth it if you:
- Order several eligible drinks every day
- Regularly buy specialty coffee, bottled water, or mocktails
- Prefer premium wines and spirits covered by Premier
- Want a predictable drinks budget
- Would also use the Wi-Fi, dining, and other perks in Princess Plus or Premier
It may not be worth it if you:
- Mostly drink water, regular coffee, or tea
- Only order an occasional drink
- Won’t use the extras in a bundle
- Expect to spend less than the daily cost on eligible drinks
Light drinkers can do better paying individually. Don’t order extra drinks just to feel you’ve gotten your money’s worth.
Rules to Know Before You Buy
- Sharing: packages can’t be shared or transferred, and must cover every day of the voyage.
- Purchase windows: the Plus Beverage Package can be pre-purchased at least four days before sailing, or bought onboard on embarkation day and the day after. It isn’t sold after that.
- Refunds: packages are non-refundable shortly before sailing and once bought onboard, so decide before the cutoff.
- Age: guests under the legal drinking age get the Zero-Alcohol Package instead of Plus or Premier in a bundle.
For other cruise lines, see our guide to how to choose a cruise drink package, and check current Princess cruise deals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Princess Cruises drinks package worth it?
It can be if you regularly buy eligible drinks and would spend more individually than the package costs, including service charge. For Plus, that's roughly $77 per day. Light drinkers may save by paying individually.
How much is a Princess Cruises drink package?
Princess lists $64.99 per day for Plus Beverage, $84.99 for Premier Beverage, $29.99 for Zero-Alcohol, and $14.99 for Classic Soda, per person, before service charge. Prices can change, so check Princess's official site.
What's the difference between Princess Plus and the Plus Beverage Package?
The Plus Beverage Package covers eligible drinks only. Princess Plus is a broader bundle that includes it plus Wi-Fi for one device, crew appreciation, four casual dining meals, and delivery access. Bought before sailing, Princess Plus ($70 per day) costs less than the Plus Beverage Package alone after service charge.
How many drinks per day can I have with the Plus Beverage Package?
Plus is limited to 15 beverages per 24-hour period (6 a.m. to 6 a.m.), counting alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Specialty coffees and teas don't count, and bottled water doesn't count but is capped at 12 bottles a day.
Is the Zero-Alcohol Package worth it?
It may be if you regularly order specialty coffees, mocktails, bottled water, and other included non-alcoholic drinks. If you mostly drink complimentary water, tea, or regular coffee, paying individually may cost less.
Can two people share one Princess drinks package?
No. Princess beverage packages can't be shared or transferred, and each guest must buy the package for the full length of the voyage.
Is it cheaper to buy a Princess drinks package before the cruise?
For the Princess Plus and Premier bundles, buying at least 96 hours before sailing is $5 per day cheaper than onboard. The Plus Beverage Package can be pre-purchased at least four days before sailing, or bought onboard on embarkation day and the day after. Check your booking account for the current price.
Final Verdict
A Princess drinks package is worth it when you’d regularly buy enough eligible drinks to beat the daily price, including service charge. Compare that figure with your habits, and if you’re leaning toward Plus, price Princess Plus too, since it can cost less while adding Wi-Fi, crew appreciation, and dining. For light drinkers, paying as you go is often the better deal.
