The 'Drink Package Math' trick (How to know if you'll save money)

Deciding whether to pre-purchase a drinks package is the single most debated topic among British cruisers. For some, it is a ticket to a stress-free holiday where the bar bill never grows; for others, it is an expensive upfront cost that they struggle to 'break even' on. In an era where a pint of draught lager on a Royal Caribbean ship can reach £8.50 plus gratuity, and a glass of wine on a P&O Cruises voyage remains a more modest £6.00, the mathematics behind the decision vary wildly depending on which line you choose and which port you sail from. To truly understand if a package offers value, you have to move beyond the marketing and look at the hard numbers of your own daily habits.

Understanding the Baseline Prices

To do the 'drink package math', you first need to understand the individual unit costs on board. Cruise lines operating out of Southampton generally fall into two pricing camps: the 'sterling' ships (P&O Cruises, Cunard, Fred. Olsen) and the 'dollar' ships (Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess).

• P&O Cruises & Fred. Olsen: These lines closely mirror UK high-street or premium pub prices. You might pay £5.50–£6.50 for a pint of Stella Artois or Peroni, and £7.50 for a standard gin and tonic. Because prices are lower, their 'Ultimate' packages (often around £40–£45 per day) require a higher volume of consumption to justify.
• Royal Caribbean & Celebrity Cruises: These lines use US pricing, often converted at unfavourable exchange rates or kept in dollars. A cocktail will typically cost $14–$16 (£11–£13), plus an automatic 18% or 20% 'service charge'. Because their individual drinks are more expensive, their packages (often £60–£80 per day depending on the 'sale' price) can actually be easier to break even on.
• Marella Cruises: Operated by TUI, Marella is unique for many UK travellers because their 'All-Inclusive' is often standard. Here, the math is simple: you only pay extra if you want to upgrade to 'Premium' for branded spirits for roughly £50–£70 per week.

The 'Five-Drink' Threshold

While every package varies, the general industry rule of thumb is the 'Five-Drink Threshold'. For most major lines, if you consume five alcoholic beverages a day, you are reaching the break-even point. However, this calculation is frequently skewed by 'hidden' inclusions that many travellers forget to account for.

• Speciality Coffees: Do you start your morning with a double-shot latte or a flat white? At £3.50 to £4.50 a pop, two coffees a day significantly reduces the number of cocktails you need to drink to make the package pay for itself.
• Bottled Water: If you are the type of traveller who grabs a bottle of Evian before every shore excursion, you could be saving £3.00 per bottle. Over a 12-night Canary Islands cruise, this adds up to £36 in value.
• Fresh Juices and Sodas: If you enjoy a glass of fresh orange juice with breakfast or a Diet Coke by the pool, these £3.00 items contribute towards your daily total.

If your daily routine is: one latte, one poolside beer, a glass of wine with lunch, a pre-dinner cocktail, and two glasses of wine during dinner, you are already at six drinks. In this scenario, a package almost always wins.

The Complexity of the 'All-Cabin' Rule

One of the most important pieces of 'math' has nothing to do with what you drink, but what your cabin mate drinks. Almost all major lines, including MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean, enforce a rule stating that if one adult in a cabin purchases a drinks package, all adults in that cabin must purchase it. This is designed to prevent 'sharing' (ordering two drinks on one card).

This rule can ruin the budget if one partner is a moderate drinker and the other is teetotal or very light. For example, if you are a couple on a 7-night MSC cruise and the package is £250 per person, you are spending £500 total. If your partner only drinks tap water and the occasional tea, you personally have to drink £500 worth of beverages—over £70 a day—just to cover the cost for the cabin. In this specific instance, paying as you go is almost always the smarter financial move. Always check the specific terms at the time of booking, as some lines make exceptions for medical reasons or offer non-alcoholic alternatives for the second guest.

Factoring in Port Days vs. Sea Days

A common mistake in cruise budgeting is assuming every day is the same. A 14-night Mediterranean itinerary from Southampton might have eight port days and five sea days. On a port day in Lisbon or Barcelona, you might spend 8 am until 5 pm off the ship, enjoying local wines and beers at a fraction of the ship’s price.

On these days, you are only on the ship for dinner and evening entertainment. If you have paid £65 for a daily package, you might only consume £20 worth of drinks on board that day. Conversely, on sea days, the package offers incredible value as you spend the entire day by the pool or in the lounges. To get the math right, look at your itinerary. If it is a port-heavy cruise (such as an intensive 7-night Norwegian Fjords run), you might struggle to get your money's worth compared to a transatlantic crossing with six consecutive days at sea.

Hidden Savings: The Gratuity Factor

When calculating your 'Pay As You Go' (PAYG) cost, you must include the service charge. On lines like Princess or Royal Caribbean, a $14 cocktail isn't $14; it’s $16.52 once the 18% gratuity is added to the individual bill.

However, when you buy a drinks package in advance (especially via a UK-based agent or directly on the UK version of the cruise line's website), the gratuities are often already included in the daily package price. For a heavy or even moderate drinker, avoiding that 18% 'tax' on every single beverage can lead to savings of £10–£15 per day. On the flip side, P&O Cruises and Marella do not add service charges to individual drinks, making the PAYG math significantly more attractive for those lines.

When to Skip the Package

There are several scenarios where the math simply does not support a package. If you are a member of a loyalty programme (such as Cunard World Club or Viking Explorer Society), you may already receive complimentary drinks or significant discounts.

• The Wine Enthusiast: Most cruise lines allow you to bring a limited amount of wine or champagne on board at embarkation (usually one 750ml bottle per person). If you only enjoy a glass of your favourite vintage in your cabin before dinner, this 'DIY' approach is far cheaper.
• The Short Break: On 2-night or 3-night 'sampler' cruises to Hamburg or Zeebrugge, package prices are often inflated, and the atmosphere is celebratory. While you might drink more, the lines know this and price their packages accordingly.
• The Virgin Voyages Approach: Virgin Voyages handles things differently with their 'Bar Tab' system. Instead of an all-you-can-drink daily rate, they often offer 'bonus' credit (e.g., pay $300, get $350). For many, this middle-ground 'cash-up-front' model offers the best balance of value and flexibility without the pressure to 'over-drink' just to break even.

Ultimately, the 'math' trick is to be honest about your habits. If you enjoy the psychological freedom of knowing your holiday is paid in full before you leave Southampton, the package has a 'peace of mind' value that goes beyond the spreadsheet. But if you find yourself forcing down a final gin and tonic at midnight just to 'make the package pay', you’ve likely spent more than you needed to.