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The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Alcohol on Cruise Ships (Photo: Princess Cruises)
The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Alcohol on Cruise Ships (Photo: Princess Cruises)

The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Alcohol on Cruise Ships

The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Alcohol on Cruise Ships (Photo: Princess Cruises)
The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Alcohol on Cruise Ships (Photo: Princess Cruises)
Staff
Cruise Critic

Last updated
Jan 8, 2020

Read time
3 min read

Welcome to Cruise Critic's guide to (responsible) drinking at sea. On this page, you'll find a breakdown of each cruise line's alcohol policy, ways to score free drinks, tips on how to decide if a beverage package is right for you and more. Click on the links for more info, and check out pictures of some of our favorite cruise ship bars.

Know Before You Go

Cruise Line Alcohol Policies
Some cruise lines allow you to bring your own wine onboard, while others will confiscate any ounce of alcohol you try to pass through at embarkation. Check out the each cruise lines' alcohol policies to plan appropriately.

Guide to Cruise Line All-You-Can-Drink Packages
It's easy to lose count of frozen umbrella drinks by the pool and rack up quite the bar bill. Consider a cruise line "all you can drink" package that can save you big bucks versus buying a la carte.


The Best of the Best

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Best Cruise Ship Bars
Sip and socialize. From glitzy wine bars to English pubs, we round up our favorite bars at sea.

Best Cruise Cocktails
Herbs, bitters, egg whites … oh my! Quench your thirst for handcrafted concoctions with our eight favorite cruise cocktails.

Best Wine Bars on Cruises
Whether you prefer reds, whites, roses or bubbly, our five favorite cruise ship wine bars are sure to spark your grapelust.

Best Ships for a Craft Beer Cruise
Beer snobs, rejoice. See where you can get quality suds at sea, in our list of the best ships for craft beer.

Best Carnival Cruise Cocktails
Suffering from post-cruise depression? Re-create the five best Carnival cruise cocktails in your own kitchen.


Svedka and Inniskillin Ice Bar on Norwegian Getaway
Svedka and Inniskillin Ice Bar on Norwegian Getaway (photo: Cruise Critic)

Tips & Advice

Ways to Get Free (or Cheaper) Drinks on a Cruise
At-sea alcohol prices are anything but cheap. Stretch your wallet with these helpful tips.

Is a Cruise Drink Package Right for You?
We compare the benefits and drawbacks of drink packages to help you decide whether or not it's a good deal.

Caribbean Beer Checklist
Drink like a local with our guide to Caribbean beers.


New to Cruising

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What to Expect on a Cruise: Alcoholic Drinks on Your Cruise Ship
Get the scoop on alcoholic drinks at sea as we break down what to expect.

Food, Wine & Beer Theme Cruises
Does wine tasting at vineyards along a European river sound like your perfect vacation? Consider a food, wine or craft beer theme cruise.

What to Expect on a Cruise: Drink Packages on Cruises
Beverage packages allow you to prepay for all your drinks instead of paying per drink. Learn more about what's included and how much they cost.


Publish date January 08, 2020
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