Cruise packages can simplify your vacation — or quietly add hundreds of dollars you never needed to spend. We compare the major packages, explain what you actually get, and use our own cruise experience to help you decide what may be worth paying for.
Cruise lines have become very good at bundling drinks, WiFi, dining, gratuities, shore excursions, priority access, and other extras into packages that sound like an obvious bargain.
Sometimes they are. Sometimes they aren't.
After cruising ourselves and helping travelers compare cruise options, we've learned not to judge a package by the cruise line's advertised value. We look at a much simpler question: Would we actually buy these things separately? If the answer is no, bundling them together doesn't suddenly make them a bargain.
Your travel style matters more than the headline savings. Someone who enjoys several drinks each day, needs internet access, and regularly books specialty dining may evaluate a package very differently from someone who primarily enjoys the included restaurants and disconnects while at sea.
If you're still working through the bigger picture, our Cruise Planning Guide and First-Time Cruiser Guide can help you understand where packages and upgrades fit into the overall cost of a cruise.
We've ended up on both sides of the cruise drink-package decision, which is one reason we don't believe there is a universal answer about whether these packages are worth buying.
On our 2026 Alaska cruise aboard Norwegian Encore, we found the beverage portion of Free at Sea extremely valuable and estimated that it saved us roughly $600. We also used the shore excursion credit. The included WiFi was a completely different story: on our sailing, it was barely usable for us.
On Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas, we made the opposite decision. We passed on the drink package and simply bought drinks individually as we wanted them. Based on what we actually spent onboard compared with the package cost, we estimate that decision saved us about $300 over the course of the cruise.
The same travelers can make different package decisions on different cruise lines and come out ahead both times. That's why our approach is to look beyond the advertised savings and determine what the individual benefits are actually worth to you.
Holland America uses bundled packages to combine several purchases travelers commonly make separately, including beverages, WiFi, dining, and shore excursions.
Have It All is Holland America's flagship package. Depending on the sailing, benefits typically include the Signature Beverage Package, WiFi access, specialty dining, and shore excursion credit.
The package deserves a closer look if you were already planning to purchase several of those benefits. Longer itineraries can make the calculation particularly important because small daily costs add up quickly.
Have It All Plus builds on the standard package with additional premium benefits and enhanced inclusions.
The important comparison isn't simply whether Plus includes more. It does. The question is whether you would actually use enough of those additional benefits to justify paying more for them.
Princess Cruises takes a heavily bundled approach with its Plus and Premier packages, making the package decision an important part of comparing the real cost of a Princess cruise.
Princess Plus bundles several purchases many cruisers would otherwise make separately, including beverages, internet access, crew appreciation, and four casual dining meals per guest, per voyage.
Those four casual dining meals are an additional benefit at select charge-based sit-down venues; they are not the guest's only meals and are not another name for the buffet. Complimentary dining remains available separately throughout the cruise.
Princess Premier is the higher-tier option, with premium beverage benefits, enhanced WiFi, and unlimited casual dining and unlimited specialty dining under the current package.
The dining difference is important: Plus includes four casual dining meals, while Premier removes that casual-dining limit and also adds unlimited eligible specialty dining.
The real decision for many Princess passengers isn't whether to buy a package at all. It's whether the additional benefits in Premier justify moving beyond Plus.
For dining, remember that the package terminology is separate from complimentary meals: Plus provides four charge-based casual dining meals; Premier provides unlimited casual and specialty dining; neither package is required to use Princess's included main dining and buffet-style options.
Norwegian Cruise Line centers its package strategy around Free at Sea. We recently used the program aboard Norwegian Encore in Alaska, so this is one package system where we can combine the published benefits with firsthand experience.
Norwegian's Free at Sea offer combines an Unlimited Open Bar, specialty dining, 150 minutes of high-speed WiFi, and a $50 shore excursion credit for Guest 1 on eligible excursions. Specific benefits and terms can vary by reservation and cruise length.
Free at Sea Plus is Norwegian's paid upgrade to the standard package, adding benefits such as upgraded beverages, Starbucks, bottled water, enhanced WiFi, dining benefits, and prepaid daily service charges.
Free at Sea includes specialty dining based on cruise length. Travelers wanting additional meals can pay applicable restaurant cover charges, while upgraded package benefits may reduce some additional dining costs.
Reservations and meal allowances matter, especially if specialty dining is an important part of your cruise.
Norwegian includes a limited amount of WiFi with standard Free at Sea and offers paid unlimited options for travelers who need additional connectivity.
Want the entire program in one place? Explore our complete Norwegian Cruise Packages Guide →
Royal Caribbean offers optional purchases covering drinks, dining, internet access, and convenience-focused upgrades. Our own experience is also a good reminder that declining a package can sometimes be the better value.
Royal Caribbean's beverage packages can make onboard spending more predictable, but that doesn't automatically mean they'll save every traveler money.
The useful comparison is the total package price for your sailing versus what you realistically expect to spend buying drinks individually.
The Key combines internet access with convenience-focused benefits that may include priority embarkation, reserved seating opportunities for select entertainment, an exclusive embarkation-day lunch, and expedited debarkation.
If you already intend to purchase WiFi, compare the incremental cost of The Key against how much you value the additional convenience benefits.
Royal Caribbean dining packages provide access to specialty restaurants available across the fleet, including venues such as Chops Grille, Giovanni's Italian Kitchen, Izumi, Hooked Seafood, and others depending on the ship.
Dining packages generally deserve more consideration on cruises where you'll have enough nights to actually use the included meals.
Internet access is one of the most commonly purchased cruise add-ons, particularly for travelers who need to stay connected to family or work while sailing.
Before purchasing internet, consider how much connectivity you really need and whether everyone in your party requires their own access.
Carnival Cruise Line offers several popular upgrades focused on beverages, connectivity, and saving time during busy parts of the cruise.
Faster To The Fun is Carnival's priority access program. Rather than bundling drinks or dining, its value comes primarily from convenience.
Benefits may include priority embarkation, earlier stateroom access, expedited Guest Services access, priority water shuttle access at select ports, and priority debarkation.
CHEERS! bundles many alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages into a flat daily price.
Whether it saves money depends heavily on what you would realistically drink each day. Cocktails, beer, wine, specialty coffee, bottled water, energy drinks, and soft drinks can all affect the calculation.
Carnival offers multiple internet tiers for different levels of connectivity, ranging from social-media access to more demanding internet use.
As with every cruise WiFi product, decide what you actually need to accomplish online before paying for the higher tier.
MSC Cruises takes a more à la carte approach than cruise lines built around one flagship bundle. Travelers can add beverage, WiFi, and specialty dining packages separately, while the Bella, Fantastica, Aurea, and Yacht Club booking experiences can also affect what is included with the cruise fare.
MSC's current U.S. package lineup includes Premium Extra for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, along with Alcohol-Free and Minors packages. Easy and Easy Plus are no longer offered for new purchase, although previously purchased packages may remain valid for eligible sailings.
Premium Extra includes a broad selection of premium beverages and allows up to 15 alcoholic drinks per day. Beverage gratuities are included.
MSC offers two unlimited-data internet options: Browse and Browse & Stream. Browse is designed for messaging, email, and general web use, while Browse & Stream adds higher-bandwidth activities such as video and music streaming.
One rule deserves special attention: once a device is activated on an MSC internet package, it cannot be swapped for another device during the cruise.
MSC sells pre-cruise specialty dining options ranging from individual restaurant reservations to multi-meal packages. Current multi-meal packages can include two, three, or four specialty dining meals on participating ships.
Packages generally include a multi-course fixed-price menu, while selected premium dishes may carry an additional charge. Prepaid package gratuities are included.
MSC's package structure makes more sense when you separate optional add-ons from the experience attached to the cruise fare. Bella, Fantastica, Aurea, and MSC Yacht Club can include different booking flexibility, stateroom, dining, and onboard benefits.
Our complete guide brings those fare experiences together with MSC's drink, internet, and specialty dining options so you can compare the total cruise cost rather than one add-on at a time.
Celebrity Cruises lets eligible guests choose between a cruise-only fare and All Included, which currently bundles the Classic Drink Package and Basic Wi-Fi. Separate beverage, internet, and specialty dining options can also be purchased.
Understand Cruise-Only versus All Included, how drinks and Wi-Fi fit together, and how AquaClass and The Retreat affect the package decision.
Compare Classic, Premium and Non-Alcoholic packages, including current beverage allowances and upgrade considerations.
Compare Basic and Premium Wi-Fi and decide how much connectivity you actually need at sea.
Learn how Celebrity dining packages work, what reservations require, and how to compare a package with individual restaurant purchases.
We don't start with the cruise line's advertised savings. We start with how the traveler will actually use the package.
An included benefit isn't really saving you money if you would never have purchased it separately. We assign the most value to things we were already likely to buy.
A package price can look manageable until you multiply the daily rate across the entire cruise — and potentially across multiple people in the cabin.
Package rules matter. Before buying, check whether other guests in the same stateroom must purchase the package and whether age or other restrictions apply.
Not every benefit has to produce a dollar-for-dollar savings. There is legitimate value in knowing much of your onboard spending is already covered before you leave home.
Packages are easier to evaluate when you break them into the individual things you expect to purchase.
Estimate what you might actually spend on beverages and compare that against the cost of purchasing a package.
Our own cruises demonstrate why doing the math matters: the beverage benefit worked very well for us on Norwegian Encore, while skipping the drink package saved us an estimated $300 on Adventure of the Seas.
Understand how cruise beverage packages work, what they typically include, and why the advertised savings don't always tell the whole story.
Internet at sea has improved considerably, but performance, pricing, and access can vary by ship and itinerary.
It's easy to spend so much time comparing drinks, dining, and WiFi that you lose sight of the total vacation cost.
Our Cruise Pricing Explained Guide breaks down where the rest of your cruise budget goes, while our Best Cruise Deals Guide and Wave Season Booking Guide can help you evaluate the underlying cruise fare.
Cabin choice matters too. If you're still deciding where to stay onboard, see our Best Cabin Location Guide.
There isn't one cruise package that's right for everyone. We've personally had cruises where taking the bundled beverage benefit worked strongly in our favor and another where skipping the drink package saved us money.
Tell us how you like to travel, what matters to you onboard, and what kind of cruise you're considering. We can help you compare the cruise itself — not just the advertised package price.
Once you understand a package on one cruise line, compare it with the closest equivalent elsewhere. These links connect similar purchase decisions without treating unlike products as direct substitutes.
They can be, but the best way to evaluate a package is to compare its price with what you would realistically purchase separately. We've personally experienced both outcomes: the beverage benefit of Norwegian's Free at Sea worked very well for us, while skipping Royal Caribbean's drink package on Adventure of the Seas saved us an estimated $300.
Norwegian, Princess, Holland America, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival all approach packages differently. The better fit depends on what you actually use onboard, including beverages, internet, dining, excursions, and convenience benefits.
Not automatically. Compare the total package price with your realistic daily beverage spending. On Adventure of the Seas, we passed on Royal Caribbean's drink package and estimate that buying our drinks individually saved us about $300 over the cruise.
Performance can vary by ship, itinerary, weather conditions, provider, and location. We experienced very poor standard WiFi performance during our 2026 Norwegian Encore Alaska cruise, which is one reason we recommend treating advertised connectivity as a benefit to evaluate carefully rather than assuming it will perform like your internet at home.
The Key is a Royal Caribbean add-on that combines internet access with a variety of priority and convenience benefits during the cruise.
Faster To The Fun is a Carnival Cruise Line upgrade offering several priority benefits that may include embarkation, Guest Services, water shuttle access at select ports, and debarkation.
Princess Plus may provide strong value for travelers who would otherwise purchase beverages, internet access, gratuities, and other included benefits. Its value depends on which benefits you would realistically purchase separately.
Have It All may provide value for travelers who would otherwise purchase several of its included benefits, such as beverages, internet access, specialty dining, and shore excursions. Evaluate the package against your actual planned spending rather than the total advertised value.
Tell us when you want to travel, where you'd like to go, and what matters most to you. We'll help identify cruise options that fit your dates, budget, travel style, and cabin preferences. Not sure which cruise line, ship, or itinerary you want? That's completely fine — many travelers start with nothing more than available vacation dates, a departure port, or a general idea of where they'd like to go.
Only know your available dates? That's enough to get started. You can also review our Find a Cruise by Date Guide to see how we narrow cruise options around a fixed vacation window.