Margaritaville at Sea now has two cruise ships, and both feature different drink package structures. To help you differentiate the packages and decide whether purchasing one is right for you, we’ve put together this complete guide to Margaritaville at Sea drink packages.

Complete Guide to Margaritaville at Sea Drink Packages (2024)

What drinks do you get free on Margaritaville at Sea?

While alcoholic drinks and specialty beverages cost extra on Margaritaville at Sea, there are some drinks that are included in the cruise fare. These include filtered water, tea (hot and iced), drip coffee, lemonade, and juice.

Beverages that cost extra include alcoholic drinks, soda, bottled water, mocktails, bottled/canned drinks, and specialty coffee.

Margaritaville at Sea Paradise Drink Packages

Instead of having a traditional alcoholic drink package, Margaritaville at Sea Paradise offers two options for guests to pre-pay for 10 drinks at a set price. This system essentially operates like a pre-paid punch card program, but with an RFID bracelet instead. There’s also the Blender Cup Package, which we’ll detail as well.

Boat Drinks

The Boat Drinks option allows for 10 cocktails, beer, wine, and/or mocktails worth up to $12 each. For top-shelf beverages, guests just have to pay the difference above the $12 limit. Boat Drinks costs $99 per person.

No Doubts

The No Doubts option allows for 10 specialty cocktails, liquor, beer, or wine by the glass. However, there is no price restriction. This option costs $119 per person.

Both the Boat Drinks and No Doubts programs include an RFID keepsake wristband that are preloaded with 10 drink credits. Both options require that you use two drink credits for double shots. The 18 percent gratuity is included in the price of the package.

Blender Cup Package

The Blender Cup Package includes a 22 oz. souvenir Blender Cup filled with a Boat Drink, and allows for five additional refills throughout the cruise. Boat Drinks, margaritas, and a limited selection of specialty cocktails can be used for the refills.

This comes in the form of an RFID keepsake wristband that is preloaded with six drink credits with no price maximum. The 18 percent gratuity is included in the price of the package, which is $119 per person.

Margaritaville at Sea Islander Drink Package

Unlike on Paradise, Margaritaville at Sea Islander has a more traditional beverage package that cruisers who are familiar with other lines will be used to. The ship’s alcoholic drinks package, called Ultimate Beverage Chill, costs $59.99 per person, per night.

It includes all beers, wines by the glass, cocktails, and Boat Drinks worth up to $20 each. Soda and 500 ml bottled water are also included, as are juices and mocktails. There’s also a 25 percent discount for wine and champagne by the bottle.

The package does not include bottles of liquor, buckets of beer, blender cups or blender cup refills, bottles of water larger than 500 ml, specialty coffee drinks from the Margaritaville Coffee Shop, canned/bottled items like Gatorade and Red Bull, in-room wine service and mini bar, or any beverages ordered from room service.

Drinks purchased through the Ultimate Beverage Chill package may not be shared with other cruisers. Only one drink may be ordered and served at a time. There’s a daily limit of 15 alcoholic and specialty beverages per guest (this does not include soda and bottled water).

If a beverage costs more than $20, the guest must pay the difference. The $59.99 per night price does not include an 18 percent service charge, which is included in the final price when purchasing the package.

Unlimited Soda Package

The Unlimited Soda Package is available for $10 per person, per day on both Margaritaville at Sea ships. It includes unlimited refills of fountain sodas (the cruise line carries Coca-Cola products) and a Margaritaville at Sea souvenir cup. An 18 percent service gratuity is automatically added to the package price at checkout.

Only one soda may be ordered at a time, and they cannot be shared with other guests. To redeem the package, head to the designated pickup location once on the ship.

How do you purchase drink packages on Margaritaville at Sea?

If you want to add a beverage package when you’re initially making your cruise booking, you can add it to your cart at checkout.

To add it onto an existing reservation, you will need to call Margaritaville at Sea at 877-553-5299. A guest management portal, called Cruise Control, is also in the works. This will give guests the ability to add a package to their reservation once their cruise booking is paid in full.

You also have the option to add a drink package to your cruise once on board, either on the first or second day of the sailing.

Margaritaville at Sea Drink Prices

To get an idea of how much drinks cost on Margaritaville at Sea, plan to spend about $12 to $15 for most cocktails. Signature cocktails on the high end at around $15. Wine costs around $10 to $12 per glass, and beer will run you around $8.50 to $9.

Bottles of water are $2.50 each, and soda costs $2.50. For specialty coffees, plan to pay similar prices to what you’d pay at Starbucks. For instance, an espresso is $3, a medium latte is $5.25, and medium iced frappes are $5.50.

Can just one person get a drink package on Margaritaville at Sea?

If one guest in a stateroom purchases the Ultimate Beverage Chill package, all other guests in the same cabin that are 21+ must also purchase the package. Limited exceptions to this policy (such as a documented medical condition) may be made at the discretion of the cruise line and may require authorized approval.

You must be 21 or older to purchase any alcoholic beverage package. Minors are not required to get the soda package when adults in the same cabin get a drink package.

Is the Margaritaville at Sea drink package worth it?

Margaritaville at Sea Paradise

When thinking about whether the Margaritaville at Sea drink package is worth it on Paradise, let’s talk about the Boat Drinks package first. If you plan to buy mostly $12 and $13 cocktails, the plan is easily worth it as it costs $99 and $12 x 10 is $120. For $13 cocktails, you’d only pay $10 in additional fees ($1 extra per drink) and that still puts you below the menu price at $109.

If you’re going to mostly be drinking beer and wine, the package may not be worth it. Those beverages generally cost less per glass than a cocktail. So, you’ll want to do the math to decide if the package is right for you.

The No Doubts package is similar: if you plan to mostly purchase $14 and $15 cocktails and top-shelf spirits, this is easily worth it as those incur a higher price tag. For example, ten $14 cocktails is $140 list price, and ten $15 cocktails is $150 list price — both above the $119 cost of the No Doubts package.

With the Blender Cup package, you get six 22 oz. Boat Drinks. Keep in mind that 22 oz. is about double the size of a normal cocktail, so it’s like getting the quantity of 12 cocktails for $119. Plus you get a Blender Cup souvenir. If you’re happy with drinking a lot (or sharing) with each serving, the Blender Cup package is a great value.

Margaritaville at Sea Islander

The package on Islander is $60 per day and includes drinks worth up to $20 each. If you drink around five cocktails per day, you’ll break even. The same goes for if you drink seven beers or five to six glasses of wine. The fact that some nonalcoholic beverages are included also helps with the value. Do remember that specialty coffee, room service drinks, and blender cup beverages aren’t included though.

Whether or not the drink package is worth the price ultimately depends on your preferences and what you plan to drink during your sailing.

Here are two things to keep in mind. Your cruise has port days where you’ll spend many hours off the ship and not take advantage of your drink package. You also need to remember that if you’re traveling with another 21+ adult in the same cabin, they must purchase the package too. If one person is a non-drinker, it may make more sense to go a la carte.

Soda Package

Lastly, you’ll break even on the soda package if you purchase four sodas (at $2.50 each). If you’ll be drinking that much or more per day, it’s probably easiest to prepay for the soda package. That way, you won’t have to think about the price at all during your cruise!

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Do you have plans to purchase one of these Margaritaville at Sea drink packages? Do you generally think cruise ship drink packages are a good value? Drop us an anchor below to share your thoughts.

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Margaritaville at Sea Islander is the second ship in the Margaritaville at Sea fleet. We’ve just returned from one of the ship’s first voyages and made sure to test out all the dining venues. Now, we are back and share all the details with you in our complete guide to the Margaritaville at Sea Islander restaurants with menus. See what we liked and what we suggest you skip during your cruise on this “new” ship.

Complimentary Margaritaville at Sea Islander Restaurants

When it comes to complimentary dining, Margaritaville at Sea offers a traditional main dining room and cruise ship buffet. There’s also free burgers, Mexican, pizza, and ice cream at various stations around the pool deck.

While the main dining room and buffet did fall a bit short for us, we enjoyed the casual options especially the burgers and pizza.

Fins Main Dining Room (Deck 2)

Fins is the main dining room on Margaritaville at Sea Islander. Unlike most cruise line MDR’s, Fins is completely open seating, nightly from 5:30 to 9 PM. There are no set dinner times; there is also no ability to pre-make reservations to dine here.

Each evening, guests need to wait in line to dine at this restaurant. If there are no tables available, you will receive a pager much like a restaurant on land. Unfortunately, the average wait time for a table of two was 40-45 minutes during our sailing.

The restaurant does feature a new menu each evening with a selection of starters, entrees, and desserts. Some of the highlights included the Cajun Gumbo, Caribbean Egg Rolls, Braised Short Ribs, and 48 Hour B&B Pudding. Overall though, we would say this main dining room experience was mediocre at best.

Of note, guests can enjoy all the appetizers and desserts they want, but extra entrees will cost $7 each. Yes, even a second entree costs extra money.

Fins is also open for breakfast from 7:30/8:30 to 9:30/10:30 AM serving typical breakfast selections like omelets, French toast, pancakes, eggs, and breakfast meats.

However, Fins is not open for lunch at all, not even on sea days.

Breakfast | Wine List | Dinner 1 | Dinner 2 | Dinner 3 | Dinner 4 | Dinner 5

Mexican Cutie Cantina (Deck 9)

Mexican Cutie Cantina is a poolside eatery on the portside of Deck 9 nearby the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Pool. This venue serves quick service style Mexican food for breakfast and lunch. Think BlueIguana Cantina on Carnival or El Loco Fresh on Royal Caribbean.

For breakfast, the venue is open 8 to 10:30 AM daily serving breakfast burritos with Mexican eggs, sausage, chicken, and potatoes, along with additional toppings.

The venue reopens for lunch from 12 to 2/3:30 PM serving tacos and rice bowls. The meat selections include chicken, pork, and beef. Guests can then further customize their meals at the small nearby toppings bar. Cheese quesadillas are also available. However, there is no burrito option for lunch, nor are there nacho chips.

Cheeseburger in Paradise (Deck 9)

Opposite the Mexican Cutie Cantina, you’ll find Cheeseburger in Paradise on the starboard side of the pool deck. As the name implies, this station serves customizable burgers from 12 to 6 PM daily. Toppings include lettuce, tomato, onions, islander sauce, mushrooms, sauteed onions, pickles, hot peppers, and more. Alongside the burgers, you can enjoy some pretty tasty seasoned fries.

If you don’t like burgers, you’re out of luck at this spot as there are no other options available like chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, or veggie burgers. However, if you do like burgers, you don’t want to pass these up as they definitely rival Guy’s Burger Joint on Carnival Cruise Line.

Port of Indecision Buffet (Deck 9)

The Port of Indecision Buffet is Margaritaville at Sea Islander’s pretty lackluster buffet. While technically three stations, there were only two identical stations open during our sailing. The Port of Indecion Buffet serves breakfast from 7 to 10:30 AM, lunch from 12 to 2/3:30 PM, and dinner from 6 to 9:30 PM daily.

Breakfast featured all your typical selections including continental items, eggs and breakfast meats, fruit, and more. For lunch and dinner, you can expect to find a small salad bar, a soup of the day, cold cuts, a limited selection of hot entrees, and desserts. At lunchtime, there’s an area for hot dogs and sausages as well.

In comparison to other cruise line buffets, this one was small and lacked variety. However, the gem here is Frank and Lola’s Pizzeria.

Frank and Lola’s Pizzeria (Deck 9)

Unlike MVAS Paradise which features a pizza parlor, Frank and Lola’s Pizzeria on Islander is found within the buffet. This centrally located station is open from 12 PM to 2 AM daily serving up slices of cheese, pepperoni, or mushroom pizza.

While still good, the slices are smaller and there wasn’t as much variety when compared to Paradise. The wait times for pizza also fluctuate as the pies are small and the staff do not make many at a time. Thus, you might need to wait in line for a bit to get your slice.

Still, it does rival the pizza on Virgin Voyages and Princess Cruises.

Ice Cream (Deck 9)

It’s not a cruise without some soft serve ice cream, right? Luckily, Margaritaville at Sea Islander has two stations, one on each side of the ship near the buffet entrance. These stands serve cones and bowls of vanilla, chocolate, and twist from 12 PM to 9:30 PM daily.

Specialty Margaritaville at Sea Islander Restaurants

While you don’t have to spend money on food while cruising on Margaritaville at Sea Islander, there are quite a few up-charge restaurants that might be worth the splurge. There’s a signature steakhouse along with several casual a la carte options and a Sparkling Wine Brunch.

While the JWB Prime Steakhouse was a bit of a letdown for us, we did enjoy the selections at Island Eats and the Tiki Grill as well as the brunch.

If you are considering dining at a few of these venues, you might want to purchase a dining package. The options available include:

• Ultimate Dining Chill- $119 per person
• Prime Dining Package- $69 per person
• Far Side Sampler Package- $59 per person

Additionally, the Islander Signature Chill Package (from $459 pp) and the Ultimate Islander Escape (from $739 pp) include specialty dining along with many other add ons.

The Ultimate Dining Chill package includes one of each of the following: JWB Steakhouse, Sparkling Wine Brunch at Islander Dining Room, dinner at Islander Dining Room, $25 dining credit for a la carte purchases at each Tiki Grill, Island Eats, and Far Side Sushi. The 18% gratuity is also included.

The Prime Dining package includes one of each of the following: JWB Steakhouse, Sparkling Wine Brunch at Islander Dining Room, and dinner at Islander Dining Room. The 18% gratuity is also included.

The Far Side Sampler package includes a $25 dining credit for a la carte purchases at Tiki Grill, Island Eats, and Far Side Sushi for a value of $75. This package is only available for guests 18+.

Far Side Sushi (Deck 2)

Margaritaville at Sea Islander doesn’t have a dedicated sushi restaurant, but it does offer sushi and a few other Asian-inspired dishes at the Far Side of the World Lounge.

This Pacific-themed venue hosts various activities during the cruise. So, if you get hungry along the way, you can order up a few items off this a la carte menu.

Far Side Sushi is open for lunch on sea days from 12 to 3 PM and nightly from 5 PM to late.

Far Side Sushi Menu

Islander Dining Room (Deck 3)

A bit odd, but the Islander Dining Room serves a dual function. It is the restaurant for suite guests, but also an up-charge restaurant for other guests. Guests can pay $20 per person to dine here for dinner or $15 per person to enjoy Sparkling Wine Brunch on sea days.

The Islander Dining Room is basically the second floor of the Fins Main Dining Room. It serves the same menu as Fins with an additional insert of a few upgraded offerings (3 apps, 2 entrees, and 1 dessert). Although, there’s really nothing all that upscale on these exclusive menus. There’s no lobster or escargot or anything along those lines. Some selections included shrimp cocktail, ahi tuna, crab cake, flat iron steak, blackened salmon, and beef wellington.

Personally, the only benefit to dining here for us was to avoid the wait times at the main dining room.

We did enjoy the Sparkling Wine Brunch though. This menu features both breakfast and lunch items, but given we dined here at 9:30 AM, we only sampled breakfast items. The chicken and waffles and the overnight French toast were both good. There’s also items like steak and eggs, huevos rancheros, and a burger on the menu.

Sparkling Wine Brunch is served from 8:30 to 11:30 AM, and dinner is served nightly from 5:30 to 9 PM. Just like Fins, additional entrees at the Islander Dining Room are also a $7 fee.

Brunch Menu | Dinner 1 | Dinner 2 | Dinner 3 | Dinner 4 | Dinner 5

Margaritaville Coffee Shop (Deck 9)

Also located within the Port of Indecision buffet is the Margaritaville Coffee Shop. This venue serves specialty coffee along with upcharge breakfast, lunch, and snack options. Unlike most cruise lines though, this specialty coffee is NOT included in the Islander drink package.

Thus, all drinks here will cost you extra money. As an example of pricing, an espresso is $3, a medium latte is $5.25, chai tea is $4.50, and an iced frappe is $5.50. Further, you’ll have to pay $7 for a lunch sandwich, $5 for croissants, $3 for cinnamon rolls, and $4-6 for pastries.

While specialty coffees are a given for us on a cruise, we did try a few of the upcharge food items as well which were hit or miss.

The Margaritaville Coffee Shop is open daily from 6:30 AM to 10 PM. But, unlike Paradise, it doesn’t have that coffee shop vibe where you’d want to chill or maybe do a little work. The only seating is shared seating with the buffet.

Coffee Shop Menu | Breakfast and Pastry Menu | Food Menu

Tiki Grill (Deck 9)

Located aft on Deck 9 in the adults-only area are two up-charge food counters. The Tiki Grill is on the portside. This venue serves a menu of upgraded food items at a la carte prices. There’s chicken wings, conch fritters, buffalo shrimp, and more. Everything we sampled here was good, and we would definitely pay to dine here again.

However, the venue is only open from 3 PM to late. It would have been nice to have these offerings open at lunchtime on sea days as we ended up waiting until 3 PM for lunch on a couple days just to try these items.

Tiki Grill Menu

Island Eats (Deck 9)

Across the way on the starboard side, also right near the Tiki Pool and Tiki Bar, is Island Eats. Similar to Tiki Grill, this venue also serves a menu of upgraded items at a la carte prices daily from 3 PM to late.

While both menus are heavy on seafood, this one serves lobster rolls, ceviche, crab legs, mussels, and more. Even though it was $18, the lobster roll was good, and we would definitely recommend trying out some of the offerings here.

Of note, if using the dining package at either of these spots, the $25 credit must be used all at one time and can not be split over multiple visits.

Island Eats Menu

JWB Prime Steakhouse (Deck 10)

Lastly, JWB Prime Steakhouse is the most traditional of the Margaritaville at Sea Islander specialty restaurants. This restaurant is open nightly for dinner from 5:30 to 9:30 PM and has an upcharge of $55 per person.

This restaurant is located on Deck 10 overlooking the open atrium which does make it a bit noisy and takes away some of the ambiance that you’d expect at an upscale steakhouse.

The menu features a wide selection of starters from pork belly, to wagyu meatballs, oysters, burrata, onion soup, lobster bisque, and salads. For entrees, the cuts of beef are the obvious choice but there’s also short ribs, rack of lamb, pork chop, pan-roasted chicken, a catch of the day, and lobster on the menu.

Despite the $55 charge to dine here, lobster tail and surf & turf are both an additional $24 charge. If you want to add a 5 oz. grilled lobster tail to your entree that will cost an extra $20.

The filet we had here was perfectly seared to the requested medium-rare temperature. We also enjoyed the pork belly and bib & walnut salad; however, the meatball, burrata, and all the sides were disappointing.

Honestly, we probably wouldn’t pay to dine here again. Instead, we’d spend the money on the up-charge casual eats.

JWB Steakhouse Menu | JWB Steakhouse Kids Menu

Comments

Do you have plans to sail on this MVAS cruise ship? What is your favorite of the Margaritaville at Sea Islander restaurants? Drop us an anchor below to share your dining preferences when cruising.

The post We Dined at All the Margaritaville at Sea Islander Restaurants: Here’s Our Complete Guide With Menus appeared first on EatSleepCruise.com.

As you might expect Margaritaville at Sea Islander offers a variety of bars and lounges all with signature drink menus inspired by Jimmy Buffett and the iconic lifestyle brand. Not sure where to start? Our complete look at all the Margaritaville at Sea Islander bars includes all of the bar menus to help you make the difficult decisions, like which bar to visit first!

Our Complete Look at All the Margaritaville at Sea Islander Bars With Menus and Drink Prices

When it comes to drinks on Margaritaville at Sea, guests can enjoy filtered water, brewed coffee, hot and iced tea, lemonade, and juices included in the cruise fare. However, all alcoholic beverages will cost extra. To help you budget appropriately, we have all the menus and current drink prices for each of the Margaritaville at Sea Islander bars.

If you plan to test out all the signature margaritas and boat drinks during your cruise, you may want to consider purchasing a drink package. The Ultimate Beverage Chill package is $59.99 per person, per day and covers all alcoholic beverages up to $20 as well as some non-alcoholic drinks.

Follow along as we test out all the bars and signature drink menus. After all, it’s 5 o’clock somewhere!

Coral Reef Lounge (Deck 1)

On Margaritaville at Sea Islander, you can head below deck to the aquarium-themed Coral Reef Lounge. This venue is typically only open in the evenings and hosts family and adult karaoke sessions along with a few other activities like the adults-only Quest game show. This is one venue that seemed rather under-utilized.

Nonetheless, if you need a little liquid courage during your karaoke session, there is a full bar here with a signature drink menu featuring ocean-inspired cocktails and mocktails.

Coral Reef Lounge Menu

Far Side of the World Lounge (Deck 2)

The Far Side of the World Lounge is a Pacific-inspired venue that features a bar alongside a small sushi menu. The lounge hosts a variety of activities including dance classes, game shows, the cruise director’s morning trivia, arts and crafts sessions, the family circus workshop, and more. While the venue occasionally hosted live music, it seemed a bit under-utilized in the evenings as well.

The signature drink menu here features bubble and fruit teas, some zero-proof cocktails, Far East libations like the Geisha or Far Side Margarita, sake, and Asian beer.

Far Side of the World Lounge tended to open around 11 AM on sea days or 3/4 PM on port days and remained open until late.

Far Side of the World Menu

Love and Luck Casino Bar (Deck 2)

The Love and Luck Casino Bar isn’t your typical casino bar as it too features its own signature drink menu. If you’re feeling lucky, you can even roll the die and get a drink based off your number rolled. The menu includes drinks such as the Moneyline Margarita, Aces High, or Vegas Sour. There’s also a similar menu for shots.

The casino and bar tended to open around 10 AM on sea days and after leaving port on the other days and remained open until late.

Love and Luck Casino Bar Menu

Flip Flop Atrium Bar (Deck 2)

The Flip Flop Atrium is a hub of activity on Margaritaville at Sea Islander. It hosts live music, various pop-up performances with the production cast, and a rather unique Captain’s reception. The central bar opens between 9 and 10 AM most days and closes at midnight.

So, whether you just want to take a selfie with the signature flip flop, are mingling with other guests, or enjoying the entertainment, you’ll definitely want to grab a drink off the signature cocktail menu.

The menu features drinks like the Flip Flop margarita, Old Fashioned, and Red Sky at Night. There’s also a Key Lime Pie martini on the menu, but they didn’t have the ingredients to make it during our sailing.

Flip Flop Bar Menu

Hemisphere Dancer Craft Spirits (Deck 2)

The Hemisphere Dancer bar is the signature cocktail bar on the ship. It usually opens between 4 and 5 PM in the evenings and remains open until late. This is where the rock band performs along with a rotating list of other musicians. The Blaze Band ended up being our favorite musical act.

In terms of cocktails, they are all travel-inspired with names like Frequent Flier, Mile High, and Jet Lag. If you like a smoky drink, definitely try the Mile High. This bar also makes a great espresso martini.

Hemisphere Dancer Bar Menu

Hot Hot Hot Night Club (Deck 2)

The Hot Hot Hot Night Club is the late night spot on Margaritaville at Sea Islander. It’s also one place where it’s evident there were few updates made. This venue typically only opened at 11 PM for the late night party with DJ Kash.

This night club doesn’t have a signature drink menu, but it does have a full bar where you can order up your favorite cocktails while dancing the night away. We don’t dance, so we didn’t really spend any time here during our cruise.

Havana Daydreamin’ Sports Bar (Deck 3)

Havana Daydreamin’ Sports Bar is one of the largest venues on Margaritaville at Sea Islander. With a bar, a few compartmentalized seating sections, a stage, and some additional cafe style seating in the nearby hallway, it resembled more of a Latin bar or cafe than it did a sports pub. But, it did have some requisite televisions that played sporting events.

Havana Daydreamin’ tended to open around 10 AM on sea days and 4 PM on port days. The venue hosted a Latin duo in the evenings and a few other activities like craft sessions, meet ups, and name that tune.

On the drink menu, the Big Guava Margarita, Watermelon Daiquiri, and Rum Old Fashioned were our favorites. But, there were other Cuban cocktails too, like mojitos or a Cuba Libre.

Havana Daydreamin’ Bar Menu

Bubbles Up Lounge (Deck 3)

The Bubbles Up Lounge is the piano lounge and champagne bar on Magaritaville at Sea Islander. This cozy venue is a great place to grab a pre-dinner drink as it’s located right before the Islander Dining Room and one deck above the Fins Main Dining Room.

This lounge opened most days between 4 and 5 PM and remained open until 10 or 11 PM. It also usually hosted live piano music; though, it certainly wasn’t the same lively vibe that you find at Carnival’s Piano Bar 88 or Royal’s Schooner Bar.

On the menu, there are a variety of sparkling wines, along with signture cocktails and spritzes. We enjoyed the limoncello and raspberry spritzes here as well as the French 75.

Bubbles Up Bar Menu

Landshark Bar and Lookout (Decks 9, 10, 11)

Heading outdoors, guests have three main bar options. The Landshark Bar and Lookout technically spans three decks. The main bar is located on Deck 9 nearby the Landshark Pool. There is a smaller bar upstairs on Deck 10, and there’s additional seating space (and views overlooking the pool deck) on Deck 11 at the Landshark Lookout.

This pool bar tended to open between 10 AM and noon each day and closed somewhere between 6 and 8 PM. The Deck 10 bar opening times varied, but it was usually open 10 to 5 PM on sea days.

The Landshark Bar menu is the same at both locations. It features the signature Landshark Margarita, frozen cocktails, sangria, beer, and more.

Landshark Bar Menu

5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar (Deck 9)

The 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar is what you could consider the main pool bar. It’s adjacent to the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Pool which has a retractable roof so guests can use this pool no matter the weather outside. It’s also nearby the Six String Stage which features live music and Caribbean vibes.

This bar was open 8 AM to 10 PM daily for all your beverage needs. The menu features all your favorite margaritas and boat drinks, perfect for enjoying during sail away or a deck party or while lounging poolside on a sea day.

5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar Menu

Margaritaville Coffee Shop (Deck 9)

Located within the Port of Indecision buffet is the Margaritaville Coffee Shop. This venue serves specialty coffee along with upcharge breakfast, lunch, and snack options. Unlike most cruise lines though, this specialty coffee is NOT included in the Islander drink package.

Thus, all drinks (and food) here will cost you extra money. As an example of pricing, an espresso is $3, a medium latte is $5.25, chai tea is $4.50, and an iced frappe is $5.50.

The Margaritaville Coffee Shop is open daily from 6:30 AM to 10 PM. But, unlike its sister ship Paradise, it doesn’t have that coffee shop vibe where you’d want to chill or maybe do a little work. The only seating is shared seating with the buffet.

Coffee Shop Menu

Tiki Bar (Deck 9)

The Tiki Bar is located aft on Deck 9 in the adults-only area. This area features a sundeck, pool, bar, and two up-charge food stations so you never have to leave. The bar is quite large and features a covered seating section for those who want to enjoy some food or drinks in the shade.

The Tiki Bar opened most days around 9 or 10 AM until late. This bar’s menu features a list of all your favorite island drinks. From the Frozen Crazy Mango, to a Rum Runner, Pina Colada, Zombie, or Mai Tai, you can’t go wrong with any of the selections.

Tiki Bar Menu

Comments

Do you have plans to sail with Margaritaville at Sea soon? What is your favorite of the Margaritaville at Sea Islander bars? Drop us an anchor below to share your picks for best cruise drinks.

The post We Tested All the Margaritaville at Sea Islander Bars: Here’s Our Complete Guide With Menus and Drink Prices appeared first on EatSleepCruise.com.

Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Fantasy offers a variety of bars and lounges for all the adults to enjoy some grown-up beverages. Not sure where to start? Our complete look at all the Disney Fantasy bars includes all of the bar menus to help you make the difficult decisions, like which bar to visit first!

Our Complete Look at All the Disney Fantasy Bars With Menus and Drink Prices

When it comes to drinks on Disney Cruise Line, guests can enjoy water, coffee, tea, lemonade, Coca-Cola fountain drinks, some juices, hot chocolate, Vitamin water, iced tea, and milk included in the cruise fare. However, all alcoholic beverages will cost extra. To help you budget appropriately, we have all the menus and drink prices for each of the Disney Fantasy bars.

Preludes (Deck 3)

Preludes is located on deck 3 forward on both sides of the Walt Disney Theatre. This will be your closest spot to grab a drink or some popcorn before the nightly entertainment occurring in this venue.

You won’t want to miss the shows on Disney Fantasy which include Disney’s Believe; Frozen, A Musical Spectacular; and Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular.

PRO TIP: If you bring your popcorn bucket from the Disney parks, you can get refills at a cheaper price.

Bon Voyage (Deck 3)

Bon Voyage is the atrium bar on Disney Fantasy. This full-service bar mixes up standard cocktails along with a special Welcome Home drink, wine, sangria, Creative-Tea, and more.

On Disney cruise ships, where is there no traditional drink package, you may want to consider the sommelier bin here. This “mystery” glass of wine is always $13, regardless of the usual retail price. This helps the cruise line finish off bottles of wine, and in the process, might help you get a deal on more expensive wines.

You’ll also want to keep your eye on the Navigator app for Happy Hour specials offering discounts on select drinks at certain bars around the ship each evening. The Drink of the Day is also unique to that day and offered at a cheaper price.

Bon Voyage Menu

Vista Cafe (Deck 4)

The Vista Cafe is your go-to spot for coffee. This bar serves up specialty coffees, teas, and espresso-based beverages along with some continental breakfast items and snacks throughout the day.

This venue also functions as a bar, so you can always grab an alcoholic beverage here as well, perhaps an espresso martini.

PRO TIP: If you are a coffee lover, be sure to ask for a coffee card, where every 6th coffee is free!

Vista Cafe Menu

D Lounge (Deck 4)

The D Lounge is the central hub on deck 4 which hosts a variety of family-friendly entertainment during the voyage. Think game shows, trivia, crafts, cooking demos, dance parties like the silent disco, karaoke, and more. Once onboard, you’ll want to check the Navigator app for a complete list of all the activities and events occurring during your sailing.

However, there was no bar service in here during our sailing, so be sure to grab your beverage before heading inside.

Ooh La La (Deck 4)

On Disney Fantasy, many of the adult venues are clustered into one central location on deck 4 aft which is referred to as Europa. These bars and lounges all have a European-flair which is unique to this ship.

Ooh La La is the elegant champagne bar found here. With a Victorian charm, this venue serves up a menu of authentic French champagne, alongside other wines, spirits, and cocktails like the Elderbubble or the Pomegranate Passion.

Ooh La La Menu

La Piazza (Deck 4)

La Piazza is the Italian-themed bar found in the Europa district. With a unique vintage carousel design, this bar serves up signature cocktails alongside live music. You’ll also find other distinct design elements here like Venetian masks and a restored Vespa.

The menu offers items like Grappa, Peroni, Processo, and cocktails including the Mercutio and Escalus.

La Piazza Menu

O’Gills Pub (Deck 4)

Once you’ve traveled to France and Italy, it’s time to visit Ireland. O’Gills Pub is the signature Irish pub and sports bar on Disney Fantasy. The venue features dark wood tones, plenty of shamrocks, televisions to catch a game, and a menu full of your favorite brews.

There’s a wide selection of beer including the signature O’Gills beer on draft and other specialty drinks like the Celtic Twilight, Chilled Leprechaun, or the Blarney Stone Tasting. O’Gills also has a small food menu available at a la carte prices.

O’Gills Pub Menu | O’Gills Food Menu

Skyline Lounge (Deck 4)

At the Skyline Lounge on Disney Fantasy, you can enjoy a drink with a (digital) view. These “windows to the world” provide views from cities around the globe, changing about every 15 minutes.

The Skyline Lounge’s menu features signature drinks inspired by six iconic European cities including Paris, Barcelona, London, Athens, Florence, and Budapest.

We enjoyed the Paris 75 and a coffee-infused Old Fashioned from the bourbon cart during our visit.

Skyline Menu

The Tube (Deck 4)

Finally, it’s time to head to The Tube for some British influence. This club, inspired by London’s underground subway, is where the late-night partying on Disney Fantasy happens. While dancing the night away or partaking in adult game shows, guests can enjoy some proper bevvies at the bar set under Big Ben’s clock face.

The menu features a selection of beers, wine, and cocktails like the Mind the Gap, Tuppenny Tube, and the Hammersmith.

The Tube Menu

Senses Juice Bar (Deck 11)

The Senses Juice Bar is found near the Senses Spa, Salon, and Fitness Center, deck 11 forward on Disney Fantasy. This health-conscious spot serves up blended fruit and vegetable beverages as well as fresh squeezed juices at a la carte prices.

So, whether you want to recharge after a workout or want an energizing start to your day, the Senses Juice Bar is the place.

Cove Bar (Deck 11)

Located within the Quiet Cove adults-only area on deck 11 of Disney Fantasy is the Cove Bar. This bar is an open-air watering hole serving beer, wine, and cocktails.

This is the perfect pool bar to grab a drink while lounging in this tranquil space which is home to a pool and whirlpool. Who could pass up a frose on a sea day? Besides the bar seating, there’s also some nearby patio-style couches and chairs.

Quiet Cove Bar Menu | Standard Outdoor Bar Menu

Cove Cafe (Deck 11)

Located within the adults-only Quiet Cove, there’s also the Cove Café. This venue is an indoor lounge serving gourmet coffees, teas, specialty drinks, and treats throughout the day.

This is a quiet spot to escape the heat and the kids for a bit of relaxation. Just be sure to snag your seats early as this venue is pretty popular.

Cove Cafe Menu

Meridian Bar (Deck 12)

The Meridian Bar is situated aft on deck 12 between the two adult dining venues, Remy and Palo, making it a great place to enjoy a pre-dinner or post-dinner cocktail. The bar serves a wide selection of beer, wine, and specialty cocktails like a Side Car and a Pink Cadillac along with a bourbon cart.

Meridian features vintage nautical decor and fantastic ocean views with both indoor and outdoor seating options.

Meridian Bar Menu | Meridian Wine List

Currents Bar (Deck 13)

The Currents Bar, perched on deck 13 in the adults-only sundeck area, features the same menu as the Cove Bar with many adult beverages.

It is the closest bar to the Satellite Falls pool as well, and it overlooks the Funnel Puddle family shallow wading pool on deck 12. So, it’s convenient to grab a drink while the kids are splashing around.

Currents Bar Menu

In addition to the above mentioned bars, there are two small beverage kiosks on either side of the main pool areas. At these bar carts, you can grab beer, wine, bottled water, Truly, and other basic drinks.

Comments

Do you have plans to sail with Disney Cruise Line soon? What is your favorite of the Disney Fantasy bars? Drop us an anchor below to share your picks for best drinks and bars on DCL cruise ships.

The post Our Complete Look at All the Disney Fantasy Bars With Menus and Drink Prices appeared first on EatSleepCruise.com.

Planning a Disney Cruise vacation is exciting! But, even for experienced cruisers on other cruise lines, the subtle Disney differences can be a bit confusing. One drastic difference between Disney Cruise Line and other major cruise lines is dinner! Knowing how dining onboard Disney Cruise ships works is essential; everyone must eat, right? We’re breaking down all the details on Disney Cruise Line’s rotational dining so you can be informed before your next magical vacation.

What is Disney Cruise Rotational Dining?

Disney Cruise Line does dinner differently than most cruise lines, having guests rotate between the main dining rooms on the ship throughout the cruise.

Disney Cruise Rotational Dining is a dining schedule of the complimentary dining venues set for all staterooms onboard the ship. All guests receive a dining time, table number, and rotation schedule upon boarding their ship.

All five Disney ships, soon to be six with Disney Treasure debuting in December, have three main dining rooms.

The three themed dining rooms on each ship are:

• Disney Magic – Animator’s Palate, Lumiere’s, Rapunzel’s Royal Table
• Disney Wonder – Animator’s Palate, Tiana’s Place, Tritons
• Disney Dream – Animator’s Palate, Enchanted Garden, Royal Palace
• Disney Fantasy – Animator’s Palate, Enchanted Garden, Royal Court
• Disney Wish – Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure, Worlds of Marvel, 1923
• Disney Treasure – Plaza de Coco, Worlds of Marvel, 1923

Guests will dine at each themed restaurant throughout their vacation at least once. They will rotate back through the venues a second time on longer sailings. Don’t worry, though; it won’t be repetitive. Each restaurant has a different menu and different entertainment (if applicable) on the second night. Each of the venues also have their own unique theming and decor.

For example:

• On 3-night sailings, guests dine at each restaurant once
• On 4-night sailings, guests dine at each restaurant once, one restaurant twice
• On 7-night sailings, guests dine at each restaurant twice, one restaurant three times

Disney cruise rotational dining ensures all guests enjoy everything each MDR has to offer while still providing the best customer service at sea! How, you ask? Well, not only does your party rotate through the venues each night of your sailing – but so does your staff! Your waiter, assistant waiter, and even the head waiter rotate on your same dining schedule. You keep the same table number each night regardless of the restaurant, and your wait staff is waiting for you when you arrive!

This helps the staff get to know guests’ likes and dislikes, favorite drinks, any allergy preferences, and more! Not having to repeat your preferences to a different staff each night is a stress relief for many.

While the dining times are fixed, nightly entertainment occurs around these schedules, so you won’t have to worry about missing any shows. Disney cruise ships feature two nightly showings of the main production. If you have the main dining time of 5:45 PM, your show is usually around 8:30 PM. If you have a late dining time of 8 PM, your show is usually around 6 PM.

How Do I Find My Rotational Dining Schedule?

The most important thing to do before your Disney cruise is to download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app. The app is the hub of all information onboard the ship, such as activities, deck plans, hours of operations, a way to communicate with the rest of your party, and, of course, your dining information.

Once onboard the ship, the Navigator app will show your restaurant assignment for each evening, your table number, and your dining time. The restaurant and dining time is listed clearly in multiple locations throughout the app. Additionally, Guest Services will be able to help with all dining questions.

For those interested in a specific dining rotation, guests can put in a dining rotation request, though they aren’t guaranteed. Guests can make a dining rotation request by contacting Disney Cruise Line directly by phone or using the chat feature on the website. This may help if you are trying to plan other activities such as specialty dining and don’t want to miss a specific venue.

What If I Am Sailing with Multiple Staterooms?

For those sailing with multiple staterooms in their party, don’t worry. Although each stateroom gets its own dining time and rotation, guests can link staterooms so that the Disney dining team can ensure you are sat together.

If multiple staterooms are booked under the same account, they will automatically be linked together. If not, guests can call Disney Cruise Line and provide the necessary information, such as the reservation number and stateroom number, in order to link them.

How Does Rotational Dining Compare to Other Cruise Lines?

Most cruise lines have an early and a late traditional dining option, along with a more flexible option. Unfortunately, Disney Cruise Line does not offer any form of My Time or Anytime dining.

On Disney Cruise Line, there are two set dining times only at 5:45 PM and 8 PM. Each stateroom receives a dining time, with half the ship participating in early dining and the other half participating in late dining. Your dining time is assigned at the time of booking.

Though the 5:45 PM dining slots fill up fast, there is a waitlist. On embarkation day, there’s also a dining help desk for any dining requests, such as time changes. It is not a guarantee, but it has worked well for us in the past.

The big difference with Disney Cruise Line vs. other cruise lines is flexibility when it comes to dining. Many other cruise lines are cycling to a more relaxed dining approach, Freestyle Dining on Norwegian Cruise Line for example. With this option, guests can arrive at any time within the dining window to request a table. This means they can eat at a different time each night, even changing up the number of guests in their party. But, they will have a different table and waitstaff. This concept is similar to dining at restaurants back home.

Another big difference is that Disney Cruise Line has three complimentary main dining venues, each with completely different theming. Additionally, most Disney Cruise Line restaurants offer some type of entertainment during dinner, while other cruise lines do not. Thus, Disney Cruise rotational dining lets guests experience it all, something that’s not necessary on other cruise lines because the main dining rooms are usually interchangeable.

Is Rotational Dining Mandatory?

Though complimentary room service is available and at least one section of the pool deck dining options is available on Disney Cruise Line for dinner, there is no buffet during the evening hours. Thus, the rotational dining venues are the only option for guests to have an included table-service dinner. This is in contrast to other cruise lines that typically have multiple dining venues available during dinner hours. Adults-only, extra-charge venues are available on DCL but do require an advanced reservation which is often difficulty to secure.

On shorter 3- or 4-night sailings, the best option is probably to eat on your rotational dining schedule to ensure you don’t miss any entertainment. On longer sailings where guests will visit the dining venues multiple times, it wouldn’t be a lack of value to skip the rotational dinner one evening to enjoy an adults-only dinner or family dinner by the pool. But, the choice is ultimately up to you.

Rotational Dining Overview

Rotational dining onboard Disney Cruise Line ships is a great way to ensure that guests get to experience all the magic that Disney Cruise Line has to offer. It not only ensures everyone a spot at the dinner table but also a front-row seat to Disney entertainment throughout your meals.

Guests on 3-night sailings will attend each venue once, while guests on longer sailings will repeat venues with different menus and entertainment. On 4-night and 7-night sailings, the venues will feature a special Pirate Night menu across all three dining rooms. For example, a 7-night rotation might look like 1231231. Yet, you’ll never have the same menu even though you are dining in one venue three times.

While other cruise lines have tried similar approaches, DCL pulls off rotational dining flawlessly. Combining the high level of service received during traditional dining with a new and exciting experience each evening is something only Disney Cruise Line offers. While the lack of flexibility and evening dining options might be a turnoff for some, Disney Cruise rotational dining is an ideal setup for those who enjoy sit-down meal service on a cruise with a touch of Disney magic along the way.

Comments

Have you sailed on Disney Cruise Line? Do you like the Disney Cruise rotational dining concept? Let us know your thoughts and dining preferences on DCL.

The post What is Rotational Dining on Disney Cruise Line? appeared first on EatSleepCruise.com.

Disney Fantasy is one of five ships in the current Disney Cruise Line fleet. We’ve just returned from this ship’s inaugural cruise to Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. This was our first time sailing on Disney Fantasy, so we made sure to test out all the dining venues. Now, we are back and share all the details with you in our complete guide to the Disney Fantasy restaurants with menus.

Complimentary Disney Fantasy Restaurants

There are several dining options that are included in your cruise fare on Disney Fantasy. These include the main dining rooms, the Cabanas buffet, and some other casual options. With so many great offerings, you certainly do not have to pay extra for dining (if you don’t want to). Though, Disney Fantasy also offers a few specialty restaurants that are worth a try…if you can manage to score a reservation!

Disney Cruise Line’s Rotational Dining Concept

Like all the other Disney Cruise Line ships, Disney Fantasy features the brand’s signature rotational dining. This means that guests will rotate through the three main dining rooms on an assigned schedule. You can check the DCL Navigator app once onboard the ship to view your specific restaurant rotation.

On a 7-day cruise like Disney Fantasy, guests will dine at two of the restaurants twice and one of the restaurants three times. Each restaurant features two different menus, and the 7th menu is the Pirate Night menu which is served in all dining venues that evening. A sample rotation is 1231231.

Your waitstaff and same table number also rotate along with you to the three dining venues so you can get to know the staff during your voyage.

Guests can select their preference for either an early (5:45 PM) or a late dining time (8 PM) for the duration of their cruise. But, on cruise embarkation day, you can try changing to a different time if your preferred time was not available pre-cruise.

You can also put in special requests for dietary needs, celebrations, child amenities, and table requests like location within the dining room or a private table. On this trip, we did request a private table and were assigned a table for four that was reserved for just the two of us.

Unlike most other contemporary cruise lines, there is no option for “Anytime Dining” on Disney Cruise Line. So, you are stuck with these assigned dining times; or you can choose to dine at a location other than the main dining room.

Enchanted Garden (Deck 2)

Enchanted Garden is one of the main dining rooms on Disney Fantasy. This venue is inspired by the Gardens of Versailles with color-changing glass flower lights, white trellises, and a large cascading Mickey fountain in the center adding to the ambiance of this restaurant.

This restaurant is only open for dinner. We dined here on Day 3 and Day 6 of the cruise. Some of the highlight dishes for us from the first night’s menu include the ahi tuna and avocado tower, the smoked bacon mushroom tart, sea bass, and sticky date pudding. From the second night’s menu, we enjoyed the oven-roasted turkey and white chocolate bread pudding, while the NY strip steak was a bit of a letdown.

Enchanted Garden Dinner Menu 1 | Dinner Menu 2

Royal Court (Deck 3)

Royal Court is another one of the main dining rooms on Disney Fantasy. This venue places guests in the heart of a fairytale with inspiration from classic Disney films. You’ll find mosaic-tiled murals, ornate chandeliers, and other furnishings that will make you feel like royalty. This is the venue that most resembles a typical MDR.

We dined here on Day 1, Day 4, and Day 7 of our cruise. Day 4 was Pirate Night with a menu that features Caribbean dishes like a vegetable samosa, calypso crab cake, jerk chicken, and lamb shank.

Some of the highlights on the first night’s menu include the deep-fried brie, chateaubriand-roasted filet, and the Grand Marnier souffle. I tried one of the Lighter Note offerings this evening, and the chicken was very dry. The second Royal Court dinner was lobster night; the fettucine with parmesan chicken and the apple pie were good as well.

Royal Court is also open for sit-down breakfast every morning of the cruise with typical breakfast selections like omelets, eggs, French toast, and more. This venue also features a 3-course lunch on the two sea days and the Nassau port of call. On embarkation day, Animator’s Palette serves sit-down lunch. The burger was one of the best we’ve had on a cruise.

Breakfast and lunch have no table assignments and are first come, first served.

Royal Court Dinner Menu 1 | Dinner Menu 2 | Pirate Night Dinner Menu | Breakfast Menu | Lunch Menu 1 | Lunch Menu 2 | Lunch Menu 3 | Lunch Menu 4

Animator’s Palette (Deck 3)

Finallly, Animator’s Palette is the third complimentary main dining room on Disney Fantasy. This venue celebrates the art of storytelling with two unique dinner show experiences. With decor including character sketches, paint brushes, and other tools of the trade, you’ll almost feel like you are in a Disney animator’s studio.

The two shows are Under the Sea Magic and Animation Magic. In Under the Sea Magic, your favorite turtle and other Finding Nemo characters come to life via digital animation. In Animation Magic, you can draw your own character and watch as it becomes part of the show.

We dined here on Day 2 and Day 5 of the cruise. We enjoyed the black truffle purseittes and tuna steak from the first dinner menu and the Malaysian chicken satay, garlic marinated shrimp, and rack of lamb from the second dinner menu.

In terms of the shows, we really enjoyed the Animation Magic. While our drawings were awful, it was hilarious to watch them come to life on the big screen!

Animator’s Palette Dinner Menu 1 | Dinner Menu 2

Flo’s Cafe (Deck 11)

This outdoor eatery is a food-stall style venue inspired by Pixar’s Cars and located nearby the main pools. There are three food stalls serving a variety of lunchtime favorites that the kids will love too. Each stall does also feature a daily special.

• Luigi’s Pizza- serves a selection of different pizzas each day of the cruise
• Tow Mater’s Grill- serves chicken tenders, burgers, hot dogs, and sausages
• Filmore’s Favorites- serves sandwiches, wraps, and salads

Luigi’s Pizza Menu | Tow Mater’s Grill Menu | Filmore’s Favorites Menu

Eye Scream (Deck 11)

Eye Scream is your pool deck stop for all the soft serve ice cream that you and the family care to enjoy. It’s inspired by the one-eyed monster from Monsters, Inc., Mike Wazowski.

At Eye Scream, there is always vanilla and chocolate soft serve available, along with a rotating daily flavor like mango, banana, or strawberry.

Cabanas (Deck 11)

Cabanas is your typical cruise ship buffet on Disney Fantasy with beach boardwalk decor complete with palm trees and decorative surfboards. There’s even a 30-foot-long mosaic from Finding Nemo at the entrance and sandcastles depicting the 5 Disney castles. 

Unlike some other cruise lines though, Cabanas is only open for breakfast and lunch. There is no dinner buffet available.

For breakfast, cruisers can enjoy all the typical American breakfast selections like omelets, scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns, Mickey-shaped waffles, muffins, fruit, cereal, and more. 

For lunch, there’s a variety of salads, soups, burgers, sandwiches, steak, chicken, seafood, and desserts. The kids can enjoy some chicken tenders, pizza, or mac ‘n cheese, while the adults indulge in the signature peel-and-eat shrimp and crab claws along with other international cuisine.

Room Service

Room service is available 24 hours a day on Disney Fantasy. Further, most room service items are complimentary on Disney Cruise Line for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Breakfast items are available for delivery from 5 AM to 9:30 AM, and the all-day menu is available outside of breakfast hours.

The room service menu includes items like chicken wings, burgers, soup and salad, desserts, as well as continental breakfast items. Be sure to ask for the off-the-menu Mickey ice cream bars!

Breakfast Menu | All Day Menu

Specialty Disney Fantasy Restaurants

While Disney Fantasy does offer a number of complimentary dining venues, this cruise ship also features a few specialty venues. These venues do all have up-charges, which you should consider when budgeting for your Disney cruise.

If you plan to dine at either of the two specialty restaurants, you should make reservations pre-cruise, as popular dining times do fill up quickly. If you are unable to secure a dining spot pre-cruise, there is usually a dining desk setup on embarkation day where you can check for any availability. Unfortunately, we weren’t successful though.

Frozone Treats (Deck 11)

Frozone is your pool deck stop for frozen fruit smoothies, but these will cost you extra. Inspired by the hero from The Incredibles, this smoothie shop is open select hours serving up a variety of fruity concoctions along with dole whip.

Frozone Treats Menu

Sweet On You (Deck 11)

Sweet On You is another upcharge venue to satisfy all your sweet tooth cravings. In Minnie’s vintage ice cream parlor, you’ll find specialty ice cream, cookies, cupcakes, and more. Cruisers can indulge in endless options of gelato, ice cream, and toppings to create one-of-a-kind sundaes and milkshakes too.

Remy (Deck 12)

The most exquisite adult dining venue on Disney Fantasy is Remy. This upcharge venue features a set tasting menu with French-inspired cuisine for brunch ($80 per person) and dinner ($135 per person), each with completely different menus. Each meal begins with a complimentary glass of champagne.

The gourmet menu selections are specially crafted by Chef Scott Hunnel, from the award-winning Victoria & Albert’s at Walt Disney World Resort, and advising Chef Arnaud Lallement—a 3-Michelin-starred chef.

There’s also a signature 5-course Remy Dessert experience for $65. Each course is presented along with an explanation of the history and evolution of the dessert.

The venue’s ambiance exudes fine-dining with Parisian-inspired decor, rich tones, and china created exclusively for this restaurant. Reservations are required and do sell out quickly, so book early. Further, formal or semi-formal attire is recommended.

Remy’s Dinner Menu | Remy’s Dessert Experience Menu

Palo (Deck 12)

Palo is the second adult dining venue on Disney Fantasy. This restaurant is reserved for those 18+ and requires advanced reservations. Palo offers a Brunch menu ($50) and a Dinner menu. For dinner, guests may choose to dine on a 4-course prix-fixe menu ($50) or pay a la carte for items from a more diverse menu.

Menu selections highlight contemporary Northern Italian cuisine with items such as butternut agnolotti, seared sea scallops, osso buco, and chocolate souffle.

With rich wood and gold tones, Venetian paintings, and amazing ocean views, Palo is the perfect spot for an intimate and romantic dinner for two on Disney Fantasy.

Palo Brunch Menu | Palo Dinner Menu

Comments

Do you have plans to sail on the Disney Fantasy cruise ship? What is your favorite of the Disney Fantasy restaurants? Drop us an anchor below to share your dining preferences on Disney Cruise Line ships.

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If you are looking for an adults-only escape on your next Disney Cruise Line sailing, look no further than Palo Brunch on the Disney Dream.

Disney Cruise Line features its famous rotational dining and dining entertainment. With so many complimentary dining options included in your cruise fare, is dining at Palo for brunch worth the upcharge? We just dined at this specialty restaurant on our most recent Disney Dream sailing and are giving you our honest review!

About Palo

Palo is one of two adults-only dining venues onboard Disney Cruise Line ships, offering brunch and dinner service. It is available on the Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, and Disney Fantasy. There’s also a reimagined version, Palo Steakhouse, on the Disney Wish. Named after the poles used by gondoliers in Venice, this Italian-inspired eatery offers ocean views from every table, Italian murals and decor, and an extensive Italian and American wine selection.

Located on Deck 12, Aft, Palo is a semicircle dining space with floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase exquisite views from all angles. Additionally, on the Disney Dream, Palo offers an outdoor teak deck with the option to dine al fresco in the ocean breeze, weather permitting.

Palo Brunch is $50 per person with an all-you-care-to-enjoy dining style. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages cost extra, except one complimentary mimosa or champagne.

Further, it’s important to remember that Palo has a dress code. Dress-casual to semi-formal is the dress code, with men expected to wear collared shirts, dress pants, jeans in good condition, or formal attire. In a recent change, Palo Brunch now allows dress shorts in good condition. Women must wear dress pants, sundresses, dressy tops, and appropriate shoes. The restaurant does not allow guests to wear flip flops, swimwear, t-shirts, or sports attire.

How to Book Palo Brunch

Reservations are required in advance to attend Palo Brunch, which is highly sought after. Brunch is only available on select days of your sailing, which means getting reservations is difficult. Brunch reservations are typically available between 10 AM and 12:30 PM, with the experience lasting roughly 90 minutes.

Guests can book reservations when their booking window opens before their cruise. How early the booking window opens depends on your Castaway Club loyalty status. This could be anywhere from 120 days before your sailing for concierge guests to 75 days before your sailing for first-time cruisers.

If you can’t get a reservation on the first try, be sure to keep checking back. Guests can book or cancel their onboard activities up to 3 days before sailing, so be sure to keep an eye out for a last-minute reservation!

Fear not for those who can’t secure a reservation online. There may still be hope! On embarkation day, cruise staff are available at a designated “dining desk” location, typically near guest services, to assist guests with last-minute reservations and dining concerns. If you want a Palo Brunch reservation but couldn’t secure one, head straight to the dining desk once onboard the ship. DCL does reserve a small amount of reservations for embarkation day!

Palo Brunch Menu

Palo combines classic breakfast offerings with indulgent Italian entrees during brunch, giving guests the best of both worlds. The menu has the following sections: antipasti, eggs, waffles & pancakes, soups, pizza, and entrees.

Frittatas, omelets, and benedicts round out the egg portion, while specialty waffles and pancakes such as apple cinnamon, strawberry, and blueberry make up the waffle and pancake section. The famous parmesan-crusted chicken breast and risotto are featured in the entrees, as are Italian lasagna, veal, and mushroom ravioli specialties.

The dessert menu offers a variety of light, citrusy, and indulgent options such as a limoncello torte, panna cotta, and warm chocolate cake.

All menu items at Palo use fresh ingredients and are made to order. Whatever you choose, everything is high quality and expertly prepared, as Palo chefs are highly regarded within the food industry.

Our Palo Brunch Dining Experience on the Disney Dream

Now, what you’ve all been waiting for, what we actually ate!

Upon entering the restaurant, the fantastic Palo staff guided us to our table pointing out the significance of Palo’s decor along the way. As soon as we sat, our server immediately introduced himself and offered us water and a complimentary beverage. I opted for the mimosa, while my husband opted for a glass of champagne. The champagne was good quality, and the champagne to orange juice ratio was generous.

As our server reviewed the menu, he asked if we had any time limitations so that he could pace our meal accordingly. We let him know that our son was in the kids club, and he was very gracious and attentive to the fact that they could page us at any time. He eased our minds that we would still get to enjoy our meal should one of us have to step out for a moment.

He reminded us that it is all you care to enjoy, and gave us his recommendations for each category. You place your entire order (except for dessert) at the beginning of the meal. But don’t worry, they bring your food out course by course.

Now, let the culinary adventure begin!

What We Ate During Palo Brunch

To start, we ordered both antipasti selections along with a complimentary bread service. Bread service included focaccia, crusty breadsticks, and an almond croissant. According to our server, the almond croissant was a must-try, and it did not disappoint!

Both antipasti selections were terrific, with the spiced ahi tuna being the best we have ever had. I do wish the crab claw had been a bit larger, but we would not be going hungry with what we had left to come.

Next up was the egg course, and we opted for the Tomato and Onion omelet and the Rosemary Ham Eggs Benedict. Both options were fresh and beautifully presented. The poached egg was perfectly firm yet runny. You won’t want to go back to eating the eggs benedict at the Cabana’s buffet after having this one! Further, we shared a portion of the buttermilk pancakes, which were light, fluffy, and not overly sweet. They were the perfect breakfast companion to our savory egg selections.

Next, it was time for the famous Palo pizzas! We knew we wouldn’t eat a whole pizza each, so our server suggested we split the pizza in half. We opted for a few slices of the Spicy Italian Sausage pizza. Then, our server recommended a secret menu item for the second portion, the Grape and Gorgonzola pizza.

I’ll admit, I was a little apprehensive about this, I mean, grapes on pizza? Boy, was I wrong! I highly suggest everyone try this at least once. The sweetness of the grapes balances perfectly with the gorgonzola and port wine sauce drizzle.

Lastly, here come the entrees. We chose the Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Breast with risotto, Lasagna Bolognese, and the Wild Mushroom Ravioli. All three were good-sized portions with a classic Italian flare.

The chicken was crispy but moist, pairing perfectly with the creamy risotto it laid on top of. The lasagna was packed with rich flavors, and the ravioli was like nothing we had tasted before. It wasn’t overpowered with mushrooms, and the brown butter and lemon made it seem lighter after just indulging in two very heavy entrees.

We were stuffed at this point, but who passes on dessert?! We chose the Buttermilk Panna Cotta Pot, the Warm Amaretto Chocolate Fondant, and the server recommended the Limoncello Torte. All three desserts were well-presented and shareable in size.

The limoncello torte was light and citrusy, with the chocolate fondant being the exact opposite. It was heavy on the chocolate, but we didn’t get much amaretto flavor. My favorite was the panna cotta, a perfectly refreshing way to end our meal at Palo brunch.

Overall Palo Brunch Review

So, is Palo Brunch worth the upcharge and a portion of your time onboard the Disney Dream? Yes, yes, yes! It was pure excellence from the moment we stepped off the elevator into the lobby. The service staff was attentive, highly knowledgeable, and extremely accommodating. Our brunch was not just a meal; it was a fine dining experience.

For $50 per person, this is unbeatable. From a complimentary beverage to the ability to order as much as you’d like, it would be hard to find a better deal at sea. Compared to Palo dinner, which is prix-fixe or a la carte, brunch is more economical. But, both options are excellent.

Cruisers looking for an elegant, upscale dining experience or just some time away from children must visit Palo. Brunch is an excellent option for guests who want to experience the upscale, adult-only dining offerings but may not be adventurous enough to dine at Remy.

Our brunch experience lasted about two hours from start to finish, so be sure to carve out enough time to enjoy and not rush. It’s worth it! Our meal at Palo ended up being one of the highlights of our trip, and we cannot wait to be back!

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One of the most frequently asked questions from cruisers is “Should I Buy a Beverage Package on a Cruise?”. Whether or not you should purchase one for your next vacation is an individual decision that depends on several factors. We have sailed on over 80 cruises with various cruise lines and weigh in on this highly discussed topic with our 10 reasons to buy a cruise ship drink package.

The Basics of a Cruise Ship Drink Package

A cruise ship drink package is often referred to as an unlimited beverage package. Packages are priced as per person, per day. When electing to purchase a drink package, you have to pay for the entire length of the cruise — not just select days. The only exception to this is that sometimes you are still able to purchase the drink package on the second day of the voyage, meaning you didn’t have to pay for the first day.

When purchasing a beverage package, each adult in the room is required to get one. If you’re getting an alcoholic drink package, most cruise lines also require that any kids in the same cabin get the nonalcoholic beverage package (usually a soda package). As you would expect, there is no sharing of the package or using your package to order drinks for other people.

With that said, many cruisers still find value and convenience in these drink packages.

10 Reasons Why We Think It’s a Good Idea to Buy a Cruise Ship Drink Package

Everything Else is Basically Part of the Cruise Fare

On a cruise, travelers can see multiple destinations while enjoying most of the onboard amenities. What is included in each cruise line’s standard price can fluctuate. However, your accommodations for the week as well as most food, entertainment, and onboard activities are typically part of your cruise fare.

Unless you are on a luxury cruise line, the one item that is NOT part of the cruise fare is alcoholic beverages. So, if you are looking for a more all-inclusive experience, then you should consider purchasing a cruise ship drink package. This way, you won’t have to worry about the bar tab at the end of your vacation.

Cruise Ship Drink Packages Work at Most Venues

On most cruise lines, guests can use their beverage package at all bars, lounges, and restaurants on the ship. This includes the main dining room, the theater, the pool bar, and more.

Of course, some exclusions do apply. With a cruise drink package, guests can order beer, wine, and champagne by the glass, as well as cocktails and spirits up to a certain dollar amount in all venues around the ship. This dollar amount does vary by cruise line but usually includes all the standard cruise drinks. If you enjoy a certain brand of wine or a high-end spirit, you should check the inclusions of the package before purchasing.

Further, drinks in souvenir glasses and bottles of alcohol are not included — though drink packages often include a percentage off of bottles of wine and champagne.

Cruise Beverage Packages Work While at Sea or Docked at Port

It doesn’t matter whether your cruise ship is in port or out to sea, as your drink package is always active. (An exception to this is if your cruise ship is sailing from Galveston, Texas and has not departed yet; Texas alcohol laws mean that most cruise lines do not activate their drink packages until the ship is out at sea.)

Usually though, wherever there is an open bar, you can use your drink package to grab a cocktail. Whether you want a morning mimosa, a piña colada while lounging poolside, or a nightcap, you are covered.

You do need to be aware that there may be an additional local tax on your purchase while docked in some ports of call. However, these charges would be the same whether you have a package or are paying a la carte. So this shouldn’t impact your decision to purchase a cruise ship drink package.

Beverage Packages Can Work on Land Too

While you already know that you can use your beverage package on the ship, you might not know that you can often use it at the cruise lines’ private islands as well. So, whether you are spending the day at Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay or Norwegian Cruise Line’s Great Stirrup Cay, beverage packages cover drinks purchased at all the bars on the island.

This is not true for all private islands however. Carnival Cruise Line’s beverage packages do not work at the private destinations of Half Moon Cay or Princess Cays in the Bahamas.

You Can Prepay For All Your Drinks

No one likes getting a bar tab at the end of the night, nevermind getting a bar tab after seven nights at your favorite watering hole. You can avoid sticker shock by purchasing a cruise ship drink package.

With a beverage package, you will know exactly how much all your alcoholic beverages will cost ahead of time. Believe us, your wallet will thank you. Be aware that the stated prices don’t include the 18-20 percent service charge (automatic gratuity) which is added at the time you purchase the drink package.

Get Further Discounts When You Buy a Cruise Beverage Package Pre-Cruise

You can often save anywhere from 10 to 30 percent off the onboard rates of these packages when you get a drink package pre-cruise. For instance, Carnival always offers 10 percent off onboard prices when you pre-purchase the Cheers package. Other cruise lines often run sales and promotions on cruise planner items like drink packages.

Once you have a cruise booked, you should keep an eye on the cruise planner and your email for special promotions or discounts. If you see one, don’t pass up the savings. If the price gets cheaper, you can always cancel and re-purchase for the lower cost prior to your sail date.

Sometimes You Can Get a Drink Package for “Free”

If you time the purchase of your cruise right, you might score a cruise ship drink package for free. Cruise lines often give incentives to purchase certain room categories or run promotions that include free beverage packages as a perk for booking. Some travel agents also provide similar offers.

Norwegian Cruise Line is known for its ongoing Free at Sea Promotion. This promotion entitles cruisers to five free perks (sometimes six) when booking. Depending on your drinking habits, the open bar perk is usually the best value. Again, do note that even though the perk is “free,” you will still need to pay the 20 percent service charge for the package when booking your cruise.

Other cruise lines also offer similar bundle deals, like Princess Cruises’ Princess Plus and Premier packages and Holland America’s Have It All fares.

Cruise Beverage Packages Include More Than Just Alcohol

Depending on the cruise line and beverage package you purchase, drink packages can also include bottled water, specialty coffees like lattes and cappuccinos, soda, energy drinks, and other non-alcoholic beverages. These beverages are in addition to your adult beverages. Because sometimes you need to take a break or just rehydrate! This is honestly where we see the benefit and cost savings.

The standard alcohol packages on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Carnival Cruise Line for instance do include these offerings, while Norwegian Cruise Line’s Premium Beverage package does not include most of it (except for soda and juice). If you want these additional inclusions with NCL, you will have to upgrade to the line’s Premium Plus package.

You Can Try New Things

Given that these cruise ship drink packages are unlimited with most brands, you can feel free to try new things without worrying about the costs. If a drink on the bar menu sounds appealing but you’re not sure if you’ll like it, order it anyway. If you end up not liking the drink, you can simply order another one at no additional cost.

On Carnival Cruise Line, alcoholic beverages are limited to 15 drinks per 24 hour period. Further, you can only get one drink at a time with a 5 minute wait time between orders. However, most cruise lines do not have a limit (though most cruisers probably wouldn’t reach it anyway).

You May Save Money with a Drink Package

On our cruises, we always complete an analysis to determine if the cruise ship drink package was worth it or not. We track all of our beverages consumed over the course of the week, including all of the non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks. Then, we take the average prices for each drink category to determine how much we would have spent on drinks if we paid a la carte for each item. 

While we never over-indulge in alcoholic beverages, we still usually realize a cost savings with a drink package. This savings usually comes from our consumption of the “additional” items like bottled water, lattes, and Vitamin water. While we do save some money with a drink package, we typically purchase one for the convenience alone.

However, with the recent increase in prices, we are finding it harder to justify purchasing one on certain cruise lines. So, we suggest you run the numbers to see if a cruise ship drink package would be worth it for you before you throw down all that money. Because actually, there are many reasons why cruise drink packages can also be a waste of money!

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Perhaps one of the most common questions we receive is whether a drink package is worth it. When it comes to purchasing Royal Caribbean Drink Packages in 2024, the cruise line has made some updates that could impact your decision.

So, for some, going with a drink package could be a complete waste of money. For others, these options will be a great value. As loyal to royal cruisers, we have purchased several of these packages over the years. Thus, we can help you determine which, if any, are right for your next Royal Caribbean cruise.

Table of Contents

• Royal Caribbean Drink Package Basics
• Royal Caribbean Drink Package Options
• Costs of Royal Caribbean Drink Packages
• Deluxe Beverage Package
• Refreshment Package
• Soda Package
• Is a Drink Package Worth it on RCI?
• Frequently Asked Questions

Historically, the Royal Caribbean Drink Packages have been a good value. Purchasing one pre-cruise has saved us money during many cruises over the years. Also, it’s always been an easy way to make our cruise more hassle free. However, given recent changes in pricing and benefits, we have not purchased a drink package on our recent cruises because the value for us has been diminished.

Ultimately, you will need to weigh the pros and cons and run the numbers to determine if one of the Royal Caribbean Drink Packages is right for you. Whether or not you should purchase one for your next vacation is an individual decision that depends on several factors. 

These factors can include the price, your drink preferences, your cruise itinerary and if private islands are included, and your loyalty status with the brand.

GUIDE TO ROYAL CARIBBEAN DRINK PACKAGES!

Ultimate Guide to Royal Caribbean Drink Packages (2024)

Royal Caribbean Drink Package Basics

There are a few different drink package options available across the Royal Caribbean fleet. While what is included in each package differs, there are several basic policies that govern all of the drink packages. Knowing these basics before you even review the plan options might make your decision to purchase one easier.

The Royal Caribbean Drink Packages

In 2024, Royal Caribbean is offering three drink packages. There is the alcoholic drink package, also known as the Deluxe Beverage Package. There are also two non-alcoholic drink packages, the Royal Refreshment Drink Package and the Classic Soda Package.

For all the coffee lovers, there is also the Café Select coffee card.

In addition, cruisers can also pre-purchase cases of water. For most cruises, guests can order a 12 pack or 24 pack of 1 liter bottles of Evian.

The Cost of Royal Caribbean Drink Packages in 2024

Royal Caribbean drink packages have dynamic pricing. This means that the price will vary based on ship, time of year, and itinerary. However, don’t be surprised if the advertised price in your Royal Caribbean cruise planner is much higher than it was a few years ago.

The typical beverage package price ranges are as follows:

• Deluxe Beverage Package: $69.99-$125 per person, per day
• Royal Refreshment Drink Package: $29-$38 per person, per day
• Café Select Coffee Card: $31 for 15 drinks
• Classic Soda Package: $12.99-$15 per person, per day

However, the cruise line often runs pre-cruise sales and promotions. Often, cruisers can get drink packages on sale from 10% to 40% off the retail price. We have taken advantage of these discounts to get a better deal on several cruises.

As an example, the Deluxe Beverage Package for one of our upcoming cruises is quoting a sale price of $73.99 and an onboard price of $115, or 35% off! On the same trip, the Refreshment Package is $25.99 and the Soda Package is $9.99, for a discount of 30%.

If you see a deal, we recommend purchasing. Remember, if the price goes down even further prior to your sail date, it is possible to cancel and rebook the package at the lower rate.

Everything Included in Royal Caribbean Drink Packages in 2024

Royal Caribbean Deluxe Drink Package

Royal Caribbean offers only one alcoholic drink package, known as the Deluxe Drink Package.

So, many cruisers refer to this as the unlimited drink package, as it includes essentially all alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Since the cruise restart, the price of the Deluxe Drink Package has skyrocketed. While the cruise line implements dynamic pricing, the starting price for this package is much higher than it was a few years ago.

For our upcoming Utopia of the Seas cruise, the starting price for this package is $115 per person, per day. That is certainly a lot of pina coladas and daiquiris to hit the break-even point!

This plan covers all alcoholic beverages, including beer, wine by the glass, and cocktails up to $14. This allotment covers basically all 16 oz beers and a decent selection of red and white wines at the onboard restaurants and bars.

Further, the package also includes most liquor and premium spirits. Brands such as Grey Goose, Tito’s Vodka, Patron, Johnny Walker Black Label, and Dewar’s 12 scotch are all included, as are Premium and Classic cocktails.

If a drink costs more than the maximum dollar amount, guests will only pay the difference (+18% gratuity on the difference).

While this package does include a lot, some drinks are excluded.

Room service and minibar items are not included. Drinks in souvenir glasses, specialty beers, and super premium category beverages are also excluded. Further, all beverages served inside licensed Starbucks stores are not included.

You can view our Royal Caribbean bar menus from a recent Icon of the Seas cruise to determine the pricing of your favorite beverages.

In addition, the Royal Caribbean Deluxe Drink Package includes several premium non-alcoholic beverages not included in the cruise fare. Among these are fountain soda, Coca-Cola freestyle machines (where available), still and sparkling water, premium coffees and teas, and fresh-squeezed juices.

Plus, guests who purchase the Deluxe drink package will receive a 40% discount on bottled wines priced up to $100, and 20% discount on wine prices above $100.

With current onboard pricing, it takes more than 8 cocktails to hit the “break even” point for the Deluxe drink package.

Royal Caribbean Non-Alcoholic Drink Packages 2024

Royal Refreshment Drink Package

If you want more options than just soda in your Royal Caribbean non-alcoholic drink package, then the Royal Refreshment package might be right for you.

The cruise line advertises the Royal Refreshment package onboard price as $38 per person, per day on most cruises.

This plan gives cruisers unlimited choice of premium coffees and teas, soda (including the souvenir cup), bottled water (both sparkling and still), freshly squeezed juices, smoothies at Vitality Cafe (on select ships), and non-alcoholic frozen drinks.

Essentially, you can enjoy almost any non-alcoholic beverage on this package, including Johnny Rockets milkshakes. There are only a few exclusions, such as Starbucks from licensed kiosks and Desserted milkshakes. Starbucks brewed coffee from other onboard locations ARE included.

Recently, Royal Caribbean has introduced a number of new zero-proof cocktails. These alcohol-free options are usually around $7 and are included in this package. Among some of our favorites include the Blueberry Nojito and All Aboard Spritz.

With current onboard pricing, it takes about 6-8 non-alcoholic drinks to hit the “break even” point for the Royal Refreshment drink package.

Classic Soda Package

The Classic Soda Package is a popular drink package choice for families. Current onboard pricing for this package is $15 per person, per day.

This plan includes unlimited soda from the bars and restaurants onboard the ship and at the private islands. However, it does not include cans of soda or soda ordered through room service.

Further, guests who purchase this package will get a souvenir cup. If you happen to lose this cup, there is a $9.95 replacement fee.

Many Royal Caribbean ships have Coke Freestyle machines. These freestyle machines dispense over 100 different soda/flavor combinations. So, you can make your own crazy soda concoctions using your souvenir cup.

Of note, guests who do not purchase a drink package will not be able to use the freestyle machines.

Soda is priced around $3.50, meaning that you will need to drink about 4-5 sodas a day to recoup the costs of purchasing the Soda package.

Are Royal Caribbean Drink Packages Worth it?

Ultimately, that is a question that only you can answer based on your own drinking habits. Essentially, the question should be whether you will consume enough to make the purchase “worth it”. 

Below are the average costs of the different beverages within each category from a recent Royal Caribbean drink menu.

Using this chart, you can do the quick math to see if you would routinely hit the daily “break even” point for the above drink packages based on the current pricing for your particular sailing.

When compared to competitor brands, Royal Caribbean drink packages are on the higher end of pricing, with Carnival being cheaper and NCL being more expensive.

However, if you are looking for convenience, a Royal Caribbean drink package ensures you never have to worry about the bar tab at the end of the cruise!

Another caveat is that the revamped Crown and Anchor member drink perk does make the decision to purchase a beverage package a bit more difficult for those Diamond status and above.

With these new perks, C&A guests can use their drink vouchers for any drink up to $14, any time of day. This is no longer limited to just Happy Hour in the Crown Lounge. Diamond cruisers receive 4 drink vouchers, Diamond Plus 5 vouchers, and Pinnacle 6 vouchers.

Honestly, this is the main reason we’ve stopped purchasing a Royal Caribbean drink package. Instead, we purchase a Cafe Select coffee card and a case or two of water.

We Answer All of Your Royal Caribbean Drink Package Questions!

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So you’ve booked a cruise with Carnival or are in the research phase to figure out whether the cruise line would be a good fit for you and your budget. If you love to chill out on vacation with a beer or cocktail in hand, you may be wondering, ‘How much are drinks on a Carnival cruise, anyway?’

To help you budget accordingly, we’ve put together this handy guide on Carnival Cruise Line’s current 2024 drink prices.

Carnival Cruise Drink Prices (2024)

What drinks are included on a Carnival cruise?

There are lots of complimentary beverages at the Lido Marketplace buffet. They include lemonade, iced tea, milk, regular and decaf coffee, hot tea, hot chocolate, and ice water. At breakfast, juices such as orange, apple, cranberry, and pineapple/orange/guava (also known as POG) are also available.

Additionally, drink stations can be found at many casual quick-service restaurants such as Guy’s Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina. They typically serve juice (in the morning), lemonade, iced tea, and water. In the main dining room, the same beverages are also available and included.

At Carnival’s private island Half Moon Cay, you can grab some ice water or lemonade for free as well.

What non-alcoholic drinks cost money on Carnival Cruise Line?

Carnival Cruise Line currently carries PepsiCo products, which means you’ll have a selection of sodas like Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Bubly sparkling water onboard. A soda costs $2.75, plus an automatic 18 percent gratuity.

A bottle of water costs $1.50, or a 12-pack can be purchased pre-cruise for $14.95. Bottled coconut water is also available for $3.50. Other bottled beverages such as Gatorade ($4.95), Muscle Milk protein shakes, Starbucks iced coffee, and Naked juices are also available for purchase. Fresh juices are served during Seaday Brunch and in various bars for around $5 each.

Though basic coffee and tea is available for free on Carnival, you’ll pay extra for specialty beverages like lattes, frappes, cappuccinos, and milkshakes. JavaBlue Café is Carnival’s specialty coffee shop where you’ll find most of these beverages, but specialty drinks and espressos are also available at various sit-down restaurants across the ship. Most of these drinks range from $2 to $5.50. JavaBlue also offers spiked coffees for $7.50 each.

When purchasing your first drink of the cruise at JavaBlue Café, be sure to get a punch card. After you purchase six drinks, you get one free (excluding bottled beverages). This is one of our Carnival cruise tips!

Carnival Cruise Line serves non-alcoholic beers such as Sam Adams Just the Haze IPA and Coors Edge, which cost around $7 each. Many bar menus also include zero-proof cocktails, but some regular cocktails can also be made non-alcoholic. They cost $7 to $9.50 each.

How much is beer on Carnival?

Most beers cost between $6.50 and $8.50 per serving on Carnival Cruise Line. Domestic and international beers are about $7 to $7.50, while craft beers will typically run you $8.25, plus an 18 percent gratuity. You can even get some (very) locally-made brews on Carnival’s Vista and Excel-class ships, as they feature their own onboard breweries.

Angry Orchard cider is also available for around $8.25 a can, as is Carnival’s own ThirstyFrog canned seltzers, which are $7.50 each.

How much does wine cost on Carnival cruise ships?

The price margin for glasses of wine on Carnival is wide; they start at $9.50 and go up to around $30. Expect most wines to cost around $10 to $13 per glass, which is well within the $20 price limit for drinks if you have the Cheers package.

Full bottles of wine and champagne are also available to purchase in various bars and restaurants on Carnival’s ships. They aren’t included in the Cheers package, but if you have the package you’ll get a 25 percent discount. Most bottles range from $30 to $60, though there are many priced higher — including a $240 bottle of Dom Pérignon brut.

Keep in mind that each guest 21 or older can bring one bottle of wine or champagne up to 750 ml onboard. You may drink it in your stateroom freely, but if you choose to enjoy it in a restaurant there is a $15 corkage fee per bottle.

What are the costs of spirits and cocktails on Carnival?

Carnival Cruise Line ships stock a large variety of spirits to choose from, including multiple brands of vodka, tequila, whiskey, gin, rum, liqueur, brandy, cognac, scotch, bourbon, and more. Most servings cost between $9 and $12 each.

Here are some example prices to give you an idea:

• Bacardi and Malibu Coconut rum: $8.50
• Papa’s Pilar and Bayou Reserve rum: $11
• Jose Cuervo 1800 Silver tequila and Creyente Mezcal: $11.50
• Buffalo Trace bourbon and Gentleman Jack whiskey: $11.50
• Grey Goose and Belvedere vodka: $10
• Dewar’s, 15 and Chivas Regal blended scotch: $12.50

The Carnival cruise drink prices for mixed cocktails range from $7.50 to $20. Specialty cocktails start at $10.50. Most cocktails range from $10.50 to $14 unless you ask for them to be made with a top-shelf liquor, thus increasing the price.

You can have a look at our recent Carnival Jubilee bar guide to determine the prices of your favorite drinks.

What are the prices of Carnival drink packages?

Carnival Cruise Line offers two drink packages to choose from: the non-alcoholic Bottomless Bubbles package, and Cheers package which includes both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Bottomless Bubbles costs $6.95 for kids per day and $9.50 for adults per day, plus an 18 percent gratuity. It includes sodas and juices throughout the whole day. This package can be purchased pre-cruise or once onboard at the lobby, casino, and pool bars.

Cheers costs $59.95 per person/day if purchased pre-cruise, or $64.95 per person/day if purchased once onboard, plus an 18 percent gratuity. It includes all alcoholic beverages such as beers, wines, and champagnes by the glass, plus cocktails and spirits worth up to $20. It also covers sodas, juice, mocktails, energy drinks, specialty coffees and teas, and bottled water. Further, it provides a 25 percent discount on bottles of wine or champagne as well.

There is a limit of 15 alcoholic drinks per day with the Cheers package. Non-alcoholic beverages don’t count towards this limit. The Bottomless Bubbles and Cheers packages cannot be used ashore at Carnival’s private island Half Moon Cay.

What drinks can you bring on a Carnival cruise?

As mentioned above, each guest 21 and older is allowed to bring one 750 ml or smaller bottle of wine or champagne to enjoy during the cruise. You can also bring a maximum of twelve 12-ounce cans or cartons of non-alcoholic beverages such as soda.

However, guests cannot bring water, sodas, and other non-alcoholic beverages on board that are packaged in bottles.

Recap of the Drink Prices on Carnival Cruise Line

To recap, here’s what you’ll pay for most drinks on Carnival Cruise Line:

• Bottled water: $1.50
• Soda: $2.75
• Gatorade: $4.95
• Specialty coffee: $2 to $5.50
• Non-alcoholic beer and mocktails: $7 to $9.50
• Beer: $6.50 to $8.50
• Wine by the glass: $10 to $13
• Spirits: $9 to $12
• Cocktails: $10.50 to $14

Now that you have a good idea of the Carnival cruise drink prices, you can estimate a spending range and — if considering a beverage package — calculate whether purchasing one is right for you. This will help to give you a better idea of your total Carnival cruise costs.

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