Unlimited drink packages on cruises aren't always a great deal. After 50+ voyages, I know better than to buy them.

After booking my cruise, Royal Caribbean gave me an opportunity to purchase one of its unlimited beverage packages ahead of the voyage. Prices varied based on promotions, but the lowest ones I saw leading up to the trip were as follows:

• The classic soda package was discounted to $13 a person each day. This bundle includes unlimited soft drinks.
• The refreshment package was discounted to $20 a person each day. It covers soft drinks, coffees, teas, smoothies, and other nonalcoholic beverages.
• The deluxe package was discounted to $78 a person each day. This option includes soda, other nonalcoholic beverages, and alcoholic drinks that cost up to $14 in price.

However, these packages come with some caveats.

Cruise lines don't want a passenger to pay for an unlimited drink package and use it to order beverages for all the other members of their party, so some take an all-or-nothing approach.

Policies vary by company, but if one person in a Royal Caribbean stateroom purchases a deluxe package, the cruise line requires other passengers staying in that room who are 21 and older to get one as well. 

My family would need to purchase two deluxe packages for me and my partner, two wine-loving adults, and one soda or refreshment package for my young son.

Plus, we'd have to factor in tips and gratuities, which aren't always included in the price of the package. Even if you splurge on the deluxe bundle, it's common to tip extra on board.

Doing the math using the discounted package prices, the three bundles would add over $1,000 (plus gratuities) to the cost of our seven-night sail. I opted not to purchase any drink packages. Instead, we paid for our drinks à la carte.

During the first few days of the trip, the bartenders kept encouraging me to buy the drink package, pushing hard for this upsell. 

Many gave me a spiel about how it would save me money, but it's worth noting that the drink packages were more expensive to buy on the ship than they were before boarding.

The price for the discounted deluxe package climbed from $78 to $98 a person each day when we stepped on the ship.

I'm not a big soda drinker, but I do love coffee and tea. I found the cruise offered plenty of complimentary nonalcoholic beverages, including a variety of flavored waters. 

Each guest of legal drinking age can bring one sealed bottle of wine or champagne on the Royal Caribbean ship, so I brought two bottles of wine (one for me, one for my husband). Passengers can also bring a maximum of 12 bottles of nonalcoholic beverages at embarkation, so I packed Gatorade for my son.

Not too long into the trip, I realized that I could order orange juice through the complimentary morning room service and mix it with the sparkling wine I brought to make mimosas. 

As a repeat Royal Caribbean cruiser, I also had several coupons that allowed me to purchase half-priced drinks, which cut down my expenses even further.

Beer drinkers have to order a lot to break even on the deluxe package.

A single beer on the Symphony of the Seas was about $8, and a 60-ounce pitcher cost about $18. With the deluxe package, I'd have to drink at least eight beers every single day to break even, making the bundle a bad idea for cruisers who are only looking to sip on a couple of brews.

I enjoy drinking specialty coffees, which some beverage packages don't cover. The one on the Symphony of the Seas didn't include beverages from the Starbucks kiosk on board. 

During my trip, the Starbucks was often empty. I reasoned that a lot of the people who bought drink packages probably didn't want to spend even more money, so they waited in long lines at the café serving coffee that was included in the price.

Waiting in line for my morning cup didn't sound fun, so I chose the shorter line at Starbucks for an à la carte coffee instead. The best part was that I didn't have to feel guilty for paying for both a drink package and a specialty coffee. 

Most drink packages also don't include beverages in ports of call either (one exception: some packages cover drinks at cruise lines' private islands). If I'm going on a port-heavy cruise where I'll be spending a lot of time off the ship, I'm even less tempted to splurge on one of these packages. 

The main appeal of drink packages, in my opinion, is convenience and ease. They allow you to order whatever your heart desires without worrying about the cost. After all, you've already paid for it! 

On the Symphony of the Seas, I ordered a mudslide, a cocktail with vodka, coffee liqueur, and Bailey's Irish cream. I took a sip and realized I didn't care for it, but I'd already shelled out money for it so I didn't want to waste it.

And after my husband spilled his margarita shortly after he got it, I definitely understood the appeal of simply ordering a new drink without feeling guilty about spending more money.

I spent $331 on à la carte drinks for myself throughout my seven-day sail. To be fair, that total includes several Starbucks beverages that wouldn't have been covered by any of the drink packages.

I paid $215 less than I would've if I bought the deluxe drink package prior to sailing, and $355 less than I would've if I bought it on the ship.

The most I shelled out on drinks in one day was $56, which included a specialty coffee, a beer, and three cocktails. 

My husband, who doesn't drink specialty coffees and mostly had beer, spent even less than I did on drinks, which confirmed my belief that these drink packages aren't worth it for my family.

That doesn't mean the drink packages aren't great for others — just check the package details before booking, tally up how much you want to drink each day, and make sure you'll get a good value.

Could I have drank more if I tried? Probably. And if I had an unlimited drink package, I might've been tempted to try to get my money's worth. I don't think I would've enjoyed doing that.

I didn't hold back on what I drank, and my consumption still felt pretty indulgent. So on future sailings, I'll continue to skip this upgrade.

This story was originally published on June 23, 2023, and most recently updated on February 21, 2024.