A Practical Guide to Carnival Drink Packages: CHEERS! and Bottomless Bubbles

What are the Carnival Drink Packages? In this 2025-2026 guide, we’ll cover Carnival Cruise Line’s beverage packages and what they include.

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Your cruise fare already comes with basics like water, lemonade, iced tea, drip coffee, and juices at breakfast. Carnival also offers two beverage packages—CHEERS! and Bottomless Bubbles—that expand your options to sodas, specialty coffees, and alcoholic drinks, depending on which you choose. These packages can be convenient if you plan to drink more than a few a day, but the value really depends on your own habits.

Carnival Beverage Packages Available

Carnival Cruise Line offers two main beverage packages.

• CHEERS! Beverage Program: Offers a diverse selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including cocktails, beer, wine by the glass, sodas, specialty coffee, energy drinks, and mocktails.
• Bottomless Bubbles: A soda package that covers unlimited fountain sodas and select juices for the duration of your cruise.

Important Notes:

• CHEERS! is only available to guests 21 years of age and older.
• Bottomless Bubbles can be purchased for both adults and kids.
• Drink package pricing may vary slightly by ship and itinerary.
• Carnival requires that all adults in the same stateroom purchase CHEERS! if one person does.

Tasty Itinerary is not affiliated with or employed by Carnival Cruise Line.

Carnival Drink Packages Explained

CHEERS! Beverage Program

• Retail Cost: $64.95 per person, per day when purchased before your cruise. Onboard, the cost is $69.95 per person, per day. An 18% service charge is added at purchase.
• Included: Cocktails, beer, and wine by the glass (up to $20 each), fountain sodas, specialty coffees such as lattes and cappuccinos, bottled water (500ml), energy drinks, mocktails, frozen drinks, and milkshakes at select venues.
• Excluded: Bottles of wine or champagne (a 25% discount is available), cans of soda or bottled drinks exceeding 500 ml, minibar items, room service drinks, Starbucks, and souvenir glasses or buckets of beer.
• Important to Know: All adults over 21 in the same stateroom must purchase CHEERS! if one person does. The package includes up to 15 alcoholic drinks per person, per day, with no limit on non-alcoholic beverages. Drinks over the $20 limit are partially covered—you’ll just pay the difference plus gratuity.

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How much does the CHEERS! Beverage Program cost?

Pre-purchased it is $69.95 per person, per day, plus 18% gratuity (about $82.54 total). Purchased onboard, it is $74.95 per person, per day plus 18% gratuity (about $88.44 total). You’ll save around $5.90 per day by buying before your cruise, no coupon code needed. Carnival recently raised the price of CHEERS! and removed the discount that used to apply to longer cruises — more on the Carnival CHEERS! price increase.

Is bottled water included in CHEERS!?

Yes, 500 ml of bottled water is included in the package. Larger bottles are not, but you can purchase them separately.

What happens if you order a drink over $20?

If your drink is priced above $20, the package covers the first $20. You’ll pay the difference plus an 18% gratuity on that difference.

How many drinks per day are allowed with CHEERS!?

You can order up to 15 alcoholic drinks per day. After you’ve reached that cap, you can still order unlimited non-alcoholic beverages like soda, mocktails, bottled water, or specialty coffee.

Can minors purchase CHEERS!?

No. CHEERS! is only available for guests 21 and older.

Can you share the CHEERS! package?

No, sharing is not allowed. Carnival monitors this closely, and if they detect that you are ordering for someone else, your package may be revoked without a refund.

Does CHEERS! work with self-serve beer stations?

No. Even with CHEERS!, self-serve beer spouts charge you by the ounce. If you want your beers included in the package, you’ll need to order from a bar or waiter.

Is the CHEERS! Beverage Program worth it?

It depends on how much you drink. With cocktails and wine running $10–$14 each, you’d need to average around 5–6 alcoholic drinks a day to break even. If you also like specialty coffee, soda, mocktails, and bottled water, it’s easier to get your money’s worth. But if you rarely drink alcohol and only want a couple of mocktails or sodas throughout the day, paying à la carte may cost less.

Bottomless Bubbles

• Retail Cost: $6.95 per child, per day, and $9.50 per adult, per day. An 18% service charge is added at the time of purchase.
• Included: Unlimited fountain sodas and select juices served at bars and dining venues throughout your cruise.
• Excluded: Bottled water, specialty coffee, energy drinks, mocktails, and alcoholic beverages. Room service and minibar drinks are not included.
• Important to Know: Bottomless Bubbles can be purchased for both kids and adults. Unlike CHEERS!, it does not have a daily drink limit, but it only applies to sodas and juices.

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How much does Bottomless Bubbles cost?

Children ages 17 and under pay $6.95 per day, and adults pay $9.50 per day. An 18% gratuity is added at the time of purchase. Unlike CHEERS!, there’s no discount for pre-purchasing this package—the price remains the same whether purchased onboard or online.

Is bottled water included?

No, bottled water is not part of the Bottomless Bubbles package.

Can Bottomless Bubbles be used at all venues?

Yes, you can use it at most bars, lounges, and dining venues onboard. On some ships, like Carnival Firenze, there are soda machines located throughout the ship. If you have Bottomless Bubbles, you can swipe your Sail & Sign card at the machine for unlimited pours. Without the package, each pour is charged individually.

Is Bottomless Bubbles worth it?

We don’t think so. You have to really drink a lot of soda. Since individual sodas cost around $3.50 each, you’d need to drink at least 3 per day to break even.

The last time we sailed on Carnival, we purchased this soda package and thought it was a waste of money, and we would rather pay for what we drink à la carte.

🥤 Coca-Cola is returning as Carnival’s official soda
Carnival is phasing out Pepsi across its North American fleet and bringing back Coca-Cola products. Expect options like Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, Fanta, Topo Chico, Powerade, and more once the transition completes (mid-September 2025).

Side-by-Side Comparison of Drink Packages for Carnival Cruises

Drink Prices on Carnival

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Knowing the cost of individual drinks can help you determine if a package is a good value. These are the typical prices you’ll see across Carnival ships (before the automatic 18% gratuity is added).

• Cocktails: $10.50–$14.50 each (signature drinks at bars like Alchemy and Havana often fall in this range)
• Beer: $7.25–$8.50 for most domestic and imports. Carnival’s ThirstyFrog Red is around $7.50.
• Wine by the Glass: $9.50–$14.50 for standard pours, with premium selections running $15–$25.
• Spirits: $8.75–$13.50 for standard pours (vodka, rum, tequila, gin, whiskey). Premium labels and top-shelf liquors can be $15–$25+.
• Soda: $3.25–$3.75 per glass at bars or dining rooms.
• Specialty Coffee: $3.50–$5.50 depending on size and style (lattes, cappuccinos, iced drinks).
• Energy Drinks: $5.00–$6.00.
• Mocktails / Zero-Proof Cocktails: $6.50–$7.50.
• Bottled Water: $1.50–$3.95, depending on size (500 ml vs 1 liter).

Estimate Your Carnival Cruise Drink Costs

Not sure if a Carnival drink package makes sense for you? Use the calculator below to compare what you’d typically spend on drinks each day versus the cost of a package. Depending on your drinking habits, paying à la carte might end up cheaper, or the convenience of a package could be worth it.

Cruise Drink Package Calculator

Things to Know About Carnival Drink Packages

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15 drink limit applies to alcohol only

CHEERS! includes up to 15 alcoholic drinks per day. Non-alcoholic beverages—like soda, coffee, and mocktails—are unlimited.

Gratuities are charged up front

An 18% service charge is added to the purchase price ofthe package. If you order a drink over the $20 cap, gratuity is added to the difference, too.

Packages don’t go on sale

Carnival doesn’t discount its beverage packages. The only savings is buying CHEERS! before your cruise, which is about $5–6 less per day than onboard. Bottomless Bubbles costs the same whether you pre-purchase or not.

When CHEERS! activates depends on where you sail from

Embarkation rules depend on your departure port. If your cruise leaves from Texas or New York, CHEERS! activates on day two at 6 a.m. On cruises from all other U.S. ports (like Florida, California, and Louisiana) and on non-U.S. departures, the package is valid from embarkation day.

All adults in the cabin must purchase CHEERS!

If one adult buys it, every other 21+ adult in the stateroom must purchase it too.

Self-serve beer stations aren’t included

The beer-by-the-ounce machines charge separately. If you want your beers included in CHEERS!, order at the bar.

Bottomless Bubbles works at soda machines

On ships with Freestyle machines (like Firenze), Bottomless Bubbles covers unlimited pours when you swipe your Sail & Sign card. Without the package, you pay per pour.

No sharing

Carnival monitors closely. If you’re caught sharing your package with others, it can be revoked without a refund.

One free drink per cruise for VIFP Gold and higher

Right now, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond members get one complimentary drink per cruise on sailings of 5 nights or longer. Platinum and Diamond members also have the VIFP Party with free drinks. Starting in June 2026, Carnival is rolling out its new Carnival Rewards program. Gold members will still receive one drink voucher, but Platinum and Diamond members will see the VIFP Party replaced with two drink vouchers instead. The new program will be based on spending, so some perks may shift as it rolls out.

For the full details and the most up-to-date information, see Carnival’s official CHEERS! Beverage Program terms and conditions.

Tips for Saving on Drinks on Carnival

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Bring a reusable water bottle
Carnival offers free filtered water, lemonade, and iced tea at buffet stations. A refillable bottle makes it easy to fill up, stay hydrated, and bring it with you around the ship.

🥤 Bring water or canned soda onboard
Carnival lets you carry on up to 12 sealed cans or cartons (12 oz or less) of non-alcoholic drinks per person at embarkation. That means things like soda, sparkling water, or juice boxes. Bottles aren’t allowed. It’s an easy way to save if you’re not planning to buy Bottomless Bubbles.

Take advantage of Carnival’s wine allowance
Each adult can bring one 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne in their carry-on at embarkation. If you enjoy a glass with dinner, this is an easy way to save compared to buying by the glass onboard.

JavaBlue Café rewards for coffee fans
If you make daily stops at JavaBlue for your morning latte or iced coffee, ask for their punch card. After several purchases, you’ll get a free drink.

️ Pre-purchase CHEERS! before your cruise
Buying CHEERS! online before you sail is about $5–6 cheaper per person, per day than waiting until you’re onboard.

Look for complimentary drinks in the casino
Some guests report that playing in the casino can score you free drinks while you play. It’s not guaranteed, but if you plan to spend time there, it’s worth knowing.

⭐ Check your VIFP loyalty perks
Depending on your status, you may already receive a complimentary drink per cruise, or, starting in 2026, drink vouchers for Platinum and Diamond members.

Skip the package if you don’t drink much
If your habits consist of just a couple of sodas, a coffee, and maybe one cocktail, paying à la carte will almost always cost less than CHEERS.

BEFORE YOU SET SAIL, HERE ARE SOME RELATED ARTICLES YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS:

Meet Kathy Ava, a food, travel, and cruise writer based in Los Angeles/Pasadena, and the owner and main writer of Tasty Itinerary. With over 20 years of experience planning trips and logistics at her full-time job and for herself, she’s become a pro at crafting unforgettable tasty itineraries. She’s always on the hunt for delicious, fun travel destinations and cruise itineraries. She firmly believes that life is short and we must make the most of it, so always say yes to dessert.

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