For years, Carnival Cruise Line passengers really had only two main options for cruise-length drink packages.
Bottomless Bubbles covered fountain soda and standard juices. CHEERS! covered alcoholic drinks plus nearly all of Carnival’s premium nonalcoholic choices.
And there was a huge gap between them.
Passengers regularly asked Carnival for something in the middle—especially a coffee-style package similar to what other cruise lines offer. People wanted specialty coffee, bottled water, milkshakes, smoothies, and frozen drinks, but they didn’t want to spend $60+ per person, per day on CHEERS! when they didn’t drink alcohol.
That’s why I was honestly excited when Carnival introduced CHEERS! Zero Proof. It was widely requested, long overdue, and it finally filled a real hole in Carnival’s drink-package lineup.
As of 2026, Carnival’s three main unlimited beverage packages are:
Bottomless Bubbles
CHEERS! Zero Proof
CHEERS!
So which one is the best value? It depends on what you actually drink, how much you consume, and who else is staying in your stateroom.
Before you buy any package, remember that Carnival already includes several beverages at no additional charge.
Non-bottled water, lemonade, unsweetened iced tea, hot chocolate, regular (non-specialty) coffee, and standard tea are generally available in the Lido Marketplace. Many of these are also served in the Main Dining Room.
Standard breakfast juices may also be available during breakfast service.
If those options are enough for you, there’s no requirement to purchase any drink package.
| Package | Prepaid daily price with service charge | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Bottomless Bubbles — child | $8.34 | Children who regularly drink soda or juice |
| Bottomless Bubbles — adult | $14.38 | Adults who primarily drink soda |
| CHEERS! Zero Proof | $35.99 | Specialty coffee, bottled water, mocktails, smoothies, milkshakes, frozen drinks, and energy drinks |
| CHEERS! | $83.94 | Adults who regularly drink alcohol plus premium nonalcoholic beverages |
Waiting until you’re onboard increases CHEERS! Zero Proof to approximately $41.99 per person, per day and CHEERS! to approximately $89.94 per person, per day.
Important: Prices, package availability, and service charges are subject to change.
Bottomless Bubbles is Carnival’s least expensive beverage package and the simplest to evaluate.
This package includes unlimited fountain Coca-Cola products and standard juices such as:
Orange juice
Cranberry juice
Tomato juice
Pineapple juice
Grapefruit juice
Soda is served by the glass in 16-ounce portions, and juice is served in 10-ounce portions.
Bottomless Bubbles does not include:
Bottled water
Sparkling water or coconut water
Specialty coffee
Milkshakes
Smoothies
Energy drinks
Frozen nonalcoholic drinks
Zero-proof cocktails
Room-service beverages
Minibar purchases
Souvenir-glass drinks
Drinks purchased at ports or Carnival destinations
You can order only one drink at a time, and Carnival requires a 10-minute wait between orders.
The package is assigned to one passenger, is nontransferable, and cannot be shared. It must be purchased for the entire cruise.
Unlike the alcoholic CHEERS! package, Bottomless Bubbles does not require everyone in the stateroom to purchase it.
Carnival currently lists fountain soda at approximately $2.75 before the 20% service charge, making one soda about $3.30.
An adult Bottomless Bubbles package costs approximately $14.38 per day, so you’d need about five sodas per day to come out ahead.
A child’s package costs approximately $8.34 per day, so about three sodas per day is the break-even point.
Juice can help the math, but remember some juices may already be available at breakfast.
Bottomless Bubbles usually makes sense if you drink soda throughout the day. It usually doesn’t if you just want one or two sodas with dinner.
CHEERS! Zero Proof fills the enormous space between Bottomless Bubbles and the full alcoholic CHEERS! package.
It’s designed for passengers who want premium nonalcoholic beverages without paying for alcohol.
The package includes:
Coca-Cola products
Standard juices
Still bottled water
Sparkling water
Coconut water
Premium coffees and teas
Handcrafted zero-proof cocktails
Alcohol-free beer
Nonalcoholic sparkling wine
Nonalcoholic frozen drinks
Smoothies
Bottled protein shakes
Milkshakes
Energy drinks
Note: Guests must be at least 21 years old to order zero-proof cocktails, alcohol-free beer, and nonalcoholic sparkling wine—even though those beverages do not contain alcohol.
The package excludes:
Alcoholic beverages
Freshly squeezed juices
Drinks sold in souvenir glasses
Gangway beverages
Room-service drinks
Minibar and other in-stateroom beverage programs
Drinks served at private parties or events
Food purchases
Beverages purchased at ports or Carnival destinations
The package must be purchased for the entire cruise (no single-day option).
Only one drink may be ordered at a time, with a 10-minute wait between transactions. Carnival does not publish a numerical daily limit for included nonalcoholic beverages.
CHEERS! Zero Proof is assigned to one passenger, is nontransferable, and cannot be shared.
The package does not require every passenger in the stateroom to purchase it, and it can be combined with Bottomless Bubbles in the same cabin.
However, adults in the same stateroom cannot mix CHEERS! Zero Proof with the alcoholic CHEERS! package. If one adult purchases CHEERS!, Carnival generally requires every adult age 21+ in that stateroom to purchase CHEERS!.
The estimated totals below include Carnival’s current 20% service charge:
| Drink | Estimated price with service charge |
|---|---|
| Fountain soda | $3.30 |
| Zero-proof frozen drink or smoothie | $11.10 |
| Alchemy Bar nonalcoholic cocktail | $12.00 |
| Nonalcoholic beer | $9.30 |
| Energy drink | $6.00 |
| 500 mL bottled water | $2.70 |
| Sparkling water | $4.20 |
| Coconut water | $4.80 |
| Cold brew coffee | $5.10 |
| Latte, cappuccino or mochaccino | $4.80–$5.70 |
| Americano | $4.50–$4.80 |
| Espresso | $3.60–$4.20 |
| Blended frappe | $8.10 |
| Chai tea latte | $5.10 |
| Hot chocolate | $5.40 |
| Milkshake or float | $8.10 |
Prices and selections can vary by ship.
Here’s a realistic day:
One Alchemy Bar zero-proof cocktail: $12.00
One blended frappe: $8.10
One milkshake: $8.10
One energy drink: $6.00
One bottled water: $2.70
Purchased separately, those five drinks would cost approximately $36.90.
The prepaid CHEERS! Zero Proof package costs approximately $35.99 per day.
So yes—someone could exceed the package price with five drinks spread across the day. And if you’re the type who orders two premium mocktails, you could potentially hit break-even with only four drinks.
If you mostly drink soda, regular coffee, and basic water, this package may not save you money. If you regularly enjoy specialty coffee, mocktails, smoothies, milkshakes, frozen drinks, or energy drinks, it becomes much easier to justify.
CHEERS! is Carnival’s most complete beverage package. It includes most alcoholic drinks plus almost all the premium nonalcoholic beverages found in CHEERS! Zero Proof.
CHEERS! includes:
Beer
Spirits and liquor
Cocktails
Wine and sparkling wine by the glass
Alcoholic drinks with a menu price of $20 or less
Soda
Standard juices
Zero-proof frozen drinks
Smoothies
Specialty coffee and tea
Milkshakes
Energy drinks
500 mL bottled water
Other eligible nonalcoholic bottled beverages
Packaged water in dining rooms and specialty restaurants
The package also provides:
25% off eligible spirits, cocktails, or wine by the glass priced above $20
25% off wine and champagne by the bottle
25% off eligible beverage seminars and classes
CHEERS! excludes:
Bottles of liquor
Drinks served in souvenir glasses
Beverages offered at the gangway
Room-service and in-stateroom beverage purchases
Minibar purchases
Sharing cocktails
Floaters
Pitchers
Tubes
Buckets
Drinks offered at private parties or events
Freshly squeezed juices excluded by Carnival’s terms
Food
Drinks purchased at ports or Carnival destinations
Also important: CHEERS! cannot be used at Celebration Key, Half Moon Cay, Princess Cays, or other destinations. It is an onboard package.
Guests must be at least 21 years old to purchase CHEERS!.
If one adult purchases CHEERS!, every adult age 21 or older assigned to the same stateroom must also purchase it.
The package must be purchased for the entire cruise and cannot be shared.
Only one drink can be ordered at a time, and Carnival requires a 10-minute wait between orders. Double shots count as two drinks and therefore cannot be ordered together under the package.
CHEERS! allows a maximum of 15 alcoholic drinks during each 24-hour period, measured from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.
Once a guest reaches 15 alcoholic drinks, Carnival will not sell that guest additional alcohol until the next daily period begins. Paying separately does not allow the passenger to exceed the limit.
Carnival may also refuse alcohol service before a guest reaches 15 drinks if the crew believes that person has had enough.
The numerical limit applies to alcoholic beverages. Included nonalcoholic drinks do not count toward the 15-drink alcohol limit.
For cruises departing from Texas, New York, and Norfolk, Virginia, CHEERS! generally begins at 6:00 a.m. on the second day due to local regulations.
Guests are charged for the remaining eligible cruise days rather than the embarkation day. Drinks purchased before the package activates are charged individually.
Other Carnival drink packages may activate under different rules, so confirm the terms for your specific sailing.
CHEERS! costs approximately $83.94 per person, per day when purchased before sailing.
Current cocktails commonly cost between $12 and $14 before the 20% service charge, which makes the total approximately $14.40 to $16.80 per cocktail.
A day like this could exceed the package price:
Five $12 cocktails with service charges: $72.00
One specialty coffee: approximately $5.10
One energy drink: $6.00
One bottled water: $2.70
Purchased separately, that totals approximately $85.80.
That doesn’t mean everyone needs five alcoholic drinks every day. More expensive cocktails, wine, beer, and included premium nonalcoholic drinks all contribute to the value.
But remember: the package price applies to every eligible day of the cruise. Consider port days, lighter drinking days, and the fact that every adult in the cabin may be required to purchase it.
Here’s something I’ve learned from using Carnival’s beverage packages: when possible, make sure your drink is rung up while you’re still at the register.
I’ve had occasions when a crew member collected my information but didn’t process the transaction until about 15 minutes later because the bar was extremely busy. I never complained—I understood the crew was working hard and serving a lot of passengers.
However, the 10-minute waiting period is based on when the transaction is processed—not necessarily when you placed the order. If the transaction is entered later, your waiting period may begin later too.
No need to give anyone a hard time. A polite “Do you mind ringing that in now?” can prevent confusion and help you get the full value of your package.
Even with a drink package, Carnival may charge applicable state and local sales tax when a drink is ordered while the ship is in certain U.S. waters.
The tax is based on the individual drink’s menu price—not the daily cost of the package—so you may still see small tax charges on your Sail & Sign account while the ship is in port or sailing within taxable waters.
You mainly drink soda and standard juice.
You expect to drink about five sodas per day as an adult.
You don’t regularly purchase specialty coffee, bottled water, or premium nonalcoholic drinks.
You don’t drink alcohol.
You regularly buy specialty coffee.
You enjoy mocktails, frozen drinks, smoothies, or milkshakes.
You drink energy drinks or go through several bottles of water each day.
You want more variety than Bottomless Bubbles offers.
You regularly drink alcohol.
You expect to purchase about five or more alcoholic drinks on an average cruise day.
You also drink specialty coffee, bottled water, soda, or energy drinks.
Every adult in your cabin will use enough beverages to justify the cost.
You’re satisfied with Carnival’s complimentary beverages.
You only buy one or two beverages each day.
You’ll spend most port days away from the ship.
You’d drink more than you actually want just to justify the package.
The required cabin purchases make the total cost unreasonable.
I’m glad Carnival introduced CHEERS! Zero Proof. Passengers asked for something like it for years, and it gives non-drinkers a much better option than they had before.
At the same time, Carnival’s prices have increased, and I still think the company could divide its drink offerings further.
A smaller coffee-and-water package would be an excellent option for passengers who don’t need unlimited soda, energy drinks, milkshakes, and mocktails. Carnival could also offer other combinations that let passengers pay for the types of drinks they actually consume.
More choices would serve more passengers while still bringing additional revenue to Carnival. Not everyone fits neatly into one of three categories.
The best package is not automatically the one that includes the most. It’s the one that matches what you would realistically drink—without changing your habits just to “get your money’s worth.”
Want help pricing your Carnival cruise or deciding which drink package makes the most sense for your vacation? Send me a message or click below to get started.
Sources: Carnival Cruise Line’s drink-package information, Carnival’s beverage-program terms and Candid Cruise and Travel’s 2026 Carnival drink menus. Prices, selections, and terms are subject to change.
