For many years, cruise vacations have been a ship variation of the all-inclusive resort. Your room and meals are included. Gradually unbundling has occurred. Alternative dining is a good example. For many years beer, wine and cocktails were purchased on an a la carte basis. Today, cruise lines also offer beverage packages priced on a per day basis. Is it possible to drink for free on a cruise ship?
Let’s clarify a few things. Cruise lines want to both profit from and help you manage your drinking. You cannot bring your own booze onboard although one or two bottles of wine for special occasions are often OK. You cannot drink for free for your entire voyage, at least not where alcohol is concerned. But it is possible to get a few free drinks in various venues.
These observations are based on our experiences mainly with Cunard voyages over the years.
- Coffee, Tea. Your cabin might have a coffee maker. If we order breakfast the night before and hand the paper slip on the door handle, coffee or tea is usually an option. If you head up to the buffet restaurant, coffee and tea are always available when they are open.
- Soft drinks. The buffet restaurant usually has fountain machines dispensing a variety of cold drinks. These often include lemonade, orange juice and apple juice. There might be others. Like coffee, there is no charge.
- Sparkling wine in your cabin. On Cunard, all cabins get a half bottle of sparkling wine along with two champagne flutes and an ice bucket. This is complimentary.
- The champagne toast in the dining room. OK, maybe it is not champagne. On a formal night, there might be a glass of sparkling wine waiting for you. This might be to toast a holiday occurring during your voyage. Christmas is a good example.
- The art gallery reception. Many ships sell artwork. This includes Cunard. To raise the visibility of the gallery, you might find a hard card invitation on the mail clip outside your cabin door. If you show up for their gallery talk at a specific date and time, you may be presented with a glass of sparkling wine.
- Large scale receptions. Remember the Captain’s Welcome Cocktail Party? That might have been a casualty of the pandemic, but Cunard continues to host a Worls Club party for repeat passengers and the Senior Officers Reception for higher tier World Club members. You are welcomed by servers holding silver trays of wine and champagne glasses. After a few years, we learned you can request a mixed drink instead and they will bring it to you.
- The jewelry shop event. Like the art gallery, the shop selling watches and jewelry wants to boost traffic. You might get an invite to see a new collection unveiled. Sparkling wine is often present.
- The higher tier wine tasting. Cunard gives nice perks to World Club members. If you are in the top tiers, you get an invite to a walk around wine tasting on a sea day. This is often done with staggered timing. There are four wines at four separate stations. A group of 15 starts out at table #1. When they move to table #2 another group of 15 is ready to approach table #1.
- Drinks on shore excursions. OK, you might be paying indirectly in this case. You booked a sore excursion. Lunch is included. The restaurant serving lunch includes wine with the meal. You do not need to reach into your pocket when wine is poured.
People might say “There is no free lunch” but there are free drinks on offer, if you know where to look.
Editor’s Notes:
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Cover photo credit Bryce Sanders
