MSC Cruises – Is It Worth Getting A Drinks Package?

Earlier this month I went on a cruise with MSC Cruises around Northern Europe.  It was a week long cruise from Southampton with two at sea days and four days of visiting ports: Hamburg, Rotterdam, Zeebrugge and Le Havre. Here’s my take on whether it’s worth getting a drinks package with MSC Cruises. I weigh the pros and cons plus I give my honest take depending on your drinking habits, cruise style and what you want to get out of the holiday.

The first thing to do is think about how many drinks you would want to have in a day and what sort of drinks they would be.  Do you like a lot of speciality coffees or drink a lot of soft drinks?  Do you drink alcohol and how many drinks would you drink a day?  Do you want to drink whilst you are off the ship in port too?  What sort of drinks do you like to drink and how are those drinks classified by MSC?  Bare in mind that everyone in your cabin will need a drinks package (you can’t just pay for one of you to have it) and that all, except children, will need to have the same level of package (so one of you can’t go for a more expensive package and one for a cheaper one).

What are MSC’s drinks packages?

MSC now offers four clearly defined packages — Easy, Premium Extra, Alcohol-Free and a Minors Package — with the new programme available from Summer 2026. Packages are sold on a per-cruise basis (pricing is quoted per day but you buy for the whole cruise) and gratuities are included.

Easy Package (basic alcoholic & soft drinks)
Includes coffee, tea and hot drinks; soft drinks and juices; AQUA by MSC still/sparkling water; selected bottled and draught beers; house wine and sparkling by the glass; classic cocktails and mixed drinks made with house spirits; plus non-alcoholic beers/wines/mocktails. Guests may have up to 15 alcoholic drinks per day. Available in selected bars, buffets and main restaurants (not accepted in speciality restaurants or on private islands).

Premium Extra Package (wider/premium selection)
Covers speciality coffees and hot drinks; soft and energy drinks; juices, smoothies and protein shakes; AQUA by MSC; an extensive selection of draught and bottled beers; premium wine and sparkling by the glass; premium spirits and liqueurs; and cocktails made with premium brands. It also offers curated savings on premium bottles of wine and Champagne. The Premium Extra is accepted more widely (including selected speciality restaurants and on MSC private islands). A 15-drink daily alcohol limit applies and drinks with a value over €14 / $16 (depending on region) are excluded.

Alcohol-Free Package
Designed for non-alcohol drinkers: speciality coffee and hot drinks; soft and energy drinks; juices, smoothies and protein shakes; AQUA by MSC; and non-alcoholic beers, wines and cocktails. Beverage gratuities are included; this package is not accepted in speciality restaurants or on private islands.

Minors Package
For underage guests travelling with an adult who has purchased a paid package. It includes coffee, tea and soft drinks, juices and smoothies, AQUA by MSC and non-alcoholic cocktails. If an adult in the cabin buys a package, all guests sharing the same cabin must buy a package (minors buy the Minors Package).

When a drinks package is likely to be worth it

A drinks package on MSC can be genuinely worthwhile, but it really depends on how you drink, how often, and what you value. It can be good value if:

• You enjoy multiple drinks per day — especially alcoholic drinks, cocktails, wines/cocktails, etc. If you have say 4–6 drinks a day (or more), the package often ends up cheaper than paying per drink.

• You drink non-alcoholic beverages often — bottled water, coffees, soft drinks, juices can add up quickly if bought individually. If you tend to get a coffee or a soft drink every few hours, the package can save money.

• You value convenience and budget-predictability — no need to worry about individual drink prices, tabs, calculating bills, tipping, or getting surprised at the end of the cruise. Having “all you can drink (within the package)” gives peace of mind.

• You like variety — cocktails, beers, wines, mocktails, specialty coffees, water, soft drinks — all covered, often across bars, lounges, buffet and main restaurants (though some speciality venues may be excluded).

• You’re travelling as part of a group or couple who all drink or like drinks — if more than one of you will make use of drinks, the package value multiplies.

In short: if you drink a fair bit (alcoholic or not), want no-fuss budgeting, and enjoy variety, a package can be worth your while.

When it might not be worth it

A drinks package isn’t ideal if:

• You’re a light drinker — maybe 1–2 drinks per day (or less). In that case, paying per drink will likely cost less.

• You don’t care about cocktails, fancy drinks or lots of non-alcoholic extras. If you’re fine with basic water / buffet coffee / standard drinks (often covered free/cheap in buffet or dining rooms), then the package is unnecessary.

• You only drink sporadically (e.g., one night out, or a couple of drinks across the entire holiday). In that case, the fixed daily cost adds up — and you may pay more than necessary.

• You are travelling with others who don’t drink (or drink far less) — because usually everyone in the same cabin must purchase a package (or minors get the minors / alcohol-free version). That can make the overall cost for a group or family quite high, even if only one person drinks a lot.

• You mostly drink only at certain times (e.g. evening), or expect lots of port days or time off-ship — you might not use it enough to get value every day.  Many people prefer to try local cafes and bars out to get a better feel for the place they are visiting.

• You have a different idea of what is a premium drink to MSC.  For instance, a couple on our latest cruise had a drinks package, but he was mostly drinking Guinness because he didn’t like lager and they didn’t have many other types of beer on draught.  The ship had Heineken lager as the standard draught beer, but most UK drinkers would hardly consider Guinness a premium drink; so it would be galling to have to pay a supplement on top of an already fairly expensive drinks package or to have to pay more to upgrade your drinks package to have it covered.