Free Drinks On Cruises

It can be pretty expensive when dealing with alcohol prices at sea regardless of any alcohol you drink. However, many savvy cruisers know how to prevent drowning their bar bill by just getting free drinks.

Most cruise casinos do not allow Bring-Your-Own booze on board, so you need to be careful when bringing in something for yourself.

Are drinks free on cruise casinos? Drinks are considered free for guests who have already purchased a beverage package and different club royale members. All casino players need to pay regular menu prices for their drinks, so you need to check their alcohol policies.

In this post, find ways to get free or even cheaper drinks when you are at a cruise casino. You might be surprised how people have taken this as an advantage to them, and it is because there are many ways to do so.

The Different Ways

Drinking on a cruise ship and a cruise casino is never cheap as most of their drink packages usually can cost you around $50 per day.

They usually charge the same for individual cocktails, but it depends on the cocktail you are having. It is also quite expensive in comparison with what you’d pay in a major city.

Here are some crazy schemes that many cruisers do to get some of those free booze you want. You do not even have to resort to smuggling your alcohol on board because you can get free drinks if you follow some tips and tricks below:

Loyalty Pays In Booze

When dealing with a lot of freebies, many cruise lines are generous to their loyal passengers. Sail just once in Holland America, and you can quickly attend the complimentary Mariner Champagne Brunch.

If you amass 75 days at the sea, you will get 25% off in different wine packages and mini-bar purchases.

If you are the type of passenger with 200 days under their belt, you can enjoy half-odd the offerings above, plus you have a complimentary wine tasting.

Diamond Plus, Royal Caribbean’s Diamond, and Pinnacle members can receive exclusive Nightly Diamond Event access. It is in addition to the complimentary drinking voicers on board each time you cruise.

Attend A Party

You can also attend a cocktail party, an ideal place to scope out a free tipple or two. Some regular cruisers and VIPs get invited to certain parties, but cruise lines have a public Captain’s Reception.

You can enjoy glasses of sparkling wine that are passed around the attendees. P&O Cruises usually hands out some complimentary bubbly at its Gatsby Theme Parties, and if you are a Princess Cruises shop, a farewell soiree is held too.

It usually helps on its longer voyages of 14 nights and more extended. Anyone can sign up for some Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle when cruising with major cruise lines, where free drinks are provided.

Make Friends With The Bartender

If you are a frequent cruiser and love to enjoy the presence of a casino cruise, then you need to be friendly with the bartender.

Usually, the cruise staff will be the same during the majority of the cruise, be sure to tip generously, and you will get excellent service. It might not always be free, but the bar staff will tend to be more generous to you.

You’ll get to experience good treatment from them. They treat you right with strong pours, and drinks may never find their way in your tab.

Check Out An Art Auction

Besides having massive casinos on a cruise, there are some events like an Art Auction. At-sea art auctions usually have complimentary sparkling wine, whether you just bid, watch, or buy.

It might not be the best quality, and you might only get one, but having free alcohol is free alcohol.

Look For 2-for-1s

It is essential as you need to be aware of some casinos at sea that offers BOGO. This means that if you buy one drink, you get one for free, and they usually have this for a specific hour.

While not many cruise lines offer this deal anymore, many have happy hours or cheaper cocktails of the day.

Cocktail Soup And Drunken Desserts

On multiple cruises and casino at-sea, they served Pina Colada Soup and some dinners. This soup is icy and full of alcohol, not to mention it is a free pina colada.

For instance, on HAL’s Zaandam, you can find the ice cream dessert bar at the buffet as it overflows tablespoons of delicious liqueurs on top of vanilla ice cream.

Sit Down At The Game Tables

Most drinks are dished out when you are gambling in Las Vegas, but that is not always the case at sea.

Comped beverages are generally not part of the action, but you can sign up for Casinos at Sea Players Club if you are sailing through the Norwegian Cruise Line.

Then you need to make sure you have the pit boss swipe your card each time you play, and you are on your way to getting free drinks.

Players need to accrue 1,500 Seabucks to get the coveted drink card to get this kind of freebies in the Norwegian Cruise Line. It gives you house drinks while gaming at their casino on cruises that span at least five days.

Without going into detail, this requires a liberal amount of time and, of course, money. If you do not have that kind of dedication, you don’t have to worry, as whichever cruise line you are in, pot bosses will sometimes buy a round of drinks on the house for players.

Opt For In-cabin Bottle Service

There are cruise lines that offer liquor via room service, and so many people will order a bottle of vodka, some pack of sprite, and mix their vodka cocktails.

In this manner, you can save a lot of money, and you can even have the cocktail in your room instead of coming to a bar or lining up.

Not all cruise lines offer this bottle service option, including Oceania, Holland America, and Princess.

Buy Yourself The Gift Of Liquor

Complimentary drinks will be one drink or two, and you might need to buy yourself some liquor. If you want to have fun, whether in a casino or just on the cruise for relaxation, buying a bon voyage gift is nice.

Liquor is an excellent deal and a bonus when the gift is set up in your room. This includes a nice set of glasses to utilize during the entire cruise, and then you can enjoy it while relaxing on your entire journey.

Consider An All-you-can Drink Package

You can consider several lines that offer these packages, such as Princess, P&O, Royal, Caribbean, and Celebrity Cruises.

It includes a beverage package that lets you pay one price for almost unlimited drinks. For instance, P&O’s The Lot Package comes in at $105 per passenger per day, including beer, wine, and cocktails up to $15.

A River Of Beer And Wine

Expert cruisers recommend taking a river cruise like a river cruise in Europe, and you can expect that you can bring anything you want onboard. It can be either booze, beer, or wine, you name it, and they will allow it.

Plus, wine and beer are usually complimentary at night, and these are often locally sourced with your evening meal. Most river cruise lines are more liberal about passengers taking on local ales or vintages.

River cruise fares are higher than some mega-ship ocean lines, but the inclusivity and hassle-free altitude is a welcome touch.

Suite Guests Stay Lubricated

It is recommended to book a suite on Royal Caribbean ships like the Radiance of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, or the Ovation of the Seas.

It is because you can have all the access to the Concierge Lounge, and you can head there to escape all the hustle and bustle.

You can find some bonus inside as it had access to complimentary alcoholic beverages every evening. You can even enjoy some snacks that are readily available for your consumption, whatever you prefer.

Conclusion

Overall, to get free drinks on many cruises and casinos at sea, you need to pay for some drink package or find a casino at-sear that offers free drinks.

Usually, this free drinks scenario is only available in land setup as drinks can be pretty expensive when you are at sea. If you get the chance to find one, they only serve a glass or two with some cheap sparkling wine.

To enjoy the most out of it, buy yourself some drink packages during your trip so you can enjoy it to the fullest.