Celebrity Cruises includes non-bottled water, coffee, tea, iced tea, lemonade, milk, hot chocolate, and juices in the fare.
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Celebrity Cruises makes drinks feel more complicated than they need to be because “free,” “included,” “Classic Package,” and “All Included” are not the same thing. In the basic cruise fare, the no-extra-charge drinks are the simple non-alcoholic options: non-bottled water, regular coffee, tea, iced tea, lemonade, milk, hot chocolate, orange juice, and assorted juices.
The drinks that usually create surprise charges are soda, bottled water, specialty coffees, smoothies, fresh juices from paid venues, beer, wine, cocktails, and most mocktails. Those are either paid one by one, covered by a drink package, or included only when your booked fare already has a beverage package attached.
Plain answer: A cruise-only fare covers basic drinks. Celebrity Cruises’ “All Included” fare is different because it bundles a drink package and Wi-Fi into the price you chose at booking.
Celebrity Cruises Free Beverages: What The Fare Covers
Celebrity Cruises’ standard fare covers the basic drinks that keep you hydrated through meals and around the ship. Celebrity Cruises does not treat soda, bottled water, espresso drinks, or alcoholic drinks as standard free beverages for every guest.
The table below separates the everyday free drinks from the drinks that usually need a package, a paid order, a loyalty perk, or a specific fare type.
| Beverage | Free In Standard Fare? | What To Know |
|---|---|---|
| Non-bottled water | Yes | Available onboard without buying a bottled-water package. |
| Regular coffee | Yes | Basic brewed coffee is included; espresso drinks cost extra unless covered by a package. |
| Hot tea | Yes | Standard hot tea is included; specialty teas sit under paid package rules. |
| Iced tea | Yes | A standard included choice at many dining areas and self-serve drink stations. |
| Lemonade | Yes | Included as a basic non-alcoholic drink. |
| Milk | Yes | Regular milk is included; almond milk is available on ships by request, subject to supply. |
| Hot chocolate | Yes | Included as a basic hot drink. |
| Orange juice and assorted juices | Yes | Included juices are basic onboard juices; fresh-pressed or specialty juices may cost extra. |
| Soda | No | Coca-Cola products are package or paid-bar items, not standard free drinks. |
| Beer, wine, cocktails, and spirits | No | Alcohol needs a package, a paid order, or a specific benefit such as a casino or loyalty offer. |
What Is Not Free In The Standard Fare
Celebrity Cruises charges separately for most drinks beyond the basic list. Celebrity Cruises lists complimentary onboard beverages and paid package details in its onboard beverage FAQ, including the current Classic and Premium package thresholds.
The Classic Package covers alcoholic drinks up to $12 per serving on most sailings, while the Premium Package covers drinks up to $19 per serving on most sailings. Celebrity lists higher thresholds for sailings from UK and Australia ports, so a Southampton or Sydney itinerary can price differently than a Caribbean sailing.
These drinks are the usual paid items unless your fare or package says otherwise:
- Soda and bottled iced teas
- Bottled still or sparkling water
- Lattes, cappuccinos, and other specialty coffees
- Smoothies and non-alcoholic cocktails
- Fresh juices from paid venues
- Beer, wine by the glass, spirits, frozen drinks, and cocktails
- Room-service drinks and minibar items
Room service and minibar drinks sit outside the normal drink-package use rules, so do not treat the package name alone as a blanket pass for everything in the cabin.
Do You Need A Drink Package For Soft Drinks?
A drink package is needed if you want soda, bottled water, specialty coffee, mocktails, or bar drinks often enough to make the package price feel better than paying by the drink. A drink package is not needed if you are happy with water, coffee, tea, iced tea, lemonade, milk, hot chocolate, and basic juices.
The easiest way to decide is to count the paid drinks you would actually order on a normal sea day, not on your most indulgent vacation day. A guest who drinks one latte and one soda may do better paying as they go. A guest who wants bottled water, espresso drinks, soda, mocktails, and wine across the same day may get better value from a package or an All Included fare.
Celebrity’s All Included pricing usually changes the math because the Classic Drink Package is part of that fare choice. The right comparison is not “free drinks versus package” but “cruise-only fare plus paid drinks versus All Included fare with drinks and Wi-Fi bundled.”
Can You Bring Soda Or Water Onboard?
Celebrity Cruises allows guests to bring non-alcoholic beverages onboard on embarkation day only, limited to what each person can hand-carry. Celebrity Cruises also lets guests of drinking age bring one 750 ml bottle of personal wine onboard in carry-on luggage.
The wine rule has a cost trap. If you drink that bottle in a restaurant, bar, or dining venue, Celebrity lists a $35 corkage fee unless you have a Classic or Premium Beverage Package.
For non-alcoholic drinks, the hand-carry rule is useful if you want a favorite soda, sparkling water, or sports drink in the cabin. Pack it where you can carry it through boarding without relying on checked luggage.
Where The Free Drinks Are Easiest To Find
Free beverages on Celebrity Cruises are easiest to use during meals and in casual dining areas. Regular dining rooms, buffet drink stations, and casual food venues are the places where water, coffee, tea, iced tea, lemonade, milk, hot chocolate, and juices are most likely to fit naturally into your day.
Bars are different. Bar menus are built around paid drinks and package-covered drinks, so ordering a soda, bottled water, cocktail, or specialty coffee at a bar can create a SeaPass charge if your account does not have the right package.
Casino drinks are a narrow exception, not a shipwide rule. Celebrity says guests actively playing in the casino can enjoy complimentary well drinks, but that does not mean every guest gets free alcoholic drinks across the ship.
Before You Sail From Fort Lauderdale
A pre-cruise hotel near Port Everglades can make a Celebrity Cruises departure day calmer if your itinerary starts in Fort Lauderdale. Flying in the same morning can turn a delayed flight into a missed ship.
If your Celebrity sailing leaves from Port Everglades, compare nearby stays before you sort your onboard drink plan:
The No-Package Drink Plan That Works
A no-package Celebrity Cruises drink plan works well when you are content with included drinks most of the day and only buy the occasional paid beverage. A package starts making more sense when paid drinks become part of your normal morning, afternoon, and evening rhythm.
Use this simple split before you sail:
- Skip the package if you drink water, regular coffee, hot tea, iced tea, lemonade, milk, hot chocolate, and basic juices most of the time.
- Pay by the drink if you only want the occasional soda, latte, bottled water, beer, glass of wine, or cocktail.
- Compare All Included if you also want Wi-Fi and expect several paid drinks per day.
- Choose a package if your daily routine includes bottled water, specialty coffee, soda, mocktails, wine, or cocktails across multiple venues.
- Bring hand-carried non-alcoholic drinks on embarkation day if you want a specific soda or water brand in your cabin.
The cleanest answer is that Celebrity Cruises gives every standard-fare guest enough free drinks to get through the cruise without buying a package. The package decision is really about preference, convenience, and how many paid drinks you would order anyway.
References & Sources
- Celebrity Cruises.“While Onboard FAQs.”Lists complimentary onboard beverages, drink-package thresholds, bring-on beverage rules, wine limits, and corkage fees.