Is a cruise drinks and Wi-Fi bundle worth it?
A drinks-and-Wi-Fi bundle only saves money if it replaces purchases you'd actually make. A worked example using Celebrity's All Included, with invented prices and the gratuity trap to avoid.
Two adults are booking a Celebrity cruise. The cruise-only fare for their cabin is one price; the All Included fare, which adds drinks and Wi-Fi, is $1,400 more for the cabin. That $1,400 is invented for this guide, and so is every other price below. It isn’t a Celebrity quote.
The useful question isn’t how much the drinks and Wi-Fi would cost at full price. It’s what these two would actually buy for the trip, whether before sailing or on board, if they didn’t take the bundle. With the other fare terms matched, spending less than $1,400 on those extras means the bundle costs them more.
What All Included adds
Celebrity’s All Included FAQ, on its US website, describes All Included as a fare that combines the cruise fare for one stateroom with Basic Wi-Fi and a Classic Drink Package, including the beverage package gratuities, for everyone in the stateroom. Celebrity’s All Included page says everyone in the same stateroom has to choose the same rate.
Two details matter for the arithmetic:
- Staff gratuities aren’t part of it. The FAQ says onboard staff gratuities are charged separately. Since October 4, 2023, newly purchased All Included packages don’t include tips other than the gratuities built into the beverage package.
- Include the applicable beverage gratuity. Celebrity’s gratuity FAQ says a 20% gratuity is added to beverages and beverage packages bought pre-cruise or on board. Its drink packages page qualifies the package charge by country of purchase. The gratuity policy allows adjustments. The example below assumes the 20% applies and is retained.
Celebrity’s FAQ describes the Classic package as covering classic liquors, cocktails, beers and wines from the onboard menu, plus specialty coffee, juice and basic bottled water. It doesn’t cover everything: the drink packages page says packages don’t include drinks from places such as the minibar, room service or gift shops, so check the current menu for what you’d order.
Three ways the same $1,400 can look
For this example, assume both adults are of legal drinking age and the package covers seven chargeable days. A seven-night cruise doesn’t automatically mean seven billable days; check your quote. Assume the two fares are otherwise comparable, with no additional difference in taxes or fees to include. All prices are invented. The spending and bundle-effect totals are in USD for both adults over the whole cruise.
| What they’d otherwise buy | What they’d spend without the bundle | Effect of the bundle |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing the bundle covers, and no Wi-Fi | $0.00 | Costs $1,400.00 more |
| One buys two assumed eligible $9 drinks a day, before gratuity; no Wi-Fi | $151.20 | Costs $1,248.80 more |
| Both would buy Classic anyway at $89 each per chargeable day, before gratuity; no Wi-Fi | $1,495.20 | Costs $95.20 less |
The middle line is $9 × 2 drinks × 7 days, plus the 20% gratuity. The last line is $89 × 2 people × 7 days, plus the 20% gratuity.
Not drinking alcohol doesn’t make the first line automatic. The package also covers things like specialty coffee and juice, so count those if you’d pay for them anyway.
The third case only applies if they’d really have bought the package. If paying drink by drink would cost them less, that’s the number to compare with. And none of this is a reason to drink more to “use” the bundle.
Celebrity’s rules also matter if only one of you drinks. If you buy an alcoholic package separately, the drink packages page says every guest of legal drinking age in the stateroom under the same booking number has to buy the same one, although a modification to a non-alcoholic package can be requested. Confirm the outcome before relying on an exception.
Convenience may still be worth paying extra for. That’s a personal preference, not a cash saving in this comparison.
Two mistakes that make a bundle look better
Comparing with full prices instead of your real spending. A package’s full price only matters if you’d have paid it. Start from what you’d actually order.
Counting gratuities twice. If the staff gratuity charge is the same under both fares, it cancels out of this incremental comparison. And don’t add 20% to the whole $1,400. The bundle’s drink package already includes its gratuity; the example adds 20% only to separately bought drinks or drink packages.
Before you choose
- Compare the same sailing, cabin, payment terms and cancellation terms for both fares. Our guide to comparing cruise quotes shows how to put two quotes on the same footing.
- Check that All Included is offered for your sailing and cabin type. The All Included page describes select eligible staterooms and says to choose the rate at booking; don’t assume it is available for any particular quote.
- If Wi-Fi matters, check what Basic Wi-Fi does. Celebrity’s Basic Wi-Fi description says it suits light browsing but doesn’t support streaming or video calls.
- Ask where you’re booking whether anything else differs between the two fares. Our guide to booking direct or through an agent covers who handles changes.
If you track the price after booking, compare later prices for the same fare type. Our fare-watch guide covers comparing like with like.
Fares, packages and terms change. Check the current details for your booking, and keep a dated copy.