Rules on Bringing Alcohol on Board Carnival Cruise Ships

Like all cruise lines, Carnival Cruise Line makes a great deal of profit on the alcohol sold on board its cruise ships. Consequently, a strict alcohol policy prevents guests from bringing locally purchased alcohol on board to drink during the cruise.

If you prefer to avoid the per-drink charges or buying a drink package, you have two options for lowering your total costs. Read along to learn about having your best cruise vacation while still abiding by Carnival’s beverage policy through these cruise tips.

On the day the cruise embarks, you are allowed to bring on board one standard 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne per person. Additional bottles are not allowed to be consumed or brought on.

• The bottles must be in your carry-on luggage, not checked luggage.
• Each person carrying on alcohol in their carry-on bag must be at least the drinking age, 21 years of age or older.
• No hard liquor or beer is permitted.

Sealed bottles or cans that violate this policy will be confiscated and held in shipboard storage until the end of the cruise.

Alcohol that is purchased during a port visit, as well as that purchased by the bottle at the duty-free shops is also held in storage until the end of the voyage, the last day of the cruise.

You are free to consume your allowed bottle of wine or champagne in your stateroom or in public areas around the ship at any time.

If you want to drink your personal wine or champagne with a meal, you will be assessed a corkage fee. A corkage fee is a premium charged by restaurants for consuming alcohol that was not purchased on premises.

As of 2023, the corkage fee is $15 to consume your drink in the main dining room or any specialty restaurants.

The Fun Shops portion of the Carnival website allows you to purchase items in advance for delivery to your stateroom on the first day of your cruise.

The Port Side Liquor section of the Fun Shops program provides an extensive menu of beer, wine and liquor as well as nonalcoholic beverages and mixers. Although prices are higher than those found at most local grocery stores, they are significantly lower than shipboard prices.

You are allowed to consume your liquor anywhere during your cruise.

Guests not wishing to be limited by these rules or purchase each drink separately may chose to purchase a alcoholic package, like Carnival's Cheers! This beverage package program allows you to receive up to 15 alcoholic beverages per day of your cruise and is priced based on the length of the journey.

• The program is open only to guests age 21 and above, and if one person participates, then all of-age guests in the same stateroom must participate.
• The program applies to all alcoholic beverages that are served by the glass and priced at $10 or less, as well as all sodas and nonalcoholic frozen cocktails.
• Program participants receive a 25 percent discount on wine and champagne by the bottle as well as drinks priced at more than $10.
• No sharing is allowed, and the program does not include room service or minibar drinks.

It’s important to note that water bottles and bottled water are also not permitted onboard.

Most cruise line alcohol policies are similar; Norwegian Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, MSC Cruises, and Holland America all have similar rules for alcoholic drinks being brought on-board.