A week of drinks can add up, but a package is not automatically the cheaper choice. Start with what your fare already includes, then count the drinks you would otherwise pay for. Two glasses with dinner may cost extra on one line and nothing extra on another.
Start with the included drinks
Viking includes house beer, wine and soft drinks with onboard lunch and dinner on both its ocean and river cruises. That matters: if those are your only drinks, buying Silver Spirits does not save you that dinner-wine bill.
On Avalon European cruises, wine and beer are included at lunch and dinner. Avalon also advertises a complimentary happy hour with house wine, beer and cocktails, except on embarkation day. Check your itinerary's inclusions, especially outside Europe.
Do the math with the final price
Use this calculation:
Drinks you would buy separately, including mandatory service charges, minus the full package cost.
For illustration only, suppose a glass of wine costs $12 and carries an 18% service charge. That is $14.16. Two glasses each day for seven days total $198.24. These are assumed prices, not a quote from a particular ship.
Viking currently lists Silver Spirits at $27 per person per day, including a 15% service charge. Its published order form illustrates seven nights at $189 per guest, or $378 for two. Both guests sharing a stateroom must buy it for the full cruise. It is nonrefundable.
Compare the cabin's total, not just one person's drinking. For Viking, count paid extras such as eligible cocktails or upgraded wines, not house wine already included with meals.
Do not use a universal "two drinks" rule
Other lines have different prices and benefits. Princess lists its standalone Plus Beverage Package at $64.99 per day before service charges. Princess's own pages currently disagree on that charge - the main beverage page says 20%, while the package terms say 18% - so count the higher figure: at 20%, the real daily cost is $77.99. Two drinks in the example above cost $28.32 per day, well below that.
Coffee, bottled water and other eligible drinks may change the calculation. Only count things you would genuinely buy. Also distinguish a drinks-only package from a bundle containing Wi-Fi or other benefits.
Real numbers: The hypothetical wine bill is $198.24; Viking's seven-night published package example is $189 per guest. Those are not interchangeable costs across cruise lines.
Before buying, check your booking's final price, inclusions, service charges, full-cruise requirement and cabin rules. Buy for your actual habits, not to make a package pay for itself.
Source check. Checked October 10, 2026. Prices can change. Princess's service-charge conflict is handled by using the higher published rate. The wine example uses assumed prices, not a current ship menu.