I recently took my first Costa cruise and I didn’t purchase a drinks package. If I was to cruise with Costa again I would definitely purchase a package based on my experience of cruising with Costa. Costa Cruises do not include any drinks as standard, even water in the main restaurant is chargeable.

What Do Drinks Packages With Costa Cruises Cost?

Beverage packages with Costa Cruises range from €17 to €46 per day. There are no adult non alcoholic packages and the inclusions vary by price. Costa Cruises also have drinks packages for children which are considerably cheaper.

Why Buy a Package?

I usually do not buy drinks packages when I cruise but when cruising with Costa I would strongly recommend getting a drinks package for a number of reasons:

Costa do not include any drinks as standard
Buffet access is limited – There is usually water available in the buffet but on my cruise on the Costa Luminosa the buffet was closed completely between meals and closed at 8pm.
There is only access to free tea for 2 hours a day! (I drink a LOT of tea but on Costa cruises tea is only available during ‘afternoon tea’ which runs between 3-5pm). I really missed my tea.
No kettles in the cabins

Costa Cruises Beverage Packages

** All passengers in the cabin or on the same booking must have the same drinks package **

It isn’t possible for guests in the same cabin to have different drinks packages. If one guest has the package all other guests in the cabin must have the package too. This is very common on a lot of cruise lines and it is done to deter passengers from ‘sharing’ the drinks package.

Strictly speaking all guests on the same booking should have the same drinks package. I’ve never seen this enforced though. If you are cruising in different cabins you probably will be okay for one cabin to have a drinks package and one not.

** Prices include 15% service charge **

The prices mentioned in this guide include a 15% service charge. Costa do have compulsory ‘gratuities’ which are added onto your onboard account each day of your cruise. To learn more about this, and the other things that surprised me about my first Costa Cruise make sure you check out this post: My First Cruise With Costa Cruises, 11 Surprises.

The prices mentioned below may vary by ship and season but they are typical of the prices you can expect.

The prices also seem to vary by the country from which you are booking the package from. The figures below are based on booking a Costa cruise from the UK. For USA prices click here.

Lunch & Dinner (Pranzo & Cena)

Age – 18 +

Cost €17 per person per day

This is the right package at the right price, for those who want to sip a nice glass of wine or a cool beer with their meal. You can enjoy unlimited consumption of a selection of wines, beers and soft drinks by the glass at every lunch and dinner. – (source)

It is worth bearing in mind that meal times on a Costa cruise are quite an event. Dinner can often take 2 or 3 hours because that’s just how the Italians do things. They love their dinner! If you wanted to, you could probably drink quite a bit during meal times to get your moneys worth out of your package.

Kids and Teens Lunch & Dinner (Pranzo & Cena Giovani)

Age – 4-17

Cost: €8 per person per day

Even the youngest guests can enjoy a wide selection of the drinks most popular with teenagers and mineral water by the glass, at a very affordable price, during all meals in the restaurant and at the buffet. – (source)

You are only able to buy this package when buying an adult package. You can’t cruise and just buy packages for the children in your cabin/on your cruise.

Cheers (Brindiamo)

Age – 18+

Cost: €26.50

The perfect package for those of you who like to relax with your favourite drink by the glass throughout the day. Coffees and cappuccinos, soft drinks and refreshing beers, popular aperitifs and a great selection of wines and spirits. –(source)

This package doesn’t include premium brands but does include a lot of drink. I personally would go for this package if I was cruising with Costa.

More Taste (Più gusto)

Age – 18+

Cost: €29.50

If you love cocktails, then this is the package for you. In addition to soft drinks, wine, beer and coffee, More Taste includes a choice of at least 34 kinds of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails, mixed drinks and frozen drinks, for a small surcharge.- (source)

If you like your drink this might be the package for you. It isn’t much more expensive than the cheers package and does give you quite a few more options. I personally don’t really drink much so it wouldn’t be worth it for me.

Connoisseur (Intenditore)

Age – 18+

Cost: €46

With this package, you can sample our best wines at an affordable price. Unlimited consumption of all drinks by the glass on our bar list priced up to €9, and you can also enjoy all the drinks in the mini bar or served in your cabin. – (source)

This one is pretty pricey but if you really do like your drink this may be the best option for you.

This package ‘starts at €46’ which means that the price may vary. This is the most expensive and inclusive of Costa Cruises beverage packages.

Kids and Teens (Giovani)

Age – 4-17

Cost: €16.49

Even the youngest guests can enjoy a wide selection of drinks by the glass to consume throughout the day. Some of the most popular soft drinks, smoothies and tasty hot chocolate, perfect after a tournament or to drink with an afternoon snack. – (source)

Again this package can only be bought when an an adult package is bought.

Costa Cruises Drinks Package Terms and Conditions

All drinks packages are non-transferrable and you cannot share these with any other guests.

When I was on board the Costa Luminosa I met a couple of ladies with a drinks package who wanted to share it with me and my family. We had to politely decline as we didn’t want to break the rules or put the waiter in an awkward situation!

The packages only include drinks by the glass, whole bottles are not available on any of the packages.

Drinking Age

The drinking age on Costa Cruises is usually 18 unless the ship is sailing in an area of the world where the drinking age is 21 like the USA.

Costa Cruises Drinks Prices

If you decide not to buy a drinks package you are able to buy drinks at prices which are similar to that of a bar or pub on land. When you purchase drinks these will be charged to your cruise account which will be settled at the end of your cruise.

As far as cruise line drinks prices go, Costa are quite reasonable. A can of soda will cost around €3 and a bottle of beer around €5. A cocktail will set you back around €8 and a coffee will cost around €3.

Water Package

When onboard we managed to buy a water package although I can’t find any evidence that this is a real thing on the Costa Cruises website. Costa Cruises do not include water with meals, ‘tap water’ isn’t a thing. Your only option is to buy a 2litre bottle of water.

2 litre bottles of water cost €3 and by buying the drinks package we were able to have a set amount of water for a set price. It was very strange not having your water glass constantly refilled!