Bringing bottled water on a cruise sounds simple, but the rules are surprisingly different depending on which cruise line you sail with. Some let you bring as much as you like, others limit the quantity or packaging, and a few won’t let you bring it onboard at all.
That’s worth knowing before you turn up at the port with a case of water that could be confiscated.
I’ve checked the policies for the major cruise lines, so here’s exactly what you can and can’t bring onboard.
Bringing your own water onboard a cruise
Many cruise lines let you bring water onto a cruise with you, but not all do. Some block it completely except for if you need distilled water for medicinal purposes, while some others won’t let you bring single-use plastic bottles onboard, but permit cans and cartons which can be recycled.
Each cruise line has a different policy, so I’ve done the research to check what each one allows you to bring.
Rules by cruise line
Here’s a quick summary by cruise line of whether or not you’re allowed to bring water onto the ship.
| Cruise line | Can you bring water onto the ship? |
|---|---|
| Ambassador Cruise Line | No |
| Carnival Cruises | Yes – cans or cartons only |
| Celebrity Cruises | Yes – limited to what you can hand-carry |
| Costa Cruises | No, except for medical purposes |
| Cunard Line | Yes |
| Disney Cruise Line | Yes |
| Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines | Yes |
| Holland America Line | Yes – cans or cartons only |
| MSC Cruises | No, except for medical purposes |
| NCL | No, except for medical purposes |
| P&O Cruises | Yes |
| Princess Cruises | Yes – up to 12 cans or cartons only |
| Royal Caribbean | Yes – limited number |
| Saga Cruises | Yes |
| Virgin Voyages | Yes – cans or cartons only |
While some cruise lines ban you from bringing your own water onboard, others let you bring all sorts of drinks including soft drinks, beer, wine and even spirits. To find out more, read this article next: Can You Bring Your Own Drinks on a Cruise?
Taking water on an Ambassador cruise
There’s nothing in the Ambassador terms and conditions saying anything about taking water onto the cruise. There’s specific mention of alcohol, but nothing about water.
I assumed this would mean that it was OK, but I reached out to them on social media and they confirmed that guests cannot bring any drinks onboard – including water.
So there you go – it’s a no from Ambassador. Bring a reusable bottle and fill up at the water station.
Taking water on a Carnival cruise
Guests are allowed to bring a small number of non-alcoholic beverages onto their cruise, including water, but it can’t be packaged in plastic or glass.
Instead, you’re asked to only bring cans or cartons – a maximum of 12 sealed, unopened cans or cartons no bigger than 12 ounces/354 ml each. It must be included in your carry-on luggage.
Read more: Carnival Cruise Luggage Restrictions
Read Carnival’s policy on bottled water here.
Bottled water isn’t included in the Bottomless Bubbles drinks package, but 500ml bottles are included with both CHEERS! and the alcohol-free CHEERS! Zero Proof package. You can also pre-order bottled water for your room.
A 12-pack of 500ml bottles currently costs $15.95, while an 8-pack of larger bottles costs $23.95.
The Lido buffet on every Carnival ship has a water dispenser. It’s not designed for water bottles though – for contamination reasons, fill a cup with water from the fountain and then pour it into your water bottle.
Taking water on a Celebrity cruise
You are allowed to take water onto a Celebrity cruise, but the terms mention that you’re limited only to what can be carried by hand.
You should expect to have it checked by security though, to make sure it is sealed – many people try to sneak alcohol onboard using water bottles.
You can enjoy free tap water on a Celebrity Cruises ship at any of the bars or restaurants. Bottled water typically costs around $4 to $6, depending on the type, and is also included with Celebrity’s Non-Alcoholic Drink Package, so you don’t need an expensive alcohol-inclusive package if water is your main concern.
There are plenty of water fountains available if you want to refill a bottle too.
Taking water on a Costa cruise
Costa is one of the few cruise lines that doesn’t allow guests to bring water onboard. The exception is distilled water needed for medical purposes, which guests are allowed to bring with them.
Bottled water currently costs around €2.20 for 500ml or €3.50 for a litre, with a 15% service charge added when you pay as you go.
You can also get drinking water for free from the buffet, but only during opening hours.
If you prefer bottled water, the My Drinks package includes one 500ml bottle per adult each day, while My Drinks Plus includes unlimited 500ml bottles.
Taking water on a Cunard cruise
Despite the lack of mention in the Cunard terms and conditions, you are allowed to take unlimited soft drinks on your Cunard cruise with you. It’s a good idea to carry as many as you’re comfortable with since it can save you money compared to buying them onboard.
Bottled water on a Cunard ship currently costs around $4 for a small bottle or $5.50 for a large one, but you can get bottled mineral water with the Premium Alcohol-Free Collection. This costs from $31.50 to $45 per person, per night when booked before your cruise, depending on the length of your sailing.
Complimentary water is also available throughout the day in the buffet restaurants, so you can use this to refill a reusable bottle.
Taking water on a Disney cruise
Disney Cruise Line lets you bring factory-sealed bottled water onto your cruise, although you’ll need to carry it onboard with you rather than packing it in your checked luggage.
It’s worth being wary of how much you bring since your room may not be available for a few hours after boarding, so you could end up carrying it around the ship for a while.
You can buy individual bottles of water onboard for around $3.25 to $5, depending on the brand. Or you can pre-order water to be delivered to your stateroom, with options including a six-pack of Dasani for $15 or a 12-pack for $30. Drinks packages aren’t available though.
There are complimentary water stations throughout the ship, so bringing a reusable bottle is a good idea. Fountain soft drinks are also free with Disney if you prefer something with a bit more flavour and fizz.
Taking water on a Fred Olsen cruise
No need to worry about taking water onto a Fred. Olsen cruise, as guests are welcome to bring their own soft drinks onboard in their hand luggage, including bottled water.
The cruise line also encourages guests to bring a reusable bottle to cut down on single-use plastics. The tap water in your cabin is safe to drink, so you don’t need to bring lots of bottled water with you.
Taking water on a Holland America Line cruise
Holland America Line has a similar policy to Carnival when it comes to bringing water onboard the ship. You’re welcome to bring up to six litres of water per stateroom, provided it’s in cans or cartons, and not plastic bottles. You can bring 12 x 500ml cans or cartons, or 6 x 1-litre cans or cartons, but nothing bigger.
Read Holland America’s policy on bottled water here.
You can buy bottled water onboard, or get still and sparkling bottled water with a drinks package. The cheapest option that includes it is the non-alcoholic Quench package, which currently starts at $17.95 per person, per day when bought before your cruise.
Water is also available for free in the buffet restaurant. If you’re filling a reusable bottle, use a cup rather than putting your bottle directly under the dispenser.
Taking water on an MSC cruise
MSC Cruises is another of the cruise lines that doesn’t allow guests to bring water onboard the ship. The exception is factory-sealed purified or distilled water needed for medical devices or preparing infant formula.
If you use a CPAP or BIPAP machine, MSC also provides complimentary distilled water onboard, so you can request this rather than bringing your own.
Read MSC’s policy on bottled water here
You can enjoy water for free once you’re onboard. Water is available in the buffet, so there’s no need to buy bottled water just to stay hydrated.
MSC is also rolling out AQUA by MSC, mineral-enriched water produced onboard and available from bars, restaurants and refill stations. It’s included with MSC drinks packages, while traditional bottled water is provided instead on ships where AQUA by MSC isn’t yet available.
If you want to buy it, bottled water costs $3.50 for 500 ml and it’s free if you buy any of the drinks packages for your cruise.
Taking water on an NCL cruise
NCL is another cruise line that doesn’t let you bring water onto the ship. The exceptions are factory-sealed purified or distilled water needed for medical devices or preparing infant formula. If you need to bring water onboard for another medical reason, you should contact NCL in advance to get approval.
Read NCL’s policy on bottled water here
You can buy bottled water onboard, but it isn’t included with the standard Free at Sea Premium Beverage Package. If you upgrade to Free at Sea Plus, select bottled water at bars and restaurants is included. You can read more about the options in my NCL drinks packages guide.
Another option is to pre-order water and have it delivered directly to your stateroom.
A 12-pack of 16.9oz bottles currently costs $19.95, while 24 bottles cost $34.95 and 48 bottles cost $49.95. Gratuity and a beverage service charge are added to these prices.
The water produced onboard NCL ships is also safe to drink, so you don’t need to buy bottled water to stay hydrated.
Taking water on a P&O cruise
P&O Cruises doesn’t publish a specific allowance for bringing water or soft drinks onboard. I’ve always taken a couple of bottles with me when I cruise with P&O without any problems, but I wouldn’t turn up with huge quantities when there’s no official limit published.
You can buy bottled water onboard, or get 330ml still or sparkling water with the Alcohol-free drinks package. This currently costs £29 per person, per day onboard, or £26 per day when bought before your cruise. The cheaper Refresh package doesn’t include bottled water.
Complimentary drinking water is available from the buffet throughout the day. On Iona and Arvia, there are also designated water points where you can refill a reusable bottle.
Taking water on a Princess cruise
Princess Cruises doesn’t allow guests to bring water or other non-alcoholic drinks onboard in bottles. Instead, you can bring up to 12 sealed, unopened cans or cartons of 12oz or less per person on embarkation day, and these must be packed in your hand luggage.
The exception is factory-sealed purified or distilled water needed for certain medical devices or preparing infant formula.
Read the Princess Cruises policy on bottled water here
You can buy bottled water onboard, or get bottles of up to 500ml included with the Zero-Alcohol Package, with a limit of 12 bottles per day. Bottled water is also included with the drinks packages that come with Princess Plus or Princess Premier.
Free drinking water is also available onboard, so you don’t need to buy bottled water just to stay hydrated.
Taking water on a Royal Caribbean cruise
Royal Caribbean lets you bring water and other non-alcoholic drinks onboard at the start of your cruise. You can bring up to 12 bottles, cans or cartons per stateroom, with each one no bigger than 17oz, which is around 500ml. They need to be packed in your carry-on luggage.
Read Royal Caribbean’s policy on bottled water here
You can buy bottled water onboard or get still and sparkling bottled water included with the Refreshment Package or Deluxe Beverage Package. The cheaper Classic Soda Package doesn’t include bottled water.
You can also pre-order an Evian water package, with 12 or 24 one-litre bottles delivered to your stateroom.
Drinking water onboard is safe to drink, so you don’t need to buy bottled water to stay hydrated.
Flavoured water is available for free in the Windjammer Buffet, and there are free water stations around the ship too. Use a cup or glass to fill your own bottle, don’t refill directly from the station.
Taking water on a Saga cruise
You probably won’t need to bring bottled water with you on a Saga cruise. Filtered water is provided in your cabin, and every guest is also given a reusable recycled stainless-steel water bottle to keep.
Saga encourages you to use this bottle both onboard and ashore, helping to cut down on single-use plastic. So unless you’re particular about the brand of water you drink, there’s little reason to bring lots of bottled water with you.
Taking water on a Virgin Voyages cruise
Virgin Voyages lets you bring a small amount of water onboard, but its policy of avoiding single-use plastics means it needs to be in cans or cartons rather than bottles.
You can bring up to 12 sealed, unopened cans or cartons of 12oz or less per person, and they need to be packed in your hand luggage. Glass and plastic bottles aren’t allowed.
Once you’re onboard, still and sparkling filtered water is included in your cruise fare. It’s available in the eateries and from self-service filtered water stations around the ship, so it’s worth bringing a reusable bottle to refill.
You don’t need a drinks package either. Virgin Voyages doesn’t offer traditional unlimited drinks packages, instead using a prepaid Bar Tab for drinks that aren’t already included in your fare.
Final word
The rules on bringing water onboard vary more than you might expect. Some cruise lines let you bring your own, while others restrict the quantity or packaging, and a few don’t allow it at all.
The good news is that free drinking water is available onboard cruise ships, so you don’t need to buy bottled water to stay hydrated. If you prefer bottled water, check whether it’s included in your drinks package or available to pre-order before you sail.
Can you get free water on p&o ventura?
Hi Mary. Ventura doesn’t have water machines around the ship, but you can get drinking water for free in the buffet, the restaurants and any of the bars will serve you a glass of tap water for free. You can also drink the water from the bathroom in your cabin. And you’re welcome to bring unlimited bottled water on board with you to drink in your cabin as well. Jenni