P&O Cruises Quietly Raises Drink Package Prices Ahead of Winter Season

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P&O Cruises, part of the Carnival Corporation & plc family, has quietly increased the cost of its onboard drinks packages – with prices now up by as much as 12% on some options.

P&O drinks

The updated pricing came into effect in late October 2025 and was first spotted by guests browsing the cruise line’s website.

The company has not issued any formal announcement to booked passengers about the change.

New Prices and Package Options

P&O Cruises offers four drinks packages covering everything from soft drinks to premium spirits. The new daily rates per person are:

  • Refresh – £16 (was £14.45): on-tap fountain soft drinks and juice only
  • Alcohol-Free – £29 (was £26.95): soft drinks, coffees, teas, bottled juices, water, and mocktails
  • Classic – £50 or £55 (was £48.85): most alcoholic and soft drinks, excluding premium brands
  • Deluxe – £60 or £65 (was £60.50): all-inclusive, covering the full range of beverages

You’ll see that there are now two prices for the packages that include alcohol – Classic and Deluxe.

In a change for the cruise line, the price of these packages will vary depending on your sailing length. Guests sailing 15 nights or more will pay the lower prices (£50 per night for Classic, £60 per night for Deluxe) but on cruises of 14 nights or fewer, the higher prices will apply.

Arvia

This means the Refresh package has risen by 10%, Alcohol-Free by nearly 8%, and Classic by either 2% or 12% depending on your sailing length.

The Deluxe package has slightly decreased by less than 1% if you’re on longer cruises. Otherwise it has risen by around 7%.

The small drop in the top-tier package price on longer itineraries suggests that P&O may be trying to encourage more passengers to opt for the all-inclusive option, which continues to represent the best value for those who regularly purchase premium drinks.

However, the vast majority of guests will be on sailings of 14 nights or fewer, and so will still be paying a higher price.

Factors Behind the Increase

Pricing for drinks packages can fluctuate depending on ship, sailing length, and itinerary demand. Typically, shorter or high-season sailings carry higher daily rates.

Guests who pre-book drinks packages before sailing can save up to 20% compared with onboard pricing.

Those who have already purchased packages for upcoming cruises will not be charged extra, as pre-paid rates remain locked in.

However, if you’re booked on a longer cruise and you have the Deluxe package, you may wish to consider cancelling it and rebooking it at the new lower rate.

A Wider Trend Across Carnival Brands

The quiet price adjustment follows similar moves elsewhere in the Carnival family.

Carnival Cruise Line recently increased the cost of its internet plans, prompting speculation that more price updates could be on the way across the group’s brands – including Princess Cruises, AIDA Cruises, and Holland America Line.

While each brand operates independently, pricing changes often occur across multiple lines in the same period as part of wider corporate reviews or cost adjustments linked to supply prices and onboard demand.

P&O’s updated drinks package rates now bring it closer in line with comparable offerings across other major cruise lines.

I’ve got loads more information on P&O drinks packages and the P&O drinks menus, if you’d like to know more.

New for 2026 – All Inclusive Packages

It’s also worth noting that these price increases come just months before P&O Cruises introduces its new all-inclusive packages on sailings from March 2026.

While guests can still buy stand-alone drinks packages, the new bundled options combine drinks with WiFi and speciality dining credit, potentially offering better overall value for those who would otherwise purchase multiple onboard extras.

With drinks package prices rising, more passengers may find that upgrading to an all-inclusive package makes financial sense, particularly on longer cruises or if premium drinks and speciality dining are already part of their plans.

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