Not only does Carnival have one of the most expensive cruise drink packages at sea, but guests are expected to pay extra for beverages at the line's private ports.
That's right — the line's $80-per-day package doesn’t cover alcoholic beverages at Half Moon Cay or Celebration Key. It's one of the most frustrating limitations of the package, on top of the 15 daily drink cap.
Rather than shelling out $9 for a Corona Extra on the beach, one clever cruiser came up with a hack to maximize the benefits of Carnival's drink package.
TikTok user @teonnasworld shared the workaround, explaining how she packed a small, collapsible cooler with wheels to take drinks off the ship. At the time, she was sailing on the Carnival Venezia.
"Everyone's been complaining about not being able to use your drink package on Celebration Key, so I just thought we should do the same thing we do at other ports," she begins in the two-minute clip.
Leading up to her visit to Celebration Key, Carnival's newest private destination that opened in July 2025, she would visit the onboard bars and take unopened beer back to her cabin, stocking up her mini-fridge.
"We're not big drinkers; we never hit 15 drinks a day anyway, so why not use the extra to take off the ship?" she adds.
In the TikTok, Teonna can be seen loading up her cooler with Bud Light, Corona, Red Bull, and plastic water bottles, confirming that the trick also works for non-alcoholic beverages.
She had a few extra stops to make before heading to the gangway, though. First, she said that she went to the Lido Deck to fill the cooler with ice to keep the beverages cool in the warm Bahamaian sun. Then, she got another drink from one of the bars and poured it into her reusable cup.
"We had no issues, and here we are at the lagoon with ice-cold drinks," Teonna happily says while showing her cooler in the sand.
Celebration Key drink prices
Unlike Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at CocoCay or MSC's Ocean Cay Marine Reserve, Carnival's drink packages don't work at any of its private destinations in The Bahamas. As such, guests should budget extra for drinks — should they wish to drink while ashore.
Moreover, Celebration Key is cashless, so you will need your Sail & Sign or credit/debit card with you before heading off the ship.
The price of drinks at Celebration Key ranges from $3.00 for bottled water to $9.00 for premium beer and $12.50 for classic cocktails:
- Classic Cocktails (Bloody Mary, Daiquiri, Margarita, Mojito, Piña Colada, and Sex on the Beach): $12.50
- Local Beer (High Rock Light, Sands, Sands Light): $7.00
- Premium Beer (Bush Crack, Corona Extra, Michelob Ultra): $9.00
- Buckets (6 cans of Local Beer): $35.00
- Buckets (6 cans of Premium Beer): $45.00
- Dasani Water: $3.00
- Schweppes Club Soda/Ginger Ale: $3.50
- Red Bull/Red Bull Sugar Free: $7.50
- Soft Drinks (Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Dr. Pepper, Iced Tea, Orange Juice, Sprite): $3.50
Read more: Carnival Celebration Key Menus
How much is the drink package on Carnival?
Carnival's CHEERS! Package costs $89.94 per day, including the mandatory 20% service charge, when purchased onboard.
However, you can save around 10% by buying your drink package in advance through the online Cruise Manager.
By doing so, the daily price becomes $83.94. On a 7-night cruise, you'd save around $42 per person. It might not be enough to book another cruise, but the savings can help cover a special specialty meal, souvenirs, or an Uber to the cruise port.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
In addition to writing for Cruise.Blog, Elizabeth has bylines in Business Insider, Royal Caribbean Blog, and Cruiseshipfood.com.
