Carnival CHEERS Program

"Carnival CHEERS" program is a flat-rate priced All-You-Can-Drink beverage package of Carnival Cruise Lines (alcohol and soda included). You will also find the list of all Carnival "Cheers ships" on which the all-inclusive alcohol package has been implemented so far. The CHEERS beverage package relates to an alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks bar program under the name "Cheers" (previously known as "My Awesome Bar Program", renamed in 2012).

See here the newest Cheers program rates, which are currently based on the length of your cruise. And also check our Carnival all-you-can-drink package review with examples - to find out is it really worth it to buy the Carnival Cheers beverage package. This article is integrated with Carnival drink packages and the Carnival drink prices (by the glass and liquor by the bottle).

CHEERS cruise program price

First in February 2016, then again in August 2018, Carnival enhanced its CHEERS! beverage program and now it includes more non-alcoholic beverages, high-quality brand spirits, and wines by the glass. CHEERS program allows passengers to enjoy a wide selection of drinks by paying a flat daily rate. Passengers must be 21 or older to buy the CHEERS package. Everyone in the same stateroom must purchase the program.

Now available within the CHEERS program are the following beverages:

• All spirits, including cognacs, whiskies, cocktails, and other spirits, as well as wine by the glass and beer, which cost less than $50 per serving (only drinks that cost less than $10 per serving were previously included in the program).
• Sodas (including specialty sodas offered at Havana Bar on Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Vista, Carnival Horizon, Carnival Sunrise)
• RockStar energy drinks; Zero-proof frozen cocktails
• Specialty teas and coffees served in the coffee bars, main dining rooms, and specialty restaurants
• 500ml bottles of water served in ship bars and lounges
• Vitamin Water, Coconut Water, Powerade, Honest Tea
• juices, milkshakes
• Large format (1L and 1.5L) bottles of water in specialty restaurants and main dining rooms (MDRs)
• 25% discount off menu prices for any wine by the glass, spirit or cocktail priced over $50 per serving
• 25% discount off menu prices for champagne and wine by the bottle, and larger water bottles bought outside specialty restaurants and main dining rooms
• 25% discount off menu prices for beverage-served shipboard classes and seminars

Until the end of 2017, the cost of Carnival CHEERS (online purchases prior to departure) was USD 49.95 per person per day plus tips. The cost of CHEERS when purchased on the ship was USD 54.95 per person per day plus gratuities.

In late-November 2017 was announced that since January 1, 2018, the new price of the CHEERS beverage program was USD 51.95 per person per day plus tips. If purchased on the ship, the new price was USD 56.95 (plus 15% gratuity).

IMPORTANT: Since May 1, 2022, Carnival's CHEERS! beverage package price increased by USD 8 (~15%) to USD 59.95 (plus an additional 18% service charge) per passenger per day. The price of Carnival's Bottomless Bubbles unlimited non-alcoholic beverage package has also been increased.

Below you can read a unique survey dedicated to the Carnival's "all you can drink" package as history, policy and price changes, customer reviews, etc.

The all-inclusive drink package CHEERS was introduced in 2012 as an alcohol-included package deal (sold as pass-card) at the cost of USD 43-63 per passenger per day (prices inclusive of 15% gratuity). Without gratuities, the all-you-can-drink card was priced USD 37.50-55. However, the package is "almost unlimited" as it limits the number of alcoholic drinks (up to 15 per day). Unlimited are all non-alcoholic drinks (frozens, sodas, juices, milkshakes) and wines by the glass. Here you can compare CHEERS with the Royal Caribbean all-you-can-drink package.

In late-June 2017, Carnival changed considerably their Bon Voyage alcohol prices (bottled liquor sold in ship's Fun Shops) - and not for the better. Some items went up 25%, most were "merely" 10% "adjusted". But all went up for sure. For the exact numbers - follow the above "Bon Voyage" link.

"All You Can Drink" CHEERS ships

On May 19, 2013, "Cheers" Bar program pricing was changed on some ships. There were also some changes in Carnival's policy - "Cheers" package was "no deal" on the company's Caribbean private islands Half Moon Cay and Princess Cays).

As of June 2013, all Carnival cruise liners (excluding Legend and Sunshine) offered the Cheers package at its "expensive" price - USD 57.45 pp pd, gratuities included. On September 19, 2013, the "Cheers program" policy was changed to allow customers to purchase unlimited sodas on Half Moon Cay. When the ships Legend and Sunshine returned from Europe, their Cheers price was like on all "Cheers ships".

Since 2019, Currently, Carnival's "all-you-can-drink-alcohol" package is available fleetwide - including on ships operating in Australia New Zealand. However, the package is not available on 2-day cruises, charter cruises and on the private islands (Half Moon Cay, Princess Cays) where can be used only onboard the ship (when anchored/docked in port).

Cheers program price changes (old dynamic pricing)

IMPORTANT: CHEERS' current price is USD 49,95 per person/per day. With 15% tipping included, the price is USD 57,45 pp pd. Remember, pricing now is not dependent on vessel but since 2020 varies by itinerary length. Since January 1 (2020), the package for short voyages (3- and 4-day itineraries) was increased by $3 (pp pd) - to US$54,95 (plus gratuity if purchased pre-cruise) and US$59,95 (plus gratuity if purchased onboard). CHEERS package prices for 5-day and longer itineraries remain unchanged.

The following table shows the "dynamic cheers" pricing introduced fleetwide on cruises in August-October 2014. This is NOT the case now. Back then, the effective CHEERS package prices were based on cruise length. Those prices went as follows:

Cheers program details

• The card must be purchased on embarkation or the next day. According to Carnival Cruise Lines' alcohol policy, passengers must be 21 years of age or older to order/receive alcoholic drinks on the ships (including the all-inclusive alcohol package). The places where they can sign up for CHEERS are at the ship's Atrium (Lobby Bar) and the Casino Bar, and also at the swimming pool bars.
• Which beverages qualify for inclusion in the program? All beers, wines (by the glass), non-alcoholic frozen drinks, juices, milkshakes, and sodas are for free.
• There's a 15 drink limit per day (alcoholic beverages, per 24 hours period - 6 am to 6 am).
• Your drink must have a bar menu price of max USD 20 (changed from USD 50 in Aug 2018). For drinks which cost more than USD 20 - a 25% discount is offered (including on wine/champagne sales by the bottle).
• You guys should know when enough is enough, but know that (in one day) after your 15th drink is being served, a bar manager (Carnival staff) will decide whether to continue to serve you or not. Safe drinking (on cruise ships too) is important, so drink responsibly. Recently, Carnival defended itself against CHEERS customers' complains and pretty real charges (by International Cruise Victims Association) about the 15-drink limit by saying, quote: "If a bartender determines someone is too drunk to continue drinking before the 15 drinks are reached, they will be cut off from the program for the rest of the cruise and will be refunded the balance of the package".

Purchasing Carnival Cheers on departures from Texas

If you're booked on a 7-day cruise leaving from ports in Texas (Galveston or Houston), when can you buy the Cheers package and how many days they charge you for?

Texas state regulations for selling alcohol are different than other state rules. They forbid cruise lines to sell alcohol while their vessels are in Texas state waters. Carnival ships usually return to Texas ports at ~8 am on day 7. Does Carnival charge you for that day too?

On Carnival cruises leaving out of Texas, you must buy the CHEERS package on the first day at sea. Count the number of ship nights and subtract 1 night. For a regular 7-night itinerary, you will pay for 6 "cheers days".

Cheers beverage program - inclusions and restrictions

• It is a mandatory "Cheers Program" to be purchased from each adult assigned to the same cabin (everyone over the age of 21 in your cabin). The program is non-refundable and non-transferable. You'll be charged the number of nights (7-day itinerary is "8 calendar days / 7 nights" so you're charged 7 nights). Remember - CHEERS can be purchased on the 1st or 2nd day only.
• Since Galveston state laws don't allow the Cheers program, on a 7-day cruise from texas Carnival will charge you for 6 days. You can't buy and use the package until the next day when the liner is in international waters. You'll pay a total of USD 592 per cabin (2 adults) per cruise.
• You can't buy multiple drinks at once - permitted is only 1 drink to be ordered at a time, and there are 15 minutes in between limit.
• Additional cost - when the ship is in USA waters (also docked in US ports), state and local taxes will be applied. You'll be taxed per drink, so add $0.50 to each drink.
• Carnival reserves the right to refuse service for any reason.
• "Cheers" program is not available on cruise charters.
• "Cheers Program" doesn't include room-service drinks and drinks from stateroom's mini-bar.
• The list of "free non-alcoholic drinks" includes frozen cocktails and sodas only (no bottled water).
• Drinks on promotion, drinks sold in souvenir glasses or served through vending machines, coffee drinks, bottles of liquor, drinks offered at gangway (on debarkation) are also not included.
• CHEERS excludes any food items, all other drink-related packages, cook- and bar books, drink seminars and classes, cigarettes and cigars.
• It is not permitted in any way to share the "all-inclusive drinks".
• (tips) About purchasing Cheers program by all adults in the cabin - there are no exceptions for medical/religious reasons! However, there are some passenger reports proving otherwise. Making an exception might be a decision based on the guest's status by Carnival VIFP Club/loyalty program more than any particular medical reasons. So bring your med documentation with you and ask Guest Services Desk staff nicely - you never know, it won't hurt to try.
• To "Cheers passengers", bottled water on the ship is offered at 25% discount pricing.

Carnival Cheers program was first introduced on Carnival Victory-Radiance, then was tested on other ships on a trial basis. Because this beverage package gained enormous popularity, and also due to the reasonably low number of reported issues, more and more Carnival ships (eventually all including the Australia-homeported) offered the "all-inclusive alcohol cruise" option. As a comparison, the card cost roughly covers the cost of 5 Martinis, 7 Vodkas or 8 Beers (domestic brands) - according to Carnival Bar Menu prices (inclusive of gratuities).

Carnival All-You-Can-Drink Package Review

NOTE: The following examples confirm that the Cheers program is well worth buying - ONLY if you'll be drinking AT LEAST 1 of the samples (listed below) or more in 1 day, for the given length of the voyage.

Is the "Cheers" program worth it of its price?

Cheers Bar Program reviews and tips

• Note: we've made changes in some parts because of the Google duplicate content policy.
• "We used it (the cheers package) for our 5-day sailing - it was very much worth it!!! It was our honeymoon... On our 1st day, I got 2 icy drinks, two glasses of wine, 1 glass of champagne, and another cocktail at the end of the night... that is $50 right there and I would not consider that ALOT cos we got on the ship around 12 that day! The last day at sea... we started with mimosas in the morning and were up till 11 pm - that is over 12 hours, having only 1 drink per hour that is almost to the 15 drink limit (by the Cheers program)... my husband even did exceed it and we had a very nice waitress who "bought me" a Heineken after my glasses of wine. Bottom line - it's well worth it even if you're just a wine drinking and occasional mixed drink, having the peace of mind to not worry about your tab bill or how much you've spent on drinks so far. It was amazing - a total cost of around $470 for the whole 5 day trip for me and my husband - highly recommend!"
• "I don't like being in a position where I'm trying to drink my money's worth - unless I wanna end up plastered".
• "I'll be signing up for the Cheers on the...! If you like adult drinks on board you can't go wrong with the all-inclusive".
• "Sailing on.... not expecting to be worth it, but since everyone in the room has to get it, I'll be getting it too".
• "At the end of our last trip, we tallied our bar bill - nope, not worth it. There were so many people knocking back shots 'cos they had to get their 15 drinks - it's ridiculous".
• "Cheers is all or not - you can't buy it just by the day. This is why it's a waste of money - the full sea days it would get used, but on port days it would barely get used."
• "I spent hours running back to guest services because of mess-ups with the Cheers - 1st for my son, then me, later for my wife." To this, a fellow Carnival fan replies: "To miss all the fun stuff you wanted to do because of problems with the Cheers implementation says a lot about your vacation priorities." Then another guy replies: "The running helps to burn off the calories. Don't forget to always have fun!" - so so true!
• "Let the bartender be creative on your next drink".
• "If you don't like alcoholic beverages, you can always ask for their nonalcoholic versions".
• How quick is the service by the Cheers program, especially in the MDR/Main Dining Room? There, guests usually order a bottle of wine for the meal, and with Cheers, they'd have to order by the glass. "I would recommend you order a glass of wine at the bar outside the dining room and carry it to your MDR table. You'll have your glass there and it'll save you some minutes while the waiter takes your order and brings you next one".
• maybe a little slow service in MDR, especially at dinner - "... it took us maybe an hour between each drink at dinner (MDR) to get service". But there are so many bars on the ship - casino bar, atrium bar, piano bar... Cheers will work if you let it".
• "If you have problems with Cheers, bring the receipt showing that the program had been paid for and Carnival would refund your money".
• "I used Cheers on Breeze, and it was great - no problems signing up for it or using it, it takes like 3 seconds to look at your receipt when you get a drink - just to make sure everything's ok".
• "On my last cruise, a young man told me that his bar tab was over $1500. I think he totally would have liked the Cheers package".
• "We bought the Cheers package as soon as we got on the ship - I gotta tell you it worked out quite well for us. We bought the program in the lobby bar before we even went to our cabin. It is so nice to budget your drinking. When we figured it up, in the end, we saved almost 400 bucks. Love it!"
• "You pay money for a prepaid drink program, you don't lose money with it. Cheers is designed to keep your drink costs down, not to get you drunk like a skunk".
• "We did Cheers on an 8-day cruise - we saved $500+ by purchasing the package, and we had great service any time of day or night".
• (remember, you need 5-6 drinks in a 24 hour period to break even with Cheers) "We are not big drinkers at home, but we sure love our cocktails when we cruise, so here's my "beer math": 1 drink in the morning (Bloody Mary/Mimosa), 1 at lunch, 1-2 by the pool, 1 at dinner, 1 in the casino, 1-2 at the comedy club - it's totally worth it!"
• "Works best if you both plan to drink - a lot, and every day. I don't have alcohol issues lol".
• "All-inclusive alcohol packages encourage over-drinking to make it worth the money. It's really like when people feel they need to eat everything in sight to justify the buffet - stupid, and not healthy at all".
• "Cheers is well worth its cost - having those min 7 drinks per day is not so hard than you think! Start with the breakfast time Bloody Mary, drink a few beers or cocktails throughout the day, and here you go - they go down so smoothly."
• "Consider that ~1/2 the cruise is port time. Even with the 15-drinks limit, you'll have to drink more in a shorter time on port days. This way Carnival is encouraging more drinking and more drunks. I like to drink, especially on vacation, but even when splurging to spend $400+ in 6-7 days on booze is huge for me. For $50 I'll have my 10 beers a day, but with the Cheers program, I would probably be tempted to add at least 5 tequila shots every day on top of that. So if you're not a heavy boozer where is the fun here?"
• If you pre-order online Bon Voyage liquor can you still purchase Cheers? The short answer is yes (they are different programs). And you can use the "Cruise Cash" account towards the purchase of Cheers.
• (Cheers price) "Well, in my modest opinion - that is just RIDICULOUS!!! It's not all-inclusive because of the 15 drinks limit, and its price is going up every day!"
• "Well, that does it for me. It's simply not worth it, especially without coffee and milkshakes included".
• "We planned on $700 drinking budget, another $100 won't kill us".
• (By the new pricing) basic math says: an 8 day "Cheers cruise" will cost you $57,44 x2 ($114,85 pp pd) x8 days equals $919,08. Some people actually do save money buying this program: "We got this on our 7 day Breeze cruise. The total was ~$680, with extra tips we spent ~$730 on booze for the whole trip. On our previous vacation on the Fantasy we spent ~$950 on booze in just 5 days - so it was totally worth it!" Some guys do enjoy boozing too much, so cheers to their big fun.

Carnival has a trademark on "Fun For All - All For Fun" - meaning also that the "Fun" must be "For All" passengers on the "Fun Ship". It's always up to you to fully enjoy your vacation (with or without alcohol). It's all about time, money and the right attitude. If it's going to be a "Booze Cruise" - know your limits, drink responsibly, behave properly.