We are currently on a long trip-term trip around the world that we’ve carefully budgeted for. And although we were able to score an unbelievably affordable repositioning cruise across the Atlantic for under $50 per day (here’s how to get a cheap repositioning cruise), we were nervous that those beverages we enjoy so much just might break the bank. So we found some creative ways to not only to how to get cheap drinks on a cruise, but for free! And it all worked. After our two-week voyage we disembarked with a quite reasonable bar bill and still managed to indulge a lot during our sailing. Now we want to divulge all of our secrets on how to score free drinks on a cruise!
1) Captain’s toast = Free drinks
If you notice any event in the daily itinerary titled something like “Captain’s Toast” or “Captain’s Reception” this always means there will be servers running around with trays full of complimentary cocktails, wine, and/or champagne. Don’t miss it! For longer soirées you may even be able to snag several gratis beverages. So hang out, find a nice cozy spot where the drink servers are coming out of, and then cheers to the captain with that Greek name you can’t pronounce.
2) Play to Win
There are always a number of contests and competitions held on board. You’ll find anything from karaoke to the newlywed game to craft competitions. While the daily trivia competition may only offer the winners a lame key chain, often the larger game-show style events dole out much better prizes, such as bottles of champagne! The Newlywed-type game that’s played across nearly every cruise line at some point during the sailing, always seems to give participants a free bottle.
Participate, bring your A-game and you just might get rewarded with oh-so-precious free booze!
3) Be Loyal
If you’ve come back on the same cruise line for a second cruise, you may be rewarded for your loyalty with a bottle of champagne, a few drink tickets or perhaps even a little cocktail party. Cruise a few more times on that same cruise line and you may find complimentary happy hours every single night.
Cruise lines are quite fond of treating their loyal patrons with booze. Even if you’ve only cruised once prior with the ship, there may be a loyalty party event in store for you and complete with complimentary drinks. So check what each line includes and start working your way up the loyalty ladder.
4) Make Friends with Benefits
Perhaps you still have a ways to go before you can reap the rewards of an elite loyalty status. But that doesn’t mean fellow loyalty members won’t share the wealth. Not everyone on board may be as big of a lush as you. Some high-ranking loyalty members may not drink (or drink much) and have a slough of leftover drink tickets they’re just going to let go to waste.
People that have unused drink tickets should be your new best friends! Note: while sometimes these drink tickets are non transferable, this tends to be widely unenforced on most cruise line we’ve sailed on.
5) Could it Be? Liquor Tastings That Are Free
Most all cruises have a duty free liquor store. On at least one night (often multiple nights) usually earlier on the cruise, they will sample some of their best liquors as a way to entice you to buy some bottles while on board. Check the daily guide for times and then stroll on by for your free shot (err, I mean sample of liquor).
6) Take Advantage of Promotions Offering Free Alcohol
When booking a cruise, watch out for promotions, which can include generous onboard credits or even all-you-can-drink packages. Crusie lines commonly offer onboard credit which you can apply directly to your bar tab.
Meanwhile Celebrity Cruises occasionally runs its popular 123Go! promotion in which you can receive a classic beverage packages for two, including spirits, valued at $88 per day, which even cover gratuities. If they’re running an offer like that on your next sailing, take them up on this great deal and treat yourself to the ultimate booze cruise!
7) Free Champagne at the Art Auction
If you’d like to sip on a complementary glass of bubbly then head on over to the art gallery. Nearly all ships will have multiple art auctions during the cruise, which usually extends a free glass of sparkling wine. You’re not required to bid; just sit back, learn something about the art, and watch others fight for those limited release prints.
It can sometimes be an entertaining experience. But if you get bored, there’s no shame in making an quiet exit. So perhaps be sure to pick an aisle seat in case you do want to leave early.
8) Take the Night Off
Ok, we know this sounds lame. But if you’re on a cruise for a week or longer, it may not be an awful idea to give your poor liver a break one evening. Use this night off to explore some complimentary non-alcoholic beverages. We found that an after dinner mint tea pairs quite nicely with decadent chocolate desserts and we just love sipping on some chamomile tea before bedtime.
There’s a whole world of complementary non-alcoholic drinks often available with dessert and at cafes found around many ships. So take a night off from the hooch to enjoy some non-alcoholic libations.
Bonus: 10 Ways to Get Cheap Drinks on a Cruise Ship
While it may not be free, there are a number of ways to drink inexpensively, so be sure to also check out our post on 10 Ways to Drink for Cheap On a Cruise!
Also, be sure to check out all of our favorite cruise tips in our latest article about cruising: Top 50 Cruise Hacks to Save You Money, Hassle, and Weight Gain.
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