Free drinks in cruise casinos
Free drinks while you play are the most common casino perk at sea, but the rules vary a lot. Some lines serve every player, some start at a tier or a points total, and almost all of them limit it to the casino and to guests who are actively playing.
On most lines, free casino drinks are served only in the casino, only while you're actively playing, and only once you reach a tier or a points total: Prime on Royal Caribbean, Onyx on Celebrity, Star on Virgin Voyages, and a per-cruise threshold on Carnival, MSC and Princess. Margaritaville at Sea serves every Players Club tier, and Explora includes drinks for everyone.
Reaching a threshold just for drinks usually costs far more in expected losses than the drinks are worth: $240 to $2,000 at an 8% slot hold, by our arithmetic.
Terms with a dotted underline are explained when you tap or select them.
Line by line
Cruise lines almost never publish drink price caps or brand lists. Where a cap appears below, we say who reported it.
| Line | Who gets free casino drinks | What's covered | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Caribbean | Club Royale Prime (2,500 points a year) and above. Choice members don't. | "Select complimentary drinks." No published cap or brand list. | Casino only, while playing. A Prime sticker goes on your SeaPass (Royal Caribbean's and Celebrity's cruise card: your room key, onboard ID and charge card, and also your casino player card.). |
| Celebrity | Blue Chip Onyx (500 points) and above, per Celebrity's current terms. Older reports said all tiers. | Reported as well drinks (The bar's standard house-brand spirits, as opposed to named or premium brands.). | Only while actively gaming, and only when the casino is open. |
| Carnival | Drinks On Us after about 1,000 points on cruises under 5 days, or 1,500 on longer ones 2019–20 figures. Elite casino offers include drinks shipwide; Ultra in the casino. | No cap found. Must be 21+. | From casino servers (not the bar), while playing, for the rest of the cruise. |
| Norwegian | Unclear. NCL's tier chart lists an "Unlimited Open Bar" without saying which tier gets it, and players report Pearl lost casino drinks in 2024. Reported | Ask the casino host on day one. | — |
| Virgin Voyages | Sea Roller Star (5,000 points) and above, plus guests on casino cabin offers. | Casino offer terms exclude premium brands. Most drinks are valued up to about $15 Reported. | Casino only, while playing. Comped off your folio. |
| MSC | About 2,500 Dream Points on one cruise Reported, plus guests on comped casino cabins (a sticker on your card). | Usually beer, wine, standard cocktails and soft drinks. Top shelf often excluded. | Casino only, while seated and playing. Reportedly stricter in Europe. |
| Princess | About 1,500 points on the current cruise Reported. Resets every cruise. | Not specified. | From casino servers only, for the rest of that cruise. |
| Holland America | By private offer ("Drinks in Casino"), or as an Ultimate Games or Prestige invitee. | The offer template allows up to 15 drinks a day of $11 or less; each offer sets its own limit. | Casino while playing. Prestige: all bars and restaurants. |
| Margaritaville | Every Players Club tier, including free Bronze. | Up to $20 per drink. Gold and Platinum also get a beverage package. | While actively playing. |
| Explora | Everyone. Drinks are included in the fare. | Unlimited, including premium spirits. | Anywhere on board. |
What it takes to qualify
Points thresholds turned into slot play, and the casino's expected win (What the casino keeps on average from that much play over the long run (play × hold). For you, it's the expected loss.) from that play at an 8% slot hold (The share of money played that the casino keeps over time: 100% minus the payback. It's the slot version of the house edge.). Our arithmetic from each line's earning rate, not published figures.
| Line | Threshold | Slot play needed | Expected loss at 8% | Drinks last for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Caribbean | Prime tier | $12,500 | $1,000 | Year (Apr–Mar) |
| Celebrity | Onyx tier | $2,500 | $200 | Year (Aug–Jul) |
| Virgin Voyages | Star tier | $25,000 | $2,000 | Year (May–Apr), plus 12 months |
| Carnival | Drinks On Us, 5+ day cruise | $3,000 | $240 | That cruise |
| MSC | About 2,500 Dream Points | $7,500 | $600 | That cruise |
| Princess | About 1,500 points | $3,000 | $240 | That cruise |
Annual tiers (Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Virgin) keep the perk for the rest of the program year, so the cost is spread across every cruise you take. Per-cruise thresholds (Carnival, MSC, Princess) start again each sailing. Margaritaville and Explora have no threshold. Table play counts too, but each line rates it differently.
How it works on board
- Check your card on day oneRoyal Caribbean puts a Prime sticker on your SeaPass, usually at check-in. MSC comp guests usually find a sticker waiting in the cabin. If it's missing, see the casino host.
- You have to be playingMost lines say "while playing" or "while actively gaming." Players report a Royal Caribbean Prime member can sit at the casino bar between sessions, but that isn't the official rule.
- Servers come to youCarnival's Drinks On Us is served by casino waitstaff, not the casino bar. Princess is the same. Virgin rings drinks up and then comps them off your folio (Your onboard account: the running list of charges and credits on your cruise card.).
- Embarkation day can be slowCarnival says the benefit may not start for several hours, or until the next day, in some states such as Texas and New York.
- Tip the bartenderFree drinks still deserve a tip. Podcast hosts suggest $5–$10 on the first drink.
- Don't chase itA $15 cocktail isn't worth $200 of expected losses. If you're close to a threshold anyway, fine; otherwise buy the drink.
Sources
- Royal Caribbean — Casino Royale guide (accessed Oct 2026)
- Royal Caribbean Blog — How to get free drinks on a cruise (updated Aug 31, 2025)
- Celebrity Cruises — Blue Chip Club (footnote 3) (accessed Oct 2026)
- Cruise Hive — Celebrity adjusts Blue Chip Club (Jul 18, 2024)
- The Points Guy — Cruise ship casinos (Dec 6, 2024)
- Carnival — Carnival Players Club (accessed Oct 2026)
- Carnival — Elite casino cruises (accessed Oct 2026)
- URComped — Carnival Players Club (Jun 11, 2019)
- Cruise Critic — Ways to get free or cheaper drinks (Jan 8, 2020)
- Come Cruise With Me via AOL — Carnival casino drinks (Mar 4, 2025)
- NCL — Casinos At Sea Rewards (accessed Oct 2026)
- URComped — Do cruise casinos serve free drinks? (Nov 19, 2024)
- Virgin Voyages — Casino (terms updated May 13, 2026)
- URComped — Virgin Voyages (accessed Oct 2026)
- MSC Cruise Fan — Free drinks in MSC casinos (modified Apr 27, 2026)
- free2cruise — Princess casino review (Oct 8, 2025)
- Holland America — Casino (accessed Oct 2026)
- Holland America — Casino offer terms (accessed Oct 2026)
- Margaritaville at Sea — Casino Players Club (accessed Oct 2026)
- Explora Journeys — Inclusions (accessed Oct 2026)
- TravelHost via AOL — Casino drinks on different cruise lines (Feb 19, 2026)
More guides
The math behind casino games
PAR sheets, payback and hold, volatility, virtual reels, near misses and why video poker earns slower. With calculators.
Read → ExplainerThe economics of casino cruises
Why lines give casino players free cabins, how theo works and what a free cruise really costs.
Read → CompsEnd-of-cruise casino comps
What hosts hand out on the last night, how it's calculated and which lines are said to give more.
Read → Getting startedMatches, casino hosts and travel agents
How new players get their first offer: asking a line for a match, using an independent host, or booking through an agent.
Read → PartnershipsLand casino partnerships
Caesars, MGM, Hard Rock and Wynn cruise benefits, and how to link your accounts so they actually work.
Read → LoyaltyCasino comps vs cruise loyalty
Which lines let a comp cruise count toward their loyalty program, and where you have to choose one or the other.
Read →