Carnival recently announced they would be lowering the allowed drink cost from up to $50.00 down to $20.00 per drink. I know this sounds like a massive drop in value for their drink package. However, I would like to point out why this is not necessarily that big of a deal. Most cocktails on Carnivals menu are well below $20.00 a drink. Even the most expensive drinks in the Carnival Steakhouse is only $12.00 a glass. I was recently on the Carnival Magic, and I did not see any ultra top shelf liquor stocked in the bars so I am not sure that I could even find a $20.00 drink.
How Does Carnival compare to other cruise lines? A few months ago I was on Royal Caribbeans Oasis of the Seas, and their unlimited drink package was only good for drinks up to $13.00 per glass. I looked at NCL as well for a complete comparison, and their drink package maxes out at $15.00 per glass. I am confident a lot of cruisers will be upset with Carnival over this recent change, but the drink package still represents the most generous allowance in the mainstream cruise industry.