P&O Cruises Drinks Package Calculator 2026: Classic vs Deluxe vs Pay As You Go

The updated calculator now treats the packages as different product tiers rather than simply comparing four daily prices.

You can enter your cabin’s likely drinks for a typical day and it calculates:

• what those drinks would cost individually;
• the package cost for everyone in the cabin;
• whether your chosen drinks are actually included;
• additional spend where a lower-tier package does not cover them;
• and the lowest estimated daily cost.

Classic vs Deluxe: the important bit

For many people, the decision will come down to Classic versus Deluxe.

Classic is £55 per person per day on a 5–14 night cruise, or £49 when bought pre-cruise. Deluxe is £65, or £58 pre-cruise

So on a typical cruise the pre-cruise difference is only £9 per person per day.

That extra £9 gives access to the extended 250ml wine selection, 50ml spirits, craft beer, wider cocktail list, Perfect Serves and full Costa range.

For someone who regularly chooses those drinks, the upgrade can therefore become relevant very quickly.

Example: a fairly normal drinking day

Take this example for one adult:

• two beers: £12.40
• two 175ml wines: £16.40
• one classic cocktail: £8.90
• two soft drinks: £6.40
• one coffee: roughly £3.70
• two bottles of water: £5.00

That comes to approximately £52.80.

Against a £49 pre-cruise Classic package, that is already around the break-even point.

But there is an important caveat: most people do not drink exactly the same amount every day. Port days, excursions, early nights and embarkation/disembarkation patterns can materially change the calculation.

Example: Deluxe-style drinking

Now change the evening drinks to:

• a 250ml wine;
• a signature cocktail;
• and a 50ml spirit with mixer.

Those drinks are materially more expensive than their Classic equivalents.

This is where comparing only the £49 Classic package with the £58 Deluxe package misses the point. You also need to consider what you would actually order and whether Classic covers it.

When pay-as-you-go still makes sense

A drinks package is not automatically better value.

If your typical day is something like:

• two beers;
• one glass of wine;
• a couple of soft drinks;
• water throughout the day;

you may still spend materially less than the package cost.

P&O itself confirms that passengers do not have to purchase a drinks package and can continue to buy drinks individually.

That is why I prefer calculating against realistic consumption rather than using a simplistic “six drinks means the package wins” rule.

What about Alcohol-Free?

This package is significantly broader than the old wording in my 2025 article suggested.

At £29 onboard or £26 pre-cruise, it includes the Refresh range plus small Costa drinks, hot chocolate, non-alcoholic beers and spirits, water and non-alcoholic cocktails.

For someone who drinks several coffees, soft drinks, bottled waters and alcohol-free alternatives across the day, it is therefore worth calculating separately rather than treating it as merely a soft-drinks package.

Refresh

Refresh remains the simplest package.

At £16 per day or £14 pre-cruise, it covers everyday soft drinks, juices and similar refreshment.

For someone who drinks very little alcohol and mainly wants drinks around the pool or with meals, this is the easiest package to compare directly with pay-as-you-go.

One rule to remember

The cabin rule remains important when doing the maths.

If adults sharing a cabin take a drinks package, the package requirement applies across the adults in that cabin. That means the relevant comparison for a couple is not simply:

£49 package versus my £55 daily bar bill

but rather:

£98 in Classic packages versus the combined daily spending of both adults.

That is why the calculator works at cabin level rather than treating one drinker in isolation.

So, are P&O’s drinks packages worth it in 2026?

There is no universal break-even number because it depends on what you actually drink.

A £6.20 beer, an £8.20 glass of wine, a £10.90 large wine and a premium double spirit are clearly not interchangeable.

The updated calculator is therefore designed around the actual types of drinks you choose rather than just asking for a number of “drinks per day”.

For lighter drinkers, pay-as-you-go can remain the cheaper option.

For regular users of the included Classic range, Classic can become competitive.

And for passengers who naturally gravitate towards larger wines, double spirits, craft beer and the extended cocktail selection, the relatively small daily jump from Classic to Deluxe becomes much more relevant.