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Carnival Alcohol Policy

What you can bring aboard, the corkage rules, drink packages, and the drinking age on aCarnival cruise in 2026, verified against the official policy.

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On this page
  1. Bringing your own
  2. Corkage fee
  3. Drink packages
  4. Drinking age
  5. FAQ

Quick answer

Carnival lets you bring a limited amount of wine or champagne aboard at embarkation. It sells a drink package. The onboard drinking age is 21, though it can vary by sailing region.

Bringing your own alcohol

Allowed, with limits

On embarkation day only, each guest 21 or older may carry on one sealed 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne in hand luggage. Beer, spirits, and other liquor are prohibited in both carry-on and checked bags and will be confiscated. Fortified wines over 15% ABV such as port and sherry are also not allowed.

Corkage fee

$15per bottle

A $15 corkage fee per 750 ml bottle applies if you bring your wine or champagne to a dining room, specialty restaurant, or bar. There is no fee to drink it in your stateroom.

Drink packages

Offered

CHEERS! costs $69.95 per person per day bought before the cruise, or $74.95 onboard, each plus a 20% service charge (about $84 to $90 a day with gratuity). Every adult 21+ in the stateroom must buy it, and it is capped at 15 alcoholic drinks per day.

Minimum drinking age

21

Guests must be 21 or older to buy or consume alcohol and to use the carry-on wine allowance, with valid photo ID. The 21 minimum applies on Carnival's US-based ships and itineraries.

Good to know

No bottled drinks of any kind may be brought aboard. A small quantity of canned or cartoned non-alcoholic drinks may be carried on in hand luggage on embarkation day. Personal coolers up to 12 by 12 by 12 inches are allowed as carry-on; large coolers are prohibited.

Frequently asked questions

Can I bring my own alcohol on a Carnival cruise?
On embarkation day only, each guest 21 or older may carry on one sealed 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne in hand luggage. Beer, spirits, and other liquor are prohibited in both carry-on and checked bags and will be confiscated. Fortified wines over 15% ABV such as port and sherry are also not allowed.
What is Carnival's corkage fee?
Carnival charges $15 per bottle. A $15 corkage fee per 750 ml bottle applies if you bring your wine or champagne to a dining room, specialty restaurant, or bar. There is no fee to drink it in your stateroom.
How much is Carnival's drink package?
CHEERS! costs $69.95 per person per day bought before the cruise, or $74.95 onboard, each plus a 20% service charge (about $84 to $90 a day with gratuity). Every adult 21+ in the stateroom must buy it, and it is capped at 15 alcoholic drinks per day.
What is the drinking age on a Carnival cruise?
The onboard minimum is 21. Guests must be 21 or older to buy or consume alcohol and to use the carry-on wine allowance, with valid photo ID. The 21 minimum applies on Carnival's US-based ships and itineraries.
What else should I know about drinking on a Carnival cruise?
No bottled drinks of any kind may be brought aboard. A small quantity of canned or cartoned non-alcoholic drinks may be carried on in hand luggage on embarkation day. Personal coolers up to 12 by 12 by 12 inches are allowed as carry-on; large coolers are prohibited.

More on Carnival

Alcohol policies on other cruise lines

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Caden Sorenson

Travel research publisher and senior staff engineer

Caden Sorenson runs Travel Vient, an independent travel research and tools site covering airline carry-on policies, packing lists, and head-to-head airline, cruise, and destination comparisons, with everything cited to primary sources. He's a senior staff engineer with 15+ years of experience building iOS apps, web platforms, and developer tools, and a Computer Science graduate from Utah State University. Based in Logan, Utah.

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Verified Jul 2026 against the official Carnival Cruise Line beverage policy. Cruise lines change alcohol policies and prices without notice. Confirm with the line before you sail.