12 Best cruise drinks - sip your way to paradise. Image is of 3 different drinks we had on a cruise

12 Best Cruise Drinks – Sip your way to paradise

Nothing says vacation like a delicious cocktail. Whether you enjoy classic cocktails, tropical fruity drinks, or a nice cold beer you’ll find several yummy options sip on as you sail away. Here is my list of the 12 best cruise drinks.


A cruise ship is the perfect place to try a new drink, especially if you have one of the cruise line’s drink packages. That is one of the things I like best about the cruise drink packages is that you can try a new drink risk free. If you don’t like you don’t feel like you have wasted any money.



12 Best Cruise Drinks - Must try cocktails.  Image is 2 cocktails cheering poolside
Perfect Day at Coco Cay – Royal Caribbean’s private island




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Best Cruise Drinks


Here is a list of some of the most popular cruise ship drinks.


1. Pina Colada

A piña colada is one of my favorite tropical drinks. It is tropical goodness in a glass. A pina colada is made with white rum, coconut cream or coconut milk and pineapple juice. On a cruise ship it is most often served as a blended frozen drink (this is the best) as opposed to served over ice.


So good, I forgot to take a picture before sipping away.

Pina colada cruise ship drink





2. Strawberry Daiquiri

The main ingredients in a strawberry daiquiri are white rum, strawberries (often a syrup), and lime juice. The strawberry daiquiri is a frozen blended drink, it is a great choice for sipping on the pool deck soaking up the fun vacation vibes.


There other daiquiri flavors such as banana and mango, but strawberry appears to be most popular. This is one of the options available as a mocktail (non-alcoholic drink).

Strawberry daquiri is a popular cruise drink.  Image is a strawberry daquiri beside our cruise planner





3. Miami Vice

A Miami Vice drink is a frozen drink that is half pina colada and half strawberry daiquiri. This is the perfect cruise drink when you can’t decide between the two.


Another tropical delight, and another oops on drinking half before taking a photo.

Miami vice drink with pineapple wedge.





4. Blue Hawaiian

This another must try cruise cocktail. Ask for it frozen, it’s much better. A blue Hawaiian is made with rum, blue curaçao, sweet and sour mix syrup, pineapple juice and coconut syrup.


On our last Royal Caribbean Cruise, this was the drink of the day on the first day and one of my favorite drinks on this cruise.

Frozen blue Hawaiian drink on a cruise ship
Frozen Blue Hawaiian cruise drink





5. Bahama Mama

Another tropical drink often served on the high seas is the Bahama Mama. This another rum based drink with regular rum, coconut rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, and grenadine.


If you are looking for a Bahama Mama recipe that you can try at home, check this one out.





6. Frozen watermelon margarita

Here is another frozen drink option to enjoy on a hot day on a cruise ship. The watermelon margarita is made with tequila, triple sec., margarita mix, and watermelon syrup.

Strawberry margarita frozen cruise cocktail





7. Mai Tai

Popular in Hawaii, this is rum based drink commonly made with orange juice and lime juice.

Mai tai tropical drink, perfect for a cruise vacation





8. Mojito

A mojito is a refreshing classic cocktail perfect on a warm weather cruise. A mojito is made with white rum, lime juice, soda water, sugar or simple syrup, and fresh mint. The fresh mint is the highlight of this drink.


If you happen to be cruising on one of the Royal Caribbean ships with a Boleros bar, be sure to have a mojito there. This the best place to get a mojito.

Mojito - a classic cruise drink





9. Rum punch

A rum punch is for rum lovers, it is often made with 3 different rums (on Royal Caribbean anyway) including spiced rum, tropical fruit syrups, pineapple juice, and lime juice.





10. Coco loco

These are the signature drinks on Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at Coco Cay.

This concoction is made with dark rum, coconut rum, coconut cream, grenadine and tropical fruit juices. You can also ask for a non-alcohol version.

Coco Loco drink poolside at Oasis Lagoon on Royal Caribbean's private island Perfect Day at Coco Cay





11. Mudslide

A mudslide is more of a dessert drink, it looks a lot like a milkshake. This yummy drink is usually made with vodka, coffee liqueur (often Kahlua), Irish cream, and chocolate syrup.





12. Twilight Zone

A twilight zone drink is made with Midori, rum, Blue Curacao, coconut cream and crushed pineapple.

Twilight zone cruise drink






13. Kiss on the lips

Okay, so this post originally had 12 best cruise drinks, but after my last Carnival cruise, I had to add Kiss on the Lips to the list.

Admittingly, going up to the bar and asking for a kiss on the lips is a little odd, but the drink is just so good. Sweet, but good.

Kiss on the lips is made with peach schnapps, mango puree, and grenadine.

Kiss on the lips cruise drink






The above are my favorite drinks when on a cruise vacation. Drink prices vary between the major cruise lines but you can expect to pay in the $13-$16 USD range. Drinks are charged to your onboard account if you don’t have a cruise drinks package. The drinks of the day will be a dollar or two less than regular prices.


For those who like to sample different drinks on vacation, the cruise line drink packages might be the best value. The package cost varies cruise line to cruise line, but before your next cruise, be sure to check out the options before sailing as it is usually cheaper to prepurchase. What is included also differs.


Some cruise beverage packages offer unlimited drinks, while others such as Carnival Cruise Lines have a limit.

Cheering with 2 drinks at Royal Caribbean cruise line's private island


In addition to the alcoholic drinks mentioned above, the cruise ships offer many of these as non-alcoholic drinks. Some refer to them as mocktails or virgin drinks.


Other cruise drinks available onboard are specialty coffees, energy drinks, bottled water, sodas (check out the soda package for your cruise line), and milkshakes. Most of these will have an extra cost if you don’t cruise beverage package.



Links to cruise drink package information

Here are some links to drink package information for some of the major cruise lines.

Carnival cruise drink package

Royal Caribbean International beverage packages

Princess Cruises drink packages

Norwegian Cruise Line beverage packages

Celebrity Cruise Line

MSC Cruises



For our list of the 12 Best Royal Caribbean mocktails (non-alcoholic cruise drinks), check this out.

I hope this has helped you get excited for your next cruise vacation.



If you are planning your first cruise, check out 35 Things to Know Before a Cruise.

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What to pack for a Caribbean cruise

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