Cruising with Ambassador isn’t just about discovering new destinations – the onboard experience, including drinks, is just as important. Whether you fancy a refreshing mocktail, a crisp glass of wine, or premium spirits, Ambassador’s carefully-curated drinks bundles ensure you never go thirsty.
Below you’ll find everything you need to know about the current Ambassador Cruises Drinks Packages, so you can decide which option best suits your holiday style.
What drinks packages are available on Ambassador Cruises?
Here’s an at-a-glance table of the drinks package options available on an Ambassador Cruise:
| Package | Who it’s for | Key highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Ambassador Experience Package (Non-Alcoholic) | All guests | Unlimited soft drinks, teas & coffees, gratuities included |
| Ambassador Explorer Package (Standard) | Adults (18+) | House spirits, wines & beers by the glass, most cocktails, unlimited soft drinks |
| Ambassador Expedition Package (Premium) | Adults (18+) | Everything in Explorer plus premium wines & spirits, speciality coffees, 50% off premium beverages above allowance |
| Ambassador Adventurers Package (Children 3-11) | Kids | Unlimited soft drinks, gratuities included |
| Ambassador Adventurers Package (Teens 12-17) | Teens | Unlimited soft drinks, gratuities included |
Ambassador Experience Package (Non-Alcoholic)
What’s included?
- Unlimited draught or fountain soft drinks
- Standard coffees and teas served in bars & lounges
- Still or sparkling water by the glass
- Gratuities and service charges for the entire cruise (worth £7 per person, per night)
How much does it cost?
| Cruise length | Pre-cruise price | On-board price |
|---|---|---|
| 2 nights | £65.00 (per person, per cruise) | £85.00 |
| 3 nights | £87.00 | £107.00 |
| 4 nights | £109.00 | £129.00 |
| 5–29 nights | £20.95 (per person, per night) | £22.95 |
| 30–69 nights | £18.95 (per person, per night) | £21.95 |
Ambassador Explorer Package (Standard)
What’s included?
- House wines (red, white & rosé) by the glass
- House spirits & liqueurs by the glass
- Draught beer, cider and selected bottled beers
- Most cocktails on the menu (worth ~£7 each)
- Unlimited soft drinks, juices, mocktails
- Gratuities and service charges
How much does it cost?
| Cruise length | Pre-cruise price | On-board price |
|---|---|---|
| 2 nights | £109.00 (per person, per cruise) | £129.00 |
| 3 nights | £142.00 | £162.00 |
| 4 nights | £186.00 | £206.00 |
| 5–29 nights | £42.95 (per person, per night) | £47.95 |
| 30–69 nights | £37.95 (per person, per night) | £44.95 |
Ambassador Expedition Package (Premium)
What’s included?
- Everything in the Explorer Package, plus:
- Premium spirits, craft gins & speciality cocktails
- Premium red, white & rosé wines by the glass
- Speciality coffees and premium teas
- 50% discount on any premium beverage outside your allowance
- 15 alcoholic drinks per 24-hour period (6 am–6 am)
How much does it cost?
| Cruise length | Pre-cruise price | On-board price |
|---|---|---|
| 2 nights | £129.00 (per person, per cruise) | £149.00 |
| 3 nights | £175.00 | £195.00 |
| 4 nights | £219.00 | £239.00 |
| 5–29 nights | £49.95 (per person, per night) | £55.95 |
| 30–69 nights | £44.95 (per person, per night) | £51.95 |
Ambassador Adventurers Packages (Children & Teens)
| Age group | Pre-cruise price | On-board price | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children 3–11 | £14.00 per night | £16.00 | Unlimited soft drinks, juices, mocktails, gratuities |
| Teens 12–17 | £17.00 per night | £19.00 | Unlimited soft drinks, juices, mocktails, gratuities |
(Infants under 3 travel free and do not require a package.)
Essential terms to know
- Whole-cabin purchase – Everyone in the cabin must take the same package.
- Duration – Packages cover the full cruise (not hotel stays or excursions).
- Daily limit – Adults are limited to 15 alcoholic drinks per day; extra drinks are 50% off.
- One drink at a time – Minimum 15-minute gap between alcoholic orders.
- No sharing – Buying drinks for non-package guests voids your package with no refund.
- No doubles – Apparently this would breach the ‘one drink at a time’ rule.
- Bottle exclusions – Bottles of wine, spirits and mini-bar items are not included.
- No bottled water – None of the packages include bottled water. Even the bottles in your cabin are chargeable (£1.65 each).
- Purezza bottled water – Refillable bottles cost £17.95; refills cost £9.95 on future cruises and are not covered by any package.
Top tip: Claim the cheaper Purezza bottled water package by bringing your own refillable bottle
Is an Ambassador Cruises Drinks Package worth it?
Ambassador drinks are quite keenly priced. At £7 for a cocktail, £5.45 for a pint of lager or £4.50 for a small glass of wine is cheaper than most pubs these days. The lack of mandatory ‘gratuity’ per drink is a nice touch for Brits unused to deceptive, US-style pricing!
Unlike Princess Cruises drinks packages, Ambassador packages do not offer many additional benefits beyond gratuities. Take £7 off the daily charge for the Explorer package and you will need to consume at least £35.95 worth of drinks every day to come out ahead. That’s 7 pints of beer, 6 cocktails or 9 glasses of wine.
The ‘superior’ Expedition package includes several more pricey drink options but you will still need to drink quite a bit to make your money back. Once gratuities are accounted for, you will still need to imbibe at least nine glasses of the premium wine of the day, for instance. Or eight pints of lager…
If you’re planning to enjoy more than a handful (or two) of paid drinks each day – or you prefer the convenience of a fixed holiday budget – then one of the Ambassador Drinks Packages can offer excellent value. Families benefit from unlimited soft drinks for kids, while adults who appreciate premium pours will (maybe) recoup the cost of the Expedition option.
Just remember to pre-book before sailing to lock in the lower advance price and make the very most of your time at sea.
Can I get the packages cheaper?
Ambassador Cruises run semi-regular promotions that include half-price discounts on the drinks packages. Keep an eye on the Ambassador website to see what’s happening and you could save yourself a bundle.
What drinks are free on Ambassador Cruises?
Your free drinks options are quite limited on Ambassador cruises. Free drinks are limited to tap water and tea and coffee from one of the 24-hour drinks stations around the ship.
Ambassador also provides kettles for tea and coffee in all of their staterooms onboard Ambience and Ambition.
FAQs
How is zero alcohol beer treated?
Unusually, zero alcohol beer (Heineken 0%) is included in all packages – including the low-cost, zero alcohol package.
What about hot chocolate and speciality coffees?
Hot drink aficionados will need to bite the bullet and buy the top rate Expedition drinks package. Explorer package holders will still have to pay the full rate for a hot chocolate (£3) or similar.
Can I order a double?
Technically, no. According to Ambassador package small print, this would break the ‘one drink at a time rule’. But your experiences may vary according to who is serving you.
Do I have to tell the bar staff I have a drinks package?
No, your drinks package will be printed on your Ambassador cashless payment card.
Can I bring my own booze?
No. Any alcohol you bring onboard will be confiscated and returned at disembarkation.
Is room service included in the packages?
No. All room service orders are chargeable.
Is WiFi included in the drinks packages?
No, WiFi is an optional, chargeable extra. The basic package costs £10 per day, but realistically you should budget at least £12 for a package that allows you do useful things (like browse webpages).
Can I remove the gratuity element of a drinks package?
No. The price you see is the price you pay.
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