Can you grab a cocktail from the bar and wander around a cruise ship with it? In many cases, yes.
Cruise ship drinking rules can be surprisingly relaxed, and you certainly don’t have to stay in the bar until you’ve finished your drink.
But there are limits. Where you can drink – and what you can drink – depends on the cruise line, the part of the ship you’re in and sometimes even where the ship is sailing.
And there are a few places where taking your drink could catch you out.
Alcoholic Drinks on the Move
Generally, you are allowed to walk around a cruise ship carrying alcoholic drinks with you. As long as you’re behaving respectfully, you’re welcome to grab a drink from any bar or server and take it with you around the ship.
There might be some limitations depending on the cruise line and where you’re headed. Obviously, you won’t be able to take a drink with you on certain attractions on a cruise line, and some shops may ask you to finish your drinks outside before you browse.
But there’s usually no problem with ordering a drink and then heading off around the ship to explore and find somewhere nice to enjoy it.
Drinks Around the Pool
On most cruise ships you’ll be allowed to drink around the pools, and some have poolside bars to even encourage this. However, you might not be allowed to have a glass container – your drink may be poured into a plastic cup if you’re poolside.
If you buy a drink in a glass in another location on the ship and you then head to the pool, a crew member may ask you to move or may bring you a plastic cup to swap your drink into. It’s purely for safety reasons, so nobody slips over on a wet surface and breaks a glass.
Drinks in the Tub
Most cruise lines allow guests to drink while in the hot tub, provided they’re drinking out of a plastic or aluminium container. Glass is banned for obvious safety reasons. Some cruise lines will even have servers walking around the pool area, taking orders and delivering drinks to guests in the hot tub.
So if your idea of heaven is to sit in a hot tub and sip on a cocktail, you should be fine – provided you’ve ordered your drink in a plastic cup or you order from a server while you’re in the hot tub. Just be careful not to spill it while you’re enjoying the bubbles.
In my experience, MSC Cruises doesn’t allow guests to drink in the hot tub, and they’ll tell you to get out. This is weird, because that seems to be the only thing that the crew on deck do enforce!
They don’t always seem quite as strict when it comes to guests reserving sunbeds with towels or skipping the handwashing station at the entrance to the buffet.
Drinks In Your Cabin
Guests are welcome to take drinks back to their cabin on a cruise. You can head to a bar, order a drink, and then carry it back to your room to enjoy it. A lot of guests enjoy a nightcap this way.
In theory, there’s nothing to stop you from taking a drink back to your cabin, finishing it, and then pouring yourself a drink from the alcohol you’ve brought onboard and carrying it around with you to the rest of the ship.
If you’re on a ship that charges a corkage fee for wine you’ve brought onboard, but only when you’re drinking in public spaces, this is one way you can get around it.
Drinks in the Restaurants
You can take alcoholic drinks into the restaurants with you, but there are also drink servers in the restaurants who can take your order for you, so you don’t need to.
Some cruise lines offer freedom dining where you can turn up for a table whenever you want, but there might be a wait – so it may be a good idea to take a drink with you while you’re waiting to be seated.
The one thing to note is if you plan on taking bottles of wine into the restaurant. If it’s wine that you’ve brought from home, then you might be charged a corkage fee.
Drinks in the Theatre
You can usually take drinks into a theatre on a cruise ship, but be aware that most cruise ship theatre seats won’t have cup holders, so you may need to hold onto your drink or place it on the floor and hope you don’t kick it over by accident.
Some cruise lines won’t let you take drinks in and will stop you at the door and ask you to finish them. But others have more of a lounge-style setup with tables and chairs, and have drinks servers who’ll bring your drink to you. So it varies by ship.
Drinks in the Spa
You’ll likely have no problem with taking drinks into the spa on your cruise. Iced water with fruit is usually available in there, and you may also be able to order Champagne. But if you happen to have an unfinished drink at the time of your booking, just take it in with you.
Here’s a photo of me enjoying an iced coffee in the spa on Enchanted Princess…
Final Word
One of the nice things about cruising is that you’re generally free to take your drink with you as you explore the ship. Grab a cocktail from your favourite bar, find a spot with a great view and enjoy.
Just remember that some areas have their own rules, particularly around pools and hot tubs where glass may be restricted. If you’re unsure, ask a crew member before taking your drink with you.
Other than that, you’re rarely tied to the bar where you bought your drink — so where will you enjoy your next one?
