Viking Bar Prices & Silver Spirits Package (Drink Menus Too!)
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Free drinks on a cruise? They’re not always easy to come by.
But Viking is more generous than many cruise lines. On both Viking Ocean and River cruises, house wine and beer are complimentary with lunch and dinner.
So you could sail without spending a dime at the bar.
But what if you fancy a martini before dinner? A glass of Champagne instead of the house wine? Or a couple of cocktails while listening to live music in the Explorer’s Lounge?
That’s where Viking’s Silver Spirits beverage package comes. It currently costs $27 USD p.p., per day.
We’ve now sailed on three Viking Ocean voyages – a two-week Baltic cruise on Viking Star, then a 10-day Caribbean cruise on Viking Sea (New York to San Juan), and most recently, on Viking Saturn.
And we’ve done plenty of sipping (and menu scrutinizing!) along the way.
Here’s the latest on Viking’s bar menus and prices, what drinks are included for free, and how the Silver Spirits package works on both ocean and river cruises. We also crunch the numbers to help you decide if it’s worth buying.
Featured reader comments and questions
Viking drinks: What’s included and do you need a package?
You definitely don’t need a drinks package on Viking.
Your cruise fare already includes a decent selection of drinks:
- HOUSE WINE and BEER → Complimentary with lunch and dinner (soft drinks are free too)
- SPECIALTY COFFEES → Complimentary throughout the day
- TEA and BOTTLED WATER → Complimentary throughout the day
Want something beyond the included house wine and beer?
You can pay for cocktails, spirits and glasses of premium wines individually – or buy the Silver Spirits beverage package for $27 USD p.p., per day.
For cocktail drinkers, especially, the package can make sense surprisingly quickly. Three cocktails or premium wines a day can be enough to cover its cost.
Our preference? We’d pay as we go🍷
We’re wine drinkers, and we’ve generally been quite happy with Viking’s complimentary wines.
And when a premium wine by the glass or a nice bottle of wine has caught our eye, Viking’s à-la-carte drink prices are reasonable enough that paying as we go works well for us.
But let’s pop the cork on the details!
Before you decide what’s right for you, you’ll want to know the current bar prices and exactly what you get with the Silver Spirits package.👇
Contents: Viking cruise bar menu and drinks package
Are the Viking Ocean and River drinks packages the same?
Ocean cruise bar drinks and prices
River cruise bar drinks and prices
Silver Spirits package: Cost and details
Is it worth getting the Viking Silver Spirits package?
Can you bring your own wine and alcohol onboard?
Viking Ocean drinks menus with prices
Pssst! Also see TONS of helpful reader comments, questions and answers at the end of this post!
What drinks are free on Viking Ocean and River cruises?
Without buying any drinks package, your Viking cruise fare already includes:
- House wine with lunch and dinner
- House beer with lunch and dinner
- Soft drinks with lunch and dinner
- Alcohol-free beer and wine with lunch and dinner
- Coffee and specialty coffees
- Tea
- Selected juices
- Bottled water
For many cruisers, that’s plenty.
If you’re happy with the included wine at dinner and only want the occasional cocktail or premium glass of wine, you may spend surprisingly little extra on drinks.
Are Viking Ocean and River drinks packages and prices the same?
Not quite.
The basic idea is the same on both – complimentary drinks are included with meals, while the Silver Spirits package gives you a much wider selection of premium wines, cocktails and spirits.
But the prices, specific inclusions and drinks menus differ between Viking Ocean and Viking River cruises.
Viking Ocean Cruises bar prices
Drinks on Viking Ocean Cruises are priced in USD (with gratuities included).
Most cocktails and martinis average $11 to $14.
Sample prices include:
- House wine – $7 a glass
- Beer – $7 to $8
- Lemon Drop Martini – $11
- White Lady – $13
Scroll down to the end of this post to see a sample drinks menu from the Living Room lounge.
Pssst! Free mini-bar
If you’re booked in a Penthouse Veranda (or higher-category cabin), your free in-room mini-bar is also stocked and replenished with alcoholic beverages.
Viking River Cruises bar prices
On Viking River Cruises in Europe, alcoholic drinks are priced in Euros. (Your onboard account is settled in Euros too.)
Sample prices include:
- Sauvignon Blanc – €9.50 a glass
- Beer – €6 to €7
- Manhattan – €12
- White Lady – €14
Wine on Viking Ocean Cruises
House wine (and beer) is complimentary
Complimentary wine (and beer) is served with lunch and dinner on Viking Ocean cruises. You can enjoy it:
- In the restaurants – With lunch and dinner
- In the Explorer’s Lounge – During lunch
- In your cabin – With lunch or dinner through Viking’s 24-hour room service
Dining on Viking Ocean Cruises is excellent, by the way!
Outside lunch and dinner, a glass of house wine costs $7.
House wine selections
The wines vary from cruise to cruise and can change throughout your sailing.
At dinner, Viking typically pours different complimentary “destination” wines each evening – perhaps Spanish wine one night, Italian the next and French the night after that (maybe a Grenache, Syrah and Merlot blend from France’s Vaucluse region).
The two specialty restaurants – Manfredi’s and The Chef’s Table – may also pour different complimentary wines from those served in the main restaurant.ant.
Pro tip
If the day’s featured house wine isn’t to your taste, just ask for something different. (It’s a handy thing to know when on a luxury cruise.)
Our waiters were always happy to swap out the day’s featured house Sauvignon Blanc, say, for a glass of Chardonnay.
Premium wine
Viking Ocean Cruises does a good job of keeping wine lovers happy.
Beyond the complimentary pours, there’s a large curated list of 80+ premium red, white and rosé wines, plus more than 15 Champagnes, sparkling wines, dessert wines and ports.
- Premium wines by the glass – About half are available by the glass, typically for $8 to $12.
- Premium wines by the bottle – The rest are sold by the bottle, with many falling in the $30 to $60 range.
(Prices include the gratuity.)
We had a shipboard credit on all our cruises, so we could dip into the premium wine list whenever something caught our eye.
On our first and third cruises, though, we were perfectly happy with the house wines. We’re not wine snobs, but we do like good vino – and we found Viking’s complimentary pours quite decent.
That didn’t stop us from experimenting!
On Viking Star, we couldn’t resist the $25 USD p.p. premium wine and spirits pairing at The Chef’s Table for the five-course Scandinavian dinner. The Aquavit went beautifully with the lingonberry-infused salmon tartare topped with caviar!
And on Viking Sea, we ordered several premium wines by the glass at dinner.
Did we like the premium wines better than the house wines? Mmmm. Yes, some, for sure.
But not always.
The delightful Sacchetto Pino Grigio Blush (paired with the gazpacho on a “Sweet and Salty” Chef’s Table dinner) proved that Viking’s complimentary wines could shine too.
Some of our favorite premium wines
- Nederburg Pinotage, South Africa – red ($30 bottle)
- Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough (NZ) – white ($45 bottle)
- Trenel Macon-Villages Chardonnay, Burgundy (France) – white ($30 bottle)
- Francis Ford Coppola Director’s Cut Pinot Noir, Sonoma Valley (USA) – red ($35 bottle)
Wine on Viking River Cruises
At lunch and dinner, house wine is complimentary, just like on Viking’s ocean ships.
The selections often reflect the region you’re exploring – think Riesling and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) while sailing through Germany.
Outside mealtimes:
- House wine – Around €6.50 a glass
- Premium wines – Generally €8 to €11.50 a glass
Viking Silver Spirits premium beverage package: Cost and details
Cost
Beverage packages are a popular way to enhance a cruise experience. (See, for example, our articles on Holland America Line’s drink packages and Windstar Cruise’s alcohol packages.)
Viking’s Silver Spirits premium beverage package currently costs $27 USD per guest, per night.
That works out to:
- 7-night cruise – $189 USD p.p.
- 14-night cruise – $378 USD p.p.
Beverage gratuities are included in the price.
Note: Both guests in the stateroom must buy the package.
River cruise perk: Guests staying in Explorer Suites on Viking River cruises receive the Silver Spirits package complimentary.
What does Viking Cruises’ drinks package include?
Ocean cruises
With Silver Spirits, you can order included drinks throughout the day and around the ship – from the bars and lounges to the restaurants.
It covers:
- Drinks up to $18 – Including cocktails, aperitifs, house Champagne and premium wines by the glass
- Premium wines – A broad selection of wines by the glass, with selections changing during the cruise
- Whiskey and spirits – A variety of whiskeys and other spirits
- Beer – A selection of beers
- Non-alcoholic drinks – Soft drinks and juices
- Chef’s Table wine pairing – The premium wine pairing is included
- Premium tasting events – 50% discount
- High-end beverages – 30% discount on premium drinks priced above $50
About half the wines on Viking’s extensive wine menu are available by the glass, so there’s plenty to choose from.
Note: Wines that are only sold by the bottle aren’t included in the Silver Spirits package.
What if a drink costs more than $18?
There aren’t many premium drinks that cost more than the $18 package cap per drink.
But for drinks that do cost more, you have to pay the full price – not just the difference between $18 and the drink price.
Once the drink reaches the $50 price, you get a 30% discount.
River cruises
The Silver Spirits package works a little differently on Viking River cruises:
- Almost all drinks are included – Premium wines, sparkling wines, cocktails, spirits and other beverages are covered
- Treasure Wines are excluded – These special premium wines aren’t included, but you receive a 30% discount on them
How to buy the package
You can buy the Silver Spirits beverage package any time after booking your cruise:
- Online – Through your “My Viking Journey” account
- By phone – Call Viking at 1-888-207-8826
- Onboard – You can also purchase Silver Spirits after you embark if you didn’t buy it in advance
Is the Viking Silver Spirits package worth it?
That depends largely on what – and how much – you like to drink.
Remember, you’re already getting house wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, plus specialty coffees, tea and bottled water throughout the day.
So ask yourself:
- Do you enjoy premium wines? On Viking Ocean cruises, the package covers drinks costing up to $18 each.
- Are you a cocktail or spirits drinker? This is where the package can start paying for itself quickly.
- How much do you realistically drink? The package is $27 USD per person a day.
If you lean toward cocktails, Champagne or premium wines costing around $9 to $12 a glass, you’ll generally hit the $27 daily package price at about three drinks a day.
That could be a mimosa at breakfast, a poolside cocktail in the afternoon and a premium glass of wine with dinner.
When Silver Spirits makes sense
The package is particularly appealing if you:
- Regularly drink three or more paid alcoholic drinks a day
- Prefer cocktails or spirits to the complimentary wine and beer
- Want premium wines or Champagne most days
- Like having drinks whenever you want without thinking about the bill
When we’d skip it
For us, the Viking Silver Spirits drinks package isn’t the best value.
We mainly drink wine, and we’ve been quite happy with Viking’s complimentary selections. Rather than pay $27 each every day, we prefer to enjoy the included wine most of the time and then pay à la carte for a premium glass or a nice bottle when we feel like something special.
That gives us the best of both worlds – and, based on how we actually drink on a cruise, costs us less.
If you’re similarly happy with the complimentary wine and beer and only want the occasional cocktail or premium wine, paying as you go will probably make more sense too.
Pro tip
If you skip the package, you have another option. Buy fine wines ashore to enjoy onboard. (There’s no corkage fee to drink them in the restaurants. See bringing your own alcohol onboard.)
Guests in Penthouse Veranda staterooms (and higher category suites) can also mix drinks from their complimentary minibar. And you’re free to walk around the ship with your stateroom gin-and-tonic.
Not in a Penthouse Veranda? You might like to stock up on mixers and spirits ashore for DIY cabin cocktails.
Can you bring your own alcohol onboard Viking Cruises?
Ocean Cruises
Unlike many cruise lines, Viking has a very liberal alcohol policy.
You can bring wine and other alcohol onboard when you embark or buy it ashore during the cruise. Better yet, there’s no corkage fee, and you can enjoy your purchases around the ship.
On our Viking Sea cruise from New York, we brought along a couple of great bottles we’d bought in NYC. The waitstaff treated them just like the ship’s wines – even bringing an ice bucket for our chilled white.
We did the same on our Viking Saturn cruise from Rome to Barcelona, picking up Italian and French wines ashore and enjoying them over dinner.
River cruises
Viking River Cruises has a similarly generous policy.
You can enjoy your own wine and alcohol in your stateroom, public spaces and restaurants – again, with no corkage fee.
That’s a particularly nice perk when cruising through wine regions like the Rhine or Rhone.
Pick up a crisp Riesling in Germany or a bottle of French red in Avignon, then open it over dinner or on your balcony as the riverbanks slip by.
Viking Ocean Cruises drinks menus
The following are most of the alcoholic beverages (with prices) from the latest Viking Living Room and Explorer’s Lounge bar menus. (Prices are in USD.)
Keep in mind that not all the same drinks are found in all bars and lounges around each ship.
For example, the Pool Bar may serve up a Rock Lobster cocktail (a tropical mix of Malibu and dark rum, banana liqueur, grenadine, pineapple juice and orange juice) that’s not on the Living Room menu. And don’t look for hot drinks like Irish Coffee in the Pool Bar!
House Wine
- Red – $7
- White – $7
- Rose – $7
Champagne and Sparkling Wine
- Glass of Champagne – $18
- Glass of Ponte Prosecco – $12
Beer and Cider
- Atlas – $6.50
- Budweiser – $7
- Corona – $7
- Grimbergen Blonde – $7
- Grimbergen Double Ambree – $7
- Koppaberg Wildberry – $8
- Lammsbrau – $7
- Warsteiner – $7
Norwegian Beer
- Aegir India Pale Ale – $8
- Aegir Rallar Amber Ale – $8
Cocktails
- Americano – $11
- Aperol Spritz – $11
- Appletini – $11
- Bourbon Ball – $11
- Brandy Alexander – $11
- Caipirinha – $11
- Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri – $11
- Margarita – $11
- Pimm’s No. 1 Cup – $11
- Tequila Sunrise – $11
- Toasted Almond – $11
- Tropicana – $11
- Venus Sunrise – $11
- Viking Royal – $11
- White Lady – $13
Martinis and Classics
- B&B – $11
- Brandy Alexander – $11
- Chocolate Martini – $11
- Cosmopolitan – $11
- Espresso Martini
- Gimlet – $11
- Gin Martini – $11
- Grasshopper – $11
- Lemon Drop Martini – $11
- Manhattan – $11
- Mojito – $11
- Negroni – $11
- Old Fashioned – $11
- Tom Collins – $11
- Vodka Martini – $11
- Whiskey Sour – $11
Fortified wine
- Taylor’s Tawny Port (10 Yrs) – $20
- Tio Pepe Sherry Fino – $7
Bitters
- Aperol – $7
- Campari – $7
Vermouth
- Martini & Rosso Bianco – $7
- Martini & Rossi Extra-Dry – $7
- Martini & Rossi – $7
- Noilly Prat – $7
Rum
- Bacardi Carta Blanca – $9
- Brugal 1888 – $10
- Flor de Cana Extra Dry White, 7 Yrs – $15
- Havana Club, 3 Yrs – $9
- Havana Club, 7 Yrs – $11
- Mount Gay Eclipse – $9
- Pitu Cachaca – $7
Gin
- Bombay Sapphire – $9
- Gordon’s – $9
- Hendrick’s – $12
- Highclere Castle – $12
- Monkey 47 Sloe – $13
- Pimm’s No. 1 – $9
- Tanqueray 0.0% Alcohol Free Gin – $5
- Tanqueray Dry – $9
Vodka
- Absolut Blue – $12
- Amundsen Arctic – $12
- Belvedere – $13
- Grey Goose – $13
- Smirnoff Red – $12
- Stolichnaya – $10
- Vikingfjord Vodka – $11
- Viking Vodka – $10
Aquavit
- Linie – $9
- Opland – $9
- Viking Aquavit – $8
Tequila
- Don Julio Anejo – $18
- Don Julio Reposado – $17
- Olmeca Blanco Silver – $8
- Patron Anejo – $18
- Patgron El Cielo – $21
Scotch Whiskey
- Chivas Regal – $12
- Famous Grouse – $9
- Glenfarclas, 10 Yrs – $15
- Glenlivet, 12 Yrs – $17
- Glenmorangie The Quinta Ruban – $17
- Johnnie Walker Black Label – $15
- Johnnie Walker Red – $9
- Laphroaig Quarter Cask – $15
- The Macallan, 12 Yrs Quest – $17
Whiskey & Whisky
- Bear Fight American Single Malt – $15
- Bushmills Sherry Cask, 10 Yrs – $14
- Canadian Club – $9
- Creek Water – $9
- Jack Daniel’s Black Label – $12
- Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt – $18
- Naked Grouse – $17
- Seagram’s Crown Royal – $12
- Seagram’s VO – $13
Bourbon
- Angel’s Envy – $17
- Jim Beam – $9
- Maker’s Mark – $12
- Wild Turkey – $12
- Woodford Reserve – $15
Brandy and Cognac
- Cherry Heering – $12
- Larsen Cognac VS – $13
- Pere Magloire Fine Calvados – $14
- Sempe Armagnac, 10 Yrs – $17
- Sempe Armagnac VSOP – $15
Liqueur
- Alto del Carmen Pisco Reservado – $9
- Baileys Irish Cream – $10
- Chambord – $9
- Cointreau – $12
- Frangelico – $12
- Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge – $12
- Jagermeister – $8
- Pallini Limoncello – $9
- Pernod – $7
- Sambuca – $10
- Southern Comfort – $9
- Tia Maria – $7
- Villa Massa Piano di Sorrento – $9
Specialty Coffee
- Bergens Kaffe – $11
- Cafe Nelson – $11
- French Coffee – $11
- Gascon Coffee – $11
- Irish Coffee – $11
- Jamaican Coffee – $11
- Mexican Coffee – $11
Mocktails (Alcohol-free)
- Gin & Tonic – $11
- Virgin Negroni – $11
Soft Drinks
- Bitter Lemon – $4
- Club Soda – $4
- Coca-Cola/Coke Zero – $4
- Ginger Ale – $4
- Sprite – $4
- Tonic Water – $4
What’s your experience with Viking’s drinks package?
Is it worth the extra charge for you? Or do you prefer to pay as you go?
Let us know in the Comments section below. We love hearing what other Viking cruisers think :-).
You’ll also find lots of helpful reader experiences, questions and answers in the comments too.
Read our other Viking Ocean Cruises articles
- Viking Ocean Cruises Review: Insights From Three Voyages
- Food on Viking Ocean Cruises: Our Favorite Restaurants
- Cruising the Caribbean on the Viking Sea
- What’s a Quiet Season Viking Mediterranean Cruise Like?
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After our first cruise on the Viking Star, we wrote a little about the complimentary wine we had via room service upon boarding – which helped solve a few getting-to-the-ship woes! We’ve now completely updated and overhauled this post since returning from our second and third Viking ocean voyages – and we continue to update information as needed.
About the authors
We just returned this week from a 2-week Viking river cruise and have a couple of comments.
We had the Silver Spirits package as part of our Viking ocean cruises, but we chose to forego it for this last trip.
Some updated cocktail prices are 14 Euros for a White Lady, 12 Euros for a Manhattan, 9.5 Euros for a glass of Sauvignon Blanc (I asked for an inexpensive wine), and 6 to 7 Euros for a beer. We were not provided with a menu of drink prices (to be fair, we did not ask to see one in advance).
We found some of the prices to be a bit high upon reviewing our check-out bill. Our total drink bill was still much cheaper than buying the drink package for both of us.
We were also surprised to see everything, including the crew gratuities, charged in Euros, as I believe our ocean cruises were charged in US dollars.
While these things did not detract too much from the overall enjoyment of our trip, for someone who isn’t going to have a Penthouse Suite with free drinks included, it might be worthwhile to point them out to your readers.
Thank you!
Hi Jeanne,
Thanks so much for sharing your experience! And thanks too for passing along some sample Viking River Cruise drink prices. We’ve tweaked this guide to include the points you mentioned. :-)
This will sound quite mundane but if I get a cappuccino or a coke at a bar on an ocean cruise, do they cost?
I’m trying to decide about the spirit package. We are not big drinkers and may or may not have 3 cocktails a day. What will decide for us are those non-alcoholic beverages I mentioned. My husband is addicted to diet coke.
Hi Carlette,
We’ve learned that no question is ever a wrong question :-). The answer?
Specialty coffees (like a cappuccino) are free around the clock. Ask for one in a bar (at any time) and it will be free.
Coke and sodas are complimentary during lunch and dinner hours. And you can get a complimentary soda at a bar during these hours; dinner hours are about 6:00 to 9:00 pm.
You don’t need the package for these drinks.
Also, if you’re in a Deluxe Veranda or above, the soft drinks, water and snacks in your mini-bar are replenished once daily (you can ask for just diet cokes).
So you probably need to calculate how many diet cokes your husband will drink outside of lunch and dinner hours AND outside your stateroom. And it may not be worth getting the package… You could just pay for the one or two extra cokes he may drink by the pool mid-afternoon or in a bar before or after dinner?
Hope this helps!
This is such a fabulous and informative article – thank you!
Sadly I think I’ve learned (elsewhere) that Viking does not offer Beefeater gin on the Orion.
I think that leaves us wanting to bring our own aboard, rather than invest in the package. I like a more diverse selection of spirits than my husband so I’m a bit disappointed, but it doesn’t seem to make sense to get a package for him when they don’t even offer “his” drink. I’m hoping something changes between now and when we sail in August ’26!
Yes, that would be disappointing! Can you write to Guest Services and tell them your request? Hopefully you’ll enjoy your cruise anyway :-)
We recently did the Mediterranean cruise from Istanbul to Barcelona.
We didn’t get the Silver Spirits and didn’t miss it. Since we were in a Penthouse Veranda, we had a mini-bar that was stocked daily. They replenished it each day with Vodka, Whiskey and Rum. We also got Coke, Sprite, Tonic Water and Club Soda so we used it to make afternoon cocktails. That was enough for us, along with the wine at lunch and dinner.
Viking also has many special events where they provide complimentary champagne. This happened regularly, so it added to what was free to drink.
We didn’t go as big drinkers, so this was more than enough.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Staying in a Penthouse Veranda suite certainly makes it easy to sip afternoon cocktails on your balcony :-). As you explain, the drinks package isn’t for everyone…
Earlier this year, we did the Viking Chilean Fjords voyage.
We signed up in November of 2024, they were unloading the last few unsold staterooms, and we got to take advantage of some amazing discounts. Included was the Silver Spirits package for the two of us.
Neither of us are big drinkers. In fact, my wife barely drinks at all, but she and I both enjoy a good quality red wine occasionally with dinner. We went through several of the premium (not super-premium) offerings at dinners in the restaurants, and, to be honest, found most of them underwhelming. Not bad, just not anything we would run to order again.
It was nice, though, being able to go to the Aquavit Bar and order a high end single malt, which was included in the package. I would go there every afternoon — I’m a musician and I brought my flute with me, and I discovered that at around 4 pm, the place was deserted, and I could sit at a table and practice, and there was nobody to disturb. The bar staff loved it, and they all knew what label I liked. I would never have more than one.
We are going to be taking a Viking cruise to Antarctica in January. No discounts this time around, no Silver Spirits freebie. To purchase, it would cost us over $27 per person per day. Over $750 total. That’s a lot of booze. Based upon our experience and our consumption levels, it does not make sense to buy it.
I can stick with the house wine and beer, we can spring for a bottle of premium or super premium at dinner if we want, and if I want a single malt, I can just buy one.
You’re absolutely right! The drinks package doesn’t make sense for everyone, especially if you’re not into cocktails or hard liquor. And if you just want a premium drink occasionally, as you say, you can simply buy it!
(Though, it is nice when the package is thrown in as an added perk. Glad you got to enjoy your single malts on the house!)
Hi, My wife and I are sailing on the Grand Australia Circumnavigation in December. If we purchase the drink package, can I order a bottle of wine to drink in our stateroom?
Jim and Brenda
Hi Jim,
Viking’s SS drinks package covers wines (and other drinks) by the glass.
With the package, you can certainly order glasses of wine from your room steward to sip in your room or on your veranda. We’ve done this for the included complimentary house wines, even without the package – during dinner hours.
Also, if you’re in a Penthouse Veranda (PV) or higher stateroom category, your mini-bar is replenished every day with complimentary alcoholic beverages. If you’d rather have wine, just ask your room steward or stewardess to swap out the liquor for wine.
Another thing… You can bring wine onboard with you (and you won’t be charged a corkage fee if you decide to drink it in a restaurant). So you could buy some nice Australian bottles of wine before boarding and bring those with you to enjoy in your stateroom (or wherever)!
We’re getting ready to sail on the Octantis from Nuuk, Greenland, to the Arctic on our third Viking cruise.
We got the drink package on our first cruise after debating whether we would get our money’s worth. We realized that 27 bucks a day wouldn’t cover a lot when you take into account premium wine at two meals and premium liquor cocktails at lounging time.
Access to premium liquors and wines was a great benefit, as Viking had a fabulous wine list on our two previous cruises. We exceeded that 27 dollar per day charge every day (if we’d been charged by the drink or by the glass).
We found it well worth getting the drink package and enjoying the benefits.
Thanks, Bud, for sharing your experience!
And, wow, an Arctic cruise from Greenland on one of Viking’s expedition ships sounds extra-special! Enjoy!
Hello Janice and George,
We are going on our first Viking Ocean Cruise in September (Vancouver to Tokyo), and have found your article/blog to be so very helpful. Thank you very much for providing so much clarity and useful information. We really appreciate it, and it has helped us a lot.
Kind regards, Julie and Phil from Australia
We’re blushing… Thanks for the very kind words! Have a wonderful cruise – that North Pacific Passage journey from Vancouver to Tokyo looks quite epic! (You’ll find Alaska very different from Australia :-).
My husband and I do not drink alcohol.
Do you have a menu from Viking Ocean for the coffee drinks and Mocktails?
I have asked for non-alcoholic wine at dinner… They opened a brand new bottle and I drank a few glasses. Each time I asked for it, a new bottle was opened. I would love to carry the bottle to the room.
About the non-alcoholic wine…. Ask your waiter to write your name/cabin number on the bottle and to store it for you, so you can ask for it the next time you come for dinner. If they don’t, at least you get a fresh wine :-).
For the Mocktails, we’ve added the ones from the Living Room lounge in the post.
Can you talk about the bottled water that’s available? My husband and I drink a lot of bottled water. What kind is it and is it included? Thank you.
Thankfully, you don’t have to pay for good drinking water on Viking Ocean Cruises :-).
In your stateroom, you’ll find a glass carafe of purified water, which your steward will replenish every day. Your mini-bar has complimentary bottled water too, also replenished daily for all staterooms except Veranda (V) Staterooms.
At meals, servers pour your choice of still or sparkling water from carafes. In lounges and other places on the ship, the water is free too.
And when you go out on shore excursions, you’ll see stands with free bottled water for the taking.
As to the specific brand of bottled water in your minibar and on shore excursions? We can’t say for sure, sorry!
We can say that we also drink a lot of water on cruises, and on Viking Ocean Cruises, that’s usually an equal mix of the purified water (in the cabin and at restaurants) and bottled water (from the minibar and shore excursions) – and we never puffed up from too much salt in the water.
We also like sparkling water at dinnertime, and it came nice and bubbly and pleasant tasting (to us, it tasted similar to San Pellegrino).
Hope this helps!
I’ve purchased the beverage package on both ocean and river cruises by Viking. It is worth it for me.
Sometimes the “included” wines at mealtimes aren’t my favorites (I am not a “wine snob” but I know what I like and dislike). Fronterra wines aren’t my favorite. Same for most South American wines. However, if they offer a wine (such as Fronterra Chardonnay) and you ask for another varietal (such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio), they will bring it at no charge, and it’s usually another brand.
I usually have 2 glasses of wine with lunch, 2 with dinner, a drink before and a drink after – so the package works out for me. My wife drinks very little – but I usually order a different wine for her at dinner (I know what she likes/dislikes). She may have 1 drink per day at most, and 1 to 2 soft drinks. So it works out for us.
I also dislike being nickeled-and-dimed. I prefer paying upfront and not worrying about the cost. I also get to try lots of different whiskeys, gins, etc.
Sounds like you’ve got it figured out! :-) Thanks for sharing…
I am a latte coffee drinker. Is there any benefit (outside of the alcohol benefits) to buying the SSP for coffee and juice alone? Or are upgraded specialty coffees already included for free for everyone? Are they made by hand or do they come from a machine? Can you get them free during breakfast? Thank you.
Hi Holly,
No need to get the package. Lattes and cappuccinos are complimentary for everyone. And, yes, you can get them for breakfast. Just ask your server.
We headed to the Living Room Bar for fresh-ground lattes, hand-prepared with a proper big espresso maker. They make specialty coffees there the pro way. (In the World Cafe, they might be machine-made lattes?)
Just an FYI, as of Jan 1, 2025 Silver Spirits pricing is going up $2 to $27 per person/per day. No word on whether per drink prices are following, but if past is prologue, I’m betting they will be raised a buck or so. This would keep the break even point at about 2.5 cocktails a day, which is where it’s stayed through previous increases.
Many thanks for alerting us to this 2025 price increase! We’ll update our post accordingly…
We are booked (first timers!) on a Viking Ocean cruise on November 25 to Australia so I assume it will be hot. For medical reasons I can’t drink alcohol. Can you offer any guidance on the prices/availability of soft drinks during and out of meal times, please?
How exciting — a cruise to Australia!
Soft drinks are complimentary on Viking Ocean Cruises at lunch and dinner. And after dinner, you can take a drink with you to the show or to sit out on deck or whatever. So you don’t have to worry there :-).
Also, upon boarding, you’ll find the complimentary mini-bar in your stateroom will be stocked with soft drinks and snacks. For the (lowest) Veranda stateroom category, it won’t be replenished for free. But in all other stateroom categories, starting with Deluxe Veranda cabins, your mini-bar is restocked once daily on a complimentary basis.
Soft drinks and juices at a bar cost $4 USD each.
Have fun on your cruise!
@Janice and George,
Thank you so much for your rapid, full and informative reply. That has really put my mind at rest.
With grateful thanks,
David
@David Starr,
…And you can always take sodas with you from the World Cafe, even if you have to “drop in” to pick them up. During mealtimes, nobody is going to notice… or care.
We are booked for the first time with Viking next March on an Amazon/Caribbean cruise and are really excited (it’s a long way from Scotland!). We usually cruise with Celebrity and get the drinks package. But it always seems a bit of a waste as my husband doesn’t drink alcohol though he enjoys the convenience and the fancy coffees. I enjoy a glass of wine and the odd G&T so I’m thinking that since we are in a Penthouse veranda, I’ll be happy with the wine offered at lunch and dinner and we will forego the SS Package.
My question is if I am having a pre dinner G&T, can I take the drink from our stateroom out into the lounge?
I really enjoyed your article and it provided a lot of great information.
Thank you
Yes, this will be no problem.
We’re on the Viking Saturn right now and just walked with our glasses of wine from the World Cafe (after a quick late dinner) to the Star Theater for an opera performance. We noticed a few other guests doing the same.
Viking has a very liberal alcohol policy (for example, you can bring a bottle of wine onboard with you and take it with you from your stateroom to the restaurant to drink at dinner — with no corkage fee charged).
Of course, you probably wouldn’t want to walk around with a drink if seas are rough or walk up flights of stairs in high heels :-).
Going on a cruise is a special treat, and not having to think about money or choices is part of the game! Get the package, enjoy no worries, live life!
I’ve been on half a dozen Viking Cruises and I wouldn’t think of not having it!
A good way of looking at it :-).
If you don’t get the package, you then pay for drinks before and after dinner, correct? But with the package these drinks would be included?
Thank you.
That’s right. With Viking’s package, you can get any drink (that costs $18 USD or less) at any time of the day – before dinner, after dinner, mid-afternoon by the pool, whenever you want!
If you don’t get the package, you’re expected to pay for drinks before and after dinner. The complimentary house wine and beer is only available during lunch and dinner.
Hello,
We’ll be traveling on our first Viking ocean cruise in November. I am not a beer drinker but do enjoy cider. Do you know if cider is included with beer as complimentary in the minibar and is it included with dinner and lunch – same as beer and wine – if we choose not to the get the Silver Spirits package? We will be staying in a penthouse veranda.
Thanks so much!
Hi Liz,
Thanks for reaching out. We’ve put the question to Viking and are waiting for an answer :-). We’re cruising again in November too, so we’ll personally get all the latest bar menus/info then (but that won’t help you now, obviously).
If we can’t give you a clear answer before you go, maybe just ask onboard – perhaps ask to speak with the hotel manager and see if you can swap out beer for cider. We’ve found Viking to be very flexible and guest-oriented.
Hello again Liz,
Okay, we’ve got the “official” answer for you…
Hard cider isn’t part of the complimentary wine or beer service served during lunch or dinner. Also, hard cider isn’t available in the Penthouse Veranda mini-bar.
Not the answer you probably wanted, but now you know – and the cost of a few (even 20!) ciders won’t break the bank anyway :-).
Great article!
We are going soon on a Viking Ocean cruise of Scandinavia in a Penthouse suite.
My question is whether you can request a specific brand of liquor for the free minibar, or will they only provide the cheapest option? The same question for the bottle of wine…
Many thanks!
Hi Kathy,
Make your request. Your cabin attendant will want to please you :-). But know that you may only be able to get certain labels.
Enjoy your cruise!
Terrific post!
We like the package. It makes ordering a pre- and or post-dinner cocktail a non event.
It also makes it an easy decision to try new cocktails, as it’s never a waste of money. I also like trying the premium wines, a great way to explore new options.
That’s a good way of looking at it. You can try something new and if you don’t like it, try something else, without worrying that you’re wasting money :-).
If the drink price is $25, and we have the Silver Spirits package, would we pay the amount over $18 or the entire drink price? Thank you.
Great question!
The general practice with cruise drinks packages is that you only need to pay the difference – so with a cap of $18, that would be $7 in the case of a $25 drink. But we can’t say for certain if this is also true for Viking. (Mind you, most drinks on their bar menus are well under $25 USD!)
Anyway, it’s something we’ll be asking the Viking cruise folks :-). And thank you for asking us!
Hi again Ron,
We heard back from the Viking cruise folks…
Even if you have the Silver Spirits package, you pay the full price for any drinks over the cap of $18 per drink, not just the difference between $18 and the drink cost. However, if the drink costs over $50, then you get a 30% discount.
@Janice and George,
BUT, say you order a double of a good scotch that goes for $10. It’s still included with SS, even though the drink cost would be $20. Heck, I came out ahead with just the double Campari spritzes alone!
Oh, that’s clever :-). Glad the package worked out for you!
If you don’t have a drink package, can you still buy drinks during the day? Do you pay by credit card? If you only enjoy 2 or 3 drinks between meals, how is this charged?
Yes, you can still buy drinks without a drinks package :-).
When you board, you’ll have an onboard account set up for you. It’s linked to your room key card, which is your ship ID. Just show the bartender this card and the drink charge is applied to your account. Your onboard cruise account is automatically charged to your credit card (on file) at the end of your cruise.
This is how you pay for your drinks (and anything else extra on your cruise) – with your ship card.
Excellent article! Saved it.
I always struggle with whether it’s worth paying the additional cost for a package. Your article covered all of my questions.
I’ve just been exploring Viking Cruises. Love their tour options… The one thing I hate about cruising is the ridiculous cost of shore excursions.
Thank you.
Steve
Glad we could help! Thanks for letting us know :-).
Thanks for a great post!
Your readers might also be interested to know that the Viking sparkling wine is also available as a house wine (i.e., free without the Drinks Package) during meal times. It is our go-to choice for sail-aways after 6 pm 🥂😁
Thanks for the tip!
Great info, thanks so much!
Do you know, if you don’t go with the Silver Spirits package and have dinner booked at, say, 9:00 pm at the Chef’s table, is there any issue with going to, say, the World Café and having a glass of house wine before dinner? Is that “included”? (Maybe you have to have food?)
And… Is the included wine with room service only if you have ordered a room service meal?
Thanks!
No, there’s no issue going to the World Café earlier (during dinner hours), sitting down and ordering a glass of complimentary house wine. (You might want to get something light and nibble at it.)
Complimentary wine with room service is only available during lunch and dinner hours (e.g., not as a mid-afternoon drink, for example).
But again, there shouldn’t be any issue with ordering room service wine at the beginning of the dinner hours (perhaps order a snack to go with it) and then going out to one of the restaurants later for a proper dinner (with complimentary wine).
Your Silver Spirits posting here is better than Viking’s. Appreciate the specifics.
Thanks! We’ll accept the compliment :-).
@Judith McWood, Agreed, much better
Thank you :-)
Thanks for your blog post on this. It is very useful for us to know about the drink packages on Viking Cruises for our cruise.
Thanks a lot.
Federico from Spain
Glad you found our post useful :-).
Is the drinks package still complimentary when you book an Explorer Suite?
On the river cruises, the SS beverage package is included when you book an Explorer Suite. But it’s not a standard perk on the ocean cruises.
However, there are often promotions, so you may find an offer where the drinks package is included as a booking bonus.
I really like your analysis explanation of the Silver Spirits Package.
However, here’s an update. As of today when I checked, 6/15/2023, the Package now costs $25 a day as listed on the PDF order form available through Viking’s FAQs.
Hi Michael,
Thanks for bringing this to our attention! Maybe Viking read all the good reviews here and felt they could increase the cost :-).
Anyway, yes, you’re right. We’ll be updating our post to reflect this change.
@Janice and George, what a quick response.
In my experience the SSP is worth the expense.
Many ask about it on some FB groups. I respond with this scenario:
Have a cocktail before dinner; wine off the menu at dinner, not the included wine (and/or maybe a Port at the table); and a double Bailey’s (or 2😉) after dinner. Even without the Port you’re ahead of the game. It amounts to about 4 drinks a day to exceed the $25 cost.
Hey, you’re on vacation, enjoy the hollow calories!
We’re working on the update and should have it out in hopefully a couple of days :-).
And thanks very much for your take on the Silver Spirits Package!
@Michael P.,
Janice and George, here’s another detail for travelers to consider.
The SSP cost is based on all days of the cruise, from boarding day through the last day, disembarkation. I doubt travelers will get their money’s worth that last day 😉.
Still it is very possible to get a good deal with the SSP during the cruise if one enjoys a few drinks each day.
An additional note: If cruisers have an itinerary with some days in a hotel at the beginning or end of the cruise, e.g., Capitals of Eastern Europe, or they have a pre- or post-cruise extension, only the days aboard the ship are included in the SSP cost, including embarkation and disembarkation days.
Bon Voyage!
Hi everyone, we just got back from an Italian Sojourn cruise on the Viking Star.
We got the Silver Spirits package and it paid off.
First, compared to other cruise lines it was cheap.
I’d enjoy a cocktail before dinner and a few bourbons afterwards at the Explorer Lounge. With the package, you can automatically get a double if you like. Well worth it.
Plus, you can get premium wines by the glass, which means you can actually drink the bottle because the server will always refill your glass.
We also got the prepaid gratuity and the two-day extension on both ends.
Overall, the trip was totally fantastic. Can’t wait for next time!
So glad you enjoyed your cruise! Thanks for sharing :-).
Does anyone know what beers are available on Viking Ocean Cruises (specifically Mediterranean cruises)?
I’m particularly looking to see if Blue Moon or Shock Top are available.
Thanks!
We don’t know about Blue Moon or Shock Top.
But you can expect beers such as Budweiser, Corona, Peroni, Carnegie Porter, Brooklyn Lager and Warsteiner. Check out the list of beers on Pages 4 and 5 of this drinks menu. (We’ve linked to this menu right near the top of the post.)
We have always enjoyed the Silver Spirits package on our Viking Ocean cruises.
The package was free last November on our Athens/Istanbul cruise and we were comped the SS pkg on the 1st week of our Rome/Athens cruise.
But I was told there’s no drink pkg available on Viking’s Nile River cruises. All drinks are charged outside of lunch and dinner. No Mimosas or Bloody Marys at breakfast, I guess!
Is this because it’s a much smaller ship? (82 pax)
Sorry, but we don’t have an answer for this :-).
If you go, you’ll love Egypt! We did.
@Janice and George,
ASK aboard! We drank almost solely at meals on our Nile voyage until I ordered a V&T practically on the last day. When we gave the bar our room number (we had a suite) he said, “Oh! You have the Spirits Pkg.”
🙄 NOW you tell us?
Thanks, Courtney, for letting us know the drinks situation on the Nile river trips. And great advice – just ask :-).
I understand that there are complimentary sodas with meals.
What if you are by the pool and want to have a soda from the bar? Are you charged for that soda?
Hi Linda,
Most staterooms (all except the 42 Veranda or V Staterooms) have a mini-fridge stocked with 6 complimentary sodas in your mini-fridge. Your mini-fridge is restocked once daily, complimentary (so the sodas are replenished, complimentary).
Technically, we believe club soda (sparkling water) is free by the pool and in the bars, but you’ll be charged for soft drinks like Coke. But it’s not really an issue if, when you’ve finished your lunch, you take a can from the World Cafe out to the pool.
Also the Pool Grill on Deck 7 (same deck as the pool) serves lunch until about 3:00 pm, so you can grab a soft drink there to drink by the pool.
And if you still want a soft drink by the pool outside of these hours or at the Pool Bar, the cost per drink is reasonable (under $4 USD). So if you buy one soft drink a day for a 14-day cruise, you’re looking at around $100 USD – which hopefully doesn’t break the bank :-).
I see Crown Royal on the drinks menu, but I’ve also heard from current cruisers that it is not available on Viking’s river cruises?
Sorry, but we can’t give you a definitive answer on this…
We do know from personal experience that sometimes what’s on the cruise drinks menu may not be available at any given time. A lot depends on how much people drink of a particular brand at various times and where/when the ship can restock their supply.
In general, cruises do try to offer similar replacement brands :-).
@Dan,
When we cruised the Grand European in 2022, Crown Royal was not available – “supply chain issues” we were told.
However, one of the folks we met on board (we had communicated via a Cruise Critic Roll Call before the cruise) was a CR-only drinker. The bartender and Program Director went out and purchased a bottle for him at one of the stops and served it for him on the cruise.
Not sure that you’ll find that degree of personal service on every longship, but it was there on the Viking Skirnir!
PS, the bottle didn’t last the entire 14 day cruise😉
Bon Voyage!
We are traveling on a Mediterranean and Italian Sojourn cruise at the end of this month – Viking Sky.
We’ve chosen not to purchase the Silver Spirits package because we are wine drinkers, specifically Italian wine drinkers.
We will arrive in Italy one week before embarking and have wine tastings scheduled in Northern Italy during that week. Our plan is to purchase local wines at every port to take onboard because we love the various varietals throughout Italy.
However, I’m curious about the minibar in the PV rooms. Do they supply the minibar with 375ml bottles of wine? We aren’t interested in soft drinks, beer or spirits.
Thanks!
Just ask your room steward to swap out the other drinks and substitute wine. Your request can be accommodated in a Penthouse Veranda suite :-).
There are NO premium wines by the glass on the Viking Mississippi river cruise. We took the Silver Spirits package so we could try “premium” wines. No such thing. Wines by the glass were all $8.
That’s disappointing. Did you get an explanation as to what was going on there?
When Viking says that they provide wine and beer at lunch and dinner, I have been told that it is one glass. Is that true, or do they refill pretty much as much as you want?
Oh, no, you can have more than one glass for sure! Your glass will be refilled if you wish, not to worry :-).
The Viking promotional video says that the Penthouse Veranda rooms have a minibar that is stocked for free daily.
Does that mean there is no charge to stock the minibar, or does it mean that the beverages and snacks in the minibar (including the alcohol) are free?
In other words, is there a charge for what is consumed from the minibar?
Hi John,
What’s in the minibar is free. And the minibar will be restocked daily with more free beverages.
You won’t go thirsty if you’re looking for a cool one to drink on your balcony!
@Janice and George,
In a Penthouse Veranda, let your cabin steward know what you prefer to have in the mini-bar and they will stock it that way for you during the entire cruise. No extra charge. Same thing when staying in a AA Veranda Suite on the river boats.
We are trying to decide whether the SS package is worth it for us.
I see that there’s a price “limit” for glasses of premium wine covered by the package. (In other words, the package covers up to X amount, and the passenger pays for the excess). And of course, it plainly states that it does not cover bottles.
My husband rarely drinks wine, and there is no way I am going to finish a bottle in one night on my own. On other cruise lines, I have been able to buy a bottle of premium wine at dinner one night, enjoy a glass or two, and then enjoy it again the next night or two. The restaurant stored the wine for me, and the server retrieved it each night.
Does Viking do something similar for those purchasing a bottle?
Hi Coleen!
Yes, this is fairly standard practice on cruise ships. (We just returned from a Holland America cruise, where we did exactly this; the wine steward wrote our cabin number on the bottle in felt pen.)
You should be able to order a bottle of wine for dinner, then ask the server at the end of your meal to keep it for you until the next evening :-).
DH and I are about to go on a South America cruise around Cape Horn, 17 nights from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso. The overall price of $339/pp for the booze package seems pretty fair. I figure the break-even point is 2 cocktails and a glass of (upgraded) wine per day, so for us it’s a good choice since we would drink that much anyway.
I am a gin martini person (not super picky as to brand) and DH likes whiskies, also not picky as to the brand and open to trying new things. And I like not having to think about it when I pull out my sea card.
Excited to be going soon!
Hi Kate,
That’s the real beauty of the package. You don’t have to worry about how much you’ve put on your bar tab, as it’s prepaid :-).
Have a fabulous cruise!
@Kate Connor,
Order top shelf brands if you buy the Spirits package… (even if the bartender doesn’t recommend them). I drink vodka, and I ordered a “whatever I was used to” and tonic and the sweetheart at the bar said, “How about Grey Goose and tonic?” What a difference!
When another guest suggested I try Belvedere instead I didn’t like it nearly as much, but with the package, this is a great time to find out these things.
Just finished an ocean cruise and decided the drink package was not worth it.
It would have cost the 2 of us about $400. My wife drinks wine but not liquor. I drink both.
We were looking forward to having some premium wines with the package, but the only wines that came with the package were $8/glass wines. They had no $10, $12, $15/glass wines offered. The “premium wines” at $8 were in no way premium – probably $8 or $10/bottle at a grocery store.
So we stuck with the free wine, which was as good as the $8/glass wine, then I had $400 to spend for before/after dinner drinks. That would be 5 a night (+/-). I don’t drink that much.
The hotel manager said Viking was working on a revised wine list. We’ll see.
Sounds like you made the right choice in the circumstances.
It’s too bad that there were no premium wines onboard your cruise – at least you enjoyed the complimentary wines :-).
My wife and I purchased the Silver Spirits drink package each for a 10-day Alaska cruise. I only drink single malt scotch and my wife is a Tito’s or Stoli vodka drinker, so we thought the package would be worth the money at $199 each.
When we got on board, the drink menu had 4 different single malt scotch choices and several vodka choices. However, there was not one bottle of single malt scotch on the ship nor was there any Tito’s vodka or Stolichnaya vodka on the ship for the entire cruise.
I was told the first night that it would be available later but that never happened. I, nor my wife, drink wine or beer, so basically we just gave Viking $398 for nothing.
Do you think I have the right to ask for my money back?
Oh, gosh. You could try asking for a refund for this. No harm in trying!
You’d think if the menu shows it, the ship should have it in stock.
@Randy Cash,
Absolutely!
I’ve been reviewing the Viking drinks menu online in anticipation of a 20 day South America cruise and noticed that the cost of a Manhattan is $7.50. However, the cost of Canadian Club Whiskey is $8.00 for 4 CL (~1.4 oz) and the cost of Vermouth (Martini & Rossi Sweet) is $5.00 for 6 CL. So if you make the Manhattan with 8 CL whiskey and 6 CL of vermouth, the cost would be $13.00.
So, are they just using less than the normal amounts of whiskey and vermouth in the $7.50 Manhattan? We have been on many Viking ocean and river cruises and we’ve always found their motto of not nickeling and diming has been true so I’m confused. Maybe I’m missing something. Thoughts?
This one’s a head-scratcher for us, but we doubt Viking is “nickeling and diming” on the alcohol in the Manhattans :-).
The Viking Silver Spirits Beverage Package is totally worth it!
When I drink Bourbon, Vodka or Gin, I prefer premium brands. And, I’m particular about what red wines I drink. So, go for it and enhance your experience!
That’s the spirit! You’re a gal who knows her mind :-).
Is beer included in the Silver Spirits Package? All I is see is wine and cocktails here!
Thanks for asking!
First, you don’t have to pay extra for beer at lunch or dinner :-). Several beer choices are included for free during these meal times.
But, yes, the Silver Spirits Beverage Package includes beer, i.e., unlimited access to beers.
We’ve tweaked this article to make it clear that the package does include unlimited beer :-).
I’m a champagne drinker. Can you please explain how that works with the ocean SS package?
THANK YOU.
Viking’s wine list (on their ocean cruises, at least) includes about 8 different sparkling wines and champagne. See the Premium Wine List linked under the “Premium Wine” sub-heading, under the “Viking Ocean Cruises Wine” heading.
Extra-dry Italian Prosecco is included in the Silver Spirits package. But French champagnes (e.g., Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot and Louis Roederer) are not. You can still buy champagne, of course. And with the package, you’ll get a 15% discount on the champagnes, because they’re all over $50 a bottle.
We are excited to be cruising to Antarctica with Viking this Christmas! Do you have any insight as to whether the drinks menu will reflect a “River Cruise” variety or the “Ocean Cruise” menu?
I did not see an Expedition menu/listing.
Thank you for your time!
How exciting to be going on an expedition cruise to Antarctica! You’ll be blown away. We were. You might want to read our article on some of the super cool places to visit in Antarctica :-). And you’ll love all the cute Antarctic pengins!
For Viking’s Expedition cruises, check the section on “Can I Upgrade the Complimentary Beverages?” on their Expeditions FAQ page. Basically, if you booked before January 31, 2020, the Silver Spirits package will be included. Otherwise, you can purchase it in advance or onboard. As for specific drinks, we can’t offer any further insights, but knowing Viking, the quality is sure to be more than acceptable :-).
Question – Husband only drinks Coors Light. Is it offered “free” at lunch and dinner? I see it on the bar menu – but also see “certain beer & wine” are free. This would be on a Rhine Getaway river cruise.
We’d expect you should be able to get Coors Light complimentary at lunch and dinner. Just ask onboard. If any difficulties, explain your situation to the hotel manager. Have a great cruise!
On 20+ cruises with Viking, I’ve always gone with the drinks package. As @Steve says, you order a drink without thinking about the end of cruise invoice. It’s surprising how a few drinks add up!
I’ve found Viking aren’t rules bound. There’s flexibility when the bill is made up. If you order a mid-range “excluded item”, but don’t hit the bar heavily on the same day, they usually ignore it. They also don’t treat doubles as “over the price limit” unless you go nuts.
Viking have a flexible, guest-centered approach and the SS Package makes this possible, where ordering individual drinks does not.
Isn’t it nice when businesses treat the customer right!
With their customer-oriented approach, it sounds like Viking has won you over. It’s a win-win for them and you :-).
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience…
It is so convenient to have the drink package. At worst you would break even, but you are not being concerned about money.
After all, you’re on a relaxing cruise!
We like your attitude :-).
We are off to Holland and Belgium soon, on our 9th Viking River Cruise.
We always buy the drinks package. One cocktail before dinner, and one spirit and mixer after dinner is all that’s needed to at least break even.
But I’ve seen a lot of people obviously not on the package getting their glasses filled up just before leaving the dining room and taking it up to the lounge with them.
Hi Norman,
We suppose that would be the wine glasses guests are getting filled in the dining room. If they want something other than wine, guests would need to pay (or be on the package).
Anyway, thanks for sharing! And enjoy your river cruise. (Maybe you’re going for the tulip season?)
We sailed with Viking on the Rhine River in 2019 (Before COVID-19). We cruised from Amsterdam to Basel. It was the Rhine River Get Away Cruise. This was our first Viking Cruise.
On this cruise, we purchased the Silver Beverage Package and found it a bargain since we enjoy drinking different wines. Highly recommend this option. Also, highly recommend purchasing the gratuity package.
On a side note, we are sailing again with Viking in five days. We are sailing to Panama.
Hi Fred,
Thanks for sharing! Agreed, the package is good value :-).
Enjoy your cruise to Panama! Should be an excellent one…
How does it work for the the World cruise? We’re booked January 10th, 2022. Thx
Hi Kelly,
Good question! If you look at the details for Viking Ocean Cruises’ world cruises, they include the complimentary Silver Spirits Beverage Package (along with a host of other goodies, like free luggage shipping services for embarkation). This is the case also with the Jan. 10 world cruise from L.A.
Should be a fabulous cruise! Enjoy :-).
We have taken 2 Viking river cruises and booked a Bermuda cruise for June 2021.
We had the Silver package before and plan to get it again. But we can not find anything on line about how to purchase it. Is it at boarding, or can it be purchased in advance?
We’ve already booked our onboard dining and, yes, we can make another call but figured it would be something to include in your very informative article.
Thanks for your coverage.
Hi Rita,
Well, that’s frustrating :-). You’re ready to hand over your money – and Viking hasn’t made it easy for you to buy the package!
On Viking’s website – under the FAQ section on “Can I upgrade the complimentary beverages?” – it states (in reference to the Silver Spirits beverage package): “Ask for details on board or when making your reservation.”
So presumably you can buy the package when you check in. (To purchase in advance, it may require another call to Reservations.) But we’ll follow up with Viking on this :-).
You can purchase the Silver Spirits Beverage Package by logging in to your Viking Account on the Viking Website. After logging in, select the dining and beverage tab and select the Silver Spirits Beverage Package.
Thanks, we are booked for Iceland in July.
I know alcohol is SUPER $$$ in Iceland, but thanks to the math I’m thinking $139 pp for a 7 day cruise is a lot of drinking at $6 average per drink.
BUT, if you like premium wines – you will definitely like this package. Take a bottle to your room, have the more expensive drinks in Explorer’s Lounge, or taste the better wines at the Chef’s Table restaurant (a food and wine pairing experience).
Sounds like you have a good handle on this! Enjoy your cruise :-).
We leave on a Viking Cruise in April — Budapest to Bucharest. We don’t drink wine or beer. We’re not against it, we just don’t like the taste of it. Can someone tell us what soft drinks are available? Pepsi? Coke? Other?
Hi Susanne!
Sounds like a great cruise :-).
Soft drinks are included at lunch and dinner. (And specialty coffees, tea and bottled water are all complimentary 24/7.) But specific soft drinks? We honestly can’t remember. Hopefully someone here can answer this for you!
I believe they are Coke products.
Thanks Vicky :-)
Viking river and ocean cruises are specifically designed and marketed for US passengers. Hence they serve most of soft drinks, juices, freshly made ice teas and specialty coffees, all at no extra charge!
@Suzanne L Marman, just read you were booked on the River Cruise through Austria in April. We were also! So sad to have it canceled… hopefully Europe will open and we will all be able to travel…..looking forward to better days. =)
The article didn’t really tell you how to calculate things if you want the package for, say, a 14 day cruise. It’s $279 for a person = $20.00 a day. So at $6.00 a drink, you have to drink 3-4 drinks plus you get your free times (lunch and dinner). Or at $7.50 you have to drink 2-3 drinks per day plus free times.
You have to look at sea days too. My upcoming trip has 5 days at sea.
So lose the first and last day, plus 7 days out on excursions or just off the ship. Back on the ship these days, you’ve got free wines and beer at meals and maybe you want 2 liquor drinks, one before dinner and one after. Then the package is not worth it. Because on excursion days, you have an hour before the meal and after dinner. That leaves you a lot to make up for either after dinner or on days at sea.
If you had 2 liquor drinks per day at 13 days, you spend $195. To hit the $279 amount or drink more for the benefit, you will go to bed every night feeling no pain. But as the cruises are excursion-intensive, you may not be in great shape for moderate or demanding excursions.
There are a thousand ways to work the numbers.
The best way is to figure out their lowest price at $6 a day. And if you do that for 2-3 drinks per day and at 13 days for the cruise, that’s between 26 to 39 drinks for the trip. Drink more than that number, and you are in the green. Less than that, you are in the red. But as I said, there are multiple ways to work the numbers. And if you have a 13-day cruise, you shouldn’t include day one and the day at the end.
So if you figure more than 2-3 drinks on day at sea days, then it can be managed.
The bottom line is if you do not like the buzz feeling every day, then the package may not be worth it.
These are the kind of things I feel the article should have included.
Thanks for doing all the math :-).
For us, we didn’t need the drinks package (we only usually drink wine at dinner). But we understand that some people might prefer the freedom to have a cocktail when they want without worrying about the cost, so they might want the package. Always good to have options!
I found your post very helpful. We like our booze and we don’t intend on locking ourselves in a room just to save a few bucks. The package sounds like the right choice to me.
Thank you
It’s nice to hear our post is helpful — thank you. And thanks for taking the time to comment :-).
Did the Rhine. Bought the package. After the first day they knew we had the package and never asked for our room number. In fact they knew what each of us drank and offered special drinks to try. Left the ship with no bill and others had hundreds of dollars of drinks
Remember, you will meet people and most in the lounge where if they drink so will you.
Glad you enjoyed your cruise and left happy! Thanks for sharing…
Thank you for this well written article, but I think there needs to be a correction under the “Free Wine” section. Unless Viking has changed things, the wine in the Explorer’s Lounge is not complimentary. We sailed on the Sky last year to Cuba and always had to charge our glasses of wine in the Explorer’s Lounge to our cabin. A red and white wine of Viking’s choice is complimentary with lunch and dinner.
On a side note, we are booked for the Orion in April and hope Viking has improved in their dinner service, especially their wine service as it was challenging to order bottles of wine at dinner due to staffing issues.
You’re right. Wine in the Explorer’s Lounge isn’t free outside of the lunch hour. But you can have a light lunch there, and we understand that wine is complimentary during lunch time. We’ve tweaked our post to reflect this :-).
We hope you enjoy your April cruise! (And that the wine service is satisfactory.)
And, BTW, if you find out the definitive answer on wine at lunchtime in the Explorer’s Lounge, let us know :-).
Thanks for commenting!
Thank you. Really appreciate you sharing the current wine list. We are doing the Hong Kong to Tokyo April 21 cruise; we thought it would be a great way to see Japan. This will be our second Viking Ocean; we have taken many of their river cruises which we think are great values.
We too like Viking Ocean Cruises and think they’re great value.
Japan sounds like an interesting itinerary :-). You probably saw our post on our Viking Homelands Cruise. That also is a very good trip for seeing a bit of St. Petersburg, Norway and the Baltic capitals.
Just returned from med cruise venice to barcelona. Fabulous. Your info is spot on. Wish i had seen it. Silver spirits worked well for us especially because of pre dinner cocktails and wine almost every evening and after in torshaven. The single pours are short on the cocktails.
Can’t wait to cruise again.
Hi Gerald, Glad to hear our info is “spot on” and that your cruise was great :-).
For more cruising inspiration, you can check out our Cruising page.
And stay tuned, because we’ll be writing up our review of the Viking Sea too soon!
We are booked on the Pharaohs & Pyramids cruise in April, 2019 on the Ms Antares….. any little advise or suggestions on what to pack….. or not miss?
Oh, wow! Lucky you! You’ll have an amazing time! Egypt is so fantastic :-). Get a little taste of the tombs and temples you’ll see here in our story on “Ancient Egyptian Temples and Tombs Honor the Gods.”
As for what to pack? Hat, sunscreen, etc. And comfy shoes or sandals, as you’ll be doing a lot of walking. We’ve done some of the footwork for you, so to speak, here in our post on the “Best Travel Sandals” :-).
Enjoy!
I am not sure if the silver beverage package makes as much financial sense if your mini-fridge (beer, wine, alcohol) comes at no cost, as it does with some of the larger cabins (i.e., junior suite). It looks like the cost for the package, for our cruise, is ~$20 per day, per person. So if I am consuming some of the “free” beverages from the mini fridge, I would need to spend more than $20 at the bar to break even – since I can not bring the mini-fridge alcohol outside of the cabin. The prices of the drinks look relatively reasonable, though, compared to other cruise lines.
If you have the mini-fridge with alcohol and you enjoy your drinks before dinner on your balcony, that certainly saves you. And the cost of the premium wines by the glass are only some $6 USD glass. (And don’t forget you can bring your own wine onboard too, no corkage fee.) So the Silver Spirits package may or may not be worth it, depending… You have to do your math to figure it out :-).
Thanks for chiming in!
Hi Janice, not sure if this is the right place for a question but we are booked on Viking Sea next year. We know we can bring liquor on board to have in our Stateroom but do you know if we can purchase a couple of unopened beers and a bottle of wine from the bar to have in our room? This is just in case we’re not able to find a liquor outlet in some of the ports we visit. Many thanks. Kathryn
Don’t know if we can answer that particular question! We can tell you that if you’re booked in a higher-category cabin, you’ll get access to a complimentary in-room mini-bar, replenished daily with alcoholic beverages and soft drinks. And you probably know that complimentary wine and beer is served at lunch and dinner. Also, the ship’s boutique sells duty-free Aquavit, which you can drink onboard.
@Kathryn,
My experience of Viking (20+ journeys) is they don’t care what you do with the booze. Ask for a bottle of wine or some beers – no problem. After all, it’s free on Room Service so there’s a good chance you won’t be charged if you ask in the restaurant or World Café.
With Viking staff, we’ve found 99% of the time… The answer’s “Yes”, now what’s your question.
I so want to do a river cruise in Europe!
We’d like to cruise the Douro in Portugal. Or maybe the Rhone to Provence in France? Heck, there are quite a few European rivers we’d like to cruise too!
Hi Maam,
Very nice post you have here. Hope everything goes well on your cruise here in Viking.
Ciao!
-Martin – Asst System Manager
Hi Martin,
Thanks for your kind note! And many thanks too for taking the time to help fix my laptop – your magic fingers did the trick :-).
We’re loving our Viking ocean cruise here in the Baltic. Stay tuned, as we’ll be writing much more about our experience over the coming weeks…
All the best!
Janice
Boy, sounds like everything went the wrong way! :(
Frank
Indeed! But everything has been going right on our cruise :-). The “Viking Star” is a beautiful ship and the service is lovely.
I’m glad that the story had a happy ending, the journey to get there sounds traumatic but a glass of wine does help restore faith in the world!
Indeed it does :-)
Whew! I’m glad to hear there was a happy ending… re: the camera lens, George’s sniffles, and the stress-relieving (and complimentary) wine that helped readjust your well-deserved grumpy attitude! I’ve not yet done a Viking cruise but it sounds delightful, and I like the “no corkage fee” if you bring wine aboard! Cheers!
A nice glass of wine seems to be the universal antidote to any problem. Hope to hear that the rest of the trip was more hassle-free after that!
We’re really impressed with Viking Cruises – at least the ocean cruise part of the company. It’s the first time we’ve cruised with Viking, and we’re totally loving this Baltic cruise! No wonder “Viking Star” (its first ocean cruise ship) won the “best new ocean ship” rating by Cruise Critic in 2015. Stay tuned, as we’ll be reporting more on Viking Cruises in future…