Viking Silver Spirits Package: Worth It? The Full Scoop!
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Free drinks can be hard to come by on a cruise.
But on Viking Cruises, your bar bill will be zilch if you stick with wine or beer – nice, right? On both their river and ocean cruises, house wine and beer is complimentary at lunch and dinner.
So what about other drinks? Say you want a lemon drop martini before dinner. That’ll cost about $7.50 USD on Viking Ocean Cruises (river prices differ).
But maybe you’d like to sip cocktails whenever you wish or try premium wines? The Viking Silver Spirits package might be worth it. This all-inclusive drinks package is available on both the ocean and river cruises.
We’ve now enjoyed three Viking cruises. First, a two-week Baltic voyage on the Viking Star. Then a 10-day Caribbean cruise on the Viking Sea (from New York to San Juan, Puerto Rico).
Most recently (November, 2024), we sailed on the Viking Saturn (in the Mediterranean in the quiet season) – checking out a stack of drinks menus and updating our Viking Ocean Cruises review.
Here’s all you need to know about Viking’s bar menu and prices, bringing alcohol onboard, and the important question: Is the Silver Spirits package worth it on Viking?
Featured reader comments
“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… Thank you.”
~ Steve
“Your Silver Spirits posting here is better than Viking’s. Appreciate the specifics.”
~ Judith
“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…”
~ Kathy
Viking Cruise bar menu, prices and drinks package
Contents: Viking Silver Spirits package (or not?)
Ocean cruises (bar drinks and prices)
River cruises (bar drinks and prices)
Can you bring your own wine and alcohol onboard?
Is it worth getting the Viking Silver Spirits package?
Pssst! Also see tons of comments and questions from readers at the end of this post!
Heads up: The rate for Viking’s Silver Spirits package went up on January 1, 2025 from $25 USD a night p.p. to $27 USD. We expect a slight bump in bar prices for alcoholic beverages will follow, so you might want to add a dollar or two to all drink prices shown below.
Viking Ocean Cruises bar prices
The cost of drinks on Viking Ocean Cruises are in USD.
Most cocktails and martinis cost $9.50 USD.
Prices for hard liquor average $8.00 to $11.00 USD per drink. A Jameson whiskey is $8.00, for example, and a Grand Marnier costs $10.50.
Prices include the gratuity.
Sample bar menus
See this 2024 drinks menu from the Torshavn bar on Viking Saturn.
Also scroll down to the end of this post to see a complete list of the alcoholic drinks you can get in Viking Ocean Cruises’ Living Room lounge.
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
Prices for liquor and alcoholic drinks on Viking River Cruises in Europe are quoted in Euros. Here are some examples:
- Amaretto Islay – 11.50 Euros
- Aquavit Sour – 12 Euros
- Bloody Mary – 10 Euros
- Brandy Alexander – 10 Euros
- Caipirinha – 9 Euros
- Cosmopolitan – 10 Euros
- Daiquiri – 10.50 Euros
- Dry Martini – 8.50 Euros
- Gimlet – 9.50 Euros
- Limoncello Margarita – 10.50 Euros
- Mai Tai – 9.50 Euros
- Manhattan – 9 Euros
- Mojito – 9.50 Euros
- Old Fashioned – 9.50 Euros
- Pina Colada – 10.00 Euros
- Planter’s Punch – 10.50 Euros
- Tequila Sunrise – 10.50 Euros
- Whiskey Sour – 9.50 Euros
Viking Ocean Cruises wine
House wine (and beer) is complimentary
The ocean-going branch of Viking Cruises is known for its “no nickel-and-diming” philosophy.
As part of that, prices include complimentary wine (and beer) at lunch and dinner in:
- The restaurants
- The Explorer’s Lounge (during lunch)
- The cabins, as part of Viking’s 24-hour room service
Dining on Viking Ocean Cruises is excellent, by the way!
Outside of lunch and dinner, a glass of house wine costs $7.00 USD at a bar or lounge on the ship. Beer costs $6.50 each.
House wine selections
The wines vary from time to time and on different cruises.
Each night, different complimentary “destination” wines are typically poured – perhaps from Spain one night, a local wine from Italy the next, wine from France the third night, and so on.
For example, the destination wine might be a French Granache, Syrah and Merlot blend from Vaucluse.
Also, the two specialty restaurants – Manfredi’s and the Chef’s Table – serve different complimentary wines than what’s poured in the main restaurant.
Pro tip
If the day’s featured house wine isn’t to your taste, just ask for something different. 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 knows how to please wine lovers.
Along with complimentary house wines, they offer a large curated selection of more than 80 premium red, white and rosé wines. (And there are 15+ additional choices for champagne, sweet wines and port.)
About half of these premium wines are available by the glass for $8.00 each. The rest can only be bought by the bottle. (Prices include the gratuity.)
We had a shipboard credit on all our cruises, so we could try some of these premium wines if we wished.
On our first and third cruises, the house wines suited us perfectly. We’re not wine snobs, but we like good vino – and we found Viking’s complimentary offerings just fine.
Mind you, we couldn’t resist trying the $25 USD p.p. premium wine and alcohol pairings at the Chef’s Table one evening on the Viking Star for their five-course Scandinavian dinner. The Aquavit went perfectly with the lingonberry-infused salmon tartare topped with caviar!
And on our second Viking Sea cruise, we did order (and enjoy!) some premium wines by the glass at dinner.
Did we like the premium wines better than the house wines?
Mmmm. Yes, some, for sure.
But others – like the delightful Sacchetto Pino Grigio Blush (paired with the gazpacho on a “Sweet and Salty” Chef’s Table dinner) – proved that the complimentary wines could shine too.
Some of our favorite premium wines
- 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)
- Nederburg Pinotage, South Africa – red ($30 bottle)
Viking Ocean Cruises wine menus
The following menus are from our Viking Saturn cruise, with prices current as of November, 2024.
Viking River Cruises wine
At lunch and dinner, house wine is complimentary, just like on Viking’s ocean ships.
The selections reflect the region you’re exploring – think Riesling and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) as a couple of the white wine options in Germany.
Outside of mealtime, a glass of house red or white is good value at 6.50 Euros.
Premium wines are available too, with most priced between 8 and 11.50 Euros a glass.
Can you bring your own alcohol onboard Viking Cruises?
Ocean Cruises
Unlike many other cruise lines, the Viking Ocean Cruise alcohol policy is quite liberal.
Want to buy a special bottle of wine ashore and bring it onboard for dinner? Go right ahead – there’s no corkage fee.
In fact, you can bring alcohol onboard with you when you embark and buy it ashore during your cruise. And you can enjoy it anywhere on the ship.
On our Viking Sea cruise from New York, we brought along a couple of great bottles we’d purchased in NYC. The waitstaff treated them just like the ship’s wines, serving them with the same finesse – complete with an ice bucket for our chilled white.
We also picked up some lovely Italian and French wines ashore on our Viking Saturn cruise from Rome to Barcelona. We enjoyed them just as effortlessly in the main dining room and at Manfredi’s.
River cruises
Can you bring your own wine or alcohol on a Viking River cruise? Yes, the alcohol policy mirrors that of the ocean cruises.
You can sip your purchases on your stateroom balcony, in public spaces and in the ship’s restaurants. And again, there’s no corkage fee for enjoying your own wine with a meal.
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This is a fantastic perk for river cruising through wine-rich regions like the Rhine or Rhone.
Imagine picking up a bottle of crisp German Riesling in Koblenz or a luscious French red in Avignon and enjoying it on your balcony as you drift by the riverbanks. Or sharing a bottle from a quaint wine shop in Strasbourg over dinner…
Viking Silver Spirits 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.)
On Viking, you have the option to upgrade your cruise by buying the Viking Silver Spirits premium beverage package.
Effective January 1, 2025, it’s priced at $27 USD per night per guest. (This is a $2 per night increase from Viking’s previous rate.) The total p.p. cost breaks down as follows:
- $189 USD p.p. for a 7-night cruise
- $378 USD p.p. for a 14-night cruise
The package covers beverage gratuities and is available on both Viking’s ocean and river cruises. (Explorer Suite guests on the river cruises get the package for free.)
The order form is the same for the Viking Ocean Silver Spirits package and the river cruise version.
Note: Both guests in the stateroom must buy the package.
What does Viking Cruises’ drinks package include?
Ocean cruises
You get unlimited access throughout the day (and anywhere on the ship, e.g., in all the ship’s bars and main dining room) to:
- Any drinks up to $18.00, including house champagne and premium wines by the glass, cocktails and aperitifs
- A selection of wines, which change twice per cruise
- A 30% discount on premium beverages above $50
- Various whiskeys
- A selection of beers
- Soft drinks and juices
(The Chef’s Table premium wine pairing is also complimentary. And you get a 50% discount on premium tasting events.)
About half the wines on Viking’s extensive wine menu are available by the glass, so you have a large selection to choose from. (See sample wine menus, covered above.)
Note: Wines that are only available by the bottle are not included in the Viking drinks 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
With a Viking River Cruise Silver Spirits beverage package, all drinks are included – except premium wines known as “Treasure Wines.” For Treasure Wines, you get a 30% discount.
How to buy the package
You can buy Viking Cruises’ beverage package at any time after you’ve booked your cruise vacation, either through your “My Viking Journey” account or by calling Viking at 1-888-207-8826.
See the US Order Form.
You can also purchase the package onboard if you don’t buy it in advance.
For additional information, see the FAQs section on Viking Cruises’ website.
Is the Viking Silver Spirits package worth it?
So, is the Silver Spirits beverage package worth it? That depends.
We’ve mentioned that house wines, beer and soft drinks are complimentary at lunch and dinner. Plus, specialty coffees (like cappuccinos), tea and bottled water are free 24 hours a day.
So ask yourself three key questions:
- Would you enjoy premium wines (on Viking Ocean Cruises)?
- Do you prefer cocktails or spirits over wine and beer?
- How much do you realistically drink?
For a 14-night ocean cruise, the package costs $756 per couple ($378 for 7 nights), effective January 1, 2025. If you’re not a big wine or beer fan and lean toward cocktails, we guesstimate that the package pays off if you each drink 3 to 4 or more alcoholic beverages daily.
(Other Viking cruisers say the break-even point is about 2½ drinks a day. The math differs slightly, depending on the assumptions.)
Anyway, the package is especially appealing if you like a pre-dinner cocktail or poolside drink, plus top-notch wines at lunch and/or dinner.
There’s also the convenience factor – ordering premium drinks anytime without worrying about your bill. And the cost for the Silver Spirits package is quite reasonable compared to alcohol packages on other cruise lines.
Note: Of course, you can always purchase the occasional cocktail or premium wine à la carte if the package doesn’t fit your needs.
Pro tip
If you skip the package, consider buying fine wines ashore to enjoy onboard. (Remember, there’s no corkage fee to drink them in the restaurants.)
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.
Viking Ocean Cruises drinks menus
The following is the complete list of alcoholic beverages (with prices) from Viking Saturn’s Living Room bar menu as of November, 2024. Prices are in USD.
Keep in mind that not all the same drinks are found in all bars and lounges around the ship.
For example, the Pool Bar serves 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. But don’t look for hot drinks like Irish Coffee in the Pool Bar!
Similarly, the Aquavit Bar features its own unique selection, some of which are different from the Living Room offerings.
House Wine
- Red – $7.00
- White – $7.00
- Rose – $7.00
Champagne and Sparkling Wine
- Viking Sparkling Wine – $7.50
- Ponte Prosecco – $10.00
- Jacquart Brut – $15.00
Beer and Cider
- Carlsberg Draft – $6.50
- Budweiser – $6.50
- Light Beer – $6.50
- Corona – $6.50
- Grimbergen Double Dark – $6.50
- Carnegie Porter – $6.50
- Grimbergen Blonde – $6.50
- Peroni – $6.50
- Warsteiner – $6.50
- Non-Alcoholic – $6.50
- Koppaberg Pear – $8.00
- Koppaberg Wildberry – $8.00
Norwegian Beer
- Agir Rallare Amber Ale – $8.00
- Aegir Pils – $8.00
Cocktails
- Bellini Cipriani – $9.50
- Bloody Mary – $9.50
- Caipirinha – $9.50
- Frozen Daiquiri – $9.50
- Long Island Iced Tea – $9.50
- Mai Tai – $9.50
- Margarita – $9.50
- Pimm’s No. 1 Cup – $9.50
- Pina Colada – $9.50
- Planter’s Punch – $9.50
- Rusty Nail – $9.50
- Sex on the Beach – $9.50
- Singapore Sling – $9.50
- Tequila Sunrise – $9.50
- Monkey Sloe Fizz – $11.50
- White Lady – $11.50
Martinis and Classics
- B&B – $9.50
- Brandy Alexander – $9.50
- Cosmopolitan – $9.50
- Dirty Martini – $9.50
- Dry Martini – $9.50
- Gimlet – $9.50
- Grasshopper – $9.50
- Lemon Drop Martini – $9.50
- Manhattan – $9.50
- Mojito – $9.50
- Negroni – $9.50
- Old Fashioned – $9.50
- Sidecar – $9.50
- Stinger – $9.50
- Tom Collins – $9.50
- Whiskey Sour – $9.50
Aperitifs
- Campari – $6.50
- Sandeman Ruby Porto – $6.50
- Tio Pepe Sherry Fino – $6.50
- Dow’s LBV Port – $8.00
- Graham’s 20 Year Old Port – $8.00
Bitters
- Fernet Branca – $6.50
- Ramazzotti – $6.50
- Jagermeister – $6.50
Vermouth
- Martini & Rosso Bianco – $6.50
- Martini & Rossi Extra-Dry – $6.50
- Martini & Rossi – $6.50
Rum
- Bacardi Carta Blanca – $7.50
- Havana Club 3 Yrs – $7.50
- Myers’s – $7.50
- Mount Gay – $8.00
- Brugal 1888 – $9.00
- Havana Club 7 Yrs – $9.50
- Flor De Cana 7 Gran Reserva – $13.50
Gin
- Gordon’s – $7.50
- Tanqueray – $7.50
- Bombay Sapphire – $9.00
- Highclere Castle London Dry – $9.00
- Ketel 1 Jenever Original – $9.00
- Hendrick’s – $10.00
- Monkey 47 Sloe – $10.00
- Tanqueray No. Ten – $14.00
- Tanqueray 0.0% Alcohol Free Gin – $4.00
Vodka
- Stolichnaya – $9.50
- Absolut – $10.00
- Amundsen Arctic – $10.00
- Smirnoff Red – $10.00
- Viking Vodka – $10.00
- Tito’s Handmade Vodka – $11.00
- Beluga – $11.50
- Belvedere – $11.50
- Grey Goose – $11.50
Aquavit
- Linie – $7.50
- Opland – $7.50
- Viking Aquavit – $7.50
Tequila
- Olmeca Silver – $7.00
- Don Julio Reposado – $15.00
- Patron Anejo – $18.00
Whiskey and Whisky
- Jameson – $8.00
- Johnnie Walker Red – $8.00
- Southern Comfort – $8.00
- The Famous Grouse – $8.00
- Chivas Regal – $10.00
- Jack Daniel’s – $10.00
- Seagam’s VO – $11.00
- Johnnie Walker Black Label – $13.00
Single Malts
- Bushmills 10 Yrs – $12.00
- Laphroaig Quarter Cask – $13.00
- Ballantine’s 15 Yrs Glenburgie – $15.00
- Glenfiddich Reserve Cask – $15.00
- Glenmorangie The Quinta Ruban – $15.00
- Glenlivet 12 Yrs – $15.00
- The Macallan Quest – $16.00
Bourbon
- Jim Beam – $8.00
- Wild Turkey – $10.00
- Early Times – $14.00
Brandy and Cognac
- Mandarine Napoleon – $8.00
- Yeni Raki – $9.00
- Courvoisier Cognac VS – $11.00
- Larsen Cognac VS – $11.00
- Pere Magloire Fine Calvados – $12.00
- Remy Martin Cognac VSOP – $13.00
- Sempe Armagnac VSOP – $13.00
- Hennessy VSOP – $15.00
Liqueur
- Amaretto Di Saronno – $8.50
- Amarula – $8.50
- Baileys Irish Cream – $8.50
- Kahlua – $8.50
- Sambuca – $8.50
- Cointreau – $10.50
- Drambuie – $10.50
- Grand Marnier – $10.50
Hot drinks
- Bergens Kaffe – $7.50
- Gascon Coffee – $7.50
- Irish Coffee – $7.50
Viking Cruises Silver Spirits beverage package FAQs
What drinks are free on Viking Cruises?
- House wines – at lunch and dinner
- Beer – at lunch and dinner
- Soft drinks – at lunch and dinner
- Specialty non-alcoholic coffees and tea – 24 hours a day
What is the Viking Silver Spirits beverage package?
Viking’s Silver Spirits package is an all-inclusive drinks package.
It costs $27 USD p.p. per night (as of January 1, 2025).
Ocean cruises
On Viking Ocean Cruises, the package allows you to enjoy unlimited drinks up to $18 each, including premium wines, cocktails and spirits. If you fancy something over $50, you can get it at 30% off.
River cruises (except Egypt and Mississippi)
The package on river cruises allows you to enjoy all drinks, except Treasure Wines.
For both ocean and river cruises
The Silver Spirits package on both the ocean and river cruises includes the tips for your drinks.
Both people in the stateroom need to buy the package.
Do any staterooms include the Silver Spirits package?
The package is included in your cruise fare with the top-tier Explorer Suites on Viking’s river cruises and the luxurious Owner’s Suite on their ocean cruises. A nice amenity!
Are there Viking Cruises where the package isn’t offered
The package isn’t available to buy on Egypt itineraries (Nile River cruises). But it’s included if you’re booked in an Explorer Suite.
What’s your experience with Viking’s drinks package?
What do you think? Would you get the Viking Silver Spirits package? Is it worth the extra charge?
Let us know in the Comments section below – we like hearing from readers. You can also see questions from other Viking guests.
More information and to book
- See Viking’s website
- Also check out CruiseDirect, which offers great cruise deals
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
