Windstar Drink Package or All-In Package: Worth It?

If you’re planning a Windstar cruise, you’ll want to know about Windstar’s drink packages, as well as their all-inclusive package.

We’ve just returned from our fifth cruise with Windstar, this time on the Star Pride (see our Windstar Cruises’ review and our Star Pride ship review).

And we get that a fine dinner isn’t complete without a first-rate wine. (They go together like burgers and beer. Tacos and tequila. You get the point.)

Maybe you’re into a pre-dinner or around-the-pool cocktail too?

Everything tastes even better when you snag that gin-and-tonic or glass of Chardonnay at a discount.

So it’s helpful to know the cost of drinks on Windstar Cruises and whether you should get a Windstar drink package (or perhaps even Windstar’s all-inclusive package).

We’ve previously written about the drinks packages on Holland America, the cost of drinks on Star Clippers and Viking Cruises’ bar menu.

If you don’t mind us bragging a little, we’re pretty adept at nipping menus and digging into the details of drink deals on cruises.

Windstar drink packages (and Windstar all-inclusive package)

How much are drinks on Windstar Cruises?

Non-alcoholic drinks

As a boutique cruise line, Windstar includes more in their cruise fare than Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America and other major lines that feature big cruise ships.

Non-alcoholic beverages like bottled water, fruit juices, specialty coffees and soft drinks are complimentary on all six of their ships (both the sailing-style yachts and the Star Plus all-suite vessels).

So you don’t need a Windstar beverage package to enjoy a cappuccino with breakfast or to drink purified mineral Natura water in your stateroom. These drinks are included in the cruise rates.

Wine, beer and alcoholic drinks

Beer

Cocktails

See the cocktail menu from our recent cruise on Windstar’s Star Pride cruise ship.

Cocktails are crafted using a combination of house and select brands. You can choose from a selection of over 40 liquors, including Grey Goose, Hendricks, Johnny Walker Black, Ketel One, Glenfiddich and Hennessy.

The specific brands shown on the Windstar drink menu may vary periodically, depending on availability and so different alternative options may sometimes be offered.

Wine on the Windstar drinks menu

See the menu of red and white wines by the glass on our recent Windstar cruise.

Janice is the white (and rosé drinker) in our marriage – she typically went for a glass (or two!) of the Amavi Cellars Semillon from Walla Walla, Washington.

George prefers his wine red. And when he spotted the Hangtime Pinot Noir from California on the Windstar Cruises wine list, that became his go-to wine by the glass.

You can also choose from a large selection of bottles of wine.

Of course, the wines are swapped out from time to time, depending on availability or to upgrade the selection.

So what’s shown on the menu highlighted above could be different on your cruise.

Windstar white wine by the glass menu

Windstar red wine by the glass menu

Windstar beverage packages

There’s no daily limit on how many drinks you can have with either package.

But Windstar encourages the “responsible use of alcohol” and they may limit serving drinks to guests to avoid intoxication (we’ve never noticed them having to do this).

Topmast Discoveries Beer & Wine Package

This Windstar alcohol package costs $55 per person a day.

Captain’s Exclusive Beverage Package

The Captain’s Exclusive Beverage Package is designed for guests who fancy, say, a Strawberry Pimm’s at sunset or sipping a scotch under the stars – or who just like to have a cocktail whenever they want.

It costs $65 per person per day.

An 18% beverage service charge (amounting to $11.70 a day) is extra. So the total cost of this drinks package is $76.70 p.p. a day.

So, is a Windstar drink package worth it?

Depending on your preferences and drinking habits, a Windstar Cruises drinks package could be good value.

By our calculations, using average prices, you’d have to drink about 5 glass of wine a day (7 to 8 glasses of beer) to break even with the Topmast Discoveries Beer & Wine Package.

For the Windstar premium beverage package (i.e., the Captain’s Exclusive Beverage Package), again using average prices, you’d have to consume a minimum of 6 cocktails (or 3 cocktails and 3 glasses of wine) a day to meet the break-even point.

If you’re leaning toward getting a drinks package, read on however, because the better package, in our view, is Windstar cruises all-in package.

Windstar All-In Package

Windstar has an all-inclusive cruise package (called the “All-In Package”) which costs $89 per person per day (if bought in advance).

Cost differs for pre-purchase vs. purchase onboard

To get the package for a daily $89 a person, you have to book this all-inclusive package at least 5 days before your cruise departure.

If you decide to wait until you’re onboard the ship, you can still buy the all-in package. But the cost will be $99 per person a day.

Why Windstar Cruises’ all-inclusive package is better than just a drinks package

The all-inclusive package makes more sense to us because of what you’d otherwise have to pay for gratuities and WiFi.

The cruise gratuities for Windstar are $16 per person a night (for your stateroom attendant, dining room servers and other staff). For a 7-night cruise, these Windstar gratuities amount to $112.

As well, there’s an 18% service charge that’s automatically added to both drinks packages (and the bar bill for all alcoholic drink purchases).

As for Wifi, the cost is $35 a day for service that’s good enough for email, social media and Internet browsing.

This cost can be shared if you’re okay with logging out to allow your partner to log in (and vice-versa). But this may end up being a bit of a pain. (We know, we tried it.)

So the gratuities and WiFi alone cost $51 day p.p. (for your own WiFi) or $33.50 a day p.p. if you split the WiFi.

So, financially, you save money by getting the All-In Package rather than one of the drinks packages.

Beverage program details

Windstar alcohol policy

Can you bring alcohol on Windstar Cruises?

Yes. You’re allowed to bring onboard two bottles of wine or champagne for a 7-day cruise or three bottles for cruises 8 days or longer.

You’re free to drink them (no charge) in your cabin or suite. But if you want to drink one of the bottles, say, in one of the dining rooms on the ship, a corkage fee (about $15 USD) plus an 18% beverage gratuity will be charged.

If you buy wine or alcohol at ports-of-call on your cruise, it will be taken away and returned to you the last night of your cruise.

Bottom line: Is Windstar’s All-In Package worth it?

The All-In Package can definitely be worth it because it includes the premium Windstar Cruises drink package (i.e. the Captain’s Exclusive Beverage Package).

You have to pay gratuities anyway and you’re probably going to want to get WiFi.

And we already mentioned that the drinks package portion of the All-In Package is less than either of the drinks packages, even if you’re willing to split a WiFi plan.  

So why not get the all-inclusive cruise package? It’s a no-brainer, as it will save you money.

Obviously, if you know that the most you’ll drink is maybe one or two glasses of wine with dinner, then the All-In Package is not for you.

But if you’d like to have a drink by the pool, a pre-dinner cocktail and wine with dinner (and maybe with lunch too), then the All-In Package makes sense.

Plus, having the package means not stressing about your onboard account when your cruise wraps up.

What’s your view?

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Photo credits: 2, 4 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase

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