Complete Guide to Holland America Drink Packages: Elite, Signature, Quench, Coca-Cola, and Have It All
For many cruisers, choosing the right Holland America drink package is one of the biggest decisions before sailing. Whether you're interested in cocktails by the pool, specialty coffees from Explorations Café, wine with dinner, bottled water throughout the day, or simply unlimited soda, Holland America Line offers several beverage package options designed for different travel styles and budgets.
From the premium Elite Beverage Package to the non alcoholic Quench Beverage Package and Coca-Cola Package, understanding exactly what is included can help you determine which option offers the best value for your cruise. This guide covers every Holland America beverage package, how pricing works, daily drink limits, where packages can be used, and the rules guests should know before purchasing. Information is based on Holland America Line's published beverage package terms and conditions.
Click Here for Holland America Line Drink Menus & Bar Guides
Holland America Drink Packages at a Glance
Holland America currently offers four primary beverage package options, along with the Have It All cruise fare bundle that includes a beverage package as one of its benefits.
Elite Beverage Package Inclusions © Holland America Line
Have It All Package
The Have It All package is Holland America's bundled cruise fare that includes the Signature Beverage Package along with WiFi, specialty dining, and shore excursion credits. It is often one of the most popular upgrade options because it packages several onboard amenities together into a single fare.
Because the beverage package is only one component of Have It All, we recommend reading our complete Have It All guide for a detailed breakdown of everything included and whether the package is worth the upgrade.
Complete Have It All Package Guide
Elite Beverage Package
The Elite Beverage Package is Holland America's highest tier beverage package.
Priced at $60.95 per person, per day when purchased before sailing, it includes alcoholic beverages priced up to $16 each, along with unlimited non alcoholic beverages. Premium cocktails, top shelf spirits, higher priced wines by the glass, specialty coffees, bottled water, soft drinks, and mocktails are included within the package limits.
Signature Beverage Package
The Signature Beverage Package is Holland America's standard alcoholic beverage package and is the package included with Have It All.
Priced at $55.95 per person, per day before sailing, it covers alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages priced up to $12 each. Beer, wine by the glass, cocktails, spirits, bottled water, soda, specialty coffee, and other eligible drinks are included.
Quench Beverage Package
The Quench Beverage Package is designed for guests who do not plan to drink alcohol but still want access to premium beverages throughout their cruise.
At $17.95 per person, per day, the package includes specialty coffees, juices, bottled water, sodas, mocktails, and energy drinks.
Coca-Cola Package
For guests primarily interested in soft drinks, Holland America also offers the Coca-Cola Package.
Priced at $8.00 per person, per day, it includes unlimited fountain soda throughout the cruise. On select ships, the package also includes access to Coca-Cola Freestyle machines offering a much larger selection of soda flavors.
Service Charges and Local Taxes
All beverage package pricing is listed on a per person, per day basis. Holland America automatically includes a 20% service charge in the package purchase price. Local taxes may also apply while the ship is docked in certain ports or jurisdictions.
Signature Cocktails © Holland America Line
Elite vs Signature Beverage Package
The two most commonly compared Holland America drink packages are the Signature Beverage Package and Elite Beverage Package.
While the daily price difference between the two packages is relatively small, there are several important differences that can impact which package provides the better value.
Drink Price Limits
The Signature Beverage Package includes beverages priced at up to $12 per drink. This generally covers standard cocktails, many wines by the glass, draft beer, bottled beer, spirits, specialty coffees, soft drinks, and bottled water.
The Elite Beverage Package raises the limit to $16 per drink, allowing access to a broader selection of premium cocktails, higher end wines by the glass, and top shelf liquor brands available throughout Holland America's bars and lounges.
What Happens If a Drink Costs More Than the Package Limit?
A common misconception is that drinks above the package limit are completely excluded. In reality, Holland America allows guests to purchase beverages that exceed the package cap by simply paying the difference between the menu price and the package allowance.
For example, if an Elite package guest orders an $18 cocktail, they would generally pay the $2 difference rather than the full drink price. The same concept applies to Signature package guests ordering drinks above the $12 threshold.
Daily Drink Limits
The Signature Beverage Package includes a combined limit of 15 beverages per day. Importantly, both alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks count toward the same daily total. That means a morning latte, bottled water, afternoon soda, and evening cocktail would all count toward the 15 beverage maximum.
The Elite Beverage Package works differently. Guests may consume up to 15 alcoholic beverages per day, while non alcoholic beverages are completely unlimited. Specialty coffee, bottled water, soda, mocktails, and similar drinks do not count against the daily beverage limit.
When Does the Drink Count Reset?
Holland America's beverage package limits operate on a daily cycle that resets at 6:00 AM each day rather than at midnight.
This distinction is particularly important for guests enjoying late night drinks before heading back to their stateroom. Various onboard package materials and guest information indicate that the beverage allowance refreshes in the early morning hours rather than at the start of a new calendar day.
Quench Beverage Package and Other Non Alcoholic Options
Not every cruiser needs an alcoholic beverage package. Holland America offers several options specifically focused on soft drinks, specialty coffee, water, and other non alcoholic beverages.
Soda Package © Holland America Line
What's Included in the Quench Beverage Package?
The Quench Beverage Package includes many of Holland America's most popular non alcoholic drinks.
Eligible beverages include espresso drinks, cappuccinos, lattes, specialty coffee beverages from Explorations Café, Coca-Cola products, juices, bottled still and sparkling water, Red Bull energy drinks, and mocktails served throughout the ship.
Like the Signature package, the Quench package includes a daily limit of 15 beverages.
Coca-Cola Package
The Coca-Cola Package is Holland America's simplest beverage package.
Guests receive unlimited fountain soda throughout the cruise. On select Pinnacle Class ships, including Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam, the package also includes Coca-Cola Freestyle access with more than 100 flavor combinations available.
For guests who primarily drink soda and do not regularly purchase specialty coffee or bottled water, this is often the least expensive beverage package option available.
Water Delivery Packages
Guests who prefer bottled water in their stateroom can also pre purchase water delivery packages before sailing.
Holland America periodically offers packages featuring multiple bottles of Evian natural spring water delivered directly to the cabin at embarkation. Availability and pricing can vary by sailing.
Where Can You Use a Holland America Beverage Package?
One of the most common questions cruisers ask is where their Holland America drink package can actually be used.
Ocean Bar © Holland America Line
Included Bars, Lounges, and Restaurants
Beverage packages can be used throughout participating bars, lounges, restaurants, and cafes across the ship. This includes venues such as Ocean Bar, Billboard Onboard, Rolling Stone Lounge, B.B. King's Blues Club, pool bars, the Main Dining Room, Lido Market, Pinnacle Grill, Tamarind, Canaletto, and most other onboard locations where drinks are served. Venues will vary by ship.
Click Here for Holland America Line Drink Menus & Bar Guides
Excluded Purchases
Several beverage purchases are specifically excluded from package coverage. These include minibar purchases, room service beverage orders, self service draft beer and wine stations, and certain retail beverage purchases. Guests can bring beverages purchased at onboard bars back to their stateroom, but drinks ordered through in room dining and room service are not covered.
Does the Holland America Drink Package Work on Half Moon Cay?
Although many guests assume beverage packages work at Holland America's private island, the official terms and conditions specifically exclude beverages purchased on RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay. Drinks purchased ashore are charged separately to the guest's onboard account. This differs from some other cruise line private destinations and is an important distinction for guests planning a beach day in the Bahamas.
Important Rules, Limits, and Tips
Before purchasing a beverage package, it helps to understand some of the less obvious rules that frequently surprise first time cruisers.
If one adult of legal drinking age purchases a beverage package, all adults of legal drinking age staying in the same stateroom must purchase the same package tier. This policy applies across Holland America's beverage package offerings and is designed to prevent package sharing.
Guests may only order one beverage at a time. Sharing beverages is prohibited, and Holland America reserves the right to revoke beverage package privileges if misuse is observed.
Estimating the Break Even Point
Whether a Holland America drink package is worth the cost depends entirely on individual consumption habits.
Cocktails aboard Holland America frequently fall within the $11 to $14 range. Beer often ranges around $7 to $8, specialty coffee generally falls between $3 and $5, and bottled water can cost $2-5 dollars per bottle depending on size and venue.
A guest enjoying four or five cocktails throughout the day plus a couple of specialty coffees or bottled waters will often approach or exceed the daily cost of a Signature Beverage Package. Guests who regularly order premium spirits, upgraded wines, or higher priced cocktails may find additional value in the Elite Beverage Package. Menu prices vary by ship, itinerary, and sailing date.
Final Thoughts on Holland America Drink Packages
Frozen Cocktails © Holland America Line
Holland America offers one of the more straightforward beverage package programs in the cruise industry, with options ranging from a basic soda package to a premium alcoholic package that includes top shelf spirits, cocktails, wine, specialty coffee, bottled water, and more.
Whether you're considering the Signature Beverage Package included with Have It All, upgrading to the Elite Beverage Package, or choosing a non alcoholic option like Quench, understanding the daily limits, drink price caps, and package restrictions can help you select the option that best matches your cruise vacation. For most guests, the right choice ultimately comes down to how often you plan to order drinks onboard and which beverages you expect to enjoy throughout your Holland America cruise.
Click Here for Holland America Line Drink Menus & Bar Guides
All photos © Freestyle Travelers and © Holland America Line.
Learn everything included in Holland America's Have It All package, including the Signature Beverage Package, specialty dining, shore excursion credits, WiFi, and prepaid gratuities on select sailings. This complete guide breaks down pricing, value, package rules, and break even calculations to help determine whether Have It All is worth it for your cruise.