Premium Drinks Package (formerly the Expedition Package)
The whole bar, the exclusive collections included, and gratuities covered.
Our speciality bars keep collections you will not find anywhere else on the ship. Silent Pool and Drumshanbo Gunpowder gin in the Botanical Lounge. Glen Grant 10 Year Old and Penderyn single malt at Raffles. The Premium Drinks Package is the one that opens all of it.
The best way to secure it is to choose the Ambassador Fare when you book your cruise. The Premium Drinks Package is included alongside additional fare benefits, which makes it the recommended route for overall value. If you have already booked, you can still add the package before you sail through My Ambassador Sailing.
What's Included in the Premium Drinks Package?
Everything on the general bar menu marked for Premium, plus the exclusive collections in our speciality bars.
- Premium gins. Silent Pool from the Surrey Hills, Edinburgh Classic, Sipsmith London Dry, Drumshanbo Gunpowder, Tanqueray No. TEN, Whitley Neill and Bombay Sapphire.
- Premium whiskies. Glen Grant 10 Year Old, Johnnie Walker Black Label, Bushmills 10 Year Old Sherry Cask, Jura White Oak Cask and two expressions from Penderyn in Wales.
- Premium wines. Our Estaciones range from Spain and the Wine Masters' Daily Selection, by the glass or the bottle.
- The full cocktail list. From a Bramble or a Negroni to a Piña Colada, an Espresso Martini or our signature Ambassador Cocktail.
- Speciality coffees. Irish Coffee, Ambassador Coffee with Baileys, French Coffee with Cointreau, Jamaican Coffee with Tia Maria, Monte Christo with Kahlúa and Explorer's Coffee with amaretto.
- Teapigs premium loose leaf teas and L'OR coffee. Served as Americano, Espresso, Cappuccino or Latte.
- Selected beers and ciders, including real ales in the Purple Turtle.
- Soft drinks, juices, mocktails and water by the glass.
- Gratuities and service charges included on eligible drinks.
Alcohol-free options are covered too, including Tanqueray 0.0%, Heineken 0% and a 0.0% alcohol-free rum.
Bottled water and cabin water are separate from the Premium Drinks Package. Still and sparkling cabin water bottles are charged at £2.00 each.
The Best Way to Buy the Premium Drinks Package
There are three routes, but book early for the best value.
- Recommended: select Ambassador Fare while booking your cruise. The Premium Drinks Package comes at a 15% discount alongside additional fare benefits, which makes this the best overall value.
- Already booked? Add the Premium Drinks Package through My Ambassador Sailing before departure. Advance prices are usually lower than onboard prices.
- On board. Subject to availability, the purchase deadline and onboard pricing.
Inclusions, prices and any savings vary by sailing season, so please check the terms that apply to your cruise.
Premium Drinks Package vs Ambassador Fare
You can buy the Premium Drinks Package on its own, though Ambassador Fare offers the best overall value when chosen during your initial cruise booking.
Ambassador Fare (recommended) | Premium Drinks Package bought separately | |
|---|---|---|
Time of purchase | At initial cruise booking | After booking, or on board |
Premium Drinks Package | Included | Included |
Additional fare benefits | Included | Not included |
Indicative saving | 15% discount | Not applicable |
Purchase route | Select Ambassador Fare when booking | My Ambassador Sailing, or on board |
Ambassador Fare is our most inclusive fare rather than a fully all-inclusive one. Optional onboard purchases and stated exclusions remain chargeable.
Premium Drinks Package Pricing
Prices depend on how long you are sailing and which season you are travelling in. Short cruises of 2 to 4 nights are priced as a total per person per cruise, with a separate rate for 2, 3 and 4 nights. Cruises of 5 to 29 nights and longer voyages of 30 to 69 nights are priced per person, per night, with a reduced daily rate on the longest sailings.
Advance prices are usually lower than onboard prices. Gratuities and service charges are included in the package price on eligible drinks.
Premium Brands and Drinks Menu
Every bar menu on board is marked with a key showing which drinks are included in each package and which carry a 50% discount, so you can see exactly what your package covers before you order.
Download the menu before you sail to browse the full list, including the stories behind the gins, whiskies and ales.
Water and the Premium Drinks Package
Water by the glass is included in the Premium Drinks Package. Bottled water and cabin water are separate, and still and sparkling cabin bottles are charged at £2.00 each.
If you would prefer unlimited refills, add the separate Water Package:
- Cruise Refill, bring your own bottle: £10.45, including unlimited refills for up to 14 nights.
- Refill with an Ambassador bottle: £18.85 for a 500ml aluminium bottle from selected bars, including free refills for up to 14 nights.
Ask the bar team about options on longer sailings.
Formerly the Expedition Drinks Package
The Premium Drinks Package is the refreshed name for the package previously known as the Expedition Drinks Package. Only the name has changed. The inclusions are exactly as they were.
If you booked under the old name, or you are searching for the Expedition Package, this is the page you want.
Compare All Ambassador Drinks Packages
Premium Drinks Package (formerly the Expedition Drinks Package) | Classic Drinks Package (formerly the Explorer Package) | Non-Alcoholic Drinks Package (formerly the Experience Package) | |
|---|---|---|---|
Best for | Widest choice and premium brands | Everyday wines, beers, spirits and cocktails | Alcohol-free refreshments |
Premium wines, spirits and cocktails | Included | 50% off from the bar | Not included |
House wines, house spirits, beers and ciders | Included | Included | Not included |
Speciality coffees and Teapigs teas | Included | 50% off from the bar | Not included |
Soft drinks, juices and mocktails | Included | Included | Included |
Water by the glass | Included | Included | Included |
Gratuities and service charges | Included | Included | Included |
Separate Water Package. Purchased as a standalone or added alongside any main package for unlimited refills. It is a utility option rather than a fourth drinks tier.
What to Try First
Our bar teams know these lists inside out. If you would like a starting point, these are worth your first evening.
Thyme to Gin, the Botanical Lounge signature, hand-crafted in house with coriander and thyme syrup, triple sec, lemon and cucumber. Brush the thyme sprig before your first sip.
Glen Grant 10 Year Old at Raffles, if you think you do not care much for whisky. Orchard fruit and butterscotch, long and quietly complex. Most people simply had not tried the right one yet.
The Piña Colada, our most-ordered cocktail, original or with a choice of strawberry, banana, kiwi or mango.
Sharp's Doom Bar in the Purple Turtle, named after the sandbank at the mouth of the Camel Estuary that has claimed over 600 vessels, and now the best-selling cask ale in Britain.
An Ambassador Coffee to finish, with Baileys Irish Cream and cream.
Premium Drinks Package FAQs
What is included in the Premium Drinks Package?
Premium spirits and wines, selected beers and ciders, the full cocktail list, speciality coffees, Teapigs teas, soft drinks, juices, mocktails and water by the glass. Gratuities and service charges are included on eligible drinks. Bottled water and cabin water are separate.
Which premium brands are included?
Gins include Silent Pool, Sipsmith, Drumshanbo Gunpowder, Tanqueray No. TEN and Bombay Sapphire. Whiskies include Glen Grant 10 Year Old, Johnnie Walker Black Label, Bushmills 10 Year Old Sherry Cask, Jura White Oak Cask and Penderyn. Selections may vary by sailing.
What counts as a speciality coffee?
Our liqueur coffees: Irish Coffee, Ambassador Coffee with Baileys, French Coffee with Cointreau, Jamaican Coffee with Tia Maria, Monte Christo with Kahlúa and Explorer's Coffee with amaretto. Standard L'OR coffees, served as Americano, Espresso, Cappuccino or Latte, are included too.
What is the best way to buy the Premium Drinks Package?
Choose Ambassador Fare during your initial cruise booking. The Premium Drinks Package is included alongside additional fare benefits.
Does Ambassador Fare include the Premium Drinks Package?
Yes, when you select Ambassador Fare while booking your cruise.
Is Ambassador Fare better value than buying the Premium Drinks Package separately?
Ambassador Fare offers the best overall value because it includes the Premium Drinks Package alongside additional fare benefits. Savings vary by sailing season.
Can I add the Premium Drinks Package after booking?
Yes, through My Ambassador Sailing before departure, subject to the purchase deadline for your sailing.
Is it cheaper to buy the package before sailing?
Advance prices are usually lower than onboard prices.
Are gratuities and service charges included?
Yes, in the package price on eligible drinks.
Is bottled water included in the Premium Drinks Package?
No. Water by the glass is included, though bottled and cabin water are separate. Cabin bottles are charged at £2.00 each. A refillable Water Package is available from £10.45 if you bring your own bottle, or £18.85 if you choose to purchase a 500ml aluminium bottle on board.
Are alcohol-free options included?
Yes. Tanqueray 0.0%, Heineken 0%, alcohol-free rum and the full mocktail list are all covered.
Is the Premium Drinks Package the same as the Expedition Drinks Package?
Yes. Only the name has changed.
Plan your time on board
Terms and Conditions
Updated August 2026
- The Ambassador Drinks Packages are only available to purchase for the entire duration of the cruise and if all occupants of the cabin purchase the same package.
- Drinks are for the consumption of the package purchaser/s only.
- Specific drinks brands, products and stock levels cannot be guaranteed and may vary by ship and throughout the duration of your cruise. We reserve the right to substitute products where necessary with an alternative of similar type and value.
- All Ambassador Drinks Packages exclude drinks/snacks from the cabin/suite mini bar and bottles of water (large and small). Tea and coffee ordered at the bars are also excluded from the Ambassador Drinks Packages, with the exception of the Ambassador Premium Drinks Package. Additionally, the package cannot offset the cost of, or be a substitution for, special or private events such as cocktail parties, blessings or similar.
- Premium teas and speciality coffees are included in the Ambassador Premium Drinks Package only.
- For the avoidance of doubt, for cruises of 2, 3 & 4 nights, prices are per person per cruise. For cruises of 5 nights or more, prices are based on per person per night. Ambassador Non-Alcoholic and Classic Drinks Packages are only available to guests aged 18 years and over.
- Ambassador Drinks Packages may be booked up to 7 days before the sailing date. If within 7 days of sailing, packages can only be purchased onboard, and the ‘Onboard Price’ will be applicable.
- Full payment is required 90 days before the sailing date, or at the time of booking if less than 90 days.
- Once within 14 days of departure, the cancellation of any ancillary items including Ambassador Drinks Packages, will be charged at 100% loss of monies and no refund will be applicable.
- Only one drink per person at any time may be ordered (minimum 15-minute wait between orders).
- All our drinks packages are non-transferable. Ordering drinks for other guests who are not on a drinks package, will result in the withdrawal of the benefit for the holder of the package i.e. with immediate effect the drinks package will be cancelled, and the guest will be required to purchase drinks from our standard menu. No refund for any withdrawn packages will be given.
- All drinks within the Ambassador Drinks Packages are served by the glass only.
- Please note that gratuities & service charges cannot be removed or adjusted if purchased within the package.
- Please note that the Ambassador Drinks Packages are only available for beverages served on board and does not extend to pre or post-cruise arrangements, hotels, flights or any establishment ashore. The cost of the Ambassador Drinks Packages are calculated on the cruise duration and not the entire holiday duration.
- Onboard purchase of the Ambassador Drinks Packages must be made within 24 hours of boarding the ship. For the avoidance of doubt, a cut-off date and time will be stipulated in the daily programme.
- The quantity of drinks that the ship can carry onboard is limited by the size of the vessel and certain drinks included within the Ambassador drinks packages may be unavailable from time to time, in which case no refund is allowed.
- No discounts are offered on bottles of wine, champagne or spirits.
- For the avoidance of doubt, available drinks included within each package are highlighted on the bar menus.
- Packages do not apply to the purchase of bottles of spirits, bottles of wine or any items offered in shops onboard.
- Ambassador Cruise Line reserves the right to introduce exclusions or limitations without prior notice.
- Any bottles and cans will be served opened.
- The ship's management reserves the right to refuse the service of alcohol at any time in accordance with our policy for the Responsible Service of Alcohol.
- The drinks package applies to the full advertised cruise duration, other than the day of disembarkation where drinks will be charged at the standard bar menu rate. For the avoidance of doubt if the cruise is advertised as a 7-night cruise, then 7 shall be applied as the multiplier to the price of the package.
- Standard spirit measures are 25ml
- In line with our responsible service of alcohol policy, bar staff may refuse service if a guest appears to be heavily intoxicated.
- Re:Water bottles in cabins aren’t included in any package and bottles are chargeable at the applicable rate of £2.00 each.
- Guests can purchase an unlimited refillable Aluminum water bottle from any food and dining outlet for £18.85.
- A water package can be purchased for £10.45 if you bring your own refillable water bottle.
- Water bottle refills are not included in the Non-Alcoholic, Classic and Premium Drinks Packages, but guests can have water by the glass which is included in all packages.
