Sober cruises: Cruise lines offer nonalcoholic drinks, resources

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Nathan Christiansen gets free drinks on Royal Caribbean International cruises. But instead of cocktails, he and his family use the perk to get sodas and coffees.

Although Christiansen, 44, gets the perk through his Diamond Plus status in the line’s Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program, he doesn’t drink alcohol but has found cruise ships have plenty of alternatives. “I don't mind hanging out at the pool when people are drinking, but especially these new ships, there's so much to do that I feel like if I was to drink or get drunk that I’d miss a bunch of stuff to do,” said Christiansen, who lives in Jacksonville, Florida, and typically takes two to three cruises a year. “That's not my vacation to go on.”

He’s not alone. A survey commissioned by NCSolutions found that nearly half of Americans plan to consume less alcohol in 2025, and 39% of Gen Z respondents said they would adopt a dry life. The company surveyed more than 1,100 U.S. drinking-age adults.

Though cruises may bring to mind piña coladas by the pool, there are plenty of options for sober passengers, from curated nonalcoholic drinks to onboard programming. But for travelers in recovery, the onboard environment can present challenges.

Here’s what to know.

What options do cruises have for sober travelers?

Cruise lines have leaned into lower- and nonalcoholic offerings in recent years.

Princess Cruises announced a stand-alone nonalcoholic bar menu in January. The Amore Princess Zero Alcohol Collection will feature drinks developed with the line’s mixologists, the team behind the renowned Barcelona bar Sips and celebrity mixologist Rob Floyd.

“At Princess, we’re committed to creating inclusive experiences for all of our guests,” Sami Kohen, the line’s vice president of food and beverage, said in a news release at the time. “The Amore Princess Zero Alcohol Collection reimagines what nonalcoholic drinks can be – delicious, sophisticated, and celebratory.”

Though Royal Caribbean had already offered some mocktails, the line included them on every bar and restaurant menu when it launched Icon of the Seas last year, and Seabourn launched a zero-proof mixology program, Zero @ Sea. Other cruise lines, including Virgin Voyages, have nonalcoholic and low ABV (alcohol by volume) options.

Cruise ships have also long hosted Friends of Bill W. meetings for passengers in recovery, said Dr. Alta DeRoo, chief medical officer at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. Those meetings are typically advertised in the daily schedule on board.

“It's not going to replace the circle in your home group, but it's going to be there for that person who may be feeling tempted, who needs to talk about smelling alcohol everywhere, who is concerned about an excursion that day when they pull into port,” she said.

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Are cruises good vacation options for sober travelers?

That depends. For some travelers, like Christiansen, who is not an alcoholic but prefers not to drink, alcohol on board “doesn't even really cross my mind.”

Others, however, may find the cruise environment – with its plentiful bars and drinks at restaurants – difficult. “I feel at times it can be inescapable when you're on a cruise ship and you see, hear and smell alcohol involved in so many activities,” DeRoo said.

That can be triggering to someone in early recovery. For those travelers, alternate menus with mocktails are not enough, DeRoo said. “The person in early recovery doesn't yet have those coping skills, that confidence to go out there and say no."

Though that period is difficult to define, DeRoo said, data show that after 12 months of sobriety, the chance of relapse “sharply” drops. That continues to decrease over time.

Beverage packages, which can include more than a dozen alcoholic drinks in a 24-hour period, make ordering drinks particularly easy. Cruise lines also offer nonalcoholic drink packages, but the specifics vary.

Carnival Cruise Line, for instance, offers a Bottomless Bubbles package that includes soda and juice, and other drinks such as zero-proof frozen cocktails are parts of its Cheers! package, according to its website. That package includes alcohol as well. Royal Caribbean, meanwhile, offers a Classic Soda package and a separate Refreshment package that includes soda along with nonalcoholic cocktails, specialty coffees and more.

If someone in recovery decides to take a cruise, she recommended they tell their sponsor or support group ahead of time. “Maybe check in with (your sponsor) every day,” she said. “Call them in crisis.” Cruise ships may also have onboard chapels, which DeRoo suggested guests use “for a place of serenity if you need it,” though some lines have been phasing out those spaces in recent years.

Travelers also could discuss anti-craving medications with their doctors.

Tips on how to travel sober: Sobriety is not an easy path, especially when traveling

‘A safe or like-minded community’

Some companies offer sober group trips on cruises, which gives passengers a built-in support network.

Hooked Alcohol Free Travel operates trips – including cruises – for groups typically of six to 16 guests. “What we do is just basically offer a safe or like-minded community on board,” said founder Darci Murray. The company has cruises scheduled with Virgin Voyages to the Caribbean this month and to Alaska with Princess in July.

The trips have an alcohol-free host, a role Murray usually fills. Schedules are flexible, allowing participants to go on excursions or pursue activities at their leisure, but she updates them on her whereabouts via WhatsApp. “They would have the option to join that one alcohol-free person at any time throughout the day,” she said. Participants can also bring “sober-supportive” guests with them.

On their first cruise with Virgin Voyages in 2024, guests scattered during the day for excursions or to explore ports in the Mediterranean. “But at the end of the day, every single person every single night showed up at the restaurant to share their days and have that dining experience with alcohol-free people,” she said.

Gratitude Cruises, another operator, offers programming including 12-Step meetings and keynote speakers for groups of 20 to 500. There is also a 24-hour fellowship station, a designated meeting point to get or give support.

There are upcoming Gratitude Cruises to Alaska with Royal Caribbean and an Antarctica expedition with Viking, among others, according to its website.

But even for those traveling on their own, Christiansen emphasized that fun at sea doesn’t have to involve alcohol. “There’s so many other options on a cruise that don't include drinking that you don't have to drink to have a good time.”

You can reach the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) and find information on Alcoholics Anonymous at aa.org.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for Paste BN based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.