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Should You Purchase Bottomless Bubbles For Your Carnival Cruise?

I love to cruise, and I’ve become to de facto expert amongst my friends and family. One of the most common questions? Should I purchase Carnival’s Bottomless Bubbles package?

Carnival paradise stack

The answer depends on who you are. Personally, I never purchase it because I am not a pop drinker.

For shorter cruises, you may be better off bringing your own cans of soda on board. You know you can do that (within reason), right?

But if you enjoy pop with your meals and as you lounge by the pool, this may be the perfect solution to you, but there’s still a lot to know about Carnival’s Bottomless Bubbles program.

Looking for more cruising advice? Check out more tips at the end of this article.

What soda does Carnival serve?

Carnival used to be a Coke destination. However, as of January, 2020, they now serve Pepsi products on board.

This is a major change, and if you are not a Pepsi drinker, you probably want to skip Bottomless Bubbles for that reason alone.

What Pepsi Products does Carnival now serve?

The good news? The Pepsi products are pretty wide ranging and cover more types of drinks than the agreement with Coke used to. If there’s something Pepsi makes that you like, you’re probably going to find it on the ship.

The drinks include:

  • Pepsi
  • Diet Pepsi
  • Pepsi Zero Sugar
  • Caffeine Free Pepsi
  • Diet Pepsi Caffeine Free
  • Sierra Mist
  • Sierra Mist Zero Sugar
  • Mug Root Beer
  • Diet Mug Root Beer
  • MTN Dew
  • Diet MTN Dew
  • Bubly Lime Sparkling Water
  • Bubly Grapefruit Sparkling Water
  • Bubly Orange Sparkling Water
  • Naked Green Machine
  • Naked Mighty Mango
  • Naked Strawberry Banana
  • Half Naked Lively Greens
  • Half Naked Peach with Ginger
  • Pure Leaf Honey Green Tea
  • Pure Leaf Tea & Lemonade
  • Pure Leaf Unsweetened Black Tea
  • Pure Leaf Sweet Tea
  • Gatorade Lemon Lime
  • Gatorade Fruit Punch
  • Propel Electrolyte Water
  • Propel Strawberry Raspberry
  • Propel Peach Mango
  • Starbucks Frappuccino
  • Starbucks Double Shot Espresso

Does that mean I can enjoy all those Pepsi products with Bottomless Bubbles?

That would be easy, wouldn’t it? The basics are included in the Bottomless Bubbles package. If you want the more specialty drinks, you’ll need to pay for them separately or purchase the Cheers package.

Side note: With the Cheers package, your pop is included. So is the specialty coffee, milkshakes, and more products.

If you purchase the Bottomless Bubbles package, however, plan to enjoy:

  • Pepsi
  • Diet Pepsi
  • Pepsi Zero Sugar
  • Caffeine Free Pepsi
  • Diet Pepsi Caffeine Free
  • Sierra Mist
  • Sierra Mist Zero Sugar
  • Mug Root Beer
  • Diet Mug Root Beer
  • MTN Dew
  • Diet MTN Dew
  • Bubly Lime Sparkling Water
  • Bubly Grapefruit Sparkling Water
  • Bubly Orange Sparkling Water

That’s still a wide range of choices and if you drink soda, this should generally cover your needs.

Is anything else included with Bottomless Bubbles?

Yes, Bottomless Bubbles includes juices in addition to pop. That means you can enjoy your orange juice, cranberry juice, tomato juice, pineapple juice, and grapefruit juice for breakfast or all day long.

Note that bottled water, specialty coffees, etc are not included in the Bottomless Bubbles program.

The juices listed are available all day long, while juice is available for free only during breakfast hours – and not all those juices come at no cost.

What drinks are free on board Carnival cruise ships?

Thankfully, you can get a free drink 24/7 on the ship. That includes water, coffee, tea, and more, some of which depends on the time of day.

You can always get “tap” water for free, both in the dining room and throughout the ship. The water is filtered and tastes great, so for most people, there’s no need to purchase bottled water on the ship.

In mornings, you have your choice of water, milk, black coffee (with cream, sugar, etc available), hot water and tea bags, as well as orange juice, apple juice, and passion-guava juice. Find those both on the Lido deck in the beverage dispensers and in the dining room.

After breakfast hours, the Lido deck swaps out the juice for lemonade and iced tea. The other options remain, and you have the same options within the dining rooms.

Can I bring my own drinks on board?

Well… yes and no. Carnival allows each person to bring a single 12 pack of 12 ounce cans of soda, as well as a single 750 ml bottle of wine for those 21 and older.

You aren’t limited to pop, however. You can choose to bring sparkling water, sodas, energy drinks, juice, and milk – but they have to be in metal cans or in cartons, and each must be 12 ounces or less.

They have to be sealed, and the most important part? They have to be in your carry on luggage that gets scanned as you board the ship with you. If you put it in your bags that you give to the porter on the dock, you will not see it again until the end of the cruise.

You cannot bring water on board, nor can you bring other alcohol, though you can purchase them through the Fun Shops before you board, and they’ll be waiting in your stateroom.

So how much does Bottomless Bubbles cost?

Bottomless Bubbles costs $8.50 per day for adults, and $5.95 per day for those 17 and under. This does not include 18% gratuity that is automatically added.

In addition, if you are in US waters, sales tax gets charged for each drink you order. If you order a $2 pop and sales tax is 10% where you happen to be, you will see $0.20 added to your folio account each time you order.

With each order of pop costing $2 and juice costing $2.50, if you plan to drink 4 or more in a day, this package is a deal for you.

Where can I not have Bottomless Bubbles?

The biggest restriction is that Bottomless Bubbles is not available on European itineraries. If you sail to Europe, plan to pay for each drink.

In addition, Bottomless Bubbles doesn’t work for the drinks that Carnival sells on the gangway as you enter or leave the ship to go to port. Instead, bring a reusable water bottle, order your pop from a bar on the ship, and transfer it to your bottle.

You also cannot use it on Carnival’s private islands, so don’t count on free soda at Half Moon Cay or Princess Cays.

Can I order Bottomless Bubbles for just one day?

Nope, Bottomless Bubbles is for the entire cruise. If you want it, you’re committing to the length of your cruise.

That also means that you have to purchase Bottomless Bubbles either on the day you leave port or the next day. After that first full day of your cruise, Bottomless Bubbles is no longer available.

Is it cheaper to order Bottomless Bubbles before I sail?

With the Cheers package, you basically get a 10% discount if you order it before you leave port. However, Bottomless Bubbles costs the same whether you purchase it online or on the ship.

You can find stands all over the ship the first day where you can add it to your account and get your sticker. You can also purchase it at any of the bars on board.

Note that especially the first day, these may be busy areas, so you may want to order it in advance just to save yourself some time.

Does everyone in my cabin have to purchase Bottomless Bubbles?

Unlike the Cheers program, at this point, Carnival does not require that everyone in your cabin purchase Bottomless Bubbles.

If you like pop but your husband doesn’t, you can get it. If your kids drink soda like it’s going out of style, they can get it, but you don’t have to.

Does that mean I can share the pop I get?

Absolutely not. The package is for your personal use only. If you share your pop with others, Carnival will cancel your Bottomless Bubbles package.

That means you can no longer enjoy your juice and pop, but you still have to pay for the package. No one wants that penalty so play by the rules and don’t try to cheat!

How much pop can I drink in a day?

The Bottomless Bubbles is an unlimited program. You can order 5 times or 50, and no one will bat an eye.

The only caveat is that you have to wait at least 5 minutes between each time you order, which isn’t unreasonable.

How do they know I have Bottomless Bubbles?

When you purchase Bottomless Bubbles, you get a sticker that goes on your Sign and Sail card. That is the magic clue to let bartenders know you’re part of the program.

Don’t take it off!

You will still have to have your sign and sail card swiped each time and sign each time, so be aware.

So is Carnival’s Bottomless Bubbles package worth it?

You have to know yourself, but if you travel on a 5 day cruise, you can bring a 12 pack of pop on board with you. That’s more than 2 cans a day. Will you drink another 4 beverages outside the complimentary ones each day?

If so, then get the package. It’s also helpful and handy for kids who may or may not have the realization of exactly how much they just ordered that day.

On the other hand, if you plan to drink water or lemonade, coffee, and just a little soda each day, bring your pop on board with you and purchase your items on a one off basis.

Do you have more questions about Carnival’s Bottomless Bubbles package? Let me know!

More great cruise tips you need to know:

Bottomless Bubbles question

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