A Cunard Signature Package is a bundled fare option, not a drinks-only product. Choosing it at the time of booking includes the Beverage Collection, Essential Wi-Fi and a speciality dining credit, all priced together rather than added on individually once you sail. The decision turns on four things: how much you typically drink, whether you would buy Wi-Fi at sea anyway, how often you would visit Cunard’s alternative restaurants, and whether the package bundle beats what the three components would cost separately.
This guide walks through the maths. If you want to see what’s currently available, our Cunard cruises page lists every sailing we hold and the relevant fare inclusions.
Call our specialists on 020 7947 0270 once you have a shortlist.
30-second view: which Signature Package suits which guest?
| You typically… | Package worth shortlisting |
|---|---|
| Drink wine with dinner and 1-2 cocktails or beers per day, and want Wi-Fi for emails and messaging | Signature Package |
| Prefer premium spirits, champagne or higher-end wines, and want Wi-Fi for streaming or video calls | Premium Signature Package |
| Rarely drink alcohol | Alcohol-Free Collection or Premium Alcohol-Free Collection, better value than skipping a package entirely |
| Travel as a couple where one drinks and one doesn’t | Either both buy the same package or neither, Cunard requires all adults in a cabin to match |
| Sailing 75+ nights (world cruise) | Premium Signature, value compounds over the voyage |
| Sailing 1-6 nights (transatlantic or short break) | Often no package, usage rarely justifies the cost |
The package’s value is more sensitive to drinking habits than to cruise length. Cunard’s same-cabin rule means a couple where one drinks little is choosing between two packages or zero. There is no middle ground.
What’s in each Cunard Signature Package?
Cunard Signature Package. The mid-tier bundled fare. Three components: the Beverage Collection (a daily allowance of wines by the glass, beers, soft drinks and selected cocktails up to a set menu price), Essential Wi-Fi (suitable for email, messaging and standard browsing), and a dining credit redeemable against Cunard’s alternative restaurants and select dining experiences. See our Cunard drinks packages page for the full inclusions list.
Cunard Premium Signature Package. The higher-tier bundled fare. Upgrades all three components: the Premium Beverage Collection (a wider selection of wines, cocktails and spirits at a higher menu price point, including champagne), Premium Wi-Fi (suitable for streaming, video calls and sharing high-resolution photos), and an increased dining credit for elevated dining experiences. Worth considering on longer voyages and on Queen Mary 2 transatlantic sailings where the alternative restaurant inventory is broader.
The split between the two packages is essentially a question of how often you’d reach for a £15+ glass of wine or a premium spirit, versus the standard pours covered in the lower-tier package.
What if you do not drink alcohol?
Cunard offers two dedicated alcohol-free packages that sit alongside the Signature Package structure rather than being skipped entirely. The Alcohol-Free Collection covers unlimited sodas, selected fruit juices and still or sparkling water. The Premium Alcohol-Free Collection adds mocktails, smoothies, speciality coffees, teas, hot chocolates and zero-alcohol beers and ciders. For non-drinkers and families travelling with children, one of these is usually better value than buying drinks individually onboard. Our specialists can advise on whether one of these works better than the standard Signature Package depending on your travelling party.
The dining credit, explained
The lesser-known feature of both packages: a dining credit redeemable across Cunard’s alternative restaurants and select dining experiences. The credit value is set at the time of booking and varies by sailing length and cabin grade, so our specialists confirm the exact figure for your specific cruise. As a rule, the longer the voyage and the higher the cabin grade, the larger the credit. The Premium Signature Package’s credit is always greater than the Signature Package’s for the same sailing.
Two things to know about the credit: it’s typically applied per cabin rather than per guest, and it doesn’t roll over from day to day. Use it or lose it. The credit alone is enough to cover one Verandah dinner for two on most voyages, which makes it the deciding feature for guests who’d otherwise skip the package.
When the package is worth buying
The break-even calculation is simpler than it looks. The Signature Package is good value if you’d buy three or more drinks per day at standard onboard prices, OR if you’d visit a speciality restaurant at least once during the voyage and want the lower-tier wines included. Below either threshold, the dining credit alone (purchased separately as a single-meal upgrade) usually beats the package.
The Premium Signature is harder to justify on shorter sailings. It pays back on cruises of 10+ nights where the premium spirits and higher-tier wines actually get consumed, and on world-cruise segments where the larger dining credit covers multiple speciality experiences.
“The package question is the one I ask earliest. A couple where both drink wine and eat in a speciality restaurant once should buy the Signature. A couple where one drinks little is usually better off with zero packages, because Cunard requires both guests in a cabin to choose the same option. The Premium only pays off on 10+ night voyages or when guests specifically drink premium spirits. The mistake I see is people defaulting to two Premium packages on a seven-night Queen Mary 2 crossing, at that length and spend, the maths almost never works out.”
Caitlin Richardson, Cruise Expert, Paramount Cruises
Booking rules worth knowing
Packages must be purchased before boarding or within the first 24 hours of the voyage. Adding mid-cruise costs more per day.
Both adults in a cabin must buy the same package if either chooses to add one. This is the rule that turns a “one of us drinks, one doesn’t” couple into either two packages or zero. Our specialists’ standard advice in that case is to skip the package, because the non-drinker effectively pays for value they won’t use.
Children in the cabin don’t need a package. They can purchase non-alcoholic add-ons separately.
The package is non-transferable and can’t be shared. Glasses are tied to your cabin keycard.
Refunds for unused portions are at Cunard’s discretion and rarely granted, so don’t buy “just in case”.
How Cunard Signature Packages compare to fare-inclusive lines
If the maths on a Cunard package looks marginal, it’s worth knowing that the luxury cruise market increasingly includes drinks and dining as standard. Lines like Silversea, Regent Seven Seas and Oceania build the equivalent of a Cunard Premium Signature Package into the headline fare. The trade-off is a higher base price, but on a per-night basis it can come out lower than Cunard fare-plus-package.
This isn’t a reason to switch lines, Cunard’s appeal is the ship experience and the Britishness, not the inclusion structure. But it’s worth knowing when comparing total holiday cost across operators.
Talking to a specialist before you book
Our specialists book Cunard departures every week and can run the package maths for your specific itinerary, party and cabin grade. The answer is rarely the same for two different bookings, and the dining credit nuance is the most under-used lever in the calculation.
FAQs
Are Cunard Signature Packages worth it on a transatlantic?
Usually yes for Queen Mary 2 transatlantic crossings, where the speciality dining inventory (Verandah, the Britannia Club) makes the dining credit easy to spend. The seven-night format also matches the package’s break-even point well.
Can I share a Cunard Signature Package with my partner?
No. Packages are tied to your keycard and can’t be shared. Cunard also requires all adults in a shared cabin to select the same package, so “one of us has it, one of us doesn’t” isn’t an option in the same stateroom.
Do Cunard Signature Packages cover the Queens Grill or Princess Grill?
The package covers wines and drinks across all dining venues. The dining credit applies to speciality restaurants (e.g. Verandah) rather than to the Grills, which are already a separate inclusive fare grade.
Can I add a package after I board?
Cunard Signature Packages are designed to be added pre-sail, with booking windows opening in stages based on your sail date. Pre-booking through Cunard or your travel agent before you sail is the most reliable way to secure a package, and it’s where the up-to-30% saving applies.
Is the Premium Signature Package worth the upgrade?
On 10+ night sailings, often yes. On shorter cruises, the maths rarely supports it unless you specifically drink premium spirits or champagne regularly.
What if I don’t drink alcohol?
Both the Signature and Premium Signature Packages include the Premium Alcohol-Free Collection: unlimited sodas, juices, mocktails, speciality coffees and waters. Cunard also previously offered an Alcohol-Free Collection as a standalone, so confirm the current line-up at booking.
Can I upgrade the Signature Package mid-voyage?
Cunard does not confirm a published mid-voyage upgrade policy on the public Signature Package page. If you want to switch from the Signature to the Premium Signature Package after boarding, speak to guest services on board, who will advise on a case-by-case basis.
Plan your Cunard cruise with Paramount Cruises
Browse our full range of Cunard cruises for current itineraries and prices, or call our specialists on 020 7947 0270 to plan a sailing around your dates, preferred ship and package choice.
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