Is P&O all-inclusive worth it?
Classic is worth considering if every adult in your cabin would otherwise buy the Classic drinks package. Deluxe suits you if you also want premium drinks and Ultimate Wi-Fi, at £59 per person per day on 5 to 14 night cruises.
When is paying as you go better?
Paying as you go may suit you better if one of you drinks little, you are happy without paid internet, or you prefer the included restaurants. Every adult in the cabin must buy the same package, and you cannot remove it without cancelling the cruise and rebooking.
Are tips and shuttle buses included?
Tips are already included in every P&O fare. Optional port shuttle buses are included with Select Price. Transport needed to leave the port is free for everyone.
Over seven nights, Classic is £343 per person, or £686 for two adults, on top of the fare. Set that against what you would normally spend on drinks, internet and speciality meals. This guide covers current prices and booking terms, not what life on board is like.
What the all-inclusive package includes
Each package combines a drinks package, Wi-Fi and a speciality dining credit, at £49 (Classic) or £59 (Deluxe) per person per day on 5 to 14 night cruises.
P&O sells two optional packages, Classic and Deluxe, for cruises of five nights or more. You can combine either with Select Price, Early Saver or Saver. The package sits on top of your fare.
| All-inclusive package | 5 to 14 nights, per person per day | 15+ nights, per person per day |
|---|---|---|
| Classic | £49 | £45 |
| Deluxe | £59 | £55 |
1. Classic or Deluxe drinks
The package includes the matching Classic or Deluxe drinks package. Deluxe has a wider range of premium drinks. Check P&O's drinks package details against what you actually order. If Classic already covers your usual choices, a premium label adds little.
Both allow up to 15 alcoholic drinks a day. That is a limit, not a measure of value. Non-alcoholic drinks in the package are unlimited. After 15, you pay full price less 20%. Drinks are served one at a time, at least 15 minutes apart.
2. Essential or Ultimate Wi-Fi
Classic includes Essential Wi-Fi for browsing, email and social media. Deluxe includes Ultimate, which adds streaming and faster connections. P&O includes one device per guest. You can register more than one device on a plan, but only one can be online at a time. Children who receive only the free Refresh drinks package do not get Wi-Fi.
P&O publishes what it charges for the same plans on their own:
| Standalone Wi-Fi, one device | Whole cruise, per day | Seven nights | Pay as you go, per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | £15.50 | £108.50 | £25 |
| Ultimate | £23 | £161 | £35 |
These totals use P&O's displayed whole-cruise rates. P&O also advertises a saving of 10% or more for buying Wi-Fi in advance, so your advance quote may be lower. They count towards a package's value only if you would really have bought that plan. Our cruise Wi-Fi guide can help you decide whether you need internet at sea.
3. A speciality dining credit
The credit is per person, per cruise, not a daily allowance.
| Cruise length | Classic, per person | Deluxe, per person |
|---|---|---|
| 5 to 9 nights | £20 | £30 |
| 10 to 14 nights | £40 | £60 |
| 15+ nights | £55 | £80 |
You can spend it in speciality restaurants and cafés with chargeable food menus, on any day of the cruise, including Celebration Nights. P&O adds it to your on-board account, and you must book on board. It cannot pay for a restaurant reservation made in advance through My P&O Cruises. Cancelling a reservation to rebook on board may cost you your preferred restaurant or time.
The credit cannot be transferred or swapped for cash, and shore experiences are not included. P&O applies it automatically to on-board purchases, so do not assume it covers shopping or spa treatments.
What it doesn't include
"All-inclusive" covers these three extras. It does not make everything free once you board.
Your fare already includes meals in the main restaurants and buffet, entertainment, pools and most facilities. Tips are included too, whichever fare you choose, so there is no daily crew charge to add to your budget. Shore excursions and spa treatments stay separate, speciality meals can cost more than your credit, and drinks outside the package still add up. The restaurants vary by ship. Allow separately for getting to Southampton: only Select Price offers parking or a return coach, and as one of three alternatives.
Select Price, Early Saver or Saver?
Choosing a fare and choosing a package are separate decisions. Buying all-inclusive does not turn a Saver booking into Select Price.
Compare the same ship, sailing and cabin grade. These are the differences that matter most:
| Fare feature | Select Price | Early Saver | Saver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabin number | You choose | P&O assigns | P&O assigns, up to the day before departure |
| Dining time and table size | First priority | Second priority | Third priority |
| Cabin upgrades | First priority | Second priority | Third priority |
| On-board money, Southampton parking or return coach | One of the three, on cruises of 7+ nights | Not included | Not included |
| Optional port shuttle buses | Included where they run | Not listed as included | Not listed as included |
Select's spending money, parking and coach are alternatives: you choose one, not all three. Parking is only useful if you drive to Southampton. On-board money only offsets the fare premium for things you would have bought anyway.
Select Price includes P&O's optional port shuttle buses where they run. Early Saver and Saver do not list them, so allow for a charge where one applies. Transport needed to get out of the port is free on every fare. That is different from an optional shuttle to the town centre, and neither runs at every destination. See P&O's fare comparison and its guidance on life on board.
Select offers conditional flexibility to change your booking before the balance due date, subject to P&O's terms. Saver is paid in full at booking and carries a 100% cancellation charge from that day.
The rules worth reading
Everyone in the cabin counts
Every guest aged 18 or over in the cabin must buy the same package. You cannot give one adult Classic and the other Deluxe, or buy for the keen drinker alone. P&O requires at least two packages per cabin unless you are travelling solo. Compare the cost for everyone who must buy with what they would really spend.
If you book several cabins, a package chosen in one website transaction applies to all of them. Through P&O's Contact Centre you can buy for one cabin only.
What do children pay?
These rules apply to children aged 17 or under, by their position on the booking. The free benefit is a Refresh soft drinks package. It does not make their cruise fare free.
| Child's position in the cabin | Package charge | What they get |
|---|---|---|
| With two or more paying adults | Free | Refresh soft drinks only. No Wi-Fi, no dining credit |
| Guest two, travelling with one adult | Full adult package price | Refresh in place of the alcoholic drinks, plus Wi-Fi and dining credit |
| Guest three, four or five | Free | Refresh only. No Wi-Fi, no dining credit |
Every adult pays, including a third or fourth adult in the cabin. With one adult and two children, the child shown as guest two pays the adult price and the child shown as guest three has no package charge.
The rule follows each child's position on the booking, so check the positions and benefits on your confirmation, and do not count on changing the order to lower the bill. These are the all-inclusive rules. A drinks-only package has its own family terms. If a child's birthday falls near your dates, ask P&O which age limit applies to your booking.
Adding, upgrading and removing
Adding to an existing booking. P&O offers it through the "Already booked" section of its all-inclusive page, its Contact Centre or your travel agent. P&O began opening existing bookings in March 2026, and availability depends on your sailing. If you already hold a drinks or Wi-Fi package, work out what you would lose before replacing it.
Upgrading Classic to Deluxe. P&O's FAQ says you can, through the Customer Contact team or your agent. Confirm the price and availability for your booking. You cannot downgrade Deluxe to Classic.
Removing it. P&O's terms say you must cancel the cruise and rebook without the package. Standard cancellation charges apply and fees may be charged, and P&O calls packages non-refundable and non-transferable. Treat the package as a commitment you cannot cheaply reverse.
Peninsular Club discount
Members get 5% off the package on selected Peninsular Club discounted cruises, and only if they choose it when they book the cruise. Membership alone does not make every sailing eligible.
Fly-cruises and protection
If a flight disrupts your cruise, raise it with P&O as well as the airline. ATOL and ABTA protection cover insolvency, not every disruption.
On P&O fly-cruises, the flights and airport-to-ship transfers named in your booking are part of the holiday, so P&O is the package organiser. The airline running a charter does not remove P&O's own responsibilities, and the two claims are separate.
P&O's flight packages have ATOL protection, and its non-flight packages sold in the UK have ABTA financial protection. Travel insurance is mandatory, with medical and repatriation cover of at least £2 million. If you book from outside the UK, confirm the seller, the terms and the protection before you pay.
Seven-night package costs
Over seven nights, Classic all-inclusive costs £343 per person (£686 for two) and Deluxe £413 per person (£826 for two), on top of the fare. Neither drinks-only option below includes Wi-Fi or a dining credit.
| Seven nights | Per person | Two adults |
|---|---|---|
| Classic drinks, standard on-board price | £385 | £770 |
| Classic drinks, advance price | £343 | £686 |
| Classic all-inclusive | £343 | £686 |
| Deluxe drinks, standard on-board price | £455 | £910 |
| Deluxe drinks, advance price | £406 | £812 |
| Deluxe all-inclusive | £413 | £826 |
On 5 to 14 night cruises, Classic drinks cost £55 per person per day on board or £49 in advance. Deluxe costs £65 on board or £58 in advance. "In advance" means bought with the cruise or up to three days before sailing. On cruises of 15 nights or more, Classic is £50 on board or £45 in advance, and Deluxe is £60 or £54.
Classic all-inclusive costs the same as the advance drinks price, so the Wi-Fi and the £20 dining credit per person come at no extra charge. Buying Essential Wi-Fi for one device separately would add £108.50 per person, or less with P&O's advance saving.
Is Deluxe worth £70 more?
Two comparisons answer different questions.
- Classic to Deluxe all-inclusive: £70 more per person over seven nights (£140 for two). It buys premium drinks, Ultimate Wi-Fi and £10 more dining credit.
- Deluxe all-inclusive instead of Deluxe drinks alone: £7 more per person (£14 for two), £413 against £406 at the advance rates. That £7 buys Ultimate Wi-Fi and a £30 dining credit.
If you already want Deluxe drinks and would pay for streaming-quality internet, the package is the better buy. If Classic drinks and Essential Wi-Fi would do, Deluxe is a £70 upgrade for things you may not use. Ultimate sits £52.50 above Essential on P&O's standalone rates (£161 against £108.50), a saving only if you would otherwise have bought Ultimate.
Do not upgrade for the dining credit alone: it is £10 more per person against an extra £70.
P&O advertises savings of up to 32%. That figure uses a cruise of 15 nights or more and on-board prices for each element, so it is not the saving on seven nights.
When it works, and when it doesn't
| Worth considering if... | Think twice if... |
|---|---|
| Every paying adult wants a drinks package | One of you drinks little or nothing |
| You would buy Wi-Fi anyway | You are happy to disconnect |
| You want speciality dining and can book on board | You prefer included meals or have already paid for reservations |
| You like knowing the cost in advance | You want to keep your options open |
Is P&O all-inclusive worth it? The verdict
Classic makes a strong case if you already plan to buy Classic drinks. Deluxe makes sense only if you want Deluxe drinks and would pay for Ultimate Wi-Fi.
The catch is the commitment: every adult must buy, family charges can surprise you, and removing the package means cancelling and rebooking. It is a poor upgrade from Classic if you only want the larger dining credit.
If you would skip paid Wi-Fi and stick to the included restaurants, the decision comes down to drinks, and our drinks package guide explains how to judge them. If you drink lightly, paying for the odd drink, meal or connection may leave you better off.
How we checked
We read P&O's all-inclusive page and FAQs, promotion terms, drinks and Wi-Fi pages, fare comparison and booking conditions on 21 and 22 October 2026. The seven-night totals are our arithmetic. P&O is not in our calculator. Our onboard price reference lists the line's figures beside other UK lines. See our methodology.
Keep reading
- British cruise lines compared 2027: which should you choose?
- Deposits, final payment and onboard card holds
- P&O name changes, price rises and unused credit
- Are cruise drink packages worth it?
- Cruise Wi-Fi explained
- Onboard cost reference
- Marella Cruises all-inclusive 2027
- Fred. Olsen drinks package 2027
- Ambassador Cruises 2027
- Saga Cruises 2027
- More International guides
Sources
Official P&O pages, read 21 and 22 October 2026:
- All-inclusive packages and FAQs
- Promotion terms
- Drinks packages, Classic and Deluxe
- Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi terms
- Our prices explained, what's included and life on board
- Booking conditions, Caribbean fly-cruises, insurance and overseas booking guidance
- Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, legislation.gov.uk
CruiseClarify is written by someone who worked behind the Purser's Desk at a major cruise line — handling guest accounts, disputed charges, and the end-of-cruise bills that caught guests off guard — and who has sailed as a guest with 10 cruise lines. We keep it independent: no affiliate links, no advertising, no sponsored content. This guide is general information, not financial advice; your booking conditions and the cruise line's current terms decide what you pay. See our Methodology.