Beverages trends range from non-alcoholic to sustainable cocktails, even THC (cannabis) drinks, according to a panel of cruise line beverage executives at the recent Marine Hotel Association’s annual conference and trade show in Naples.
“For us, one trend is sustainable cocktails with repurposed ingredients, and there is also a focus on clarifying cocktails we are introducing aboard our ships,” said Michelle Solorzano, vice president of food and beverage supply chain for Norwegian Cruise Line.
She noted that the beverage category is huge with around 1,500 items for her fleet, including dry, frozen and chilled items.
Speaking for the Royal Caribbean Group, Konchok Tsering, a food and beverage procurement specialist, said the list of items can be even larger, noting that 80 percent are the same for both the Royal Caribbean and Celebrity brands, whereas Silversea has a much more complex selection, based on regional choices reflected in the line’s S.A.L.T. (Sea And Land Taste) concept.
While THC drinks may be trending, they may not be relevant to cruise and not to Princess as its guests tend to be on the older side, according to Sara Hancock, director of beverage operations.
Keith Shoemaker, senior manager, strategic sourcing for Virgin Voyages, said that infused beverages are the current rage in addition to zero proof and mocktails.
Beverage offerings are not standing still, however. At Princess, Hancock said that while the cruise line has its core selection of spirits, it also offers regional selections.
“With an additional ship in Asia, we are now focused on our Asia programming and working on revitalizing the beverage program for the two ships there,” she said.
“Our regional Caribbean program is also being revitalized,” she added. “We are using AI to better ascertain what is moving on a regional level. It is a micro focus on regions.”
“We have a good opportunity to promote new brands in the hospitality space going forward,” said Virgin’s Shoemaker
“We are also seeing more premium brands and lesser-known brands from around the globe coming into the spirits space. But it takes a bit longer to gain traction, especially if the products are not visible in bars or liquor stores.”
“For Norwegian, we have a brand mandate,” said Solorzano. “That covers all the brands we carry onboard, while we typically review and revise the brand mandate on a yearly basis.”
But despite the trends, the top sellers at sea continue to be piña coladas, margaritas and daiquiris, according to Solorzano.
Excerpted from the Summer 2026 Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine.
