Doral, Florida - Will Carnival become the latest cruise line to jump on the all-you-can-drink, alcohol-included beverage package bandwagon - joining lines like Celebrity, Oceania, and MSC? Perhaps so.

According to Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen, if the trial run of the "My Awesome Bar Program," - which has been ongoing aboard Carnival Victory since its August 5th departure - is a success, the beverage package could be rolled out to the entire fleet.

The per-cruise cost for the My Awesome Bar Program is $42.95 per person per day, plus a 15 percent gratuity. Purchasers can partake of a wide variety of wine, beer, and spirits, as well as sodas, bottled water, and non-alcoholic frozen cocktails throughout their cruise. Specialty coffee is not part of the program.

All included beverages, including wines by the glass, beers, and individual cocktails, must be less than $10 to qualify for inclusion. Program participants who want to purchase bottles of wine and Champagne, as well as more expensive wines by the glass and cocktails will receive a 25 percent discount. Participants can order one drink at a time.

Passengers can sign up for My Awesome Bar Program at Carnival Victory's atrium and casino bars, as well as at the main pool bar.

There is a catch: if one passenger wants to purchase the beverage package, then all passengers ages 21 years and up in the same cabin must also purchase the package. Though Carnival would not comment on the reasons behind this requirement, it does make the possible issue of two people in one cabin "sharing” a plan moot.

Gulliksen touted convenience and value as reasons the line is exploring all-inclusive beverage options. The length of the test period had not yet been determined.

Of the other cruise lines that offer similar types of unlimited beverage packages, only MSC also requires all passengers in the same cabin to purchase the package, making the Carnival and MSC options the most expensive per cabin of all the programs.

Royal Caribbean also offers an unlimited beverage package, though only on three of its most international ships. They and Holland America both offer discounts on pre-purchased wine bundles.

Source: CruiseCritic.com