It is time for Norwegian Cruise Line fans to stop drinking.

The world's fourth-largest cruise line this week announced plans to hike the cost of its top-tier drinks package to an eye-breaking $138 per person per day.

The Premium Plus beverage package is the most expensive at any other major cruise line.

The drinks packages for major cruise brands are around $60 to $90 per person per day.

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The automatic 20% gratuity charge that the line adds to all drinks package purchases is one of the highest such charges in the cruise business.

The Premium Plus beverage package will cost $165.60 per person per day on New Year's Day. For a seven-night cruise, that works out to $1,159.20.

A gratuity charge is added to drinks package purchases.

Norwegian's Premium Plus beverage package is a flat fee package that can be used to order a wide range of beverages by the glass including top-shelf spirits, cocktails, beer and wine, as well as specialty coffee drinks.

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There is a guide to the Norwegian Cruise Line.

It can be used to place an order for premium bottles of champagne and wine. You can get a 40% discount on other bottles of wine.

The Premium Plus beverage package has no drink cost limit. Some lines only allow passengers with top-tier drinks packages to order drinks that cost up to a set dollar amount.

Norwegian will raise the price of its drinks package on New Year's Day, as well as raising the price of a less expensive drinks package that has a cap on the price of drinks that can be ordered. The unlimited open bar beverage package is currently priced at 99 cents per person per day. The price is $109 per person per day.

The Corks and Caps Wine and Beer package costs $65 per day and only includes beer, wine, soda and juices. The price will stay the same on New Year's Day.

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Drinks from in-room minibars are not included in the packages.

Norwegian didn't have a statement on why it was raising its drinks package costs, according to a spokesman. In recent months, many cruise lines have cited rising expenses caused by the soaring rate of inflation in North America and other places as a way to offset rising onboard and ticket revenue.

If one passenger in a cabin purchases a drinks package, everyone in the same cabin, as well as other cabins tied to the same method of payment, must purchase the package, too. Children are charged for a package that isn't alcoholic.

The rule was put in place to stop passengers from sharing a single drink package.

Passengers are not allowed to buy a drinks package one day at a time. They have to buy it for the whole sailing.

The bill for a seven-night cruise on Norwegian's Premium Plus beverage package will be $2,318.40 per cabin if two people stay in a cabin.

A drinks package on a Norwegian ship will not cost you a lot. A growing number of Norwegian's customers are getting the line's unlimited open bar package for free when booking a cruise as part of the line's frequent free at sea promotions

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