Embarking on a Royal Caribbean cruise promises an extraordinary vacation filled with breathtaking destinations, exhilarating activities, and unparalleled entertainment.
Among the numerous perks and amenities offered by this renowned cruise line, the availability of drink packages stands out as a delightful indulgence for those seeking a complete vacation experience.
With so many drink packages to choose from, making sure you choose the right one for you and your family might be more difficult than it sounds! Once you’ve chosen your package, you will need to make the most of it and this can be tricky as well.
That’s why we’ve written this guide to the drink packages offered on Royal Caribbean cruises. We will explore the various package options available and explain what each package offers to guests.
Additionally, we will share insider tips to help you maximize the value of your drink package, such as understanding the package inclusions, navigating onboard bars and lounges, and taking advantage of special events and promotions.
Royal Caribbean has a vast array of drink options on board that cater to every passenger. This guide will help you ensure you get the best deal for you, regardless of whether you’re a cocktail connoisseur, a wine enthusiast, or simply enjoy a refreshing beverage by the pool.
What Are Royal Caribbean Drink Packages?
Drink packages allow you to pay one flat fee that will then cover all of the drinks you consume during your cruise. They’re usually charged at a per-person, per-day rate, and the prices will differ depending on the package and the ship.
They can be a cost-effective way to enjoy your cruise, especially if you plan to do a lot of drinking during your time on board!
No matter which Royal Caribbean cruise you sail on, there will be drink packages available. It doesn’t matter where the cruise is heading or how many days you spend on the ship, you will have the option to purchase a package.
The packages cover you pretty much throughout the ship as well. This means that you can get a drink as part of your package at the pool, in a restaurant, or in a bar.
Some specialty restaurants on the ship may have their own special or themed drinks that aren’t part of your package, but you should still be able to find some drinks that are.
All Royal Caribbean ships are cashless and every passenger, including kids, receives a SeaPass card when they board. This is an all-purpose card that is used to give you access to parts of the ship as well as keep track of your purchases.
If you purchase a drinks package, your SeaPass card will reflect this and you can use it to order your drinks in the same way you would if you were to order drinks a la carte.
How To Purchase
You can purchase a Royal Caribbean drinks package either before you sail or while you’re onboard. Typically, the packages are cheaper if purchased in advance compared to being purchased on the ship so it is in your best interests to buy them before your vacation.
Your package will be for the entirety of your cruise and you can’t pick and choose days. This means that if you purchase the package in advance, it will be for every day of your cruise. If you purchase the package on the ship, it will be for the remainder of your cruise.
For example, if you are booked on a seven-day cruise and purchase the package in advance, it will be for the entire seven days. If you don’t purchase it in advance and instead purchase it on the cruise on day four of your cruise, it will cover days five to seven.
In the case of short cruises that are three nights or less, you may not be able to purchase them in advance and will have to wait until you set sail.
Gratuities
One understated benefit of Royal Caribbean drink packages is that all gratuities are included in the package. You don’t need to worry about paying for a gratuity with each drink you order as these are all taken care of.
You will have the option to leave an additional tip if you feel that the situation warrants it, but they won’t be expected as they are with a la carte drink purchases.
For Larger Parties
A potential problem with Royal Caribbean drink packages is that you can’t pick and choose members of your party to have a package and some not.
If you are traveling in a group of four, for example, and two are of legal drinking age, then you can’t choose the Deluxe Beverage Package (the only one that includes alcohol) for only one adult. Both will need to have the package.
This only applies to groups traveling in the same stateroom. If you’re traveling as a larger group and are spread across several staterooms, then will have more leeway.
If you’re sharing a stateroom with an adult that can’t drink for health or religious reasons or because they are pregnant, you can get a different package for them.
However, you will need to contact Royal Caribbean directly to arrange this as the online booking system doesn’t have the facility to offer different packages to adults in the same stateroom.
A La Carte Prices
Before you consider whether a Royal Caribbean drinks package is for you, it is wise to look at the prices of a la carte drinks.
The drinks packages are undoubtedly good value for anyone that is likely to drink a lot while on board, but if you don’t expect to drink as much, they can be a waste of money.
There are alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks served on Royal Caribbean ships and there are drink packages that cover both options as well. Even if you don’t intend to drink a lot of alcohol, there may still be a package that will suit you.
Here are the prices you’ll typically pay for a la carte drinks during your cruise.
Soda: $3.50
Coffee: $4-$5.50
Alcohol-free cocktails: $7
Beer: $7.49-$7.00
Hard ciders: $8
Wine (glass): $8-$14
Liquors: $10-$14
Cocktails: $13-$14
Wine (bottles): $29-$58
These are just example prices and can differ depending on the cruise liner and current market prices.
They should hopefully give you an idea of how much you’ll possibly spend on drinks per day and this should help you decide whether the drink packages are worth it for you and your party.
The Royal Caribbean Drink Packages
Currently, there are four different drink packages available on Royal Caribbean cruises. They all cater to different tastes so no matter what type of drinks you prefer, there should be a package for you.
Although we’ve listed what you’re likely to get for each package, these should only be taken as examples. The exact details of the packages can change at any time so we recommend checking out the latest information on the Royal Caribbean website.
We’ve included a price range for each package because the package prices can differ from cruise to cruise. Don’t expect each package to have the exact same price on each journey.
For example, drink packages offered on the Wonder of the Seas cruise liner are typically more expensive than the same package offered on the Mariner of the Seas ship.
The packages tend to be more expensive per day for short cruises compared to long cruises as well.
Deluxe Beverage Package
This is the most expensive and comprehensive package offered by Royal Caribbean. It’s also the only one that offers alcoholic beverages so if you want alcohol as part of your package, this is your only choice.
Other cruise operators often have different tiers of alcoholic beverages but this isn’t how Royal Caribbean operates.
The Deluxe Beverage Package covers cheaper alcohol such as beer, but also a range of higher-priced drinks such as cocktails, spirits, liqueurs, and wine by the glass.
It also offers a wide range of non-alcoholic drinks too, such as non-alcoholic cocktails, juices, coffees, teas, and water.
This package also offers some discounts on a la carte drinks that aren’t included in the package itself. You will get a 40 percent discount on bottles of wine that are priced under $100 and 20 percent off bottles over $100.
Included in this package are:
Fountain soft drinks and refills at any venue
Coca-Cola Freestyle drinks
Non-alcoholic cocktails (mocktails)
Still and sparkling water
Premium coffees and teas
Fresh-squeezed juices
Cocktails
Spirits
Liqueurs
Beer
Wine by the Glass
You will also get a Coca-Cola souvenir cup, which is a relatively new addition to this package.
When it comes to cocktails, glasses of wine, and spirits, however, they are only included if they are below $14. If they cost more than that, you will need to pay the difference. You will only be able to order a new alcoholic drink once every 15 minutes, so keep this in mind.
The typical cost of this package is somewhere between $65 to $100 per person, per day.
Refreshment Package
This package is all about refreshing, non-alcoholic drinks. It’s very similar to the Deluxe Beverage Package but has all of the alcoholic drinks removed from the menu. You can enjoy mocktails, however, as well as various sodas, juices, teas, and water.
The drinks included in this package are:
Fountain soft drinks and refills at any venue
Coca-Cola Freestyle drinks
Non-alcoholic cocktails (mocktails)
Still and sparkling water
Premium coffees and teas
Fresh-squeezed juices
You will also be entitled to a Coca-Cola souvenir cup when you purchase this package.
The typical cost of this package is somewhere between $29 to $38 per person, per day.
Classic Soft Drinks Package
This is a stripped-back version of the Refreshment Package that concentrates on sodas. You will be able to drink as much refreshing soda as you like but aren’t covered for coffee, juices, or mocktails.
The drinks included in this package are:
Fountain soft drinks and refills at any venue
Coca-Cola Freestyle drinks
As with the previous two packages, you will also get a Coca-Cola® souvenir cup with this package.
The typical cost of this package is somewhere between $13 to $15 per person, per day.
Water Package
This drink package is pretty straightforward! As the name suggests, it provides water each day to your stateroom. You have the option of either 6, 12, or 24 packs of water.
The prices of this package can run from $15 to $25.
Soda And Freestyle Machines
Three of the four packages include sodas and the Freestyle machines so it’s worth explaining a little more about what these are.
Freestyle machines are maintained by Coca-Cola and offer an incredible variety of drinks. They generally have over 100 different options, including all of the diet and zero-sugar varieties of the Coca-Cola family of drinks.
Although the drinks are primarily soda, there are also some additional drinks under the Coca-Cola banner that are available. These include things such as Minute Maid lemonade, Powerade, and Vitamin Water.
Each of the three packages gives you a Coca-Cola souvenir cup that you can use at the Freestyle machines and soda fountains. Simply fill them up whenever you need to with whatever you fancy!
Sodas are typically available in the main dining room, Windjammer Café, and the various other bars and lounges around the cruise ship.
Some ships may not have a Freestyle machine so you will be paying purely for the soda foundations.
Notable Exclusions
Although both the Deluxe Beverage Package and the Refreshment Package include premium coffees and teas, there is a notable exclusion to these that is worth pointing out.
Most Royal Caribbean cruise lines have Starbucks-branded cafes and kiosks. None of the drinks sold by Starbucks on your cruise ship is included in any of these packages.
Even the coffee and teas will need to be purchased so keep this in mind when you choose your package.
You will be able to get coffee and tea in the various bars and loungers as part of the Deluxe Beverage Package and the Refreshment Package, but not from Starbucks.
Discounts
We stated earlier that buying the packages before you sail is cheaper than buying them on the ship. This is correct but there is something else you should keep in mind.
You don’t have to buy the packages when you first purchase your tickets and can add these on whenever you need to.
Royal Caribbean often runs discounts on their drinks packages and this means that if you drop lucky, you can get them even cheaper by buying them when a discount is live.
Keep checking the Cruise Planner to see what the prices are. It’s not unusual for the Classic Soft Drinks Package to be sold for $10 a day at times!
Are The Drink Packages Worth The Cost?
Now that you know all of the details of the Royal Caribbean drinks packages, you’re probably wondering if they’re worth the money. The answer to this depends entirely on you and how you’re going to use the package.
If your cruise spends a lot of time off the ship, the packages may not be worth the money. You will need to drink at least five to six of the most expensive drinks in your package each day to get your money’s worth and this can be difficult.
Look at the prices, think about how much you will drink, and consider whether it is worth it for you.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we introduced the Royal Caribbean drinks packages. We hope this answers all of your questions!
Hi, my name is Alex Kallen and I love to travel. Ever since I could afford the ticket, I hopped on a plane and never looked back. I’ve made a living writing travel guides and blogging my experience all over the world.
I want to encourage and inspire others to travel around the US like I am. There’s no need to go on vacation overseas when there is an amazing land of opportunity right on your doorstep. Enjoy my website, I hope to see you out here one day.
