Royal Caribbean Blog

I have been lucky enough to cruise on Royal Caribbean for many years, but there are definitely a few odd things about cruising that someone new to a cruise might not expect.

Going on a cruise is a fun family vacation, but there are definitely some nuances and experiences that just do not exist in everyday life. These are not problems or bad ideas, rather, a heads up to anyone going on their first cruise with what to expect as it relates to cruising culture.

I have come up with my own list of interesting differences first-timers may not know about.

A lot of people wear matching shirts

A relatively new phenomenon is buying matching shirts to wear on the ship.

While group t-shirts are not a new idea, there has been a surge in nautical-inspired cruise pun shirts to help kick off family vacations.

On embarkation day especially, you can spot plenty of groups walking onboard in matching colored shirts that have a phrase like, "Getting Nauti" or "Get ship faced" or my favorite, "Yea Bouy!"

In addition, family reunions, birthdays, bachelorette parties and other special occasions see lots of matching shirts.  Some even take the next step and customize the shirt with names or nicknames.

You certainly will not be out of place without one, but perhaps it would be something your family would want to do to help show everyone how excited you are for the cruise.

There a lot of people that cruise almost all the time

I used to think going on a cruise once or twice every year was a big deal, until I started talking to other cruisers.  

There is a large contingency of cruisers who cruise a lot. By "a lot", I am talking monthly, weekly, or even more often! In fact, one cruiser practically lives onboard Royal Caribbean's ships.

As someone that started off cruising once a year, and now is close to cruising once a month, I can say with certainty the idea of cruising a lot does not surprise me anymore, but if you are new to it, expect many others to be regulars.

Crown and Anchor ranks are (literal) badges of honor

Royal Caribbean has its own customer loyalty program known as the Crown and Anchor Society, and the cruisers towards the top of the program take it very seriously.

The cruise line rewards its top cruisers with special perks, and these rewards mean a lot to its members. 

In fact, people that reach the very top status (Pinnacle Club) will walk around the ship wearing their pin that has their name engraved on it.

Weather forecasts in the summer months are pretty useless

If you have a Caribbean cruise booked in the summer months, as you get within days of your sailing, the weather forecast likely shows rain every day.

During the warmer summer months in the tropics, it may rain every day, but usually for short periods and is gone before you know it.

Just because rain is in the forecast, does not mean your day in port or onboard will be washed out.  In fact, the forecast may call for rain and it never actually rain where you are located.

You certainly should plan for the possibility of rain on your cruise, but do not take the forecast of precipitation as a guarantee of getting soaked.

Dining on a cruise ship is an adventure

It is likely safe to say that first time cruisers know there are different dining venues on a cruise ship, but Royal Caribbean's food game as been elevated to a point that it rivals most downtown dining districts.

Royal Caribbean's ships are packed with complimentary and specialty restaurant choices, each with different cuisines and cooking styles.

Eating onboard is more than just "more of the same", and you will often have a good variety of choices. In addition, Royal Caribbean has been actively upgrading its culinary offerings to keep it in line with any land-based resort.

In short, look up the restaurants available on the ship you book and learn more about dining on a Royal Caribbean ship.

Pre-book as much as you can

While you certainly can book a cruise and then show up to the embarkation port with no research or planning and probably have a good time, your best bet is to plan as much as you can.

Royal Caribbean has made learning about and booking activities, dining, excursions and events incredibly easy, thanks to its free app and Cruise Planner website.

Simply log in and browse around to get an idea of what to expect.  The more you learn, the better off your vacation experience will be, and the more money you will save.

The entire muster drill

I have yet to find anything on land the rivals the nuances of the ship safety drill, better known as the muster drill.

Somewhat similar to the safety demonstration you would hear on an airplane before takeoff, the muster drill is a required drill on the first day of the cruise where everyone stops what they are doing and reports to their muster station.

The drill lasts about 20-30 minutes, and involves becoming acclimated with where your muster station is in case of an emergency. You will be lined up shoulder-to-shoulder with fellow guests, and hear and see how to put on a life jacket, as well as be informed about certain safety & health procedures and policies.

Yes, everyone must do it, even if you have cruised before.

Hiding rubber ducks on the ship

Social media has spawned a new cruising "tradition" where some guests hide rubber ducks around the ship for other guests to find.

Known colloquially as "cruising ducks", this practice is about if you find a duck, you take a photo of where you found it and post it on Facebook.  Then you either hide the duck for someone else to find, or take it home as a souvenir.

So if you spot a rubber duck in a bush or behind a desk, it is likely the work of cruise fans and not a child who misplaced their toy.

Decorating stateroom doors

Something you would never see in a hotel, but happens all the time on a cruise ship is door decorations.

Similar to the matching t-shirt idea outlined earlier, stateroom door decorations are about guests sharing their excitement and joy of a cruise vacation with everyone else.

Door decorations can consist of name tags, lights, paper creations and pretty much anything else that can be attached to a door via magnets.

Basically, it is a fun way to share who is cruising and why, and your family can get in on the fun too if you bring the proper materials. Just be sure not to use any adhesives like tape or glue (magnets work best).

The Quest

The best way to describe The Quest is it is an adult scavenger hunt that is held towards the end of nearly all Royal Caribbean cruises.

Hosted by the Cruise Director, The Quest sounds like a fun romp among guests to complete a series of challenges in a short period of time. Sounds tame, right?

Teams of guests compete to find certain items, as well as perform certain actions. What tends to happen is the challenges become more and more adult in nature, and (fun) mayhem ensues.

You have to see it to fully understand it.

When you pack for a Royal Caribbean cruise, you may want to bring all the comforts of home so that your stay at sea is just like being on land, but you should be aware there are some important rules about what you cannot bring on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

For the safety and well-being of all guests, certain items are prohibited from being brought on a cruise, and it will save you time (and embarrassment) by being aware of what you can and cannot bring on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

During the check-in process, security will scan all luggage (both checked and carry-on), and if they spot an item that meets the criteria, they can confiscate it and return it to you after the cruise concludes.

Appliances

If there is one item that I see confiscated the most on Royal Caribbean's prohibited items list, it is household appliances.

Coffee makers, clothing irons, travel steamers, electric kettles and hot plates are not allowed to be brought onboard. These items pose a fire hazard, so you will have to send out for laundry via dry cleaning and rely on Royal Caribbean for your morning cup of coffee.

Candles and anything you can light on fire

Fire is the number one danger onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise, so anything that can generate a flame is prohibited.

This includes, candles, incense, flammable liquids and explosives (including lighter fluid and fireworks), hookahs and water hookah pipes.

Weapons

Firearms & Ammunition (including realistic replicas), knives, scissors, martial arts, self defense equipment, sports gear (including handcuffs, pepper spray, night sticks) are all prohibited from being brought on Royal Caribbean.

Personal grooming items such as safety razors are allowed. Scissors with blade length less than 4 inches are allowed.

Sporting goods

Royal Caribbean does allow the following items to be brought onboard, but they must be stored in your stateroom and not used onboard the ship:

• Baseball Bats
• Hockey Sticks
• Cricket Bats
• Golf clubs
• Skateboards
• Surfboards
• Bicycles

Drugs

While it may not surprise you that illegal drugs and substances are banned from Royal Caribbean CBD oil and CBD products are also prohibited. 

Even if you have a legally prescribed dose of marijuana, you cannot bring or smoke pot, edibles, cartridges onboard. Medicinal use is not permitted, and can result in serious legal troubles since Federal drug laws apply.

Alcohol

While Royal Caribbean does allow you to bring up to two bottles of wine per stateroom, any other alcohol is strictly forbidden.

Any alcohol you purchase onboard the ship or in a port will be stored by Royal Caribbean, and then returned to you on the last day onboard to be brought home.

Alcoholic beverages seized on embarkation day will not be returned.

You are also allowed to bring small quantities of non-alcoholic beverages in a carry-on or hand luggage onboard only on boarding day. Specifically, non-alcoholic beverages brought onboard may not exceed 12 standard (17 oz) cans, bottles or cartons per stateroom. Distilled water or specialized beverages such as, milk for medical purposes, dietary or infant use, are permitted.

Gadgets & toys

It may seem like a great idea to bring your favorite electronics with you, but certain ones are prohibited because they are a fire hazard or may annoy other guests.

You may not bring hoverboards, HAM radios or baby monitors onboard.

You should also be aware that electrical extension cords are also prohibited.  Instead, consider bringing a USB hub device to keep your devices charged up. Be aware that surge protectors, especially, are prohibited.

Guests may bring drones on their cruise to be used on land only, and outside the port area.  Drones may not be operated onboard the ship at any time, nor on Royal Caribbean’s private destinations: CocoCay, Bahamas or Labadee, Haiti.

Everything else

There are a few other items that Royal Caribbean does not allow you to bring onboard that do not fit under any other category, so here they are:

• Perishable Food & Meat Products
  • The only food that can be brought on board must be sealed and prepackaged.
• Dangerous Chemicals, including bleach and paint

Royal Caribbean's website no longer has 2020 cruises to Alaska or Canada available to book.

Canada announced on Friday it was extending its ban on cruise ships through the end of October 2020.

While Royal Caribbean has not officially informed guests that sailings that visit Canada between July 1 - October 31 are cancelled, all potentially affected sailings have been removed from being able to be booked on the cruise line site.

When searching for Alaska sailings, no dates in 2020 are available to search, and Brilliance of the Seas 2020 sailings from Boston are all removed, minus a repositioning cruise from Boston to Tampa.

Royal Caribbean indicated a "full update" will be made by Royal Caribbean on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020.

If cruise ships cannot visit Canada, Royal Caribbean cannot legally operate sailings that do not visit a "nearby foreign port" during the sailing, due to the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886.

Thanks to RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Bud Dickson for alerting us to this news.

Stay up-to-date with all the Royal Caribbean news from this week with our roundup of all this week's news.

Bad news came down from north of the border this week, when Canada announced it would extend its ban on cruise ships through October 31, 2020.

The ban of cruise ships in Canadian waters makes operating cruises to Alaska or New England effectively impossible because U.S. cabotage laws require foreign-flagged vessels leaving from a U.S. port of call to first call on a "distant foreign port" before returning to the United States.

Royal Caribbean has promised an update on affected sailings by Tuesday.

Royal Caribbean News

• There will not be overnight stays at Perfect Day at CocoCay.
• Changes made once cruising resumes may not be permanent changes.
• Royal Caribbean hired back over 100 laid off workers to help answer phones.
• Richard Fain published a new video about new protocols and procedures.
• Royal Caribbean's stock price has seen a resurgence recently.
• Is a cruise drink package worth buying?
• Here are the ways to get a cheap cruise.
• Ever thought about trying a repositioning cruise?
• Learn all about solo cruises on Royal Caribbean.
• Here is what you need to know to decide between the passport book vs card.
• Top 9 bad mistakes made when planning a Royal Caribbean cruise.
• Haines, Alaska wants more Royal Caribbean ships to visit.
• Test your knowledge with our Royal Caribbean brain teaser trivia.
• Here is how to have cruise ship fun at home while there are no sailings.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 356th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, that shares the story of Bryan's family cruise on Allure of the Seas.

Bryan took this family on Allure of the Seas for a family vacation that redefined what the new standard of family fun was for his clan.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! I would appreciate it.

Would you cruise if wearing a mask is mandatory?

Many tourist businesses opening back up now are requiring guests to wear masks, and the question is if Royal Caribbean will do the same.

I polled over two thousand people who typically go on Royal Caribbean if they would cruise again assuming wearing a mask was mandatory, and it was clear how readers felt about wearing a mask.

Royal Caribbean has not divulged any specifics of the plans and protocols in intends to introduce once cruising resume, but many believe wearing a mask onboard the ship might be included as part of the new rules.

When it comes to making your money go further, cruising on the cheap means taking advantage of certain strategies and opportunities to ensure you are spending less overall.

While you can reserve extravagant rooms and book bucket list tours, there are always inexpensive and very fun cruise vacations you can take in order to maximize your money.

The key to cruising on the cheap is knowing where to look, and pouncing on the right deal.

Look at the small and medium ships

While Royal Caribbean's Oasis and Quantum Class ships are as amazing to cruise on as they look, they do not usually have the cheapest cruise fares out there. Newer ships command higher prices.

Instead, price shop around the Voyager or Radiance Class ships to find the real bargains. Similar to how a used car that is a few years old will provide a better value than a brand new vehicle, cruise ships that have been around for a few years tend to offer better deals to entice cruisers to book them.

The great thing about the Voyager and Radiance Class ships is that you are not compromising a ton on the onboard experience, but will save a lot compared to the bigger ships.

In addition, Majesty of the Seas and Empress of the Seas are Royal Caribbean's oldest and smallest cruise ships, and they also tend to have some very low prices.  Keep in mind these ships are fun to cruise on for a "classic cruise experience", but they may lack some of the modern features many of us expect on newer ships.

Shoulder season cruising

Some of the best prices for any cruise will be at the very beginning or very end of the cruise season.

If a cruise to Europe, Alaska or Australia is what you are aiming at, be sure to look for the first couple sailings when cruises begin or when they are about to end.

Known as the shoulder season, these times are when perhaps the weather is not perfect or when families are still adhering to the work and school calendars.

Refer to our guide on what is the cheapest month to go on a cruise to get a sense of the lowest prices for every itinerary.

Book early

The tried and true way to lock in the best prices is to book as early as you can.

Royal Caribbean's prices tend to go up over time, as more and more guests book up rooms.  As a result, I find the lowest prices tend to be offered early.

Booking early is especially important for high-demand sailings, such as the summer, holiday weeks (Christmas, New Years, Spring Break, et al).  These sailings will always command higher prices, so the key for getting the lowest price on these cruises is to book early.

Yes, last minute cruise deals do exist periodically, but they are few and far between and it is a bit of gamble if you will find something that lines up perfectly with your plans.

Cheap cruise fare versus cheap cruising

An important distinction to make is are you looking for the lowest price overall, or do you want a cheap per-night cruise sailing?

When it comes to getting the lowest price on the final bill, short cruises will be where you want look. These sailings typically sail to Mexico or The Bahamas, and they almost always depart from a port in Florida.

Royal Caribbean offers three and four night sailings every week, and if you can manage to book one during the school year and/or during hurricane season, you can really find some super low prices.

On the other hand, if you want to get the lowest price per-night of the cruise, look towards longer sailings, such as repositioning cruises.

A transatlantic crossing or a ship moving to a new home port can be among the cheapest per-night sailings you can find.  These cruises tend to be longer voyages and Royal Caribbean will heavily discount these sailings in order to fill rooms.

Book a guarantee room

One way to save more money on any sailing is to book a guarantee stateroom.

Guarantee staterooms offer a lower price, in exchange for allowing Royal Caribbean to pick the exact location. You will receive a room of at least that category (or higher), but it may be days or weeks before you learn of the room assignment.

These rooms help shave hundreds of dollars off the cost of your cruise, and may allow you to move up to a higher room category without paying more.

Hours after Canada announced an extension of its ban on cruise ships through the end of October, Royal Caribbean sent a notice to travel agents an update is coming next week.

An email was sent to travel agents acknowledging they are aware of the ban by the Canadian government, and announced a "full update" will be made by Royal Caribbean on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020.

In the email, Royal Caribbean explained they are working through what the policy change by Canada means for their cruises, and what impact it will have on booked sailings.

"We kindly ask for patience, as we diligently work on next steps. We know that you and your clients probably have a lot of questions, which we'd love to answer - but since this is hot off the press, we just don't have those answers yet. And, regrettably hold times on our phones are quite long. So to avoid any frustration, we kindly ask for your patience and understanding."

The ban has the potential to affect nearly all of Royal Caribbean's 2020 Alaska and Canada/New England sailings. Many of those types of sailings were already cancelled through the end of July, as part of the cruise line's global cruise suspension.

From time to time, Royal Caribbean will offer repositioning cruises, where a ship will change homeports and offer a special sailing during the transit between ports.

Most repositioning cruises are done when a ship moves from one region of the world to another, such as North America to Australia, or Europe to North America.  They tend to happen seasonally, and occur with regular frequency.

In addition, there can be a repositioning sailing that is not a regular occurrence, and simply a way to get a ship to a new market.

In either case, Royal Caribbean offers these sailings to guests as an opportunity to experience a cruise ship with a very unique itinerary.

Why go on a repositioning cruise?

The best reason to book a repositioning cruise is to not only be on a certain ship, but enjoy extra sea days and even unique ports of call.

Many repositioning cruises involve an ocean crossing, where the ship moves from one region to another. This means many days at sea, and ample opportunity to see and experience everything onboard.  Moreover, it is a great way to get to know the crew members since your sailing is more than just a few days.

In order to drum up demand for repositioning sailings, Royal Caribbean often includes special port visits that are not regularly offered. This may mean a visit to a port not usually visited by Royal Caribbean, or a combination of ports on either end of the crossing.

On top of all of these reasons, repositioning cruises tend to be priced pretty favorably, with per-night costs substantially below other sailings.

Why you might not want to do a repositioning cruise

In order to get from one region to another, repositioning cruises tend to be significantly longer sailings, with lots of sea days inbetween. While all these extra days means more time to experience what is available onboard, many cruisers are concerned about the cruise getting dull or even boring.

In addition, it almost always requires you to fly to one port, and then fly home from another. The logistics and price of not doing a roundtrip flight can sometimes ruin any deal offered by the sailing.

Repositioning sailings that cross an ocean, especially the Atlantic Ocean, can sometimes be susceptible to rough weather, as they tend to sail at the very beginning and very end of the cruise season for a region. Certainly the cruise line makes every effort to find a path that involves the best weather, but sometimes grey skies and bigger waves are unavoidable.

It should also be noted that there are usually far less families onboard the ocean crossing sailings, due to a combination of the cruise length and the fact they almost always occur while school is in session. If you have kids, you may find significantly less other children for them to play with in Adventure Ocean or elsewhere.

How long is a repositioning cruise?

Most repositioning cruises tend to be longer sailings, often in the ballpark of 10-14 nights, or longer. The time it takes to not only cross the Atlantic or Pacific ocean is no quick journey, and there are usually port stops included on both sides of the ocean to add some variety.

Repositioning sailings that do not involve an ocean crossing are usually shorter, but they are less frequently offered.

How to find a repositioning cruise

Royal Caribbean offers a search filter on its website to specify just the repositioning cruises. In addition, a good travel agent can assist in locating the right cruise for you.

Each year when new cruises are announced, there is usually a smattering of repositioning cruises announced as well, as new deployments create opportunities for a repositioning.

It should be noted that not all ship movements necessarily include a repositioning cruise, but it is commonly offered as a way to generate revenue for a necessary operation.

The most common types of repositioning cruises offered by Royal Caribbean are:

• Between North America and Europe
• Between North America and Australia
• Between Australia and Hawaii
• Between Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest

Repositioning cruise tips

Take advantage of extra time on the ship

One of the best things about a repositioning cruise is all the extra sea days you have, so be certain to enjoy all the onboard activities and entertainment.

With traditional cruises, it is difficult to "see it all", but longer repo cruises allow for time to see all the shows, try the various restaurants, and otherwise work in everything on your must-do list.

Going on an ocean crossing on a new ship is an especially popular trick for veteran cruisers who want to enjoy everything a new ship can offer in one sailing.

Prepare to keep yourself busy

While Royal Caribbean will offer lots of activities each day of your cruise, inevitably you will find down time to "do your own thing" during the sailing.

Be sure to pack board games, books, cards, downloaded movies and more to keep yourself entertained during the long duration between port stops. This is especially important if the weather does not cooperate and being outdoors is not practical.

Pack for all weather

When packing for a transatlantic cruise, you should be prepared for all types of temperatures and sky conditions. Transatlantic crossings are especially notorious for a mix of sun, clouds, wind and rain. 

Be sure to bring clothing to keep you comfortable if the temperatures drop, the rain is extended, or the sun is heating everything up.  Similar to packing for an Alaska cruise, having layers to change in and out of might not be a bad idea. 

Research airfare before you commit

While repositioning cruise fare is often a pretty good deal, the flights may not be such a bargain.

Your best bet is to double-check airfare prices before you reach final payment date to ensure you are not going to lock yourself into a crazy high flight price.

Canada's Transport Minister announced today the Canadian Government has extended its ban on cruise ships through October 31, 2020.

The announcement was made this morning by the Public Health Agency of Canada during a press conference that addressed a variety of topics of what the Canadian government is doing to handle the health crisis. The ban applies to cruise ships with more than 100 people, including passengers and crew.

Canadian Minister of Transport, Marc Garneau, announced updated measures pertaining to cruise ships and passenger vessels in Canadian waters.

Canada had originally closed off its borders to all cruise ships carrying more than 500 passengers and crew until between April 2 and July 1, 2020.

The ban of cruise ships in Canadian waters makes operating cruises to Alaska or New England effectively impossible because U.S. cabotage laws require foreign-flagged vessels leaving from a U.S. port of call to first call on a "distant foreign port" before returning to the United States.

Royal Caribbean had already cancelled its Alaska and Canada cruises through the end of July in conjunction with its voluntary global suspension of cruises.

UPDATE: Royal Caribbean will offer an update on what it will do next week.

When Royal Caribbean starts sailing again, the cruise line expects new policy changes to evolve and change over time.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd Chairman and CEO Richard Fain was interviewed by Travel Weekly, and indicated new policies added when sailings return might not be a permanent change.

"There will be a lot that will be a lot different, but it’ll be one thing the day we start up and something else a month later, and something else a month after that."

Mr. Fain's comments today echoed what he recently told CNBC that the start up will resemble what we see in society with an evolving approach to policies, "And my guess is that when we start, we will limit the number of people who can go on to a ship, just as my neighborhood restaurants are beginning to open up."

"And by the way, we'll learn from the experience in our society. We'll learn from the restaurants. We'll learn from the barber shops. we'll learn from the experience in our society. We'll learn from the restaurants. We'll learn from the barber shops. I know I need one and I We'll learn and we will adjust much as they are doing. So we'll start at one point and then gradually, as knowledge of the disease, as the testing, as the contact tracing, as vaccines come on board, that will gradually adjust.

Royal Caribbean has not announced any new policies or changes guests can expect in order to keep everyone onboard safe. 

There has been plenty of speculation in and around the industry, with parallels being drawn to other businesses and industries that are beginning to start up.

Royal Caribbean's current date to resume sailings is August 1, 2020, with the exception of China, which is set to resume sailings on July 1, 2020.

If you are trying to decide if buying an unlimited alcohol package right for you, then you are not alone in debating this quandary.

Many cruisers are curious if the up-front cost charged by Royal Caribbean is worth it, and if they are better off simply paying for drinks as they go.

If you are on the fence about whether it is a good idea to buy a Royal Caribbean drink package on a cruise, here are the important considerations to factor into your decision.

Why you should get a cruise drink package

Easy budgeting

Purchasing a drink package means you have a fixed cost for all your drinks during your cruise.

Instead of worrying about if you really should order one more mojito, the cost is already set, so it is all about what you want, when you want it.

Purchasing an unlimited drink package makes containing costs super simple and gives a great deal of relief that you can order a drink at any bar or restaurant and not end up with a crazy bill at the end of the sailing.

Convenience

One of the best reasons to get a drink package is how simple it is to order drinks and not worry about running up bills or collecting receipts.

In addition, gratuity is included with the unlimited alcohol packages (in North America), so you do not need to be concerned about how much to tip the bartender or waiter. 

Having a drink package makes things incredibly simple for enjoying drinks on your cruise, without having to think about bills, budget or extra cost.

Beverage variety

While Royal Caribbean includes basic beverages to all guests in the cruise fare, some guests prefer to drink a lot of bottled water, sodas, specialty coffees and more.

When purchasing an unlimited alcohol package, most of the focus is on the beer, wine and cocktails included, but these packages also offer unlimited sodas, coffees, bottled water and sports drinks.

The assortment of drinks means added value to your package investment, and convenience of being able to vary what you want to drink.

Your cruise will visit a private island

If your Royal Caribbean cruise will visit Perfect Day at CocoCay or Labadee, getting a drink package makes a lot more sense because of the fact drink packages work in these locations.

Just like onboard the ship, drink package benefits extend to CocoCay and Labadee and that means an entire day onboard and onshore of getting value from the package.

The only exception is souvenir cups are not included with the drink packages, so you need to request your drinks in a plastic cup if offered the souvenir option.

Why you should not get a cruise drink package

You do not drink a lot

The top reason not to get an unlimited drink package is if you do not drink enough during your cruise to "break even" on the investment.

Drink packages offer value, but it requires you to drink enough every day of your cruise to make it worth it. 

There are a lot of ways to get value from a drink package, especially if you mix up the type of drinks you get, but for the alcohol package, you should be ordering around five to six alcoholic drinks per day to make it worthwhile.

Port intensive itinerary

If your cruise ship is scheduled to visit a lot of ports, you may not find a lot of opportunity to take advantage of a drink package.

Longer sailings, especially ones with very few sea days, can make breaking even on a drink package purchase difficult. Since you will be busy exploring ports, and likely tired at night from a full day of exploring, that leaves little time to indulge in drinks onboard.

In general, the less sea days and more days docked in a port, the more difficult it is to break even on the cost of a drink package. 

Package price

When you look at the total price of an alcohol package for two people on a seven night sailing, you are probably looking at over a thousand dollars in total cost. 

This sticker shock is a lot to swallow, and while it may end up being a money-saving option in the long run, it is still a lot of money to pay up-front.

Your adult cabin mate does not want an alcohol package

Royal Caribbean requires if one adult in a stateroom wants to purchase the Deluxe Beverage Package (unlimited alcohol package), then all other adults in that stateroom must buy a package. This drink package rule often creates an issue when one adult prefers or cannot drink alcohol.

If you call Royal Caribbean and mention your the other adult(s) in your stateroom do not drink (as much) alcohol, they will often let the other adult purchase the Royal Refreshment package instead (which costs significantly less per day).