Royal Caribbean Blog

Over the last few months, Royal Caribbean has talked, announced and even hinted at a variety of things that it will do once cruises resume to keep guests safe.

While the entirety of their new health policies and procedures will be forthcoming with the release of the Healthy Sail Panel recommendations later this month, there have been some indication of what to expect through various statements and comments.

Here is a look at the confirmed and strongly hinted at changes we can expect to be part of Royal Caribbean's recommendations.

Confirmed: Social distancing

A few different Royal Caribbean executives have stated at least initially, there will be reduced capacity on cruise ships in order to promote social distancing.

As of right now, reducing guest capacity is not expected to be permanent.

In addition, other forms of social distancing are being explored, including reduced capacity at dining and other public venues, staggered embarkation and check-in and the addition of more options for entertainment such as additional show times to allow for social distancing.

More: Royal Caribbean will add social distancing on its cruise ships

Hinted: Testing

Earlier this week, Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley said COVID-19 testing of guests is very likely to occur.

"Testing is part of the thinking that we have not yet reached a point in our protocols where we're ready to publish and release for for discussion," Mr. Bailey started, "But it's very likely that testing will occur."

The statement did not include if guests, crew, or everyone on the ship would be tested, but that is likely to be part of the Healthy Sail Panel's recommendations when they are published.

Confirmed: Muster 2.0

A new electronic muster drill is one of the new initiatives that blends tech innovations with guest policies, and it will allow guests to conduct the mandatory safety drill in a social distance-approved manner.

Known as Muster 2.0, guests will be able to complete the muster drill via mobile devices instead of standing in a line at the muster station.

Within a 4 hour window, guests can review safety information in the mobile app or interactive stateroom TV. Then they just have to visit the assembly station to complete the process.

More: Top 10 questions about Royal Caribbean's new Muster 2.0

Confirmed: New Chief Medical Officer

With all the changes Royal Caribbean expects to add, there is going to be a need to implement and monitor these new policies effectively. To that point, Royal Caribbean has created its public health czar by creating a brand new role.

Dr. Calvin Johnson has been hired to be Royal Caribbean's Global Head of Public Health and Chief Medical Officer.

This new role will tackle the needs of the global health and wellness policy, manage its public health and clinical practice, and determine the strategic plans and operations of its global healthcare organization.

In addition, Dr. Johnson will  collaborate with the Healthy Sail Panel to ensure the company establishes and implements its protocols and recommendations. 

Confirmed: Enhanced sanitization

Cruise ships had already been aggressive with onboard sanitization, but expect a higher level of attention to this need once ships resume sailing.

Royal Caribbean has said guests can expect enhanced health and safety standards that will come out of the panel's work, such as enhanced embarkation screening, temperature screenings at the pier, and testing options for guests and crew.

Confirmed: Modified buffet

It looked like early on that the Windjammer buffet would be removed, or completely reworked, but Royal Caribbean has said the buffet will exist, albeit with some tweaks.

Royal Caribbean Global Vice President Culinary, Dining & Beverage, Linken D'Souza confirmed the buffet will remain.

"But rest assured, the buffet will exist. There may be some small modifications that allow us to ensure that we have a really great, healthy return to service. But your favorites and what you're used to at the Windjammer will still be there."

"So I'll I'll put that to rest. We will absolutely have a Windjammer with all of your favorites in a very similar fashion to what you've had previously and maybe some different service steps to ensure healthy service."

Many more health protocols by the end of August

While this list gives a preview of a few changes to expect, the vast bulk of changes are forthcoming when the Healthy Sail Panel releases its recommendations.

The first set of recommendations should be delivered to Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line by the end of August 2020.

According to Royal Caribbean, this will be a pretty good outline of what changes the cruise line should implement.

While there may be no Royal Caribbean cruises to sail on, you can still enjoy some of the very same onboard entertainment from the comfort of your home.

Royal Caribbean's entertainment team is putting together a collection of popular onboard acts, including American acapella group MO5AIC, British ventriloquist Paul Zerdin, duo Gold Art, acrobats from the Ukraine and more.

Royal Caribbean is calling it the "Very Virtual Variety Show", and hosting the live performance will be Senior Vice President of Entertainment for Royal Caribbean International, Nick Weir.

"Anyone who thought that that just kind of misses the environment, misses cruising and in particular misses the entertainment at Royal Caribbean International, we're going to do something special," Mr. Weir said about the the idea behind the show.

"Kind of a bit of a cross between a podcast, and a talk show, and a variety show. And it's all very virtual and it's going to be great fun."

You can catch the event live on Royal Caribbean's Facebook page on Friday, August 14 at 5 p.m. EDT.

This is another online event held by Royal Caribbean during the global cruise shutdown. In June, Royal Caribbean streamed a virtual concert performance that was traditionally shown in Two70 on its Quantum Class ships.

The Virtual Concert featured Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns. High resolution video footage of that performance was captured on five 4K cameras to create a truly unique, immersive experience.

Planning a Royal Caribbean cruise is no simple task, and you might have questions about what to expect.

From what to pack, to what happens onboard the ship, to picking the right cabin, there's a lot to consider when planning your cruise.

We've written thousands of articles helping everyone find the right cruise for them.  To make it even easier to find the information you're looking for, we've also added this easy-to-navigate page to get you the information you need.

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Here's a list of the most frequently asked questions below to easily find the answers you need.

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🚢 How to pick a cruise ship

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Checking-in for a Royal Caribbean cruise

When the day arrives to start your cruise, there's a lot of excitement and things to do.

Royal Caribbean wants you to complete as much of the check-in process before the cruise begins to expedite the process. This means taking the time while at home to get it all done so you spend less time in the terminal.

• How early can I board my cruise?
• 15 Royal Caribbean boarding process tips for a fast embarkation
• 30 Do's and Don'ts for the first day of your cruise
• What to expect with Royal Caribbean’s virtual safety drill
• Royal Caribbean app walkthrough and tips
• Should you use the porters to take your luggage on your cruise ship?

Booking a cruise

When should I book a cruise?

If you want to get the best possible price on your cruise, then you should try to book as soon as you can.

Ideally, you can take advantage of lower prices by booking a cruise 12, 18 or even 24 months in advance so that you can find the best cabin selection and lowest prices.

Once a sailing is open for booking, you may reserve a cabin at any point all the way until the week of the sailing.  Of course, capacity is limited and options will dwindle while prices rise over time.

How do I get the best deal on a cruise?

There are a few good strategies for getting the best price on a cruise and spend less overall.

Cruising on the cheap means looking beyond the obvious choices for a cruise. Here are a few good ways to save money:

• Cruise on ships that aren't brand new
• Pick a sailing at very start or end of the season
• Book many months in advance
• Book guarantee room

I also recommend working with a good travel agent to not only find the best pricing, but to help answer common questions and concerns. A good travel agent should cost you nothing to use, and they are very helpful in scenarios you never even imagined.

The ships

Which is the best Royal Caribbean cruise ship?

While this is a common question, the best cruise ship depends on what you want and like for your cruise.

Each ship offers different activities, amenities, entertainment and special features. The key is finding the ship that offers the right combination of these that appeal to you, while also sailing to the places you would like to visit.

Some important considerations you should look at in any ship is what it offers in:

• Kids Programming
• Signature activities (waterslides, Broadway shows, thrill attractions, open spaces, et al)
• Where it is sailing

What are the different classes of Royal Caribbean ships?

Royal Caribbean categorizes its cruise ships into classes, similar to auto manufacturers creating different models of cars.

There are eight different Royal Caribbean ship classes, and within each class there can be a differentiating options and add-ons that make ships different from each other.

The Oasis Class ships are the largest ships in the world, while the Quantum Class offer some of the latest innovations with a large size as well.

The Freedom and Voyager Class ships are a generation older, but are still large cruise ships that have recently been upgraded as part of the Royal Amplified program.

The Radiance and Vision Class ships combine a small size with many activities that have been added over the years. These are stylish ships that offer a refined and fun cruise atmosphere.

Majesty & Empress of the Seas are the oldest ships in the fleet, but they offer a more intimate setting than other larger classes.

Packing

What should I pack for my Royal Caribbean cruise?

We all know that feeling... you are getting ready for your vacation, but you cannot shake that feeling that you are forgetting something.

You should begin with personal items that you will need during your cruise, such as medications and prescription medicine.  It is a good idea to pack extra medicine in case of a travel delay getting home.

Onboard the ship, you will need outfits and clothes for when you're onboard, on shore, in the pool, and out to dinner. If you are cruising to the Caribbean, Mexico or other warm weather destinations, bring a hat for protection from the sun. If your cruise vacation will take you to Alaska, Canada & New England or Northern Europe, be sure to pack a jacket and several sweaters.

Be sure to pack a bathing suit, but you will not need towels as you can borrow them from the cruise line anytime you want.

What are dress codes?

The dress code rules for Royal Caribbean provide dress suggestions for the three types of dress codes onboard: casual, smart casual and formal.

• Casual: You’re on vacation – relax! Jeans, polos, sundresses and blouses are all the right amount of laid back. Please keep swimwear to the Pool Deck. Shorts are welcomed for breakfast and lunch.
• Smart Casual: Think of this as a step up from your typical dinner wear. Dress to impress with collared shirts, dresses, skirts and blouses, or pantsuits. Jackets, sports coats and blazers are snazzy and welcomed. 
• Formal: Make it a night out in your best black-tie look – suits and ties, tuxedos, cocktail dresses or evening gowns. There can be 1-3 formal nights during a sailing and is at the ship’s discretion.

In practice, dress codes are infrequently enforced by the main dining room staff. 

If you are asking does everyone dress up to that extent, the answer is a resounding no. If you walk the Royal Promenade or around the Centrum of a Royal Caribbean ship around dinner time on formal night, you will spot plenty of people dressed to these specifications, but many opt for a more casual (but still dressed up) approach. Collared shirts with no jacket or tie for men, or blouses and skirts or leggings for ladies is common as well.

There can be 1-3 formal nights during a sailing and is at the ship’s discretion.

Dining

What dining options are included on my cruise?

Every Royal Caribbean ship offers a combination of complimentary and extra-cost dining choices. Keep in mind there is a great variety of complimentary dining choices that will cost you nothing extra.

Full meals for breakfast, lunch (on sea days) and dinner are available in the main dining room, as well as the Windjammer buffet.  Depending on the ship, there are also complimentary grab-and-go dining choices you can go to for a snack or even a meal.

You also have the choice of specialty restaurants that cost extra, but offer different cuisines and atmosphere not available elsewhere on the ship.

What if I have special dietary requirements?

Royal Caribbean is very accommodating when it comes to guests who have special dietary needs. The cruise line can handle a number of requests, such as food allergies, Gluten-free, Kosher, Low-fat, and Low-sodium.

Vegetarian Meals (including Indian-style vegetarian) are available on all menus in the Dining Room and Windjammer Cafe every day. Guests do not need to make a special request for these meals.

Lactose-free/soy milk, Ensure, and kosher meals are available no extra charge. All you have to do is notify Royal Caribbean at least 45 days prior to sailing (90 days for European/South American Itineraries).

For any and all dietary requests, contact your travel agent or Certified Vacation Planner and request that the remark be noted in your reservation details. If you made your reservation online at royalcaribbean.com you may add your request to the "update personal information." section. You may also send an e-mail request to [email protected]; please include in the e-mail the guests' names, booking number, ship name and sail date. E-mails will receive an automated response. 

Drinks

What drinks are included with my cruise?

Royal Caribbean provides all its guests on all its cruise ships a few different drinks throughout the day that are included in your cruise fare.   These drinks include

• tap water
• milk
• tea
• coffee (regular and decaf)
• lemonade
• iced tea
• flavored waters
• juices (at breakfast and not fresh squeezed)
• Hot chocolate (via instant packets)

These drinks are available throughout your cruise at a number of locations, so there will always be somewhere to get something to drink for free.

Other beverages, such as beer, wine, soda, espresso and bottled water cost extra.

Is a Royal Caribbean drink package worth it?

A very popular choice for guests who want to enjoy unlimited extra-cost beverages for a fixed cost is to buy a drink package.

There is no denying that a drink package has the potential to save money, but it depends on how you maximize its value.

If you can drink enough every day of the cruise, want to sample a wide variety of beverages, and like the convenience it offers, then a Royal Caribbean drink package is definitely worth it.

You do not need to get a drink package, but for many guests, the ability to lock in the price of a drink package and enjoy unlimited drinks without concern of spending too much is a very popular incentive.

Costs

What is included in my cruise fare?

A cruise remains a really good vacation value, especially when you factor in meals and entertainment.  Over the years, Royal Caribbean has realized some of its guests prefer to add onto the core experience, and began offering more options to tack onto their vacation.

Your cruse fare includes some basics:

• Entertainment & Nightlife
  • Broadway shows
  • Live music and comedy shows
  • Aqua shows and ice-skating shows
  • Parades and parties on the Royal Promenade
  • Comedy and live jazz club
  • Nightclubs, karaoke and sing-along piano bars
  • Lounge games and contests, such as trivia, Battle of the Sexes and more
• Signature Activities
  • FlowRider® surf simulator
  • Rock Climbing Wall
  • Quantum Class
    • RipCord® by iFLY® skydiving simulator
    • North Star observation capsule
    • SeaPlex play space with bumper cars, roller skating, trapeze school, video games and more
  • Oasis Class
    • Zip Line
  • Multi-level waterslides and slides on select ships
• Meals, beverages & room service
  • Main dining room
  • Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in various venues throughout each ship
  • Windjammer casual buffet on every ship, open for every meal
  • Variety of juices, teas, coffees, soft drinks and water throughout the ship and with meals
• Kids & Teens
  • Adventure Ocean Youth Program
  • DreamWorks Experience
  • Fuel teen club
  • Teen lounge area with movies, games and live DJ
• Fitness Center & Sports Activities
  • State-of-the-art fitness center
  • Table tennis
  • Full-size basketball and sports court
  • Group fitness classes, such as sunrise stretch, fab abs, dancing, meditation and more
  • Seminars on topics like weight loss, reflexology, stargazing and more
  • Deck Games — Volleyball, pool games, tug of war and other active challenges
  • Running / jogging track
• Pools & Outdoor amenities
  • Outdoor poolside movies
  • Adults-only Solarium
  • Multiple whirlpools
  • Traditional swimming pools plus beach ambience areas and sports zones
  • H2O Zone and Splashaway Bay for kids

Royal Caribbean cruises are not all inclusive, but you can certainly go your entire cruise without spending anything extra.  

Royal Caribbean has designed its ships to be "modular", where you can choose to add certain extras if you prefer.

Are shows included on Royal Caribbean?

The stage shows, and so much of the live entertainment onboard, is included with your cruise fare.

Royal Caribbean is known for its Broadway shows, as well as original productions found in various theaters around the ship. These are all included in your cruise fare.

Other activities and events, such as trivia, game shows and dance classes are also included.

Sometimes Royal Caribbean may offer an experience or backstage tour that costs extra, but these are not required to experience the performances.

Important rules

What you aren't allowed to bring onboard

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 onboard.

Prohibited items that may not be brought on your cruise include:

• Firearms & Ammunition, including realistic replicas.
• Sharp Objects, including all knives and scissors. (Note: Personal grooming items such as safety razors are allowed. Scissors with blade length less than 4 inches are allowed.)
• Illegal Drugs & Substances
• CBD Oil / CBD Products
• Candles, Incense, Coffee Makers, Clothes Irons, Travel Steamers & Hot Plates. (Items that generate heat or produce an open flame. This includes heating pads, clothing irons, hotplates, candles, incense and any other item that may create a fire hazard. NOTE: The only exception to this policy are curling irons and hair straighteners. Matches and normal lighteners are allowed onboard. However ""torch lighters"" and novelty lighters that look like guns are not allowed onboard. Torch lighters emit a powerful concentrated flame, and therefore are prohibited.
• Hoverboards
• Martial Arts, Self Defense, and Sports Gear, including handcuffs, pepper spray, night sticks.
• Flammable Liquids and Explosives, including lighter fluid and fireworks.
• Hookahs & Water Hookah Pipes.
• HAM Radios
• Baby Monitors
• Electrical Extension Cords
• Dangerous Chemicals, including bleach and paint.
• Perishable Food & Meat Products
• Alcoholic Beverages (except two bottles of wine on embarkation day)

These and other similar items will be confiscated upon being found. Alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, flammable liquids, explosives, and dangerous chemicals will not be returned.

You cannot share drink packages

Let me be perfectly clear: it is absolutely forbidden to share the Royal Caribbean drink package benefits with anyone else. Period.

Royal Caribbean warns that guests who share a drink with someone who does not have a drink package can risk having their drink package benefits revoked with no refund.  

The package is intended for only the guest who buys the package.  If you want to buy a drink for someone else, you can do so and pay for it individually along side your drink package transaction.

Kids

What's available for kids on a Royal Caribbean cruise?

The heart of Royal Caribbean offerings for kids is the Adventure Ocean program, which offers supervised programming for children of nearly any age.

Nurseries are available on most ships for toddlers 6 months to 36 months old, where parents can drop children off throughout the day and evening. Use of the nursery comes at an hourly charge. Young children can enjoy soft play areas and age-appropriate toys, as well as cribs and cots for napping or sleeping.

For children 3 years old through 11 years old, Adventure Ocean is available for no additional cost every day of your cruise. There's a lot for kids to do here and the programs specialize for each age group.  It's a mix of learning, play time and socializing.

Kids are checked in and out by parents and it's fully supervised by Royal Caribbean staff. The requirement for children to participate is to be at least 3 years old and be fully potty trained.  There are after hours programs offered as well in Adventure Ocean for an hourly fee if parents want their kids to have supervision later into the evening.

The teens club is for older kids through 17 years old, which is about empowering teens to do their own thing but still offer activities and fun events to help introduce everyone.

There are teen-only spots onboard the ship where they can come and go as they please. Each day there are teen only events planned in the Cruise Planner, where teens can have dedicated time to enjoy special activities. 

WiFi

Is internet access available on Royal Caribbean?

All Royal Caribbean ships offer internet at sea access for an additional cost.

Royal Caribbean calls its internet service "Voom", and it relies on satellite technology for staying connected.

Depending on the ship, the actual speeds and performance will vary. On Oasis and Quantum class ships, you can easily stream video from services like Hulu or Netflix, or engage in Facetime and Skype video calls.

Some other ships, notably Royal Caribbean ships that spend time outside the United States, the speeds may not be quite as fast, but fleetwide, the Voom service is significantly better than onboard internet available through other cruise lines.

How much does WiFi cost?

The cost of a Wi-Fi internet package varies depending on the number of devices and the service package purchased. 

Royal Caribbean offers unlimited plans that can be purchased onboard the ship or pre-purchased prior to the cruise. 

Without a doubt, you will save money by pre-purchasing your Voom internet package via Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner site.

Prices begin at $15.99 per device, per day for 1 device on the Surf (slower) access plan, and $19.99 per device, per day for 1 device on the Surf & Stream (faster) access plan.

Still have a question?

If you still have a question, or are unsure about something mentioned here, be sure to ask a question on our message boards!

The Bahamas Tourist Minister wants cruise ships to not only visit private islands, but the major cities of the Bahamas as well.

Dionisio D’Aguilar told Tribune Business that cruise lines will initially only visit private islands in order to limit exposure risks, but he hopes once the new policies are in place, cities can be visited too.

Obviously when they start cruising again they will not want to come to the population centres,” he conceded. “They will want to go to their private islands because they can control the environment. As minister of tourism I’m going to encourage them to come to the population centres because that’s where they will make the most economic impact.

Mr. thinks a 3-night cruise that includes a stop in Nassau, along with a private island is a great short sailing opportunity.

According to Mr. D’Aguilar, cruise passengers account for 11% of pre-pandemic tourism spending in The Bahamas, which amounts to $540 million in lost revenue for the country.

The thought that cruises will resume with short sailings to private islands echoes comments made by Royal Caribbean, including CEO Michael Bayley just last week.

"I think when we resume service, our thinking is that will probably we'll probably start with short product, Perfect Day, and that'll be the how we'll start phasing in operations."

With so many guests having a future cruise credit (FCC) now from cancelled cruises, some guests are curious if the expiration date will be extended.

Future Cruise Credits are issued at the time of cancellation to be used within a certain timeframe, but with more and more cruises being cancelled, there is concern guests might run out of time to redeem them.

During a travel agent webinar, Royal Caribbean spoke on this topic after the question was raised.

Royal Caribbean Director, Post Cruise Guest Relations & Shared Services, Laly Rodriguez,said Royal Caribbean is looking at this issue, but has not made a decision on it yet.

"We have been looking at that in plenty. The reason I started looking at that is because some of our Pinnacles are starting to say, 'Hey, I have all these future cruise credits and it seems like I'm not going to have enough time to use them.'"

"We're reviewing, discussing, and while we don't have an answer yet, we're keeping that top of mind to make sure that everybody has ample time to use them."

Lots of guests have taken FCCs

Since the global cruise suspension began, many guests have opted to take Future Cruise Credits, even in lieu of a refund. The bonus 25% credit for opting for a FCC when Royal Caribbean cancels a cruise has been a lucrative option.

During Royal Caribbean Group's earnings call with investors on Monday, it was revealed the company has about $900 million in future cruise credit value, with about 40-45% of those being non-refundable.

A Future Cruise Credit from a cancelled cruise must be redeemed on-or-before December 31, 2021 on a Royal Caribbean International sailing through April 2022.

New photos shared online show the new lifeboats for Odyssey of the Seas on their way to the shipyard.

Unimedien shared photos and even a video of lifeboats being delivered for Royal Caribbean's next new cruise ship.

The lifeboats were moved from the Fassmer shipyard in Berne, Germany through the Küstenkanal canal to the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

On June 30,  Royal Caribbean announced Odyssey of the Seas will be delayed until April 2021, when she will begin sailing in Rome.

The cause of the delay is a combination of the global health crisis, delays in the supply chain, and fires at the shipyard compounding other shipyard issues.

Odyssey of the Seas will be Royal Caribbean's second Quantum Ultra Class ship and will come in at 168,000 gross-tons.

Royal Caribbean Group announced on Wednesday it has gotten a loan facility from Morgan Stanley for $700 million.

If Royal Caribbean elects to use the loan, it will bear interest at Libor plus 3.75%, and will mature in 364 days. The purpose of the loan is to help pay for "general purpose corporate purchases".

The Company has the ability to increase the capacity of the facility by an additional $300 million from time to time subject to the receipt of additional or increased commitments and the issuance of guarantees from additional subsidiaries of the Company. 

Prior to taking this loan, Royal Caribbean Group reported on Monday that it had $4.1 billion in liquidity, has debt maturities of $300 million in 2020 and $1.3 billion in 2021, and estimated a monthly cash burn rate of $250 million to $290 million.

Royal Caribbean said it is considering ways to further reduce its average monthly cash burn under a further prolonged out-of-service scenario and during re-start of operations.

Perella Weinberg Partners LP served as financial advisor and Skadden Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP served as legal advisor to the company in connection with the term loan facility.

When you book a Royal Caribbean cruise, it includes some drinks that will cost you nothing extra.

For many people, knowing which drinks are included makes it easier to decide if you need a drink package or you want to pay for drinks individually.

Even if you aren't a foodie you still will be eating quite a few meals onboard and that has some folks wondering which drinks are included and which drinks cost extra.  Here is a quick guide to what you need to know about the drinks on a Royal Caribbean ship.

What drinks are free on Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean provides all its guests on all its cruise ships a few different drinks throughout the day that are included in your cruise fare.   These drinks include

• tap water
• milk
• tea
• coffee (regular and decaf)
• lemonade
• iced tea
• flavored waters
• juices (at breakfast and not fresh squeezed)
• Hot chocolate (via instant packets)

These drinks are available throughout your cruise at a number of locations, so there will always be somewhere to get something to drink for free.

More importantly, you should feel confident these included beverages cover the basics, so if you don't want to spend extra for other beverages, these will keep you not only hydrated, but satisfied.

At any of Royal Caribbean's restaurants, you'll be able to order from these drinks included with your cruise fare. Some of the grab-and-go locations may not have them all.

There's no limit to these drinks and all of them on this list are free.

What drinks costs extra on Royal Caribbean

Alternatively, guests may purchase other beverages for an additional cost during the cruise.

This list is essentially anything else available onboard, including

• soda
• beer
• wine
• liquor
• cocktails
• premium coffee and tea, such as Starbucks
• bottled water (still or sparkling)
• fresh squeezed juice

For all of these drinks, you may purchase each drink individually or purchase a beverage package that will give you either a set allotment of beverages or unlimited access onboard to them.

Where to get premium beverages for free

During your cruise, there are opportunities to get drinks that would otherwise cost extra for free.  If you keep an eye on your Cruise Compass, you should see many, if not all, of these opportunities on your next cruise.

Crown and Anchor members with level Diamond or above

Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle members will get free alcoholic drinks before dinner.  Since this post is aimed at first time cruisers, that is probably not you, but it is something to keep in mind for the future.

Welcome Back Parties

If you are at least a Gold member or above in Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society, there are welcome back parties held, where wine and cocktails are served for free.

Art Auctions

There will be regularly held art auctions onboard your cruise and as a means of enticing guests to attend, there is complimentary champagne available.

Suite Guests ( excluding Junior Suites)

Guests that are staying in a suite will have access to free drinks in the Concierge Lounge.

What drinks are included if I'm staying in a suite?

If you are staying in a Grand Suite or above, you'll have access to complimentary drinks in the Suite Lounge during their operating hours.

On Oasis and Quantum Class ships, there is complimentary beers and wine in the Suite Lounge from 11am to 11pm. During their happy hour in the evening, a wider selection of alcohol becomes available.

Other ship classes have free drinks at their happy around, around 4-8pm each day.

The free drinks are limited to when you are in the Suite Lounge only.

Are drinks free while I am playing at the casino?

Drinks are not free in the casino on Royal Caribbean ships unless you reach a certain level of the Casino Royale customer loyalty program.

If you are in Prime, Signature and Masters level of Casino Royale, then you can enjoy complimentary drinks while in the casino during operating hours.

Is soda free on Royal Caribbean cruises?

No, soda is not free on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

You can either buy sodas individually by the can, or get them as part of your drink package benefits.

A can of soda should cost you $3.25 per can before gratuity.

Are the drinks included enough for me?

The amount of drinks Royal Caribbean includes with your cruise fare are enough to keep you hydrated and likely satisfied during your cruise.

The area where you would need to spend extra for drinks would be alcohol, soft drinks, or juices. Depending on your personal preferences, this may or may not matter.

Some people are content with what Royal Caribbean includes, while others specifically seek out drink packages in order to indulge while onboard. Many people see going on a cruise and alcoholic beverages as interlinked experiences.

With the United States Congress mulling over stimulus and economic relief ideas, the cruise industry is already planning to go without any federal assistance.

In an interview with CNBC, Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain was asked if his company was willing to change being incorporated from Liberia to the US in order to increase the chance of getting financial relief.

Mr. Fain flat-out rejected the notion, saying that Royal Caribbean Group is, and has, been working to stay solvent without any financial assistance from the United States.

"We started with a strong balance sheet. We've taken a lot of steps to improve our liquidity. We've taken a lot of steps to bring our costs under control," Mr. Fain said bluntly. "It's a very painful process we've gone through."

"But we're doing that without relying on the US government. We're doing that on our own."

There was speculation that perhaps cruise lines, which have been hit hard by the global health crisis, might qualify for bailout money to remain operational.

Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines were subject to the same speculation in March 2020, when the first round of federal money was given out to boost the economy, but they were ultimately not included.

Royal Caribbean Group, the parent company of Royal Caribbean International, is incorporated in Liberia.

Taking a test for COVID-19 before you get on a Royal Caribbean cruise might be one of the many steps the cruise line takes to keep guests safe once cruises resume.

During Royal Caribbean Group's earnings call with investors, a Wall Street analyst asked is if Royal Caribbean will follow other cruise lines in Europe and test guests before boarding.

Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley answered that it testing of guests is "very likely" to occur.

The Healthy Sail Panel of health experts is currently working on an approach to address the many concerns guests may face once cruises start again, and their initial findings are expected by the end of August.

Mr. Bailey said that while the recommendations of the panel are not available yet, he did say testing will be part of it.

"Testing is part of the thinking that we have not yet reached a point in our protocols where we're ready to publish and release for for discussion," Mr. Bailey started, "But it's very likely that testing will occur."

He also noted that in addition to the cruise industry, several countries around the world are using testing as a requirement for entry, including in the Caribbean.

There was no indication yet of whether guests, crew, or everyone on the ship would be tested, but that is likely to be part of the Healthy Sail Panel's recommendations when they are published.

With some ships beginning to sail limited cruises in Europe, it is a good test for the industry.

"We're very engaged in what's happening and we're obviously receiving a lot of feedback. It's a great learning experience for for the industry in terms of what's occurring with regards to the protocols."

"I think certainly testing seems to be very relevant and discussions are underway."