A top question asked by new cruisers is "Am I allowed to bring alcohol on my Royal Caribbean cruise ship?" because they want to save money.
The answer is some is allowed, but not all. Royal Caribbean has very strict rules about which alcohol you can bring and when.
You cannot bring as much alcohol as you want, but the amount you can bring is great for light drinkers or anyone that wants to augment their consumption.
Here's a look at if you can bring alcohol on a Royal Caribbean cruise.
You are allowed to bring a small amount of alcohol on embarkation day
You cannot bring beer or liquor ever on a Royal Caribbean ship, but you are allowed some wine or champagne.
The official rule is any adult of legal drinking age can bring one bottle of sealed 750 ml wine, sparkling wine/champagne on the first day only. If you're on a back-to-back cruise, guests are allowed to bring one 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne for each individual sailing.
Wine should be brought onboard via carry to avoid the bag being held by security for additional screening to verify it's not liquor.
Keep in mind there's a rule that if you bring wine on your ship and open it in a bar or restaurant, you're subject a corkage fee.
For years the corkage fee wasn't actually enforced, but the cruise line has started to be more vigilant about it, so you should expect to pay the $15 per bottle fee.
There is no corkage fee if you're enjoying the wine in your stateroom.
You cannot bring any of these types of alcohol:
- Boxed wine
- Beer
- Liquor
- Seltzers
The ship's security will seize any alcoholic beverages brought aboard and will return them to you at the end of the cruise, assuming it's sealed.
No, you can't sneak alcohol onboard
Royal Caribbean states its security staff is actively looking for guests that try to cheat the system and bring booze onboard.
The internet is full of tricks to smuggle alcohol on a ship, but security may inspect luggage or containers they suspect of containing alcohol such as:
- Water bottles
- Soda bottles
- Mouthwash
Any containers holding alcohol they find will be disposed of and not returned.
In fact, it could get you kicked off the ship.
Guests who violate any alcohol policies, may be disembarked or not allowed to board, at their own expense, in accordance with our Guest Conduct Policy.
No matter what hack you see on TikTok, it could put your entire vacation in jeopardy.
You can bring alcohol on your ship while in port
If you're visiting a country and want to bring back wine, beer, or a liquor that you purchased ashore, Royal Caribbean will allow you take it on the ship but they'll hold it for you.
You cannot drink it on the ship, but they will allow you to bring it home.
When you reboard the ship, security will safely store these items on the ship. These bottles will be returned on the last day onboard so you can bring it home.
You can bring non-alcoholic drinks
Royal Caribbean lets you bring many more non-alcoholic drinks on the ship, which are a popular way to save on onboard spending.
On embarkation day only, you can bring up to 12 standard (17 oz.) cans, bottles or cartons per stateroom. This means bottled water, sodas, juice, or energy drinks can be brought on the ship.
You should also carry these drinks in your carry-on luggage instead of in your checked luggage. The reason is security will see bottles or cans in the scanning machine and may not be able to determine if its alcohol or not. In that situation, they'll hold your luggage back and you'll need to go down to security to claim it later.
While Royal Caribbean includes some drinks in your fare, bringing your own soft drinks expands what choices you have instead of having to pay for it.
There is no limit for bringing milk and distilled water brought on for infant, medical, or dietary use.
