Royal Caribbean is famous for its luxurious family cruises, which come along with some pricey packages.

The unlimited beverage package is one of the most popular add-ons to a Royal Caribbean cruise.

The idea of unlimited drinks on your cruise is an attractive one. Getting a beverage package promises endless drinks without you ever needing to look at a bill or receipt.

Royal Caribbean’s drink packages are popular because they allow guests to enjoy beer, wine, cocktails, mocktails, specialty coffee, and soft drinks for one fixed price.

However, these packages come at a high price.

The increased demand for drink packages has set prices even higher, leading many cruisers to look for ways to hack the system.

Is there a way to only pay for one package? 

Can you share your drink package with someone else?

Before you try to skip the high prices and share a beverage package with another guest, here’s everything you need to know.

Read more: 9 Ways That People Cheat The Royal Caribbean Drink Package

Understanding the drink package

Royal Caribbean offers three drink packages: the soda package, the Royal Refreshment package, and the deluxe beverage package.

Because the deluxe package includes drinks with alcohol, it is one of the most popular options for a cruise.

The deluxe package offers:

• Cocktails, spirits, liqueurs
• Beer
• Wine (by the glass)
• Mocktails
• Premium coffees & teas
• Fountain sodas / Coca-Cola Freestyle beverages
• Coca-Cola souvenir cup included
• Bottled still and sparkling water
• Fresh squeezed juices
• 40% discount on bottles of wines under $100. Bottles of wine above $100 will receive a 20% discount.
• Discounts on drinks served in a souvenir container or inside fruit

The deluxe drink package ranges from $55 to $105 per person, per day.

Only adults 21 years of age and older (or 18 years of age in Australia and the U.K.) may purchase this package, ensuring that they are of the legal drinking age.

Every adult must buy a drink package

Per Royal Caribbean’s policy, each package is a personal package for one guest.

If one adult purchases a drink package, Royal Caribbean requires all adults staying in the same stateroom to buy one.

“All packages are for single guest use and cannot be shared by multiple people,” their website states.

“Any guest wishing to purchase an alcoholic beverage package must do so for all guests of legal drinking age in the same stateroom.”

This means that each adult must purchase a drink package, not allowing you to share one package among multiple people.

If some adults in your group do not wish to purchase a drink package, there are a couple ways to avoid this.

First, you can call Royal Caribbean and ask for an exemption. Usually, the line will permit the guest to purchase a less-expensive drink package, like the Royal Refreshment package.

If they have a health condition that prevents them from drinking or are pregnant, customer service representatives will work to make sure they are given an exemption.

Another way to avoid buying multiple packages is to book each adult in separate rooms.

If you are traveling with children and staying in multiple staterooms, you can book each adult separately.

You don’t necessarily have to sleep in those separate rooms, but if you are booked in different cabins one guest won’t be required to buy a package.

Read more: Avoid these Royal Caribbean drink package mistakes

You are not allowed to share with someone

Royal Caribbean does not permit guests to share alcohol with someone else.

The cruise line is looking to make money on each drink sold individually.

They also have no way of confirming if the person you’re sharing a drink with is legally allowed to drink.

To prevent any sharing, bartenders only serve drinks to guests who present their own SeaPass cards. This verification is required so that no one tries to buy a drink using someone else’s card or package.

Drink package benefits are reserved only for the person who purchased them, but some people still try to cheat the system by sharing with someone else.

However, the risk far outweighs the reward.

If you get caught sharing drinks with someone who doesn’t have the same drink package, the cruise line can cancel the drink package without a refund, and even charge you the price of all the drinks you previously ordered.

A former bartender shared on Reddit the story of one man who thought he could outsmart the crew members.

But he didn’t get away with it. At the end of the cruise, Royal Caribbean revoked the guest’s drink package and charged him for every single drink consumed during the cruise.

With the normal, full-price charge, he ended up paying $3,000 just for those drinks.

Bartenders are pros at spotting people trying to share their package.

They will usually limit you to one drink every 5-15 minutes. Staff watch for this behavior, and if they see you walking away and handing off a drink to someone else, you will certainly get in trouble.

Additionally, don’t forget that there are cameras in nearly every corner of the ship!

The likelihood that you would get caught is very high.

If you are found sharing your drink package, the cruise line reserves the right to cancel your drink package and charge you for all drinks purchased.

Royal Caribbean Drink Package Tips

To help you maximize your beverage package and have the best experience possible, we have some extra tips for you.

Know the rules: Make sure that you familiarize yourself with all the terms and conditions governing your package.

This way, you will know how to maximize its benefits and also prevent yourself from inadvertently breaking any rules.

Take advantage of all the beverages onboard: enjoy the wide selection of unlimited drinks you can enjoy, from specialty cocktails to wine to soda.

Pace yourself: Don’t forget to drink responsibly! Avoid overindulging, and ensure that you have a safe and healthy experience. 

Guests who are found to be out of control in their drinking can also have their drink package revoked, or at least be refused service until sobriety returns.

Royal Caribbean drink packages offer passengers unlimited drinks for a fixed daily price, and that may sound like the perfect optional cost.

An all-inclusive beverage plan is attractive because they offer an easy way to have unlimited access to drinks and not have to worry about running up a big bill by the end of the cruise.

About 50% of passengers end up buying a drink package for their cruise, making it one of the most popular add-ons.

Most people want to know if what's included with Royal Caribbean's drink packages, whether it's worth the cost, and when is the best time to buy a drink package. My tips and opinions are based on my first-hand experiences buying the drink packages, and comparing it to cruising without a package.

Here's what you should know to decide if a beverage package is a good choice for you.

Is it necessary to get one?

Before we break down the different beverage packages, you might be curious if buying one is necessary.

Royal Caribbean includes some drinks with your cruise fare, and it offers the rest as an optional extra cost. That means, you could pay for each one individually that you order.

The advantage of buying a drink package is you pay one price and then get unlimited drinks. There's no guessing how big your bill is, and no receipts to sign for each drink.  Even tips are included.

Based on my many years of cruising, the question of needing a drink package boils down to how you vacation. You need to have a few drinks a day to make it a cost-saving opportunity. Otherwise, you're better off paying for each drink.

The most important consideration is how you'll drink on vacation versus at home. In most cases, these are vastly different. 

There is no flat "yes" or "no" answer to determining if a drink package makes sense for everyone, but hopefully, the considerations in this post can help with your decision.  

What we often hear from other cruisers is over the course of longer cruises (7-nights or longer), it becomes more and more difficult to maintain the level of drinking required to get the value from the package.  

Keep in mind that you can always purchase a drink package even after your cruise begins, if you find yourself drinking more than you thought. Royal Caribbean advertises that its drink packages can be purchased at any point in a cruise, provided there are at least four days left in the cruise.

The key is to know how you like to cruise and which pros and cons of the drink package are more important to you. At worst, you are going to overpay for a drink package or for drinks on your own. In either case, you will still likely have a great vacation experience.

Compare Drink Packages

See what's included in Royal Caribbean drink packages with this side-by-side view.

What is a Royal Caribbean drink package?

A Royal Caribbean drink package includes unlimited drinks for a fixed cost that had the potential to save money compared to paying for each drink individually.

Each plan can be used at any bar, restaurant, or lounge on Royal Caribbean ships and at its private destinations.  The benefits are loaded onto your SeaPass card, so there's no card or proof to carry with you.

When you order a drink, your SeaPass card is scanned and their system detects you have a drink package.  Even the gratuity is included for each drink you order, so there's no cost with each drink because it's all included.

There are only two places a drink package cannot be used: room service and stateroom mini-bars.

You can buy one either before your cruise on the Royal Caribbean app, or onboard your ship. In either case, you'll pay upfront for the entire cost of a drink package.  

It's a steep initial cost, but offers a very convenient option on the ship since there's no fuss or worry about how many drinks you order.

What's included in Royal Caribbean's drink packages?

Royal Caribbean offers a few drink packages to consider. Each package provides guests with an unlimited allotment of servings of the specific beverages their package includes.

None of the packages include mini bar items, Evian water, canned sodas, bottled juice and souvenir glassware, specialty beers as listed on bar menus, or super premium category beverages.

Refreshment Package

This drink package includes all nonalcoholic drinks. It is popular with adults as well as older children and those who like having juices, coffee and teas.

For each guest that purchases this package, it includes:

• Premium coffees and teas
• Bottled still and sparking water
• Fresh squeezed orange juice
• Mocktails
• Fountain sodas / Coca-Cola Freestyle beverages
• Coca-Cola Souvenir Cup included

The price per night of the Refreshment Package is $29.00 per guest (excluding gratuity).

Classic Soda Package

The Classic Soda Package is what was once called by many guests, "the soda card". It is unlimited soda and quite popular with kids. 

For each guest that purchases this package, it includes:

• Fountain Soda and refills in any venue
• Coca-Cola Freestyle beverages
• Coca-Cola Souvenir Cup included

Deluxe Beverage Package

Royal Caribbean offers just one unlimited alcohol package, the Deluxe Beverage package.

The Deluxe package offers "the best of both worlds," with access to nearly the entire stock of beverages with or without liquor. Enjoy virtually unlimited combinations on everything from cocktails with top-shelf spirits to premium teas and every beverage in between.

For each guest that purchases this package, it includes:

• Cocktails, spirits, liqueurs
• Beer
• Wine (by the glass)
• Mocktails
• Premium coffees & teas
• Fountain sodas / Coca-Cola Freestyle beverages
• Coca-Cola souvenir cup included
• Bottled still and sparkling water
• Fresh squeezed juices
• 40% discount on wines under $100. Wines above $100 will receive a 20% discount.

The Deluxe Beverage Package includes drinks with liquor up to $14 in value. Drinks that are served in a souvenir cup/glass/mug and/or drinks served inside fruit (i.e. pineapples) are not included with the drink package, however, a portion of the drink price is subsidized by the beverage package.

One thing to note in the fine print is all Royal Caribbean passengers 21 years of age and older (18 years in Australia and the UK) are required to purchase the Deluxe Beverage Package if at least one other person in their cabin has one.

If the other adult(s) in the same stateroom do not wish to purchase a Deluxe Beverage Package, you can call Royal Caribbean and ask for an exemption. Usually, Royal Caribbean will allow the other adult(s) to purchase a less-expensive drink package, such as the Refreshment Package.

Cafe Select Card

If all you want are lattes, espresso, or something stronger than regular coffee, then perhaps Royal Caribbean's Café Select Coffee Card is the right choice for you.

Unlike the other drink packages, the coffee card is not unlimited. Instead, you get a physical card that will be punched every time you use the card. Each card is good for 15 punches.

For every brewed coffee you order, the barista will punch a hole in the card to note how many of the drinks you've ordered.

You can use the coffee card at Royal Caribbean coffee locations, such as Cafe Promenade or Cafe Latte-tudes. It does not work at freestanding Starbucks kiosks.

Another difference from the other drink packages is you are allowed to share the coffee card benefits with another guest.

Water Package

Royal Caribbean's Water Packages offer 12 or 24 packs of one-liter bottles of water, which are delivered to your cabin on embarkation day.

The bottled water package is a convenient way to have spring water available for your use while you cruise. It's also something anyone that generally prefers bottled water over faucet water.

In addition, having bottled water means you can take it around the ship with you, or even on shore excursions.

You'll still have access to drinking water during your cruise at every bar, restaurant, or lounge. Drinking water is very clean and filtered at a higher level than most public drinking water at home.

What do Royal Caribbean drink packages cost?

Royal Caribbean utilizes dynamic pricing for its drink packages, which means the price can depend on the sailing. This means the price could be different based on the ship, itinerary, or sail date you pick.

• Deluxe Beverage Package: $55 to $115 per person per day
• Royal Refreshment Package: $38 per person per day
• Classic Soft Drinks Package: $12.99 per person per day
• Water Package: 12 bottles for $39; 24 bottles for $69
• Coffee card: $31 per card

Every drink package includes gratuities when you purchase it, so there are no additional tips or costs for anything included in the package. You will see a "service charge" that comes with the drink package purchase, which includes the automatic 18% gratuity.

Read more: How much is a Royal Caribbean drink package?

The best time to buy a Royal Caribbean drink package is to buy one as early as you can and then re-price when there are price drops.

The price of a drink package can change many times before the cruise begins and this is because of various sales, some up to 40% off the onboard price.

Typically, there's a drink package discount every few weeks, although the total cost of the drink package may not actually change.

Is a Royal Caribbean drink package worth it?

There is no question a beverage package has the potential to save money, but the real question is if you will drink enough every day of your cruise to make it worth purchasing.

Here's an argument from our staff why a drink package is worth it, and why it's not worth it.

Why I think drink packages are worth it

Matt: I've purchased Royal Caribbean drink packages for years because of how easy it is to budget your drinks for any cruise.

Without a drink package, I find myself hemming and hawing over if I really want a drink, and end up rationing them in order to save money. The result is I'm just not as happy. 

The convenience factor usually leads me to decide to get the package. After all, you are on vacation and no memorable cruise starts with worrying about drink prices.

While the up-front cost is high, when you think about the premium coffees, bottled water, beer, and alcoholic cocktails I can drink every day for one price, it makes not worrying about a big bill at the end of the cruise so much better.

Plus, the drink package allows me to try new drinks because there's no limit to how many drinks I can order.

Why a drink package wasn't worth it for me

Allie: The drink package is supposed to help your cruise feel more all-inclusive because you do not need to be skimpy with your drinking. Since you’ve already purchased the drink package before boarding, there shouldn’t be any surprise charges onboard.

I did find that my cruise felt more all-inclusive since we could drink without limits. Since my friends also had the drink package, it was nice that we didn’t have to stress about blowing a budget or spending way more than anticipated. 

However, we felt like we were constantly trying to calculate how many drinks we had to have to ensure our hefty purchase was worthwhile. My husband also noted how he felt an internal obligation to order the most expensive drinks rather than what he would have preferred drinking. 

Perhaps the two of us are too analytical to enjoy the drink package advantages on our Royal Caribbean, but we won’t be splurging on this purchase again.

Is there a limit on Royal Caribbean drink packages?

There is no limit on a Royal Caribbean drink package in terms of how many drinks a guest may consume in a day or throughout the cruise.

The only limit on a drink package is that you may only order one drink per order, per drink package.

If multiple people are ordering a drink with a drink package, the bartender or waiter may take each guest's SeaPass card to place the order.

There are a few other drink package rules that you should be aware of as well.

Pros and cons of getting the drink package on Royal Caribbean?

We have used Royal Caribbean's drink packages on a number of occasions and we have also paid out of pocket for our drinks on even more cruises. The drink package has an equal number of fans and critics. We tend to fall somewhere in the middle, disagreeing with both extremes. We think the drink package has its pros and cons, so let us take a look at some of them!

Savings: You can save money with a drink package (versus paying for each drink a la carte), but you have to be a certain kind of drinker and not waste the daily package benefits. If you are someone who enjoys having many drinks every day, it can definitely save you money with a Royal Caribbean drink package. This requires anyone who buys the package to be willing and able to enjoy a good half-dozen drinks every day of their cruise.  

There is no question a drink package has an excellent value proposition associated with it, but you need to be able to drink enough to "break even" on the package versus buying the drinks on your own. If you knew you would not be drinking enough every day of your cruise to break even, why would you overpay for a package?

With that said, prices for Royal Caribbean drinks have been on the rise over the last few years. Cocktails are regularly priced at around $10-13 per drink, which means bar tabs can quickly get expensive. And with so many tantalizing choices on each bar menu, the temptation to grab a drink is always present.

The drink package benefits will save the most money for folks who drink a lot during the day and spread their drinking out throughout the course of their day and night.  

Amount of drinks: One common regret we hear about drink packages is a phenomenon known as "drink fatigue," where guests drink more than they really would ordinarily order and they end up ordering drinks for the sake of ordering drinks. When using a drink package, I always struggle with the question of, "Am I ordering a drink because I want one or because I have a drink package?" There have been plenty of times with a drink package, I know I am ordering a drink because I have the package, and the show, activity or event I am attending offers drinks, so why not get a drink.

If you are on a short cruise and are looking to have a good time, the drink package can make a lot more sense, since there are less days to use the package benefits. Likewise, shorter cruises have a tendency to have more of a party atmosphere than longer cruises.  

It is important to keep in mind what your goal is when ordering a drink package. Are you going to be spending much of your time by the pool or are you someone that will be doing other activities where drinking may not always be an option.  

Convenience: Many guests swear by the convenience of Royal Caribbean's drink packages. It makes enjoying drinks simple, with no fuss involved. There is no worrying about how much the drink costs and if you should get it or something cheaper. Heck, there is not even the concern about whether you can afford to get a drink.  

It is a fair point and among the most commonly cited reasons people love the drink packages. We love the convenience of the drink package too, especially to have the freedom of trying new drinks without fear of ordering something we do not like and being "stuck" with it. Or relegating ourselves to drink the same old drinks because we know we like them.

The thing is, the number one reason to buy a drink package is to save money, otherwise, why would it exist. Royal Caribbean would not roll out something that offers no savings and expect people to pay for it, right? With that in mind, while convenience is important, we believe the cost savings still supersede whatever convenience the drink package offers.

Budgeting: This is probably the most contentious point. In addition to being convenient, a lot of its fans advocate the unlimited drink packages help them stay on a budget and avoid thinking about money on a vacation.

On the surface, this makes sense because you can buy a drink package before your cruise and break up the cost of the cruise, or opt to purchase it onboard and cap your drinking spending. In either scenario, it goes to making your total cost more predictable. It reminds us of cell phone plans and why so many people prefer unlimited data plans rather than fixed-data plans. Simpler to have one cost that covers everything, than worry about "going over."

There is a point to be made about pre-purchasing a drink package months before your cruise, paying it off then and then later going on your cruise and not dealing with a bill at the end of your cruise that makes you cringe (or worse). It does not mean you will actually save any money, as you still need to drink enough each day of your cruise to make a drink package worthwhile. Otherwise, you overpaid earlier than usual.

The whole notion of not having to worry about receipts, gratuity or how much a drink costs holds less water for us. Sure, it is nice to have, but far from essential. If someone told me I could save more money by doing some simple math every day, you bet I would bring my calculator onboard. There are a lot of fun things to do on a Royal Caribbean cruise, and the more money I can save, the more fun stuff I can afford.

Sticker shock: Even if you are not on a tight budget, drink prices on a Royal Caribbean cruise can be somewhat shocking. There might be the most amazing drink on the menu, but you cannot bring yourself to spend $14 (or more) on it because that sounds too expensive for just one drink.

It is debatable how much any drink should cost. Go to a concert or theme park, and you will find prices for drinks that make Royal Caribbean's pricing strategy look pedestrian.  

On the other hand, your local restaurants may serve up drinks for a fraction of the cost of what you will find at Boleros. Having the drink package does help ease your mind about paying $14 for that cucumber martini.

It is important to note that you are not always forced into paying full prices for drinks. Every day there will be a "drink of the day," where one drink is discounted by about 20%. 

You can usually find other drink specials throughout your cruise. In addition, guests who are members of Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society are eligible to receive discounted and complimentary drinks during the cruise. Diamond and above members get complimentary drinks every day, which can be a big money saver.  

Moreover, guests are allowed to bring one bottle of wine per guest (21+) on their Royal Caribbean cruise. All of this contributes to bringing down the cost of drinks on a cruise, especially if you forgo a drink package and pay a la carte for your drinks.

Itinerary: How many sea days or port days you have could factor into making a drink package a good investment.

While the drink packages do work on Royal Caribbean's private islands of Labadee and Perfect Day at CocoCay, they do not work while you are in other ports of call. The more ports of call you visit, the less time you have onboard to take advantage of the drink packages.  

However, if your itinerary has mostly sea days, it becomes easier to get the value from the package.

Your thoughts

What is your experience with Royal Caribbean's beverage package? Thinking about using it? I would love to hear your thoughts about a Royal Caribbean beverage package, and how it works (or does not work) for you in the comments! If you have questions, ask them there, too.

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There are hacks out there to save money on a Royal Caribbean drink package, but some people go as far as to try to cheat it.

Everyone knows that a Royal Caribbean drink package is quite expensive, as prices have steadily gone up over the years. I think the convenience of having a drink package is a compelling reason to buy one, but the sticker shock when you go to buy one is real.

For two people on a 7-night cruise, the Deluxe Beverage package will cost around $1,500 for the entire sailing.

Some cruisers think of ways to cheat Royal Caribbean by coming up with ways to sneak around the rules, but it's playing with wire.

Trying to cheat the package can get you in serious trouble with the cruise line, and you risk various penalties. 

We've heard all the excuses why circumventing the rules is okay to do: it's expensive, requirements for all adults to buy it if one does, a need to buy it for the entire sailing, and more. The reality is it's Royal Caribbean's decision on what the rules are, and it's not negotiable.

I don't recommend trying any means of cheating Royal Caribbean, and I'm only sharing these methods as a warning of what not to do because you can get in serious trouble.  Consider yourself warned.

Share drink benefits

The oldest and most common way people cheat the drink package is to buy the drink package and then order drinks for others who don't have the package.

Royal Caribbean is quite clear that the drink package benefits are only for the person that buys them, but some people still do this.

If you're caught sharing drinks with someone who doesn't have the same drink package as you, you risk having your entire drink package purchase cancelled without a refund.

Remember, bartenders have seen it all and you're far from the first person to sneak drinks to someone else. Moreover, there are cameras all around the ship.  So the chances of being caught is quite high.

Sneak booze onboard

There are so many videos on TikTok showing how to sneak alcohol onboard your ship as a way to save money and avoid buying a drink package completely.

Royal Caribbean prohibits you from bringing beer or liquor onboard at all. It's one of the prohibited items not allowed.

TikTok is full of cruise hacks to show anyone how to smuggle booze onboard.

The most common strategy is to fill bottles of mouthwash or shampoo to conceal it. Another way is to put the booze in a flask and hide it on your body as you embark the ship.

Other crazy ideas include liquid-holding bras, fake beer bellies, umbrella or binocular flasks.

Many of these ideas are tedious to set up, cumbersome to execute, and could you get in serious trouble with the cruise line.

Easy hacks to save money on a drink package

Trying to get around Royal Caribbean's rules is a recipe for ruining your vacation.

However, there are some legal ways to "cheat" the Royal Caribbean drink package using a few creative strategies.

Bring your own wine

You're allowed to bring one bottle of wine (or champagne) per adult on embarkation day, and this can save you a lot of money.

Bringing your own wine means you can pay retail price for your wine, instead of the prices the cruise line sells them for onboard. Plus, you can bring your favorite brand of wine, rather than being limited to what is on your ship.

Royal Caribbean supposedly charges a corkage fee to open a bottle of wine ($15 corkage fee per bottle), but in my experience it is rarely enforced.

Nonetheless, bringing your own bottles of wine can save a lot of money if all you're interested in is wine.

Book your drink package early and reprice

Did you know when you buy a drink package before the cruise, you can always take advantage of a lower price later?

The tried-and-true strategy for getting the lowest price for a Royal Caribbean drink package is to keep checking for lower prices up until embarkation day.

Royal Caribbean runs drink package sales all the time, and there's always some kind of a discount applied.  The key is to know when to buy the drink package before your cruise and periodically check for a lower price.

My advice is ignore the advertised percentage off that you see, and look at the total cost when you add it back to your cart as if you were buying it again.

If the price is lower, you can easily cancel your original purchase and then immediately re-buy it at the lower price.

Using this strategy, you can easily save hundreds of dollars.

Call Royal Caribbean to ask for a different drink package

One reason people want to cheat the Royal Caribbean drink package is because they think it's unfair that another adult in their cabin has to get the alcohol package if they get it, but there's a workaround to it.

If you try to buy the Deluxe Beverage Package on the website, you'll notice Royal Caribbean forces you to buy it for all the other adults in the same cabin.

You can call Royal Caribbean and let them know the other adult(s) in your cabin do not want the drink package, and instead, they'll allow them to buy the Royal Refreshment package, which includes just non-alcoholic beverages.

This will save a lot of money for someone who cannot or does not want the full unlimited package.

Book adults in separate rooms

If you're taking advantage of one of my favorite cruise cabin hacks and booking two or more cabins instead of putting everyone in a single cabin, be sure to assign adults in different cabins.

As an example, let's assume you have two adults and two kids and you're going to book connecting cabins because it gets you more room, separation from your kids, and an extra bathroom at a lower price than a suite.

Instead of booking the kids in one cabin and the parents in the other cabin, book one child with each parent in the room.  That way, when you go to buy the Deluxe Beverage Package, it won't force the second person to buy it because minors don't have to get a drink package!

Don't worry who's technically booked in which cabin. Royal Caribbean doesn't care which cabin you actually stay in, just that you're booked.

Look for free drinks around the ship

Another strategy is to rely on some of the free drinks you can get around your cruise ship.

Throughout your cruise, there will be different events held where you could get free alcoholic beverages.

Every cruise is different, but there are a few events common to almost every Royal Caribbean sailing:

• Art auctions have free champagne
• Top Tier events for Crown and Anchor Society members have complimentary beverages
• Liquor tasting events
• Extra cost brunch events that include champagne

This hack works best for someone that wants to be more opportunistic in how they save money and get free drinks.

Tip the bartenders

I think you should always tip waiters and bartenders for good service, but there's an added possible benefit to this gesture.

Some bartenders might give you a free drink after you tip them. Never expect a free drink as a result of offering them gratuity, but it has been known to happen.

It works best when you get to know a particular bartender or waiter and order drinks from them throughout your cruise. 

I would not expect to get many free drinks this way, and giving them a tip is about rewarding their service.  Make sure you're clear on that this isn't a quid pro quo situation.

Drink in ports of call

Odds are cocktails and beers are going to be cheaper on land in the ports of call you visit than on the ship.

If you limit your onboard consumption and spend more on drinks on land, your money will go further.

There's usually a myriad of bars near the port where your cruise ship docks, and plenty more in the surrounding area. There are beach bars, restaurants, and even carts selling drinks that could be significantly cheaper than what you'll find on the ship.

Moreover, you'll have a wider selection of drinks. This is especially important to beer drinkers who covet having access to different brands or beer types.

Order a bottle of liquor to your cabin

Royal Caribbean sells a limited selection of liquor that you can have delivered to your cabin.

There's only a few brands, and it comes in a small quantity meant to use for mixing with a soft drink, but this could be just what you want in lieu of a drink package.

If you go to the Royal Caribbean Gifts and Gear website, you'll find a few liquors to buy (as well as wine and beer brands):

• Bombay Sapphire
• Bacardi Gold
• Absolut Vodka

You'll get a 375 ml. bottle delivered to your stateroom, along with some cans of soda to mix with it.

Gamble enough to get free drinks in the casino

An interesting strategy to get free drinks on your cruise instead of buying a drink package is to spend that money in the casino.

Royal Caribbean has a customer loyalty program specifically for the casino, where if you accrue 2,500 points or more in the casino, you'll move to the Prime level and be able to get unlimited free drinks in Casino Royale for an entire year.

Read more: I gambled enough in Royal Caribbean's casino to get free drinks and a cruise

You get points depending on how much you wager gambling. There isn't an exact calculation, but the more you wager, the more points you earn.  Moreover, you'll earn points faster playing slot machines than table games because slots can be more easily tracked.

Gambling responsibly is more important than free drinks, but if you were going to spend time in the casino anyway, this could be a way to double down on your casino habit and get free drinks as well.

Royal Caribbean has added a new option when booking a cruise on its website to also buy a drink package at the same time.

Drink packages are among the most popular extra cost add-ons that Royal Caribbean offers its guests.

These unlimited drink packages include as much of the drinks not included with the Royal Caribbean cruise fare.

The Royal Caribbean website now has a Beverage Package step added to the checkout flow, where guests are given the choice to add them to their cart at the same time of booking the cruise.

Before this feature was added, guests had no access to book drink packages until they had placed a deposit and booked the cruise reservation first.

Moreover, guests can now see how much a drink package will cost them before booking a cruise.

The beverage package screen offers the three primary drink packages available: Deluxe Beverage package, Refreshment Package, and Classic Soda package.

Just like when purchasing a drink package through the Cruise Planner website, there is a discount offered when bought before the cruise.

Royal Caribbean offers a discount on its drink package when purchased before the cruise begins.  The onboard price is always higher.

The price of a drink package pre-cruise can change in the months leading up to a cruise, depending on what sale the line has running.

Read more: Best Time to Buy A Royal Caribbean Drink Package

Don't worry if you change your mind later about a drink package, because all pre-cruise purchases are fully refundable.

Not only that, you can cancel and rebook if there's a better price later.

Read more: How to cancel and rebook pre-cruise purchases on Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner

What's included with a drink package?

Each of Royal Caribbean's drink packages includes a selection of beverages that would otherwise cost you extra for each purchase.

The Classic Soda package includes:

• Coca-Cola Freestyle beverages
• Coca-Cola souvenir cup
• Fountain soda and refills at any venue

The Refreshment package includes:

• Premium coffees and teas
• Fresh-squeezed juices
• Non-alcoholic cocktails
• Coca-Cola Freestyle beverages
• Coca-Cola souvenir cup
• Fountain soda and refills at any venue

The Deluxe Beverage package includes:

• Cocktails, Spirits, and Premium Liquors
• Beer and Spiked Seltzers
• Wine by the Glass
• Fountain soda and refills at any venue
• Premium coffees and teas
• Fresh-squeezed juices
• Non-alcoholic cocktails
• Coca-Cola Freestyle beverages
• Coca-Cola souvenir cup

Cruise add-ons are big business

Offering a drink package at the time of booking is smart business for Royal Caribbean given how lucrative these add-ons have been for the company.

More people are making pre-cruise purchases than ever before, thanks to a combination of higher demand to splurge on extras, as well as better market penetration.

According to Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty, about two thirds of guests bought something for their cruise before the cruise began. 

That's up from 48% in 2019, which indicates the company is seeing the most demand ever for these add-ons.

Not only is this getting them more business, it's generating higher profits too.

Getting people to book things before the cruise commences has an impact on their bottom line, "Every dollar a guest spends, pre-cruise translates into approximately $0.70 of incremental spend."

Royal Caribbean invested heavily in its e-commerce system to provide better sales pitches to guests, and the result is now materializing in passengers spending more money than ever before their cruise begins.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley talked about the investment in better software during an earnings call earlier this year, "The investment that we made in the software for pre-cruise revenue, which continued through the pandemic."

"We've really leveraged that now, and we've seen a significant increase in penetration and uptick with up-tick sales."

More features added to booking a cruise

Royal Caribbean has also made other tweaks and updates to its website feature list.

When booking a cruise, there is an option to sign in via a pop-up window.  This will then prepopulate your information once you sign-in.

Previously the log in would take you off the page.

In addition, scheduled payments are available now via the My Reservation section.

If you make a deposit on your booking and then go to manage the booking in the My Reservations section, you can now schedule payments.

This applies to single cabin bookings outside of the final payment period. Once you're past final payment, you can not use this feature because you will have had to pay off the entire balance of the reservation.

Planning a Royal Caribbean cruise? Start here:

• 8 cruise tips for first-time Royal Caribbean cruisers
• What’s included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare
• 5 quick and easy tips for finding a great shore excursion on your own
• Food on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• Which is the best Royal Caribbean cruise ship?
• What is the best time to go on a Caribbean cruise?

Booking a drink package on a Royal Caribbean cruise allows you to order unlimited drinks throughout your sailing. Whether a frozen margarita or spiked milkshake, there is a huge variety of drinks to enjoy while onboard.

If you’re daydreaming about the drinks on your upcoming cruise, it’s helpful to have an idea of which drinks are available. While you can always find classic cocktails like piña coladas and daiquiris, you can also try some seriously unique concoctions around the ship.

The advantage of a Royal Caribbean drink package is that you can order as many drinks as you like with no extra cost. Therefore, there’s no harm in trying a drink you might not otherwise order at home. If you don’t like a certain cocktail, you can always order something else!

Our team has tried dozens of cocktails on Royal Caribbean, and we wanted to share our favorite drinks with you. Here are 21 drinks to order if you have a cruise drink package.

Lime and Coconut

One of Royal Caribbean’s newer cocktails is The Lime and Coconut, a creamy guava-flavored drink served at The Lime and Coconut bar. The cocktail combines Malibu Coconut rum with coconut milk, coconut syrup, Monin guava syrup, and lime juice.

If you’ve never tried a cocktail with guava before, you might be surprised with the sweet, tangy flavor of the fruit, which many people describe as a cross between a strawberry and a pear. The fruity flavor combined with the coconut milk and syrup brings a truly unique taste to the beverage.

Where to find the Lime and Coconut: The Lime and Coconut cocktail can only be ordered from The Lime and Coconut bar, found on Navigator of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, Icon of the Seas, and Utopia of the Seas.

Margarita

A margarita may be a classic cocktail, but that doesn’t make it boring.

Margaritas are popular for a reason: they combine sweet, salty, and sour flavors together into one refreshing drink. Whether you order a margarita on the rocks or frozen, there’s hardly a better choice for a drink while onboard.

You can order a margarita in plenty of flavors on a Royal Caribbean cruise, including traditional lime, mango, passion fruit, guava, pineapple, and even jalapeño!

Where to find a margarita: Unsurprisingly, it’s not difficult to find a margarita onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise. Every bar on your ship should be able to craft a margarita, although the most innovative flavors can be found at Sabor or Cantina Fresca, two Mexican-themed bars available on select ships.

Aperol Spritz

An Aperol spritz is a classic Italian wine-based cocktail that has gained popularity on cruises in recent years. If you see passengers sipping on a bright orange drink, it’s most likely made with Aperol, an apéritif known for its distinct color.

This cocktail combines Aperol with prosecco, club soda, and fresh orange. It’s both classy and refreshing, making it a nice drink to enjoy whether on the pool deck or watching a show.

An Aperol spritz is often quite bitter, which leads some people to dislike the drink. In our experience, the drink is not overly bitter on Royal Caribbean ships, making it more universally enjoyed while onboard.

Where to find an Aperol spritz: If a bar has Aperol stocked, they can make an Aperol spritz. We haven’t had any problem ordering this drink from any bar onboard.

Frozen Mojito

Mojitos are incredibly refreshing. Made with rum, lime juice, fresh mint, and simple syrup, a mojito will quench your thirst unlike any other drink onboard.

Traditionally, mojitos are served over ice, but we recommend ordering a frozen mojito instead. Frozen mojitos take all traditional ingredients and are blended with ice, and it makes the drink even more satisfying.

Where to find a frozen mojito: Most bars can make a frozen mojito provided they have a blender and mojito syrup.

Piña Colada

If there’s one cocktail that immediately screams vacation, it’s the piña colada. The drink originated in Puerto Rico in 1954 and combines pineapple, coconut cream, and rum into a frozen beverage.

This drink is among the most popular to order on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Not only is it the perfect drink to accompany your pool deck selfie, but it will keep you cool on the hottest of sea days.

Where to find a piña colada: A piña colada can be made at any bar onboard with access to a blender.

Lavender Daiquiri

Attending a trivia session at the Schooner Bar? If so, there’s no better drink to try than the lavender daiquiri, one of the bar’s signature drinks.

At first glance, putting lavender in a cocktail may seem a bit strange, but trust us when we say it’s delicious! The drink combines Bacardi Superior rum with lavender syrup, giving a floral twist to the traditional daiquiri.

Not only does the lavender drink taste wonderful, but its purple color makes it one of the prettiest drinks you can order on any Royal Caribbean ship.

Where to find the lavender daiquiri: The lavender daiquiri can be found at the Schooner Bar.

Rum Old Fashioned

Another favorite at the Schooner Bar is the rum old fashioned, a sweeter and more tropical version of the traditional drink.

The rum old fashioned combines Bacardi Reserve Ocho rum with coconut syrup and Angostura bitters. The coconut syrup provides the ideal amount of sweetness to counteract the drink’s bitters, and its coconut flavor gives the cocktail a more tropical vibe.

If you aren’t someone who typically likes an old fashioned, don’t be afraid to try the rum old fashioned. Because it’s made with rum and coconut instead of bourbon or rye whiskey, it feels like a different type of drink entirely.

Where to find the rum old fashioned: The rum old fashioned is a signature drink at the Schooner Bar.

Hot Toddy

If you’re cruising to a cold destination like Alaska or Norway, ditch the frozen drinks in favor of a warm alcoholic beverage like a hot toddy.

A hot toddy is made with hot water, whiskey, lemon, and honey, making it light and refreshing without being too sweet.

You’ll often see a hot toddy as a drink of the day on Alaska cruises, which means you can enjoy this cocktail at a lower cost if you do not have a drink package.

Where to find a hot toddy: You can order a hot toddy from any bar capable of making hot drinks.

Mudslide

If you’re in the mood for a chocolate drink, a mudslide is the perfect cocktail to try with your drink package. Mudslides are creamy drinks made with vodka, coffee liqueur, irish cream, and heavy cream.

Chocolate syrup is drizzled around the inside of the glass before pouring the drink, making it extra decadent.

The mudslide is not the lightest cocktail on our list, but if you’re in search of a liquid dessert, it’s a delicious drink option.

Where to find a mudslide: Most bars onboard should be able to make a mudslide, including those on the pool deck and in indoor lounges.

Cucumber Martini

The cucumber martini is one of Royal Caribbean’s most famous drinks, and you'll be hard pressed to find another drink so cool, crisp, and refreshing.

The drink is made with cucumber wheels, Grey Goose vodka, lemongrass syrup, sweet and sour, and basil leaves. Although the individual ingredients may seem like odd items to add to a cocktail, it’s way more delicious than it appears on the menu.

Where to find the cucumber martini: You can find a Cucumber Martini on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class cruise ships. The drink is most frequently enjoyed in 150 Central Park, but you can find it at the Champagne Bar as well.

Caribbean Mule

One of Royal Caribbean’s signature drinks on the cruise line’s pool deck menu is the Caribbean Mule. The cocktail is made with Absolut Vodka, Gosling’s ginger beer, coconut syrup, and a twist of lime, and it’s one of the most refreshing drinks on the menu.

Sailing through rocky seas? Well, ginger is a natural remedy for seasickness. Theoretically speaking, the more Caribbean Mules you drink, the less chance you’ll have at feeling seasick onboard.

Related: Royal Caribbean drink package rules overview

You should, of course, take this advice loosely. Drinking ten Caribbean mules on a day with rough seas could make you feel more ill than you would have been without them!

Where to find the Caribbean mule: You can find a Caribbean Mule at any bars on the pool deck on your cruise ship, although other bars onboard can usually craft this ginger drink as well.

Espresso Martini

Espresso martinis are wildly popular on a Royal Caribbean cruise, particularly during the evenings. This cocktail, perfect for coffee lovers, combines espresso, vodka, and coffee liquor for a boozy, rich beverage.

An espresso martini is unquestionably sophisticated, and there’s nothing quite like sipping a martini while listening to live music or a production show. As another plus, the caffeine will keep you awake into the night, allowing you to take advantage of everything your ship has to offer.

Where to find an espresso martini: Many bars, but not all, can make an espresso martini on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Your best bet for finding this caffeinated cocktail is in a bar in the ship’s interior—think the R Bar in the Royal Promenade or Trellis Bar in Central Park. More casual bars, such as those on the pool deck, may not stock the espresso needed to craft the drink.

Whiskey Sour

A whiskey sour provides a satisfying blend of alcoholic and sour flavors. The drink combines bourbon with lemon juice and simple syrup, and it is traditionally garnished with an orange wheel.

Whiskey can be a strong choice of liquor, so the sour flavors in the drink help cover the strong alcohol taste. If you’re not a huge fan of sweet drinks but would prefer something with more flavor than just liquor, a whiskey sour is a good choice.

Where to find a whiskey sour: You can order a whiskey sour from any bar on Royal Caribbean ships.

Banana Colada

Combining Smith & Cross rum, Bacardi Superior rum, coconut milk, banana, and cinnamon syrup, the banana colada is a must-try drink on Royal Caribbean.

This frozen cocktail is found at the cruise line’s tiki-themed bar, The Bamboo Room, and the bar’s tropical vibe perfectly matches this frozen delight. The drink is more like a milkshake or smoothie than most frozen cocktails, and it immediately transports you to the tropics.

Where to find the banana colada: You can find Royal Caribbean’s official banana colada at The Bamboo Room on Mariner of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas. However, you can order a similar drink from bars on other ships if the bar has any bananas stocked.

On The Run

In need of a quick cocktail before hitting a show or activity? Head to The Bamboo Room and order the On The Run cocktail.

Unlike regular cocktails served in a glass, the On The Run is, essentially, an adult version of Capri Sun. Served in a juice box, the drink combines Bacardi Superior rum, watermelon juice, lime juice, guava syrup, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, and mint.

Drinking a cocktail from a juice box is undeniably fun, and there’s no easier drink to carry with you around the ship.

Where to find the On The Run: You can order an On The Run cocktail from The Bamboo Room on Mariner of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas.

Miami Vice

If you’re a fan of sweet, frozen cocktails, you’ll love a Miami Vice. This fruity concoction places a piña colada side-by-side with a strawberry daiquiri, creating a perfect blend of berry, coconut, and pineapple.

The best time to enjoy this drink is on a hot, sunny sea day, as the frozen cocktail will surely cool you off as you lounge by the pool.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you could also combine other frozen flavors together, such as a mango daiquiri with a piña colada.

Related: Royal Caribbean drink package - your top questions answered

Where to find a Miami vice: This popular cocktail can be found at all bars onboard, provided they have access to a blender. As both piña coladas and strawberry daiquiris are frequently ordered onboard, most bars are able to combine the two with little fuss.

PB&J Old Fashioned

Peanut butter and jelly and… a cocktail?

Sure, it may seem a bit weird, but the PB&J Old Fashioned takes this kid-favorite sandwich to the next level. It combines Skrewball peanut butter whiskey with Kentucky bourbon, walnut bitters, and strawberry jelly, and a mini sandwich is placed atop the drink as garnish.

The PB&J Old Fashioned has quickly gained popularity with Royal Caribbean fans, but be warned: the drink is strong! Nonetheless, it’s an excellent cocktail choice to enjoy at The Mason Jar bar while listening to live country music.

Related: The Mason Jar Southern food restaurant review on Wonder of the Seas

Where to find the PB&J Old Fashioned: The PB&J Old Fashioned is only found at The Mason Jar, Royal Caribbean’s southern-inspired bar and restaurant. Currently, this bar is only on Wonder of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas.

Blueberry Nojito

Trying to make the most of a drink package usually means you’re drinking a lot more than you would at home. At some point during your cruise, you’ll likely be tired of drinking alcohol, so why not order a mocktail?

Our favorite mocktail on Royal Caribbean is the blueberry nojito, which is a mojito without alcohol. This berry-flavored drink combines blueberry purée with lime juice, simply syrup, and fresh mint.

Related: 8 mocktails to try on your next Royal Caribbean cruise

You won’t even miss the alcohol while drinking this sweet cocktail!

Where to find the blueberry nojito: The blueberry nojito is on Royal Caribbean’s standard mocktail menu and is available at any bar.

Coco Loco

If your cruise visits Perfect Day at CocoCay, your drink package will work on the island, meaning you can enjoy your favorite drinks not only onboard, but also ashore.

Perfect Day at CocoCay’s signature drink is the Coco Loco, a frozen concoction mixing an abundance of tropical flavors. The drink can be made with or without alcohol, and sipping the drink is a perfect way to enjoy your time on the island.

The Coco Loco combines:

• ½ oz orange juice concentrate
• ½ oz pineapple juice concentrate
• ½ oz papaya juice concentrate
• ½ oz coconut cream
• ¾ oz dark rum
• ¾ oz coconut rum
• ¼ oz grenadine
• Crushed ice

Whether you make this signature drink at home or wait to try it while at CocoCay, it’s sure to be a favorite drink you try during your cruise.

Where to find the Coco Loco: The Coco Loco can be ordered at Royal Caribbean’s private destination of Perfect Day at CocoCay. If your cruise visits Labadee, the drink is also served there, but it’s called the Labadoozie.

Cheshire Cat Cosmo

The Cheshire Cat Cosmo is a signature drink at Wonderland, Royal Caribbean’s whimsical specialty restaurant.

If you order the Cheshire Cat Cosmo, you might be confused when your waiter brings it to the table. Instead of a liquid drink, your cocktail glass will be filled with cotton candy! To turn the cotton candy into a cocktail, your waiter will pour the cocktail mixture over the candy, immediately turning it into a liquid.

While a sweet drink, it’s undoubtedly a fun cocktail to try while on a cruise.

Where to find the Cheshire Cat Cosmo: This cotton candy drink can only be ordered at Wonderland, available on Quantum and Oasis Class ships.

If you’re sailing on an Oasis Class ship, you don’t need to dine at Wonderland in order to try the restaurant’s cocktails. The top floor of the restaurant has a standalone bar that any guest can access, and it has one of the most dreamy atmospheres anywhere on the ship.

Long Island Iced Tea

One of the strongest drinks you can order on a Royal Caribbean cruise is a Long Island iced tea. If you’re looking for one of the quickest ways to feel buzzed onboard, this is sure to do the trick.

Long Island iced teas are made with vodka, gin, white rum, white tequila, triple sec, lemon juice, and cola.  With five liquors in the drink, it’s a fun (yet dangerous) cocktail to order on a cruise.

Where to find a Long Island iced tea: A classic cocktail, a Long Island iced tea is available at all bars onboard. 

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One of the most common questions we're asked is when is the best time to buy a Royal Caribbean drink package so you can get the lowest price.

Once you have booked your Royal Caribbean cruise, you will gain access to the online Cruise Planner, which will allow you to browse potential cruise add-ons that will enhance your vacation experience. 

While there is a lot included in your cruise fare, select non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages do cost extra, so that is something that you will want to keep in mind when thinking about your cruise budget. To help make the cruise feel more inclusive, you may opt to buy a drink package. 

There are three Royal Caribbean drink packages for guests to choose from: the Deluxe Beverage Package, Royal Refreshment Package, and Classic Soda Package. 

When, however, should you purchase a drink package for your upcoming cruise? There are a few things to consider to ensure that you get the best possible price. 

When is the best time to purchase a Royal Caribbean drink package?

Since you have no idea whether the price of the package will increase or decrease, the best time to purchase a package is right now. This will ensure that you lock in the current rate and do not end up paying more. 

As mentioned earlier, if the price does go down, you can simply cancel your current package with no penalty and repurchase it. 

Regardless of what you do, you should not wait until boarding the ship to purchase any add-ons. Even though Royal Caribbean frequently offers a "buy one get one 50%" sale for the Deluxe Beverage Package on the ship, you will almost certainly end up paying more than if you purchased it in advance. 

Depending on when your cruise is, buying the drink package now might allow you to break up paying for different parts of your cruise vacation. If you get the package on the ship, you will have to pay for it at the end, as well as for any other purchases that you make during the trip, souvenir shopping, etc. 

Related: When should you buy Royal Caribbean drink package, wifi, tours & other add-ons

How should I know when to buy a drink package?

You should frequently check the Cruise Planner until you see a price that you feel comfortable paying. Even after you get the package, it is worth checking the Cruise Planner every so often, as the price can drop! 

If that happens, you are able to cancel your old package for a full refund and repurchase it at the lower price. This does, however, take a little bit of time and patience, as you have to remember to check the Cruise Planner. Plus, there is no guarantee that the pricing will change.

You would hate to pass up on a sale to later find that the price increased! You never know if it will drop back to the price you wish you had locked in. 

Are there Royal Caribbean drink package sales?

Royal Caribbean runs sales on its drink packages quite often, and you can usually find a discount available on the Cruise Planner site.

Usually, the drink package sale nets up to 40% off onboard prices, but you'll find a discount somewhere closer to 20-30%.

Moreover, the price can change on a daily basis, so the price you see today could be different tomorrow, or next month, or next year.

The best drink package sale is usually on Black Friday, but that does not mean that there are not other great deals offered throughout the year. 

With any sale, the most important thing you will want to pay attention to is the daily rate. The price of the package during a "buy one get 50% off" sale might be higher (or lower) than what is offered during other promotions. 

As of April 14, the daily rate for a Deluxe Beverage Package onboard Navigator of the Seas is $75.99. When I checked the pricing the other day, it was over $80 per day! 

Right now, the Royal Refreshment Package's is advertised as being 20% the onboard rate, or $27.99 per day. Generally, the discount for the Classic Soda Package stays the same, and you can get it for around $9.00 or $10.00 per day if purchased in advance. 

While not as frequently talked about, the Cafe Select Coffee Card, which gives you 15 espresso-based premium coffees, never goes on sale. It remains the same price whether you get it the day you book or cruise or the week before! For the same Navigator trip, it is $31.00. 

These prices are given just to illustrate what you may find. To see what the daily rate is for your cruise, log in and check your Cruise Planner. 

Deluxe Beverage Package

Unlike other mainstream cruise lines, Royal Caribbean only offers one alcoholic beverage package. You can enjoy just about any non-alcoholic beverage, spirit, cocktail, glass of wine, or beer, so long as it is no more than $14.00. If there is a drink that costs more than $14.00, the difference plus gratuity will be charged to your SeaPass card. 

Below is a list of what is included with the Deluxe Beverage Package:

• Cocktails, spirits, liqueurs
• Beer
• Wine (by the glass)
• Zero-proof cocktails
• Premium coffees & teas
• Johnny Rockets Milkshakes
• Fountain sodas / Coca-Cola Freestyle beverages + Coca-Cola souvenir cup
• Bottled still and sparkling water
• Fresh squeezed juices
• 40% discount on wines under $100 and 20% discount on wines over $100

Royal Refreshment Package

The Royal Refreshment Package is the more inclusive non-alcoholic package that, unlike the Deluxe Beverage Package, is available to guests of all ages and is a great option for children and teens that like to drink tea, premium coffee, and fresh squeezed juice. Plus, they will be able to sip on virgin cocktails. 

Every person that purchases this package will be able to enjoy the following:

• Premium coffees and teas
• Bottled still and sparking water
• Fresh squeezed orange juice
• Johnny Rockets Milkshakes
• Zero-proof cocktails
• Fountain sodas / Coca-Cola Freestyle beverages + Coca-Cola souvenir cup

Classic Soda Package

The Classic Soda Package is the cheapest drink package offered by Royal Caribbean; it is also the most restrictive, including only fountain soda and access to the Freestyle soda machine, as well as a Coca-Cola souvenir cup.  

If you decide to purchase any other drinks, whether it is a bottle of water, glass of wine, or premium coffee, each will be billed to your onboard account to be settled at the end of the cruise. 

How much do Royal Caribbean drink packages cost?

Royal Caribbean uses a variable pricing model for their drink packages, which means that the price per night varies based on ship, itinerary, and sail date. In other words, there is no "set" price for drink packages. 

The published onboard rates for an upcoming cruise onboard Navigator of the Seas are as follows:

• Deluxe Beverage Package: $102 per night
• Royal Refreshment Package: $36 per night
• Classic Soda Package: $13.50 per night

In comparison, here are the onboard rates for a cruise onboard Jewel of the Seas:

• Deluxe Beverage Package: $90 per night
• Royal Refreshment Package: $36 per night
• Classic Soda Package: $13.50 per night

None of these prices include the added 18% gratuity.

If you plan ahead, it is unlikely that you will ever pay the onboard rate. Let's talk about Cruise Planner sales and why they are so important.

Is a drink package worth it?

With the Cruise Planner sales, you would need to be able to drink around 5-6 beverages per day to breakeven. Depending on what promotion you are able to find, the average could decrease. 

For those who are hesitant about their ability to maintain that average, whether it is because you have a port intensive itinerary or are a light drinker, a lower price means fewer daily drinks to get your money's worth! 

If you drink enough to make it worth the investment, a drink package can certainly save you money.

On the other hand, if you are more concerned with the convenience and being able to pay one price for all of your alcoholic and/or non-alcoholic drinks, the package is wroth the price in other ways! 

It is important to think about whether or not you get free drinks, too. If you are a Diamond Crown & Anchor member, it might not make sense to get a drink package since you have four daily vouchers!

Related: How Royal Caribbean's free drink vouchers for Diamond and higher members works

If you're waiting on the sidelines to book a Royal Caribbean drink package, you're doing it wrong.

Royal Caribbean runs sales every few weeks on pre-cruise purchases as a means to encourage its customers to pick up a drink package, internet package, or shore excursion.

Whether each sale saves any money depends on the sailing, but generally speaking, the cost of these items tends to be less when booked prior to the cruise than waiting to buy onboard.

Read more: Will a Royal Caribbean sale actually save me any money?

One mantra I see cruise fans repeat is the advice for people to wait for Black Friday to buy their cruise add-ons because they feel the best discounts are offered that week.

The problem with waiting for any one sale is you're putting a lot at risk for a potential discount that may or may not materialize.

Don't wait for Black Friday

If you're unfamiliar with Black Friday, it is the day after Thanksgiving in the United States and every retailer rolls out new sales and promotions to compel people to start their holiday shopping. The name "Black Friday" means when retails would usually "get back into the black" financially in terms of profit.

As the calendar gets closer to Black Friday, a lot of cruisers begin talking about a Royal Caribbean Black Friday sale and advocate waiting for that sale as the deal to pick up pre-cruise purchases.

There's two issues with waiting for Black Friday, or any sale for that matter.

First, there is absolutely no guarantee the price will be any cheaper on Black Friday than it is today. Royal Caribbean regularly runs sales for guests to pre-purchase certain add-ons, such as drink packages, wifi, or shore excursions. As is the case with all sales, there is not a blanket discount applied to all items.

The sale price will vary from ship to ship and sailing to sailing, meaning there may or may not actually be any discounts applied to the cruise you have booked.

The other issue with waiting for Black Friday is the price could actually go up. Royal Caribbean's prices are very fluid, and the company uses dynamic pricing for its add-ons (and cruise fare too). This means prices go up, down, and back up again. There's no rhyme or reason as to if that drink package cost will go down or up.

So if you wait for Black Friday, you may not see any discount at all and/or an even higher price.

Royal Caribbean always advertises up to a certain percentage off pre-cruise purchases, but you can ignore that figure. The base price can change a lot, making the discount percentage irrelevant. 

Instead, you want to focus on what is the total price after taxes and gratuity.

When to book a Royal Caribbean drink package

Instead of waiting for Black Friday, you should book a drink package today.

If you know you want to get a drink package, the best time to book a Royal Caribbean drink package is today because the price can change at any time.

If the price goes down on Black Friday, or at any point before your cruise, you can easily go into the Cruise Planner site and cancel your purchase and re-purchase it at the lower price. There's no penalty for cancelling a pre-cruise purchase and if you used onboard credit, it will be refunded instantly so you can apply it when re-purchasing.

By booking now, you lock in the price.  If the price goes up, you're guarded against it, and if there is a better sale on Black Friday, you can cancel and rebook.

How to cancel and rebook a Royal Caribbean drink package

The process is pretty simple to cancel and rebook if you do it online.

You could call Royal Caribbean and do this over the phone, but I find it much faster to do it online.

1. Log into the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner at https://www.royalcaribbean.com/account/signin
2. Find your sailing and click Plan my cruise
3. Look for your initials in the top right of the page and click that icon
4. Click Order history
5. Find the purchase you made for the drink package (it will show each order you made)
6. Underneath the drink package listed, click Cancel

That's it! Now you can go back to the Beverage section of the cruise planner and buy it back again.

When will Royal Caribbean announce their 2023 Black Friday deal?

We don't know exactly when the promotion details will be announced, but Royal Caribbean typically waits until a few days before the sale begins to reveal information.

Unlike Best Buy, Walmart or Amazon, cruise lines aren't quite that aggressive with their Black Friday promotions. So they typically wait to provide details.

In 2022, Royal Caribbean announced its Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals on November 17, which was just a few days before Black Friday on November 25th. 

Read more: Royal Caribbean's past Black Friday deals

More helpful information

• Should you buy pre-cruise purchases now or wait to buy it onboard?
• 45 ways to save money on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• How much should I budget for a cruise?

If you love having an espresso, latte, or any other brewed coffee every day on your Royal Caribbean cruise, then perhaps a coffee card package is right for you.

Royal Caribbean offers a number of drink packages that include premium coffees, but it also has a coffee card that includes a select amount of coffee drinks.

Will the coffee package save you money and is it worth it to buy?

Here's a breakdown of Royal Caribbean's Cafe Select Coffee Card and what you should know.

What does the coffee card include?

The Cafe Select Coffee Card is the name of what many people call the "coffee package" and it is essentially a punch card of drinks.

Royal Caribbean says the card includes 15 specialty espresso-based coffees that you can use during your cruise. The coffee card issued to you will have 15 punches to use.

This means for every premium coffee you order, the barista will punch a hole in the card to note how many of the drinks you've ordered.

According to Royal Caribbean, the coffee card can save up to 50% on individually purchased coffees.

The coffee card does not include coffees from Starbucks kiosks.  Instead, you can use the card at Royal Caribbean coffee locations, such as Cafe Promenade or Cafe Latte-tudes.

You can also use the card at any location onboard that serves espresso-based drinks.

You cannot use the card for any coffee drinks that include alcohol.

Punch per drink or per shot?

One inconsistency with Royal Caribbean has been how the coffee cards are punched.

Some passengers report getting one hole punch per drink ordered, while others have reported getting a hole punch per espresso shot in the drink.

On the Royal Caribbean website, there's no mention of getting a hole punch per espresso shot, but you should be aware on some ships they make that distinction.

Can you share the coffee card?

Yes, unlike Royal Caribbean's other drink packages, the coffee card is not restricted to one person.

You are allowed to purchase a coffee card and allow your friends and family to utilize the card benefits. Because the card is not unlimited, Royal Caribbean doesn't care who utilizes the benefits.

How much does the coffee package cost?

The coffee card price is usually at $31 per card.

A gratuity charge is added onto the cost of the card, which covers the gratuity for all the drinks you order while onboard. This means no additional tip is required.

With gratuity, the total cost comes out to $36.58.

Keep in mind Royal Caribbean may change the price of the coffee package at any time, so prices are subject to change.

If you're wondering, a premium coffee purchased individually will run about $2.50 to $5 per drink.

Can you use the same card on different sailings if you don’t use it all at once?

No, the card is good for only the sailing you purchase it on.

Is the coffee card worth it?

Without a doubt, the coffee card will save you money on the equivalent amount of coffee purchased onboard, assuming you order all 15 coffees.

You should be aware that your Royal Caribbean cruise fare includes regular brewed coffee and tea. This card is for espresso-based beverages.

The first reason you might not want the coffee card is if you wont order enough coffees to use up all your hole punches. Since you can share the coffee card with others, it's easier to get your money's worth than with a regular drink package.

Speaking of drink packages, the question of if a coffee card is worth it may lead into the question of should you get a coffee card or another drink package.

Both the Deluxe Beverage Package and the Royal Refreshment Package include premium coffees and have no limit to how many premium coffees you can order. Moreover, they include other beverages such as alcohol, juices, sodas, and more.

Of course, one of the other drink packages will cost you significantly more than a coffee card. The deluxe beverage package can run between $50 - $90 per person, per day. You won't be able to break even on that investment on coffees alone.

If you aren't much of an alcohol drinker, then the Royal Refreshment package might be a good alternative. It includes unlimited non-alcoholic drinks, such as bottled water, coffees, teas, soda, and mocktails. 

The average cost of a Royal Refreshment package is between $29 - $38 per person, per day.

Just like the alcohol package, it still requires you to drink a fair amount of non-alcoholic drinks per day to make it worthwhile.

Ultimately, if you consider the coffee package, you should also look at the other drink packages to ensure your money is well-spent.

If you don't drink a lot of alcohol and sodas or bottled water doesn't do it for you either, then the coffee card is a good choice for those that purely want premium coffees.

Another consideration is your Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor Society status. Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Club members get complimentary drink vouchers every day of their cruise, which can be used for premium coffees.

If your cruise ship has a Starbucks kiosk onboard, you might prefer those coffees. Since Starbucks beverages from a Starbucks kiosk is not included with the coffee card, you could alternatively order your drinks there and pay as you go.

As you can see, the determination of if a coffee card is worth it really comes down to the individual person. Here's a summary of the key considerations:

• How many coffees will you drink each day of your cruise?
• How many alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks will you likely have every day of your cruise?
• Does your ship have a Starbucks kiosk?
• Would sharing coffee card benefits with another person make the investment easier?

The good news is the Royal Caribbean Cafe Select Coffee Card has the potential to save money compared to buying the same amount of drinks without the card. The question is really if you should spend the money on the coffee card or get a different drink package to better take advantage of your drinking habits.

Royal Caribbean has a number of important rules you should know about before you buy a drink package.

Beverage packages have the potential to save money compared to buying the same amount of drinks without a package, but it is important to be aware and understand the restrictions of how these beverage packages work.

The rules are not complicated, but there are a few important guidelines that anyone that purchases an unlimited drink package should be aware of first.

Sharing the package

Let us 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.

Drink limits

There is no limit to how many drinks a guest may consume on any day, or during the cruise. 

However, you can only order one drink per transaction.  Which means if you want to get a beer and another drink, you need to order each individually. 

If your group all have the drink package, you can take their SeaPass cards and place a group order.  You just need to provide proof that the amount of drinks ordered match the number of drink packages.

When you can buy the drink package

Royal Caribbean provides the ability to pre-purchase the drink package on its Cruise Planner website.  There is often a discount associated with pre-purchase, which can save money compared to waiting to purchase it onboard.

If your cruise is too far in advance, the drink package option may not be available yet.  There is no set rule when drink packages become available for sale, so keep checking back later.

If you decide to wait to buy a drink package on the ship, you can do so from any bar or lounge. On embarkation day, there are often tables set up around the ship to take just unlimited beverage package purchases.  

You do not have to purchase a drink package on the first day of your cruise.  Royal Caribbean's unlimited drink packages are available on all two-night or longer sailings, but as long as there are at least 4 days left in the cruise, you can purchase the package at a pro-rated amount.

Where the drink package works

Royal Caribbean's drink package covers beverages purchased at onboard restaurants, bars, and lounges.

It also works on the cruise line’s private destinations of CocoCay and Labadee.

Friends and family have to buy the package too

As of October 2017, Royal Caribbean has changed its policy and is requiring all adults in a stateroom to purchase an unlimited alcohol package if an adult purchases the package.

Gratuity

When you purchase a Royal Caribbean drink package, gratuity (18%) will be assessed on your purchase at that time, which covers all of your subsequent drink orders.

When you order a drink later on, you will not owe any gratuity.  There will be, however, an optional gratuity on your receipt where you can recognize outstanding service.

Refunds and exchanges

Once onboard the ship, beverage packages are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Before a cruise, beverage package purchases can be cancelled and/or re-purchased via the Cruise Planner. 

This summer, Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society updated their happy hour drink benefit policy, which prompted many to wonder if the new offering is now a good alternative to a drink package. 

In the past, guests who were Diamond, Diamond Plus, or Pinnacle Club in the cruise line's customer loyalty program were allowed unlimited drinks from a specific menu in the Diamond Lounge for a three and half hour window nightly. 

The new benefit has drinks added to your SeaPass card daily that can be used for any drink (up to $13) at any bar (with the exception of Starbucks, The Bionic Bar and the Rising Tide Bar) at any time. You can also use your vouchers for bottled water and sodas. 

The vouchers (which is what I will refer to them as for the purpose of this article) must be used each day, they do not carry over.

• Diamond members receive four drinks per day.
• Diamond Plus members receive five drinks per day.
• Pinnacle Club members receive six drinks per day.

Read more: How Royal Caribbean's free drink vouchers for Diamond and higher members works

Trying it out for the first time

We were on Allure of the Seas three weeks ago and decided to forego buying the deluxe drink package and just use our daily vouchers. We did, however, buy a coffee card for our morning vanilla lattes from the Café Promenade so we could use the vouchers strictly on alcoholic beverages.

As soon as we boarded, we got appletinis in the Champagne bar.  We get ours made with vanilla vodka, which was a suggestion from a bar staff friend of ours from many years ago.  It makes the vodka sting less potent. 

We still went to the Diamond Lounge for cosmos during their happy hour time.  They still have staff serving drinks and appetizers, however any drink you order does come off of your daily allowance. 

That night we had dinner at Sabor.  We ordered the Simply Perfect and Jalapeno Cucumber Margaritas that were on the drink menu  We ended up using five of our six vouchers that day.

The second day, we started with BBC’s (Bailey’s, banana colada) at the Solarium pool bar.  Before dinner we went to the Champagne bar for two martinis. 

My husband likes the red velvet cake martini. It used to be a standard at the Champagne Bar but has since been removed from the menu. Our bartender said they had the ingredients and she knew how to make it. I ordered my standard favorite, the pomegranate martini.

After dinner we ordered chocolate martinis in the main theater before the headliner show.  We only ended up using four vouchers that day.

It was day three and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t made it to the Schooner Bar yet for one of my favorite cocktails, the lavender daiquiri, only found at that location. 

I didn’t want to leave the Champagne Bar because of the excellent bar staff there. Not only did they remember the special way I like my appletinis, they also knew my father would ONLY drink Jack and coke.  So much so that one night halfway through the sailing, they had written his name on a piece of paper and taped it to the bottle of Jack Daniels so everyone knew it was his.  

Once again our bartender told us she could make the lavender daiquiri there. She also made us a martini version of it with vodka instead of rum. 

Other places to use your free drinks

On the second formal night we dined at Izumi. 

We used our vouchers on their signature sake infused cocktails, “She’s a Geisha” and “Japanese Strawberry.” Along with our nightly martinis in the Diamond Lounge and the Champagne bar, we ended our night with the drink of the day the “Portside Punch” at the Trellis Bar.  It was a beautiful evening to enjoy a drink in Central Park with the guitarist playing soft music.

For lunch on day six, we enjoyed pizza from Sorrento’s on the promenade with a Michelob Ultra.  At the Champagne Bar that evening, I discovered a new favorite, the watermelon martini.  Can you tell I like fruity vodka martinis?

Coco Cay is included!

You can even use your vouchers at Royal Caribbean’s private island of Perfect Day at CocoCay. There is nothing like a mai tai in paradise. 

It’s even better when it’s included in your daily free drinks.   We also cooled off with strawberry daiquiris and a frozen mudslide.

Conclusion

We never got to the point where we used all of our allotted vouchers for the day.  The most we used was five on any given day. 

I know everyone is different, but for us, the free drinks benefit is perfect and we wouldn’t consider buying the deluxe drink package on future sailings.  I feel that this was a welcomed change to the daily happy hour.

It is so nice to be able to have the flexibility of time and the venue of your choice to enjoy your favorite drink or discover a new one. 

While the drinks are free as part of your Crown and Anchor benefits, it is still a good idea to tip your bar staff.  They took such excellent care of us, we were happy to return the favor.