Royal Caribbean Drink Package Guide 2024

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Royal Caribbean drinks packages let you drink as much as you want – for a daily fee. Enjoying all-inclusive drinks on your cruise is fantastic – but it’s not a good deal for everyone.

Royal Caribbean has five different drinks packages to choose from. And they’re so confusing!

In an effort to decide whether to splash out hundreds of dollars on drinks or not, cruisers often turn to social media, where you’ll find tens of Facebook groups dedicated to the topic. Some of these have over 50,000 people, asking questions daily!

The most common questions are about how much the Royal drink packages cost, how much drinks cost, and whether the package is worth it.

My daughter and I on a Royal Caribbean cruise

I’ve cruised with Royal Caribbean many times over the past ten years, and in this guide, I’ll share all the details you need to know, so that you can enjoy your cruise without feeling ripped off.

Comparing Royal Caribbean’s Drink Packages

Deluxe Beverage PackageRefreshment PackageSoda Package
Cost $50 to $115 per person per day$38 per person per day$15 per person per day
Alcoholic drinks✔️✖️✖️
Non-alcoholic cocktails✔️✔️✖️
Freshly squeezed juices✔️✔️✖️
Premium coffees & teas✔️✔️✖️
Bottled water✔️✔️✖️
Milkshakes✔️✔️✖️
Sodas✔️✔️✔️

In addition to these packages, you also have the water bottle package, which gives you 12 bottles of Evian delivered to your stateroom for $39, and the coffee package, which gives you 15 speciality coffees for $31

Whether the drinks package is worth it depends on the price and how much you drink. If you just want to know what you have to drink to break even on the package, then you can use my drink package calculator which will work all that out really quickly.

Royal Caribbean Drink Package Cost

How much is the drink package on Royal Caribbean?

Royal Caribbean’s Deluxe Beverage Package has dynamic pricing. The price changes daily depending on the ship, the destinations, the level of demand and current promotions. But it’s usually between $50 and $115 per person, per day.

The Refreshment package is $38 per day and the Soda Package is $15 per day. However, there are often promos which make these cheaper.

Royal Caribbean keeps the price of its drink packages secret until after you have booked your cruise.

This is super annoying because you want to be able to budget for the whole cost of your cruise with drinks before you commit to booking, right? Oftentimes, people book a cruise and then be shocked and annoyed to see that the drink package is over $100 per day. Sometimes, the drink package costs more than the cruise itself!

Royal Caribbean drink package

How to see the exact price of the drink package for your cruise

Knowing the price of the drink package today isn’t that helpful, because it could go up or down tomorrow. But, if you’re on the fence about booking, I can certainly see why you’d want to do this. 

There are a few different methods you can use to check the price of the Deluxe Beverage Package without making a booking.

1. Start an online booking

I read this article on the Royal Caribbean blog that says that ‘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.’

Supposedly, if you start an online booking, you’ll see a screen with the current drink packages prices, like this…

Royal Caribbean drink package prices screenshot from online booking

However, I tried this on both the UK and the US versions of the Royal Caribbean website and I was unable to see it. Have they stopped doing it? I’m not sure, but if it does work, it doesn’t work for everyone.

2. Sneak into Royal Caribbean’s cruise planner

The Royal Caribbean cruise planner is where you can see all the extras that you can add on after booking – such as drink packages. I found this forum post that explains how you can get into the planner without a booking, and see the price of the drink package for the cruise you’re interested in.

You just need to make sure that you’re not logged into the planner (use Incognito mode) and then adjust the URL to match your chosen ship and sail date. 

I tried it using this url: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/account/cruise-planner?bookingId=&shipCode=IC&sailDate=20240127 which showed me the drink package price for the maiden voyage of Icon of the Seas.

Icon of the Seas drink package price

3. Ask your travel agent

Travel agents have access to far more info than we do, including the current drink package prices. A good travel agent will be able to log into their system and find the price for you.

4. Join the Facebook group for the cruise

Most cruises have Facebook groups for the sailing. If you join the group, you can ask in there what other people paid for their drinks packages. This will give you a good idea of not just what the price is today, but what it has been previously.

What’s Included in Royal Caribbean’s Drink Packages

Before we dive into what’s included in each package, it’s helpful to note that none of Royal Caribbean’s drink packages include mini bar items, bottles of wine, canned sodas, bottled juices, souvenir glasses or super premium drinks. But here’s what they do include…

Deluxe Beverage Package

Royal Caribbean’s alcohol drinks package includes:

  • Beer
  • Wine by the glass
  • Cocktails and mocktails
  • Spirits and liquors
  • Premium teas and coffees
  • Sodas and soft drinks
  • Freshly-squeezed juices
  • Bottled water

Refreshment Package

Royal Caribbean’s non-alcoholic drinks package includes:

  • Non-alcoholic cocktails (mocktails)
  • Premium teas and coffees
  • Sodas and soft drinks
  • Freshly-squeezed juices
  • Bottled water

Classic Soda Package

Royal Caribbean’s soda package includes:

  • Coca-Cola (including diet, zero, caffeine-free and many different flavours of colas like strawberry, cherry and lime)
  • Fanta, Sprite and Dr Pepper (and zero versions)
  • Powerade (and zero version), Vitamin water and Hi C
  • Seagrams ginger ale (and diet version)
  • Barry’s root beer and creme soda (and diet versions)
  • Minute Maid orange and lemonade (and light versions)
  • Dasani flavoured or sparkling waters

All of these packages come with a refillable souvenir cup which you can use at self-service machines across the ship and help yourself to unlimited refills. You don’t have to use it though, you can just order fountain sodas from bars and restaurants if you prefer.

Royal Caribbean Coffee Package

For those who drink mostly coffee, Royal Caribbean offers a Cafe Select Coffee Card. This costs $31 and gives you 15 speciality coffees throughout your cruise. This reduces the price of each coffee from around $4 to around $2.

Before you go ahead and buy the Coffee Card, here are some things you’ll want to consider:

  • You cannot use a Coffee Card in Royal Caribbean’s Starbucks cafes
  • Grande and Venti size drinks will count as two drinks
  • You can share the card and purchase multiple drinks at the same time
  • Brewed coffee is always free from the Windjammer buffet
  • Specialty coffee is already included in both the Deluxe and Refreshment drink packages
Cafe Select Coffee Card rules

Royal Caribbean Water Package

The tap water on Royal Caribbean cruise ships is perfectly safe to drink and tastes okay, although it may not always be very cold, depending on the weather. If you prefer to keep some bottled water in the fridge in your room, you can order 12 or 24 bottles of water to be delivered to your stateroom.

On Royal Caribbean cruises it costs $39 for 12 one-litre bottles of water to be delivered to your stateroom.

Once you have an idea of the package price, the next thing you’ll want to learn is how much the drinks cost. Then you can work out how many drinks you’ll need to have before you break even on what you spent and start to get your money’s worth!

Royal Caribbean Drink Prices

Royal Caribbean drinks prices are on the high end when compared to other cruise lines. You can see a price comparison of drinks across all cruise lines here.

Here are the average Royal Caribbean drinks prices:

DrinkPrice
Beer$7 – $8
Glass of wine$9 – $20
Cocktail$8 – $13
Soft drink$3
Specialty tea or coffee$4
Bottle of water$3
Tea, coffee and hot chocolateFREE
Flavoured waterFREE
LemonadeFREE
MilkFREE
Fruit juiceFREE with breakfast

You should note that these prices are before an 18% gratuity is automatically added – I’ll explain more about that later.

If you’d like to know exactly which drinks are available on Royal Caribbean cruise ships and how much they cost, you can see photos of Royal Caribbean’s drink menus here.

Royal Caribbean strawberry daiquiri

Before you start doing the maths to work out how many of each drink you have to drink to get your money’s worth from a package, just wait.

I have a free tool that will work that out for you. Just pop your email below and it will be in your inbox faster than you can say pina colada.

When To Buy The Drink Package For The Best Price

As the drink package price fluctuates so much, you can save quite a lot of money by timing your purchase right.

For the best price, you should always book your drinks package in advance before your cruise and not wait until you get on board the ship.

When you log into Royal Caribbean’s cruise planner, look out for special offers like this…

royal caribbean drink package special offers

Note that if you live in the UK, you’ll see your drink package prices in £GBP on the Cruise Planner. I’ve just used $USD in this guide to keep things consistent for most readers.

On the first day of your cruise, you may see signs offering Buy One Get One Free deals on drinks packages. You should know that the onboard prices are inflated, and it’s still always cheaper to buy your package before your cruise.

Royal Caribbean Drink Package Promotion 2024

Royal Caribbean offers a discount when you pre-book your drinks package on the cruise planner before you sail. The discount is up to 30% during promotional periods such as Black Friday.

30% off ro

If you buy your drinks package in advance and then see that the price drops due to a promotion, you can cancel your drinks package, get a refund and then buy it again at the lower price. It’s possible to make a saving by doing this if you have the time and energy to track the prices.

You can read more about this here: The Best Time to Buy A Royal Caribbean Drink Package.

NEW DEALS JUST RELEASED!

Don’t miss the latest Royal Caribbean offers…

Things To Know About Royal Caribbean Drink Packages

If you do decide to buy a drink package for your cruise, then there are some important things that you must know, so as not to get caught out with an unexpected extra charge.

1. You can’t share a drink package

On Royal Caribbean cruises, sharing a drink package is not allowed. If you’re caught sharing your drinks with someone who doesn’t have a package, or cheating the package in any other way, you risk having your drink package cancelled without a refund.

Royal Caribbean cocktails

2. Every adult in your cabin must have the same package

Whichever package you choose, you must buy it for every adult passenger for every day of your cruise. If two adults are sharing a stateroom then both people must have the same package. So you can’t get the Royal Cribbean alcohol package for one person and the soft drink package for another.

This is to prevent people from using their package to get drinks for other who don’t have the package.

There are some exceptions to this rule, though. Under certain circumstances, you may be able to buy the Deluxe Beverage Package for one guest and the Refreshment Package for another guest.

These exceptions include:

  • Medical conditions
  • Pregnancy
  • Alcohol addiction
  • Religion

If any of these apply, then contact your travel agent or Royal Caribbean and explain your circumstances. You may be required to show proof.

3. You don’t need to buy a drinks package for children

Unlike some other cruise lines, such as MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean does not require guests under the legal drinking age to buy any kind of drinks package. So, you can get an alcohol or soft drink package for the adults without being required to buy any kind of package for your children.

Adam with water on Royal Caribbean cruise
My son only drinks water so a drinks package would be pointless for him

You have to wait 15 minutes between each drink, so it is technically possible to get drinks for the kids then 15 minutes later, go and get drinks for yourselves. Just like sneaking your own alcohol on board the ship, this isn’t technically allowed, but people do it.

4. There’s no limit to how many drinks you can have

Whilst many other cruise lines limit the number of drinks you can order to 15 in any 24-hour period, Royal Caribbean has no daily limit. However, if you appear to be too intoxicated, the staff won’t serve you any more drinks.

5. Not all drinks are included

The Deluxe Beverage Package includes drinks up to $14 in value. That’s pretty much everything, aside from some premium wines and spirits.

Howerever, it doesn’t include anything from Starbucks, your mini bar, some speciality beers that are shown on the menu, or anything in a souvenir glass.

The deluxe package also doesn’t include wine by the bottle, so be sure to always order it by the glass. It does give you 40% off any wine up to $100 and 20% off any wine over $100 though, if you want to treat yourself to a bottle of something special.

Royal Caribbean pool bar menu

6. Drinks from Robot Bartenders are included

On Anthem of the Seas and other Quantum-class ships you can order drinks from the robotic bartender. These drinks are included in your drink package, which is great, as on MSC Cruises’ ships, drinks made by the MSC robotic bartender are not.

Royal Caribbean robot bartender

7. Royal Caribbean drinks packages work on private islands too

If you cruise to either of Royal Caribbean’s private islands – CocoCay in the Bahamas or Labadee in Haiti – then you’ll be pleased to know that your drink package works on the island!

There are some really great bars and I highly recommend the frozen cocktails. I got mine in a souvenir cup and only paid for the cup, not the drink.

Enjoying the drinks package at CocoCay

8. Drinks package prices include tips

Royal Caribbean drinks packages include all tips (also known as gratuities). For most sailings, when you buy a drinks package online, an 18% gratuity charge is added at the checkout.

If you wish to recognise outstanding service by adding extra gratuities onboard the ship, you are welcome to do so.

9. The value often comes from relaxation

One of the main benefits of a drinks package is that if you don’t like a drink you don’t have to drink it. If you paid $14 for a cocktail and didn’t like it, you’d be pretty annoyed at yourself for choosing it. Yet with a drinks package, you’re free to work your way down the menu, trying new things.

You don’t need to worry about how much you’re spending, and that’s a much more relaxing way to cruise.

Royal Caribbean drinks

10. Royal Caribbean doesn’t offer free drinks packages.

While Royal Caribbean doesn’t offer free drinks packages, you can get all-inclusive cruise package deals that have drinks included.

In fact, Royal Caribbean almost always has some kind of special offer to encourage people to book cruises. This may be a ‘Kids Sail Free’ offer, free gratuities or buy one cruise fare get one half price.

If you book your cruise during a “free drinks” offer, then you will get drinks included with your cruise.

In my former job managing cruise websites for a travel agent, I saw cruise line campaigns change regularly and prices fluctuate almost daily. One thing which I noticed is that the bigger the ‘freebie’, the higher the base price. A cruise which ordinarily costs £699 might go up to £999 with drinks included.

Note the wording used. Cruise lines rarely use the word ‘free’, instead they use ‘included’. This is because the drinks packages are not actually free, it’s just that the ticket price is adjusted to include drinks.

11. Many drinks are free without a package

There are several places where you’ll find free drinks during your Royal Caribbean cruise. These are:

  • On the first formal night of the cruise, attend the Captain’s Toast and get a free glass of Champagne
  • Go to an art auction where free Champagne will be flowing
  • Attend a liquor tasting in the duty-free shop and get a free shot
  • Guests who have spent more than 30 nights at sea with Royal Caribbean (Platinum members and above) can attend a Crown & Anchor Welcome Back Party and get free Champagne or rum punch
  • Guests who have spent more than 80 nights at sea with Royal Caribbean (Diamond members and above) get free drinks between 5 pm and 8.30 pm for Happy Hour
  • Guests staying in a Grand Suite or higher can enjoy free drinks for a few hours each evening in the Concierge Lounge
  • Use a coupon – Buy One Get One Free deals may be pre-loaded on to your Seapass account
free mimosa at a Royal Caribbean art auction
Beware: I drank the free mimosas at a Royal Caribbean art auction and ended up buying a painting!

You can see a full list of the free drinks here: List of Free Drinks on Royal Caribbean Cruises.

12. Diamond members get free drinks

Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society awards loyalty points for every night that guests spend on-board Royal Caribbean ships. With the acquisition of 80 points (equivalent to 80 nights at sea), guests become Diamond members.

Crown & Anchor Diamond status entitles you four free drinks per person per day, meaning that you probably don’t need a drink package.

Read more about Royal Caribbean Diamond Benefits.

12. The drinking age varies by country

For cruises that start in North America, the minimum drinking age is 21. For cruises that start elsewhere, it’s 18. If you celebrate a milestone birthday mid-way through the cruise, you should ask the Guest Services Manager to modify your record to allow you to drink alcohol after your birthday.

18 year olds on cruise

Is the Royal Caribbean drink package worth it?

When I cruise with Royal Caribbean, I sometimes get a drink package, but sometimes I don’t. To help you decide, here are some of the things that I weigh up when making my decision…

Drinking on sea days versus port days

You should think about how much time you plan to spend on the ship. Whilst you could easily drink five cocktails by the pool and then a couple of glasses of wine in the evening on a sea day, how much would you drink if you were off the ship from 9 am until 6 pm most days?

If you plan to be off the ship exploring ports most days, then not only will you not have as much time on board to drink your drinks, but you’re also less likely to want a hangover! For this reason, a drinks package may be better value on a cruise with lots of sea days, such as a transatlantic sailing.

Royal Caribbean cocktail

Who are you cruising with?

My husband chooses not to drink alcohol, so when I cruise with him I never get a drink package. It’s virtually impossible to break even on the Deluxe Beverage Package if you don’t drink alcohol.

But when I cruise with a group of friends it’s more of a party atmosphere, so I would definitely buy the package and try out all of the cocktails!

How To Order A Royal Caribbean Drink Package?

There are two ways to buy a Royal Caribbean drink package:

  1. Online – At least 72 hours before your cruise using Royal Caribbean’s Cruise Planner
  2. Onboard – Ask at any bar on the ship and the staff will help you buy it

The best way to save money on your Royal Caribbean drink package is to buy it a few days after booking your cruise. Then, log into the Cruise Planner regularly to watch the price. If it drops, cancel the package and re-buy it at the lower price.

How to cancel a Royal Caribbean drink package

You can use the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner to cancel your drink package online up to two days before your cruise and receive a full refund. After that, you can cancel it when you first embark on the ship, but no later.

Does Royal Caribbean have a wine package?

Royal Caribbean no longer offers a wine package. Years ago, you could buy five bottles of wine for $165, 7 bottles for $220 and 10 bottles for $300. However, the cruise line no longer offers these discounts.

Do you plan to buy a drinks package on your next cruise? Let me know in the comments below.

NEW DEALS JUST RELEASED!

Don’t miss the latest Royal Caribbean offers…

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Cruise Mummy

Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me



84 thoughts on “Royal Caribbean Drink Package Guide 2024”

  1. Is it true that RCCL don’t have deluxe beverage package available for 3 night cruises in the UK? There is a rumour this is now the case for Australia too.

  2. Drinks package calculator link please….

    • Hi Chris. It’s in this post for you, in the yellow box. Thanks! Jenni

  3. Can we bring 1 bottle of alcohol instead of wine or champagne? And is it 1 bottle per adult or per cabin?

    • It’s per adult. Royal Caribbean only allows wine or Champagne, not beer or liquor.

  4. Enjoy reading all you write about cruising. I do have a question.
    On Royal 10 day late September. I will take the deluxe beverage package. If I purchase a bottle of wine for my table does that get calculated into the $89. Per day? Or is that extra?

    • Hi Karen. If you have the drink package you are better off ordering wine by the glass. You receive a 40% discount on bottled wines priced up to $100 and 20% discount on wine prices above $100. But by the glass it’s included. Jenni

  5. Thank you so much for such useful and great information. I was wondering…. Is is possible to buy the package for less days than those of your cruise? Could I buy only 4 of the 8 days of my trip, for example?

    Thanks in advance!
    Macarena

    • No, you would have to buy it for every day of your cruise.

  6. Can I please get the link to the calculator?

    • Sure, just pop your email in the box and it will come straight to you.

  7. Any tips taking a 7 mths old . Sterilisers? Making feeds? Size of travel cots?

  8. Many thanks, very useful. In your article are you saying that on a cruise out of Southampton uk. We can take on wine and sift drinks ??. Cheers

    • Yes, that’s correct. 2 bottles of wine and 12 cans of soft drinks per stateroom.

      • hi.We leave from Southampton next month.We can only bring 2 bottles of wine at first day,not allowed any after that apparently.Also for 14 nights for the drinks package for my wife and i is nearly £2000!!!I just cant afford that and i dont see how its justified

        • I’ve just contacted RCI via messenger and asked them why the price on my cruise planner is a lot more than what I’ve seen offered for new cruise bookings, and asked if I can have it at the same price. Got it for £39 pppd day! Don’t ask you don’t get! Good luck!

          • Good work, Maria!

          • Hi Maria,
            Where did you see the cheaper prices for the new cruise bookings? All I can see is my cruise planner prices which are $95+ per day!!

  9. Hello we r doing a three night cruise out of Brisbane in November. Do Royal Caribbean offer drink packages on three night cruises?

    • Hi Carmen. I believe so, yes. I had it on a 4-night cruise. Check your Cruise Planner and see if it comes up to purchase. Jenni

  10. This information is brill thanks.
    ? There are three of us going on the cruise May 22nd my self, my wife, and a cousin. The slight problem we have is my cousin has stability problems, his hands are very shaky , and he is unstable on his feet , don’t get me wrong he gets about on his, but he could not serve himself for coffee or breakfast and the like. What should I do to highlight this so as not to embarrass him on board. We are no spring chickens the three of us are just under 70. Thanks for this .

    • Hi Gilbert, you’ll find that Royal Caribbean crew members are all very friendly and helpful, so if your cousin requires any further assistance from what you can provide, just ask him to let them know and they’ll be glad to help. Jenni

  11. I am going on my first cruise in February and found your information very helpful thank you. But I have one question. Is there a limit in time how many drinks/baverages I can order. For example I drink a lot of water during the day so I will at least have 6 bottles of water. Can I put them into the fridge and save vor excursions? If I am having a soda can i order another right after 10 minutes or to I have to wait a certain time. If a drink is over 12 Dollars to I have the entire price or just the difference. Drink is 15 Dollars so do i have to pay 3 Dollars or 15?

    • Hi Michael. There’s not a time limit between drinks with Royal Caribbean, but you can only order one drink per person at a time. So you would need to let someone else be served and then order again. If you order a drink that cost more than $12, you’ll just pay the difference. I hope that helps, enjoy your cruise! 🙂 Jenni

  12. Thanks for all the great info. I have a question I’ve not seen answered. How much extra does Royal Caribbean charge for a double? I was drinking a “Rusty Nail” on my last cruise and that’s a drink small enough where the bartender poured me doubles to keep me from coming back so much. It’s a small 2.25 oz. drink with blended scotch and Drambuie on ice. I had the drink package so I didn’t get the answer to this. I’m Diamond and wondered what the upcharge might be since I’ll be getting four free drink vouchers per day. Thanks!

      • I have another question. Does the menu price already include the per drink gratuity? I’m guessing it does not? We’ve never bought a drink package, always paid per drink…but are considering this trip.

        • On most cruises, including cruises departing from the US, an automatic gratuity of 18% is added to the cost of each drink when you receive the bill. On cruises departing from the UK, the gratuity is included in the price of each drink as shown on the menu, so the menu prices may appear higher.

  13. You can also get cold coffee drinks at the coffee bars. Whipped cream etc. Any frozen drinks too without the alcohol. Fresh squeezed orange juice and sodas etc.

  14. Does anyone know what the difference is between the complimentary coffee and tea vs the premium coffee/tea you get when you buy the Refreshment Package?

    • Complimentary is just regular coffee whereas premium includes cappuccino, latte, espresso etc.

      • Do you know the difference in the tea? My gf is a big tea drinker and is considering the package purely for that

  15. Hi Jenni,

    Great blog. I’m going on a cruise in October and would like the full drinks package for myself. My hubby-to-be is a non-drinker and he would only want the refreshment package. He would hardly be expected to buy the alcohol package too??

    Thanks,

    Aoife

    • Hi Aoife. Royal Caribbean’s rules state that each person must have the same package. It comes with fancy coffees, smoothies etc as well as alcohol. You may be better off opting to pay for drinks as you go as it’s hard to break even without drinking a lot of alcohol each day. Jenni

      • I just purchased the Deluxe Beverage package, for myself, and the refreshement package for my wife. You have to call Royal and they will book it for you.

  16. Does the deluxe drink package include adding items to your mini bar?

    • No, it doesn’t. However, you can order a bottle of water at the bar and put it in your mini bar fridge for later if you like.

  17. Can I buy unlimited beverage package for 2 days only in a four days cruise , or it has to be for all days ?

    • You would need to buy it for the whole cruise.

  18. So do you have to buy a drink package for every day of your trip or can you buy for just 3 days of your trip

    • You would need to buy it for the whole cruise.

  19. Great Information

  20. I have a question.
    I have cruised many times before and I always order the royal caribbean premium drink package.
    My question is, what happens if I buy the beverage package of only soft drinks and non-alcoholic beverages, and at some point during the trip I want to order, for example, a pina colada with alcohol?
    would i be charged the difference between a virgin pina colada and a pina colada with alcohol? or would i be charged for the whole pina colada with alcohol?

    • Hi Jose. In this case, you’d be charged for the whole drink. Jenni

    • Hi Jose,
      My two sons are coming on the cruise with me. How do I purchase a drink package for 1 and a soft drinks package for 1 because of a medical condition

  21. Hi Jill, I’m considering booking a drinks package with Royal Caribbean. €53 euros per day, €856 for my wife and for 8 nights. Does that include the 16.36% gratuity or will I be charged another 16.36% of €856, which would be another €140 approx ? (Of course I’ll be waiting for a discount before booking it as you have advised!)

    • I have just updated this post as the gratuity on Royal Caribbean’s drinks packages is now 18% for 2021. The gratuity is added on at the final checkout so you will see the final price before you commit to buy it. Jenni

  22. Hi!

    So I’m booked and considering the drinks package. I have a question about the free drinks though…can we bring our own reusable water bottles to fill them up with the free lemonade/ice tea or are cups readily available for us to use?

    • Hi Natalie. Last time I cruised with Royal Caribbean in December 2019 you could do both options. These days, with the new protocols, I’m not sure what the rules will be on refilling our own bottles. You could always pour it from a cup into your own bottle I suppose. Jenni

  23. Thanks for the comprehensive review! We just came back from a Cruise to Nowhere aboard the Quantum of the Seas as well. Do check out our Royal Caribbean Cruise Refreshment Package Review for more information!

    Happy Travels (soon)!

    Tom & Kate,
    2bearbear.com

    • Thanks Tom!

  24. Hi,

    We’re booked on the Liberty of the Seas cruise in November 2020. I am considering the deluxe drink package for us both but I am a little concerned that most fun drinks on the menus cost $13 and the limit is $12. So we’ll have to pay the difference of $1 on almost every drink. That adds up. Why wouldn’t they have the limit at $13 or do I have incorrect info?

    • Hi Kristin. The drinks prices vary slightly by ship, with around a $1 difference on some ships. To account for this, the drink package limit is matched to it. So you won’t have to pay any more for your drinks unless you order something really specialist. I hope that helps! Jenni

  25. If I’m a simple coffee and tea drinker. Is it worth it to by a drink package? I rarely drink specialty coffee and prefer a cup of hot tea to end my meals. So not sure buying a drink package would be worth it. Also, should I bring my own sweetener or do they supply that?

    • Hi Rebecca. You definitely don’t need a drinks package. Tea and coffee are always available for free and you can get sweeteners as well. Enjoy! Jenni

  26. So I’m noticing all the cool mixed cocktail drinks are priced. I’m sure intentionally just over the 12.00 limit for the ultimate drink package. As a person who rarely drinks and had to buy a package for myself so that my husband could have one, does this mean I’m paying an extra dollar or two if I decide I’d like to try one of these drinks. On top of what I already paid for the two unlimited packages?

    • Great observation, Michelle. On the Oasis Class and Quantum Class ships, the drinks package limit is $13 rather than $12 to account for these ships having slightly higher drinks prices. If you order a drink that costs more than the package limit, you would be charged the difference.

  27. Hi, I have harmony of the seas booked for next may but when I have tried to book a drinks package there is no option for this. Is this due to the situation at the moment or have they stopped selling drinks package online.

    • Hi Katie. I’m not sure actually. I’d suggest asking Royal Caribbean, they’re usually very quick to reply on Facebook.

  28. Hello!

    Thank you for answering all these questions!
    How strict are they on how much bottles you can bring on board? I leave from Miami and happy to pop to a Walmart beforehand to pick up some things to save money on board.

    Thank you again!

  29. We are travelling with Royal Caribbean for the first time and are considering purchasing the Deluxe drinks package. We have two kids. Do we need separate soft drinks packages for the kids or can they share ours?

    • So, strictly speaking they would need their own. However, you can get a drink every 15 minutes so it is possible to get the occasional drink for your child on the sly. I’m not saying do it, but people do it. There are also lots of free drinks available including flavoured water, water and milk as well as fruit juices at breakfast time.

  30. I am curious why some of the same drinks are over $13 in one location and $12 or less in another. Example – pool vs Bamboo. My husband and i are going on our first cruise later this spring and bought a deluxe package. Are there ways to request a drink like a Bloody Mary but in a $12 or less version?

    • The cocktails in the Bamboo Lounge are a little different to the poolside cocktails, the have fancier glasses and the ingredients may be different too. The bar staff were always encouraging me to let them make up drinks rather than stick the menu, so I’m sure they wouldn’t mind you asking.

  31. Great blog – exactly the sort of information I was looking for to make in informed decision. We have decided to use your tip and buy the soda package with the intention of buying shots on board. Are you able to advise how much shots were roughly?

    • I’m not sure, sorry!

  32. Are the drink prices in US dollars or Australian while on an Australian run. I am on Voyagers of the seas in April on repositioning cruise. The prices that are on the menus are reasonable if in Au Dollars.

    • Royal Caribbean always price in US dollars no matter the itinerary.

  33. We are sailing on Anthem of the seas June for two weeks going for the de lux drinks package offered us £43 per day is that fair price or should I wait in case prices go down

    • That seems pretty good to me. I’m guessing they make it cheaper on a longer cruise compared to a 3- or 4-nighter so it’s really hard to compare with what I’ve seen it for on my own cruises. If the price does drop, you can always call Royal Carribbean to cancel it and book it again at the lower price.

  34. Thank you so much for this insight – definitely helps with planning. Can I ask – there is a limit of bringing drinks on board yourselves but how do they actually know if you have brought more than the allowance?

    • They scan your bags. I know that some people get away with putting one bottle in the main suitcase and one in hand luggage. Not sure if I’d risk it though!

  35. This is extremely helpful. Thank you. I’ll be cruising in November on Oasis of the Seas. At least I’ve got time to think about which package to buy. ?

  36. Superb article, i am new to cruising and only used NCL which seems to have cheap drink package and this helps me no end, thanks a million

    • I’m so pleased that you found this helpful 🙂 Jenni

      • This is extremely helpful. Thank you. I’ll be cruising in November on Oasis of the Seas. At least I’ve got time to think about which package to buy. ?

        One other thing. Is it true that each individual drink purchased an additional 18% is added?

        • That’s right, each time you order a drink, and 18% gratuity is added on to your bill. If you have a package, gratuities are already included in that, you won’t pay any more per drink.

          • Hi, I would Like to know something. If I bought the premium beverage drink do I have to pay an additional gratuites? Thank you in advance.

          • Your drinks package will include gratuity on all drinks. So no, you wouldn’t have to pay any extra gratuities on drinks. But you would still have your standard daily gratuity to pay which covers all other staff members. Jenni

  37. Thanks for the great information. I have a general question I am booked on the Adventure of the Sea in February wondering if the muster station is done outside standing or inside able to sit down..

    Thanks in Advance,
    Jill

    • Hi Jill. This depends on your muster station. Some muster stations are outside, some are inside with seats. If you are uncomfortable standing, just let a staff member know and they will be sure to accommodate you. I hope this helps. Jenni

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