There's no question that a Royal Caribbean drink package can save you money if you can drink enough to make it worthwhile. Featured Royal Caribbean Cruise Deals. The drink package benefits are available on the guest's SeaPass card, which any waiter or bartender can verify they have the package. Can I use the Coca-Cola Freestyle machines with the all-inclusive beverage packages? Once purchased, you must pay for the package for the duration of your cruise. Or you may purchase it onboard, on the first day of your cruise. In either scenario, it goes to making your total cost more predictable. You will need to go to Guest Services onboard and ask to cancel and refund the drink package. Remember that you can use your package at the cruise line's private destinations. If you decide to cancel the drink package onboard the ship, usually Royal Caribbean will allow it, but not always. As our dollar is value lower than the $US it makes no sense to charge us more in Australian dollars as all our expenses on board are converted to $US dollars so you get you money back three times over. This gratuity is compulsory and cannot be taken off. So what if you order a more expensive drink? 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. You might be wondering what you get with a drink package and if it's really worth it to spend all that money on one. The various plans provide guests with unlimited drinks that can be used at any bar or restaurant on Royal Caribbean ships (and private destinations). While some cruise lines put a limit on the number of drinks you can get with the package (Carnival has an alcoholic beverage limit of 15 per day), Royal Caribbean has no such limit at this time. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Royal Caribbean Blog. If you have questions, ask them there, too. The biggest opportunity for savings is when Royal Caribbean runs a Cruise Planner sale, in which prices can drop as low as $48 per day. In addition, guests that are members of Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society are eligible to receive discounted and complimentary drinks during the cruise. Even Remy Martin V.S.O.P. Or you could be thinking about playing the slot machines in the ships casino while enjoying a cocktail. Keep in mind that most drinks are within the drink package threshold, and only a few top shelf liquors are excluded. 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. The price per night of the Refreshment Packageis $29.00per guest (excludinggratuity). I read what the drink packages are worth on cruises out of the US but when it comes to cruises out of Australia the amount per day is much higher. In this case, its going to be hard to get your moneys worth out of the package. This cost is on the more expensive side for Royal Caribbean's drink package; however, a short sailing during the holidays will lead to a higher cost for the cruise line's seemingly dynamic pricing model. Quench your thirst onboard with a beverage package that gets you the best value on your favorite drinks, from Coca-Cola to fine wine, premium and frozen cocktails to afull selection of beers, fruit juices and water. The Deluxe Beverage Package allows guests to enjoy unlimited drinks and options all cruise long. Historically, the onboard price of the Deluxe Beverage Package ranges from $63 to $98 a day (plus gratuity). Since it does not include any alcoholic beverages, any alcoholic drinks you buy will be an additional charge. For a glass of wine, the range is from $8 for a Beringer White Zinfandel to $24 for a glass of Moet & Chandon champagne. Youll want to factor this into your budget. Be happy with what you (so deservingly) have earned, and have fun -youre on vacation! Otherwise you have to figure it out on the ship since Royal Caribbeans prices and discounts can vary. The concept on the surface is simple. It used to be that you could only redeem the vouchers in the lounge; however, now you are able to use them whenever, wherever. Instead, you have to wait until you book your cruise to see what the drink package price will be for your specific cruise. Posted January 4, 2022. You likely still have some more questions, and we will dig into them below and get them answered. Instead, you get a physical card that will be punched every time you use the card. What is your experience with Royal Caribbean's beverage package? Just Updated! All the Royal Caribbean Drink Prices for 2023! At the time of purchase, a service charge is added to the drink package cost. The thing is, the number one reason to buy a drink package is to save money, otherwise why would it exist. Most of these drinks range from $4.00 to $5.00. Deluxe: $63-70 per person, per day Refreshment: $29 per person, per day Classic Soda: $12.99 per person, per day The Deluxe Beverage Package includes any single beverage item with a value of up to $12: Fountain soda and refills at any venue Coca-Cola Freestyle beverages Coca-Cola souvenir cup Non-alcoholic cocktails (mocktails) To help you budget accordingly, we have put together this updated look at Royal Caribbean drink prices for 2023! Required fields are marked *. There are no discounts on bottles of wine, either. You can use it there just as you would on board. Of course, it really depends though just how much the drink package costs for your particular sailing. Keep in mind that if they do cancel your drink package purchase, any drinks you purchased will be charged to your SeaPass account individually. You can choose between 6, 12 or 24 packs of water. With the 18% charge on the drink package, its already included when you order from the bar. No, there is not any daily limit with Royal Caribbean drink packages. I keep hearing that Johnny Rocket shakes are included in the package yet the restaurant itself lunch and dinner is a specialty restaurant. Of note, drinks at licensed Starbucks kiosks are NOT included in the Royal Caribbean drink package. Are you starting to see a theme? Can I use my beverage package at Coco Beach Club at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Royal Caribbean guests wishing to purchasea drink package can do so either prior to their cruise via the Cruise Planner web site or once onboard their ship. Regardless of the sticker or text, each order will need to be scanned by the bartender/waiter to verify drink package status. And are they still doing the Buy 1 get and 1 for 50% off ? Additionally, you may not want to drink heavily after a long excursion. Whether you order from the bar, main dining room, or a specialty restaurant, soda will cost extra on all Royal Caribbean cruise ships. Before purchasing any drink package, be sure to do your homework and do the math of how much you have to drink, every day of your cruise for it to make sense. Have a little consideration for those outside the US who remain loyal to your Company. If purchasing each drink individually, expect to pay $3.50 per soda. Weve put together a Drink Package Calculator here than can help you do the math and see if the package is a smart buy for you. Memorial Day Sale up to $650 Instant Savings: per stateroom on select sailings & categories. Do you want a drink by the pool? Although, Royal Caribbean does have a corkage fee. If you purchase a drink (drink package or individual) you will be charged a 18% gratuity. From time to time, Royal Caribbean may offer a drink package discount. Standard espresso based drinks are around $5.00, with specialty drinks at Starbucks being over $6.00 for a grande, including the lines frozen Frappuccinos. No. However, prices seem to have increased recently, with an upcoming cruise quoting a sale price of $83.99 and an onboard price of $105! This includes the Windjammer, main dining room, and specialty restaurants. 31 Mar 2023 By: Matt Hochberg A Royal Caribbean drink package offers the choice to enjoy an unlimited amount of drinks for a fixed daily price. The signature old fashions and Collins drinks at the Schooner Bar, like the Sidecar or Lavender Daiquiri, are also $14 each. Were not saying you cant give someone a sip, but its against the rules to order a drink and then pass it off to someone else. If you were to order a drink from the bar without the drink package, youd get a receipt for the drink and see an additional 18% gratuity tacked on. First, you need to think about how you will drink while on vacation. This seems to be the case on shorter cruises where its easier to keep the party going versus week-long trips. As with other packages, we've seen discounts; 30% off the onboard prices in some cases. The drink package benefits will save the most money for folks that drink a lot during the day and spread their drinking out throughout the course of their day and night. This 18% gratuity covers all drink package purchases made onboard the ship, so no additional cost is required by the guest when ordering a beverage. You will have to pay for everything else by the drink, which could result in a large bill at the end of your cruise. Drink package and gratuity? - Royal Caribbean International - Cruise Be advised that this package does not include drinks that come in souvenir cups. This can be used for any drink up to $13 and used at any bar throughout the day. So if your drink package is $70 per day, youll actually be charged $82.60. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! While we explain all three packages here, well focus mainly on the alcoholic package in this article. On the other hand, if your Royal Caribbean cruise is filled with more days at sea, you will have more time onboard to utilize your drink package during the cruise. To summarize, we have listed all of the Royal Caribbean Drink Prices in this handy chart. After you book your cruise, what is the current discounted price of the Deluxe Beverage Package ? a glass of Wine with Dinner ($11.00ea.) Absolutely. Unfortunately, that means if you are sailing on one of the newest ships during peak season, you will most likely see higher prices for the drink package. Once purchased, it is good for the duration of the cruise. Beverage | Pre-cruise and Onboard Packages | Royal Caribbean Intl. There is no additional charge to use your beverage packages on the island, so it is added value for anyone visiting. All rights reserved. Is the drink package available to use as soon as you board? Thinking about using it? Heck, there is not even the concern about if you can afford to get a drink or not. Simply enter the number and type of beverages you think youll drink each day, and you can compare that amount to the cost of the drink package offered on your cruise. None of the packagesinclude mini bar items, Evian water, canned sodas, bottled juice and souvenir glassware, specialty beers as listed on bar menus, or super premium category beverages. For others, they arent such a great deal. Trulys are $7.49 each. You also will not be able to take advantage of the Coca-Cola freestyle machines, as each souvenir cup is chipped and only available for use during a specific sailing. But if youre someone who likes to have drinks each night, then youll often find it can work in your favor. They usually run $6-8, and then you add on the mandatory gratuity of 15-20%. 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. Thats a whole lotta booze and beverages for one person in a day, and the package price comes to approximately what wed pay for those quantities without it. Perhaps there is a beer that sounds interesting, but you know that you would not pay for it. Allie Hubers has been cruising since she was a tiny toddler. Even if you do not get a package, your SeaPass card will indicate how old you are, so minors will not be able to try and purchase an alcoholic beverage. Dining packages purchased onboard will have an 18% gratuity added to the purchase price. Yes. 14 cruise ship extra charges you should know about, I stayed in a $457 studio cabin on Norwegian Encore - Take a look inside my tiny cabin. Royal Caribbean cruisers who love the drink packages often feel that the even just the added convenience of the drink package makes the purchase worthwhile. 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. Paying for drinks individually can add up quickly, which can add unnecessary stress to your vacation budget. Copyright Cruise Blog Media LLC 2023. Then click Order History. You will also find some fountain-style drinks at the buffet. If youre caught, you could potentially get it revoked with no refund, and that is not what you want to happen on your vacation after splurging on the package! Each drink package purchased is per guest, and may only be used by the person buying it. As of October 2022, the Royal Refreshment Package ranges from $29.00 to $38.00 per person, per day. Before you ever buy an alcoholic drink package from Royal Caribbean or any cruise line we always suggest that you run the numbers behind buying. Note that there will be a line on your drink receipt for additional gratuity if you are feeling generous, but its not required. So, for example, if you order a glass of wine that costs $16.00, youll be charged $3.00. To reduce the probability of this occurring, Royal Caribbeanrequires all adults over the legal drinking age in a stateroom to individually purchase the package. A popular offer is buy one, get a second package 50% off. Historically, the onboard price of the Deluxe Beverage Package ranges from $63 to $89 a day (plus gratuity). Do you think the drink prices on Royal Caribbean are fair? and 3-4 Cocktails ($14.00ea.) What started as a yearly vacation with family quickly turned into a passion for travel, cruising and adventure. The price of a drink package can change many times before the cruise begins and this is because of various sales offered. Must Read Royal Caribbean Drink Package Guide Royal Caribbean's website warns that if you're caught sharing, you risk having your drink package revoked without a refund. The good news is that when you buy a drink from the bar, you dont have to worry about the gratuity being tacked on again. Our tips and opinions are based on our first-hand experiences with the drink packages, and the current versions for this year. Oh, the Horror!! You can now start daydreaming about waking up to specialty coffees each morning, lounging by the pool with your drink of choice in hand, and cooling down with a soda or bottled water after an adventurous day in port. A drink package is available on most sailings that are two or more days, with the exception of2- or 3-day sailings from Southampton, England. 12 cans of water runs from $15.99 to $19.99, while 24 cans range from $22.99 to $25.99. You might have a kid that is on a sugar rush, but everyone can enjoy a drink package during their Royal Caribbean cruise vacation. Often you can get deals on the packages. However, many of them will have higher price tags. Drink Spending Quickly Adds Up If you've never been on a cruise, then don't be surprised by the price of alcohol on the ship. You can use the Classic Soda Package on both of Royal Caribbeans private islands:Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee, Haiti. There is no such rule required for the Refreshment Package or the Soda Package. With the Classic Soda Package, you will receive a souvenir cup to use at any of the Freestyle machines onboard, which include more than just soda. There you can find the cost of the drink package for your particular cruise, as well as any discounts for booking the package early, like what we saw: Obviously each package has different features and whats included. So what if one person traveling wants the drink package but the other doesnt? If you wait until you board, youll see tables setup around the ship offering the package. Royal Caribbean's drink packages are honored at all bars, lounges and restaurants on your cruise. She even studied abroad on Semester at Sea, sailing the world on a ship while taking courses for college and visiting 4 continents. In the main dining room, lemonade, iced tea, and hot coffee and tea are also free of charge. However, the fine print and rules surrounding the packages can get confusing. Yes, drink packages purchased for onboard your Royal Caribbean cruise are honored at either destination. You may be okay having two or three drinks before retiring for the evening, especially if the tour was more on the strenuous side. Frequent users of Royal Caribbean's drink packages become pretty adept at getting more bang for their buck on the packages, but with some advance planning, first-time Royal Caribbean cruisers can also make the most of the packages. All of those items should be in your calculator because they all add up..The deluxe package is just not alcohol, its all drinks on board period. Before we get to the dollars and cents, let us cover some basics. Now, the package doesn't include room service or mini-bar items. On ships that have licensed Starbucks, pricing is slightly higher than similar beverages served at the Caf Promenade. You may purchase a beverage package up to 72 hours before you sail, online at Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner. The bad news is that Royal Caribbean limits the beverage package to those drinks with a menu price (before gratuity) of $14 or less. With a package, you can go ahead and order it with the peace of mind knowing that you can order something else if you end up disliking the beverage. Save Now 30% OFF ALL GUESTS: sailing in the same stateroom. If purchasing the Deluxe Beverage Package, every guest of legal drinking age sailing in the same stateroom must also have the drink package. For instance, a beer on a Royal Caribbean ship runs about $8, plus gratuity. Thirsty? There is a chance they can be lenient on the policy, especially if there is a strong reason why one person doesnt want the package, such as a wife thats pregnant, or someone who isnt allowed alcohol due to health issues. For instance, Titos Handmade Vodka will cost $10.99. The non-alcoholic packages are less expensive and can be found on sale, too. We tend to fall somewhere in the middle, disagreeing with both extremes. Purchase before you cruise or while on board. The bar staff will request to see your SeaPass for verification prior to service, so keep it handy. The pricing varies based on ship, itinerary, and sail date. Many of the drinks on Royal Caribbean will cost you extra. Royal Caribbean drink packages definitely have their fans. Its similar with the Royal Caribbean beverage package. It does not work at freestanding Starbucks kiosks. We are Don and Heidi, the husband and wife travel team behind EatSleepCruise.com. Beverages valued at more than $13 are not included in the cost of the package, and youll be responsible for paying the difference. To be honest, its tough to enforce unless you are glaringly obvious. It is important to keep in mind what your goal is when ordering a drink package. For example, one person heading up to get two drinks one for them and the other for the other person in the cabin that also has the drink package. There is a lot to consider, and you deserve to relax on your cruise, not stress about how much money you're spending on drinks. The deal isnt always this big, but its usually a considerable savings. Often, the Cruise Planner will have the Classic Soda Package on sale for less than $10 per person, per day. Royal Caribbean requires passengers to purchase the drink package for the entire duration of the cruise. Rest assured you will always have included drinks to choose from throughout the duration of your cruise. New Jersey. Onboard, the all-inclusive packages are available for purchase throughout the voyage with at least 4 days remaining. Note, cruisers are allowed to bring two bottles of wine, per cabin, onboard in their carry-on luggage. These wine-specific venues will have a greater selection of wines. Some cruisers feel that they find themselves drinking more than they would normally simply because they want to get their moneys worth from the drink package. Purchase onboard or pre-reserve No. As of October 2022, the Classic Soda Package ranges from $12.99 to $15.00 per person, per day. Royal Caribbean includes select beverages in your base fare: water, milk, tea, coffee (both regular and decaf), lemonade, iced tea, flavored waters, select juices at breakfast, and hot chocolate. Will you actually save money if you opt to splurge on a 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. Second, remember the rule that all adults have to purchase the drink package if one adult in the cabin does so. Beverage packages purchased onboard or on Cruise Planner will be active at Coco Beach Club, just as they are on the rest of the island. Classic Soda Package: The least expensive package thats offered from the cruise line is the Classic Soda Package. The main difference is that the Royal Refreshment Package is the non-alcoholic option. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? The Deluxe Beverage Package includes all cocktails, beers, and wines by the glass valued up to $13.00, plus soda, non-alcoholic cocktails, bottled still and sparkling water, specialty teas and coffees, Johnny Rockets shakes, and freshly squeezed juices. Shorter cruises also tend to have a more lively and party-like atmosphere. Budgeting - This is probably the most contentious point. This includes cocktails, beers, wine, coffees, teas, juices, bottled water, and sodas. Are you considering getting a drink package on your next, Royal Caribbean is offering a free Royal Refreshment package with anyUltimate unlimited alcohol package purchased for. Included are all non-alcoholic cocktails (mocktails), Coca-Cola Freestyle beverages and soda refills at any venue, bottled still and sparkling water, specialty teas and coffees, Johnny Rockets shakes, and freshly squeezed juices. Royal Caribbean cruisers who prefer to have bottled water during their cruise can opt to have 6, 12 or 24 packs of water delivered right to their stateroom. If the other adult(s) in the room do not consume alcohol for any reason, you can call Royal Caribbean at 1-800-398-9819 and ask for an exemption. 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. Can I use my beverage package at Labadee? If someone told me I could save more money by doing some simple math every day, you bet I would bring my calculator onboard. Have a few of those each day and you can easily be hit with an eye-raising bill for hundreds of dollars at the end of your cruise. Note that gratuity is charged on all the packages, even if you are getting one without alcoholic drinks included. I would not feel its necessary to purchase a beverage package when I am able to already receive 5 drinks each day at no additional cost. On average, the Deluxe Beverage Package is only worth it if you drink more than 5-6 drinks each day. What premium spirits are available with the Deluxe Beverage Package? If purchased during your cruise, guests will pay for the remaining nights of their cruise. Enjoy virtually unlimited combinations on everything from cocktails with top-shelf spirits to premium teas and every beverage in between. Allie's been on nearly 30 cruises all over the world. Royal Caribbean Drink Package: Ultimate Guide - High Seas Cruising