Drinks on a cruise ship can be quite expensive!
Luckily, Royal Caribbean allows you to purchase drink packages that allow you to have a certain number of drinks at a special price, or unlimited drinks at a fixed daily price.
Since Royal Caribbean has several beverage packages, we are going to do a comparison to see what beverages are included in each package and what the updated prices are for 2024.
Water Package
With the Royal Caribbean’s Water Package, you will get a 12 or 24-pack of one-liter Evian bottles. You will find them already in your cabin when boarding.
If you don’t want to pay for the water, you can also find the complimentary one at the drink stations in the buffet area and often in different locations on Royal Caribbean ships.
My tip is to always bring a reusable bottle that you can fill during the day.
Alternatively, if you want bottled water, you can buy it from the bars on the ship but its price is not cheap. A single bottle of water on Royal Caribbean costs $3.
In my opinion, filtered water on Royal it’s pretty good, but you will taste a difference if you’re used to drinking bottled water.
Moreover, the real plus of the package is that you’ll have bottles in the cabin with you and you can easily take them around the ship and on shore excursions.
What’s the Price of the Water Packages?
The Water Package costs $39 for 12 bottles and $69 for 24 bottles.
Soda Package
Royal Caribbean’s Soda Package is quite simple: it guarantees unlimited sodas!
You will get a souvenir Coca-Cola cup with a chip on the bottom that activates the Freestyle soda dispensing machines.
The “soda machines” are available 24 hours a day and you can choose between a wide variety of flavors.
You can also order sodas at the restaurant or bar. They usually come in a glass but on some ships and some venues, they serve cans too.
How Much is the Soda Package?
The Soda Package costs $12.99 per person per day.
Is the Soda Package Worth It?
Is it worth it? Well, it definitely is if you have kids or if you are a soda lover!
Consider that this package can also be used on Royal Caribbean’s private island destinations, and will be perfect during hot days.
Royal allows passengers to bring up to 12 cans of soda per person during embarkation but I won’t recommend it.
Considering the price and the fact that you can order sodas from anywhere on the ship, I can easily say that it is worth buying!
Refreshment Package
The Refreshment Package is perfect if you drink everything but alcohol.
It includes:
- Bottles of still and sparkling water
- All types of sodas
- Alcohol-free cocktails (mocktails)
- Freshly squeezed juices
- Coffees and teas
With this package, you can order from basically anywhere, including shows, casinos, pools, and private islands.
The only things that are not included are the shakes at Johnny Rockets and the Starbucks kiosks.
How Much is the Refreshment Package?
The Refreshment Package costs $29 per person per day.
Is It Worth It?
With the Refreshment Package, we are starting to go up quite a bit with the price.
You must therefore begin to evaluate whether to buy it or not.
Probably if you’re planning to buy the water package + the soda package, it’s best to go directly with the refreshment one.
Usually, to understand if it’s worth it, I ask this question: do you often drink mocktails and coffee?
If the answer is yes then the Refreshment Package is worth it, while if the answer is no it’s probably not.
Deluxe Beverage Package
The Deluxe Beverage Package is the most complete one offered by Royal Caribbean.
It includes:
- Water bottles
- All types of sodas
- Mocktails
- Premium coffees and teas
- Freshly squeezed juices
- Cocktails
- Spirits and liquors
- Bottles and cans of beer
- Wine by the glass
As you can see from the list, it includes almost all the drinks you can find in a bar on Royal Caribbean’s ships. There are only some limitations on premium brands that go over $14.
With this package, you also get a 40% discount if you buy bottles of wine (up to 100$) and a 20% discount if you buy bottles that go over $100.
There are some limits on brands available with the package, but the list includes imported, domestic, and craft beer, an extensive wine list and commonly ordered spirit brands.
The Deluxe Beverage Package can be used anywhere onboard and on private islands, including milkshakes at Johnny Rockets. The only exception is for licensed Starbucks stores.
The Price of the Deluxe Beverage Package
The Deluxe Beverage Package on Royal Caribbean costs between $55 and 105$. The price varies significantly based on the itinerary and type of cruise.
Can Just One Person Buy the Deluxe Beverage Package?
Starting October 2017, Royal Caribbean has changed its policy and now all the passengers in the same cabin have to buy the Deluxe Beverage Package package if one does.
Even with this limitation, there are still people cheating with the Royal Caribbean drink packages!
Generally speaking, if one of the adults does not wish to purchase a Deluxe Beverage Package, due to an inability to consume alcohol or because of medical conditions, they can call Royal Caribbean to request an exemption.
If you have a valid reason, they can give you the option to downgrade to a Refreshment Package.
Exceptions
As far as I know, the company is quite strict on this rule. Exceptions do exist but are rarely approved.
You can ask for an exception for medical conditions that have to be certified by a doctor.
Is the Deluxe Beverage Package Worth it?
I had this package on my last cruise with Royal Caribbean and I can assure you that it’s totally worth it.
Of course, if have to be an alcohol drinker otherwise it makes absolutely no sense.
The selection of drinks was very big with national and international spirits and beers.
I also tried several delicious cocktails! Don’t ask to write down the names because at one point I was too tipsy to remember them.
Comparison Chart of All Royal Caribbean’s Packages
What drinks are free on Royal Caribbean?
If you don’t wanna buy a package and don’t wanna spend money on drinks, you still have access to a free drink selection of every ship.
The free drinks include tap water, flavored water, lemonade, milk, coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and a small selection of fruit juices (usually 3 or 4 types).
Royal Caribbean Drink Package Limit
There is no limit on the drinks you can order on Royal Caribbean.
You should know though that you can only order one drink at a time and you have to finish it before ordering another one.
Furthermore, bartenders can refuse to serve you a drink if they see you drunk and if you bother or could be a danger to other passengers.
Is Starbucks included with the drink package on Royal Caribbean?
The Starbucks kiosks are not included in the package. Starbucks drinks from Cafe Promenade, Park Cafe, and Vitality Cafe are included.
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