Whether you should purchase one of the Royal Caribbean Drink Packages is a difficult decision for many. So, we put together this video to guide you through the process of determining if a Royal Caribbean Drink Package is worth it for your next cruise vacation.
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ROYAL CARIBBEAN DRINK PACKAGES
0:00 Introduction
1:10 Free Drinks on Royal Caribbean
1:50 Royal Drink Package Basics
2:45 Purchasing a Royal Caribbean Drink Package
3:55 Using the Drink Package
4:37 The Costs of a Royal Caribbean Beverage Package
5:50 The Deluxe Drink Package
7:25 Royal Caribbean Drink Prices
9:15 Royal Refreshment Drink Package
10:18 Classic Soda Package
11:40 Are Royal Caribbean Drink Packages Worth it?
13:42 Quick Analysis of Deluxe Beverage Package
THE BASICS OF ROYAL CARIBBEAN DRINK PACKAGES
If you are planning a Royal Caribbean cruise, one of your top questions is probably whether you should purchase one of the Royal Caribbean drink packages or not. To make things a bit easier, Royal Caribbean only has one alcoholic drink package, the Deluxe Drink Package. There are also two non-alcoholic drink packages offered by the cruise line, the Royal Refreshment package and the Classic Soda package.
Regardless of what drink package you purchase, there are some basic rules. Drink packages must be purchased for the entire length of the cruise by everyone in the same stateroom. These packages are priced per person, per day, and there is an additional 18% added to the price at the time of purchase.
The good news is that these packages work just about everywhere on the ship. The Royal Caribbean drink packages also work on the cruise line’s private islands of CocoCay and Labadee. Further, these beverage packages are truly unlimited unlike some other cruise lines. This means you can drink as many alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks as day as you’d like. Of course, the cruise line does have the right to refuse you if you are obviously intoxicated.
ROYAL CARIBBEAN DELUXE BEVERAGE PACKAGE DETAILS
The Royal Caribbean drink packages have dynamic pricing, meaning the price varies based on ship, time of year, etc. The average cost of the Deluxe Drink Package ranges from $63 to $89 but has been as high as $105! This package does cover quite a bit though.
In 2023, this plan covers all alcoholic beverages, including beer, wine by the glass, and cocktails up to $14. The Royal Caribbean Deluxe Drink Package includes fountain soda, Coca-Cola freestyle machines (where available), still and sparkling water, premium coffees and teas, and fresh-squeezed juices as well.
IS THE ROYAL CARIBBEAN DRINK PACKAGE WORTH IT?
Essentially, you will need to consider whether you will consume enough beverages to make the drink package “worth it”. Some things to take into consideration are, will you sustain the same drinking habits over the duration of the cruise, do you get any free drinks for being part of the cruise lines loyalty program, and how port intensive is your itinerary.
We do like the added convenience of having a drink package, but now that we get 5 drink vouchers a day for being Diamond Plus status in Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor Society, it really no longer makes financial sense for us to purchase one. We usually just purchase a case of water for our cabin and a coffee card as we do enjoy our daily lattes.
However, if you plan to average at least 6 cocktails a day or some other combination of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, then the purchasing the Royal Caribbean drink package probably makes sense for you.
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Should you buy a Royal Caribbean drink package
it’s a question that we get quite often from Fellow Cruisers now in the past we’ve had our
chance to test out the Royal crew and drink Package on many different sailings and there
are quite a few benefits to buying a drink Package but there’s also times that a drink
package can be a complete waste of money so If you’re weighing the pros and cons of buying
a drink package this video is for you as we Have a complete look at the Royal Caribbean
drink packages brand new for 2023 up next Welcome aboard Cruisers I’m Don B from
eat sleep Cruise where we help you see The world one porn at a time now Royal
Caribbean is one of our favorite cruise Lines and actually it’s a cruise
line we sell the most in the past So we have plenty of experience with the Royal
crew and drink package and while we did make a Video a few years ago about the Royal Caribbean
drink package a lot has changed in the past few Years especially since a cruise restart so we’re
here again to give you a complete look at the Royal crib and drink packages to help you decide
whether purchasing one is right for you now before You even consider buying a Royal Caribbean drink
package you might be asking yourself what drinks Are actually free on a Royal Caribbean cruise well
complimentary beverages on Royal Caribbean include Select drinks like iced tea lemonade filtered
water some juices hot chocolate Coffee and Tea these drinks are available in the Windjammer
buffet and while dining in the main dining rooms While these items are complementary soda bottled
water specialty coffee and alcoholic beverages Will cost extra money so of course that’s where
a Royal Caribbean drink package comes in handy Now before we get started there are some
basic things you need to know about Royal Caribbean dream packages in general before
we dive into the details of each option Each drink package is priced per person per
day and you must purchase a drink package for The entire duration of cruise additionally
there’ll be an 18 service charge added to The total price at the time of purchase beverage
packages are non-refundable and non-transferable And dream packages are available on
most sailings of the two days or longer Regardless of the itinerary except for two to
three day sellings from Southampton England Package covers beverages
purchased at onboard restaurants Bars and lounges and happily Royal Caribbean dream
packages also work on the cruise lines two private Islands perfect day at CoCo K in the Bahamas and
Labadee Haiti so yes folks those Coco Locos are Covered in the Royal Caribbean drink package there
are essentially two ways you can purchase a royal Equipment drink package you can purchase a drink
package pre-cruise using the online Cruise planner Or you can purchase a drink package once on
board the ship during the first day sometimes The second day of the cruise however you’ll
usually save money by purchasing pre-crews Typically you can purchase a drink package
up to 72 hours before your sale date
You might also be able to score some savings by
bundling a drink package with a Wi-Fi package Of note if you purchase a Royal Caribbean drink
package and subsequently find a cheaper rate you Can always cancel your original booking and then
repurchase a drink package prior to your sailing Now of course it’s not mandatory to buy a drink
package well maybe depending on your drinking Habits you feel like it’s mandatory the Royal
Caribbean drink packages are an add-on to your Cruise vacation however there is no sharing of the
package or using your package to order drinks for Other Cruisers so if one guest in The State Room
wishes to purchase the raw cream and drink package Then all guests of legal drinking age in
estate room do have to purchase the alcohol Drink package as well now one thing we do like
about the Royal Caribbean drink package unlike Some of the competitor Brands is that currently
the Royal cruising gym packages are unlimited for The duration of the cruise unlike say Carnival
Cruise Line which limits guests to 15 drinks Per day now this doesn’t mean it should be a
free-for-all you need to consume responsibly of Course as the cruise line has a right to die you
service if you’re obviously intoxicated now with Royal Caribbean drink package you can only order
one drink at a time whether it’s alcoholic or a Non-alcoholic drink in addition you must show your
CPAs card every time you order a beverage on that T-pass card you’ll see a notation indicating
that you have purchased the drink package Royal Caribbean drink packages have what’s
known as Dynamic pricing so this means that The price will vary based on the ship time of
year and the itinerary now historically the Onboard price of the deluxe beverage package has
ranged from 63 dollars to 89 per person per day And that is before the 18 gratuity now here we’re
referring to the deluxe string package which is Royal Caribbean’s alcohol drink package they do
also offer non-alcoholic drink packages and those Obviously are much cheaper currently the Royal
refreshment drink package is priced around 29 to 38 dollars per person per day with the classic
soda package priced around 12.99 to 15 per day As well as the Cafe Select Coffee Card
which is currently 31 dollars for 15 punches This year Royal Caribbean will offer one
alcoholic drink package which is known as Deluxe drink package so many Cruisers refer
to this as the unlimited drink package as it Includes essentially all the alcoholic
and non-alcoholic drinks on the ship Plus there’s no drink limit currently the plan
covers all alcoholic beverages including beer wine By the glass and Cocktails up to fourteen dollars
this allotment covers basically all 16 ounce beers And a decent selection of red and white wines
by the glass at the onboard restaurants and bars Further the package also includes most liquor
and premium spirits branches Gray Goose Tito’s Vodka Patron and Johnny Walker Black Label are
all included as are all the premium and classic Cocktails at the different bars and lounges if
you do find a drink that costs more than the Dollar allowment yes only pay the difference Plus
at 180 on the difference so if a drink is 15 get a
14 credit and you pay 1.18 a dollar plus 18 Cent
gratuity while this package does include a lot Some drinks are excluded room service and mini
bar items are not included in the drink package Drinks in souvenir glasses special tbrs and super
premium category beverages are also excluded Further all beverages served inside licensed
Starbucks stores are not included although Espresso-based drinks using Starbucks coffee made
in the cafe Promenade are included in the package They give you just a general sense of the Royal
Caribbean drink prices in our experience most Cocktails on the ship cost between 10 and 13
dollars and we find that Wines By The Glass Average around 11 or so and you can get
most beers for around 7.50 of note these Prices do vary slightly by the class of ship the
quantum class in Oasis class ships usually have Higher priced drinks but even on those ships most
ranks are still included in the beverage package Now if you’re doing some quick math right
now you’re probably calculating that if you Don’t get the drink package on sale and you pay
something like around a hundred dollars that means You need to drink around 10 cocktails a day just
to break even and if you like to drink beer well That number’s even more like 13 or 14 beers a day
of course this number of drinks will vary based on The quoted price of the beverage package for your
sailing and yes oftentimes you can get the drink Package on sale and we would never recommend you
pay full price now this analysis does not include Any other non-alcoholic beverages that you might
get throughout the day that are also part of the Package and honestly that’s really where the make
or break point is for most individuals unless of Course you can consistently drink seven to ten
drinks a day which can then the drink package Is a no-brainer but the deluxe string packages
also include fountain soda Coca-Cola Freestyle Machines were available still in sparkling water
premium coffees and teas and fresh squeezed juices Plus guess who purchased the little extreme
package will receive a 40 discount on bottled Wines priced up to a hundred dollars and a 20
discount aligns priced above a hundred dollars Now those numbers are already starting to scare
you don’t worry there are other Royal Caribbean Drink package options as you mentioned there’s
a royal refreshment drink package this is the Non-alcoholic drink package and it might be
right for you with onboard prices between 29 And 38 dollars per person per day this plan gives
Cruisers unlimited choices of Premium coffees and Teets soda including the souvenir cup bottled
water both sparkling and still freshly squeezed Orange shoes and non-alcoag frozen drinks so
essentially you can enjoy almost any non-alcoholic Beverage on the ship including Johnny Rockets
milkshakes of course there are a few exclusions Such as drinks made at licensed Starbucks kiosk
but again you can get that Starbucks brewed coffee From other locations on a ship and those are
included in this plant the refresher package might Be a good value for those who do not drink alcohol
but want a more elevated and inclusive experience While on a Royal Caribbean ship with the current
pricing for drinks it would take about six to
Eight non-alcoholic drinks to hit the break-even
point for the Royal refreshment drink package For families the classic soda package is another
great option current onboard pricing for this Package is between 12.99 and 15 per person per
day before the 18 gratuity as the name implies This plan includes unlimited soda from the bars
and restaurants on board the ship and the cruise Line’s private islands however it does not include
cans of soda or soda ordered through room service Further guess who purchased this package will
get a souvenir cup if you happen to lose a cup Though you’ll be charged 9.95 for a replacement
many Royal Caribbean ships have Coke freestyle Machines these freestyle machines dispense over
a hundred different soda flavor combinations So you can make your own crazy soda concoctions
using your souvenir cup another good tip is that The freestyle machines also offer other
beverages like Powerade and vitamin water Buying a Royal Caribbean drink package is
the only way that you actually get to use The freestyle machines if you want to order
a soda you need to go to a bar and they’ll Probably charge you around three dollars and
fifty cents so doing some quick math right there You’ll need to drink about four to five servings
a day to break even for the classic soda package Now that you are armed with all this
information all the details about what’s In the drink packages how much they cost
are they worth it should you buy one well Ultimately you are the only person who can answer
that question based on your own drinking habits The question should be whether will you consume
enough Beverages and make the purchase worth it Now on the screen here we have the average cost
of the different beverages within each category From a recent Royal Caribbean drink menu using
this chart you can do some quick math to see If you would routinely hit the daily Breakeven
point or the above drink packages based on the Current pricing for your particular sailing you
can also find this chart on our website we have A link to our complete guide to the Royal
Caribbean drink packages in the description Down below when it comes to calculating that
Breakeven Point they’ll really be based on How much you pay for the Royal groom drink
package and as we’ve noted we’ve seen these Prices go up in recent years and the prices vary
greatly depending on the itinerary and the ship Now if you are loyal to Royal Cruiser the recently
revamped perk for Crown and Anchor members does Make the decision to purchase drink package a bit
more difficult if your diamond status and above With these new perks Crown anchor guests can use
their drink vouchers for any drink up to 13 any Time of day so there’s no longer a limited happy
hour Diamond cruises receive four drink vouchers Diamond Plus Cruisers receive five vouchers and
those Pinnacle Cruisers get six vouchers a day Other considerations when determining the drink
package is right for you is the length of the Cruise and how many ports of call are on your
itinerary and whether one of the ports of calls Is one of the cruise Line’s private islands for
instance would you be able to sustain the same
Drinking pattern that you would on a three
or four day cruise on a 10 or 14 day cruise Probably not and if your cruise is Port intensive
will you be on this ship long enough to make good Use of your Royal Caribbean drink package again
probably not in 2023 in our future cruises Royal Caribbean honestly we probably won’t be buying
a drink package because of our Crown and Anchor Society status we’re currently Diamond Plus
which means we get five free beverages every day Instead we usually opt for a couple cases of
water and two coffee cards which only cost us Around an extra hundred dollars and even if we
purchase an additional alcoholic drink or two Above our five free drinks we’re still saving a
considerable amount of money by not purchasing A Royal Caribbean drink package now if you’re
brand new to cruising and need more information On what’s actually included in a Royal Caribbean
cruise don’t worry if we have you covered we have Our complete guide of everything that’s included
on a Royal Caribbean cruise plus what will cost You extra right here on YouTube while cruising is
still a great value there are several costs that The cruise lines don’t tell you about and in that
video we break down everything so you know the True cost of a Royal Caribbean cruise that way you
don’t get sticker shock at the end of your trip