? However, discretion is the games name, and worrying about being seen can make it more stressful than worthwhile. Will these sales save you money? Ive just contacted RCI via messenger and asked them why the price on my cruise planner is a lot more than what Ive seen offered for new cruise bookings, and asked if I can have it at the same price. All guests of legal drinking age in the same stateroom and under the same stateroom booking number are required to purchase the same alcoholic beverage package. To save you the headache, Ive created a handy tool that does the maths for you. Another advantage is that even when the bar is busier, you have a higher chance of getting served quicker. Coffee - $4. The bar staff were always encouraging me to let them make up drinks rather than stick the menu, so Im sure they wouldnt mind you asking. . Im going on a cruise in October and would like the full drinks package for myself. Hi Sue. drink with blended scotch and Drambuie on ice. One of the benefits of a drinks package is that if you dont like a drink you dont have to drink it. 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. This means a drink package cannot be shared by more than one person. Every day there will be a "drink of the day," where one drink is discounted about 20%. A loophole as to. Hi Kristin. Cocktail - $14. In fact, Royal Caribbean almost always has some kind of special offer to encourage people to book cruises. However, you can get all-inclusive cruise package deals that have drinks included. First, order drinks that are not included in the package. 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 youre also less likely to want a hangover! Budgeting - This is probably the most contentious point. Drinks-wise you are both covered, and although less alcohol between you, you have the opportunity to share some. Some people feel aggrieved at having to pay for more than they need. On my last Royal Caribbean cruise on Anthem of the Seas, it was a seven-night cruise from Southampton so I didnt get a drinks package. Be the first to rate this post. Yet with a drinks package, youre free to work your way down the menu, trying new things. Check your Cruise Planner and see if it comes up to purchase. Fresh squeezed orange juice and sodas etc. The drinks package is active on the island as well as the ship and we spent a lot of time on-board drinking cocktails in the hot tub. Wines are available to purchase by the bottle. Thanks for the comprehensive review! Ive worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and now my blog helps over a million people to plan their cruises each month. Like what you see? Heck, there is not even the concern about if you can afford to get a drink or not. Everyday some people want to cheat the package because they believe it is unfair because it forces you to buy it for every day of the cruise. To decide whether a Royal Caribbean drink package offers good value for money or not, you need to consider three key questions: Once you know the answers to these, you can do the maths and work out Is the Royal Caribbean drinks package is worth it? It may be cheaper to pay for drinks individually on your cruise. We have decided to use your tip and buy the soda package with the intention of buying shots on board. You can read more about this here: The Best Time to Buy A Royal Caribbean Drink Package. If you wish to recognise outstanding service by adding extra gratuities onboard the ship, you are welcome to do so. I know that some people get away with putting one bottle in the main suitcase and one in hand luggage. Sure, it is nice to have, but far from essential. 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. If you wish to drink it in public areas then youll have to pay a corkage fee of $15 per bottle. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. They scan your bags. Royal Caribbean offers a fewdrink packages to consider. This equates to: Obviously, if you like to drink cocktails, it will be much easier to break even than if you drink beers and soft drinks. 2 bottles of wine and 12 cans of soft drinks per stateroom. Do you know the difference in the tea? If you want to drink your wine in public areas, you will need to pay a $15 corkage fee. I hope this helps. Weve never bought a drink package, always paid per drinkbut are considering this trip. Once purchased, you must pay for the package for the duration of your cruise. On Anthem of the Seas and other Quantum-class ships you can order drinks from the robotic bartender. Enjoy! To work out if a drinks package is worth it, you need to work out how many drinks you would need to drink each day to break even. That is probably enough background on Royal Caribbean's drink packages. Hi Anthony. "Guest agrees to not provide or share drinks with other guests;". Just pop your email in the form and Ill send you a link to the calculator. Therefore they know its less likely you will be able to consume the maximum amount, therefore more profitable, whether its a sea day or port day, you have to have drinks package all days or none. 1. This requires anyone that buys the package to be willing and able to enjoy a good half-dozen drinks every day of their cruise. Royal Caribbean's newest cruise planner sale kicks off today with up to 35% off pre-cruise add-ons. And with so many tantalizing choices on each bar menu, the temptation to grab a drink is always present. Still, I wouldnt recommend cheating the drink package in this way. All rights reserved. We are no spring chickens the three of us are just under 70. Thank you so much for this insight definitely helps with planning. To get around this, they have introduced, like most cruise lines nowadays, a rule whereby if anyone wants to purchase a drinks package in a cabin, everyone staying in the cabin of drinking age has to purchase a drinks package too! If Im a simple coffee and tea drinker. If drink package already purchased, can we take advantage of the lower priced one offered. Here are some of the top ways to "cheat" Royal Caribbean drinking packages. Instead, while others are queuing, you can be ordering your first drink! 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. While the package is generally offered for one person per stateroom, some ships allow multiple packages to be purchased for each person. Here we have covered sharing the Royal Caribbean drinks packages in more depth.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'cruiseshiptraveller_com-leader-1','ezslot_13',111,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-cruiseshiptraveller_com-leader-1-0'); One way to cheat the Royal Caribbean drink package is to get it for the cheapest possible price in the first place. If you order a drink that costs more than the package limit, you would be charged the difference. So if your drink package is $70 per day, you'll actually be charged $82.60. Thanks for all the great info. The price per night of the Refreshment Packageis $29.00per guest (excludinggratuity). To get the most value out of your drinks package, always take the opportunity to specify the top-quality liquor brands in your drinks. The only limit on a drink package is that you may only order one drink per order, per drink package. Do check out our Royal Caribbean Cruise Refreshment Package Review for more information! Could please do insurance recommendations. 53 euros per day, 856 for my wife and for 8 nights. In your article are you saying that on a cruise out of Southampton uk. So you wont have to pay any more for your drinks unless you order something really specialist. If you prefer to keep some bottled water in the fridge in your room, you can order 6, 12 or 24 cans of water to be delivered to your stateroom. Overall, whether a Royal Caribbean beverage package is right for you is a highly personal decision, based on a lot of variables. Or BYO seltzer, and make wine spritzers. No votes so far! She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 20 cruises. Instead, Id recommend that you buy your drink package at the best time to take advantage of any sales or special offers that can make it a bit more affordable for you. Whipped cream etc. Years ago, you could buy five bottles of wine for $165, 7 bottles for $220 and 10 bottles for $300. Another way that people cheat the Royal Caribbean drink package is to sneak their own booze on board with them. Check your Cruise Compass (the ship's daily planner) to see what the drink of the day . These have to be in your carry on luggage to make it easy for port staff to check that your booze is within the limits. 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? Cheating the Royal Caribbean Drink Package can be done with a few simple tricks. I believe so, yes. Getting caught will get your drink package canceled or can result in. Royal Caribbean doesnt offer free drinks packages. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. Royal Caribbeans Crown & Anchor Society awards loyalty points for every night that guests spend on-board Royal Caribbean ships. Cheating the Royal Caribbean drinks package completely isnt really possible. These are the average Royal Caribbean drinks prices in 2022: Beer - $8.25. Royal Caribbean seems to employ a variable pricing model that considers time of year, ship class and other factors in offering the price of the drink package. Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to bea useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. 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. These discounts have the potential to add to the potential value a guest can get from a drink package, but remember any discount does not necessarily make the value proposition a drink package offers a "slam dunk" deal. ( Can You & What if Caught? Can I put them into the fridge and save vor excursions? This is because the drinks packages are not actually free, its just that the ticket price is adjusted to include drinks. This saves you from having to buy bottled water when in ports.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'cruiseshiptraveller_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_0',115,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-cruiseshiptraveller_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'cruiseshiptraveller_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_1',115,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-cruiseshiptraveller_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0_1');.large-mobile-banner-1-multi-115{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:50px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. Great blog. 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. However, prices seem to have increased recently, with an upcoming cruise quoting a sale price of $83.99 and an onboard price of $105! That seems pretty good to me. Its not always about getting more drinks than you are entitled to. Any bar, restaurant, or lounge will accept your drink package benefits. Hi Gilbert, youll 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 theyll be glad to help. Package Details: Royal Caribbean has one alcohol-inclusive beverage package on offer. Good luck! Its possible to make a saving by doing this if you have the time and energy to track the prices. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Jenni. But by the glass its included. You should think about how much time you plan to spend on the ship. It's not like you can just stick the drink package sticker on your cruise card and get free drinks for the entire cruise. It comes with fancy coffees, smoothies etc as well as alcohol. Whilst it was nice to be able to fill up my drink from the machine, I didnt like that I had to carry the cup everywhere with me. If not, just leave blank, 2023 Royal Caribbean Drink Package Info, Tips, Pros & Cons, How to purchase Royal Caribbean's unlimited drink packages, Spotted: Deluxe Beverage and Ultimate Dining Package combo, Clarification on Royal Caribbean's drink package premium coffee benefit, Royal Caribbean offering free Royal Replenish package with any Ultimate Refreshment Package purchase, Pros and Cons of Royal Caribbean's unlimited drink packages. Size of travel cots? ? As the drink package offers an unlimited number of drinks per day, you might be considering this as an option. Hi Katie. You may be better off opting to pay for drinks as you go as its hard to break even without drinking a lot of alcohol each day. 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. For every brewed coffee you order, the barista willpunch a hole in the card to note how many of the drinks you've ordered. Matt Hochberg. Depending on your vacation, you can purchase the drink package for as little as $63 per person, per day. While you are on land, you can purchase drinks at local bars and restaurants, which can be much cheaper than buying drinks onboard the ship. The whole notion of not having to worry about receipts, gratuity or how much a drink costs holds less water for us. Just dont be ordering drinks and blatantly passing them to someone else in front of the bartender or waiter. The drink package has an equal number of fans and critics. Royal Caribbean drink packages go on sale in the Cruise Planner every few weeks with advertised discounts of between 10% and 30%. You definitely dont need a drinks package. Royal Caribbean offers a choice of three all-inclusive drinks packages: Deluxe Beverage Package Refreshment Package (No alcohol) Classic Soda Package Deluxe Beverage Package $63 - $89 per day Royal Caribbean's alcohol drinks package includes: Beer Wine by the glass Cocktails and mocktails Spirits and liquors Premium teas and coffees Water. The first trick is to purchase multiple packages for one person. (Of course Ill be waiting for a discount before booking it as you have advised! Before you go ahead and buy the Coffee Card, here are some things youll want to consider: 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. The various plans provide guests with unlimited drinks that can be used at any bar or restaurant on Royal Caribbean ships (and private destinations). Could you please tell me how I can improve it? There's no question that a Royal Caribbean drink package can save you money if you can drink enough to make it worthwhile. Tip them a bit extra from the start of the cruise in the hope they will let some restrictions, such as the refill time limit, go unnoticed. 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). This means if you are a couple and only one of you wants to buy the drinks package, it simply wont wont you complete the purchase. 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. After that, you can cancel it when you first embark on the ship, but no later. When you log into Royal Caribbeans cruise planner, look out for special offers like this one. They worked for about half a drink before they collapse. This drink package pretty much includes all beverages onboard that do not contain any booze. If you have a question that isnt listed here, you can add it in the comments section at the end. A cruise which ordinarily costs 699 might go up to 999 with drinks included. Manage Settings Plus, as we were sailing from the UK it was easy to bring our own wine and cans of pop on board so we didnt need to buy many drinks on the ship. Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. He would hardly be expected to buy the alcohol package too?? So, is there a way to cheat the Royal Caribbean drink package and save some money Well, actually there are a few ways, Im not suggesting that you try any of these and Id hate for you to get into trouble. Hi Natalie. Of course, you could always call Royal Caribbean and tell them that one person doesnt drink, but unless you have proof of a medical condition to back that up, they wont be able to help. One of the most popular ways to potentially cheat the Royal Caribbean drink package is by bringing your own alcohol on board. 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. Jenni. If you book your cruise during a free drinks offer, then you will get drinks included with your cruise. Once purchased, you must pay for the package for the duration of your cruise. Suggested read: 56 amazing examples of Royal Caribbean customer service. I have some photos of the drink menus here: https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/royal-caribbean-drinks-menus-with-prices/ This may help you to find the answer to your question. There are some other ways you can sneak booze on boar too. However, you can order a bottle of water at the bar and put it in your mini bar fridge for later if you like. 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. Royal Refreshment Drink Package: $29-38 per person, per day. One other thing. The easiest way is to purchase it via Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner site. You likely still have some more questions, and we will dig into them below and get them answered. The Royal Caribbean drinks packages are structured to make a profit. 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?" So its not surprising some guests discuss ways of getting more value for their money by sharing ways they cheat the Royal Caribbeans drinks package. The Deluxe Beverage Package includes any single beverage item with a value of up to $12: Fountain soda and refills at any venue. In this section, Ill answer the most commonly-asked questions about Royal Caribbean drink packages. 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. Royal Caribbean makes it easy to purchase the drink package. Whilst some other cruise lines limit the number of drinks you can order to 15 in any 24-hour period, Royal Caribbean has no daily limit. sharing the Royal Caribbean drinks packages, best time to buy a Royal Caribbean drinks package, free dinks included on your Royal Caribbean, Is Food Included on a Royal Caribbean Cruise (and Where) 2022. would i be charged the difference between a virgin pina colada and a pina colada with alcohol? All adults of legal drinking age in a stateroom must buy it, or nobody can have it. Then, log into the Cruise Planner regularly to watch the price. Simpler to have one cost that covers everything, than worry about "going over.". Royal Caribbean does not require guests under the legal drinking age to buy any kind of drinks package. Royal Caribbean's website listed the Deluxe Beverage Package for $18 per day, per person on select 2020 sailings that got a lot of people's attention. These include alcoholic beverages that are not part of the house brands, such as top-shelf liquor and wine by the bottle. I have some tips for you here: https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/taking-a-baby-on-a-cruise-ship/ Jenni, Many thanks, very useful. For most people, this is limited to the occasional glass of free fizz at an art auction or similar event. Hello we r doing a three night cruise out of Brisbane in November. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays. If you paid $13 for a cocktail and didnt like it, youd be pretty annoyed at yourself for choosing it. Before we get to the dollars and cents, let us cover some basics. Making feeds? Hi, I'm Jenni. The tap water on Royal Caribbean cruise ships is perfectly safe to drink, List of Free Drinks on Royal Caribbean Cruises, 56 amazing examples of Royal Caribbean customer service, The Best Time to Buy A Royal Caribbean Drink Package, 15 Ways To Use Your Royal Caribbean Onboard Credit Like A Pro, https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/taking-a-baby-on-a-cruise-ship/, https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/royal-caribbean-drinks-menus-with-prices/, Royal Caribbean Cruise Refreshment Package Review, https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/can-you-take-drinks-on-a-cruise-ship/, https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/how-to-sneak-alcohol-on-a-cruise-ship/. If all you want are lattes, espresso, or something stronger than regular coffee, then perhaps Royal Caribbean's Caf Select Coffee Card is the right choice for you. While guests are not typically allowed to bring their own alcohol on board, this rule has a few exceptions. Here's the breakdown: $133 for 16 gin & tonics at the bar. While there are a few ways you can do it, I wouldn't recommend that you try, as the consequences of doing so can be serious. Also, bear in mind what happens if you are caught sneaking alcohol on a cruise. Thank you for answering all these questions! I have a question. However, if you stay in a suite then youll be able to help yourself to free drinks in the VIP lounge for several hours each day! Stay hydrated for onboard thrills with water or favorite fountain sodas to fill your Coca-Cola souvenir cup. 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. Nearly all discounts we have seen are offered prior to the cruise on the Cruise Planner web site. It does not work at freestanding Starbucks kiosks. You can use my free drinks package calculator to work out what your bar bill would be with no drink package. These are: Some drinks are free all the time. My hubby-to-be is a non-drinker and he would only want the refreshment package. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. I am curious why some of the same drinks are over $13 in one location and $12 or less in another. I just purchased the Deluxe Beverage package, for myself, and the refreshement package for my wife. This includes the Windjammer, main dining room, and specialty restaurants. Cocktails are regularly priced at around $10-13 per drink, which means bar tabs can quickly get expensive. Hi Jose. Tap water is always free of charge on Royal Caribbean cruises and there are lots of places you can get it on the ship. Not sure if Id risk it though! Do we need separate soft drinks packages for the kids or can they share ours? The price goes up and down before your cruise and you may be able to snag a deal if you buy it at the right time. We know the drink package is expensive and people are searching for this information and are simply providing it. The Deluxe Beverage Package includes drinks with liquor up to $14 in value. For those who drink mostly coffee, Royal Caribbean offers a Cafe Select Coffee Card. Royal Caribbean drinks prices are on the high end when compared to other cruise lines. Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. Any frozen drinks too without the alcohol. Purchasing the Royal Caribbean drink package online is the most convenient way to find the best deal.