Is the Royal Caribbean Drink Package Worth It?

The package only saves money when its daily price is lower than the drinks you would have bought anyway. These are the representative menu prices used in our calculations, before the automatic 18% gratuity:

Sources: Royal Caribbean's current beverage-package terms and Royal Caribbean Blog's July 2026 fleetwide drink-price guide.

The source's August 3, 2026 snapshot placed class medians from $76 per day for Vision Class to $92 for Oasis and Icon Class. Individual sailings still varied widely, often by $20 to more than $50 per person per day, so the price in your Cruise Planner matters more than the advertised percentage discount.

The table shows how the break-even point changes from $70 to $96 per person, per day. Compare the exact dollar price in your Cruise Planner rather than the advertised percentage discount.

Deluxe includes many premium non-alcoholic drinks, including eligible specialty coffees, bottled water, mocktails, and fresh juices. If you would buy them anyway, count them before deciding how many cocktails you need.

Two $4.50 coffees, three $3.50 waters, one $7 mocktail, and four $14 cocktails total $82.50 before gratuity. That is just below an $84 package. Add one coffee or cocktail and the package is ahead.

Royal Caribbean's public cabin policy still says that if one guest buys Deluxe, every guest of legal drinking age in the same stateroom must also buy it. Packages cannot be shared.

After exceptions ended in August 2025, the September 7 report describes a narrower process. Call Royal Caribbean to request its Beverage Package Accommodation Request form.

• Eligible reasons: disability, medical condition, or pregnancy.
• Supporting documentation is optional; specific medical details are not required.
• Allow 10 business days for a response. Approval is case by case.
• If approved, the guest must purchase a non-alcoholic beverage package.

Simply preferring not to drink is not a listed reason. Confirm eligibility, approval, and the required package directly with Royal Caribbean before purchasing.

Our budgeting advice: Compare the total cost for your cabin. Without approval, include Deluxe for both adults. With approval, compare Deluxe plus the required non-alcoholic package against what each person would otherwise spend.

The daily package rate applies throughout the cruise, including port days. It works at Royal Caribbean's private destinations, Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee, but not while visiting public ports such as Nassau, Cozumel, or St. Thomas.

A sea-day-heavy itinerary gives you more time to use it. Several long excursions can compress a full day's break-even target into a few evening hours.

• Room-service beverages
• Minibar items in the cabin
• Drinks served inside licensed Starbucks stores or cafes
• Desserted Milkshake Bar specialty shakes
• The portion of a drink priced above the package's eligible single-drink limit

Beginning March 15, 2026, the Deluxe and Refreshment Packages stopped including the Coca-Cola souvenir cup and access to Freestyle machines. Fountain soda ordered from bars, lounges, and dining rooms remains included.

Deluxe and Refreshment guests can buy the RFID-enabled Freestyle cup onboard for a one-time $4.99 charge. The Classic Soda Package continues to include it. Royal Caribbean lists the change in its current package FAQ.

Package prices move by ship, sailing, and purchase date. A 2026 analysis of daily Cruise Planner pricing collected by All Aboard Deals across 30 Royal Caribbean ships found a distinct weekly pattern during part of an 89-day observation period. Royal Caribbean Blog reported that after late April, Tuesday became substantially cheaper than Wednesday, with the Wednesday premium averaging about $10 to $12 per person per day during the observed period.

That is evidence from one study period, not a promise that every Tuesday will be low. The practical strategy is simpler:

1. Buy once the dollar price works for your drinking pattern.
2. Check the Cruise Planner regularly, including Tuesdays.
3. If a lower eligible price appears, cancel and rebook under the terms shown for your purchase.

Crown & Anchor members receive daily drinks based on status: four for Diamond, five for Diamond Plus, and six for Pinnacle Club. Each voucher covers an eligible drink up to $14.

A Diamond member who wants seven $14 cocktails can use four vouchers and pay $42 plus gratuity for the remaining three. That is far below an $84 Deluxe Package before counting the package gratuity.