Royal Caribbean Drink Packages

Royal Caribbean’s Deluxe Beverage Package costs $63 to $120 per person, per day in 2026, with a fleet-wide median around $83.99/day before Royal adds its 18% gratuity on top. That means a couple buying in on a 7-night cruise at the median price is looking at roughly $1,377 for the week — before anyone’s ordered a single mojito.

No, drinks are not included on Royal Caribbean cruises. Your cruise fare covers water, iced tea, lemonade, and regular coffee at the Windjammer — everything with alcohol, and most specialty coffee and bottled water, is pay-as-you-go unless you buy a package. And in March 2026, Royal quietly made the math slightly worse by pulling a perk nobody noticed was gone until they tried to use it.

Here’s every package, every 2026 price, the rule that makes couples pay twice even if one of them doesn’t drink, and the actual break-even math nobody at the Royal Caribbean sales desk wants to walk you through.

Quick-Reference Royal Caribbean Drink Package Table

The March 15, 2026 Freestyle Cup Cut

Royal Caribbean didn’t send a press release. It didn’t blog about it. Guests just started noticing — logging in to review an upcoming sailing’s package inclusions and finding the Coca-Cola Freestyle souvenir cup quietly missing from both the Deluxe Beverage Package and the Refreshment Package.

Effective March 15, 2026, anyone buying either package no longer gets the cup that unlocks the self-service Freestyle soda machines scattered around the ship — the touchscreen dispensers with 100-plus flavor combinations that used to be a built-in perk. Want access anyway? That’s a $4.99 add-on, purchased separately, on top of whatever you already paid for the beverage package.

Canned and fountain soda ordered from a bar or server is unaffected — this is specifically about the self-serve machines. The Classic Soda Package still includes one Freestyle cup, so soda-only drinkers are untouched. And if you locked in a Deluxe or Refreshment purchase on or before March 15, 2026, Royal grandfathered you in — you keep the cup.

It’s a five-dollar cut on an $84-a-day package, which is exactly the point: individually trivial, but it’s the fourth or fifth “small adjustment” Royal has made to these packages in as many years, and they compound.

What’s Actually in the Deluxe Beverage Package

At $63-$120/day depending on ship and sail date, Deluxe is the one most cruisers ask about, and it’s genuinely broad: cocktails, beer, wine by the glass, liqueurs, bottled water, specialty coffee, and most call-brand spirits — Grey Goose, Tito’s, Patrón, Johnny Walker Black, Dewar’s 12 are all in.

The catch is the per-drink price cap of $14. Order anything above that — a rare-label scotch, a top-shelf tequila flight, a $22 specialty cocktail at a signature restaurant bar — and you pay the difference out of pocket, on top of the daily package charge you already paid. It’s not a hard exclusion so much as a co-pay you don’t find out about until the bill lands on your SeaPass account.

Also worth knowing: room service alcohol, minibar restocks, and drinks purchased at private destinations like Perfect Day at CocoCay’s cabana bars sometimes fall outside package coverage depending on the venue — check the specific exclusions listed for your ship before assuming everything’s covered everywhere.

Refreshment and Classic Soda: The Non-Alcohol Options

Not drinking? The Refreshment Package at $29-$45/day covers mocktails, specialty coffee and tea, fresh juice, bottled water, and soda — everything except alcohol. It’s the package minors and non-drinkers in a Deluxe-buying stateroom get defaulted into, and on its own it’s a reasonable deal if you’re a heavy coffee-and-mocktail drinker who’d otherwise be paying $5-7 a latte.

The Classic Soda Package at $12-$18/day is the bare-minimum option: unlimited fountain soda and nothing else. For a family with soda-guzzling teenagers, it’s often the only package that makes financial sense — buying Deluxe or Refreshment for a 14-year-old who wants unlimited Sprite is throwing money at coffee and mocktails they’ll never order.

• Refreshment Package: best for non-drinkers who love coffee, tea, and fresh juice
• Classic Soda Package: best for soda-only drinkers, especially kids
• Neither: best if your daily drink count is under 3-4 — pay à la carte instead

The Rule Nobody Reads: Both Adults Must Buy In

Here’s the gotcha that turns a $90/day decision into a $1,260 one for a 7-night couple: if one adult in a stateroom buys the Deluxe Beverage Package, every other adult of drinking age sharing that room must buy it too — no exceptions, no “I’ll just pay as I go” option for the lighter drinker.

Royal Caribbean’s stated logic is fraud prevention — stopping one person from buying the package and handing drinks to a non-purchasing cabin-mate. The practical effect is that a couple where one person drinks and the other doesn’t gets charged full Deluxe price for both people, or neither buys it at all. There’s no middle package tier designed for mixed-drinking couples; it’s Deluxe-for-both or à la carte-for-both.

This is the single biggest reason Royal’s drink package can quietly become the most expensive line item on a cruise bill that isn’t the cabin itself.

Is the Deluxe Beverage Package Worth It? The Real Math

Take the fleet median of $83.99/day, add 18% gratuity, and you’re paying roughly $99/day per person — call it $100 for round numbers. At an average cocktail price of $12-14 onboard, that’s a break-even of 7-8 alcoholic drinks a day, every day, for the package to beat paying à la carte.

Mix in a $6 specialty coffee, a $12 glass of wine at dinner, and two cocktails by the pool, and a moderate drinker easily lands at $40-55/day in real consumption — nowhere near $100. The package only wins decisively for cruisers who are genuinely drinking 6+ times a day, every single day of the cruise, which is a smaller group than the marketing implies.

Where it does make sense: back-to-back port days with pool bar afternoons, honeymooners who plan to drink through dinner and dessert, or anyone who values the psychological freedom of never checking a tab over strict dollar optimization.

What to Do Instead

If the break-even math doesn’t work for your drinking pace, skip the package entirely and pay à la carte — Royal’s onboard drink prices run $9-14 for cocktails and $7-9 for beer, and a moderate drinker of 3-4 drinks a day typically comes out $20-40 ahead per person versus Deluxe.

• Buy the Refreshment Package alone if you’re a heavy coffee/mocktail drinker who occasionally wants a beer or glass of wine — pay for those individually.
• Split the difference: one Deluxe drinker, one à la carte drinker is not allowed in the same room — so if your habits genuinely differ, consider whether it’s worth booking connecting rooms, or just accept the à la carte route for both.
• Watch for Royal’s periodic drink-package sales, which can knock 20-30% off the list price if you buy early enough pre-cruise.

FAQ: Royal Caribbean Drink Packages

How much is the Royal Caribbean drink package?

The Deluxe Beverage Package runs $63-$120 per person, per day in 2026, with a fleet median of $83.99/day, plus an 18% gratuity added on top. The non-alcoholic Refreshment Package is $29-$45/day, and the Classic Soda Package is $12-$18/day. Exact pricing depends on your ship, sail date, and how far ahead you book.

Are drinks included on Royal Caribbean cruises?

No. Your base cruise fare includes only water, iced tea, lemonade, and regular coffee in the main dining venues. Alcohol, specialty coffee, bottled water, and soda all require a drink package or à la carte purchase — Royal Caribbean does not build any beverage allowance into the fare itself, unlike lines such as Virgin Voyages or Princess with its Plus fare.

Do both people in a room have to get the drink package on Royal Caribbean?

Yes. If one adult in a stateroom purchases the Deluxe Beverage Package, every other adult of legal drinking age sharing that stateroom is required to buy it as well. There’s no option for one person to buy the package while their cabin-mate pays à la carte — it’s an all-or-nothing purchase per room.

What is the Royal Caribbean beverage package price for 2026?

Deluxe Beverage Package pricing in 2026 ranges from $63 to $120 per person per day depending on ship and itinerary, with a fleet median around $83.99/day before the 18% gratuity. Newer ships and peak-season sailings (holidays, summer) sit at the higher end of that range.

Is there a limit on Royal Caribbean’s Deluxe Beverage Package?

There’s no hard daily drink cap — Royal’s own FAQ confirms “no daily limit for drinks.” In practice you can only order one drink at a time per SeaPass card, and staff can refuse service for responsible-drinking reasons. This is looser than Carnival or MSC, both of which cap alcoholic drinks at 15 per 24-hour period.

What happened to the Coca-Cola Freestyle cup on Royal Caribbean?

Effective March 15, 2026, Royal Caribbean removed the Coca-Cola Freestyle souvenir cup from the Deluxe Beverage Package and Refreshment Package. Guests who want access to the self-service Freestyle soda machines now pay a separate $4.99 add-on. Anyone who purchased a package on or before March 15, 2026 keeps the cup under a grandfather clause.

Is the Royal Caribbean drink package worth it?

Only if you’re consistently drinking 7-8 alcoholic beverages a day at the $83.99/day median price plus 18% gratuity. Moderate drinkers averaging 3-4 drinks a day typically spend $20-40 less per person by paying à la carte. It’s a better deal for heavy drinkers and couples who both drink at a similar pace than for casual or mismatched drinkers.

The Bottom Line

Royal Caribbean’s Deluxe Beverage Package sits at a fleet median of $83.99/day in 2026, climbing to $120/day on newer ships and peak sailings, plus 18% gratuity on top. The March 2026 Freestyle cup removal is a small cut, but it’s part of a pattern of packages quietly shedding perks while the sticker price climbs.

The real number that matters is your own drinking pace: hit 7-8 drinks a day and Deluxe wins. Fall short of that, and à la carte pricing — plus the Refreshment or Classic Soda package for non-drinkers — keeps more money in your pocket. Just remember the one rule that trips up the most couples: buy Deluxe for one adult in a stateroom, and you’re buying it for both.

Curious how Royal stacks up against Carnival, Virgin, and the rest of the fleet? See our full 2026 drink package break-even comparison. And before you tally the bar tab, check what you’ll owe in gratuities on our Royal Caribbean tipping guide.

Royal Caribbean Drink Package: What It Costs and When It Pays Off

The short answer: the Royal Caribbean drink package most people mean is the Deluxe Beverage Package. It covers cocktails, spirits, beer, wine by the glass, mocktails, specialty coffee, juices and bottled water, up to $14 per drink. All Aboard Deals, which tracks Deluxe prices across 29 Royal Caribbean ships, puts the fleet median at $83.99 per person, per day. Prices run from roughly $55–$57 at the low end to about $120 on the priciest ships and dates. Those are pre-cruise prices, the ones you see when you book ahead. Cruise Port Advisor reports that onboard rates run 20–40% higher, so the sticker at the onboard counter is not the same number. Royal’s own FAQ says an 18% gratuity is added automatically on top, whether you buy before sailing or onboard. You can change that amount at Guest Relations until the morning of disembarkation. Yes, even the tip comes with homework.

Prices checked October 2, 2026 (the median figure comes from data last updated September 29, 2026). Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing, so what you pay varies by ship and sail date. Check your own sailing in the Cruise Planner before you do any math.

What does it cost for two people for a week?

Take two adults on a 7-night sailing at the median pre-cruise price. That’s $83.99 × 2 × 7 = $1,175.86 before gratuity. The 18% adds $211.65, so the real bill is about $1,387.51 for the cabin. Royal’s FAQ says that anyone buying the Deluxe package must buy it for all guests of legal drinking age in the same stateroom. So a couple generally can’t split into one drinker and one designated skipper, however noble the plan sounds at the booking stage. There is one narrow exception. Royal Caribbean Blog reports that guests who can’t drink because of a disability, medical condition or pregnancy can submit a Beverage Package Accommodation Request. If it’s approved, they must buy a non-alcoholic package instead. Skipping the booze to save money isn’t one of the listed reasons.

How many drinks do you need to break even?

Onboard bar drinks carry the same 18% gratuity, so it cancels out and you can compare pre-gratuity prices directly. At the median pre-cruise price, $83.99 ÷ $14 = 6 drinks a day if you order at the cap. If your usual cocktail is $12, you need 7 drinks. Check it with gratuity: a $14 cocktail costs $16.52, and the $99.11 daily package price divided by $16.52 is also 6. Buy at the higher onboard rates Cruise Port Advisor describes (20–40% above pre-cruise) and the package costs roughly $100.79 to $117.59 a day before gratuity. That puts the target at about 8 to 9 drinks a day at the $14 cap. So the break-even depends on what your drinks cost: fewer than six a day at the $14 cap, or fewer than seven at $12, and you’re probably paying Royal for the privilege of feeling unlimited.

What’s not covered

• Anything priced above $14. You pay the difference.
• Drinks served in souvenir cups, glasses or mugs, and drinks served inside fruit such as pineapples.
• Coca-Cola Freestyle access. Since March 15, 2026, Deluxe and Refreshment no longer include the cup, and it’s a $4.99 add-on. Classic Soda still includes it.
• Deluxe isn’t offered on 2–4 night sailings departing Australia.

One perk worth knowing about: Deluxe includes a bottled wine discount of 40% off up to $100 and 20% off above $100. That helps if you’re a bottle-at-dinner person, not a glass-at-sunset person.

Who should buy which package?

• About six or more drinks a day each, near the $14 cap: Deluxe can win, especially if you book early. If your drinks run closer to $12, count on seven. Royal Caribbean Blog reports discounts of up to 40% off on drink packages, and it advises buying early, then re-pricing when prices drop.
• Coffee and mocktail people: Refreshment runs $29–$42 a day pre-cruise, while Cruise Port Advisor puts specialty coffees at $5–$7 each. It pays off if you’re putting away several drinks a day, not one sad latte.
• Soda-loving teens: Classic Soda, full stop.
• Five or fewer drinks a day at the cap (or six at $12): pay as you go. Even five drinks at the $14 cap come to $70, and six at $12 come to $72. Both are still under the $83.99 median.

For the full spreadsheet treatment, see our 2026 drink package math and the broader is-it-worth-it breakdown. Planning the rest of the budget? Our Royal Caribbean hidden costs guide covers the other places your wallet quietly leaks.

What Does the Royal Caribbean Beverage Package Cost, and What Do You Get?

Royal Caribbean’s drink menu in 2026 comes down to three main packages, and the price you see at checkout is before an automatic 18% gratuity. (Yes, that’s the little surprise lurking behind the big number. Royal’s own FAQ confirms the 18% is added automatically.) The Points Guy also lists a few side options: bottled water bundles at $39 for 12 one-liter bottles or $69 for 24, and a $31 Cafe Select Coffee Card good for 15 specialty espresso drinks. Here are the three main packages in one place:

The ranges are wide because Royal prices by ship and sail date, because of course it does. Trackers also disagree a little on the floor, with some listing $56 and some $63 for Deluxe. Treat the number in your own cart as the real one.

The short answer: should you buy it?

Only if you reliably drink a lot, and by “a lot” I mean an honest-to-goodness, own-a-lanyard-for-your-lanyard amount. Take an illustrative $80/day Deluxe price. With gratuity that’s $94.40 a day. Even if every drink you order costs the full $14 cap, you’d need seven drinks a day to come out ahead ($94.40 ÷ $14 = 6.74). Guides that run the numbers land in the same area, at roughly five to seven drinks a day depending on the price. If you have two or three drinks a day, paying as you go is usually cheaper, and your liver sends its thanks.

The rules that change the math

• Everyone in the room buys in. If one adult buys Deluxe, every guest of legal drinking age in that stateroom must buy it too. At $94.40 a day, a couple pays $188.80 a day, which is $1,321.60 for seven nights (2 × $94.40 × 7), even if only one of them drinks. Your teetotal travel buddy is about to become a very expensive plus-one.
• The $14 cap is per drink. Pricier pours aren’t banned. You pay the difference, plus gratuity on that difference.
• No daily limit, but one drink at a time. Royal doesn’t cap how many drinks you can have in a day. Its FAQ says only one beverage per guest is served at a time, and that packages are for a single guest and cannot be shared by multiple people. So no ordering two and passing one across the table. The FAQ doesn’t spell out what happens if you’re caught, so read Royal’s beverage package FAQ before you get creative.
• Starbucks is not covered. Royal’s FAQ excludes Starbucks from both Deluxe and Refreshment. Souvenir-cup drinks and drinks served in fruit are also excluded.
• Room service and minibar are generally outside coverage as well.
• Freestyle cup: Since March 15, 2026, the Coca-Cola Freestyle cup is no longer included with Deluxe or Refreshment. Those guests can buy one onboard for $4.99. But if you bought Deluxe or Refreshment pre-cruise on or before March 15, 2026, Royal says you won’t pay for a souvenir cup if you request one, even if you sail later. Only Classic Soda still includes the cup for everyone.

Who each package suits

Deluxe is for people who plan cocktails or beer from lunch onward and don’t mind the whole cabin buying in. Refreshment suits non-drinkers who live on mocktails, milkshakes and a decent cup of coffee. Classic Soda is the cheap fix for a soda-loving teen who will otherwise treat the Freestyle machine like a science experiment. If you’re still unsure, price out what you’d actually order each day before you commit.

For the other charges that show up on a Royal bill, see our guide to Royal Caribbean hidden costs. For how daily gratuities work outside the drink packages, read Royal Caribbean tipping. If you’re weighing Royal against another line’s drink deals, our Carnival vs. Royal Caribbean showdown compares them.

What are the Caribbean cruise drink packages, and what do they cost?

Brace your wallet. Typical prices for the main paid alcohol packages (Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Celebrity) run roughly $84 to $131 per person, per day once gratuity or the service charge is in. Norwegian is the odd one out: its open bar comes bundled into the promotional fare, so mostly you’re paying the drink gratuity. Prices below are per person, per day, and come from guides and trackers current to October 2026. Cruise lines reprice by ship and sail date, so check your own booking page before you buy.

What a week actually costs

• Royal Caribbean: $81.99 a day × 7 nights = about $574 per person before gratuity. Add the 18% gratuity (about $103) and you land at roughly $677 per person. Royal adds that gratuity at final checkout, so it won’t be sitting in the headline price, sneaky as that is.
• Carnival: $83.94 × 7 = about $588 per person if you prepay.
• Norwegian: $28.50 × 7 = $199.50 per person in drink gratuity on a 7-night sailing, and it only applies if the open bar is part of your fare. That’s separate from Norwegian’s daily service charge, which is $20 per person, per day in standard staterooms and Club Balcony suites and $25 in The Haven and most suites. The service charge applies whether or not you have the drinks.

Non-alcoholic Caribbean options

Not drinking? Royal’s Refreshment Package runs about $29 to $42 a day depending on ship and sailing, with roughly $31 typical before gratuity. Carnival’s Zero-Proof CHEERS! is $35.99 prepaid, and its Bottomless Bubbles soda package is $14.39 for adults and $8.34 for kids, both including the 20% service charge.

Caribbean-specific catches

• Private islands: Carnival’s exclusions list has named Celebration Key, Half Moon Cay and Princess Cays, so beach-bar drinks there go on your card (yes, really). Royal says its beverage packages are honored at Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee during normal business hours.
• Ports: The package doesn’t follow you to a beach bar in Cozumel or Nassau.
• Same-package rule: Royal and Carnival both require every adult of drinking age in a stateroom to buy the same alcohol package.
• Age: The drinking age is 21 on Caribbean sailings.

Is a Caribbean drink package worth it?

At roughly $84 to $97 a day (Carnival prepaid up to Royal’s typical price with gratuity), you generally need six to eight drinks daily just to break even. That’s easier on a sea-day-heavy Western Caribbean loop than on a port-every-day itinerary. If you’re a two-cocktails-and-a-glass-of-wine person, paying per drink usually wins, and no, the package doesn’t care how much you tell yourself you’ll “get your money’s worth.” For the full break-even math, see our 2026 cruise drink package math and the is it worth it breakdown. Sailing Royal this autumn? Our Harmony of the Seas Caribbean guide covers what you’ll be ordering.