Royal Caribbean is offering a one-day promotion on its very popular unlimited drink packages.
On Monday, May 6, Royal Caribbean is advertising up to 45% off beverage package purchases made via the Cruise Planner website or by calling Royal Caribbean.
Royal Caribbean drink packages offer a flat fee for as many beers, wine by the glass, soda, or cocktails you'd like during your cruise. There are also other drink packages that do not include alcohol. Guest that purchase a drink package are able to enjoy unlimited drinks each day of their cruise, including at Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee!
This deal is in honor of "National Beverage Day".
Deal basics
To get this offer, you need to either log into your Royal Caribbean account and go to the Cruise Planner or call Royal Caribbean to purchase a drink package.
The sale is valid for sailings departing May 9, 2024 through May 31, 2025. It's only available to bookings made May 6, 2024.
It applies to all three of Royal Caribbean's drink packages: Deluxe Beverage package, Refreshment Package, and Classic Soda package.
Keep in mind if you buy the Deluxe Beverage Package, if you have multiple guests 21 and older staying in the same stateroom, all adults will be required to purchase their own package. This is done to help reduce the sharing of benefits.
Celebrity Cruises is also offering its own deal for today only, with up to 35% off with its National Beverage Day Flash Sale.
Celebrity's offer is for select sailings departing May 10 – March 28, 2025, excluding Celebrity Beyond June 23rd, charter sailings and holiday sailings.
Will this offer save me money?
Despite the flashy name for the sale, there's no guarantee the actual price of your drink package will be any different.
Royal Caribbean runs promotions throughout the year on its cruise add-ons, and there seems to be sales just about every week.
The difference with this sale is that it's being advertised more prominently, and it's just one day. Plus, the promise of up to 45% off is intriguing.
To check if your sailing has this new offer available, log into the Cruise Planner on Royal Caribbean's web site look for any available offers. Not all sailings may see the sale applicable, nor are all offers significantly cheaper than previously posted.
To find the discounted rates, log into the My Cruises section of the Royal Caribbean web site, and navigate to the Cruise Planner section for the sailing you are interested in.
Once logged in, navigate to the Beverage section and look for advertised rates. You will likely see something similar to this:
There's certainly no harm in checking if the price of a drink package for your particular sailing has gone down at all. When it comes to Royal Caribbean sales, it's best to ignore the percentage off advertised, and focus on the total price when you add it your cart.
Remember, the pre-cruise price is almost certainly going to be better than the price onboard the ship if you wait to book it once you board the ship.
Read more: When is the best time to buy a Royal Caribbean Drink Package?
If the price of the drink package is cheaper than what you bought previously, you can cancel the purchase and then re-purchase the drink package again with this discount.
Beverage package purchases made online can be canceled and full refunded at any time, up until about 3 days before your sail date.
Advantage to pre-purchasing a drink package now
If you are going to get a drink package, your best bet is to book it now to lock in the price.
One common mistake among cruisers is waiting to book a drink package, either because they want to see if the price will continue to drop or they hesitate to book.
Read more: 9 incredibly easy cruise mistakes to avoid
The reason waiting to book a drink package until closer to your sail date is a mistake is because the price could go up, and then you would end you paying more than you originally saw it listed for online.
Instead, you should book the drink package at whatever price you see it for online before your cruise. Remember, you can always cancel it if you change your mind later, up to 48 hours before your cruise begins.
By booking the drink package now, you lock in the price and protect yourself against a price increase while still being able to take advantage of a price drop.
