Drink packages are such a popular cruise add-on, but they've also never been more expensive. This has lead to a growing trend of cruisers opting out of them and looking for other options.
You can expect to pay at least $100 per person, per day for a Royal Caribbean drink package if you buy it on your ship. And while there are discounts off that price if you buy it before the sailing begins, it still represents a major upfront cost.
For a 7-night cruise on the world's largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, the Deluxe Beverage costs $85.99 per person, per day if purchased on the Cruise Planner site. That comes out to $601.93 per person or $1,420.44 for a couple after adding gratuities, as all adults in a cabin need to buy a drink package if one does.
"Price of the deluxe package is absolutely out of control," wrote Stuart Etheridge on a Facebook post discussing the drink packages.
Brian Levor added, "With the package around $700 per person for a week, or single measured shots on the rocks $14+20%, it's just not worth it to me."
With such a high cost, some cruisers are seeking alternative strategies for enjoying drinks on board without overspending.
Here's what people that cruise a lot are doing instead of buying a costly beverage package.
Relying on rewards drinks
Those lucky enough to have cruised a lot already fall back on their daily drink vouchers.
If you reach Diamond level in Crown and Anchor Society, Royal Caribbean gives you 4 drink vouchers per day to use at any bar, lounge, or restaurant.
If you do the math and assume you'll use each of the vouchers for a drink worth $13 each, you'll save about $50 per day on drinks by relying on them exclusively.
Tony Diaz posted in the Royal Caribbean Dining Facebook group, "Use my 5 diamond drinks," and it echoed what a lot of other people said.
Ron Williams wrote, "I’m Diamond Plus, so I don’t get a drink package."
Michalena Vitucci also doesn't see a need to buy a drink package because of the vouchers, "Diamond points so never needed a drink package .. between my husband and I that’s 8 free drinks a day so we never needed to look into other options."
While the Diamond drink vouchers are indeed a fantastic benefit, the downside to this strategy is it won't help new cruisers at all.
In order to make it to Diamond, you need to have at least 80 cruise points.
Drink for free in the casino
A growing trend among cruisers is qualifying for the Prime status in Royal Caribbean's casino loyalty program.
To reach prime, you'll need to accumulate 2500 points between April 1 and March 31. Once you do, you can enjoy unlimited drinks at the casino bar on any Royal Caribbean ship. It even comes with a free cruise too.
While you can only get free drinks at one bar, it provides a tremendous cost savings opportunity considering it will work on any cruise you take while you still have Prime status.
Veteran cruisers that are also Diamond members love to combine the casino drinks with their aforementioned Diamond drinks to truly get the best value from their loyalty.
The downside to the free drinks in the casino is you first need to gamble enough to qualify. Each casino point is equivalent to about $5 wagered, so there's a higher barrier to entry. Plus, gambling is addictive and despite the rules, the casino on Royal Caribbean ships tends to become a defacto smoker's lounge.
Pay as you go
Instead of a costly drink package, many cruisers are opting to pay as they go.
Drinks can be purchased on a Royal Caribbean cruise a la carte, and it's what everyone did prior to the introduction of drink packages.
The advantage of paying for each individual drink is if you're not much of a drinker. Charging two or three drinks per day to your SeaPass card is going to be cheaper overall than a beverage package.
Plus, you can take advantage of drink specials and even the occasional free drink around the ship.
"I only have 1 drink per day typically. I’m not a big drinker and prefer water or iced tea," wrote Jeannie Grant.
Kevin Lewis added, "If I really want to have a couple drinks it's not gonna add up as much as the drink package." He also pointed out drinking at bars in the ports of call the ship visits is cheaper.
There's also a psychological effect of not having a drink package, as explained by Ken Kerby, "[I'll] drink less since I won’t be trying to make the most of what I already paid for."
The problem with paying as you go instead of a drink package is that your bar tab can quickly grow out of control if you get carried away.
Hope for a drink card to be offered
On some sailings, Royal Caribbean will offer a drink card that can only be purchased onboard the ship.
The drink card is a punch card that you can buy for a flat fee and it includes 10 drinks per card. It has the same allowances as a drink package, with drinks up to $13/$14 value on beer, wine, soda, or cocktails.
Plus, you can share the drink card with other guests (unlike the drink package).
"On the Wonder last week you could get a card for 10 alcohol drinks for $90 or $106 with gratuities," wrote Amy Greive.
The problem with a drink card is there is no way to know if it will be offered on your cruise at all. That's because the ship's revenue department will offer it if alcohol sales are not meeting the goal for that voyage.
If it is offered, it's usually towards the end of the cruise. This makes it impossible to plan or budget for prior to it showing up.
BYOB drinks
A smart idea for any cruiser is to bring non-alcoholic beverages with them onboard, as Royal Caribbean allows up to 12 bottles/cans of water, juice, or soft drinks.
Not only can you bring your own drinks, you could also bring water drink mixes to enhance the flavor of the water included with your cruise fare. (Contains an affiliate link, which costs you nothing extra to use).
Amy Burch wrote, "I bring those Mio flavor water enhancers to add to both tap water and lemonade on the ship."
You're also allowed to bring one bottle of wine per adult on the ship, providing a great alternative for light drinkers.
Book a suite
Royal Caribbean includes beer, wine, and cocktails during certain hours while in the Suite Lounge.
If you're booked in a Grand Suite or higher, Royal Caribbean includes admission to the Suite Lounge, where you can enjoy a happy hour selection of drinks, every day of the cruise.
Depending on the Royal Caribbean ship class you sail on, the hours vary for when you can get free drinks in the lounge.
- Icon & Oasis Class ships: Beer and wine available 11am to 11pm; Happy hour with all drinks for 3 hours in the evening
- All other ships: Happy hour with all drinks for 3 hours in the evening. Hours vary by ship.
The problem with this strategy is it's only available for a few hours each evening, and only in the Suite Lounge. It's not convenient if you're elsewhere on the ship and/or outside of the time window.
