Did Royal Caribbean make a change to how you are served a can of soda or beer?
Over the weekend, cruisers posted on social media that they were told a new policy is in place related to how bartenders can give out a canned beverage when ordered.
There's been a few posts on Facebook indicating you can no longer order a can of soda with your loyalty benefits and have it served unopened.
When you order a soda on a Royal Caribbean ship at a bar or restaurant, you're served the can and a glass to pour it in, but you could ask for the can to be unopened to have it later.
At select tiers of Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society, guests are entitled to free drinks every day of their cruise. Diamond members get four free drinks up to $14 each day, Diamond Plus members get five, and Pinnacle Club members get six.
"Royal has a new policy that our Diamond plus drink vouchers can not be used to take unopened soft drinks or beer away to our rooms," wrote Don Watson in a Facebook group from his cruise on Utopia of the Seas.
In a different group, Doug Brown said the same policy is in place on Freedom of the Seas, "we can no longer have closed loyalty beverages, our 4,5,6 a day now have to be opened at the bar when served."
According to Mr. Brown, he questioned the new policy, "Beverage manager said it was corporate and not up to him."
The vouchers these cruisers are referring to are the complimentary daily drink vouchers that Royal Caribbean gives its top cruisers, beginning at the Diamond level.
Up until now, guests could order unopened cans and bring them back to their cabin to consume later or take off the ship on a shore excursion.
The daily drink vouchers must be used up each day, or they disappear. For many cruisers, they would use up their vouchers before going to sleep as a way to maximize their benefit.
Since the initial posts about the policy went out on Saturday and Sunday, there have been follow-up posts from cruisers claiming the policy was amended to apply to alcoholic beverages, and not non-alcoholic beverages. Meaning cans of beer would not be served closed, but cans of soda could be served unopened.
Fleetwide change?
It's not yet clear if this is indeed a fleetwide policy or perhaps a test on certain ships.
For years it's been the practice that you could get cans of soda with your drink vouchers unopened, so if this is indeed a new policy, it potentially alters the value of that benefit.
Bringing back unopened cans of soda would allow for the drinks to be consumed later, taken off the ship on an excursion, or brought elsewhere to be enjoyed.
There's been no official communication to guests of the new policy, if it does indeed exist, and why the change has been made.
Adding to the confusion are the posts from Sunday that perhaps it's changed again.
Debbie Vestal Reis wrote, "Apparently, corporate had a lot of complaints. They have changed to only alcoholic beverages. So, I suppose the only beverages would be beer and wine? The officer on her ship showed her to up to date email."
Another cruiser that is on Enchantment of the Seas added, "we’re on the Enchantment and according to the bar staff as well as the C & A Loyalty Rep, that only applies to alcoholic beverages. The rule was implemented yesterday and changed this morning."
Why the policy changed
A major debate topic surrounds why make Royal Caribbean made the beverage policy change, and there are plenty of opinions.
Many seem to think it's a change born out of a perceived problem with abusing the benefits.
"To many Diamond members and above filling cruise ships utilizing the free drink vouchers. The hope is people won’t use all their drink vouchers each day. However, people are stocking up on soda, juice etc," wrote John Pete.
Miriam Marcotte Cartmell said, "I do not understand the 'why' here since we have had it closed for YEARS. If it is my voucher, what does it matter? I like to take a closed water back to the cabin for my use vs the tap. I am not cheating getting more than amount, so why?"
Dale Joley thinks it's about sharing drinks with others that's the root cause, "That’s not a problem but a solution. Too many people sharing drinks. I don’t have a problem with that."
