Royal Caribbean Blog

Soft drinks cost extra on a Royal Caribbean cruise, but you can buy a soda package and enjoy unlimited Cokes, Sprites, and more.

This is actually the cheapest unlimited beverage package offered by Royal Caribbean, and it's quite popular with families.

Unlike the more expensive drink packages, the soda package includes just one type of beverage and that's it: sodas.

It's a straightforward option, but the most common question is if it's worth it.

Here's what you need to know about Royal Caribbean's soda package before you buy it.

What drinks are included?

A soda package includes as much fountain or canned sodas as you can drink, from any bar, restaurant or lounge.

This includes:

• Fountain sodas
• Souvenir Coca-Cola cup (16oz)
• Coca-Cola Freestyle machines and flavor options
  • Sodas
  • Sugar free sodas
  • Minute Maid lemonades
  • Powerade
  • Vitaminwater
  • Iced tea
  • Fruit punch
  • Still water
  • Sparkling water
• Diet & caffeine-free sodas
• Sodas at Perfect Day at CocoCay or Labadee

It does not, however, include bottled water of any kind. 

Certain Royal Caribbean ships have Coca-Cola Freestyle machines, but not all of them.  

• Icon of the Seas
• Star of the Seas
• Legend of the Seas
• Oasis of the Seas
• Allure of the Seas
• Harmony of the Seas
• Symphony of the Seas
• Wonder of the Seas
• Utopia of the Seas
• Quantum of the Seas
• Anthem of the Seas
• Ovation of the Seas
• Odyssey of the Seas
• Jewel of the Seas
• Freedom of the Seas
• Independence of the Seas
• Liberty of the Seas
• Adventure of the Seas
• Voyager of the Seas
• Explorer of the Seas
• Mariner of the Seas
• Navigator of the Seas
• Enchantment of the Seas
• Grandeur of the Seas
• Rhapsody of the Seas

Ships that do have a Freestyle machine can only be used if you have a drink package. This means you cannot purchase individual drinks at the machine without a package.  Not only do the machines have fun flavor combinations, but they also often have additional soda flavors and brands that you cannot get elsewhere on the ship.

Soda package cost

There are two prices for the soda package: how much you can get it for on the ship and how much less it costs if you pre-purchase.

Royal Caribbean charges a daily cost, and you must buy it for every day of your cruise. You cannot "cherry pick" days to have it.

Depending on the sale, you can expect to pay between $9.99 to $18.00 per person per day, plus gratuity.

If you wait to buy it on the ship, the standard price is $18.00 per person, per day. Without a doubt, you should pre-purchase it on the Royal Caribbean app or website before the cruise begins to save money.

The exact cost will vary depending on your ship, sail date, and length of your cruise. Royal Caribbean typically charges more for drink packages short cruises and/or newer ships.

If you're wondering, the cost of a single soda if you were to buy it without a package is $3.50 before gratuity.

How the soda package works

Once you buy the soda package, your SeaPass card is ready to be scanned to order drinks. Any bartender or waiter can see you have the package by either scanning the card or seeing the soda package sticker on the front of it.

You can go to any bar, restaurant, or lounge and order a soda and you won't be charged anything for it. Usually there's not even a receipt to sign! 

In my experience, you don't even have to tell the crew member you have a drink package. They'll know when they scan your card.

If your cruise ship has a Freestyle machine, you'll need to have your cup with you.  The Coca-Cola cup is the only cup that will work with the machine. 

Speaking of the cup, you only need to carry the cup to use the Freestyle machine. You do not need to carry the cup with you to get a soda at a bar or lounge.

Simply put the cup in the designated location and select from the drink options and dispense. You can mix and match at will.

There are a few limitations and important rules to know about the soda package.

First and foremost, you're not allowed to share the soda package benefit with anyone else. This means you cannot give friends or family sodas at all.  Royal Caribbean will cancel your drink package without a refund if you're caught doing this.

The Freestyle machines also have a time limit between uses. It's usually just a few minutes, and this is designed to prevent abuse and waste.

Who I recommend the soda package for

Royal Caribbean's soda package is worth it if you'll drink enough every day to save money compared to paying $3.50 each for sodas.

Heavy soda drinkers are the ideal buyer, as these are people that like to have not just a few sodas with their meals but drinks inbetween.

Likewise, the soda package is very popular with kids and teens.  On some ships, the teen club actually has a Freestyle machine inside of it.

You might also buy a soda package if having predictable onboard costs are important to you. Like any drink package, buy a soda package limits how much you'll spend on drinks, so the are no surprises later.

Skip the soda package if you only want a couple of sodas per day

If you think you'll drink just one or two sodas per day, then the soda package isn't worth it.

Light drinkers or someone that has a soda with dinner simply won't drink enough each day to make up for the cost.

To make the soda package worthwhile, you should be easily drinking 4-5 sodas each day.  Otherwise, you'll spend less money overall by purchasing sodas individually.

Soda Package vs Refreshment Package

Many cruisers debate if they should buy a soda package or upgrade to the Refreshment Package.

The Refreshment Package has a higher cost, but it also includes much more.

With the Refreshment Package, you get everything the soda package includes, plus premium coffees, teas, juices, bottled water, and more.

The soda package costs less, but it's just sodas.

Having bottled water, coffees, and juice is typically the determining factor in choosing one over the other, as well as if there's a particularly good discount offered.

Pros and Cons of the Royal Caribbean soda package

Here are the best reasons to buy a soda package (or to skip it):

Pros

• Unlimited sodas
• One fixed cost for easy budgeting
• Greater variety of flavors with the Freestyle machine

Cons

• Limited to soda (compared to other drink packages)
• Requires carrying the cup to use the Freestyle machines
• Daily cost, whether you drink or not

Without question, you should pre-purchase the drink package to get the lowest possible price.  Never wait until you're on the ship to book it because you'll overpay.

The soda package works extremely well for someone that can easily drink 3-4 sodas every day, especially during meals.

I love that the soda package benefits also work at Royal Caribbean's private destinations too.

Royal Caribbean's private island in The Bahamas has ships visiting almost every day, but there aren't overnight visits yet.

Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at CocoCay is one of the most popular destinations among cruisers, so much so that Royal Caribbean's newest ships sail exclusively to the private island. Despite that, though, CocoCay itineraries are limited to daytime visits only. 

In a recent Reddit post on the r/royalcaribbean thread, cruisers questioned why the cruise line doesn't offer overnight stays to CocoCay. Rival MSC Cruises, for example, offers late-night stays to its private island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. 

"I think [overnight stays would] be amazing especially with a themed all white night or something for a sunset party. I also [don't] know the logistics and legalities behind having this as an option on international waters," wrote No_ThankYouu. 

Another Redditor added, "I get [that] logistically it probably can't happen. But how awesome would it be to have options to have a beach bonfire, or glow-kayaks, or [a] luau pool party."

Royal Caribbean toyed with late-night and overnight stays in the past 

While the idea was great in theory, it turned out not to be feasible. 

"I've been considering overnight stays for Perfect Day almost since the beginning. One of the issues that we had, ironically, was that we had so many ships going there, it became problematic," said Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley during a webinar in April 2020.  

"Part of the ongoing capital investment in Perfect Day was allowing us to accommodate additional ships so we could have one ship stay overnight."

Bayley added that many capital projects that were lined up were put on hold since they didn't have any revenue coming in during the pandemic. 

Years later, however, Royal Caribbean is reporting record-breaking demand and revenue, with ships sailing at or near full capacity to Perfect Day at CocoCay. Even so, the cruise line has shown no indication that overnight or late-night stays are moving forward.

With CocoCay already delivering strong guest satisfaction as a daytime port of call, there's little financial incentive to restructure the model that’s already working.

Offering late-night stays would require significant operational changes that would impact the ships' staffing. 

"[I]t doesn't look like we will be doing overnights because our guests, even with our late-night stays, once they want to come back, they really do want to come back onto the ship and enjoy the fine dining and they want to enjoy the entertainment that we have onboard," Vicki Freed, Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Relations, said. 

In another webinar with travel agents, Freed added that many guests would prefer a two-day visit to CocoCay, rather than an overnight stay. 

Other Redditors chimed in with their own speculations about why Royal Caribbean won't offer late-night visits to CocoCay

One person brought up the fact that late-night stays would require the crew to remain on the island, thus reducing the ability to provide services on the cruise ship. This means, for example, fewer bartenders and servers in the restaurants. 

Another important consideration is that Royal Caribbean would lose revenue from the onboard shops and casino. Although the casino remains open while docked at CocoCay, it’s restricted to slot machines — table games can’t operate until the ship is back in international waters. 

Table games, like blackjack, poker, and roulette, are a significant draw for many gamblers and generate a lot of revenue for the cruise line. 

Additionally, with cruisers staying out on the island later, fewer would opt for add-ons like specialty dining. 

Then, there's the issue of safety, as liability concerns related to nighttime beaches are likely a major factor holding them back. They would need to ensure that the island has proper lighting and lifeguard coverage. 

Some hazards, including marine life, are harder to see at night, too. You wouldn't want to be in the ocean, steps away from a stingray or shark, and not be able to see it!

Although late-night visits to CocoCay aren't likely to happen in the near future, guests can still make the most of their time on the island. 

If you get off as early as possible, you'll have at least seven hours to enjoy everything the island has to offer — from Thrill Waterpark to the upscale Coco Beach Club, adults-only Hideaway Beach, Oasis Lagoon pool, and multiple beaches. 

Read more: Hideaway Beach vs Coco Beach Club: Which Royal Caribbean day pass is worth it?

After a Royal Caribbean ship returned to Singapore on Monday, a passenger was found dead in their cruise ship cabin.

According to a report in The Straits Times, police were called at 6:35am because a 27-year-old man died while in his stateroom.

The incident occurred on Ovation of the Seas, which had returned to the Marina Bay Cruise Centre in Singapore.

Police said the man was found motionless on the ship and pronounced dead by the ship's doctor. Every cruise ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet has a medical center, including a doctor.  The medical staff can handle minor issues and will otherwise triage issues until the passenger can be safely transported off the ship to a facility on land.

An investigation has begun, but police do not suspect foul play based on preliminary findings.

No word yet on who the man is, and whether he is from Singapore or another country.

Royal Caribbean has made no official announcement regarding the incident.

Announcement made on the ship

Ovation of the Seas had just returned from a 3-night cruise to Penang.  The sailing began on January 16th.

According to a different report by Mothership.sg, a passenger claims the crew made an announcement over the ship's public address system at around 5:45am.

The passenger said there was a code, followed by a stateroom number.

Cruise ships use special codes to quickly alert crew members to a developing situation.  Rather than try to explain what's happening over the PA system, a special code is used to quickly and easily convey information.

Crew members come from all parts of the world, so it's easier to have a code than speak sentences.

Plus, the codes reduce confusion among guests who don't necessarily need to know about certain events.

Each code relies on a Greek letter, followed by the location.

Medical emergencies are called out by saying the letter "Alpha" three times.

Delayed disembarkation

The incident delayed the ship from being allowed to drop off passengers or allow new ones on.

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Robert Jaworski shared a report, "Ship docked as scheduled at 7.00am but as of 10.00am no passengers have been allowed to disembark. Singapore authorities have not cleared the ship."

He then said he heard two, "alpha, alpha, alpha" calls, "one at 4am ish and another at 5.30am ish. Guests in groups of five being called to guest services since 8.00am ish."

Ovation of the Seas is scheduled to depart today for another three-night cruise to Penang.

Hope you had a great week and are staying safe out there. Hopefully you had a chance to keep up with what's new with Royal Caribbean this week. But if not, here's a roundup of this week's news.

Royal Caribbean has cancelled all of its Labadee visits for 2026.

Visits had been suspended through April, but the cruise line made the decision this week to cancel the rest of the scheduled visits through the end of December.

Gang violence has not gotten any better, and concern for safety prompted the change.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Beach Club Paradise Island review
• A new proposal could solve the Tampa cruise problems limiting ship size
• 7 takeaways from Royal Caribbean's Points Choice reveal to expand loyalty
• Inside the $10,000 Ultimate Family Cabana
• I took 4 friends on a Royal Caribbean cruise. It was actually a great guys' trip for men our age.
• Do you need a passport for an Alaskan cruise?
• What a Junior Suite on the newest cruise ship is like
• The Bahamas wants to build a new cruise port on a tiny, hidden island
• The "super flu" ruined one family's cruise vacation after everyone got sick
• 9 things new cruisers wish they knew before their first Royal Caribbean cruise

New RCB Video: Royal Beach Club Review: Best excursion ever?

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — Royal Beach Club Review: Best excursion ever? — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Royal Caribbean Group launches Points Choice

It's about to become easier to cruise across any of the Royal Caribbean Group brand with the launch of Points Choice.

Beginning at the end of this month, you can earn loyalty points when cruising on any cruise line within the Royal Caribbean Group family.

Points can be moved up to 14 days after a sailing, with changes managed online.

Royal Beach Club updated the menu to offer more food and healthier choices

Less than a month after opening, Royal Caribbean revamped its food menu at the Royal Beach Club so that it can offer more options.

Citing guest feedback, the menu received an update this weekend to add fresher and lighter array of choices.

Plus, other menu items were reworked to rely less on fried food.

Royal Caribbean reversed an unpopular change to its specialty restaurant

Grilled vegetables are back on the menu at Izumi hibachi once again, following controversy that it was removed.

The menu was updated recently to remove grilled vegetables from the included food choices. Instead, it would cost $5 to add it.

Royal Caribbean has now rolled it back to include them as part of the hibachi meal.

Passenger misses ship after going to the wrong port

A cruise ship passenger got confused and went to the wrong Florida homeport and missed their cruise completely.

The confusion stemmed from where "Port Everglades" is versus "Port Canaveral".

Furthermore, their appeal to join the ship in The Bahamas was denied.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 592nd episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, breaking down potentially big cruise ship news.

If the rumor mill is right, Royal Caribbean could be on the brink of revealing they're working on two different new ship classes at the same time.

Please feel free to subscribe via YouTube, iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas has windowless cabins for budget-conscious travelers and lavish suites for high-end cruisers. However, you'll also find plenty of mid-range options for those who prioritize comfort without breaking the bank. 

Historically, suites on Royal Caribbean's newest ships aren't cheap. The Ultimate Family Townhouse, for example, costs well over $15,000 per person on a weeklong cruise. Although Star Class suites come with the most perks, entry-level suites still offer plenty of value and shouldn’t be overlooked.

Paul Cranston shared images of his Junior Suite on Star of the Seas in the Star of the Seas 2025/2026 Facebook group, showing a spacious cruise cabin, modern décor, and a larger-than-usual balcony. 

Junior Suites are typically the most abundant suite category available. On Star of the Seas, for example, there are over 60 Junior Suites on Decks 9, 10, and 11. 

The price of Junior Suites on Star of the Seas varies. At the time of publication, a Junior Suite for two on the October 18, 2026, voyage starts at $9,417.84. However, the price increases to nearly $12,230 on a weeklong cruise on Star in July 2027. 

Here's a photo tour of a Junior Suite on Star of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's newest Icon Class ship, sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida, to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.

Inside Junior Suite #10130 on Star of the Seas

During Cranston's cruise, he stayed in room #10130, a forward Junior Suite located over 10 cabins away from the elevator bank.

With 322 sq. ft. of interior living space, it's larger than standard oceanview balconies, which come in at around 204 sq. ft. The Junior Suite's balcony is bigger, too. Where standard balconies measure 50 sq. ft, the Junior Suite's personal verandah is 80 sq. ft. 

As the mega-ship's entry-level suite, the living and sleeping area is combined, rather than having a separate bedroom. Still, the layout feels open and airy. 

On older ships, the Junior Suite's bed is positioned against one of the cabin's walls, which can make the space feel slightly more enclosed. On Star of the Seas, however, the bed faces the balcony, allowing guests to wake up to natural light and enjoy the passing scenery. 

According to the ship's deck plan, the Junior Suites can accommodate up to four guests: two in the Royal King (or two twin) beds and two on the double sofa bed. Someone else in the comments added that when they stayed in room #10554, there was plenty of extra space for a portable crib. 

Moving on, Cranston's photos show that his Junior Suite on Star of the Seas had ample storage, a well-appointed bathroom, a small seating area, and a vanity area. 

As such, it's a versatile choice for couples or families who want more space but don't necessarily want to pay for a larger suite. 

The bathroom is designed with a large vanity and tub-shower combination. Conversely, standard cabins have a small sink area and a standalone shower. 

Still, the highlight of the Junior Suite is the 80 sq. ft. balcony. The private verandah has upgraded seating, an outdoor dining table, and a plush chair with a footrest. 

What perks come with a Junior Suite on Star of the Seas?

Royal Caribbean's Royal Suite Class is comprised of three different tiers: Sea, Sky, and Star. The Junior Suite falls within the entry-level Sea tier. As such, it comes with fewer benefits than Sky and Star Class suites.

Perks for the Sea Class Junior Suite include: 

• Dedicated Check-In Line
• Priority Boarding
• Dinner At Coastal Kitchen, Based On Availability (Reservations Required)
• Royal Caribbean Plush Bathrobes
• Luxury Pillow Top Mattress and Linen
• Luxury Bathroom Amenities
• Lavazza Espresso Coffee Machine

Read more: Photos show what suites on Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas look like

A certain number of Junior Suites are classified as Sky Junior Suites. The rooms themselves are the same, but they come with upgraded Sky Class benefits. 

The perks, however, come with a greater price tag. For example, a standard Junior Suite on Star of the Seas' Feb. 14, 2027, sailing starts at $3,767 per person, while a Sky Junior Suite comes in at $4,796 per person. As such, the Sky Junior Suite is nearly $2,000 more for the weeklong Caribbean voyage. 

Sky Class benefits on Royal Caribbean ships include: 

• Concierge Service All-Day
• All-Day Access To Coastal Kitchen (Reservations Required For Dinner)
• Specialty Bottled Water
• VOOM, The Fastest Internet At Sea (Until May 2026)
• Flexible Arrival Boarding & Priority Departure
• Priority Dining Reservations
• Reserved Entertainment Seating
• Suite Lounge Access
• Access To Suite Sun Deck (The Grove)
• Royal Caribbean Plush Bathrobes
• Luxury Pillow Top Mattress and Linen
• Luxury Bathroom Amenities
• Lavazza Espresso Coffee Machine

One of the best changes for cruisers happened this week when Royal Caribbean Group announced it would make it easier to earn loyalty points, but there is a lot to digest in this big announcement.

The idea is simple enough: go on any of the three brands and earn points for your preferred loyalty program.

But questions remain and there are a lot of bullet points to cover with this new change.  

The good news is cruisers seem near unanimous in their admiration for Points Choice because it gives them something more than they had prior to this change. After all, who doesn't want another excuse to cruise more?

In digging through all of the Points Choice details, here are some takeaways you should know before the program begins on January 30th.

You have to act quickly to make the conversion

Probably the biggest surprise to me was you have to actively request the points to be converted for each sailing.

I assumed you'd select which loyalty program you prefer and then any subsequent cruises you took would have the points switch over. Just shows how bad I am at predicting anything.

Nonetheless, you'll need to make the request quickly after you get home.  Point conversions need to be made within 14 days of the conclusion of your cruise.

Concierge and Aqua class will transfer as 2 Crown and Anchor points

The first thing the Internet noticed was how lucrative it is to sail on Celebrity Cruises in Concierge or Aqua Class and convert those points over to Crown and Anchor Society.

Concierge and Aqua Class will transfer as two Crown and Anchor points per night, which is the same amount of points you'd get for being in a suite on Royal Caribbean.

While those two classes sound fancy, it's basically a balcony cabin with a few added perks.  And in practice, they're often priced lower than a standard veranda category room on Celebrity or a Junior Suite on Royal Caribbean.

If you're going to leverage Points Choice to chase a higher Crown & Anchor level, sailing Celebrity in one of these types of rooms might be a smart strategy.

You can choose to convert points (or not)

Depending on your points strategy, you don't have to convert your points over.

You'll need to request the points be converted after each sailing, instead of it being an automatic function.

This may be of use to someone who strategically wants to move points, but not for every sailing. Frankly, I don't know why, but it's possible!

You can't convert points from past cruises

Unfortunately, you won't be able to get any points from past cruises on other lines.

The new program takes effect on January 30 and applies to any cruises from that point forward.

I can't say I'm terribly surprised by this policy, but I suppose it makes sense that the company wants to encourage new bookings with Points Choice.

When they announced it last year, it was within the context of promoting customer loyalty and boosting cruise bookings from loyal guests.

Point exchange rates will be updated each year

Each cruise line has its own point conversion chart, and they'll be updated annually.

How much you earn from a particular cabin and then convert it could change down the line, which means a strategy you carve out today may need to be altered later.

It doesn't apply to casino programs

If you were curious if your Casino Royale status might get a boost too, the answer is no.

Points Choice only applies to the Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor program, the Celebrity’s Captain’s Club program
and Silversea Venetian Society program.

There's no equivalent Points Choice option for casino players to go on a Celebrity Cruise and play in their lovely non-smoking casinos and then convert the points back to Casino Royale.

Move over Carnival, this is how you manage loyalty

Points Choice is not just a win for Royal Caribbean fans, it's also a boost at time when rival Carnival went in the opposite direction.

Carnival Cruise Line announced last year sweeping changes that stripped away loyalty benefits and made it more difficult to keep status.

Since then, Royal Caribbean Group leadership has repeatedly talked about how they value the business from their repeat cruise customers and avoid changes that remotely resemble what Carnival did.

Now that we see the full details behind Points Choice, it's a clear winner for loyalists that prefer Royal Caribbean Group brand ships.  It enables more cruising without losing your pace of progress towards a higher tier.

If this sounds like a fan boy response, it is, but it's also the reality of how one company is doing more for its customers when another is trying to reduce incentives.

One company is pushing to build a brand-new cruise terminal in Tampa, Florida, that could accommodate larger ships. 

SSA Marine, a marine terminal operator that's been around since 1949, said it's working with Tampa-based Slip Knott LLC on a multi-berth cruise port in Manatee County, according to the company's proposal. 

The terminal would be built on a roughly 328-acre coastal property known as the Knott‑Cowen tract at the mouth of Tampa Bay next to the Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge. If approved, construction would take three to five years. 

Currently, only smaller ships, like Grandeur of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, Carnival Paradise, Norwegian Star, Celebrity Constellation, and Margaritaville at Sea's Islander, can sail from Tampa due to the height restrictions of the Skyway Bridge. As such, a new cruise port on the seaward side of the bridge would allow larger, more innovative ships to call Tampa home. 

"A new cruise port will complement existing cruise activities in the region by being able to accommodate the newer, larger, low-emissions cruise vessels that would otherwise be unable to visit due to the height restrictions of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge," reads the proposal's website. 

"As cruise ships continue to modernize, the region will be well positioned to align with and support the cruise industry’s future growth. Additionally, locating a new cruise port on the seaward side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge could serve as a valuable community asset in the event of extreme weather or other emergency situations."

Read more: I cruised Royal Caribbean from Tampa for the first time

Tampa's new port project is in the early planning phase and has not been officially approved yet

Although the project is still in the early planning phase, meaning it is subject to zoning and other necessary approvals, initial work to identify and evaluate potential environmental, traffic, noise, and public access considerations has already begun. 

The website notes that "these topics will be addressed in greater detail as part of the approval process, and opportunities for public input will be provided before any final decisions are made."

Public input will also be an important part of the process, including hearings with the Manatee County Planning Commission and the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners. 

SSA Marine Division is committed to environmental stewardship as a central part of this cruise port project. The company recently acquired the adjacent 710-acre Rattlesnake Key property through its subsidiary, the Rattlesnake Key Preservation Company, for $18 million. 

They aim to prevent private commercialization and ensure long-term conservation. Rattlesnake Key is one of the most intact natural landscapes at the mouth of Tampa Bay and is known for its expansive mangrove forests, bird rookeries, shallow-water wetlands, and fish nursery habitat. 

Moving on, SSA Marine Division estimates that the project could have a significant economic impact, with the construction investment of the project estimated to generate more than 31,000 jobs in industries directly and indirectly related to the port in the state and region. 

Once operational, the new terminal is projected to support over 13,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs and generate roughly $40 million per year in tax revenue for the county and school district, while contributing billions to the state and regional economy.

Port Tampa Bay had record-breaking numbers in 2025

The Western Florida cruise port welcomed over 1.6 million cruise passengers in 2025, along with over 262,000 shipping containers, Spectrum Bay News 9 reported. 

Port Tampa Bay is in the midst of working on its $1.2 billion "Master Plan 2030" vision, which includes building warehouses, expanding terminals, and even constructing a brand-new passenger terminal. 

"For us, it’s playing, maintaining the maritime industry, protecting it, allowing it to grow, prosper and integrating ourselves with our future plans and the growth of the region — the city of Tampa," Port Tampa Bay Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Raul Alfonso told Spectrum News.

Listening to feedback, Royal Caribbean has made changes to its Royal Beach Club menu.

The Royal Beach Club Paradise Island opened in late December 2025, and the cruise line has canvased every guest since then to gather comments about what they like and didn't like about the experience.

This is a new shore excursion that Royal Caribbean built exclusively for its customers in the heart of Nassau, Bahamas.

Linken D'Souza, Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President Food & Beverage, talked to Royal Caribbean Blog exclusively about the new changes that have been implemented as of today.

His goal with the menu update is to provide a fresher and lighter array of choices. Just like any cruise ship, finding the right blend of food is critical.

More variety

All of the food is included with entry to the Royal Beach Club, which serves lunch for most of the day.

There are multiple Paradise Grill locations through the Royal Beach Club, but they all serve the same food so you don't have trek around the island to find one specific item.  All of the food is unlimited, you simply have to go to the counter and get something else.

One of the opportunities the cruise line saw to improve the experience was to add more choices to the menu and rework a few items.

In discussing the changes to the updated menu, Mr. D'Souza said they wanted to offer less fried food, while adding more variety and choice.

Gluten-free buns are available upon request.

The old menu

The new menu goes into effect today, and there's more variety and healthier choices too.

Compared to the old menu, it's gone from 18 to 33 items. The goal is to broaden up the choices, with simple fixed too. There's now a classic burger, as well as a kids menu.

The salads changed from fried chicken to grilled chicken breast, and there's now a Caesar salad option too.

Mr. D'Souza's team will begin collecting guest feedback again this weekend, which should get quite a test on Saturday when three Royal Caribbean ships are scheduled to visit Nassau.

In addition to the new menu, you'll also see new dessert options.

He thinks the desserts have been well-received so far (especially the pineapple ice cream), but they added new ice cream flavors and desserts to the desserts station.

There are gluten free options too

One early area of confusion surrounded gluten free choices.

Royal Caribbean has always offered a great array of gluten free food options on it ships. Handling allergies and special dietary needs has been something the line excels at.

Mr. D'Souza says there are gluten free options at the Royal Beach Club, thanks to a special bread they have for it.

My understanding is the gluten free bread can be substituted to replace anything on the menu that has bread in it.

Moreover, the QR code with allergies has also been updated to reflect all of the dietary information to share with guests.

A new kind of excursion experience

Having visited the Royal Beach Club, it's clear that Royal Caribbean built something that stands out from the rest with just about everything you'd want in a beach day.

Located a short 5 minute water taxi ride away from where the cruise ships dock, Royal Beach Club is split into three zones that offer a different ambiance.

Chill Beach is your traditional feet in the sand (or pool) tropical paradise. 

Access to blue turquoise ocean, a swim-up bar with views of the ocean, and powder white sand. It's practically a postcard backdrop.

Next to it is Party Cove, which has a giant structure meant to bring DJ music to everyone within earshot.  You can party in the pool, at your chairs, or opt to rent a party deck area for your VIP experience.

This is where you'll find the energy of the club, and it's for anyone that revels in music being a part of the pool party.

Lastly, there's family beach.  There's a large zero-entry pool with geysers to make it appealing to young children and their parents.  

Along with a giant swim-up bar, there's also a much larger beach that seemingly goes on forever. Plenty of space to spread out.

Admission is required to access the Royal Beach Club, which includes unlimited food, drinks, Wi-Fi, seating, and transportation back and forth to your ship.

The cost depends on your sail date, but prices range between $100 - $160 per person when purchased before the cruise begins. The onboard price if you wait is $250 per person.

I think a cruise is better when you go with friends, so the opportunity for a "guys cruise" sounded like the perfect trip.

As my kids have grown up, I've made friends with other dads from their friend group. Any parent knows you're thrown into meeting the parents of your children's friends, but their parents aren't necessarily going to be your friends.

In my case, I'm lucky a few of these parents became my own friends.  One of them, Kenny, thought it would be fun to go on a weekend cruise together.

We chose Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas because it was convenient to where we live in Orlando. Plus, it was over a weekend and that limited time away from home. I also had another reason for wanting to visit: the new Royal Beach Club would be fully open and I wanted to check it out.

So Kenny, Jason, Chris, and Craig all packed our bags and went onboard for what turned out to be a great getaway weekend.

A party ship even if we aren't the target crowd

Ever since Utopia of the Seas launched, it has been set as the weekend party ship as a way to attract new cruisers. While it has plenty of parties, we took it all in stride.

No matter which ship you go on, all of the activities are there for you to try and there's no obligation you have to do any of it.  This is what I really like about a cruise vacation.  You can choose to do all of it or none of it.

In our case, we participated in select activities that were of interest to us.

We were at the Mason Jar bar every night for the music up there, and participated in the Crazy Quest show too.

But we skipped the sailaway party and Rezolutions DJ party because they were a bit too loud for our taste.

Instead, we found lounges and bars to head to and spend our time together that way.

In fact, we tended to gravitate towards the casino for entertainment.

Royal Caribbean expanded the casino space on Utopia by replacing the comedy club and loyalty lounge with a non-smoking casino.  This was a welcome change from the traditional cruise ship casino that still smelled like smoke because it shared the space.

We also tried out the Price is Right game show onboard, in which I won $50 for coming in the top 10 of scores!

I won't pretend any of us were the party crowd that perhaps Utopia of the Seas caters to, but we liked having so many choices of what to do onboard.

All of the food became one of the best reasons to cruise together

Very quickly into the cruise, the food choices became a major focal point.

Royal Caribbean offers so much wonderful food choices on its ships, and I think while we may have skipped over parties, we never skipped a chance to nosh.

As soon as we stepped aboard, the Windjammer buffet had an entire seafood buffet that my friends relished.

Newer Royal Caribbean ships offer a seafood bounty on embarkation day in the Windjammer. As of the posting of this article, I believe it's just on Utopia, Icon, and Star of the Seas.

We planned to go to the Main Dining Room for dinners each night, so we spoke to the head waiter on embarkation day to get us a table together.

Sure enough, we had a large table to ourselves and the wait staff were fantastic.

We were wiped out from fun ashore on the second day, so we ended up having dinner in the Windjammer.  However, I really wanted the French Onion Soup from the Main Dining Room. So I went alone just to get soup and the waiters were happy to oblige!

For our final dinner onboard, we decided to try Hooked and the amount of food ordered was a bit embarrassing.  Don't worry, between all of us we managed to eat almost all of it.

We booked the cruise for the fun we anticipated, but stayed for all of the food.  A bit gluttonous, but the food is part of why I love to cruise.

Our visit to the Royal Beach Club was the perfect "guys day"

One reason we leaned towards this particular Utopia of the Seas sailing was it aligned perfectly with the opening of the new Royal Beach Club.

Royal Caribbean built this new kind of shore excursion as a way to offer its guests an elevated day ashore.

So what started out as a "research trip" for me, ended up becoming the perfect backdrop for my friends.

As dads, when we do almost any excursion with our kids, there's inevitably a lot of taking care of the family needs.  But since it was just us, we got to ease into a day of taking it easy in the pool.

We basically spent our day in the heated pool at Chill Beach, which meant we hung out and talked while occasionally going to the swim-up bar, enjoying the view, or sneaking in a nap.

There's no question that Royal Beach Club is a great choice for families (I'm taking mine there in the spring), but I think our day here was the best group activity we did over the weekend.

The trip felt completely different from our other adventures

Family vacations will always be the primary trip we all take, but it was nice to change things up with a friends cruise.

The cruise showed me how much we limit ourselves by only considering cruise ships for family vacations. Not every guys' trip has to look like a scene from "The Hangover".

Unlike going to a bar at home, we had more choices in what we did and none of the risks associated with having to drive after. 

Being in our 40's, we were never interested in a wild spring break kind of trip. Rather, it was the perfect excuse to get away for a few days.

Since Alaska is part of the United States, many travelers wonder whether they need a passport for an Alaskan cruise.

The Alaska cruise season is short, with Royal Caribbean sailings beginning in early May and going through September. As such, planning ahead is important. 

Because voyages don't run year-round, it's not uncommon for Alaska cruises to sell out in advance. Before booking, travelers must have proper documentation to avoid last-minute surprises. 

Certain voyages require all passengers, regardless of nationality, to have a valid passport, while U.S. citizens can get away with bringing a valid birth certificate and government-issued photo ID on others. 

Here's everything you need to know about whether you need a passport to cruise to Alaska or not. 

Do you need a passport for a cruise to Alaska?

Not all Alaskan cruises require passengers to have a passport. However, before booking your dream voyage to The Last Frontier, it's important to understand the various caveats. 

For starters, if you're not a U.S. citizen, you will need a valid passport on embarkation day to board your Alaska cruise, regardless of where it starts or ends. 

Similarly, U.S. citizens need a valid passport for one-way cruises from Seward, Alaska, or Vancouver, Canada. These include "Northbound Alaska & Hubbard Glacier" and "Southbound Alaska & Hubbard Glacier" itineraries. 

Passports are also required on round-trip cruises from Canada. In 2026, for example, Royal Caribbean is offering round-trip sailings from Vancouver on Serenade of the Seas. 

However, you aren't out of luck if you don't have a valid passport; U.S. citizens on a round-trip (or closed-loop) sailing from Seattle, Washington, don't need a passport for Alaska cruises. 

You'll notice on every round-trip sailing from Seattle that Royal Caribbean's ships stop in Victoria, British Columbia. This is because closed-loop cruises from the U.S. must visit a foreign port of call so as not to violate the Passenger Vessel Services Act. Don't worry — you still don't need a passport for these itineraries. That said, having one is always, always recommended. 

Read more: You can take a cruise without a passport, but some require one

What's the best Alaska cruise itinerary?

One-way cruises tend to be more immersive since less time is spent in transit from the continental United States. For example, one-way cruises often include a glacier viewing day at Hubbard Glacier, which is rare to find on round-trip sailings from Washington or Vancouver. 

Another benefit to one-way cruises is that it's easier to explore inland Alaska before or after your sailing. Seward, Alaska, for example, is about 360 miles from the Denali National Park and Preserve. Royal Caribbean will even take care of the planning if you book one of their cruisetours.

Sometimes, they're cheaper than round-trip cruises, too. Since planning pre- and post-cruise travel from two different destinations is more costly, it's not uncommon for cruise lines, Royal Caribbean included, to price these itineraries competitively to encourage travelers to choose them.

Round-trip sailings from Seattle, on the other hand, are the only option for travelers without a passport. While you won't visit remote glaciers, these itineraries still call at must-visit Alaskan ports like Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway, with scenic cruising through the Inside Passage.

In 2026, Royal Caribbean is deploying two ships to Washington: Anthem of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas. Two ships — Ovation of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas — will also offer cruises from Seward and Vancouver. As such, you can experience The Last Frontier on a Quantum Class ship regardless of whether you choose a one-way or round-trip sailing.

Read more: How to choose the right Alaska cruise itinerary

Alaska cruise cost in 2026

The cost of an Alaska cruise varies greatly based on which month you sail, as well as your stateroom category. 

June, July, and August see the highest demand. As such, cruise fares can be more expensive during the summer months. On the flip side, the shoulder season months of May and September see less demand and, therefore, more competitive prices. 

Additionally, interior, ocean-view, balcony cabins, and suites all come with varying price points. Windowless inside staterooms are typically the cheapest, with balconies and suites offering more space and premium views — along with a higher price tag. 

At the time of publication, the cheapest Royal Caribbean Alaska cruise in 2026 is aboard Ovation of the Seas on August 21. Inside cabins start at $657 per person, while the price of a balcony shoots up to $1,055 per person. 

The one-way cruise departs from Vancouver, British Columbia, and has scheduled visits to Icy Strait Point, Sitka, Skagway, and Hubbard Glacier before ending in Seward. 

The cheapest round-trip cruise is aboard Voyager of the Seas from Seattle on the Sept. 11, 2026, sailing. Prices start at $714 per person for a standard interior stateroom, with the cost of a balcony increasing to $1,694 per person. 

In addition to the base cruise fare, you'll have to factor in the price of add-ons like drink packages, specialty meals, Wi-Fi, and shore excursions. Ship-sponsored tours in Alaska tend to be pricier in Alaska than in The Bahamas or Caribbean. 

For example, it is not uncommon to see excursions for once-in-a-lifetime experiences like visiting a sled dog musher's camp or a glacier helicopter ride cost $250 or more per person. 

Read more: I booked a 7-day cruise to Alaska for $1,500 per person, but spent nearly $2,400 with extras. Take a closer look at how much my cruise cost