Royal Caribbean Blog

Royal Caribbean's unlimited drink packages have been available for a few years and are quite popular with guests who are intrigued by the idea of having most of their beverages included, rather than having to pay for each drink.  The beverage packages promise convenience and a fixed cost to ensure one less worry. 

The common question cruisers ponder is to whether the drink packages are worth the cost.  Of course, the answer depends on you and your family.  Take into consideration some pros and cons that might help you decided if you want to add a drink package on your next cruise.

Pros

Drink as much as you want

By far the best advantage of any drink package is you get to enjoy as many drinks that are included with the package, with no limit.  When people pay for drinks individually, often the cost of running up a large bill enters into their minds, but drink packages assuage that concern.

Royal Caribbean beverage packages have no daily limit, so guests can enjoy as much or little as they want every day of their cruise. The Deluxe Beverage Package and the Royal Refreshment package also offer a good variety of beverages that are included with the packages, which means added opportunity to mix up the sort of drinks that can be enjoyed.

One of the best reasons to get a drink package is that you can enjoy all the drinks available, including some new ones. You can order something and not be worried that you might not like it and have to "suffer" through it, simply because you paid for it.

Use almost anywhere onboard and onshore

Royal Caribbean drink packages work pretty much everywhere onboard the ship and even in Royal Caribbean's private destinations of CocoCay and Labadee. This means whether you are in the dining room, hanging by the pool or at a specialty restaurant, you can enjoy the drink package benefits at any time.

There are a few exceptions to where you can use the drink packages, but most guests seem to find plenty of opportunity to take advantage of the benefits. 

The convenience of being able to get a drink virtually anywhere on your Royal Caribbean cruise means being able to enjoy a refreshment anytime you want.

Control costs

By purchasing a drink package, you are capping the maximum cost for drinks during your cruise.  

Most families like to be able to budget their vacations and not come home to a monster bill.  The drink package is an easy way to ensure the SeaPass account does not get out of hand.

Additionally, guests that pre-purchase their drink package prior to the cruise can take advantage of discounts and the opportunity to break up the total cost of the cruise. Royal Caribbean charges guests for the drink package at the time of purchase when booked before the cruise, which means guests can potentially pay off parts of their cruise experience on different billing cycles. 

If you can drink enough every day of your cruise, a Royal Caribbean drink package can definitely save you money. With the ever increasing cost of drinks, many guests have found the drink package to be a good value. Those that enjoy cocktails will find prices regularly $10-13 per drink, which makes a drink package investment much easier to "break even."

Souvenir cup

All unlimited drink packages come with a souvenir Coca-Cola cup that not only provides an easy way to get refills, but it can be taken home as a souvenir from the cruise. Souvenirs are rarely cheap, and having a good sized mug back home will provide another reminder of the vacation fun and potentially a new favorite cup at work or home.

Since the souvenir cups come with the drink package, there is no added cost to get one and the current mugs feature fun Royal Caribbean inspired designs that are sure to put a smile on your face each time you pull it out of the cabinet.

Cons

Drinking for the sake of drinking

It is not uncommon to discover when you have a drink package, you start getting a drink just because you have the package and not because you really want one.  

Certainly on the first couple days of a cruise, the opportunity to enjoy plenty of cocktails is novel, but there might be a point where you are ordering drinks simply as a means of getting your package investment back.

The principle reason to purchase a drink package is that it will save you money over purchasing drinks individually.  Royal Caribbean provides a value proposition to the equation with the drink packages, but often guests find themselves having a drink just because they can, just to "break even." 

Anyone can drink 5-7 drinks in one day, but 5-7 drinks every day of the cruise could possibly get old.

Large up-front cost

Royal Caribbean's drink packages are priced per person, and per day, so the longer your cruise, the more you will have to pay in advance for the drink package. Depending on the length of your cruise and the amount of people that want to get a drink package, that can be a lot of money to shell out.

Theoretically you will recoup that value over the course of the cruise vacation, but there is a risk of that not happening, and moreover, a big charge to start things off.  

Pre-purchasing the drink packages before your cruise can help take the sting out a bit, since they are charged at the time of purchase, but spending $400+ for an unlimited alcohol package per person on a 7-night cruise is never easy.

Still need to pay for drinks on land

Your Royal Caribbean cruise will bring you to some amazing ports of call, but your drink packages will not work there. Outside of Labadee or CocoCay, your drink package benefits stop, which means when visiting these different cities and countries, you will still have to pay extra for drinks.

Moreover, drinks are often much cheaper to purchase while onshore than on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Some guests prefer to drink very little onboard and then spend their money on drinks while on shore.  Certainly the itinerary you are on may dictate how practical this idea is, but drinking on land might be able to satisfy your drinking needs without the cost of a drink package.

Loyal cruisers receive complimentary drinks

Believe it or not, Royal Caribbean does offer complimentary beverages on their cruise, including alcohol. Royal Caribbean includes quite a few non-alcoholic beverages with your cruise fare, and for members of Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society customer loyalty program, there are even complimentary alcohol each evening.

Crown and Anchor Society members that are Diamond or above, can enjoy complimentary beverages in the Diamond lounge onboard the ship, plus the added option of drink coupons to use each evening around the ship. Guests that have access to these beverages will have a subsidy of included alcoholic beverages, which may negate the value of purchasing a drink package. 

Conclusion

Overall, whether Royal Caribbean's drink packages make sense for you is a highly personal decision based on a lot of variables.  Depending on your priorities, there decision will greatly sway in one direction or another.  The drink packages absolutely can save you money and time, but it depends on the person and it would be misleading to recommend it for everyone.

Discounts on drink packages bring down the cost when purchased before a sailing begins, and they money off is enough to push some folks "over the fence" to make it a worthwhile investment. In fact, anyone considering a drink package should absolutely pre-purchase a package for the discounts that show up from time to time.  

Keep in mind if you are unsure about purchasing a drink package, you can always opt to purchase the drink package after your cruise begins. Royal Caribbean will prorate the package based on the remaining days of your cruise, which means you can take a couple of days to see how much you really want to drink before deciding to try the package out.

Your thoughts

What is your experience with the Royal Caribbean drink packages? Thinking about using it? Please to share your thoughts about Royal Caribbean's drink packages and how it works (or does not work) for you in the comments.  If you have comments, ask them there as well.

Friday is here and we are sharing our readers' favorite Royal Caribbean photos, because who does not enjoy a "virtual escape" to a Royal Caribbean cruise? 

Put your sunglasses on in your cubicle, and enjoy this week's edition of Friday Photos.

Our first photo is from Fatima of sunset in the Mediterranean while aboard Rhapsody of the Seas.

Here is a great shot of the water slides on Harmony of the Seas by Sarah Plazak, which was taken shortly after Harmony of the Seas left port in Port Everglades. 

Lynn Thomas sent this photo of Oasis of the Seas while docked in Falmouth, Jamaica.  Look at the size of the ship relative to the buildings in the port!

Here is the view from Cynthia Barbour's cabana in Labadee, which looks like the perfect way to spend the day. In fact, it is my favorite spot on Labadee!

Our next photo is of Susan Widdowson dipping her toes in the Mediterranean, right before Harmony of the Seas made her transatlantic crossing.

Here is a photo from a gondola excursion through the canals of Venice that D J Ep took last year. 

We wrap up this week's edition with this photo by Mark Reed and his girlfriend on their first day on Harmony of the Seas.

Thank you to everyone who shared their Royal Caribbean photos this week, and if you want to share yours, please use this form to send them in for a future Friday Photos post. Happy weekend!

Going on a Royal Caribbean cruise means you will be seeing new sights, both on your ship and on land, with the opportunity to see ancient architecture, nature at its finest and incredible cities. Naturally, capturing these moments through photos is something many people want to do because it provides the perfect souvenir from any vacation.

Whether you are shooting with a fancy DSLR camera or just your smartphone, there are some good strategies to employ, which can ensure some lovely photos after your trip is complete.

Practice before your cruise

Whether you just purchased a new camera or have had it for years, it is important to get acclimated to the nuances of your camera before your cruise.  The more you can practice, the better your cruise photos will come out.  

Try going to a local beach or lake to practice beach photos, or take photos at the mall or shopping center to get used to indoor photography.  Regardless of if you have a DSLR camera or a point-and-shoot, the key to taking better photos is knowing how your hardware works and trying things out.

Plan your shots

While you cannot anticipate every photo you will take on a cruise, doing a bit of research into the type of photos you want to take can mean you do not come home with regrets about missing out on a photo idea. If you have cruised before, think about the sort of spots you might want to take photos and make notes about which ones are important to you.  Perhaps a family photo on the balcony, or the kids meeting Shrek on the Royal Promenade.

If you are new to cruising, or new to the ship, consider looking through what others have shot and use that for inspiration for your own photos. Flickr is a great resource for seeing other people's cruise photos, and it might serve to offer ideas you had not thought of previously.

Invest in a good smartphone app

The standard photo app on your smartphone seems like it can do a lot, but third-party apps can provide a lot of extra features that can make taking great photos easier.  Look for smartphone apps that offer additional features, such as a grid overlay that helps establish the Rule of Thirds when taking a photo. Composition of the photo is arguably one of the most important factors to creating a great photo, and you want to ensure the subject of your photo is properly aligned, and what is important in the photo is the focal point of the shot.

In addition, a good app will provide additional settings to manually control things like the image sensor (ISO), shutter speed and focus on the smartphone camera. You may not need it all every time, but having some control over these sort of features can help a lot depending on the type of photo you are taking.

Seek good lighting

Regardless of what you use to take photos, or where you are, ideally you will want photos that have plenty of light.  The more light, the less shadows and off-colors you will run into.  

Having well-lit photos is important, so try for when the light will be lower in the sky (early or late in the day). Also, the mid-day sun is typically the hottest and can be harsh, so work around that time to have photos that will come out well, and subjects who are not dealing with higher temperatures.

Of course, a cruise has so much subject matter available to shoot, so it all comes down to what you see as beautiful. Sunrise, sunset and the "blue hour" are the times of days many photographers always look for when shooting.

Check your corners before taking a photo

A common mistake aspiring photographers make is not accounting for everything in the shot.  A good way to avoid unwanted objects or people in your shot is to look at every corner of the frame to see what will show up in the background and in the photo minus the subject.

Look for objects, people, and obstructions that if you just shift a little to one side or another can improve the photo greatly.

Avoid the flash

Regardless if it is day or night, do not use the flash on your camera. Ever.  The flash will flood the foreground with bright light at the moment of the photo is taken but often colors get washed out and the background disappears.

What you want to do instead is learn to control the shutter and aperture of your lens to control the amount of light that is let in without the assistance of a flash. Most cameras have these sort of controls and even smartphone cameras now have basic options to assist.

To avoid blurry photos when using this technique, try to stabilize your shot.  Use nearby stationary objects like garbage cans (or bring a tripod) to take a steady shot. 

Your thoughts

What are your tips for better photos on a Royal Caribbean cruise? Any recommendations or ideas of your own that you would like to share? We love hearing from readers, so if you have any other comments or questions, please feel free to post those, too.

Royal Caribbean completed a major revitalization of Adventure of the Seas in late 2016, spending $61 million to add some great new features for guests to enjoy. Among the many changes and additions, the new dual racer water slides are something guests of all ages have become excited to try for themselves.

The water slides were added to the aft of the ship and are named Cyclone and Typhoon.  Similar to the racing water slides that were added to Liberty of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas, the water slides on Adventure of the Seas offer guests a thrill ride experience onboard their ship.

Guests have the choice between riding the blue or yellow slide. To add to the thrill on the ride down, part of the slide is made of clear tubing and actually goes over the side of the ship.

Adventure of the Seas is the first Voyager class ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet to receive water slides.

We have a brand new Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast episode for everyone to enjoy today!

Episode 184 of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is available and this week we are taking a look at the main dining room.

Matt explains what the main dining room experience is all about, outlining how dinner works, what you need to know about special requests and why Matt has come to enjoy eating in the main dining room over the years.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 184.  And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Stitcher or on iTunes!

Take a listen and as always, let us know what you think! Please rate and review the podcast on iTunes and leave your comments below!

A never-before-seen look at the unique features on Anthem of the Seas. Besides lounging by the pool, guests can get a bird's eye view in the North Star or be dazzled by the blend of entertainment and technology in Two70 and many more.

Royal Caribbean's WOW Sale begins today, with stackable savings that provide bonus onboard credit and reduced deposit on top of the current February WAVE offer.

For five days only, guests can enjoy bigger savings with this WOW Sale. Cruise must be booked Feb. 7-11, 2017. Offer applies to all sailings departing on or after Mar. 9, 2017 (excluding China departures). Here is the breakdown for this new promotion.

• Buy one guest, get one guest 60% off
• 30% off third and fourth guests
• 50% reduced deposits
• Onboard credit
  • Cruises 5 nights or less
    • $50 USD per stateroom
  • Cruises 5 to 9 nights
    • $100 USD per stateroom
  • Cruises 10 nights or longer
    • $200 USD per stateroom
• Balcony upgrade offer on Anthem of the Seas
  • Free upgrade from Ocean view to balcony on Anthem of the Seas sailings departing on or after April 2, 2017.

WOW Sale is combinable with BOGO60, 30% Savings for 3rd and 4th guests, Anthem Upgrade, standard/full fare and restricted rates and Next Cruise offers. WOW Sale is not combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military, etc.) Crown & Anchor discounts, Shareholder Benefits or Loyal to Royal Sales. All offers are not combinable with any other offer or promotion, including, but not limited to, Standard Group, Interline, Travel Agent, Travel Agent Friends and Family, Weekly Sales Events, and Net Rates.

Offer available to residents of United States and Canada. 

It seems like Royal Caribbean designed Harmony of the Seas to have everything in spades, including bars and lounges.  A ship as large as Harmony of the Seas offers guests many choices in where to enjoy their favorite beer or cocktail.  There are lots of great spots all over the ship to try, but we wanted to share a list of our favorites.

When considering our favorite bars and lounges on Harmony of the Seas, we placed importance on the bar decor, special offerings and general ambiance that resonated well after the drinks ended. We present our list of the top 5 Harmony of the Seas bars and lounges for your reading amusement.

5. Schooner Bar

A staple of any Royal Caribbean ship is the Schooner Bar. Over the years, the Schooner Bar has become a popular spot for guests to enjoy drinks, listen to music and convene for various events. On Harmony of the Seas, this tradition continues along with an Oasis class touch.

What we like about the Schooner Bar on Harmony of the Seas is the various activities that occur each day and night, including trivia and piano music.  Additionally, part of the Schooner Bar overlooks the Royal Promenade, which is great for people watching.

4. Trellis Bar

The Trellis Bar is located in the Central Park neighborhood and what makes this bar a great spot for a drink is the ambiance of its surroundings.  Central Park is a lush, open air part of the ship where guests will likely spend time exploring and enjoying the natural beauty of the flora found throughout the area. The Trellis Bar is situated near the middle of Central Park, which means you will be surrounded by the park while enjoying a drink.

Royal Caribbean updated the look of the Trellis Bar a bit on Harmony of the Seas, relative to her sister ships, and the new look adds to the atmosphere of the drink experience.

The best part of enjoying a drink at the Trellis Bar is in the evenings, when Central Park becomes even more beautiful with the exquisite lighting that activates after dark. In addition, guests can hear live music being played in Central Park, which makes the Trellis Bar our favorite spot for drinks any evening of the cruise.

3. Boot & Bonnet Pub

Live music and drinks seem to go together so well, and the Boot & Bonnet Pub in the Royal Promenade is a great choice for enjoying music you can sing along to, while sipping your favorite drink.

The Pub is always a good spot for meeting with friends for drinks, and Royal Caribbean did a great job making the Pub look like an authentic English bar experience.  Most evenings, there is a guitarist present who will play popular bar songs, and after a couple of drinks, you are likely to join in the singing fun.

2. Boleros

Speaking of live music, Boleros is one of the best places on Harmony of the Seas to enjoy great live music, especially if you want to get up and dance.

Boleros sports a Latin-themed motif, with bright colors, lots of seating and a stage where bands play terrific salsa, merengue and more. Boleros on Harmony of the Seas is rather large, which means ample seating around the lounge, near the bar or in the many comfortable chairs.

There is something about Latin music that just appeals to everyone. Maybe it is the smooth melodies or the intoxicating will to dance, but Boleros is always full and always a good spot for an evening drink while you enjoy the band play.

1. Bionic Bar

Regardless of if you actually get a drink here, the Bionic Bar is an experience to itself onboard Harmony of the Seas. Two robot bartenders can make two drinks per minute, delivered in plastic cups via four conveyor belts.  This is an undeniably cool experience and something that is just as fun to watch happen as it is to enjoy a drink.

Built by Makr Shakr, the idea is simple: guests place orders via tablets and then can watch the robot bartenders start mixing the cocktails. Bionic Bar combines two big trends, robotics and mixology. Guests walk up to tablets, where they can place orders for drinks, choosing from classic cocktails, signature drinks like Mnemonic Madness (a rum, pineapple juice and Midori concoction) or test the robot bartenders’ skills with their own creations.

Certainly the nearby Rising Tide Bar is quite intriguing too, but the Bionic Bar regularly has a crowd that convene to enjoy the spectacle of the robot bartenders doing their thing.

Good news, we are all one week closer to our next Royal Caribbean cruise!  In case you missed any of the Royal Caribbean fun from this week, here is our weekly round up!

Guests looking to sail to Cuba had good news this week, when Royal Caribbean announced many more sailings to Havana for much of 2017.

Royal Caribbean announced its cruise schedule that will visit Cuba's capital city, including some itineraries that have an overnight stop. All the new sailings will be aboard Empress of the Seas out of Tampa, Florida.

There are new 4- and 5-night cruises with day and overnight visits to Havana, along with stops in Key West, FL. and Cozumel, Mexico.

Royal Caribbean News

• A new Cruise Planner sale on pre-cruise purchases runs through the end of Monday.
• Crown and Anchor Society is inviting guests to join them on Anthem of the Seas.
• Check out our first timer's guide to Oasis of the Seas.
• Here are the free outdoor activities anyone can do on a Royal Caribbean cruise.
• At some point, Royal Caribbean expanded the Central Park balcony benefits.
• New video overview of the water slides on Harmony of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 183rd episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and this week, Matt shares how to make a Royal Caribbean cruise extra memorable.

In this episode, Matt looks at ways anyone can make their next Royal Caribbean cruise stand out with ideas for special events, upgrades and splurges.  

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

How you can support Royal Caribbean Blog

So many of our readers have reached out to us to ask how they can help the blog and we are introducing the Royal Caribbean Blog Insiders for just that reason.

The Insiders group is a way readers can contribute to Royal Caribbean Blog and help fuel some of the really amazing ideas, projects and new content that we have lined up.

As a way of saying thank you for your contribution, there are some fun rewards for being a member of the Royal Caribbean Blog Insiders.

Becoming a member of the Royal Caribbean Blog Insiders is completely up to you and you can cancel at any time. No questions asked! 

As always, thank you for visiting Royal Caribbean Blog and being a part of our community!

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Cruise Hive shares tips how to keep your kids busy on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

The Washington Post shares the story of how two cruise families cut costs to cruise on Royal Caribbean more often.

Beyond Ships has a photo tour of Enchantment of the Seas.

ShermansCruise has their list of seven best places to eat on Royal Caribbean ships.

Royal Caribbean is offering a special three-day sale, where guests can save up to 30% off select pre-cruise purchases.

The "Sale Before you Sail" deal is available for guests on select sailings, and offers discounts on services, such as unlimited drink packages, internet packages and even some shore excursions and spa treatments.

The exact discount available will vary from sailing to sailing, but there appears to be a fair amount of discounts applied.

Based on the countdown clock, it appears this promotion ends at midnight on February 6, 2017.

To check if your sailing has this new offer available, log into the Cruise Planner on Royal Caribbean's web site and navigate to the Dining & Beverage section to see any available offers.

If you have a drink package already prepurchased, you should be able to cancel the purchase and then re-purchase the same drink package under this promotion.