Whether you want Royal Caribbean alcohol prices or Royal Caribbean drink prices, here is your complete list to know how much they will cost before they get onboard.

We present here our list of Royal Caribbean drink prices that are regularly updated to give you the best idea of how much enjoying a drink will cost you.

Keep in mind Royal Caribbean adds an 18% gratuity charge to each drink order.

This information was last updated on April 3, 2024.

This information is valid for Adventure of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Grandeur of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Icon of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas, Vision of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas, and Wonder of the Seas.

The price you will pay for a drink is made up of two components: the drink price and gratuity. Royal Caribbean charges an automatic 18% gratuity to drinks ordered, so there's no extra math for you to do. 

If you have a drink package, gratuity is included with your package price so there's nothing extra once you buy the beverage package.

If you are looking for ballpark Royal Caribbean drink prices, here is what you can reasonably expect (prices listed below are before gratuity):

The drink of the day is a cocktail that gets about a 25% discount from its normal price.

Every day there is a new drink of the day, which is advertised in the Cruise Compass daily newspaper, as well as on signs at various bars. You can always ask the bartender at any bar what the drink of the day is.

You can expect the drink of the day to be a fruity, crowd-pleasing cocktail that has wide appeal.

It is worth noting the drink prices across Royal Caribbean's fleet do vary to some degree. Specifically, drink prices on Oasis or Quantum Class ships are usually a bit more expensive (50 cents to one dollar more) than on other ships in the fleet.

Not to worry, an unlimited Royal Caribbean drink package still includes most drinks.

The prices for drinks are consistent, regardless of where your ship sails from. So the drink prices on your ship in the Caribbean will be the same as a ship sailing in Europe.

If you're paying for drinks without a drink package, you can order more than one drink at a time. If you have a drink package, expect to be able to order one drink per drink package at a time.

Royal Caribbean Fleetwide Drink Menu

Taste of the Caribbean

Goombay Smash 
Malibu Coconut rum, Kraken Black Spiced rum, orange juice and pineapple juice $14 

Planter's Punch 
Myers's Original Dark rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, lime juice and grenadine $14

Papa Jac
Bacardi Superior rum, passion fruit syrup and lime juice $14

The Painkiller
Pusser's rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, coconut syrup and a dash of nutmeg $14

Dark 'n Stormy
Gosling's Black Seal rum and Gosling's ginger beer $14

Rum Punch 
Captain Morgan Original Spiced rum, Bacardi Superior rum, guava and passion fruit syrups, pineapple juice, lime juice and a float of Kraken Black Spiced rum $14

Crisp & Refreshing

Pineapple Guava Sangria 
Danzante Pinot Grigio, guava and passion fruit syrups, pineapple juice and lime juice $14

Strawberry Blonde
Tito's Handmade vodka, St-Germain liqueur, strawberry, lemon juice and mint $14

Scarlett's Tropical Sangria
Castle Rock, Pinot Noir, guava and passion fruit syrups, pineapple juice and lime juice $14

Cozumel Sunrise 
Cuervo Gold tequila, mango, lime juice and grenadine $14

Thyme for Gin
Aviation gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and thyme topped with club soda $14

Mint Berry Delight
Absolut vodka, lemon juice, blueberry puree and mint topped with club soda $14

Caribbean Mule 
Absolut vodka, coconut syrup, lime juice and Gosling's ginger beer $14

Cool as a Cucumber
Bombay Sapphire gin, St-Germain liqueur, lemon juice, simple syrup and muddled cucumbers topped with club soda $13

Handcrafted Margarita 
Patron Silver tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, agave syrup and muddled limes and oranges with a salt rim.$13

Pretty n Pink
Beefeater Pink gin, lime juice, pineapple juice and guava syrup $13

Curacao Cosmo
Malibu Coconut rum, blue curacao and pineapple juice $14

Meet the Collins'

John Collins: Tito's vodka, club soda, lemon, powdered sugar: $14

Sandy Collins: Canadian Club whiskey, ginger, soda, lemon juice, maple syrup: $14

Pierre Collins: Remy Martin VSOP cognac and chamboard black, raspberry liqueur, lengthened with lime, cranberry juice and club soda $14

Pedro Collins: Bacardi reserva ocho, fresh mint and guava syrup mixed up with lime and club soda $14

Tom Collins: Gin - Bombay sapphire gin, club soda, lemon juice, lychee syrup $14

The Rum Also Rises

El Floridita: Bacardi 8 rum, lime juice, powdered sugar: $14

Papa Doble: Bacardi superior rum, lychee, grapefruit juice: $14

Lavender daiquiri: Bacardi superior rum, lavender syrup: $14

Spiced Daiquiri: Zacapa rum, angostura bitters, lime, soft brown sugar: $14

Habanero & Grapefruit Daiquiri: Miami Club rum, habanero, grapefruit syrup: $14

The Greats

Brandy Alexander: Remy Martin VSOP and creme de cocoa dark shaken hard with half-and-half and double-strained and dusted with fresh nutmeg: $14

Rol' and Rye: Bulleit Rye whiskey, Aperol, lemon juice and simple syrup: $14

French 75: Hennessy cognac, domaine chandon, powdered sugar, lemon: $14

Champagne Cocktail: An Angostura-doused sugar cube topped with Domaine Chandon and garnished with an orange twist: $14

The Sidecar: The classic 8-2-1 recipe: Remy Martin VSOP, Grand Marnier and lemon juice: $14

Royal Caribbean Rum Prices

El Floridita: Where it all began: fresh lime juice, powdered sugar and Bacardi 8 rum: $14

Papa Doble: Bacardi Superior rum, maraschino liqueur and grapefruit juice: $14

Lavender Daiquiri: Bacardi Superior rum with the addition of lavender syrup to give an elegant floral finish and a contemporary twist to this classic: $14

Spiced Daiquiri: Soft brown sugar drenched in Angostura bitters and lime, shaken hard with Zacapa rum double-strained and served up: $14

Habanero & Grapefruit Daiquiri: A spicy take on this Cuban classic when Bacardi Gold rum joined with a habanero and grapefruit syrup: $14

Old Fashioned

Classic Old Fashioned: Buffalo trace bourbon stirred with sugar syrup, Angostura and orange bitters, garnished with a fresh orange peel: $14

Hennessy Old Fashioned: Hennessy Fine Champagne cognac: $14

Pyrat Old Fashioned: Pyrat rum, amaro cherries, orange flesh, bitters, soft brown sugar: $14

Rum Old Fashioned: Bacardi reserva ocho rum, coconut syrup, angostura bitters: $14

New Fashioned: Southern Comfort whiskey, raspberries, pink grapefruit, orange bitters, soft brown sugar, grapefruit twist: $14

Royal Caribbean Wine Prices

Sparkling

Chandon, Brut, "Classic"

• Glass: $12
• Bottles: $58

Ruffino, Prosecco

• Glass: $11
• Bottles: $58

White/Rose

Beringer, White Zinfandel

• Glass: $9
• Bottles: $32

Chateau d'Esclans, Rose, "Whispering Angel"

• Glass: $15
• Bottles: $58

Kim Crawford, Marlborough, New Zealand

• Glass: $17
• Bottles: $64

Robert Mondavi, Private Selection, Sauvignon Blanc

• Glass: $12
• Bottles: $46

Danzante, Pinot Grigio, delle Venezie, Italy

• Glass: $11
• Bottles: $43

Penfolds, Chardonnary, "Koonunga Hill", South Australia

• Glass: $10
• Bottles: $38

Kendall-Jackson, "Vinter's Reserve", Riesling, California

• Glass: $12
• Bottles: $45

Chateu d'Ausseries, Chardonnay "Aussieres", Vin de Pays d'Oc, Languedoc, France

• Glass: $10
• Bottles: $36

Clos du Bois, Chardonnay, North Coast, California

• Glass: $12
• Bottles: $45

Conundrum, California

• Glass: $16
• Bottles: $61

Red

Castle Rock, Central Coast, California

• Glass: $11
• Bottles: $42

Estancia, Pinot Noir, Monterey County, California

• Glass: $12
• Bottles: $47

Terrazas de los Andes, Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

• Glass: $8
• Bottles: $35

Clos du Bois, Merlot, North Coast, California

• Glass: $12
• Bottles: $45

Castle Rock, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, Washington

• Glass: $9
• Bottles: $33

Kendall-Jackson, Cabernet Sauvignon, "Vitner's Reserve", Sonoma County, California

• Glass: $11
• Bottles: $42

Torres, Ribera del Duero, "Celeste", Crianza, Castilla Y Leon, Spain

• Glass: $11
• Bottles: $42

Royal Caribbean Beer Prices

Beers

• Amstel Light $7.99
• Blue Moon Belgian White $7.99
• Bud Light $7.49
• Budweiser $7.49
• Coors Light $7.49
• Corona Extra $7.99
• Daura Damm (Gluten-free) $7.99
• Dos Equis $7.99
• Fosters Oil Can (750mL) $9.50
• Heineken $7.99
• Miller Lite $7.49
• Paulaner Weiss $7.99
• Red Stripe (473mL) $8.25
• Stella Artois $7.99 

Other

• Strongbow Hard Cider $7.99
• Truly Hard Seltzer $7.49
  • Wild Berry, Pineapple, Strawberry Lemonade
• White Claw Hard Seltzer $7.49
  • Mango 

Non-alcoholic $6.99

• Heineken 0.0

Spirits and Liquor prices

Vodka

• Absolut 10.99
• Absolut Citron 10.99
• Absolut Vanilia 10.99
• Belvedere 12.99
• Grey Goose 13.99
• New Amsterdam 9.99
• Stoli 10.99
• Stoli ElIt 12.99
• Tito's Handmade 10.99 

Rum

• Bacardi 10.99
• Bacardi Reserva Ocho 12.99
• Captain Morgan Original Spiced 11.99
• Goslings 11.99
• Kraken 9.99
• Leblon Cachaca 10.99 
• Malibu 9.99
• Myers's Original Dark 9.99
• Pusser's Navy 12.99
• Pyrat XO 13.99
• Ron Zacapa 12.99 

Gin

• Aviation 10.99
• Beefeater 10.99
• Beefeater Pink 10.99
• Bombay Sapphire 11.99
• The Botanist 11.99
• Hendrick's 12.99
• Tanqueray 10.99 

Tequila & Mezcal prices

• 1800 Resposado10.99
• Avion Silver 11.99
• Ilegal Joven 10.99
• Jose Cuervo Gold 9.99
• Jose Cuervo Silver 9.99
• Patron Anejo 13.99
• Patron Resposado 12.99
• Patron Silver 11.99
• Zignum Silver 11.99

Scotch

• Chivas Regal 12 10.99
• Dewar's White 9.99
• Glenfiddich 11.99
• The Glenlivet 12.99
• Johnnie Walker Black Label 10.99
• Johnnie Walker Double Black 11.99
• The Macallan Quest 12.99
• The Macallan Lumina 17.99
• The Macallan Terra 20.99
• The Macallan Enigma 39.99 

Whiskey & Bourbon

• Balcones Rye 13.99
• Balcones Straight 13.99
• Buffalo Race 10.99
• Bulleit 11.99
• Canadian Club 9.99
• Crown Royal 9.99 
• Fireball Cinnamon 9.99
• Gentleman Jack 12.99
• Jack Daniel's 10.99
• Jack Daniel's Rye 10.99
• Jameson 10.99
• Makers Mark 11.99
• Rittenhouse Rye 10.99
• Skrewball Peanut Butter 10.99
• Seagram's 7 9.99
• Templeton Rye 10.99
• Tincup 10.99
• Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch 10.99
• Woodford Reserve 10.99
• Yellow Rose 10.99 

Cognac

• Hennessy V.S 10.99
• Remy Martin VSOP 12.99 

Aperitif

• Aperol 10.99
• B&B 10.99
• Campari 10.99
• Fernet-Branca 10.99
• Jagermeister 10.99
• Pernod, 10.99
• Pimm's 10.99 

Liquers

• Baileys Irish cream 10.99
• Chambord Black Raspberry 10.99
• Cointreau 10.99 
• Disaronno Amaretto 10.99
• Drambuie 10.99
• Frangelico 10.99
• Grand Marnier 10.99
• Kahlua 10.99
• Midori Melon 10.99
• Sambuca 10.99
• Southern Comfort 10.99 

Complimentary Drinks on Royal Caribbean

Guests who are Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Club Crown and Anchor Society members also receive complimentary drinks each day.

Royal Caribbean has revamped its offerings to allow at least 4 beverage vouchers for Diamond and higher guests in Crown and Anchor, which are good all day and at any bar (except Starbucks).

• Diamond: 4 beverage vouchers valid all day at any bar (except Starbucks)
• Diamond Plus: 5 beverage vouchers valid all day at any bar (except Starbucks)
• Pinnacle: 6 beverage vouchers valid all day at any bar (except Starbucks)

Each cruise, Royal Caribbean will hold "welcome back" parties for its Crown and Anchor members.

At each event, complimentary alcoholic beverages are served and it can be a great way to enjoy free drinks while hearing about what is new and exciting about Royal Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean Beverage Packages

One way to lock in the price of your Royal Caribbean cruise is to purchase a drink package.

The unlimited alcohol package allows guests to enjoy as many beers, cocktails, and other alcoholic drinks as they like for a fixed daily price.

Deluxe Package - $60 - $90 per guest, per day (plus 18% service charge)

Guests can choose between beer, wine by the glass (up to $14 value), mixed cocktails, frozen cocktails along with premium coffee, premium tea, bottled water (sparkling and still), freshly squeezed juice, fountain sodas with the Coca-Cola souvenir cup.

More about Royal Caribbean drink prices and packages

Here are some more helpful articles about Royal Caribbean drinks and the unlimited alcohol packages:

• Should you buy the unlimited alcohol packages?
• Which Royal Caribbean drink package is right for you?
• How to purchase Royal Caribbean's unlimited alcohol packages

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After four port days in a row, having a sea day feels great.

As Odyssey of the Seas makes her way back to Port Everglades, we have two sea days to enjoy and that means relaxing and doing any of the onboard activities we may have missed.

Once we got out of bed, we hit up Solarium Bistro for breakfast.

Just like on day two of this cruise, we like Solarium Bistro because it's relatively uncrowded and has a good selection of food.   My youngest likes it because it has doughnuts.

After breakfast we heard the Stowaway Piano player in one of the elevators, so we tracked him down and went for a few rides. Odyssey's elevators are air conditioned (most other Royal Caribbean ship elevators are not), so it was nice to get a few rides in.

Next up was a Quantum Class ship must-do: bumper cars!

The line looked long, but it took maybe 15 or 20 minutes before we got our turn.

I found a Perfect Day at CocoCay bumper car, so we went straight for that one.

For lunch, we went to Giovanni's Italian Kitchen.

Their lunch menu is slightly different from the dinner menu, and my kids really like this restaurant.

After lunch we headed to the Schooner Bar for Disney trivia and it was packed to the brim!

There are a few kinds of trivia that are always crazy popular on Royal Caribbean: Disney, Harry Potter, and Star Wars. I might be missing some others, but they really need to add more of these kinds of trivia given how popular they are.

By this point, I was ready for an afternoon nap and it felt great!

After waking up, I was greeted by a perfect sea day sunset.

For dinner, we had booked Izumi sushi.

On Odyssey, the sushi and hibachi parts of Izumi are separate restaurants.

The food was great, and I was happy with all the sushi options while my family ordered the non-sushi items.

I wanted to mix up our post-dinner plans a little, so I went to Boleros for a drink and music.

Boleros primarily plays Latin music, but in the early evening it has other performances here and it was perfect for sitting back and enjoying music without it being a party or super loud.

That evening, we watched the crew members put up the ship's Christmas tree.

It took them a couple hours, but before the end of the night, the tree was up.

Tomorrow is another sea day!

Could this be what the next version of Royal Caribbean's main dining room menu looks like?

Royal Caribbean sent past guests an email survey with options for a new main dining room menu, and asked them for feedback.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Shannon Apodaca shared screenshots from the survey, which asked a variety of questions regarding the main dining room experience.

The example menu is for a French night theme, and it features both a new layout and new choices on the menu.

The survey then asked for ratings of each dish and how appealing they were to the respondent. 

Also included in the survey were questions about the main dining room experience overall, such as:

• How many minutes is too short, just right, and too long for dinner in the main dining room?
• What proportion of the menu would you prefer to contain familiar vs new dishes?

Then the survey asked for the top 3 things you look for in the menu items:

• Wide variety of dishes
• Lots of dishes to choose from
• Familiar items
• Healthy options
• New items I've never had
• Easy to understand descriptions
• Small portions
• Listing of all ingredients in each dish
• Sourcing of ingredients
• Exotic options

Next was a question about top 3 things in particular do you look for in the service of the main dining room:

• Gets to know me
• Anticipates my needs
• Doses not rush my service
• Offers suggestions
• Quick Service
• Friendly staff
• Bring samples to try
• Goes above and beyond
• Provides detailed description of menu items
• Refills drinks promptly
• Same server each night

Finally, it asked for guests to share the ideal main dining room atmosphere, in terms of lighting, table settings, music, silverware and more.

Following up on ship testing

This survey is being conducted in conjunction with a real-world example of the new menu taking place on Symphony of the Seas.

As we reported first, Royal Caribbean has changed the main dining room menu on only Symphony of the Seas to trial out the new menu.

Thanks to Thomas Napolitano for providing these menus

The new menu layout is part of the test, along with a change in the lobster portions provided.

Royal Caribbean says the impetus for making the change is for the guest experience in an effort to simplify the dining room menu, which would allow the service to speed up.

In short, Royal Caribbean is looking for a way to make the dinner experience in the main dining room more predictable and efficient.

The last port of call on our Odyssey of the Seas cruise takes us to Curacao.

Since the distance between our previous stop of Aruba and Curacao is quite short, the ship docked around 8am and we had a full day to enjoy the island.

We had no plans for the day other than not going to another beach.  After three beach days in a row, the family wanted something different. With that in mind, we decided to just wing it and see what happens.

Breakfast was in Cafe @ Two70 for how quick we can get in and out for time onshore.

Odyssey of the Seas docked a reasonable distance from downtown, with an easy walk from ship to shops.

The day started out cloudy and quite humid. As the day went on, we had an occasional light rain shower, but the clouds eventually cleared. The humidity, however, did not go away.

Before you can get to the real part of downtown, you have to go over a pontoon bridge. This bridge will sometimes move to make way for boat traffic, which is a neat sight to see.

Once downtown, we started meandering to look for souvenirs and anything else interesting. We had no agenda, just see where the streets would take us until the kids complained too much.

We ran across Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue , which is the oldest surviving synagogue in the Americas.

We had visited it a few years ago as part of a Royal Caribbean shore excursion, but the kids are older, so we decided to poke our heads in again.

At first, I just wanted to give the synagogue a couple of dollars to see the inside of the temple and take another glimpse.

The first synagogue building was purchased in 1674, and the current building dates from 1730.

Something else unique about this building are the sand-covered floors.

There's also a small museum that tells the story of Jewish community in Curacaco, dating back to the late 15th century.

We continued our walk around town and get to the main square, where the kids took an ice cream break.

We did some more shopping before stopping for lunch at a restaurant along the water.

The food was nothing special, but the views of the water were nice.

At this point, the humidity was a bit too much, so we decided to head back to the ship.

We rested up for the evening, as it was Thanksgiving.

The ship didn't do a ton for Thanksgiving, but it covered the basics. There is a special menu in the main dining room and a few Thanksgiving activities in the Cruise Compass.

Prior to dinner, we took the kids to get a drink from the Bionic Bar.  

They loved watching the robots make the drinks. I find the drinks too sweet for my taste, but they loved it.

Next was dinner in the main dining room. We were on My Time Dining because when you book the Unlimited Dining Package, you automatically get moved to My Time to free up a table in traditional dining.

The earliest time you can book is 6:45, but we wanted to dine with our friends in the first seating of dinner at 5:30.

We got downstairs at 5:30 and asked and they said to come back at 6 once they knew who the no-shows were.  Sure enough, we were seated at a table right next to them at 6pm.

It's hard not to appreciate the beauty of the main dining room on Odyssey of the Seas because it's a different look than dining rooms across the fleet.

There's the normal main dining room menu, along with a special Thanksgiving menu.

I had to get turkey, along with the butternut squash soup.  My wife opted for the honey baked ham.

After dinner, we went to the Schooner Bar for "Name That Tune: Thanksgiving songs".  If you're like me, you can't think of any inherently Thanksgiving songs.

Sure enough, the idea was song titles that could double as Thanksgiving references, as opposed to songs synonymous with the holiday.

We weren't sure where to go next, so we headed up to Playmakers to watch the evening NFL football game between the Patriots and Vikings.

We didn't intend to stay for the whole game, but had a good time so did so anyway.

I rounded out my evening with some time in the casino before heading to bed.

Tomorrow is a sea day.

It's kind of amazing that we were in the Dominican Republic yesterday and we'll make it down to the Southern Caribbean the next day.

Aruba is the next port of call, but we weren't due in until 1:30pm.  So today was half sea day, and half port day.

Since we had a sea day start to the day, we took things easy and slept in. My wife had a spa massage booked for the morning, but the girls and I slept in a bit.

Eventually we made it to the Windjammer for breakfast.

After eating, I took the kids up the SeaPlex to try out a Royal Caribbean original video game where you have to move your body to move the character.

Like other arcade games, it costs money, but it was a fun thing to try out.

As Odyssey of the Seas approached Aruba, we got ourselves ready to go once we docked.

We booked day passes to the RIU Palace resort through Resortforaday.com, which includes admission to the resort and is all-inclusive.  This means we can use the pool and beach, as well as enjoy unlimited drinks and food at a couple restaurants.

Walking off the ship was super easy.  In fact, we've had no lines at all walking off or coming back onboard the ship.  Maybe we're just getting lucky with times, but the process has been handled well.

Our time in Aruba was from 1:30pm to 11:30pm, giving us an afternoon and evening in port.

There were taxis waiting as we walked off the ship and took the short 10 minute ride to the resort. 

We checked in at the resort lobby and got wristbands for the day and cards to get towels. It's always so much easier if we don't have to schlep towels back and forth from the ship, especially when the towels are wet at the end of the day.

The pool is large, with various depths and features. The pool was so large there was no issue with it being overcrowded at all.

We were able to easily get chairs at the pool, and the hotel buildings provided shade for where we wanted to sit.

Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are included, and there is a large swim up bar in the pool, as well as a dry bar on the other side. There are also waiters that walk around periodically to take orders, but I found the waiters to be quite infrequent.

The resort is situated on Palm Beach, and the walk from pool to beach is just a few steps.

All the beaches in Aruba are public access, but the chairs and palapas are reserved for hotel guests.  

Palm beach is lovely, and it did not disappoint with white sand that felt very soft. Water was warm and as you can see in these photos, quite beautiful.

As afternoon turned to evening, we got to enjoy a beautiful sunset right on the beach.  While I generally prefer pools to beaches, I spent a lot of time at the beach, especially when the sun started to set.

For dinner, we had access to either the sports bar or the buffet restaurant.  It's worth noting you need to be dry and not have sleeveless clothing to go into the buffet. It's not listed in the day pass buying process, but I saw someone else mention it in a review, so we packed clothes to change into.

The buffet restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating and is quite expansive with tons of choices. Even the pickiest eaters will find something here.

We had a great time at the RIU Palace, and while not cheap, delivered on the fun we were hoping for.

We took a taxi ride back to the ship and showered once back onboard.

Still in port, we decided to go up to Playmakers for a drink and a bite to eat. One nice thing about having the unlimited dining package is you can stop in for just a bite since we weren't going to eat at Playmakers otherwise today.

We ran into one of our favorite waiters, Jessica, working in Playmakers.  It's always a pleasure when you can reconnect with crew members you had a good rapport with in the past.

Tomorrow we will be in Curacao.

Today we visited the Dominican Republic for the first time, which makes it a nice change of pace.

I've had many cruises with scheduled stops to a port in the Dominican Republic, but they always ended up being cancelled.

Today, we are visiting La Romana, which is on the southeast coast of the Dominican Republic.

Odyssey of the Seas wasn't due in until about 10am, so we took our time in the morning and grabbed breakfast at Cafe @ Two70.

As the ship pulled into La Romana, the mountainous countryside stood out immediately.

Prior to the cruise, I booked a private boat charter through a website called GetMyBoat. It's a third-party listing of boats you can charter, and this one sounded like a perfect fit.  It was 3 hours of having the boat to ourselves, and it comes with a crew, lunch, and a few stops along the way.

The boat left from Punta Cana, which is about a 45 minute car ride away.  The company that chartered the boat arranged for an additional cost transportation to and from the port. Carlos was waiting when we disembarked and met us in the taxi lot.

I believe we docked a little early, so we were able to walk off the ship earlier than I anticipated. There is a small port area with lots of shops you can browse as you walk out (or back in as you return).

We met Carlos who had a large passenger van and he got us on our way.  The kids loved when he hooked up his phone to the Bluetooth and played their favorite songs.

I didn't realize Punta Cana was as close as it is to La Romana, primarily via highway. 

Once we got to the beach, Carlos dropped us off at the main building for the company that owns the boats they charter.  We signed the necessary paperwork and were taken right away to the beach to board our boat.

We had booked a 60 foot long boat that has 2 levels, 2 bathrooms, and even a water slide off the back of the boat.

Our visit would take us to a snorkeling spot and a swimming spot to enjoy. Along the way we would also visit a dolphin park. All the stops are at various areas just off the coast, so there's no long commute times on the water.

Since it was reserved just for us, the boat felt very large with tons of space.  And since it was our own charter, as soon as we were ready to go, the captain pulled up anchor and we were on our way.

Our first stop was a snorkeling area, where the boat provided all the equipment.  You could optionally just hop in the water for a swim without snorkel gear if you preferred to just be in the water.

One of the crew members escorted us around the water and helped the kids.  There was a strong current, so there was a lot of swimming required.

After we got back onboard, it was time for lunch.  I paid extra to get an upgraded lunch option for the kids, so we had burgers, chicken kabobs, and fruit.  Later we were served chips and salsa.

Also included were soft drinks and rum punch and rum and cokes. We had the option to BYOB as well, with a stop at a liquor stand before boarding the boat.

We passed by a dolphin park, which meant we could see dolphins swimming around in their enclosure from our boat.  We didn't go in or anything, so it's merely a quick minute long stop to glance.

Next up was our swimming stop, where we could get in the water that was about 4 or 5 feet deep. 

This proved to be best time of the day, because the kids loved going down the water slide over and over again and we all got time to relax in the water.

After the swim, we started heading back to shore.

I loved our time because it delivered exactly what was promised. We got back to La Romana with 2 and a half hours to spare, which is always my primary concern when doing a tour on my own far from the port.

The crew were great, and having the boat to ourselves was fantastic. It felt special and I only wish we had more time during the tour. In case you're wondering, the boat cost $688, and then it was an additional $300 for the roundtrip transportation and upgraded lunch.

Carlos drove us back and we browsed a few shops at the port before getting back on the ship.

After showering, it was time for dinner at Wonderland.

My kids wanted to eat at Wonderland because they've never dined there and thought the whimsical nature of the restaurant sounded fun. I have to admit I would have preferred dining elsewhere.

As it turned out, the kids loved the experience.  The kids menu was a homerun, and the main menu items ended up being really good.  Plus, the kids loved the schtick more than I thought they would.

I even found the food better than I remembered, and I don't think anyone regretted going to Wonderland.

After dinner, my wife and I did a little window shopping around the Royal Esplanade before hitting up the casino for a bit.

Tomorrow we will be in Aruba.

The first port of call for our Odyssey of the Seas cruise brings us to Labadee.

Labadee a private destination for Royal Caribbean (it's not an island, rather, a peninsula) and it's a usually a beautiful stop for beach fun.

I'm not sure what time we docked, but I know the "all clear" announcement woke me up. We weren't planning to be the first one's off the ship, but we also didn't want to sleep away the day.

Before heading off the ship, we went down to Cafe @ Two70 to get a quick bite to eat and coffee.

Cafe @ Two70 is similar to Park Cafe, and it offers specialty coffees, bagel bar, and some hot breakfast sandwiches. It's also complimentary.

The great thing about getting food in this spot is you can walk right out to Two70 and have a great view with your drink and food.

After getting some food and caffeine, we walked off the ship.

The weather was great and substantially less humid and hot than our previous visit in July.

We booked a over the water cabana at Barefoot Beach. I really like the convenient location, as well as the buffet area reserved just for guests here.

I was surprised to see a few new water features added to Barefoot Beach, including an inflatable "Aquabana". They also added floats, which the kids liked for islands to take a breather.

I've seen the floats at Perfect Day at CocoCay, but I've never seen the Aquabana before. Fun addition!

We spent the day relaxing at the beach and the water and air temperature was absolutely perfect. It was warm enough to be outdoors and swim without being uncomfortably hot.

All aboard was 3:30pm, so we eventually headed back to the ship to shower and change.

I also took this opportunity to sneak in a quick nap before dinner.

Dinner was at Teppanyaki, and it's my favorite hibachi of the entire fleet simply for the views.

Our chef, Ryan, was excellent and put on a great show. And the food was great too!

After dinner I ran into the stowaway piano player in the elevator and enjoyed a show during my ride!

After dinner I went back to the cabin to do a live video on the RoyalCaribbeanBlog YouTube channel.  The connection dropped twice, but so far Odyssey's internet has performed much better than Starlink on Independence or Allure of the Seas.

We went to Two70 to see the "Two70 Experience", which is a technical demonstration of all the cool things the technology in this space can do.

Hosted by the Cruise Director (Anna), she showed off the Vistarama and Robo screen technology.

It went through several vignettes and was really interesting to see how great everything looks.

After the show, it was back to the pub for some music before bed.

Tomorrow we will be in La Romana, Dominican Republic.

Stray Observation

The pepperoni at Sorrento's Pizza looks very different than on other ships. It's really large.

While the typical Royal Caribbean television commercial shows off all the amazing things you can do on a cruise ship, my favorite activity on a cruise is doing a lot of nothing.

Today is our first sea day and we decided not to set an alarm. That meant we ended up sleeping in a lot more than I thought. The curtains on Odyssey do a great job of blocking out the sun.

When we did get up, we decided to head to breakfast at the Solarium Bistro.

Solarium Bistro is one of my favorite tips about eating on Odyssey of the Seas because it's a lesser-known place for breakfast. It's less crowded than the Windjammer and it has an omelette station.

The best part of the omelette station is they deliver the omelette when its ready back to your table instead of you waiting for it.

After breakfast, I went out to the pool deck to enjoy some fresh air. I think a lot of other people had slept in because things were not too busy by mid-morning.

Later we went down to the main dining room to book a time for dinner.  While we have the unlimited dining package for this cruise, I want to eat in the dining room on Thanksgiving so I can get the traditional Thanksgiving menu offering.

I had no issue getting a reservation for 6:45 on Thanksgiving, which I was pleasantly surprised to get because I thought it would be close to booked up.

By now I needed coffee, so we went to Cafe @ Two70 to get a macchiato (included with my drink package).

I then sipped the coffee in Two70 with a great view of the aft.

We spent a fair amount of time in Two70 just enjoying the views and comfortable seating.

Eventually, we went back to the cabin and I thought a nap sounded like a great idea. Naps on a sea day are everything I love about cruising.

After a quick nap, it was up to the Windjammer for lunch. 

Since this was a late lunch and we had dinner early, I just had something to tide me over.

I forgot on Odyssey of the Seas, there is no outdoor seating at the back of the Windjammer like there is on other Quantum Class ships. Still a great view.

Back in the room, I was playing with the Royal Caribbean app and noticed the fun options it has on Odyssey, like the ability to open your cabin door with your app or control the television with the app.

The kids wanted to hit the pool, so it was back up to the pool deck for some aquatic fun.

The kids had a good time swimming and going in the hot tub while I kept an eye on them from a lounge chair in the shade.

Dinner tonight was at Chops and it's formal night.

We had dinner with a group of friends on the ship with us, so it was a large seating and the staff handled it flawlessly.

Service was great and the food was as good as I remember. 

After dinner, my wife took the kids to see Showgirl. We saw the show the last time we were on Odyssey, but my kids wanted to see the show.

We met up at the 80's party in Music Hall. I greatly prefer the parties that would have otherwise taken up the Royal Promenade on other ships be relegated to the Music Hall.

When the band took a break, we went to the Schooner Bar to check out the piano player and it ended up becoming a game for the kids of "do you know this song". It's amazing how they know some random old songs but can also not know more modern music.

I rounded out the evening in the casino, where we had a friendly group of people. Shoutout to Greg for his "method" and casino dealer Matteo for reading the blog.

Tomorrow is our first port stop in Labadee.

Stray Observations

I found the stowaway piano player!

Happy Sunday! Temperatures may be dropping, but there is plenty of Royal Caribbean news to share. This is your weekly summary of all the Royal Caribbean news from this past week, perfectly fitted for your consumption.

There were plenty of opinions from cruise fans over a main dining room test happening on Symphony of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean is testing a new dinner menu only on Symphony of the Seas that aims to expedite service there.

The new menu is slimmed down, and there's also now a charge for additional lobster tails.

Royal Caribbean News

• TikTok mom named new cruise ship Wonder of the Seas' godmother
• Royal Caribbean signs deal to build new cruise terminal in Miami in new deal with port
• What I liked (and disliked) about my Liberty of the Seas cruise
• Comparing the Royal Caribbean ships sailing in Alaska in 2023
• Should you buy annual travel insurance plans?
• Better pre-cruise stay option: Airbnb vs hotel?

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 476th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is available to enjoy, where Kurt reviews his Oasis of the Seas cruise.

Not only did Kurt sail on Oasis of the Seas, but his cruise occurred at the same time Hurricane Ian was in the tropics, and he talks about its impact on his cruise.

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.

New RCB Video: Liberty of the Seas Cruise Ship Tour

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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 — Liberty of the Seas Cruise Ship Tour — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Royal Caribbean's Black Friday deals

Ready to take advantage of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals from Royal Caribbean?

Royal Caribbean’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday cruise deals runs between November 18 - November 22, 2022 and applies to sailings departing on or after December 18, 2022.

You can view the full details of Royal Caribbean's Black Friday sale details.

Royal Caribbean releases 2024 European cruise itineraries

You can now book a summer cruise to Europe in 2024.

Six ships (plus the World Cruise) will offer cruises around Europe between the months of May and October 2024.

The new sailings are available to book via Royal Caribbean's website.

Royal Caribbean talks Icon of the Seas launch

Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas launch was a huge success, and we talked with Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider about what went right.

After months of speculation and barely any information, Royal Caribbean provided information on what Icon of the Seas will look like, where it will sail from, and important information about what guests can expect in terms of fun things to do.

This exclusive interview shares a look at what Royal Caribbean has planned for Icon of the Seas, and what's still to come.

We're back with a new live blog and this time it's on Odyssey of the Seas for an 8-night Southern Caribbean cruise.

With the Thanksgiving holiday being a week off of school for my kids, it's all to tempting a time to book a cruise. We've done Thanksgiving cruises in the past, and decided to once again give it a go this year.

Our cruise visits:

• Labadee
• La Romana, Dominican Republic
• Aruba
• Curacao

Odyssey sails from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, so we drove down from Orlando the night before and stayed in an Airbnb prior to boarding today.

Arriving at Port Everglades, Odyssey was docked at Terminal 18, but parking is at Terminal 19. I dropped the kids, wife, and luggage off first at the port, and then drove to the parking lot. It's a very short walk back.

Check-in might have been the fastest check-in I've had in Port Everglades ever. We got through the check-in process in minutes with no wait at all.

We waited perhaps 10 minutes and then boarding began.

Once onboard, we headed up to Teppanyaki to make dining reservations. Any specialty restaurant can book any other specialty restaurant.

We have the unlimited dining package for this sailing, so with any dining package, you must wait to make a reservation until once you get onboard.

I picked Teppanyaki as the restaurant to go to for making reservations for two reasons:

1. The hibachi reservation system always seems more contrived than others, so being in the restaurant helps
2. It's on deck 14, which meant it would not be as busy as the specialty restaurants closer to the boarding area.

Sure enough, there was no one there and I was able to book dining reservations for every day of the cruise with plenty of seating times available.  If you have a dining package, it's important to make reservations as soon as you board the ship for optimal times.

Next up was lunch, and the kids wanted to go to Playmakers.

Since it was early, we were among the first people there and had no trouble getting a table. 

Food was great, and we were able to cover our meal with the $20 per adult dining credit my wife and I had.

After lunch, I saw there was badminton in the SeaPlex, so I took my youngest daughter to play. She needs lots more practice, but it was fun to hit a few volleys.

The cabins were ready right around 1pm, so we headed there next.

For this cruise, we have connecting balcony cabins on deck 11. Connecting rooms are always our choice for cruising with kids because we get separation from the kids and the extra bathroom makes a huge difference.

After doing a few cruises on older ships, it's so nice to be back in a cabin that has lots of storage space and plenty of outlets.

Our next stop was Adventure Ocean to register the kids. My oldest daughter has begun to feel she's "aged out" of Adventure Ocean, but even she admits the new Adventure Ocean on the new ships is interesting.

We then took the opportunity to go up to the pool deck to get some fresh air and a cocktail. While cloudy, the air temperature was very comfortable so it made for the perfect feel for being outdoors and not sweating profusely, which is a rare occurrence in Florida.

Sail away wasn't until 5pm, so we went back to the room to unpack. Luckily, all of our luggage was waiting by the door.

Dinner was at Giovanni's Italian Kitchen, which is the updated version of the specialty restaurant. This means it not only has a different look than other restaurants, but it features a new menu as well.

My kids really liked this version when we sailed on Wonder of the Seas, so they were excited to go back.

The food did not disappoint, and we ran into the same waiter I had at Giovanni's on both Wonder and Odyssey inaugural sailings. It's great when you see crew members that you remember from past cruises and they remember you.

I enjoy the combination of pizzas, pastas, and various entrees to choose from on this menu. Having all these choices makes it a better experience.

After dinner, my wife and I went down to the casino for a little bit before meeting up with friends for evening drinks.

We started off in the Diamond Lounge and then migrated to the pub to see the guitarist this week. 

I didn't recognize the guitarist from other sailings, so we'll see what his style is like performing.

Tomorrow is a sea day.

Stray Observations

Our complimentary water for being Diamond Plus guests is clearly leftover water supply from Europe.

No Starlink yet on Odyssey, but it had the faster Voom to begin with, so no major loss either.

Captain told us we would be delayed about 30 minutes leaving Port Everglade due to additional time needed to take on provisions and luggage.