Guests booked on Quantum of the Seas to Alaska this season will have to forgo scheduled glacier visits.

Royal Caribbean notified guests booked on Quantum of the Seas this season that due to "a speed limitation caused by a technical issue with one of the ship’s engines", planned visits to Dawes Glacier have been cancelled.

Thus far, the August 1, 8, and 15 cruises are impacted.

Dawes Glacier is famous for its 600 foot tall, half-mile wide active icecap. It's one of the major highlights of an Alaska cruise.

Royal Caribbean did not disclose what the engine issue is exactly.

Quantum of the Seas is sailing 7-night Alaska cruises from Seattle.

While the engine issue is not a major problem, it will require itineraries to be adjusted. Primarily, Royal Caribbean has adjusted some arrival and departure times in Alaska and British Columbia.

"As a result, we’ve replaced our visit to Skagway, Alaska with Ketchikan, Alaska on Wednesday, shifted our visit to Sitka, Alaska to Thursday, and we’ll no longer visit Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier on Friday. We’re terribly sorry for any inconvenience caused by this, but the safety and comfort of our guests and crew is always our top priority."

Depending on the itinerary, times and ports of call are being adjusted, such as dropping Skagway or replacing it with Ketchikan.

The cruise line is offering compensation due to the loss of Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier from the itinerary.

• $75 USD for Interior and Ocean View staterooms
• $100 USD for Balcony staterooms
• $200 USD for Suites

If at the end of the cruise you there is a remaining amount left over, it will be refunded to the card on file.

Cruise ship propulsion problems not uncommon

While unsettling, engine problems are not unheard of in the industry.

In just the last few years, both Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas had engine issues that restricted their speeds. Allure in particular had propulsion issues in 2019, 2017, and 2013.

Fellow Quantum Class ship Anthem of the Seas had an issue with her azipod in 2016.

It's important to note that a propulsion problem is not a safety concern for guests sailing.

Reader reaction

No one is ever happy when a scheduled port visit has to be dropped, and cruise fans shared their dismay on the RoyalCaribbeanBlog message boards.

smokeybandit wrote, "I wonder what the decision point was between cancelling a couple cruise to fix the issue vs. taking away one of the most sought after aspects of an Alaskan cruise and handing out OBC to just sail with a busted engine."

Tom Trudnowski thinks dropping a visit to the glacier removes the primary appeal of an Alaska cruise, "the only reason you pretty much book an Alaska cruise, is to cruise the inside passage and see the glaciers, everything else is secondary, if important at all."

D Alt recognized this issue as something that can happen to any sailing, "These things happen. Mechanical equipment needs repair from time to time and they can't always predict when something is going to break down."

Construction for Royal Caribbean's next Oasis Class cruise ship has reached a major milestone.

At the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, the keel was layed for Utopia of the Seas.

A keel-laying ceremony was held for the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered Oasis Class cruise ship.  Utopia will be the second Royal Caribbean cruise ship to be powered by LNG, following Icon of the Seas.

Keel-laying is a very important milestone because it signifies the official start of physical construction.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley talked about the importance of this occasion, "The keel laying for Utopia of the Seas represents the first milestone of an incredible ship and the next step toward a bolder, thrilling future for Royal Caribbean and vacations."

"Utopia’s debut in 2024, on the heels of Icon of the Seas setting sail in fall 2023, will build on a new, exciting chapter that is set to redefine family vacations and getaways for all ages in ways we’ll soon reveal."

"Today, we are celebrating with Royal Caribbean International an important tradition and milestone for Utopia of the Seas" said Laurent Castaing, General Manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique.

"The construction of Utopia is an exciting opportunity for the Chantiers de l’Atlantique teams that are aiming to make this cruise ship one of the most environmentally friendly ships in the world equipped with new generation dual-fuel engines."

Utopia of the Seas will be Royal Caribbean's sixth Oasis Class cruise ship, and final Oasis Class ship that they currently have on order. Royal Caribbean has been cagey about confirming they will not order another Oasis Class ship.

Utopia of the Seas is scheduled to enter service in spring 2024.

Royal Caribbean believes having Utopia powered by LNG is an important step forward in its commitment to the environment.

The ship’s LNG technology will join a lineup of the cruise line’s already-established environmentally friendly initiatives on its ships. From shore power connection to waste heat recovery systems, the applications have been developed and continually enhanced as part of Royal Caribbean’s dedication to innovation and making strides toward a clean-energy future.

Royal Caribbean kicked off its July 4th sale for pre-cruise purchases with a new offer that runs through the holiday weekend.

The Fourth of July sale applies to new purchases made , June 29, 2022 – Wednesday, July 6, 2022.

The sale includes sailings that depart between July 3, 2022 – April 30, 2023.

It's important to note that just because there is a Cruise Planner sale doesn't mean the prices of items you see has gone down. Cruise add-on prices aren't marketed the same as apparel or electronics, where prices are marked down across the board.

Here is what is included during the sale:

Beverage: Up to 40% off

• Classic Soda Beverage Package: 30% Off onboard prices
• Classic Soda Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Over 30% Off onboard prices
• Spring Water Cans: 40% off onboard prices.
• San Benedetto Water Cans: 40% off onboard prices.
• Evian Water Bottles: 40% off onboard prices.
• Deluxe Beverage Package: 30% Off onboard prices
• Deluxe Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Discount varies by ship. 
• Refreshment Package: Discount varies by ship. 

Shore Excursions: Up to 25% off

• Shore Excursions: Discount varies by ship.

Internet: Up to 50% Off

• VOOM Surf + Stream Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship. 
• VOOM Surf Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship.

Dining: Up to 50% Off

• Unlimited Dining Package on 3N – 9N sailings: Discount varies by ship. 

Gifts & Gear: Up to 20% Off

• Anniversary Decorations with Champagne
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Chocolate Cake & Strawberries
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Vanilla Cake & Strawberries
• Inky Beach Set
• Inky Beach Towel (TicTacToe)
• Inky Travel Set
• Red Wine and Cheese
• Royal Caribbean Beach Towel
• Strawberries with Champagne
• White Wine and Cheese

Photo Packages: Up to 70% Off

• Photo Packages: From 5 - 100 Print and/or Digital Options: Discount varies by ship. 
• Photo Package: Private Photo Session: Discount varies by ship. 
• Photo Package: All Digital: Discount varies by ship. 

Casitas: Up to 20% Off

• Casita Packages: 20% Off Onboard Prices

To check if your sailing has this new offer available, log into the Cruise Planner on Royal Caribbean's web site look for any available offers. Keep in mind that not all sailings may see the sale applicable, nor are all offers significantly cheaper than previously posted.

If you spot a better discount on something you already pre-purchased, you should be able to cancel the purchase and then re-purchase the same item under this promotion.

More helpful information

• Should you buy pre-cruise purchases now or wait to buy it onboard?
• 45 ways to save money on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• How much should I budget for a cruise?

Will Royal Caribbean ever ban smoking? When will we get more Icon of the Seas details? Can we expect a fuel surcharge?

These were some of the questions Royal Caribbean cruise fans asked President and CEO Michael Bayley during a Q&A session this week.

Royal Caribbean hosts a President's Cruise each year, and there's always an opportunity for the top executive from Royal Caribbean International to take questions from its loyal cruisers.

There's usually an assortment of questions, gripes, suggestions, and compliments included each time, and a few of the questions were intriguing to a wide audience.

In addition to talking about when pre-cruise testing and vaccine requirements might come to an end, Mr. Bayley touched on a few other hot button topics.

Here's what Mr. Bayley had to say when asked some of the top questions.

Will Royal Caribbean ever ban smoking in the casinos?

Royal Caribbean temporarily banned smoking in its casinos earlier this year during the Omicron variant in order to implement a stricter face mask rule, but that rule was rolled back a few months later.

When asked about revising the smoking policy indoors, Mr. Bayley admitted, "smoking in the casinos is a bit of a conundrum."

"The dilemma is that there are many people who do want to smoke in the casino. I know that's not a popular response, but it's it's the truth."

"I'm not judging anyone or anything, but there's a large group of people who do want to smoke in the casino."

He explained, "Every, I would say every couple of years, we do test this and we take one or two or three ships we ban smoking in the casino. And the result is less people go in the casino and that that's the reality of it."

While a full smoking ban in the casino doesn't seem likely, Mr. Bayley said they are looking at ways to create more non-smoking areas, "we're looking at trying to create more smoke free spaces in the casino, which I think will be helpful."

Will Royal Caribbean add fuel surcharges?

While the price of oil is high, Royal Caribbean still has no plans to add a fuel surcharge to cruise guests.

"The fuel fuel bill for Royal Caribbean is, as you can imagine, it's massive and it's gone up by I don't know what the percentages, but it's a huge chunk. It's hundreds of millions of dollars."

"But at the moment, we're not planning on putting a fuel surcharge on."

The cost of West Texas Intermediate oil, a common benchmark, spiked above $120 a barrel at times this year, but has since dropped back to around $110 a barrel. That’s up from around $76 a barrel at the start of the year.

In 2008, the price of West Texas Intermediate peaked at around $146 a barrel. That’s around $192 in today’s dollars, adjusted for inflation.

Mr. Bayley did admit, the issue is still up in the air, "We try to understand what the implications are of a fuel surcharge."

"I'd say we don't know. We've all seen the uncertainty of all of these dynamics. We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow or next week or the week after."

He mentioned the fact Royal Caribbean hedges its fuel quite a bit every year, with 50% of its fuel hedged for this year and a smaller percentage for next year.

When will Royal Caribbean share more information about Icon of the Seas

It seems like everyone can't believe Royal Caribbean hasn't shared more details yet about its next new cruise ship, but everything is still under wraps for a little while longer.

Icon of the Seas is set to debut in late 2023, and Mr. Bayley was asked when they will share more information about the ship, "We are launching Icon of the Seas starting this September."

"By launching, I mean, we are we are starting to communicate. We have a whole planning program of communication, social media, marketing, TV, radio, you name it."

He echoed previous comments about how impressive this new class of ship will be, "It is the next generation of Royal Caribbean ship and we're super proud of the work we've been working on for five years."

"It follows a normal formula of tradition, evolution, revolution."

"So there's much of Icon of the Seas is everything we all love about Royal Caribbean, much of Icon of the Seas is the next generation of thinking for many of the things that we really love about Royal Caribbean."

"And there's a chunk of stuff that we've never done before which is really going to be super cool."

The Pearl

Michael Bayley was pretty good at keeping all the Icon of the Seas details under wraps, until he accidently let slip the name of that mystery sphere we've seen photos of for months.

A guest wanted to know what the "big white ball" was, and Mr. Bayley immediately responded, "the Pearl?"

When someone pointed out he said it, he responded, "I know, but I did it by accident.

Royal Caribbean filed for a trademark for the phrase, "The Pearl" earlier this month.

Will double points promotion return?

One guest wanted to know if Royal Caribbean would ever bring back its double points promotion, which allows guests to get double the usual points per night of the cruise in the Crown and Anchor Society customer loyalty program.

"I'm so tempted to say yes. But I got to tell you our Pinnacle members are not such advocates for the idea."

He then joked, "I know it's very popular and you've got to cling onto it as a memory."

"Unreasonable and unfair" treatment during pandemic

Twice during the session, Mr. Bayley was asked about what it was like during the cruise industry shutdown as a result of Covid.

"I've got to be honest with media, particularly in the beginning of the pandemic... we felt like we couldn't get a break."

"It's like we were responsible for COVID."

"Relentlessly reporting was always, always negative about about the industry and Royal Caribbean. I don't think we ever saw a positive article."

"Even on the crewing situation, where we were working night and day to get our crew home, we just received criticism for the current situation."

He went on to say, "At the beginning of the pandemic...the cruise industry was generally regarded as the bad actor, which I have to tell you was totally unreasonable and unfair."

Before you can get on a Royal Caribbean cruise, you may have to fly to your destination city and air travel is anything but simple these days.

Likely you've seen headlines about air travel chaos that is affecting airlines around the world. There were over 19,000 cancelled flights in the U.S. this past weekend alone.

Whether its bad weather, air traffic control, staffing issues or reduced security personnel, you should expect problems when flying this summer.

While these issues are problematic, it doesn't mean it's impossible to get to your cruise ship either. In fact, there are some good strategies for ensuring your movement between home and where your ship sails from encounters minimal issues.

An unnamed flight attendant penned a post on Facebook that has been shared thousands of times, and it lists 20 tips for dealing with air travel this summer.

I found many of these tips to be good pieces of travel advice, so in an effort to get the word out there, here are two air travel tips you should know about if you plan to fly to your cruise ship anytime soon.

1.  If its less than 7 hours - drive!

I'm not kidding. There is nothing enjoyable about flying right now. On any airline. If you must fly, keep reading. 

2. Download and use the app of the airline you are flying

You can do everything on it - get your boarding pass, track your bags, see your incoming plane, and change a flight. It sure beats waiting in the long line to talk to an agent! Trust me - Usually these apps will tell you a flight is cancelled before the crew even knows! 

3. Fly much earlier than you need to - a whole day early if its important!

This week I saw many people miss important things like weddings, funerals, cruises, international connections, and graduations. The tears were very real, for very real reasons, and there was nothing I could do! I

f you have to be somewhere, spend the extra money, go a day early. Have a glass of wine and stay in a hotel, enjoy your night not being stressed while everyone else misses their events. 

Read more: Why you shouldn't fly to your cruise the same day it begins

4. Always fly the first flight in the morning

This way, you have all day to be rebooked if bad stuff happens. Yes, that means it might be a 3:00 alarm, but morning flights don't cancel nearly as often.

5. Summer is thunderstorm season

A single storm can shut down a whole airport. We can't fly through them. Storms usually build as the day gets later. Book early flights!

6. Schedule long layovers

Your 1 hour layover is not  enough anymore. 30 minutes, not a chance. 3 hours minimum.

7. What you see on the news is an understatement.

We are short staffed and overworked. Not just pilots and flight attendants, but also ground crews.

Without ground crews there is no one to park the planes, drive jetways, get your bags on/off planes, or scan boarding passes. This causes many delays that snowball throughout the day. Sometimes hours.(Another reason morning flights are best!)  

8. When flight crews get delayed we time out

We can not fly longer than 16 hours. Its illegal. So it doesn't matter if you have a wedding to get to, when we are done we are done.

The way things are now, there are no back up crews, so when this happens your flight cancels.

Now you are starting to see why those morning flights are best!

9. Avoid connecting in Newark (Or any New York airport for that matter)

It is literal hell. You have a 50/50 chance your flight will cancel or missing your connection. They have been cancelling flights at their starting points just to keep the planes out, because there just aren't enough people to manage the planes, so the gates stay full.

Also the restaurants are expensive, it is not a great place to be stuck. 

10. Be nice

As stated above, we are overworked and tired. We will not help you if you are mean. No one cares that you are going to miss your cruise if you are mean.

So even if we can help, we will save our help for someone nice. Tensions are high. Our patience is gone. If you make us mad - you will not be flying on our planes. We will leave you behind without a second thought, and laugh about you later. 

11. Being drunk on an airplane is a federal offense, so don't overdo it

If you drink too much at the bar waiting for your delayed flight you risk not being allowed to fly at all. We are too tired to deal with you when we have legitimate issues to deal with.

12. Get trip insurance if you have a lot of money invested

I hate the whole idea of this, but I also hate the idea of losing money.  

Example: I was working a flight yesterday that waited over an hour for a gate. A family of 8 missed their flight to Rome. The only flight of the day. They were going to a cruise which they would now miss. They were all crying, there was nothing I could do. (Also a reason to fly a day early!)

13. Flights are full

If you buy the cheap seats you will not be able to sit with your family. It says so when you purchase your ticket!

Flight Attendants aren't there to rearrange the whole plane just so you can sit with your family because you tried to save $100 on a third party website. 

14. The people that get bumped first

Speaking of third party websites and saving money..... Like I said flights are full.

If a flight is oversold, and no one volunteers to give up their seats, who do you think is the first to be bumped? You guessed it, the family that saved a few $$ by using sites like Expedia, Kayak, Hotwire etc. 

15. Pack smart

Don't be "That guy." Don't hold up boarding because you have your extenders open till they are busting and you can't figure out how to make it fit in the overhead. Passengers are stressed too, they can be aggressive when boarding a delayed flight.

16. Practice good personal hygiene

Take showers, brush your teeth, leave the perfume off, don't eat stinky food (caesar salad and tuna fish I'm talking to you!), and bring headphones.

Trust me. These things sound basic, but add to stress on crowded planes. If you are stuck on the tarmac for 3 hours after a 4 hour flight, you will thank me for this. 

17. Bring a sweater if you tend to be cold

So tired of half naked girls asking me to turn the heat up. 

18. That's not water on the bathroom floor

For the love of God wear shoes to the bathroom!

19. Don't tell a Flight Attendant they look tired

We are and we know. You may cause us to ugly cry right there in galley. 

20. Happy Travels!

How much longer will cruise ship passengers have to take a covid test before their sailing and be required to be vaccinated?

Those two questions are among the most frequently asked since cruising restarted in 2021, and it was asked of Royal Caribbean's top executive this weekend.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley took questions from cruise fans during a question and answer session while aboard Ovation of the Seas for the 2022 President's Cruise.

Here's what he had to say about both topics.

Pre-cruise testing

There has been a little bit of conjecture tied to the cruise industry looking for pre-cruise testing to be reviewed as a requirement.

"I think pre cruise testing is going to be around for another couple of months," Mr. Bayley answered.

"We obviously want it to go back to normal, but we're incredibly cognizant of our responsibilities to keep our crew, the communities and our guests safe."

He talked about the long journey the cruise lines have had with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and how initially the CDC flat out refused to talk to them.

"And they were in many ways successful in working as we were working with them in creating the protocols that allowed the industry to return last July."

How successful have these health protocols been? 

Mr. Bayley mentioned in a call with the CDC two weeks ago, the CDC shared an amazing statistic, "the cruise industry sailing out of the US ports over the past 12 months and how many people have been hospitalized with Covid and how many deaths occurred from Covid from people who'd sailed on the industry's ships, which is in the millions.

"And the number of people who died from COVID who'd sailed on ships over the past year was two."

"Two is terrible. But but but against the context of everything we've seen, that's it's truly been a remarkable success."

Vaccine requirements

So if pre-cruise testing is still "another couple of months" of away, when might the requirement for adults to be vaccinated against Covid-19 remain?

Mr. Bayley admitted it's still a big unknown, "The no vaccine question is is a huge question that none of us know the answer to."

"I'm skeptical that's going to change in the in the real short term. Many and most of the destinations that we visit require a high degree of vaccination, and they expect our crew to be vaccinated."

"So many of the destinations in the Caribbean simply don't have the kind of medical facilities and care that we've got back in the States. So they genuinely are very vulnerable. And so they're obviously very concerned."

Many unvaccinated people point out how Covid cases still pop up on the ship, and Mr. Bayley talked about that, "I understand if you're vaccinated, you can be Covid positive and all that kind of stuff. But it's the societal response to this and it's and governments have responded to it."

"We're constantly talking to different destinations. And I would say this is one of the areas where they're pretty fixed on it."

"Who knows how it's going to change as we move through the months."

Happy Sunday! Hope you are having a relaxing weekend and enjoying summer! It is time to sit back, relax, and catch up on all the recent Royal Caribbean news!

Want to sail with Royal Caribbean's CEO in 2023?

Royal Caribbean announced the date and sailing for its next President's Cruise, which will be held on Allure of the Seas on the July 23, 2023 sailing out of Galveston, Texas.

The President's Cruise is an annual event where Royal Caribbean invites its loyal members to sail together.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean updates: Jamie Oliver, executive departs, new show & more
• 10 things to do before you board Wonder of the Seas
• Alaska cruise packing list
• Should you use a park and cruise hotel package instead of parking at the cruise port?
• Guide to Royal Caribbean's coffee card package
• Beach Reads: PRIDE Month

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 458th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, featuring a review of Matt's Alaska cruise.

Matt took a 7-night cruise on Serenade of the Seas to Alaska and shares a look back at what he did and how his cruise went/

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! 

New RCB Video: What's included with your Royal Caribbean cruise fare

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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 — What's included with your Royal Caribbean cruise fare — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Read our Europe Live Blog

Have you ever taken a Royal Caribbean cruise in Europe?

We shared a day-by-day look at what it's like to sail on Anthem of the Seas from Southampton.

Read our 7-night Spain & France cruise live blog and see all the fun you can have on a 7-night cruise to France and Spain!

Royal Caribbean extends European cruise ship Covid protocols

Health protocols have been extended for European sailings that depart on or before July 31, 2022. 

The existing protocols have been extended without any notable changes to vaccine, testing and onboard health requirements.

Adventure of the Seas review & guide

Adventure of the Seas is one of the most popular cruise ships to sail on given its competitive prices and interesting itineraries.

There's a great mix of fun activities onboard, and since it's a Voyager Class ship, it has a big ship feel to it.

Here's our complete look at what you should know about sailing on Adventure of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean announced it will go to Texas for its next President's Cruise.

While onboard the 2022 President's Cruise, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley announced the dates and location for the 2023 President's Cruise.

Mr. Bayley held an impromptu poll during an event onboard Ovation of the Seas and asked for a show of hands who would vote for Allure from Galveston or a European cruise. The crowd overwhelming voted for Allure.

"You've done a great job today. We're going to sail out of Galveston, Texas," Mr. Bayley said following the vote.

It will be held on Allure of the Seas on the July 23, 2023 sailing from Galveston, Texas.

This is a 7-night western Caribbean cruise that visits Roatan, Costa Maya and Cozumel.

It should not come as a major surprise that Allure of the Seas was chosen given Royal Caribbean's new cruise terminal will be opening there in November 2022.

Terminal 3 is where Royal Caribbean's new $125 million home for Allure of the Seas and is located at Pier 10 for exclusive use by Royal Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean says it will be a state-of-the-art building that will measure 161,300 square feet.

Not only can Terminal 3 handle Oasis Class ships, it will also be able to accommodate Royal Caribbean's new Icon Class ships.

What is a President's Cruise?

Essentially, a Royal Caribbean President's Cruise is a regular sailing that anyone can book, but the appeal is for Royal Caribbean fans who want to go on a cruise together.

Hosted by the President and CEO of Royal Caribbean, it is a giant celebration of the cruise line for its loyal guests.

On past President's Cruises, there have been special events such as celebrity musicians who have performed onboard. This year's lineup includes classic rock band, "Foreigner".

Patti LaBelle & Michael Bayley on a past President's Cruise

In addition, there are surprises and commemorative opportunities for anyone onboard.

Part of the appeal of a President's Cruise is a lot of loyal Royal Caribbean fans book it, making it a kind of homecoming experience among cruise fans.

More about Allure of the Seas

• Top 10 Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas hidden secrets
• All about Oasis Class cruise ships
• 25 things you need to know for your first day on a cruise ship
• 7 things worth checking again on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• 6 things you may not have tried on a Royal Caribbean cruise

If you love having an espresso, latte, or any other brewed coffee every day on your Royal Caribbean cruise, then perhaps a coffee card package is right for you.

Royal Caribbean offers a number of drink packages that include premium coffees, but it also has a coffee card that includes a select amount of coffee drinks.

Will the coffee package save you money and is it worth it to buy?

Here's a breakdown of Royal Caribbean's Cafe Select Coffee Card and what you should know.

What does the coffee card include?

The Cafe Select Coffee Card is the name of what many people call the "coffee package" and it is essentially a punch card of drinks.

Royal Caribbean says the card includes 15 specialty espresso-based coffees that you can use during your cruise. The coffee card issued to you will have 15 punches to use.

This means for every premium coffee you order, the barista will punch a hole in the card to note how many of the drinks you've ordered.

According to Royal Caribbean, the coffee card can save up to 50% on individually purchased coffees.

The coffee card does not include coffees from Starbucks kiosks.  Instead, you can use the card at Royal Caribbean coffee locations, such as Cafe Promenade or Cafe Latte-tudes.

You can also use the card at any location onboard that serves espresso-based drinks.

You cannot use the card for any coffee drinks that include alcohol.

Punch per card or per shot?

One inconsistency with Royal Caribbean has been how the coffee cards are punched.

Some passengers report getting one hole punch per drink ordered, while others have reported getting a hole punch per espresso shot in the drink.

On the Royal Caribbean website, there's no mention of getting a hole punch per espresso shot, but you should be aware on some ships they make that distinction.

Can you share the coffee card?

Yes, unlike Royal Caribbean's other drink packages, the coffee card is not restricted to one person.

You are allowed to purchase a coffee card and allow your friends and family to utilize the card benefits. Because the card is not unlimited, Royal Caribbean doesn't care who utilizes the benefits.

How much does the coffee package cost?

The coffee card price is usually at $31 per card.

A gratuity charge is added onto the cost of the card, which covers the gratuity for all the drinks you order while onboard. This means no additional tip is required.

With gratuity, the total cost comes out to $36.58.

Keep in mind Royal Caribbean may change the price of the coffee package at any time, so prices are subject to change.

If you're wondering, a premium coffee purchased individually will run about $2.50 to $5 per drink.

Can you use the same card on different sailings if you don’t use it all at once?

No, the card is good for only the sailing you purchase it on.

Is the coffee card worth it?

Without a doubt, the coffee card will save you money on the equivalent amount of coffee purchased onboard, assuming you order all 15 coffees.

You should be aware that your Royal Caribbean cruise fare includes regular brewed coffee and tea. This card is for espresso-based beverages.

The first reason you might not want the coffee card is if you wont order enough coffees to use up all your hole punches. Since you can share the coffee card with others, it's easier to get your money's worth than with a regular drink package.

Speaking of drink packages, the question of if a coffee card is worth it may lead into the question of should you get a coffee card or another drink package.

Both the Deluxe Beverage Package and the Royal Refreshment Package include premium coffees and have no limit to how many premium coffees you can order. Moreover, they include other beverages such as alcohol, juices, sodas, and more.

Of course, one of the other drink packages will cost you significantly more than a coffee card. The deluxe beverage package can run between $50 - $90 per person, per day. You won't be able to break even on that investment on coffees alone.

If you aren't much of an alcohol drinker, then the Royal Refreshment package might be a good alternative. It includes unlimited non-alcoholic drinks, such as bottled water, coffees, teas, soda, and mocktails. 

The average cost of a Royal Refreshment package is between $29 - $38 per person, per day.

Just like the alcohol package, it still requires you to drink a fair amount of non-alcoholic drinks per day to make it worthwhile.

Ultimately, if you consider the coffee package, you should also look at the other drink packages to ensure your money is well-spent.

If you don't drink a lot of alcohol and sodas or bottled water doesn't do it for you either, then the coffee card is a good choice for those that purely want premium coffees.

Another consideration is your Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor Society status. Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Club members get complimentary drink vouchers every day of their cruise, which can be used for premium coffees.

If your cruise ship has a Starbucks kiosk onboard, you might prefer those coffees. Since Starbucks beverages from a Starbucks kiosk is not included with the coffee card, you could alternatively order your drinks there and pay as you go.

As you can see, the determination of if a coffee card is worth it really comes down to the individual person. Here's a summary of the key considerations:

• How many coffees will you drink each day of your cruise?
• How many alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks will you likely have every day of your cruise?
• Does your ship have a Starbucks kiosk?
• Would sharing coffee card benefits with another person make the investment easier?

The good news is the Royal Caribbean Cafe Select Coffee Card has the potential to save money compared to buying the same amount of drinks without the card. The question is really if you should spend the money on the coffee card or get a different drink package to better take advantage of your drinking habits.