Straightforward Guide to Royal Caribbean Drink Packages

What are the Royal Caribbean Drink Packages? In this 2025-2026 guide, we’ll cover Royal Caribbean Beverage Packages and what they include.

Your cruise fare covers basics like water, coffee, tea, milk, and juices at breakfast. For more, Royal Caribbean offers three packages: Classic Soda, Refreshment, and Deluxe. There are also extras like bottled water packages and a specialty coffee card.

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I usually go with the Refreshment Package, which takes care of my morning lattes, bottled water for port days, and mocktails by the pool. For some, the Deluxe Beverage Package makes more sense if you plan to order multiple alcoholic drinks a day.

Royal Caribbean Beverage Packages Available

• Classic Soda Package: Unlimited Coca-Cola fountain sodas with a souvenir cup for the Freestyle machines.
• Refreshment Package: Everything in the soda package plus bottled still and sparkling water, premium coffees and teas, fresh juices, mocktails, smoothies, and milkshakes at Johnny Rockets.
• Deluxe Beverage Package: All alcoholic drinks (cocktails, beer, wine by the glass, spirits, liqueurs) plus everything in the Refreshment Package. You also get discounts on bottles of wine.
• Evian Water Package: Order 12 or 24 bottles of Evian to be delivered to your stateroom.
• Café Select Coffee Card: A punch card for 15 specialty coffees at select onboard cafes.

Important Notes:

• Royal Caribbean drink packages with alcohol are only available to guests 21 and over (18 on select international sailings).
• Prices are dynamic and vary by sailing. Discounts often appear in the Cruise Planner or app when purchased ahead of time.
• An 18% gratuity is automatically added at the time of purchase.
• If one adult in a stateroom buys the Deluxe Beverage Package, all adults of legal drinking age in that stateroom must also purchase it — no exceptions. Royal recently made this policy stricter.
• Tasty Itinerary is not affiliated with or employed by Royal Caribbean International.

Royal Caribbean Drink Packages Explained

Deluxe Beverage Package

• Retail Cost: Dynamic pricing, usually $56–$105 per person, per day, plus 18% gratuity. Discounts often show up in the Cruise Planner or app.
• Included: Cocktails, spirits, liqueurs, beer, wine by the glass, fountain sodas with a Coca-Cola Freestyle cup, premium coffees and teas, fresh juices, bottled still and sparkling water, mocktails, smoothies, and milkshakes at Johnny Rockets. 40% off bottles of wine under $100 and 20% off bottles over $100.
• Excluded: Starbucks, minibar items, room service drinks, souvenir cups, and super-premium liquors or wines above the package limit.
• Important to Know: If one adult in a stateroom buys the Deluxe Beverage Package, all adults of legal drinking age in that stateroom must also buy it — no exceptions.

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HOW MUCH DOES THE ROYAL CARIBBEAN REFRESHMENT PACKAGE COST?

Expect to pay between $29–$38 per day, plus gratuity. Like the Deluxe Package, the rate changes by sailing, and you’ll often see sales if you check the Cruise Planner before your cruise.

Can minors receive this package?

No. Only guests of legal drinking age (21 in the U.S., 18 on select international sailings) can purchase it. If one adult in a cabin buys it, all adults of legal drinking age in that cabin must also purchase it, no exceptions.

Is bottled water included?

Yes. The package covers both still and sparkling bottled water.

What happens if you order a drink over the limit?

The Deluxe Beverage Package covers drinks priced up to $14. If your drink costs more, the package applies a $14 credit toward it, and you pay only the difference — plus the 18% gratuity on that difference.

Example: If you order a $16 cocktail, $14 is covered by the package. The remaining $2, plus 18% gratuity on that $2, will be charged to your onboard account.

How many drinks can you order at once?

One drink per transaction per guest. You can order as often as you like throughout the day, but sharing is not allowed.

Refreshment Package

• Retail Cost: Dynamic pricing, usually $29–$38 per person, per day, plus 18% gratuity. Discounts often appear in the Cruise Planner or app when purchased ahead of time.
• Included: Fountain sodas with a Coca-Cola Freestyle cup, premium coffees and teas, fresh-squeezed juices, bottled still and sparkling water, mocktails, smoothies, and milkshakes at Johnny Rockets.
• Excluded: Alcoholic drinks, Starbucks beverages onboard, minibar items, and room service drinks.
• Great for: People like me who don’t drink much alcohol but still love having specialty coffee, sparkling water, and a few poolside mocktails included.

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Royal Caribbean’s onboard cafés serve Starbucks coffee drinks, which are included in the Refreshment and Deluxe Packages. Beverages purchased at the standalone Starbucks onboard are not included.

This is usually the package I choose when sailing with Royal Caribbean. It works well for us since my husband is sober, and I don’t drink enough alcohol to make the Deluxe worth it. If I want a cocktail, I pay for it à la carte. What we really use it for are the espresso drinks and sparkling water, which we love.

Is the Refreshment Package worth it?

If you don’t drink alcohol but still want specialty coffee, bottled water, and mocktails, this package is a solid value. On my cruises, it easily pays for itself with just a couple of coffees and bottled waters each day, plus the bonus of smoothies or mocktails.

Can minors purchase this package?

Yes. The Refreshment Package is available to guests of any age. It’s a popular choice for kids, teens, or anyone who doesn’t drink alcohol but wants more than soda.

Is bottled water included?

Yes. The package covers both still and sparkling bottled water.

Classic Soda Package

• Retail Cost: Around $12.99 per person, per day, plus 18% gratuity.
• Included: Unlimited fountain sodas at any bar or restaurant onboard, plus a Coca-Cola Freestyle souvenir cup for use at the soda machines.
• Excluded: Bottled sodas, bottled water, mocktails, Starbucks, and energy drinks.
• Great for: Kids, teens, or anyone who mainly drinks soda on a cruise.

Is the Classic Soda Package worth it?

It depends on how much soda you drink. At about $3.50 per soda onboard, you’d need to drink at least four a day to break even. For kids and teens who refill often at the Freestyle machines, it usually pays for itself.

Other Drink Options on Royal Caribbean

Evian Water Package: Delivered to your stateroom in packs of 12 or 24 one-liter bottles. A good option if you want bottled water on hand for excursions or don’t want to rely on filtered tap water. If you already have the Refreshment or Deluxe Package, bottled water is included.

Café Select Coffee Card – A prepaid punch card for 15 espresso-based drinks like lattes, cappuccinos, or iced coffees at select onboard cafés. Handy if you plan to order specialty coffee but don’t want to commit to a full beverage package.

Side-by-Side Comparison of Royal Caribbean Beverage Packages

Drink Prices on Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean’s drink prices can help you decide if a package is worth it or if paying per drink makes more sense. Here’s a breakdown of the current onboard prices (before the automatic 18% gratuity is added):

• Cocktails: Most are $13–$15 each across the fleetwide and specialty bar menus.
• Beer: Regular domestic and imports are $7.49–$8.99.
• Wines by the glass: Standard wines run $9.99–$13.99, with premium selections going $15–$25.
• Spirits: Standard liquors (vodka, rum, gin, tequila, whiskey) are typically $9.99–$13.99. Premium pours range higher, $15–$30+, depending on the brand.
• Non-alcoholic drinks: Mocktails are $7.00–$8.00, fountain soda $3.50, bottled water $3.25–$4.25, specialty coffees $4.25–$5.50.
• Starbucks: Specialty espresso and cold drinks are generally $4.25–$7.25.

Estimate Your Royal Caribbean Drink Costs

Not sure which drink package is right for you? Use our cruise drink package calculator to see if one of Royal Caribbean’s beverage packages makes sense, or if paying as you go is the better choice.

This will help you compare the cost of the Deluxe, Refreshment, and Classic Soda Packages against what you’d typically spend onboard. You may find that you won’t drink enough to justify the cost of any package, making à la carte pricing the smarter option.

Cruise Drink Package Calculator

Things to Know About Royal Caribbean Drink Packages

PinDrinks at CocoCay

Drink packages do go on sale

Royal Caribbean often discounts them in the Cruise Planner before your sailing, sometimes by 20–40% off the onboard price. It’s worth checking regularly, if not daily, after you book. If the price drops after purchasing a package, you can cancel and repurchase at the lower rate.

Local sales tax applies while in port

When the ship is docked, some ports (like Florida and Texas) charge local sales tax on drinks. This applies even if you have a drink package. Taxes disappear once the ship sails into international waters.

Drink packages work on Royal’s private islands

The Deluxe, Refreshment, and Classic Soda Packages are all valid at Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee.

No daily limit, but one drink per order

You can order as many drinks as you want throughout the day, but only one per transaction. The Deluxe Package covers drinks up to $14 each; if your drink costs more, you just pay the difference. Sharing isn’t allowed.

If one adult buys the Deluxe, all adults in the cabin must too

No exceptions. As of 2025, every adult of legal drinking age in the same stateroom is required to purchase the Deluxe Beverage Package if one person does.

Each package comes with a souvenir cup

Every Soda, Refreshment, and Deluxe Package includes a Coca-Cola® Freestyle souvenir cup. You’ll use it at the Freestyle machines around the ship. If you lose it, a replacement costs $9.95 from the bar manager.

For official terms and details, visit Royal Caribbean’s beverage package FAQs and the Deluxe Beverage Package terms PDF.

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Meet Kathy Ava, a food, travel, and cruise writer based in Los Angeles/Pasadena, and the owner and main writer of Tasty Itinerary. With over 20 years of experience planning trips and logistics at her full-time job and for herself, she’s become a pro at crafting unforgettable tasty itineraries. She’s always on the hunt for delicious, fun travel destinations and cruise itineraries. She firmly believes that life is short and we must make the most of it, so always say yes to dessert.

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