As you’re planning your upcoming Royal Caribbean cruise, you may be looking for ways to save money on drinks while still enjoying a refreshing cocktail or soda poolside.
After all, the drinks bill can be one of the biggest expenses, especially for a family or large group.
Although the drinks packages can offer good value, it can be annoying that they are structured in a way that forces you to buy more than you maybe would need.
Such as:
- You have to buy the package for every day of your cruise
- Everyone in the stateroom has to buy the deluxe package
However, it’s important to bear in mind just because a drinks package is unlimited, doesn’t mean you have to drink an unlimited amount to get the most value.
The biggest tip I can offer is to work out how many drinks you would normally drink a day and see if the daily drinks package price saves you money.
So if each drink is $13, and you get your package for $65, anything over five drinks a day is effectively free.
Bearing in mind, some port days, even 5 drinks in a day will not be easier, especially given there are a number of other free drink options on Royal Caribbean you’ll also be drinking.
Also, check my tips for the best time to buy a Royal Caribbean drinks package, to get the best discount sale price in the first place.
However, for long cruises, where you might not want to drink every day, the drinks package can seem like an over expense, especially in port days when you’re off the ship in ports or out on excursions.
Sharing the Deluxe Royal Caribbean Drinks Package
Precisely because people shared their drinks packages in the past, Royal Caribbean brought in the rule that if one person in a stateroom buys a drinks package, everyone adult over the legal age for drinking must also buy a Deluxe Drinks Package.
If the second guest is a total nonalcoholic drinker, for instance:
- Pregnant
- Medical issues
- Religious Beliefs
Or other reasons (such as an alcoholic))
However, they will HAVE to buy a Refreshment Package instead. There is no option for one person to buy a deluxe package and the other person get single drinks.
Otherwise, everyone would start using this as a loophole.
It’s not as if there aren’t enough ways to cheat the Royal Caribbean drinks package, and sharing is just one of them.
What Prevents Me From Sharing Beverage Package On Royal Caribbean?
Firstly, if anyone in a stateroom purchases a deluxe drinks package, everyone over the legal age for drinking on a cruise ship, typically 21, but 18 years can drink on a cruise in some instances, has to buy a drinks package too.
This effectively eliminates your sharing with the people you’re staying with.
Royal Caribbean implements a 15-minute wait time between ordering drinks from your drinks package.
This stops you buying yourself and someone else a drink at the same time.
Is it Worth Planning to Share a Drinks Package?
If you are part of a larger group and perhaps staying in different rooms and thinking about only the guests in one room getting a drinks package and sharing with the other guest from another room.
Ask yourself if its not going to be too much hassle. Sure, you might get away with a couple of drinks, but are you really going to be able to relax and enjoy yourself?
Especially when you start noticing the staff might be catching on and cruise ship security about.
If anything, it complicated things when you are on vacation and should be enjoying yourself to the max.
How Strict Is Royal Caribbean With Not Sharing The Beverage Plan?
Royal Caribbean taff are trained to spot people sharing drinks.
If the staff start to notice, you consistently ordering drinks every 15 mins, or more than the average guest, they may start to keep an eye out for signs you are sharing.
If you are spotted blatantly sharing whole drinks with someone else, its likely they will contact security and you will get spoken to and possibly lose your drinks package altogether for the rest of the cruise vacation.
Can You Get Away With Sharing Your Beverage Package On Royal Caribbean?
You might be able to get away with sharing the odd drink. After all, there are a number of places you can order from around the ship.
Or perhaps you tried a drink you didn’t like and let someone else have it.
However, if you share often, you will get spotted.
Even other guests, who have paid up for their drinks, have reported other guests blatantly sharing.
Another tactic is to order drinks and then take them back to someone else in their cabin, where they can drink it unseen by staff.
However, is it really worth it, back and forth around the ship for the sake of a few drinks?
Royal Caribbean Refreshment Package Sharing
It is against Royal Caribbean Refreshment package rules to share drinks from your package.
The same rules apply as to the Deluxe Beverage package. If you are caught sharing, expect a warning and being a one step away, from losing the package all together.
Royal Caribbean Sharing Soda Package?
It is strictly against soda package rules to share any drinks from the soda package.
However, in theory, it is easier to share a soda package because not everyone in the stateroom is required to have this package.
As this level of drinks is generally cheaper, it would be easier to share and less likely spotted if its just now again and not blatant.
Does Royal Caribbean Watch To Make Sure No One Is Sharing A Drink
Yes, Royal Caribbean staff do keep eye ou for guests who might be sharing. It’s not something they turn a blind eye too.
After all, cruise lines like Royal Caribbean rely on drink sales for a portion of their profits.
Royal Caribbean Rules for Deluxe Drinks Package
All guests of legal drinking age in the same stateroom and under the same stateroom booking number are required to purchase the same alcoholic beverage package.
Royal Caribbean state:
“cannot be shared by guests.”
“Guest agrees to not provide or share drinks with other guests;”
Source: Royal Caribbean
What if Caught Sharing Deluxe Drinks Package?
If you are caught sharing drinks you purchased through your drinks package, you risk your package being canceled without refund.
a violation of this may result in cancellation of the guest’s package and guest will not receive a refund or credit of any kind.
Royal Caribbean
You effectively lose your paid-up drinks package. Obviously, the more days of your cruise left, the more you will have lost.
However, the most likely scenario is you will get a warning and told not to do it again.
If you did get caught a second time, expect to lose the drinks package for the duration of the sail.
You’d have to purchase drinks individually for the rest of the cruise.
Buying a Drink for a Friend
If you have a friend who doesn’t have a drinks package and you want to get them a drink, you should buy and pay for one individual drink.
Some people buy other guests a drink from their drinks package without asking them. In some instances, although a generous offer, it can make the other person feel uncomfortable if they don’t want to break the rules.
Ultimately drinks you purchase from your drinks package are for yourself only.
Is Sharing a Royal Caribbean Drinks Package Stealing?
Is sharing your drink package drinks with a friend who doesn’t have a package stealing?
This is something you may or may not want to consider.
In the cold light of day, it is effectively stealing.
However, its more likely to be people that dont get the full value from the drinks package, maybe they drink 2 to 3 drinks most days each, are more likely to think about finding a way to share.
Conclusion
The Royal Caribbean drinks packages offer lots of advantages, the biggest disadvantage would be if you lost it because you were caught sharing.
However, to some degree, Royal Caribbean know there will be some unseen sharing, and this is no doubt priced into the drinks and packages.
