Drink packages are one of the most expensive add-ons, costing hundreds of dollars for a weeklong cruise. Although many cruisers skip them to save money, I find that they're worth the splurge and make my vacation feel more inclusive.
Recently, my partner and I sailed aboard Icon of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, on a 7-night voyage to the Eastern Caribbean. We both have Diamond status within Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society, so we get four complimentary drinks per day.
Still, we decided to purchase the Deluxe Beverage Package for the trip, costing around $70 per person, per day, because we wanted the flexibility to enjoy cocktails by the pool, wine with dinner, and specialty coffees in the morning without checking our onboard statement.
Even with the four free Diamond drinks, we were worried about feeling restricted. The beverages can be redeemed faster than you think, especially on sea days or at Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas.
The convenience alone made the splurge worthwhile. We appreciated ordering whatever struck our fancy without debating whether we'd enjoy it or not. In fact, we loved our drink package so much that we upgraded to Celebrity's Premium Package on our cruise to Norway this summer.
Royal Caribbean has three drink packages. We bought the most expensive one
Regardless of whether you're sailing on a quick 3-night getaway to the Bahamas or a 14-night Transatlantic voyage, you're able to add a drink package to your cruise experience.
The Deluxe Beverage Package is the most expensive – and inclusive. It includes all spirits, crafted cocktails, beers, and wines by the glass valued up to $14. Additionally, you can enjoy unlimited soda, zero-proof mocktails, bottled still and sparkling water, specialty teas and coffees, Johnny Rockets shakes, and freshly squeezed juices.
If that's not enough, the package also includes a 40% discount on bottles of wine under $100 and 20% off bottles above $100 in bars and dining rooms.
Below the Deluxe Beverage Package is the Royal Refreshment Package — think of it like the Deluxe Package's younger sibling. It's ideal for those who want unlimited non-alcoholic drinks. Everything from soda to freshly squeezed juices, bottled water, and specialty coffee is included.
It's not uncommon to see the Royal Refreshment Package priced at around $30 per day on the Cruise Planner, whereas the Deluxe Beverage Package can cost upwards of $75 or $80 per person, per day.
Finally, the Classic Soda Package is the most limited of the unlimited beverage options, offering only fountain sodas. It's the most affordable package, coming in at around $10 or $11 per day when purchased in advance.
Read more: How much is a Royal Caribbean drink package?
The Deluxe Beverage Package cost $990.92 for 7 nights
Because Royal Caribbean's Deluxe Beverage Package is unlimited with no daily cap, we had the freedom to try new-to-us drinks. This was a huge deal on Icon of the Seas because Royal Caribbean concocted over 60 new drinks for this one-of-a-kind vessel.
There were many times we'd order a drink, take a sip or two, and realize it wasn't our favorite. Instead of feeling like we HAD to finish it because we wasted one of our four free drinks, we could set it aside and try something else.
For example, neither of us ever finished one of the massive frozen drinks from the new Lime & Coconut bar. While tasty, they were too sweet and melted quickly under the warm Caribbean sun.
However, because we had the unlimited drink package, we freely mixed the different flavors and enjoyed a few sips before setting them down.
Conversely, had we been restricted to our Diamond drinks, we would've been inclined to order our go-to favorites, rather than take a risk on something unfamiliar, which wouldn't have been as fun!
Aside from alcoholic beverages, we enjoyed starting each morning with a specialty latte from the Pearl Café. Although Royal Caribbean's complimentary drip coffee is fine, we prefer iced, espresso-based drinks. Plus, it's easier to ask for non-dairy options like almond milk.
Moreover, we'd typically ask for bottled water before returning to our cabin at night. This underrated perk kept us hydrated throughout the voyage and meant we didn't have to carry around bulky water bottles.
Without the drink package, non-alcoholic drinks like specialty coffee, soda, and bottled water would have counted as one of our free beverages.
We weren't concerned with breaking even
Alcoholic or non-alcoholic, we had 8 complimentary drinks per day between the two of us, so we didn't try to keep track of whether we were close to breaking even or not. At roughly $16 per cocktail, including gratuities, we would have had to order over 60 cocktails — in addition to our Diamond drinks — to justify the package's cost.
Instead, we focused on enjoying our time onboard Icon without thinking about drink prices or restricting our beverage choices. If we wanted to start our day with an iced coffee, we didn't hesitate to order one before sipping on a morning mimosa from Bubbles — everything was "worth it" with the drink package!
As such, the biggest perk was the convenience. Because we value a more inclusive cruise experience, it was easy to justify spending $1,000 on a drink package, even though we're Diamond cruisers.
Admittedly, we would have saved money without the package. Rather than ordering drinks on a whim, each beverage would have been more thought out — it wouldn't have been worth wasting a voucher or spending $14+ on something we only planned to take a few sips of!
We've taken weeklong cruises without drink packages before and have mostly stuck to our free drinks, carefully choosing when to splurge on extras to keep out-of-pocket costs down. For us, though, that defeats the purpose of relaxing and recharging.
Constantly debating whether a drink is worth it takes away from the overall carefree cruise experience. Plus, since the package was paid upfront, we didn't have to worry about going over budget while onboard.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she traveled frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas during her freshman year of high school. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
