< img width="1200"height=" 630 "src=" https://www.tastyitinerary.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Royal-Caribbeans-Drink-Package-Policy-Just-Got-Stricter.webp "alt ="2 hands holding beverages, one mango smoothie and one mojito with mint, raised in a toast by the pool deck of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship on a sunny day."/ > PinPin Subscribe now to get our Cruise Planning Guide and the latest updates! Royal Caribbean has changed its beverage package policy and has actually gotten rid of an exception numerous cruisers have relied on
for many years. As of August 1, 2025, if one adult in a stateroom purchases the Deluxe Beverage Package, every other grownup of legal age because cabin need to buy it too. The previous option for a non-drinking visitor to request a Refreshment Bundle or Soda Plan rather is no longer offered.
For years, visitors might call Royal Caribbean and request this exception for health, religious, or individual reasons. The cruise line states those requests increased substantially, and in many cases, individuals were sharing beverages, which has actually constantly been against policy. Generally, individuals were taking advantage. Now, the business has removed the exception to make the guideline constant.
This modification strikes hard for couples or good friends traveling together when only one individual drinks alcohol. If your partner is a recuperating alcoholic, for instance, and you decide you want an unrestricted beverage plan, you are now forced to buy it for both of you. Formerly, that non-drinking guest could merely acquire a Drink Package and save numerous dollars on a seven-night cruise. That option is gone.
If you are uncertain the Deluxe Beverage Bundle deserves it, you still have options. You can avoid it completely and pay per drink, expect pre-cruise sales that bring the cost down, or use loyalty benefits like Diamond drink coupons and day-to-day bar specials.
You and your cabinmate can likewise both purchase the Refreshment Package if you choose non-alcoholic choices, but you can no longer mix one Beverage Bundle with one Deluxe Drink Bundle in the very same cabin.
Royal Caribbean is not the first cruise line to enforce this guideline across the board, but it is a huge shift for visitors who were utilized to having that versatility. If you are booking a cruise, keep this in mind, particularly if not everyone in your cabin drinks.
If you’re considering the beverage package, our Drink Bundle Calculator can help you run the numbers before you purchase.
Meet Kathy Ava, a food, travel, and cruise writer based in Los Angeles/Pasadena, and the owner and primary author of Tasty Itinerary. With over 20 years of experience planning trips and logistics at her full-time task and for herself, she’s ended up being a pro at crafting extraordinary delicious itineraries. She’s constantly on the hunt for delicious, fun travel destinations and cruise travel plans. She strongly thinks that life is brief and we must make the most of it, so always state yes to dessert.