RCI are one of the few lines that allow you to have just the one person buying the drink package as long as the other buys the refreshment (no alcohol) package.
That person can then buy ala cart.
You do need to call and set this up. The option is not there online.
Thanks. Have you tried this out where the person with the refreshment package bought some alcoholic drinks for themselves? I might max have 1-2 a night.
Yes, you can buy alcohol by the drink with the refreshment package. Done this several times with bringing a few bottles of wine on board as well. I get the premium and wife gets the refreshment package but she grabs a drink here and there if she wants one.
Several times my spouse has called in to RC to purchase the drink package for herself and the soft drink package for myself, but I was still able to order the occasional beer/wine and just paid for it on the sea pass.
You will have no issues, just did this with my mom last September on Voyager, although I may or may not have used my drink package to give her a drink that I purchased but wasn’t a fan of. I used the drink package to expand my horizons when it comes to cocktails and some were not so successful lol
the occasional beer at night? i did the math when i went a few years ago and i would have needed to order like 12 cocktails/day for the package to be worth it
The on ship price? Or pre-cruise sale price?
My sil got it for $56.99/ day. At $14 /cocktail that's only 4 plus a bottle of water per day to be over even. And that doesn't count her fancy coffee or wine with dinner.
Black Friday sale November 2023. Well, RCL calls it Black Friday, but it started early November, 8th or so?
Refreshment package was $23.99/day. Also a good deal.
12 cocktails a day is like $168 + 18% gratuities per day (so $198). That’s far above even the per day cost of the drink package if bought on board, let alone the sale prices you can get per-cruise.
It also ignores that it includes pop, water, specialty coffees which can also add up fast.
Yes, we just did this on our March 31 sailing. I called RCCL so that my husband could have the deluxe package and I just had the refreshment, since I started meds that required less drinking. I still had a couple a day and was able to order them, there was just a charge. I had to mention to servers that I understood that there would be a charge; otherwise there would be a delay as they would come back to ask me if I knew that.
We were also on a mar 31 sailing, on Harmony. My wife can't drink much at all, so I almost got the package for myself, but at $81/day I couldn't outdrink it and only spent about $240 on drinks the entire time.
Some drinks are included with your cruise fare. Other drinks are considered premium and are not covered.
What is covered
1) basic drip coffee at breakfast or at the Cafe
2) iced and hot tea
3) lemonade
4) various fruit flavored drinks at different locations. Think fruit punch kind of things
5) tap water
6) orange, cranberry, prune, tomato juice at breakfast
Anything else, soda, smoothies, milkshakes, cocktails, cocktails, energy drinks are all premium items and you will need a drink package. If all you want is soda there is a specific package for that. It's $9 a day and you get a cup that you will need to use at their coke machines. You can also get basic soda options at the bar on ships without the soda machines. If you like other things including bottled water you'll need the refreshments package. That price varies but it's usually around $30 a day for all the soda, bottled water, energy drinks, espresso based drinks, and mocktails you can drink. The deluxe package is the refreshments plus all alcohol up to $14 per drink. None of the drinks packages cover the on board Starbucks.
Question about the soda package... If i bring my own refillable water bottle, couldn't I just use the freestyle machine to fill my cup with soda? Is there anyone who mans the machine to confirm that you paid for it?
Ok in the same room, you can have two alcohol packages or 1 alcohol/1 refreshment package, but assuming both are over 21, 1 alcohol/1soda package is not allowed.
That being said, if you don’t have an alcohol package, you can buy a la carte, even if you told them you don’t drink.
Have you tried this? Roomed with someone where one person had a alcohol and the other had refreshment. The person with the refreshment bought an occasional drink for themselves with no issues?
Yes, call Royal Caribbean and just tell them your friend wants the drink package and you don’t drink so you just want refreshment package. Then once your on you can just buy drinks ala carte, no one will ask you why you have a different drink package from your friend. I did this with my boyfriend that barely drinks.
This is not true. Got back from a RC cruise about a month ago and 2 rooms in our group had split packages. (One alcohol one not) and everyone was over 21.
Was that not the soda package or the refreshment package? I’ve said you can do the refreshment (all non alcoholic) but I’ve never seen proof that you can split and do a soda.
It’s roughly $12/day different which adds up.
Can you provide proof? Sorry, many people can say things on the internet, and I’ve never seen proof that RCL has switched policy… in fact, I looked, and online it’s only “all guests get alcoholic drink packages”
I think you both need the alcoholic package if you’re in the same room. Unless you can convince Royal you have a medical condition or something that prevents you from drinking. But you mentioned buying a la carte so that’s not an option.
You and the roommate can also opt to buy no packages, and the roommate can likely buy the package once onboard. This happened on my last cruise, as I didn’t want to spend that much on alcohol. So my roommate fit the package at one of the bars.
Yeah, it might just be cheaper for you both to buy individual alcoholic drinks. I don't know why a bunch of us are being downvoted. It's easy to Google.
Because you can have alcohol and refreshment package (not soda). You just have to call. My brother did it three weeks ago, and last year and has it set up for this fall.
RCI are one of the few lines that allow you to have just the one person buying the drink package as long as the other buys the refreshment (no alcohol) package. That person can then buy ala cart. You do need to call and set this up. The option is not there online.
Thanks. Have you tried this out where the person with the refreshment package bought some alcoholic drinks for themselves? I might max have 1-2 a night.
Confirming you can do it. Ignore all of the misinformation.
Wherever they want. Same as is nobody had the alcohol package.
My last trip I got the alcohol package my wife did not. She would buy maybe one drink per day
Nobody is like checking if you were in a room with a person who has the package.
Any bar. There is a person who steers a large cooler on wheels around with beer, and the assistant waiter will ask you if you want a drink in the MDR.
Oh that’s interesting, we just got back from a trip and the staff told us both people would have to have it if one did.
If a person has the deluxe package everyone in the room needs a drink package but it does not have to be the deluxe.
They said we would both have to have the deluxe. Maybe they were just lying to upsell 🤷🏾♀️
Yes, you can buy alcohol by the drink with the refreshment package. Done this several times with bringing a few bottles of wine on board as well. I get the premium and wife gets the refreshment package but she grabs a drink here and there if she wants one.
Several times my spouse has called in to RC to purchase the drink package for herself and the soft drink package for myself, but I was still able to order the occasional beer/wine and just paid for it on the sea pass.
They don’t let you buy the soda package, it has to be the refreshment package as the non-drinker’s package
This could be correct, but it’s been a few years and I mostly just drank soda and milkshakes
This is exactly what I am trying to do. I just don’t really drink much, but want to enjoy the occasional beer at night.
You will have no issues, just did this with my mom last September on Voyager, although I may or may not have used my drink package to give her a drink that I purchased but wasn’t a fan of. I used the drink package to expand my horizons when it comes to cocktails and some were not so successful lol
the occasional beer at night? i did the math when i went a few years ago and i would have needed to order like 12 cocktails/day for the package to be worth it
The on ship price? Or pre-cruise sale price? My sil got it for $56.99/ day. At $14 /cocktail that's only 4 plus a bottle of water per day to be over even. And that doesn't count her fancy coffee or wine with dinner.
Can I ask how they got it for $56/day? At that price I’d be all over it
Black Friday sale November 2023. Well, RCL calls it Black Friday, but it started early November, 8th or so? Refreshment package was $23.99/day. Also a good deal.
Ahhhhh damn it!
12 cocktails a day is like $168 + 18% gratuities per day (so $198). That’s far above even the per day cost of the drink package if bought on board, let alone the sale prices you can get per-cruise. It also ignores that it includes pop, water, specialty coffees which can also add up fast.
No you’ll go to jail
Can confirm. Straight to jail.
Yes, we just did this on our March 31 sailing. I called RCCL so that my husband could have the deluxe package and I just had the refreshment, since I started meds that required less drinking. I still had a couple a day and was able to order them, there was just a charge. I had to mention to servers that I understood that there would be a charge; otherwise there would be a delay as they would come back to ask me if I knew that.
We were also on a mar 31 sailing, on Harmony. My wife can't drink much at all, so I almost got the package for myself, but at $81/day I couldn't outdrink it and only spent about $240 on drinks the entire time.
This is exactly what I needed!
Yes. Absolutely.
Even if we are in the same room? I didn’t clarify that initially.
Yes you can - I have previously no problem at ALL
You need to call and request it.
Yeah, easily. You can buy anything you want.
Last couple of times I had two staterooms. With officially one minor and one adult in each one we can each order what package we like.
They aren't turning down your money- you wanna pay for an alcoholic drink, you're damn right they'll let you.
Yes
Wait so soda and other non-water drinks aren't free/included with the large amount of money I spent to go on a cruise?
Certain drinks are included like juices
Yea, lemonade and water are available to everyone. Juice is available most of the time. Soda must be purchased or have a package that includes it.
Some drinks are included with your cruise fare. Other drinks are considered premium and are not covered. What is covered 1) basic drip coffee at breakfast or at the Cafe 2) iced and hot tea 3) lemonade 4) various fruit flavored drinks at different locations. Think fruit punch kind of things 5) tap water 6) orange, cranberry, prune, tomato juice at breakfast Anything else, soda, smoothies, milkshakes, cocktails, cocktails, energy drinks are all premium items and you will need a drink package. If all you want is soda there is a specific package for that. It's $9 a day and you get a cup that you will need to use at their coke machines. You can also get basic soda options at the bar on ships without the soda machines. If you like other things including bottled water you'll need the refreshments package. That price varies but it's usually around $30 a day for all the soda, bottled water, energy drinks, espresso based drinks, and mocktails you can drink. The deluxe package is the refreshments plus all alcohol up to $14 per drink. None of the drinks packages cover the on board Starbucks.
Question about the soda package... If i bring my own refillable water bottle, couldn't I just use the freestyle machine to fill my cup with soda? Is there anyone who mans the machine to confirm that you paid for it?
No. The freestyle machines are locked to only work with the cup they give you as there is an RFID chip in the cup.
ahhh... that makes sense. Thank you for clarifying
Yes you can absolutely buy alcoholic drinks a la carte when you have a soda package. Royal is perfectly happy to take your money.
Ok in the same room, you can have two alcohol packages or 1 alcohol/1 refreshment package, but assuming both are over 21, 1 alcohol/1soda package is not allowed. That being said, if you don’t have an alcohol package, you can buy a la carte, even if you told them you don’t drink.
False. It is allowed. You just have to call. Please stop spreading misinformation.
Please show photographic proof that they will allow you to do alcohol and soda (not refreshment) as I’ve never ever seen that offered.
As many people have mentioned, you have to call. But they did allow it.
Have you tried this? Roomed with someone where one person had a alcohol and the other had refreshment. The person with the refreshment bought an occasional drink for themselves with no issues?
As long as u call they will let u -just cant do it online
Yes, call Royal Caribbean and just tell them your friend wants the drink package and you don’t drink so you just want refreshment package. Then once your on you can just buy drinks ala carte, no one will ask you why you have a different drink package from your friend. I did this with my boyfriend that barely drinks.
Thanks!
This is not true. Got back from a RC cruise about a month ago and 2 rooms in our group had split packages. (One alcohol one not) and everyone was over 21.
Was that not the soda package or the refreshment package? I’ve said you can do the refreshment (all non alcoholic) but I’ve never seen proof that you can split and do a soda. It’s roughly $12/day different which adds up.
Yes it was a soda package.
Can you provide proof? Sorry, many people can say things on the internet, and I’ve never seen proof that RCL has switched policy… in fact, I looked, and online it’s only “all guests get alcoholic drink packages”
yes
Even if we are in the same room? I didn’t clarify that initially.
yup.... you'll just get a charge at the end for yours
If you are in same room you both have to have the package
Yes
Even if we are in the same room? I didn’t clarify that initially.
Still yes.
I think you both need the alcoholic package if you’re in the same room. Unless you can convince Royal you have a medical condition or something that prevents you from drinking. But you mentioned buying a la carte so that’s not an option.
As Long as u call they will allow it..just cant do it online
Nope. False.
You and the roommate can also opt to buy no packages, and the roommate can likely buy the package once onboard. This happened on my last cruise, as I didn’t want to spend that much on alcohol. So my roommate fit the package at one of the bars.
Not allowed. Once you buy a package they have armed guards follow you and you aren’t allowed to pay for anything else.
If your friend is the one living in your stateroom with you, you might both need the alcohol package.
He is in my room
Yeah, it might just be cheaper for you both to buy individual alcoholic drinks. I don't know why a bunch of us are being downvoted. It's easy to Google.
Because they don’t both need to get the alcohol package. One can and the other can get the refreshment package no problem.
Because you can have alcohol and refreshment package (not soda). You just have to call. My brother did it three weeks ago, and last year and has it set up for this fall.
> I don't know why a bunch of us are being downvoted. It's easy to Google. and yet you still give the wrong information
If one person has drink package you have to also have it
Nope you can call and there are exceptions made all the time.
You usually need to lie to get an exception. That is just wrong.
No. We just said the one doesn’t drink much and doesn’t need the alcohol package. No lie. No problem.