The Deluxe Beverage Package usually pays off if you drink more than 6 to 7 alcoholic drinks a day, factoring in the 18% gratuity and daily price hikes. If you’re a light drinker, or you mostly want soda and coffee, you’re almost always better off paying as you go or picking the cheaper Refreshment Package instead.
That’s the short version. Now let’s get into the part nobody else covers well: the actual menu, the actual math, and the mistakes people make when they buy the package without checking their own drinking habits first.
What’s Actually on the Royal Caribbean Drink Menu
Royal Caribbean rolled out a fleetwide Royal Caribbean Drink Menu refresh in August 2025, first shown on Star of the Seas, and it’s now standard across all 29 ships at bars without their own specialty menu (Schooner Bar, Boleros, Viking Crown Lounge, and similar spots). The classics didn’t disappear. Piña coladas, daiquiris, and mojitos are still there. What changed is the depth of the non-alcoholic and low-ABV sections, which now get almost as much menu real estate as the cocktails.
Here’s how the menu breaks down in practice:
Cocktails:
Tiki-style drinks, classic mixed cocktails, and a rotating list of “craft” cocktails that change slightly by ship class
Zero-proof and low-alcohol drinks:
A genuinely expanded category, first tested on Icon of the Seas in 2024 and now standard fleetwide
Beer:
Domestic, imported, and a handful of craft options. It’s fine, but don’t expect a brewery-level list. If you’re a beer person coming from a land bar with 20 taps, temper your expectations
Wine by the glass and bottle:
Not every bottle is sold by the glass, but you’ll find reds, whites, and sparkling from multiple regions. Buy a bottle and you can carry it to dinner, the pool, or your cabin. You don’t need to finish it in one sitting
Spirits:
A solid neat-pour and shot selection for people who just want their usual brand without a mixer
One thing almost nobody mentions: the Royal Caribbean Drink Menu design still uses that map-inspired layout Royal Caribbean has used for years, just refreshed. If you sailed pre and remember the old menu, the drinks themselves are largely unchanged. It’s the framing and the non-alcoholic push that’s new.
The Three Packages, and What Each One Actually Covers
Windjammer Royal Caribbean Menu sells three tiers. People conflate them constantly, so here’s the real distinction, based on what each one gets you at the bar.
| Package | Best for | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Soda Package | Kids, or adults who just want unlimited soda | Coca-Cola Freestyle drinks, souvenir cup, fountain refills |
| Refreshment Package | Non-drinkers, pregnant travelers, designated drivers | Everything in Classic, plus mocktails, specialty coffee/tea, fresh juice, bottled water |
| Deluxe Beverage Package | Regular drinkers | Everything above, plus unlimited cocktails, beer, spirits, wine by the glass, and 40% off bottled wine |
A detail competitors gloss over: starting March 15, 2026, the Coca-Cola souvenir cup and Freestyle machine access are being pulled from both the Deluxe and Refreshment packages. If you want that cup, you’ll need to buy it separately onboard for $4.99. This matters if you’re booking a package specifically for the soda cup and assuming it’s bundled in with Deluxe like it used to be. It won’t be, past that date.
Also worth flagging: Deluxe packages aren’t sold at all on 2 to 4 night sailings departing Australia. If you’re cruising out of Sydney on a short hop, don’t plan your budget around it.
The Math Nobody Shows You
Here’s where most articles stop at “the package is convenient” and leave you to guess. Let’s actually run the numbers.
Say the Deluxe package runs roughly $89 to $99 per person, per day (it fluctuates by ship, sailing length, and how far out you book). Add the automatic 18% gratuity, and you’re realistically paying closer to $105 to $117 a day before you’ve had a single drink.
Now price out individual drinks:
- Basic cocktail: $13 to $16
- Premium or specialty cocktail: $16 to $20
- Draft beer: $8 to $10
- Wine by the glass: $11 to $15
- Bottled water or specialty coffee: $4 to $6 each
If you average $16 a Royal Caribbean Drink Menu (a reasonable blend of cocktails and beer), you need about 7 drinks a day just to break even on a $112 package cost. That’s not “a drink at lunch and two at dinner.” That’s steady drinking from late morning through the evening.
From experience:
On my first Deluxe package cruise, I tracked every Royal Caribbean Drink Menu for a week out of curiosity. I averaged 5.5 drinks a day and still came out about $140 behind what I would’ve paid buying individually. My travel partner, who started with a mimosa at breakfast and kept a steady pace through pool hours and dinner, cleared 9 drinks most days and came out well ahead. The package isn’t good or bad. It’s a bet on your own pace, and most people overestimate how much they’ll actually drink on vacation.
Who Should Skip the Package Entirely
This is the section competitors skip, probably because it doesn’t sell packages. But it’s the most useful advice I can give you.
Skip Deluxe if:
- You’re cruising fewer than 5 nights (the daily cost structure makes the math harder to justify on short trips)
- You typically have 1 to 2 drinks with dinner and that’s it
- You get seasick easily and know you’ll spend a day or two not drinking at all
- You’re traveling with a non-drinking spouse who’d need their own Refreshment Package anyway, doubling your beverage spend for no reason
Consider the Refreshment Package instead if:
- You want the specialty coffee and juice without paying for alcohol you won’t drink
- You’re sailing with kids and want the mocktail and juice access without the soda-only limitation of Classic
Just pay as you go if:
- You’re the type to have a glass of wine at dinner and nothing else
- You’re not sure yet and want to feel out your first day or two before committing (most ships let you buy the package a day or two into the cruise, prorated)
Booking Timing Actually Changes the Price
Here’s a piece of real, practical intel that barely gets mentioned anywhere: pre-cruise package pricing climbs the closer you get to your sail date. Royal Caribbean Drink Menu runs promotions where booking the Deluxe package 60+ days out can save you $10 to $20 per person per day compared to buying it onboard on embarkation day. Over a 7-night cruise for two people, that gap alone can be $140 to $280.
If you know you’re a Deluxe-package type of drinker, lock it in early. Don’t wait for a “deal” onboard, because the onboard price is almost always the highest price you’ll see.
Specialty Bars Aren’t Always Included
One more gap in most Royal Caribbean Drink Menu guides: not every bar treats the Deluxe package the same way. The package covers drinks up to a set price cap (usually around $14 to $16 depending on the sailing), and menus at places like Vintages (the wine bar) or certain premium tasting flights can exceed that cap. You’ll pay the difference out of pocket.
Also excluded entirely, regardless of package: drinks inside licensed Starbucks locations and the Desserted Milkshake Bar. If your cruise budget assumed free Starbucks with Deluxe, that’s not how it works. Bring a few dollars in onboard credit or cash for that daily latte.
FAQs
What Drinks Are Offered on Royal Caribbean Drink Menu?
The base fleetwide menu covers classic cocktails (piña colada, mojito, daiquiri), a growing list of craft and tiki-style cocktails, zero-proof mocktails, domestic and imported beer, wine by the glass or bottle, and standard spirits served neat or as shots. Specialty bars like the Bamboo Room or Bionic Bar have their own extended menus on top of this.
Can I Download the Royal Caribbean Drink Menu for 2026 in PDF Format?
Royal Caribbean doesn’t publish an official PDF menu online since prices and offerings vary by ship and change throughout the year. Your best bet is checking the Royal Caribbean app once you’re booked, or asking your bartender for the physical menu onboard.
What Is the Best Drink on Royal Caribbean?
That depends on your taste, but the Lime & Coconut (the pool bar’s signature drink) and the Bamboo Room’s tiki cocktails consistently get the most repeat orders from regular cruisers. For beer drinkers, stick to the imported and craft options since the domestic list is fairly basic.
How Much Does Each Drink Cost on Royal Caribbean?
Expect $13 to $16 for a standard cocktail, $8 to $10 for draft beer, and $11 to $15 for wine by the glass, all before the automatic 18% gratuity gets added at checkout.
Is the Deluxe Beverage Package Worth It for a 3-Night Cruise?
Rarely. Short sailings don’t give you enough time to hit the break-even point on drinks per day, especially with embarkation and disembarkation days often being lighter drinking days. Paying as you go usually wins on short cruises.
Do Kids’ Drink Packages Exist on Royal Caribbean?
Yes, the Classic Soda Package works for kids and covers Coca-Cola Freestyle drinks and fountain soda refills. There isn’t a separate “kids” beverage package, but Classic is priced lower and fits that use case well.
Can I Share a Drink Package With Someone Else on My Reservation?
No. Royal Caribbean requires everyone of legal drinking age in the same stateroom to buy the same package if one person buys Deluxe or Refreshment. You can’t have one person on Deluxe and their cabin-mate paying per drink.
What Happens to Unused Drinks if I Don’t Hit My Package’s Value?
Nothing. Beverage packages don’t roll over unused value, refund the difference, or bank drinks for later. It’s a flat daily rate regardless of how much or little you drink that day.