Companion article
Royal Caribbean pricing explained: what's included, what costs extra, and how to budget
Ships, entertainment, dining, and the full cost overview.

The Deluxe Beverage Package

Royal Caribbean's flagship drinks option covers cocktails, spirits, wine by the glass, beer, non-alcoholic cocktails, fresh juices, smoothies, premium coffees, and bottled water. It works on the ship and, importantly, at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Carnival's equivalent package does not work at Carnival's private islands.

What the terms actually say

What's included that often goes unnoticed

The package includes a 40% discount on bottles of wine priced up to $100 and a 20% discount on bottles above $100. If you plan to order wine by the bottle at dinner rather than by the glass, this is the relevant figure. It also includes Johnny Rockets milkshakes, Red Bull, Powerade, and CocoLove coconut water.

Pricing and when to buy

Dynamic pricing applies across the fleet. The package runs roughly $70–$125 per person per day before the 18% gratuity, depending on ship, sail date, and when you buy. The tracked median across 30 Royal Caribbean ships is approximately $80 per person per day pre-cruise. Onboard prices run 10–40% higher. Pre-purchase through the Royal Caribbean app (My Royal Cruise) after payment has been applied to your reservation.

The cancel-and-rebook tip

If the price drops after you've bought, cancel and rebook in the Cruise Planner up to 72 hours before sailing to get the lower rate. Check periodically — prices on popular items can drop 20–30% during Royal Caribbean's periodic sale events.

One more option few passengers know about: if you purchase the package and find in the first day or two of sailing that you're not using it, a visit to Guest Services to request a pro-rated refund is worth trying. It's discretionary, not guaranteed — but it happens more often than most guests expect.

Is it worth it? The break-even

At the $80/day median plus 18% gratuity, the real daily cost is approximately $94.40 per person. Individual cocktails run $12–$16, beer $7–$10, specialty coffees $5–$7. Two cocktails and a coffee per day costs roughly $29–$39 individually — well below break-even. Three cocktails and a coffee runs $41–$55 — still under. At four-plus cocktails and daily specialty coffees the math shifts in the package's favor. The Deluxe Package makes financial sense for consistent, moderate-to-heavy drinkers. It does not make sense for occasional drinkers buying it for convenience.

The break-even moves significantly at the top of the price range. At $125 per person per day plus 18% gratuity, the real cost is approximately $147.50 per person per day — you'd need five or more drinks daily to justify it. Always run your own numbers against the price shown in your specific Cruise Planner, not the median figure.

Alternatives

Gratuities: the full picture

The daily charge

Royal Caribbean automatically applies a daily service gratuity to every guest's SeaPass account unless prepaid at booking.

Prepay or pay onboard?

Prepaying locks in the current rate — useful if a rate increase has been announced. Paying onboard means the nightly charge posts automatically to your SeaPass account. Either way the total is identical unless rates change between booking and sailing.

Can you modify or remove the daily gratuity?

Yes. Royal Caribbean's published ticket contract states that gratuities "may be modified at the guest's sole discretion" by visiting the Guest Relations desk at any time prior to the morning of disembarkation. That wording is legally meaningful — Royal Caribbean cannot require payment of the daily gratuity as a contractual obligation. If you did not prepay, you can visit Guest Relations from embarkation day onward. If you prepaid, most guests report needing to contact Royal Caribbean or their travel agent before sailing, as Guest Services may not be able to reverse a prepaid charge once onboard.

Gratuities on top of the daily gratuity

The daily charge is not the complete picture. The following are added automatically at point of purchase, separately from the daily amount:

On a sailing where you've bought a drinks package, eaten at two specialty restaurants, had a spa treatment, and ordered room service twice, the total gratuity across those line items comfortably exceeds the daily service charge itself.

Wi-Fi: VOOM Surf + Stream

Royal Caribbean offers one Wi-Fi product fleet-wide: VOOM Surf + Stream, running on Starlink satellite. It covers streaming, video calls, social media, and general browsing. There's no longer a cheaper browse-only tier.

Pricing is dynamic. The tracked median across 30 ships is approximately $20 per device per day when purchased pre-cruise. Onboard prices run $29–$39 per device per day depending on the ship — buying pre-cruise saves up to 30%. Packages cover up to four devices under one plan, with the per-device rate dropping for additional devices. If your party needs two devices, buy a two-device plan rather than two individual packages.

Worth knowing

The cancel-and-rebook rule applies to Wi-Fi too: if your pre-purchased price drops in the Cruise Planner before sailing, cancel and rebook for the lower rate up to 72 hours before departure. Wi-Fi is included as part of The Key program (one device per person). Sky Junior Suite bookings previously included complimentary VOOM — that benefit was removed starting May 2026.

The Key: Royal Caribbean's priority program

The Key is a pre-purchased daily add-on that bundles priority services for your sailing. It must be bought before the cruise through the Cruise Planner and can't be purchased onboard. Every guest aged six and above in the same cabin must purchase it. Pricing runs $25 to over $50 per person per day depending on ship and date.

What it includes

The benefit list has changed more than once

It was reduced in early 2025 and partially restored in August 2025. If you sailed with The Key previously and liked it, verify the current list before buying again. The no-show fee for specialty dining — up to $50 per person at Supper Clubs, Hibachi, Omakase, and Chef's Table — applies even to Key holders who pre-booked online. Cancel at least 24 hours in advance to avoid it.

Is it worth buying?

If The Key is priced within $5–$15 of the standalone Wi-Fi cost ($20–$30 per device per day pre-cruise), the other perks are effectively free — buy it without overthinking. If it's $35 or more per day and Wi-Fi isn't a priority, or you already carry loyalty status perks that duplicate several benefits, the math is harder to justify.

The perks that consistently move the purchase decision: Wi-Fi, reserved show seating on the newer ships where productions fill fast, and the disembarkation breakfast if you have an early flight. The $60 spa discount is only relevant if you were planning a $250-plus treatment anyway — treat it as a bonus, not a reason to buy.

The cancel-and-rebook rule

This applies to every pre-cruise Cruise Planner purchase — drinks package, Wi-Fi, dining packages, shore excursions, and CocoCay add-ons. If you've pre-purchased an item and the price subsequently drops in the Cruise Planner, you can generally cancel the existing purchase and rebook at the lower price. The refund returns to your original payment method.

The cancellation window closes 72 hours before the sailing date. After that, pre-cruise purchases are non-refundable. Check your Cruise Planner prices periodically between booking and the cutoff, particularly during Royal Caribbean's periodic sale events when prices on popular items can drop by 20–30%.