Let’s be honest, Royal Caribbean’s drink package is expensive. You see the price, pause, and wonder: “Since when did paying $100 a day on alcohol seem like a great deal?” Then, the cost doubles if there’s another adult in your cabin.
So it’s only natural to wonder if there’s a smarter way to play the game. Ask around in any Royal Caribbean Facebook group, and you’ll discover people trade tips, debate loopholes, and argue over what the cruise line actually enforces.
The drink package price isn’t what bothers cruisers. It’s realizing that other people are paying less.
Keep in mind: Royal Caribbean does enforce its drink package rules, and what seems to work on one sailing may not work on another. Sticking to the cruise line’s policies—and using common sense—is the safest way to avoid turning a great vacation into an awkward situation.
Sharing Drinks: The First ‘Hack’ Everyone Tries
Buying a drink for someone else seems the most obvious way to beat the system. One package, two people, easy win. You’ll often see this play out within minutes of boarding. Someone orders two drinks or returns to the bar within a few minutes for the second.
But Royal Caribbean has made this favorite hack much harder to pull off. If one adult in a stateroom buys the Deluxe Beverage Package, all guests of legal drinking age in that stateroom are required to purchase it as well. And if you’re caught sharing drinks, the package can be revoked mid-cruise—refunds aren’t guaranteed.
Veteran cruisers warn that this shortcut often becomes the most awkward lesson of the week.
Sneaking Alcohol Onboard: The Hack That Never Dies
Coming up with novel ways to smuggle booze onboard refuses to die on social media. TikTok makes it look clever. Facebook groups recycle the same ideas every year. New cruisers see the videos and think, “If everyone’s doing it, how risky can it be?” Curiosity takes over fast.
Here’s what cruise veterans know: popular rarely means smart. TikToks seldom show the consequences if you’re caught bringing contraband onboard.
Cruise lines openly prohibit bringing liquor and beer, and they know all the tricks. Bags get checked. Bottles get flagged. Let’s face it, two 1-liter bottles of mouthwash on a cruise instantly look suspicious.
One Carnival cruiser was banned for life after posting a video that showed how she snuck alcohol onboard. Security later searched her cabin and confiscated the disguised alcohol.
Most cruise veterans take alcohol onboard the way Royal Caribbean allows—one sealed bottle of wine per adult. To avoid corkage fees, enjoy your wine in the cabin—Royal Caribbean may charge a fee if personal wine or champagne is consumed in public areas.
The Booking Moves That Beat the Package Before You Even Board
It’s no secret among seasoned cruisers that it’s always cheaper to buy the drink package before sailing. But the real trick is to keep checking prices. Cruise lines run special deals and pre-cruise offers. When the price drops, they cancel the package and rebook it.
Veterans talk about this like it’s basic hygiene, and Reddit threads are full of similar money-saving tips and tricks. First-timers rarely use this because they assume the price at booking is the final price.
Many cruisers describe this as the easiest and most legit way to save money on Royal Caribbean’s drink package.
Complimentary Drinks Hiding in Plain Sight Around the Ship
You can find free drinks onboard, but not in the way people imagine when they skip the package. You don’t “find” them. You stumble into them. A champagne flute at an art auction. A loyalty event someone forgot to mention. A tasting that turns into more than advertised. Cruise Critic regulars know exactly what I’m talking about.
This is where expectations quietly betray people. These moments feel like wins, so cruisers start counting on them. That’s when the frustration creeps in. Veterans don’t plan around free drinks. They notice them, enjoy them, and move on.
Think of it as a glass here and there, not a substitute for the drink package if you’re hoping to enjoy several free drinks a day.
Read more: Are Cruise Lines Watering Down Your Drinks? The Truth Nobody Wants to Admit
The Casino Gamble: Outsmarting the Package or Just Paying Differently?
Some cruisers swear the casino is the smartest way to sidestep the drink package. Play long enough, rack up points, and complimentary drinks can start flowing without a package in sight. Reach Prime status, and Royal Caribbean offers free drinks in Casino Royale—typically while the casino is operating.
Anytime this hack appears on Facebook, cruisers are quick to point out an obvious fact—you’re not beating the system, you’re paying differently.
Veterans argue that if you’re going to gamble anyway, fine. If you weren’t, the math gets uncomfortable fast. Novice gamblers find that losses blur into “entertainment.” Wins feel rare, and those “free” drinks just got pretty expensive.
Sometimes the Smartest Drink Isn’t Onboard at All
This is the part cruisers quietly admit after a few sailings. Getting truly cheap drinks onboard is harder than it looks. Packages help some. Hacks help a few. But the ship is designed to win the math more often than not. Veterans stop fighting it so hard.
That’s why ports change the tone. Drinks are cheaper. Often stronger. No SeaPass scanning. No rules debates. Just a bar, a stool, and a bartender who pours like they mean it.
Cruise Critic regulars joke that the best drink of the week usually happens off the ship. And once you notice that pattern, it’s hard to unsee it.
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