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Many guests, however, prefer spending extra to dine at Royal Caribbean’s specialty restaurants, and one of the best ways to do this is by purchasing an Unlimited Dining Package. You'll want to factor that amount into your travel budget if you decide to purchase a package. While Royal Caribbean does not sell bottled water specifically for pre-cruise purchase, you may find vendors near the port selling bottled water that you can bring onboard. A few Royal Caribbean ships have balcony cabins that face toward the vessel's center, not toward the outside. It results from an unusual design feature of one series of Royal Caribbean ships, the Oasis class.
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Royal Caribbean has built ocean-view cabins at the front of some ships that incorporate the angled space in the front part of the superstructure. As a result, they have sloping windows, and a bit more floor space around these windows (see the image below). The virtual balcony is a high-definition screen built into one end of the windowless room that projects a real-time view of the ocean outside. It's designed to make you think you're actually in a balcony cabin with a view, and it is quite realistic-looking. For starters, there is an eye-popping number of cabins available on many Royal Caribbean ships. The line is known for operating the world's biggest cruise vessels — ships so big that some have nearly 3,000 cabins each.
What your cruise fare will cost
This package can provide access to extra-charge restaurants, but at a more favorable rate, letting you savor the specialty offerings without stretching your budget. If your cruise has multiple port days when you’ll be away from the ship, your opportunities to take advantage of the package may be limited. However, if you also consume non-alcoholic beverages, you could easily reach that break-even point with a lower number of alcoholic drinks. This package also covers non-alcoholic beverages like coffee and tea. That said, given the complexity of booking a cruise — there are a lot of decisions to make during the booking process, trust us — we recommend that you use a seasoned travel agent who specializes in cruises.
À la carte vs cover charge restaurants
On Royal Caribbean ships, these rooms are almost always the least-expensive option when booking a cabin. You can often save considerable money by booking an inside cabin versus an ocean-view or higher-level cabin. Whether you want a cocktail, glass of wine, or crisp beer, you'll have to be willing to spend some additional money. The Classic Soda Package includes just soda, so you'll have to pay extra for any other non-alcoholic beverages. Exact prices vary depending on cruise length, destinations and other factors, but you should expect to pay an additional amount for these costs. In addition to the base price, you can expect to pay taxes and port fees.
Carry-on drinks policy
Disney Cruise Line's fine print states that deposits are determined at the time of booking, so they vary. Deposits for Carnival bookings are generally nonrefundable unless cruisers specifically purchase fully refundable fares. For most sailings, Carnival requires a deposit of $100 per person for two- to three-day sailings, $150 for four- and five-day sailings and $250 for six- to nine-day sailings. Longer cruises and voyages to Alaska, Europe and the Panama Canal, as well as ocean crossings, require a deposit of $400 per person. Generally, there is no interest or penalty for paying over time if you go the deposit route, so in most cases you won't be charged more if you opt for a payment plan.
A rough estimate is to expect to spend around $2000 on cruise fare for a 7-night cruise for 2 adults. This can be more or less depending on cabin category, time of year you sail, etc., but it’s a great starting point for planning a cruise budget. Outside of complimentary dining venues on any Royal Caribbean ship are specialty restaurants. Specialty restaurants provide cuisines and cooking styles not found elsewhere onboard, such as the cruise line’s signature steakhouse, Chops Grille, or Japanese cuisine at Izumi. Taxes and fees will be automatically added to your cruise fare upon checkout, and the exact cost of taxes and fees will vary based on your cruise length and itinerary. Royal Caribbean’s largest cruise ship suites can be priced in the tens of thousands for a weeklong sailing.
A sixth Oasis Class ship — Utopia of the Seas — is scheduled to join the fleet later this year, and the line recently ordered a seventh vessel in the series that'll be ready in 2028. Here are the pros and cons of paying over two different time periods. Speaking of vibes, if you're looking for a secluded place to drink (as in, not the swim-up pool bar), few will top the Overlook Pods, perched just behind the AquaDome.
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How much are Specialty Drinks, Sherries, and Liqueurs?
You want someone who knows all 34 of those cabin categories that we mentioned above and, preferably, has done ship inspections to see them firsthand. As you might expect, pricing for all ships will generally be less during offseason periods such as September and October. All vessels have North American-style 110-volt outlets in rooms, as well as European-style 220-volt outlets. You'll also find all sorts of other fun-focused attractions — giant rock climbing walls, surfing simulators, zip lines, miniature golf courses and basketball courts, to name a few. Some recently built ships even have skydiving simulators — giant acrylic tubes where you get to experience the sensation of skydiving. Some ships also have comedy clubs, and there's always live music in multiple venues nightly.
For Sky Suite cabins and lower, Celebrity charges $100 per person for cruises up to five nights, $250 for six to eight nights and $450 for voyages of nine nights or longer. Final payment is required either 76 or 91 days from the sailing date, depending on the destination, cabin type and length of cruise booked. Incremental payments are a better choice if you're unsure whether you can or want to sail but want to lock in an attractive fare or snag a cabin on a new ship or unusual itinerary while you decide.
If you're lucky and can purchase your package at the lowest possible price, almost anyone who drinks a combination of non-alcoholic drinks and a couple of cocktails daily would break even. But if your purchase price is somewhere in the middle of the price range (where most people land), you would need to consume a minimum of $55 per day beyond the average non-alcoholic beverages to break even. While the majority of activities are included in the cost of your cruise fare, there are some you'll have to pay extra for, such as the North Star observation capsule on sea days or fitness classes.
Balcony cabins are what everyone wants these days, and Royal Caribbean is delivering, with huge numbers of balcony cabins on all its newest ships. On the line's five Oasis-class ships, which began debuting in 2009, around 65% of rooms are balcony cabins. On the line's even-newer Quantum-class ships, which began debuting in 2014, the percentage is even higher — around 69%. On the newer Royal Caribbean ships, the vast majority of the cabins are balcony cabins.
The Deluxe Beverage Package also throws in one more bonus — milkshakes at Johnny Rockets. As with the Soda Package, you can order your non-alcoholic beverages, from sparkling water to fancy mocktails, from your pool lounger or blackjack table. Royal Caribbean's Water Packages are available in 12- and 24-packs of one-liter bottles of Evian water.
Larger bottles, such as 1.5 liters, are also available and usually priced around $6 to $7 each. Typically you'll have access to buffets, dining room offerings and casual poolside fare. However, you may wish to splurge on premium beverages or dine at specialty restaurants. Solo cruising has become more and more popular in recent years, and cruise lines are following the trend by offering studio cabins on their cruise ships, built for just one passenger. These are not included in your cruise fare but can be purchased through a dining package for an additional cost. Whether you use a travel agent or not, make sure to maximize your credit card spend when paying for the cruise by using a credit card that offers extra points for travel purchases.
It's based on several factors, including the length of the sailing, the overall cost of the voyage, the type of accommodations booked and whether or not the line is running a promotion. Sometimes, as a booking incentive, lines will waive deposits completely or heavily discount them. The deluxe beverage package includes any non-alcohol or alcohol drink priced at $14 or under.
The bottom line is that drink packages on Royal Caribbean expand your choices. You can use packages to make your cruise as all-inclusive as you'd like (and maybe save some money in the process), or you can opt to cruise and drink in pay-as-you-go mode. Either way, you'll find plenty of fun cocktails and mocktails, as well as your favorite wine and beer, to enhance your vacation at sea.
One way to lock in the price of your Royal Caribbean cruise is to purchase a drink package. At each event, complimentary alcoholic beverages are served and it can be a great way to enjoy free drinks while hearing about what is new and exciting about Royal Caribbean. The prices for drinks are consistent, regardless of where your ship sails from. So the drink prices on your ship in the Caribbean will be the same as a ship sailing in Europe.
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