If you’re a coffee lover planning a Royal Caribbean cruise, you might be wondering: Should I pack a Starbucks gift card? The answer is yes, but only in very specific situations. Let’s break it down.
1. Starbucks Gift Cards Work Only on Ships With a Starbucks Store
Royal Caribbean has licensed Starbucks locations on select ships. These operate exactly like the Starbucks you know on land. That means you can pay with your Starbucks gift card or app, and even collect Starbucks Rewards points.
As of now, ships with a full Starbucks store include:
- Oasis Class: Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas
- Quantum Class: Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Spectrum of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas
- Icon Class: Icon of the Seas
2. Two Kinds of Starbucks Onboard
Here’s where it gets tricky: many Royal Caribbean ships have two ways to get Starbucks coffee:
- A full licensed Starbucks store (gift cards accepted).
- A Royal Caribbean–run café (like Café Promenade or Café Latitudes) that serves “We Proudly Serve Starbucks” coffee.
The difference?
- Licensed Starbucks stores = official Starbucks, corporate-run, full menu, and gift cards accepted.
- We Proudly Serve locations = Royal Caribbean–operated cafés that buy Starbucks beans but aren’t official stores. They don’t take Starbucks gift cards.
3. Gift Cards Don’t Work at “We Proudly Serve” Cafés
Even though these cafés brew Starbucks coffee, they are not licensed Starbucks stores. You can’t use Starbucks gift cards, the app, or Starbucks Rewards here. Purchases go on your Royal Caribbean SeaPass card instead.
4. You Might Not Need a Gift Card At All
If your goal is simply to enjoy specialty coffee on your cruise, you don’t actually need to bring a Starbucks card. That’s because Royal Caribbean offers multiple ways to cover coffee purchases:
- Specialty Coffee Card – 15 espresso drinks for about $30–36 total, making each coffee around $2.
- Refreshment Package – Includes specialty coffees, fresh juices, bottled water, mocktails, and soda.
- Deluxe Beverage Package – Includes everything in the Refreshment Package plus cocktails, beer, wine, and spirits.
Each of these options covers specialty coffee drinks at Royal Caribbean cafés (though not at the licensed Starbucks kiosk).
Should You Bring a Starbucks Gift Card on a Royal Caribbean Cruise?
My honest take: I’d leave it at home. Unless you’re sailing on a ship with a Starbucks store and you’re determined to order from that location, your SeaPass card, a Coffee Card, or a drink package is usually a better way to go.
But who am I to say? I drink my coffee black.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I use a Starbucks gift card at every Starbucks on a Royal Caribbean ship?
No. Gift cards only work at licensed Starbucks stores, not at “We Proudly Brew Starbucks” cafés.
2. Which Royal Caribbean ships have a Starbucks store?
Oasis Class, Quantum Class, and Icon Class ships all feature licensed Starbucks locations.
3. Do Starbucks Rewards points work onboard?
Yes, at licensed Starbucks stores onboard—but not at Royal Caribbean–operated cafés.
4. Can I use a Coffee Card, Refreshment Package, or Deluxe Beverage Package at Starbucks?
No. Those packages work at Royal Caribbean cafés serving specialty coffee, but not at the licensed Starbucks kiosks.
5. What’s the cheapest way to get specialty coffee onboard?
The Specialty Coffee Card usually offers the lowest per-drink price (around $2). Packages make sense if you’ll drink a variety of beverages daily.
Charity Bradley 
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