Starting August 1st, Royal Caribbean tightened its Deluxe Beverage Package policy:

Every adult in the same stateroom is now required to purchase the package if one person does.

Before this change, some cruisers could get around the cost by only purchasing the package for one adult in the room. But now, with the everyone-or-no-one rule in place, many guests are looking for ways to stretch their cruise dollars and still enjoy a few drinks without going all in.

If that’s you, there are two strategies I keep seeing pop up in Facebook groups and cruise forums:

1. The Refreshment Package + Shot Strategy

2. The Vodka + Sprite Cabin Package

Here’s how both of them work — with real numbers, pros and cons, and which one (if any) might be worth it.

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🥤 Option 1: Refreshment Package + Shots

Cost: ~$30/day for Refreshment Package + ~$10–14 per shot

The Refreshment Package includes:

• Unlimited mocktails
• Bottled water
• Specialty coffees
• Johnny Rockets milkshakes
• Fresh juices, smoothies, sodas

It’s a great value on its own if you enjoy non-alcoholic drinks. But if you still want the occasional cocktail, some cruisers are skipping the Deluxe Beverage Package and just ordering shots at the bar instead.

They’ll:

• Grab a mocktail or soda
• Buy a shot of vodka, tequila, rum, or whiskey (usually $10–14 with gratuity)
• Combine the two, and boom, they’ve made a DIY cocktail.

💰 The Math:

• Refreshment Package: $30/day
• One shot/day: ~$10
• Total: ~$40/day

Even with two shots, you’re at $50/day, still below the $65–$75/day range for the Deluxe Beverage Package with gratuity.

✅ Pros:

• No need to get the same package for every adult in the room
• Great if you only drink 1–2 cocktails a day
• Includes water, coffee, smoothies, and non-alcoholic options too

❌ Cons:

• Still paying per drink, and it can add up
• No wine, beer, or frozen cocktails included
• Doesn’t include drink discounts (like 40% off bottles of wine)
• Less convenient than the all-in Deluxe option

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🍸 Option 2: Vodka + Sprite Cabin Package

Cost: ~$44 total for a small bottle (375ml) + 4 cans of Sprite

This one’s listed under Gifts & Gear on Royal Caribbean’s website (though it can be tricky to find in the app). It’s a pre-order package that delivers a 375ml bottle of Absolut vodka and four cans of Sprite directly to your cabin on embarkation day.

Some cruisers use this to:

• Make drinks in their cabin
• Pour into a tumbler or YETI to take around the ship
• Supplement light drinking without needing a full package

🥃 Estimated Yield:

• 375ml = ~12.7 oz = ~6 drinks (2 oz each)
• Cost per drink: ~$7.30 (no gratuity added)

✅ Pros:

• Cheapest per-drink price of all options
• You can mix as strong or light as you like
• You’re not locked into a daily charge

❌ Cons:

• You’re limited to what’s in your cabin
• You’ll need to carry around your own tumbler
• You can’t switch it up with pool bars, lounges, or restaurants
• Comes with Sprite. Not customizable
• The bottle is small and won’t go far
• Not great if you like variety or social bar experiences

🧃 My take:

I don’t drink soda, and I enjoy getting drinks at different venues across the ship. So personally, this strategy wouldn’t appeal to me, but I can see how it would work for someone who wants to drink discreetly or stretch a limited budget.

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🆚 Side-by-Side Comparison

Option	Daily Cost	Includes	Good For	Drawbacks
Deluxe Beverage Package	$65–$75	Unlimited alcohol, mocktails, soda, coffee, smoothies	Moderate/ Heavy drinkers, variety, convenience	Must be purchased by all adults in stateroom
Refreshment + Shots	$40–$50	All non-alcoholic drinks + 1–2 cocktails	Light/moderate drinkers, budget-aware	Less convenient, drinks cost extra
Vodka + Sprite (Cabin)	~$44 (total)	~6 drinks in-room only	Occasional drinkers, solo sippers	Limited quantity, stuck with Sprite, not social

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💬 Final Thoughts

If you’re not planning to drink 4–6 cocktails a day, the Deluxe Beverage Package might feel like overkill, especially now that every adult in the cabin has to buy it.

But if you still want to enjoy a few drinks without blowing your budget, both of these strategies can work. The Refreshment + Shot combo gives you flexibility and better drinks, while the Vodka cabin hack is all about value, if you’re okay drinking in your room or from a tumbler.

Have you tried either strategy? I’d love to hear how it worked for you, or what your go-to cruise drink hack is!

And if you want to hear my thoughts on how the Deluxe Beverage Package compares to just buying drinks one by one. I’ve got a video coming for that too.