Does the Royal Caribbean Drink Package Work at Royal Beach Club Nassau?
No. Royal Caribbean’s Deluxe Beverage Package does not automatically cover drinks at Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in Nassau.
This has become one of the most confusing parts of visiting Royal Beach Club because guests may use their SeaPass cards or WOW Bands when ordering drinks. Some guests have also purchased a bundle containing both the Deluxe Beverage Package and an Open Bar Day Pass. Those details can make it appear that the onboard drink package works at the beach club.
It does not.
The drinks you receive at Royal Beach Club are determined by the Royal Beach Club day pass you purchased, not by the beverage package attached to your cruise.
The most important distinction
Royal Beach Club Paradise Island is not the same type of destination as Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Royal Caribbean states that its shipboard beverage packages can be used onboard, at Perfect Day at CocoCay and at Labadee. Royal Beach Club Paradise Island is not included in that list.
Royal Beach Club operates as a separate, paid day-pass experience. Every cruise guest who wants to enter must have a qualifying day pass, although children age three and younger receive free admission. Space is limited, and passes can be purchased before sailing or onboard if still available.
Who is allowed to visit Royal Beach Club?
Royal Beach Club Paradise Island is private in the sense that it is not open to the general cruise-port public.
It is available to:
- Guests sailing with Royal Caribbean
- Guests sailing with Celebrity Cruises
- Bahamian residents, based on the available booking process and capacity
Royal Caribbean describes it as exclusive to Royal Caribbean Group guests sailing on Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises, along with Bahamian residents.
However, being an eligible guest does not give you complimentary admission or automatically unlock any food or beverage benefits. Cruise guests still need to purchase a Royal Beach Club day pass to enter.
A useful way to think about it is:
Your cruise determines whether you are eligible to visit. Your Royal Beach Club reservation determines what you receive after entering.
The two primary Royal Beach Club day passes
Royal Caribbean currently sells two standard day-pass options.
Open Bar Day Pass
The Open Bar Day Pass includes:
- Alcoholic beverages for guests age 21 and older
- Non-alcoholic beverages
- All-day dining
- High-speed Wi-Fi
- Round-trip transportation
- Access to the club’s general amenities
Royal Caribbean identifies this option as its Royal Beach Club Day Pass with Unlimited Open Bar, Dining and Wi-Fi.
Non-Alcoholic Day Pass
The Non-Alcoholic Day Pass includes:
- Non-alcoholic beverages
- All-day dining
- High-speed Wi-Fi
- Round-trip transportation
- Access to the club’s general amenities
It does not include alcoholic beverages.
Guests with this pass may purchase alcoholic beverages separately on the island. Royal Caribbean’s FAQ says these à-la-carte alcoholic drinks must be purchased using a credit card.
What happens when you already have the Deluxe Beverage Package?
Nothing is automatically added to your Royal Beach Club admission.
Your onboard Deluxe Beverage Package does not convert a Non-Alcoholic Day Pass into an Open Bar Day Pass. It also does not let you enter Royal Beach Club without buying admission.
For example, suppose you have:
- The Deluxe Beverage Package for your cruise, and
- A Royal Beach Club Non-Alcoholic Day Pass
You still have a Non-Alcoholic Day Pass while at Royal Beach Club. Your onboard package does not add complimentary alcohol to it.
To have included alcoholic drinks at Royal Beach Club, you need the Open Bar Day Pass or another Royal Beach Club product that expressly includes the open-bar benefit.
Why does Royal Caribbean scan your SeaPass card?
This is probably responsible for much of the misunderstanding.
At Royal Beach Club, I handed servers my SeaPass card as identification, much as I would onboard. The team could also scan WOW Bands.
That scan does not mean the server is charging the drink to, or recognizing benefits from, your onboard Deluxe Beverage Package. (And they are not.) It can allow the system to identify you, associate you with your reservation and confirm which Royal Beach Club product you purchased.
The system may display information such as your ship, stateroom and beach-club entitlement. During my visit, some servers remembered my information and entered later drinks without asking to scan my card again.
That can create this mistaken conclusion:
“They scanned my SeaPass, I have the Deluxe Beverage Package and I was not charged, so my Deluxe Package must work here.”
The more accurate explanation is:
“They used my SeaPass to identify me and confirmed that my Royal Beach Club pass included those drinks.”
That distinction matters.
Royal Caribbean does not publish detailed public documentation explaining every piece of information shown to the staff member after a SeaPass or WOW Band is scanned. This explanation is based partly on my firsthand experience at the club and the day-pass benefits shown in Royal Caribbean’s booking system.
The bundle causes even more confusion
Royal Caribbean sells a product that combines:
- The Deluxe Beverage Package for the full cruise, and
- A Royal Beach Club Open Bar Day Pass.
The wording can make it look as though the Deluxe Beverage Package itself extends into Royal Beach Club. In reality, the bundle contains two related but separate benefits:
- A cruise-long beverage package for the ship and eligible Royal Caribbean destinations
- An Open Bar Day Pass for the day at Royal Beach Club
Royal Caribbean specifically tells guests who already purchased the Deluxe Beverage Package that they can cancel it before sailing and replace it with the beverage-package-and-beach-club bundle.
The existence of this separate bundle reinforces the distinction. You are not merely adding Royal Beach Club admission to a Deluxe Package that already covers the drinks there. You are purchasing a bundle that includes the appropriate Royal Beach Club open-bar entitlement.
I bought this type of bundle for my own cruise. It included the Deluxe Beverage Package for the entire sailing and the Open Bar Day Pass for Royal Beach Club. My alcohol at the club was included because the bundle contained the Open Bar Day Pass, not because my regular Deluxe Beverage Package carried over from the ship.
Can you get off the ship and visit without reserving a day pass?
No.
You cannot simply get off a Royal Caribbean or Celebrity ship in Nassau, travel to Royal Beach Club and enter because you are a cruise passenger.
Royal Caribbean requires cruise guests to purchase admission. Guests can reserve through the Royal app or My Royal Cruise before sailing, or check at the onboard Shore Excursions desk for remaining availability.
Your cruise makes you eligible to purchase admission. It is not your admission.
Does the Deluxe Beverage Package work at CocoCay?
Yes. This is the comparison that makes Royal Beach Club especially confusing.
Royal Caribbean says its beverage packages are honored at Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee, in addition to eligible bars, restaurants and other venues onboard.
At Royal Beach Club Paradise Island, the drinks included depend on the specific day pass or bundle purchased.
The simple rule
- Perfect Day at CocoCay: Your qualifying onboard beverage package carries over.
- Royal Beach Club Paradise Island: Your Royal Beach Club day pass determines which drinks are included.
Can you buy alcohol individually with the Non-Alcoholic Day Pass?
Yes.
Guests with the Non-Alcoholic Day Pass can purchase alcoholic drinks à la carte at Royal Beach Club. Royal Caribbean says those purchases require a credit card.
This could make the Non-Alcoholic Day Pass the better choice for someone who only expects to order one or two alcoholic drinks during the day. Compare the current price difference between the two passes with how much you realistically expect to drink.
Prices vary by cruise and can change, so use the actual prices in your Cruise Planner rather than someone else’s screenshot.
Which Royal Beach Club pass should you purchase?
Choose the Open Bar Day Pass when you want alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages included throughout your visit.
Choose the Non-Alcoholic Day Pass when you want included mocktails and other non-alcoholic options, or when you expect to purchase only an occasional alcoholic drink separately.
Consider the Deluxe Beverage Package plus Open Bar Day Pass bundle when you want the Deluxe Beverage Package throughout your cruise and included alcohol during your Royal Beach Club visit. If the price of the bundle vs jus the package is not much more then the bundle could be worth it. Compare the bundle’s complete price against purchasing the two products separately.
Final takeaway
Royal Beach Club Paradise Island is an exclusive, paid beach club. Sailing with Royal Caribbean or Celebrity makes you eligible to visit, but it does not provide complimentary admission.
Your onboard Deluxe Beverage Package does not independently provide drinks there.
To enter, you need a Royal Beach Club day pass. To receive included alcohol, you need a pass or bundle that specifically includes the Royal Beach Club Open Bar benefit.
Your SeaPass card or WOW Band may be used to identify you and confirm your purchase. That does not mean the onboard Deluxe Beverage Package is being honored at the club.
The easiest way to avoid a surprise is to read the full name of the Royal Beach Club product in your cart:
- Open Bar Day Pass means alcohol is included.
- Non-Alcoholic Day Pass means alcohol is not included.
- Deluxe Beverage Package plus Open Bar Day Pass gives you both separate benefits.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Royal Caribbean Deluxe Beverage Package work at Royal Beach Club Nassau?
No. The onboard Deluxe Beverage Package does not independently cover drinks at Royal Beach Club Paradise Island. Included drinks are based on the Royal Beach Club pass or bundle you purchased. Royal’s published list of places honoring the regular beverage package includes onboard venues, Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee, but not Royal Beach Club Paradise Island.
Do I need a day pass if I already have the Deluxe Beverage Package?
Yes. Cruise guests must purchase admission to enter Royal Beach Club. Having a Deluxe Beverage Package does not serve as admission.
Does the Non-Alcoholic Day Pass include alcohol when I have Deluxe onboard?
No. Your onboard package does not upgrade the Non-Alcoholic Day Pass. You would need the Open Bar Day Pass or a bundle that includes it to receive included alcoholic drinks.
Can I purchase alcoholic drinks with the Non-Alcoholic Day Pass?
Yes. Royal Caribbean says guests with the Non-Alcoholic Day Pass can purchase alcoholic drinks à la carte using a credit card.
Why did the bartender scan my SeaPass card?
The card can be used to identify you and connect you with the Royal Beach Club product you purchased. Being scanned does not prove that your onboard Deluxe Beverage Package is paying for the drink. During my visit, servers used SeaPass cards and could also scan WOW Bands.
Does a WOW Band work at Royal Beach Club?
During my visit, crew members were able to scan WOW Bands as well as SeaPass cards. A WOW Band is an identification method; it does not change which drinks your Royal Beach Club pass includes.
Why was I served drinks without repeatedly showing my SeaPass card?
A server may already have your information or remember the details associated with your order. That does not mean your onboard Deluxe Beverage Package is being used. What is included still depends on your Royal Beach Club pass.
What does the Deluxe Beverage Package and Royal Beach Club bundle include?
It combines the Deluxe Beverage Package for the cruise with a Royal Beach Club Open Bar Day Pass. The onboard and beach-club benefits are separate parts of the bundle. Royal Caribbean allows guests who previously bought Deluxe before sailing to cancel it and purchase the bundle instead.
Can I enter Royal Beach Club without booking anything?
No. Guests visiting from a cruise must purchase a day pass, subject to availability.
Is Royal Beach Club only for Royal Caribbean passengers?
It is open to guests sailing with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises, as well as Bahamian residents. It is not generally open to passengers from unrelated cruise lines or ordinary Nassau visitors.
Is Royal Beach Club a private island?
No. Royal Beach Club Paradise Island is a private-access beach club on Paradise Island in Nassau. It should not be described as Royal Caribbean’s private island.
Does my Royal Caribbean cruise fare include Royal Beach Club?
No. Your cruise makes you eligible to purchase a pass, but Royal Beach Club admission is an additional paid experience.
Does the Refreshment Package work at Royal Beach Club?
Not by itself. You need a Royal Beach Club pass. A bundle combining the Refreshment Package and a qualifying Royal Beach Club product may be offered, but your shipboard Refreshment Package does not independently replace a beach-club day pass.
Does the Deluxe Beverage Package work at Perfect Day at CocoCay?
Yes. Royal Caribbean states that qualifying beverage packages can be used at Perfect Day at CocoCay. That policy is different from the separate day-pass structure at Royal Beach Club Paradise Island.
Are food and drinks included at Royal Beach Club?
Both standard passes include dining and non-alcoholic drinks. Only the Open Bar Day Pass includes alcoholic drinks for guests age 21 and older.
Can Royal Beach Club sell out?
Yes. Royal Caribbean says space is limited, and onboard purchases depend on remaining availability.
Charity Bradley 🌺 
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