If you have no drink or soda packages of any kind what can you drink?

[Ozark_Kid]

On 3/3/2022 at 9:58 AM, sgmn said:

Iced flavoured water is my favourite 

One of my favorites too as long as it’s decaf.

[firefly333]

1 minute ago, Ozark_Kid said:

One of my favorites too as long as it’s decaf.

?? I think he is talking about the punch and mango or lemonade flavored drinks in the WJ.. 

 

I dont touch the ice tea that isnt sweetened. Doubt it is decaf. 

[PTC DAWG]

18 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

If you drastically change your drinking consumption just to get your money’s worth, what have you gained? I opt to spend my money where I’ll get something I really want or need.

That’s how I roll on vacation…someone asked, I answered.  

[sharon&family]

How much is it to order a soft drink?

 

[Kellie in Texas]

Depending on when your cruise is, the Royal app will have the dining and drinks menus. You can go in there and see exactly how much the alcoholic drinks cost.  I'm not sure how far out from a particular cruise date that the app will have all that information, but it's there.  My DH and I aren't big drinkers and definitely don't pay extra for fancy coffee, so a beverage package would be a waste of money for us. 

Edited March 4, 2022 by Kellie in Texas

[sgmn]

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

?? I think he is talking about the punch and mango or lemonade flavored drinks in the WJ.. 

 

I dont touch the ice tea that isnt sweetened. Doubt it is decaf. 

She 😊

[S.A.M.J.R.]

6 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

5-6 usually pays for the package...throw in a few bottled waters, fancy morning coffees and it's really easy to get there...and well over.  

But that's EVERY day.  Some people can handle it, other's can't.  I had the drink package on one cruise and was so sick of alcohol by the last couple of days I had to force myself to get get drinks "to get my money's worth".  

 

I never got drunk (not my style) and only rarely had a buzz (again, not my style).  And having to "make up" for the port days changes things IMO.  So sure, I could easily get 5-6 drinks in on a sea day.  But go into port for 5-6 hours and getting those drinks in during the remaining time on board was a little more difficult (for me). 

[smplybcause]

6 hours ago, Jezo said:

 

But then I wont get my money's worth!

 

How many drinks a day would you need to have a day to come out ahead if you got the premium drink package?  I dont think I could keep up and be conscious for my whole trip.  I want to try to stick to what is included in the base price of the trip and not have too many up charge drinks.

 

As some else said, unless you're a strictly beer drinker the break even point is 5-6 alcoholic drinks depending on the price you get. But that changes if you get some non alcoholic stuff too. I get at least 2-3 bottles of water a day which "equal" one alcoholic drink price wise. 2-3 sodas/juices would also "equal" the price. A specialty coffee or smoothie also helps. 

[cruiseguy1016]

6 hours ago, Jezo said:

 

But then I wont get my money's worth!

 

How many drinks a day would you need to have a day to come out ahead if you got the premium drink package?  I dont think I could keep up and be conscious for my whole trip.  I want to try to stick to what is included in the base price of the trip and not have too many up charge drinks.

 

It depends on the ship and how much you pay for the drink package. Currently for my upcoming cruise, the drinks package is listed at $56/day. In looking at the bar menus on board, a typical cocktail (rum and coke, gin and tonic etc.) is $9.99. Using those figures, you would need to consume 6 drinks to "get your money's worth".

[Jezo]

Tap water and angry black coffee all day long.  No cream or sugar in the coffee, I want to make sure I taste what free tastes like and appreciate it being included.

 

Going to be great.

 

I'll keep an eye out for the fruit waters and the wheat grass though, it should all be fine.  I don't really crave soda so I wont be missing out on that.

 

 

[Lane Hog]

I'm an iced tea addict, and Royal had no problems meeting my demand aside from breakfast hours... Only one of the four stations in Windjammer had it available and the other three stations were clueless about the fourth (telling me it's only available at lunch).

There was always lemonade available while the buffet was open.  The pizza place and coffee shop on the shopping deck also had iced tea and self-serve coffee available for those who don't do the fancy shmancy coffees.  Not sure what happens to all that when they're rebranded as $tarbucks...

[boscobeans]

Unsweetened iced tea in the MDR. 

[fuglynchalenged]

On 3/3/2022 at 10:41 AM, Jezo said:

All water, all day long?

Of course not lol. 
They have water, ice tea and some juices all over the ships. 
the restaurants like the windjammer has trays filled with cups of water, ice tea and juice. 
 

sorentos and some bars have help yourself juice and water dispensers, at least they did on the allure last week. They had lots of options for those who don’t buy packages. You can also buy individual drinks. They sold cans of soda and other stuff everywhere. 

[Grandma Dazzles]

On 3/4/2022 at 2:19 PM, sharon&family said:

How much is it to order a soft drink?

 

A can of soda is approximately $4 including the automatic 18% gratuity. 
 

Drinks included with your cruise fare are tap water, hot and iced tea, coffee, juice at breakfast, hot chocolate, white and chocolate milk, flavored waters/punch/lemonade. 
 

Deluxe package includes alcohol plus all the refreshment package drinks.

 

Refreshment  package includes virgin drinks, specialty coffee, fresh squeezed juice, fountain soda and more.  
 

soda package is fountain soda/freestyle machines (if available). 

[BazingAu]

@Jezoif you like something a little bit sweet, iced tea and lemonade are also included. We did have a beverage package on our last cruise, but if we are in a pinch and didn't want to wait to order drinks or soda, we just grabbed an iced tea and lemonade to mix our own Arnold Palmers (half iced tea, half lemonade). I'm sure the staff can make that for you too, but it was just easier for use to grab and go from the premade beverage areas.

[flamingos]

Cafe Promenade has basic coffee, and hot water for the various teas 24 hours a day.

 

 

[Akkers]

So if you do not have a drinks package and go for the free (included) stuff, how do you tell which drinks are free and which are chargeable?

[BazingAu]

31 minutes ago, Akkers said:

So if you do not have a drinks package and go for the free (included) stuff, how do you tell which drinks are free and which are chargeable?

They run your sea card before they bring you a beverage. It will say what kind of beverage package you have on the card. For whatever reason my kids' cards didn't state their soda package, so they put a sticker on the sea card. The soda fountain machines (Coke Freestyle) only works with the paid package cups which has a chip on it coded for the dates of your sailing.

[SheSailsFL]

1.  5 drink vouchers/day (D+)

2.  Bring 2 bottles of wine (or 1 wine, 1 Prosecco)

3.  Bring a few small containers of cranberry or mango for prosecco mixers.

4.  Order water for the cabin

5.  Refill Yeti cup from water dispensers (love the flavored waters)

6.  Make an “Arnold Palmer” with iced tea and lemonade at WJ (makes the bad iced tea more tolerable) OR brew my own tea with a tea bag and water in my Yeti.   
 

I am usually covered with the above.  I don't drink coffee or soda &  I try to avoid the frozen fruity drinks since they're loaded with sugar, so I may have a small bar tab at end of cruise for any additional wine or cocktails. 

[SheSailsFL]

2 hours ago, Akkers said:

So if you do not have a drinks package and go for the free (included) stuff, how do you tell which drinks are free and which are chargeable?

Just about anything you order at a bar other than water will have a charge.  Everything is free at the beverage stations in Windjammer and Cafe Promenade. Water, tea (and other basic bevs) are included in MDR…anything else is extra.  On menus at bars and CP, items with an extra charge have a $ beside them.  Included items don't.  

[ericosmith]

8 hours ago, SheSailsFL said:

Refill Yeti cup from water dispensers (love the flavored waters)

Can you elaborate on this a bit.  Where are the water dispensers and how do the flavors work?

[SheSailsFL]

1 hour ago, ericosmith said:

Can you elaborate on this a bit.  Where are the water dispensers and how do the flavors work?

There are water dispensers at some of the bars, at Cafe Promenade and in the Windjammer.  Sometimes there are lemons/limes floating in the water and some dispensers are premixed with different flavor combinations.  One was watermelon with (I think) lime that was really good. 
You will not have trouble finding water.

Just a note though..they do not want you to refill your bottle or cup directly from the dispenser for sanitary reasons.  You need to use one of the plastic cups that are sitting there to fill your container. 

[SRF]

On 3/9/2022 at 1:17 PM, BazingAu said:

The soda fountain machines (Coke Freestyle) only works with the paid package cups which has a chip on it coded for the dates of your sailing.

 

FYI the chip is not coded to your sailing dates.  The system reads the chip, the first time it is used the system notes the date and the cup will work for something like 14 days after the first use.

 

Yes, people have used the same cup on B2B and people have not used the cup on one cruise, but used it on the next one.

[Liljo22]

On 3/4/2022 at 2:53 PM, S.A.M.J.R. said:

But that's EVERY day.  Some people can handle it, other's can't.  I had the drink package on one cruise and was so sick of alcohol by the last couple of days I had to force myself to get get drinks "to get my money's worth".  

 

I never got drunk (not my style) and only rarely had a buzz (again, not my style).  And having to "make up" for the port days changes things IMO.  So sure, I could easily get 5-6 drinks in on a sea day.  But go into port for 5-6 hours and getting those drinks in during the remaining time on board was a little more difficult (for me). 

Yes.  Everyone is different.  If it doesn't work for you, its not required to get it.  For me, even on port days its worth it.  Have a couple of drinks by the pool when we get back on ship, have a couple glasses of wine at dinner, couple of more in the nightlife venues.  

[S.A.M.J.R.]

2 hours ago, Liljo22 said:

Yes.  Everyone is different.  If it doesn't work for you, its not required to get it.  For me, even on port days its worth it.  Have a couple of drinks by the pool when we get back on ship, have a couple glasses of wine at dinner, couple of more in the nightlife venues.  

The way some people act on here though is EVERYONE should get the drink package.  Go look back through the numerous posts asking "if it's worth it" and the number of people who say "get it" (not that it was worth it to them, but that the questioner should get the package) without finding out how much the person expects to drink.  

 

Now, YOU may not do that, but it's pretty prevalent.