Newbie with lots of questions.

[momtwins7]

I am new to cruises and wondered if someone could point me in the direction about all the extras on the RC cruises.  I read people talking about The Key, drink packages etc.

 

thanks

[VegasVic14]

19 minutes ago, momtwins7 said:

I am new to cruises and wondered if someone could point me in the direction about all the extras on the RC cruises.  I read people talking about The Key, drink packages etc.

 

thanks

Go to the RCI website. It's all there.

[firefly333]

27 minutes ago, momtwins7 said:

I am new to cruises and wondered if someone could point me in the direction about all the extras on the RC cruises.  I read people talking about The Key, drink packages etc.

 

thanks

The cost varies by cruise and date. These items will all be for sale in your planner but no one can tell you the cost for each item. Get a general idea and after you book look in your planner. Description of items and costs are there for your cruise. 

 

Royalcaribbean does dynamic pricing. .. never the same. 

[momtwins7]

Thanks

[cindyscruise]

look at the FAQs on the website about the Key, drink packages, dining packages etc.  Cost vary by ship and sailing date.  Also watch youtube videos about the ship you are on.  Dining venues are different on different ships.  Download the app, select the ship you are sailing on and you can then look at the menus. 

[Kellie in Texas]

Also know that you can have a perfectly wonderful cruise without paying for any of these extras, other than the cruise fare, port taxes, and daily tips for your stateroom attendant, waiters, etc. The daily tips are per person per day (roughly in the $16-18 range) and will be charged directly to your stateroom account. Also, you'll pay for any excursions in port, either RCCL or private vendor excursions.

 

We've cruised 10 times and have never paid extra for any beverage packages, specialty dining, or any of that. I'd have to cruise lots of times before I'd consider paying extra for food and drink when there's plenty of food and drink included in your cruise fare.

[Cherful59]

3 hours ago, momtwins7 said:

I am new to cruises and wondered if someone could point me in the direction about all the extras on the RC cruises.  I read people talking about The Key, drink packages etc.

 

thanks

Sounds like you might have already booked, but if not, research the ships as there are differences.  Size, restaurants, things to do, itineraries, class of ship (fewer bells and whistles as the ships get older).  I am not saying there is anything wrong with any of them or you won’t have a great time.  I like all classes and have had a great time on each cruise I have gone on.  Have a great cruise.

[cruiseguy1016]

If you've already booked your cruise, you can log into your account and open the cruise planner for your cruise. In there, you'll be able to see pricing and descriptions for the various "extras".

[roupa]

While I agree with KELLIE IN TEXAS for most comments,  I would just add that while most food and beverages come with your cruise fare, there are charges for alcoholic and soda beverages…. both of which can add up quickly if you don’t keep track!   I usually take advantage of the water, ice tea and lemonade in the windjammer.  

[Kellie in Texas]

@roupa yes, I could have explained that better.  To the OP, you can always get alcoholic drinks or sodas on an individual basis and they will be charged to your onboard account. You don't have to buy a beverage package for that. DH and I don't drink that much so we'll get maybe 3-4 drinks over the week and the beverage package is never worth it for us. 

[BirdTravels]

On 7/30/2023 at 12:44 PM, momtwins7 said:

I am new to cruises and wondered if someone could point me in the direction about all the extras on the RC cruises.  I read people talking about The Key, drink packages etc.

 

Golden Rule: When you book a cruise, you are booking an all-inclusive vacation. Your room is paid for. Your food is paid for. Your entertainment is paid for. Pay your daily gratuities.

 

We avoid falling into the cruise line attempts to squeeze money to pay for things that are already included in our all-inclusive vacation. We cruise 6-7 times a year and we could not afford to do that if we did not following the golden rule. 

 

The Key is a waste of money. Beverage Packages are a waste of money. If I want a drink, I knowingly buy that drink at a bar. I don't need 20 drinks a day. Most cruises we are happy with complimentary drinks and end up with a zero onboard bill. 

 

Don't pay for something you already paid for. 

 

[loman]

Some very good advice here . 

Take the cruise with the included drinks and food , and then see if you need to add anything.

Other than the gratuities , i spend very little on extras .

As you cruise more with RC , you will eventually get up to Diamond level and thats when meaningful 

perks are included , such as 4 free drinks per day, and free expresso in the diamond lounge.

2 days of free internet also.

Pays to be loyal to RC.

Enjoy your cruise !

[Toofarfromthesea]

On 7/30/2023 at 5:13 PM, cruiseguy1016 said:

If you've already booked your cruise, you can log into your account and open the cruise planner for your cruise. In there, you'll be able to see pricing and descriptions for the various "extras".

 

Am I reading you right that you can't find out the price for drinks, internet, and dining packages until after you book?  How do folks compare total prices with other cruise lines?  Not new to cruising but new to looking into Royal Carribbean and I'm used to being able to compare total cost configured with the specific packages I want long before actually booking.  Not possible with Royal?

[sgmn]

As @firefly333 says in post 3,  Royal Caribbean has dynamic pricing on extras such as drink packages, speciality dinning etc.

So they price as high as they think they can get. Chops (a speciality steak restaurant) was £60 pp on Symphony in May but only £46 on Serenade next month. Same menu.

I bought the 3 meal speciality package for £89 six month ago, its now £99.

The more they sell the more expensive it gets.  

There is a hack to check 'extras' prices before you buy your cruise, but I can't remember the steps, maybe someone else can chime in.

 

You don't have to buy anything extra if you don't want to.  There's hot and cold drinks, meals and entertainment provided in the cruise cost. Just pay your gratuities 

Edited August 2, 2023 by sgmn

[cruiseguy1016]

12 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Am I reading you right that you can't find out the price for drinks, internet, and dining packages until after you book?  How do folks compare total prices with other cruise lines?  Not new to cruising but new to looking into Royal Carribbean and I'm used to being able to compare total cost configured with the specific packages I want long before actually booking.  Not possible with Royal?

 

Royal Caribbean pricing is all over the place. The prices can (and usually are) different from ship to ship and even sailing to sailing on the same ship. One day they are "X" and the next day they are "Y". There is no consistency at all. By logging into your cruise planner you can see what the prices for your particular cruise are at that moment. If you check again an hour later, the prices could very well be different. It is very hard to plan the full cost when the cost keeps changing.

[Biker19]

13 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

Am I reading you right that you can't find out the price for drinks, internet, and dining packages until after you book?

You can, but as mentioned, since they fluctuate, you'll have to pick some average number to do your comparison.

[OCSC Mike]

14 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

Am I reading you right that you can't find out the price for drinks, internet, and dining packages until after you book?

 

You can use this tool to look at the cruise planner for any cruise...

 

 

[tigers04champs]

Like everyone has said the dynamic pricing makes it a little difficult to get the best pricing information. It also depends on the ship/class of ships you go on. Not sure what class of ship your booking or when you are leaving, but I do have a list of the cheapest pricing we saw for our last two cruises on the Symphony and Allure (7 Day Cruises). I would expect more of the Symphony pricing as our Allure prices were crazy cheap/perfect timing.

 

Deluxe Beverage - $72.99 Per Guest Per Day (Symphony) & $49 Per Guest Per Day (Allure)

Classic Soda - $8.99 Per Guest Per Day

Unlimited Dining - $219.99 Per Guest (Symphony) & $175 Per Guest (Allure)

Voom Surf & Stream - $146.93 Per Device ($20.99 Per Day)

10 Digital Pictures - $96.99

Arcade - $20 for $25

Couples Swedish Massage - 50 Minutes - $209 Per Guest

Coco Cay Beach Club - $179 Per Guest

Coco Cay Cabanas - $999

The Key - $28.99 (Symphony) & $25.99 Per Guest (Allure)