Royal Caribbean passengers looking at drinks packages are usually presented with a fairly simple choice: stick to non-alcoholic drinks, or pay for an unlimited package that includes alcohol.
But there is another Royal Caribbean drinks package sitting between those two options, and plenty of cruisers may still not know it exists.
The Refreshment + 10 Drinks Package combines Royal Caribbean’s standard Refreshment Package with a fixed allowance of 10 alcoholic drinks to use during the cruise.
Rather than providing unlimited alcohol every day, passengers receive the full selection of drinks covered by the Refreshment Package throughout their sailing, plus 10 alcoholic beverages in total.
It potentially makes the package an attractive middle ground for guests who enjoy cocktails, beer or wine but know they will not drink enough to justify paying for Royal Caribbean’s Deluxe Beverage Package.
The option first began attracting attention in 2025, but it remains considerably less well known than Royal Caribbean’s three main drinks packages. It also does not appear as a standard package on every sailing.
How The Refreshment + 10 Drinks Package Works
At its core is Royal Caribbean’s Refreshment Package, which provides unlimited non-alcoholic drinks for the duration of the cruise.
Royal Caribbean currently lists fountain soft drinks, non-alcoholic cocktails, Johnny Rockets milkshakes, bottled still and sparkling water, premium coffees and teas and freshly squeezed juices among the drinks included.
The cruise line’s latest package material also includes canned soft drinks, non-alcoholic beer and wine, although some non-alcoholic products are restricted to guests who meet the applicable drinking-age requirement. Licensed Starbucks locations are excluded.
On top of those unlimited non-alcoholic drinks, passengers buying the Refreshment + 10 Drinks Package receive 10 alcoholic beverages.
Importantly, that means 10 drinks for the entire cruise, not 10 alcoholic drinks every day.
Royal Caribbean described the option when it first appeared as “this is the package for ultimate flexibility”.
That distinction becomes especially important on longer cruises. A passenger on a 14-night sailing, for example, could use the included alcoholic drinks whenever they wanted rather than feeling the need to order several every day to get value from an unlimited package.
It could also suit cruisers who mainly drink coffee, bottled water, soft drinks and mocktails during the day, but still want the occasional alcoholic drink with dinner or during an evening in one of the ship’s bars.
Prices are dynamic and can change considerably between ships, departure dates and Cruise Planner sales.
When the package first appeared in 2025, prices of around $36.99 per person, per day were reported. Current 2026 package listings continue to show it, but at varying prices. Examples have included around $38 per day on a 10-night Independence of the Seas sailing and around $41 per day on some other voyages. This example is even higher:
That makes checking the numbers particularly important.
Passengers should compare the difference between the regular Refreshment Package and Refreshment + 10 Drinks Package rather than simply comparing it with the more expensive Deluxe Beverage Package.
If the upgrade costs substantially more over a long itinerary, buying 10 alcoholic drinks individually could potentially work out cheaper. Conversely, a good Cruise Planner discount could make the combined package more appealing.
There has also been one notable change since the package first started appearing.
From 15th March 2026, Royal Caribbean stopped including a Coca-Cola Freestyle Cup with its Refreshment and Deluxe Beverage Packages. Guests wanting to use Coca-Cola Freestyle machines with those packages can instead buy an RFID-enabled cup onboard for $4.99. The Classic Soda Package continues to include the cup.
That means older descriptions of the Refreshment + 10 Drinks Package which say that Coca-Cola Freestyle access is automatically included may now be out of date.
It Isn’t Just Appearing On Extremely Long Cruises
When the Refreshment + 10 Drinks Package first emerged, reports largely came from passengers booked on longer itineraries such as transatlantic cruises, Panama Canal voyages and sailings lasting considerably more than a week.
That led to the assumption that Royal Caribbean had introduced it specifically for longer cruises, where the cost of an unlimited alcohol package can become particularly high.
More recent evidence suggests the picture is no longer quite that simple.
The package has appeared in 2026 listings for seven-night Royal Caribbean cruises as well as longer itineraries. One recent listing for a seven-night Rhapsody of the Seas sailing showed the Refreshment + 10 Drinks Package alongside the regular Refreshment Package, while another seven-night Brilliance of the Seas voyage also listed the option.
It therefore appears that availability is sailing-specific rather than being determined solely by cruise length.
Passengers should not assume they will be able to buy it simply because they are taking a long cruise, or assume it will be unavailable because they are sailing for only seven nights. The simplest way to know is to check the beverage section of Royal Caribbean’s Cruise Planner for the individual booking.
There is another important consideration for passengers sharing a cabin.
Royal Caribbean says guests purchasing an alcoholic beverage package must purchase one for all guests of legal drinking age in the same stateroom. Non-alcoholic packages can otherwise be purchased individually.
Because the Refreshment + 10 Drinks Package contains alcohol, passengers should check the purchase requirements displayed for their particular reservation before deciding whether the numbers work for everyone travelling in the cabin.
For some cruisers, Royal Caribbean’s Deluxe Beverage Package will still be the obvious choice, particularly those expecting to drink cocktails, wine or beer regularly throughout the holiday.
For others, the normal Refreshment Package and a handful of individually purchased alcoholic drinks could work out cheaper.
But for passengers who sit somewhere between those two groups, the little-known Refreshment + 10 Drinks Package offers an option many Royal Caribbean guests might not even realise they have.
Want the best Royal Caribbean deal?
Get a free quote from Cruise Mummy’s trusted travel agent, with exclusive onboard credit and expert help at no extra cost.
