Cruise lines have to protect their passengers and their bottom lines.
You can debate the order in which they do that — they argue that they always put passengers' safety above all else — but those twin mandates drive many on-board decisions.
When it comes to alcohol, those two issues often butt up against each other. If you sell passengers the most alcohol possible, you make the most money. You could argue that selling booze to underage passengers and offering ninja swords for sale in the gift shop would also maximize profits.
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No cruise line, of course, does either of those things, and all of them try to protect their passengers from being overserved alcoholic drinks. Selling more drinks can't come at the expense of a sick, belligerent or worse passenger.
Royal Caribbean does not place a strict limit on alcohol consumption. In theory, people paying a la carte, purchasers of its Deluxe Beverage Package, and Prime or higher members of its casino-loyalty program (who drink free in the casino) can have as many drinks as they want.
On a practical basis, however, Royal Caribbean will cut people off when they appear drunk or overserved. The staff will be polite about it at first, perhaps offering coffee or water, but then they will call in security if the situation requires.
In addition to protecting passengers from being overserved, Royal Caribbean also needs to make sure the drinks are paid for. That means ensuring that people who've bought the deluxe drink package and those who drink free in the casino do not share their drinks.
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Royal Caribbean has new beverage rules
In December, Royal Caribbean passengers began noticing that the rules for certain drinks had changed.
Many cruisers order a beer, soda or other canned or bottled drink to bring back to their rooms. That creates a couple of problems.
First, if the drinks are alcoholic, it's harder for the cruise line to keep passengers safe. Someone can get cut off at the bar, then go back to their cabin where they have stockpiled beer and get themselves dangerously more drunk.
In addition, taking sealed drinks away from the casino or ordering them with the Deluxe Beverage Package and bringing them back to your cabin enables you to share them with someone who hasn't earned the casino perk or bought the beverage package. That's a major violation of Royal Caribbean's rules.
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The new rules, however, were unclear as some ships have been opening all drinks served to passengers, including water and soda.
It also created confusion for Diamond-and-higher Crown & Anchor Society members, who are entitled to 4, 5 or 6 free drinks up to $14 in value every day. Those drinks can be shared, and many people in that program who are not big drinkers would use their vouchers to bring sealed beverages back to their rooms.
As is often the case when any cruise line rolls out a new policy, it was a time of confusion with mixed levels of enforcement.
Royal Caribbean clarifies its beverage rules
An email request for clarification was acknowledged by the Royal Caribbean public relations team but not returned. Multiple people on social media, however, reached out to Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley and got the following response:
Thank you for contacting the Executive Office of Royal Caribbean International. Mr. Bayley has received your email and I am pleased to respond.
Thank you for your loyalty to Royal. Please know that our beverage policies are in place to ensure that all guests are able to enjoy their drinks safely and responsibly. Recently, we have updated this policy to include the following: Any canned or bottled alcoholic beverages ordered at our bars must be opened before leaving the venue.
Kindly note, this policy does not apply to non-alcoholic beverages, such as canned sodas and bottled water, unless ordered through a Deluxe Beverage Package. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this causes and appreciate your understanding and cooperation with helping us to maintain a safe and enjoyable time onboard.
We value your patronage of Royal Caribbean International and hope to welcome you and your family back onboard in the near future.
Sincerely,
Geno Bell-Floyd
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People may not like the rules, but at least they now fully understand them. In most cases the new rule appears to be largely about passengers' safety, while the Deluxe Beverage Package exception for opening nonalcoholic beverages appears to be more bottom-line focused.
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