If you are planning a cruise with Royal Caribbean, one of the most important things to understand before you book is exactly what is included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare. We have been cruising with Royal Caribbean for over 20 years, and we know from experience that cruise pricing can sometimes feel confusing, especially for first-time cruisers or families looking to budget carefully.

When booking a Royal Caribbean cruise, it is easy to assume that everything is included, but in reality there are a number of inclusions as well as optional extras that can increase the overall cost of your holiday. For families in particular, understanding what is included in a Royal Caribbean cruise and what costs extra can make a big difference when planning and budgeting for your trip.

A Full Breakdown of What’s Included on a Royal Caribbean Cruise?

In this guide, we break down everything you need to know about Royal Caribbean cruise costs, including what is included in your cruise fare, such as accommodation, dining, entertainment, and onboard activities. We also explain the additional costs of your cruise, including drinks packages and speciality dining, as well as shore excursions, WiFi, and gratuities.

Dining Options Included on Royal Caribbean

Food is probably one of the most important things to factor in on a holiday. We like to know what’s included and what costs extra. We all know kids can eat at least 5 meals a day on holiday, they are always hungry, or want ice cream or snacks, and this is where cruising can save a family a lot of added expense.

Complimentary Dining

Your Royal Caribbean cruise includes meals and snacks at many venues around the ship. In fact it’s impossible to go hungry on a Royal Caribbean Cruise and there’s no need to pay extra for food. Unless you choose to splash out and dine at one of the speciality restaurants on board.

Complimentary dinning options include

• The Main Dining Room
• Windjammer Buffet
• Cafe Promenade for fruit, sandwiches, coffee and cakes
• Cafe @ Two70 on Quantum Class Ships for fruit, sandwiches, coffee and cakes
• Park Cafe on Oasis-class ships, the beef sandwiches with gravy are divine
• Sorrento’s for Pizza
• Dog House Hot dog stand, these are delicious!
• Vitality Cafe, healthy dining, usually near the Spa or Solarium
• El Loco Fresh, delicious tacos and wraps
• Ice Cream around the pool
• Coastal Kitchen, exclusive dining and snacks for suite guests and Pinnacle Club members

Room Service

Continental Breakfast is free, but its recomended you tip the steward who delivers your breakfast. There is a Tray Charge of $7.95 for cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner, but this can include multiple meals. Top tip, there is nothing better than a chilled breakfast on the balcony. We order coffee, cereal, and fruit, and chill on port days before a busy day; it is worth the cabin steward tip for a chilled start to the day.

Speciality Dining That Costs Extra on Royal Caribbean

Speciality dining on Royal Caribbean comes with an extra cost; this varies depending on the restaurant you choose, ship, and itinerary. On our recent cruise on Mariner of the Seas, pork sliders in Playmakers cost $10.99, whilst the Izumi Teppanyaki premier combo, which included sea scallops and lobster, cost us $59.99 each. Note that not all restaurants feature on all ships.

• Johnny Rockets, 1950s Style Burger Bar
• Play Makers, Sports Bar and Snacks, Burgers and Ribs
• Jamies Italian, Hearty Italian Food
• Chops Grill, Steak Fine Dining
• 150 Central Park, Fine Dining ( This is a favourite of mine)
• Giovanni’s Table, Traditional Italian Food
• The Mason Jar, Southern Style Home Cooking Inspired
• Izumi Hibachi, Teppanyaki, Steak, Scallops and Lobster
• Izumi Sushi
• Portside BBQ, Ribs and Wings
• Wonderland, Imaginative Fine Dining

Speciality Dining Packages

Royal Caribbean offers dining packages that allow you to experience several speciality restaurants at a discounted rate. As a guide, the 3-night dining package for a 7-night sailing costs £149.70 per adult. The unlimited dining package has now changed to a daily rate. This is the base rate of £49.01 per night, but check for offers, as it is currently showing £26.96 per night in my cruise dashboard.

Included On-Board Activities and Entertainment

Royal Caribbean ships are packed to the brim with activities; there is always something to do, and most of them are included in your cruise fare.

• FlowRider ( Lessons are extra, but there are free sessions daily)
• Bumper cars on Quantum Class ships
• Carousel on Oasis Class ship
• Climbing wall
• Zip line, ice skating
• Mini-golf
• Water slides
• Gym access
• North Star on a port day, but book early, the free slots fill up (it costs extra on sea days)
• IFly on a port day, again book early free slots fill up and you pay on a sea day
• Theatre Productions and Shows
• Daily Quizes
• The Ultimate Abyss on Oasis Class Ships ( This is great for adults too)
• Aqua Shows on Oasis Class Ships ( Dont miss these, we love them)

Some Activities Do Come With An Additional Charge

• All-access ship tour
• Flow Rider Lessons
• North Star on a Sea Day
• IFly on a Sea Day
• Escape room
• Fitness classes
• Spa services
• Casino and bingo
• Photographs
• Laundry services
• Medical services

The Kids Clubs Are Included In Your Royal Caribbean Cruise Fare

One of the advantages of cruising with Royal Caribbean is the excellent kids’ clubs. Our kids never liked land kids clubs growing up, but the youth teams on Royal Caribbean are all fully qualified and offer fun activities that will have the kids begging to go back day after day. This is great as parents get a little time to take part in more adult activities, or just enjoy the peace and read a book. It’s advised that you book your sessions as slots do fill up.

• Aquanauts for ages 3-5
• Explorers for ages 6-8
• Voyagers for ages 9-11
• Hosted teen programs (for ages 12-14 and 15-17) in the Living Room and the Fuel Teen Club hangout space are free.

Additional Childcare Costs

There is a Royal Tots nursery on some ship, but check before you book to ensure it is available on your chosen ship and sailing, Royal Babies and Tots Nursery costs $9-$12 per hour per child

Adventure Ocean kids’ club is free during the day and early evening. However, there is a free $7 per hour after 10 pm. The kids have so much fun in the club, they used to beg to stay in after 10 pm.

Shore Excursions

Shore excursions are not included in your cruise fare. These can be booked through Royal Caribbean on your app or the dashboard, or you can explore independently. If you do your research, it’s easy to save money and create your own tours.

Free Drinks on Board Royal Caribbean

There are some drinks included in your cruise fare on Royal Caribbean. The complimentary beverages available on all Royal Caribbean ships include:

• Water by the glass
• Flavoured water
• Fruit Juice at breakfast
• Lemonade
• Coffee
• Hot chocolate
• Tea
• Iced tea

Drink Prices on Royal Caribbean

Here’s an idea of what you can expect to pay for drinks of a Royal Caribbean Cruise.

• Beer from $7.99
• Cider, $7.99
• Truly Seltzer $7.49
• Wine by the glass from $8
• Cocktails, $14
• Soft drink, $3.50
• Speciality coffee, $4
• Bottle of water, $2.75

What Else Costs Extra On Royal Caribbean?

Drinks Packages

The cost of Royal Caribbean’s drink packages varies quite a lot, depending on the sailing and any offers, and can range from $50 to $ 100 per person, per day. However, there are also soft drinks and non alcoholic packages available. Also, keep an eye out for offers. We booked a drinks package on offer for our next cruise for £48 pp per day. It quickly went up to £67.00, so if there is an offer, book it. If it goes down below what you paid, you can cancel and re-book at the lower price.

WiFi of Royal Caribbean

WIFI is not cheap at sea, but now Royal Caribbean has updated the WIFI to Starlink, it is excellent. I was able to film our podcast live from the Mariner of the Seas with no problem at all. There are several options available. You can buy a one guest one device package, which costs roughly £17 a day, but the more you buy, the bigger the discount you get.

However, we find it cheaper to buy a multi-device package for one person, this saves quite a lot of money. It just means you sometimes get knocked off when the other person switches devices, but it’s quick and easy to reconnect.

Gratuities and Tipping

Instead of tipping individual staff members, Royal Caribbean automatically charges a daily gratuity fee, which is distributed among the crew. The daily gratuity fee is $18.50 per person for guests in Junior Suites and below, and $21.00 for guests staying in suites. This fee applies to all guests staying in the cabin, regardless of age.

Gratuities can be pre-paid before your cruise or added to your onboard account for payment at the end of your trip. We prefer to pay upfront, but do also tip staff for great service as we go along.

The Cost of a Royal Caribbean Cruise

If you’re cruising on a budget or don’t want to overspend, you can enjoy a Royal Caribbean cruise without spending on all the extras. However, with so many optional extras available, it’s easy to spend significantly more on board.

For those who love to indulge, the additional costs can add up quickly, but budget-conscious travellers can still have a fantastic experience by taking advantage of the many included amenities.