Royal Caribbean’s mocktail expansion across its 29-ship fleet has drawn widespread praise from passengers after the cruise line grew its zero-proof and low-alcohol menu from 15 to 20 items to more than 50, with guests crediting the move for ‘normalising’ sober travel at sea. The development, first reported by Elizabeth Wright of the Royal Caribbean Blog, has reignited debate about beverage package pricing and whether the company will adjust its Refreshment Package rates to reflect the upgraded offering.
Royal Caribbean Mocktail Expansion: From Virgin Substitutes to Purpose-Built Menus
The scale of the change is considerable. When the Icon class of ships launched in 2024, Royal Caribbean used the occasion to develop dedicated non-alcoholic mocktail recipes for every bar onboard, moving away from the previous approach of simply serving virgin versions of standard cocktails. The wider fleetwide rollout followed in August last year, introduced during a preview on the Star of the Seas, and the expanded menu is now available across every sailing.
Ed Eiswirth, Royal Caribbean’s Senior Director of Beverage Operations, confirmed that younger cruisers are driving demand. ‘From a trend standpoint, this next generation that’s coming up is not drinking as much alcohol as the rest. They’re leaning into these mocktails,’ Eiswirth told the Royal Caribbean Blog. The trend aligns with what the industry has begun calling ‘dry tripping,’ a broader shift in consumer behaviour that spans age groups. Abigail Cuffey, executive editor of Women’s Health, told KCRA 3 that the pull-back on alcohol spans motivations: ‘Some of it is health-related, some of it is energy, mood, sleep, just seeing what life is like when they drink a little bit less.’
Passenger reactions have been broadly positive. ‘I’m so glad this is a normal thing now,’ one Royal Caribbean guest wrote in response to Wright’s coverage. ‘My first cruise was in 2019 on Adventure of the Seas. I remember going to one of the bars and asking the bartender if they had a mocktail menu. He looked at me like I had two heads!’
Pricing, Packages and the Zero Proof Wine List
The commercial mechanics of the expanded menu matter to agents and operators advising clients on package selection. A single mocktail on a Royal Caribbean cruise typically costs $8 before the 18% gratuity, bringing the total to around $9.50 per drink. According to Travels Between, drink prices across the fleet run from $3.50 for bottled water and soda, through $7 to $8 for standard mocktails, $10 for Seedlip mocktails, $14 to $16 for cocktails, and $8 to $22 for a glass of wine, context that helps set the relative value of the package tiers.
The Refreshment Package, which covers mocktails in full, ranges from $29 to $42 per person per day and also includes fountain soda, Johnny Rockets milkshakes, bottled still and sparkling water, premium coffees and teas, and fresh-squeezed juices. At roughly $9.50 per mocktail all-in, a guest consuming three to four drinks per day breaks even on the package. That compares favourably with the Deluxe Beverage Package, priced at $55 to $120 per person per day, which requires five to seven alcoholic drinks daily to justify the cost.
Travels Between also reports that Royal Caribbean’s Zero Proof range now includes several wine alternatives: Natureo Sparkling from Spain, Cero Coma Blanco from Spain, Ariel Chardonnay from California, Ariel Cabernet Sauvignon from California, and Natureo Syrah from Spain. The addition of non-alcoholic wine options broadens the appeal beyond guests who simply want fruity blended drinks, and is likely to be relevant to those who abstain for religious, medical or lifestyle reasons but still want to participate in the social rituals around a dinner wine list.
One complication for mixed-drinking groups remains in place: if one adult in a stateroom purchases the Deluxe Beverage Package, every other adult of legal drinking age in that cabin must do the same. Substituting the cheaper Refreshment Package for a non-drinker is not permitted under Royal Caribbean’s current cabin policy.
Separately, Royal Caribbean tightened its Deluxe Beverage Package policy in August 2025, the same month the fleetwide mocktail rollout was confirmed. Some passengers have since flagged frustration over onboard drinking costs, and a number have speculated on social media that the Refreshment Package may not remain at its current price point if demand for the zero-proof tier continues to climb. Others have noted that certain ships are still lagging on the menu rollout. Royal Caribbean Blog has been among the first to track which vessels have received the updated drinks list. Royal Caribbean did not respond to a request for comment before publication.
