Lately, more cruisers are seeing “combo” bundles pop up—packages that mash together stuff you were probably considering anyway, like a drink package and Wi-Fi. And on some sailings, it gets even more tempting with CocoCay and Royal Beach Club add-ons mixed in. Suddenly you’re staring at one shiny tile thinking, “Well, that seems smart,” while your wallet quietly screams from the corner.
But here’s the catch: these bundles aren’t always a deal, the prices can change fast, and the rules can be weird (especially when it comes to who in the cabin has to buy what). So before you hit “purchase” and call yourself a budgeting genius, let’s break down what these bundles really include, the fine print that trips people up, and how to track prices so you don’t overpay.
What Royal Caribbean Means by “Combo Bundles”
If you’ve been poking around Cruise Planner lately and thought, “Wait… when did this show up?” you’re not imagining it.
Royal Caribbean has started offering new “combo” bundles that mash up things people commonly buy anyway—like a beverage package and Wi-Fi—into one pre-cruise purchase. On some sailings, those bundles go a step further and pair a full-cruise drink package with entry to paid areas at Perfect Day at CocoCay and/or a day pass to Royal Beach Club Paradise Island.
The easiest way to think about it: these aren’t brand-new perks. They’re the same add-ons you’ve always seen in Cruise Planner (drinks, internet, dining, beach club passes), just packaged together under one price that’s shown “per person, per day.”
Royal is clearly aiming for the “set it and forget it” crowd—the people who don’t want to juggle five separate purchases (and five separate price drops). The bundles also help solve a real Cruise Planner headache: you can look at two items that each feel “on sale,” buy them, and still realize later that the bundle would’ve been less (or the other way around).
One important thing before you get too excited: bundles aren’t the same on every ship or sailing. You might see a drinks + Wi-Fi option, an “All-In” style package that folds in dining, or a private-destination combo tied to CocoCay/Royal Beach Club—while your friend on a different itinerary sees something totally different.
If you’re good with a little math, you can spot when these are genuinely a deal… and when they’re just a tidy way to spend more money faster.
The Main Bundle Types You’ll Actually See
Royal’s “combo bundle” options usually fall into a few recognizable buckets. The exact names can vary by sailing, but once you know what you’re looking at, you can tell what’s inside in about two seconds.
Drinks + Wi-Fi bundles (the ones most people notice first)
These show up as a single Cruise Planner tile and pair a drink package with VOOM Surf + Stream internet. The most common examples are usually things like Deluxe Beverage Package + VOOM, Refreshment Package + VOOM, or soda + VOOM.
The “All-In” bundle (drinks + dining + Wi-Fi)
On some sailings, you’ll see an “All-In” style option that combines drinks, specialty dining, and Wi-Fi in one package.
The destination-driven combos (CocoCay extras + Royal Beach Club)
These are newer and they’re the reason people are suddenly calling these “combo packages” instead of just “bundles.”
Here’s the idea: you buy a full-cruise beverage package (Deluxe or Refreshment), and the bundle also includes entry to paid, extra-cost areas at Perfect Day at CocoCay (like Thrill Waterpark and/or Hideaway Beach) and/or a day pass to Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in Nassau.
One reality check that saves confusion: admission to Perfect Day at CocoCay is complimentary, but certain experiences (like Thrill Waterpark and Hideaway Beach) require their own paid pass.
Quick “name decoding” tip
If the title says “+ VOOM 1 Device,” assume the internet piece is tied to a one-device plan unless the details say otherwise. VOOM itself can be sold in multi-device versions, so always click into the package description before you do the math.
Why bundles vary by sailing
Royal doesn’t roll out every bundle to every ship and itinerary. What you see can change based on things like your ship, sailing length, ports (especially whether you’re visiting Perfect Day at CocoCay or Nassau), how much capacity is left for add-ons like dining and internet, and whatever promo Royal is running at the time—so two people cruising in different months can see different bundle options.
Related reading: Royal Caribbean’s The Key VIP Package
What’s Included (and the little surprises people miss)
Combo bundles feel simple when you click “Buy.” The confusion usually hits later, when someone assumes it covers one extra thing… and it doesn’t.
Here are the most common “wait, what?” moments—so you don’t get caught off guard.
If your bundle includes the Deluxe Beverage Package, it generally covers a wide range of alcoholic drinks plus the non-alcohol stuff too (like soda, specialty coffee, mocktails, bottled water, and fresh juices). The big detail many people miss: it covers drinks up to a set dollar amount per drink. If you order something priced higher, you usually pay the difference.
If your bundle includes the Refreshment Package, it’s the “everything but alcohol” package. It includes things like mocktails, premium coffees and teas, bottled water, fresh-squeezed juices, milkshakes, and soda options.
The surprise people miss: some bundle listings spell out exclusions like room service beverages and minibar items. So even if you have a package, that doesn’t always mean “every drink in every possible place.” Always read the product details on the exact bundle tile you’re buying.
Royal’s policy is that an 18% gratuity is automatically added to beverage packages (except where a local law blocks it). This often means the price you see first is not the final price until you get to checkout.
If your bundle includes dining, it may say “unlimited specialty dining.” In real life, you still have to work with reservation times, venue capacity, and the fact that some upcharge items can still cost extra. So yes, it can be a great value. Just don’t picture it as a “walk into any specialty restaurant at any time with zero planning” situation.
The biggest assumption: private destination perks
A lot of people assume a drink package automatically covers every paid area at Perfect Day at CocoCay. It doesn’t. Entry to CocoCay is included with your cruise fare, but places like Thrill Waterpark or Hideaway Beach are separate paid passes unless you buy a bundle that includes them.
How the Pricing Works
Royal Caribbean’s pricing can feel confusing because it’s not shown the way most people shop. Once you know the rules, it gets a lot easier.
Most bundle prices are shown “per person, per day”
In Cruise Planner, many add-ons (drink packages, Wi-Fi, and bundles) are priced per person, per day. That means the “deal” price you see is not the total. Your total depends on how many days your cruise is, how many people the purchase applies to, and whether extra charges get added at checkout.
Quick math example: If a bundle is listed at $79.99 per person, per day on a 7-night cruise, that’s $79.99 × 7 days = $559.93 per person (before any extra charges). That’s why bundles can look “cheap” at first glance and then feel expensive at checkout.
Reminder: Royal says an 18% gratuity is automatically added to beverage packages (except where prohibited by law), so the total can jump when you check out.
Why your friend might see a different price than you
Royal’s Cruise Planner prices can change depending on the sailing. Even if two people are looking at what seems like the same bundle, the price can still be different because the sailing dates aren’t the same, demand isn’t the same (busy weeks vs. slower weeks), and Royal may be running a different promo at the time.
If the price drops later, you can usually cancel and rebook
Royal’s beverage package FAQ says beverage package orders can be cancelled through My Royal Cruise up to 2 days before the sail date for a 100% refund. That’s why many cruisers buy when the price looks good and then cancel and rebook if a better promo shows up later.
The easiest way to compare “bundle vs. separate”
Before you buy, compare the bundle to the separate items using the same math. First, note the bundle’s per-person, per-day price. Then look up the current per-person, per-day prices for each item inside it and multiply each by the number of cruise days. If the bundle saves you real money, it’s worth it. If it only saves a couple of dollars, you may prefer buying items separately so you have more flexibility later.
Who These Bundles Are Best For (and who should skip them)
These combo bundles can be a great deal for the right cruiser. But for other people, they’re just a neat-looking package that costs more than it needs to.
If you already know you’ll use both parts of the bundle, you’re the best fit. A classic example is a couple who plans to enjoy drinks every day and also wants Wi-Fi for checking in with family, posting photos, or getting work messages. If you were going to buy both anyway, the bundle is worth pricing out first.
Bundles also make sense for people who like things simple. If you don’t want to watch Cruise Planner every week, compare five different prices, and second-guess yourself, a bundle can feel like a “one-click” solution. Even when the savings are small, some cruisers prefer the convenience.
Families can do well with certain bundles too, especially when the “drinks” part is a non-alcohol package. Teens and adults who love mocktails, specialty coffee, and bottled water can get a lot of use out of that, and pairing it with Wi-Fi can keep everyone happy (and less bored) on sea days.
Where bundles usually don’t work is when you’re only going to use one part. If you don’t drink much, or you’re fine staying offline, paying for a bundle can be wasted money. The same goes for port-heavy cruises where you’ll be off the ship most of the day and won’t get full value out of Wi-Fi or specialty dining.
Another common “skip” situation is when one person in the cabin really wants the drink package and the other person doesn’t. Some packages have rules that make this tricky, and even when it’s allowed, the value can get messy fast. If your cabin is split like that, it’s usually better to slow down and compare your options carefully.
Short cruises are their own thing. On a 3- or 4-night sailing, you have fewer days to “earn back” the cost of a big bundle. That doesn’t mean bundles are bad on short cruises—it just means the math matters more.
CocoCay & Royal Beach Club Bundles: What to Look For
These are the bundles that feel the newest, because they mix a full-cruise drink package with paid “beach day” access.
Where these show up (and why you might not see them)
You’ll usually find these inside Cruise Planner (My Royal Cruise). But you won’t see the same choices on every sailing. These bundles tend to show up when your itinerary includes places like Perfect Day at CocoCay and/or Nassau (for Royal Beach Club Paradise Island), and when those paid areas are being sold for your dates.
What these bundles usually include
Think of it as “full cruise drinks + one big beach day (or two).” Depending on the option, a combo might include a full-cruise Deluxe Beverage Package or Refreshment Package, plus admission to paid areas like Thrill Waterpark and Hideaway Beach at Perfect Day at CocoCay, and/or a day pass to Royal Beach Club Paradise Island.
It also helps to remember the baseline: Perfect Day at CocoCay itself is included, along with things like chairs, umbrellas, and several free dining spots. The extra-cost parts are the places you pay for.
What’s included at Royal Beach Club (so you don’t guess wrong)
Royal markets Royal Beach Club Paradise Island as “all-inclusive,” and the day passes include things like dining, drinks (based on the pass), Wi-Fi, and round-trip transportation.
Also, Royal has a FAQ that explains the bundle options: the Royal Beach Club + Deluxe Beverage Package option includes alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, while the Royal Beach Club + Refreshment Package option includes non-alcoholic drinks only.
The big mix-up people make with CocoCay
A lot of cruisers assume their drink package “stops” when they get off the ship. On Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal says beverage packages purchased onboard or on My Royal Cruise are active on the island.
But that’s separate from paid admission areas. Your drink package can work on the island, while a place like Thrill Waterpark or Hideaway Beach still needs its own ticket—unless your bundle includes it.
Related reading: Royal Beach Club Santorini
The Fine Print That Can Make or Break the Deal
Bundles look simple, but the rules behind them are not always flexible. These are the fine print items that most often surprise people after they buy.
If one adult buys the Deluxe Beverage Package, other adults in the cabin usually have to buy it too
Royal Caribbean’s policy is that if someone in a stateroom buys the Deluxe Beverage Package, then all guests of legal drinking age in that same stateroom must also buy it. For more details on this policy change, check out Royal Caribbean drink package rule change.
Age rules can change by region, and private destinations stay stricter
On sailings that start from North America or the Caribbean, Royal says the minimum drinking age onboard is 21. On many sailings from places like Europe, the minimum can be 18. But Royal also says the minimum age to consume alcohol at private destinations remains 21, no matter where your cruise started.
Cancellation rules matter, especially close to sailing
Royal says beverage package orders can be cancelled through My Royal Cruise up to 2 days before sailing for a full refund. They also note that once you’re onboard, refunds work differently, and any “partially used” package can end up being charged at full price. More broadly, Royal says you can cancel many pre-cruise orders through My Royal Cruise, but the exact timing rules can vary by item, so it’s smart to check the policy shown on what you’re buying.
“Unlimited dining” can still have extra charges and special rules
If a bundle includes dining, read the details carefully. Some specialty experiences have extra fees or special booking rules, so even when a bundle says “dining,” it doesn’t always mean every single food option is fully covered with no extra cost.
How to Find (and Track) the Best Bundle Price
The best place to shop for these bundles is My Royal Cruise (Cruise Planner). That’s where Royal Caribbean lists pre-cruise deals on packages like drinks, Wi-Fi, dining, and other add-ons.
When you’re logged in, look under the package categories and open the bundle tile itself. Royal often labels these bundles as limited-time offers, so if you see one that fits what you already planned to buy, it’s worth checking the price that day instead of assuming it will still be there later.
To track prices, keep it simple. Each time you check Cruise Planner, take a quick screenshot of the bundle page that shows the price per person, per day, plus the date you checked it. Do the same for the items inside the bundle (like the drink package and Wi-Fi) so you can compare bundle vs. separate using the same math.
If the bundle price drops after you buy, Royal’s FAQ says beverage package orders can be canceled through My Royal Cruise up to 2 days before the sail date for a full refund. That’s why many cruisers cancel and rebook when a better promo shows up.
One last tip: always read the description on your exact bundle tile before you purchase. Two bundles can look almost identical, but the details can be slightly different depending on the sailing.
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