Royal Caribbean Just Quietly Killed One of the Best Perks of Its Drink Packages—And Guests Are Fuming

If you sail Royal Caribbean and you’ve been counting on unlimited access to those Coca-Cola Freestyle machines as part of your drink package, we have some bad news. According to Royal Caribbean Blog, the cruise line has quietly removed that perk from two of its most popular beverage packages—and the change kicks in very soon.

What Exactly Is Changing

Effective March 15, 2026, Royal Caribbean is pulling the Coca-Cola souvenir cup and Freestyle machine access out of both the Deluxe Beverage Package and the Royal Refreshment Package.

For anyone unfamiliar, the Coca-Cola Freestyle machines onboard let you mix your own sodas from dozens of flavor combinations—it’s a genuinely fun, convenient self-serve option that passengers have come to love as a package perk. Going forward, if you want access to those machines, you’ll need to purchase a souvenir cup separately onboard for $4.99.

That might sound like a small number, but add it up for a family—say five people—and you’re looking at an extra $25 out of pocket for something you were already supposed to have included.

Which Packages Are Affected

The two packages losing the Freestyle perk are:

Deluxe Beverage Package — priced from around $89 to $115 per person, per day Royal Refreshment Package — a non-alcoholic option running approximately $32 to $45 per person, per day The one package that keeps the Coca-Cola Freestyle cup included? The Classic Soda Package, which runs $9.99 to $18 per person, per day. So ironically, the least expensive soda package holds onto the benefit that the pricier packages are losing.

Soda itself isn’t going anywhere. Guests with the Deluxe or Royal Refreshment Package can still get canned soda or fountain soda poured at bars, lounges, and dining venues throughout the ship—just not from the Freestyle machines on their own.

There Is a Silver Lining if You Act Fast

Royal Caribbean has confirmed a grandfathering policy: if you booked a drink package on or before March 15, 2026, you keep the previous benefits, including the souvenir cup and unlimited Freestyle access, at no additional cost. So if you have an upcoming sailing and haven’t added a package yet, booking now could lock in the old terms.

Why This Matters for Cruise Families

This change stings most for families and anyone sailing on a longer itinerary. The Freestyle machines have always been a point of convenience—spread across multiple deck locations, available without flagging down a server, and a real hit with kids and non-drinkers who want variety beyond basic fountain soda. Removing that convenience from the packages that cost $32 to $115 per person daily while still charging you $4.99 more for it feels, to a lot of guests, like classic nickel-and-diming.

The online reaction has been predictably sharp. Cruise fans have called the move “unbelievably cheap” and a reduction in value—feelings that are hard to argue with when you’re paying top dollar for a package that now delivers less than it did last week.

Our Take

Here’s the honest reality: cruise lines adjust package perks constantly, and this is unlikely to be the last trim we see. What matters is that you go into your next sailing with accurate information about what you’re actually getting.

If Freestyle access matters to your family, the Classic Soda Package now offers better value for that specific perk than either of the more expensive non-alcoholic options. And if you’re booking a package for an upcoming cruise, doing it before March 15 means you’re grandfathered under the original terms.

It’s a small change on paper—but for families planning a week at sea where every dollar counts, it’s one worth knowing about before you board.