Going on a Royal Caribbean cruise is an exciting adventure, and given the many fantastic food options available on board, surely we don’t need to bring our own food, right? But what about snacks? Who doesn’t love a chocolate cookie, right? Can you bring snacks on Royal Caribbean? Well, Yes you can, but you do need to be aware of the restrictions.
Whether you’re looking to pack some of your favorite treats or save money on some overpriced items onboard, it’s important to know the ins and outs of what food or drinks you can and cannot bring onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise.
While Royal Caribbean offers a vast array of food and drink choices to satisfy most preferences, they do permit guests to bring non-perishable, prepackaged snack foods in limited quantities.
This means that your beloved chips, crackers, and energy bars are all fair game to accompany you on your voyage.
It’s a great way to ensure you’ll have easy access to your preferred munchies, especially if you’re traveling with kids or have specific dietary needs or a specific dietary use.
However, there are some passenger restrictions to keep in mind, as guests are not allowed to bring perishable items or beverages without completing a “Special Needs” form at least 30 days before your sail date.
What Kind of Snacks or Food Items Are You Allowed To Bring On a Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship?
Royal do have very strict rules in place with regards to what food items you can or cannot bring on board.
Non-perishable Prepackaged Snack Items and other Food Items Are Allowed In Your Carry-on
Royal Caribbean allows you to pack a variety of non-perishable prepackaged food in your carry-on luggage. This means your kids’ favorite treats and infant necessities can accompany you on your voyage. It also means that you can indulge your own special midnight food cravings LOL.
Popular choices for snacks include:
- Cookies: Who doesn’t love a sweet treat during a cruise vacation? Feel free to bring your favorite unopened cookie packages.
- Crackers: Perfect for pairing with cheese, spreading with cream cheese, or just munching on their own. (Bear in mind that you can’t bring cheese onboard though, but you’ll find a ready supply in the Windjammer)
- Chips: Salty and satisfying, pack a few unopened bags of your favorite chips to curb those cravings. (N.B. Us UK and European peeps refers to these as “crisps”).
- Energy bars: Hitting the Royal Caribbean gym or going on an adventurous shore excursion? Bring some energy bars for a quick boost.
- Pre-packaged baby food: If you’re traveling with an infant or a toddler, it’s a good idea to bring some pre-packaged baby food to have on hand.
It’s important to note that meat products are not allowed to be brought onboard, as they could cause contamination or pose a risk to the overall onboard food safety.
Any items you bring should be pre-packaged, unopened, and non-perishable to ensure they maintain their quality during your cruise.
When it comes to packing these snacks for your cruise, make sure they’re placed in your carry-on luggage. Items packed in checked luggage might not make it through the embarkation process, potentially leaving you snack-less on the high seas.
Now I know some of you might be reading this and thinking, “Why bring snacks when there is all that food included with your Royal Caribbean cruise?”.
I get that I totally do, but can I be a little bit controversial and point out that American chips suck! Sorry but you just don’t have the huge range of flavors available in the UK.
That’s why I always pack a large multi-pack of UK-made McCoys Beef BBQ crisps (sorry chips) – they are awesome. And don’t talk to me about peanuts. KP Peanuts will always beat Planters cocktail peanuts hands down LOL.
Last cruise I packed the following non-perishable snack items (Don’t judge LOL):-
- A large tub of UK brand KP Cocktail Peanuts
- Twelve bags of UK Brand McCoys Beef BBQ Crisps
- Twelve bags of Irish brand Tayto Cheese and Onion crisps
- Two large Galaxy Chocolate Bars
Now as these are all UK or European brands I wasn’t able to easily purchase these locally in Miami, so hopefully you can understand why I bring snacks on board. It allows me to indulge my midnight craving for home-grown UK snacks.
So if you have a particular local favorite that you won’t get onboard and you can’t purchase locally, go ahead and think about adding that to your packing list. When those munchy cravings hit, you won’t regret it.
Incidentally, if you are in the USA and want to try some of the UK brands of snacks, take a look at British Corner Shop
What Kind of Drinks Am I Allowed To Bring on Royal Caribbean?
Okay so we’ve covered snacks and other foods, but what about drinks?
Well, first of all, remember that any drinks you bring must be in your carry-on luggage. With that in mind, let’s dive into the details of what you can and cannot bring on your cruise.
Non-Alcoholic Beverages
When it comes to non-alcoholic beverages, you’re allowed to bring up to 12 sealed cans or cartons per guest.
These beverages can include water, soda, juice, or milk, and should not exceed 17 ounces each.
So, if you’re a fan of seltzer, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s welcome onboard too! Just make sure the cans or cartons are unopened and tucked safely in your carry-on.
Wine and Champagne / Hard Liquor
Now, let’s talk alcoholic beverages. While hard liquor and beer aren’t permitted to be brought onboard, Royal Caribbean does make an exception for wine and champagne.
On embarkation day, each adult guest is allowed to bring one 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne per cabin, per sailing. However, this is limited to no more than two bottles per stateroom.
Just imagine enjoying a lovely glass of your favorite vino while watching the sunset from your stateroom balcony – pure bliss!
What if you bring more bottles of wine or champagne than the allowed amount? Well the ship will “kindly” store any additional bottles for you. What that really means is they will be confiscated LOL.
However, you will get them back at the end of the cruise or if you are on a back-to-back sailing they will deliver them to your stateroom on the first day of the next voyage.
Please note that there is a corkage fee if you decide to enjoy your wine or champagne in the main dining room or other restaurants onboard. The fee may vary, so it’s worth checking the specific details for your ship.
You’re also not meant to consume your personal wine supply anywhere else apart from your cabin. But personally, I know lots of people who will pour themselves a glass and then head up to dinner or a show.
Remember the Drinking Age is normally 21 depending on your Sailing
Lastly, remember the “normal” drinking age on Royal Caribbean cruise ships is 21, so ensure you respect the rules and enjoy your beverages responsibly. I say “normal” because that is their default policy. However, for cruises within Europe, South America, and Australasia the drinking age is 18. Now I remember why my 18 year old daughter preferred European rather than Caribbean cruises 😉
Now that you know the ins and outs of Royal Caribbean’s beverage policy, you can pack your carry-on accordingly and look forward to sipping on your favorite drinks while cruising the high seas!
Can You Bring Snacks on royal Caribbean? Yes, You Can
So there you have it. Can you bring snacks on Royal Caribbean? Yes you can!
You now know what snacks you can bring on board to satisfy any munchie cravings you might have, You also know what drinks you can bring onboard as well.
So you can now get that cruise packing list finally sorted out, ensuring all your cruise essentials are included.
Enjoy!
P.S. Want to know what drinks are free on Royal Caribbean?
