Is the Royal Caribbean Dining Package Worth It?

The dining package is worth it if you plan to eat at three or more specialty restaurants during your cruise and your ship has venues you genuinely want to experience. On 7-night Caribbean cruises on Oasis or Quantum-class ships, the Unlimited Dining Package can save $200+ per person compared to paying à la carte. However, on port-intensive cruises or for travelers happy with complimentary dining, paying à la carte is more economical.

The Unlimited Dining Package typically ranges from $180 to $260 per person for a 7-night cruise when pre-purchased on the Cruise Planner online portal (averaging $25 to $37 per person per day). A mandatory 18% gratuity is added at checkout. Onboard prices are full retail and generally 20% to 35% higher.

No. When you purchase a dining package, you cannot pre-select exact dates and times online prior to sailing. Royal Caribbean automatically assigns a courtesy reservation for Day 1 or Day 2. Upon boarding on embarkation day, you simply visit any specialty restaurant podium or use the Royal Caribbean app to schedule your exact dining times across all venues for the entire voyage.

Yes! The Unlimited Dining Package (UDP) includes specialty restaurant lunches on all sea days at participating venues (such as Chops Grille, Giovanni's Table, Jamie's Italian, and Hooked Seafood). Multi-night packages (3-Night and 5-Night) apply to dinner seatings only.

An 18% service charge is automatically added to the total package price at checkout on the Cruise Planner. This pre-pays your waitstaff gratuities for all specialty meals covered by the package.

At restaurants with à la carte pricing rather than fixed cover charges, package holders receive a food credit per person per visit. At Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade and Portside BBQ, you receive a $20 credit per person. At Izumi Sushi, Unlimited Dining Package holders receive a $39.99 food credit ($34.99 on multi-night packages).

Yes, Izumi Teppanyaki is included in dining packages for a full four-course meal (one appetizer, two proteins or combo, fried rice, and dessert). Because teppanyaki tables have limited seating (typically 8 guests per table), book your hibachi reservation immediately upon boarding.

Chef's Table is not fully included, but dining package holders receive a substantial discount, typically paying a $49.99 surcharge per person (instead of the standard $100–$125 cover charge) which includes the five-course VIP gourmet dinner and premium sommelier wine pairings.

No, do not buy adult dining packages for children under 13! Children ages 6–12 can dine at any specialty restaurant for a flat fee of $14.99 per child (ordering from the kid's menu), and children ages 0–5 dine completely free. If an older child wants the full adult menu, they pay 50% of the adult cover charge.

No. Beverages (cocktails, wine, beer, sodas, specialty coffees) are billed separately at regular bar prices plus 18% gratuity, unless you also have a Deluxe Beverage Package or Royal Refreshment Package. Dining packages do include discounts on full bottles of wine (typically 40% off under $100).

Yes! Royal Caribbean allows you to cancel any Cruise Planner pre-cruise purchase and immediately re-purchase it at a lower sale price with zero cancellation fees right up to 48 hours before embarkation.

You can change or reschedule your dining reservations onboard through the Royal Caribbean app or by speaking with the maitre d' at any specialty restaurant, subject to availability. There is no cancellation penalty as long as you give reasonable notice.

Yes! Unlike the Deluxe Beverage Package (which requires all adults in the cabin to purchase alcohol packages), specialty dining packages can be purchased individually. One guest can have a dining package while their cabin mate pays à la carte or eats in the Main Dining Room.

For most first-time and casual specialty diners, the 3-Night package is the ideal sweet spot. It lets you experience the top 3 restaurants (e.g., Chops Grille, Izumi Hibachi, 150 Central Park) on formal nights and sea days for around $115–$135, while avoiding dining fatigue and still enjoying the Main Dining Room.

Never wait to buy dining packages on the ship! Onboard prices are always full retail ($45–$65+ per dinner). Pre-purchasing online in the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner portal before sailing saves you 20% to 40%.