Usually, drinks aren’t free in Royal Caribbean’s casinos. But there’s a way to get free drinks (and other perks) whenever you’re gaming at Casino Royale on a cruise!
Listen to this articleIf you’re used to getting free drinks when you play in land-based casinos, you might be disappointed that most people have to pay for cocktails in the casino on Royal Caribbean cruises.
But savvy Royal Caribbean Cruisers know that if you earn enough points in the casino, you’ll be rewarded with free drinks, plus lots of other fun perks!
How do you earn points in Royal Caribbean casinos?
Royal Caribbean’s Casino Royale venues give you reward points based on your spend.
- Slot machines – Earn 1 point for every $5 you play on a reel slot machine or $10 on a video poker machine.
- Table games – Earning points is based on the type of table game you play, your average bet, and how long you play.
(Certain games aren’t eligible for points, including Texas Hold’em Poker, Keymaster, Cash Crane, and coin pushers.)
How to check your point balance in Casino Royale
You can always check your point balance by inserting your SeaPass card into any machine (or tapping your card on ships that offer that feature). Your total will appear at the bottom of the screen.
However, if you cash out any of your points to use as Free Play credit (which you should, because it’s free money) those points will disappear!
You still earned those points—you just can’t see them. It’s a good idea to keep a tally of any points you turn into Free Play credit. But if you lose track, you can always visit the Casino Host desk to find out the total points you’ve earned.
Earning free drinks in Royal Caribbean casinos
To be eligible for free drinks at Casino Royale, you’ll need to earn at least 2500 points. This will earn you Prime status (I’ll explain all the tier levels of Casino Royale, as well as the other benefits you can earn later in this article).
When will eligible players get free drinks in the casino?
Once you’ve earned enough points for free drinks in the casino, a member of the casino staff will visit you at a slot machine or gaming table to affix a Prime sticker on your SeaPass card.
Once you have your Prime sticker, you can receive free alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks both at the casino’s bar as well as from cocktail servers at your slot machine or gaming table.
However, the free drinks benefit is only active in the casino while the casino is open. Sometimes, the casino bar will serve drinks before or after the casino is officially open. At those times, drinks aren’t complimentary.
You don’t need to be actively gambling to order free drinks in Casino Royale—you can sit at the bar, or even take your drink elsewhere on the ship.
Just remember, your free drinks benefit is only active in the casino. It won’t work at other bars and restaurants around the ship!
Do you need to tip on free drinks in the casino?
Unlike when you’re paying for drinks à la carte (or with a beverage package where you’ve already pre-paid gratuities), tips aren’t included with your free drinks in the casino.
You can either pencil in a tip for your bartender or server, or hand them a cash tip.
You may also like: Tipping on a Cruise Ship: What You Need to Know About Cruise Gratuities
Is there a limit to how many free drinks you can get in the casino?
Royal Caribbean doesn’t currently place a limit on how many free drinks you can order per day as part of this benefit.
However, cruisers can only order one alcoholic drink at a time, per SeaPass card.
Does the free drinks benefit extend to future cruises on RCI?
Once you reach the Prime level, you’ll remain eligible for free drinks in the casino for the remainder of the casino’s year (April 1 through March 31) plus the following “casino year”.
For example, if you reach Prime in December 2022, you’ll be eligible for free drinks through March 31, 2024.
On April 1, 2023, your accrued points will reset to zero, but you’ll keep the status you’ve already earned through the end of the casino year.
If you want to keep your free drinks benefit for the casino year beginning April 1, 2024, you’ll need to do one of two things:
- Accrue at least 2500 points during the next casino year (April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2024)
- OR accrue at least 2500 points during the following casino year (April 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025). However, in this scenario, you would temporarily lose Prime status from April 1 until you reach 2500 points again.
What are the tier levels in Royal Caribbean’s casinos?
RCI’s Casino Royale has four tier levels:
- Choice (0 to 2499 points)
- Prime (2500 to 24,999 points)
- Signature (25,000 to 99,999 points)
- Masters (100,000+ points)
What are all the perks you’ll get at each tier level?
All new Royal Caribbean cruisers start at the Choice tier, from the moment you begin playing in the casino with your SeaPass card.
You’ll immediately begin accruing points toward the next tier, as well as FreePlay credits you can use in the casino.
Perks at the Choice level (0-2499 points)
You won’t get free drinks in the casino at the Choice level, but you can earn a cruise reward certificate for a discounted or free cruise.
The minimum amount of points you’ll need to accrue to earn an instant cruise reward certificate is 400, which will get you $100 off your next cruise.
Perks at the Prime level (2500-24,999 points)
Once you hit 2500 points in the casino you’ll be at the Prime tier, which comes with a surprising amount of benefits! These include:
- Free drinks in the casino
- An instant cruise reward certificate for (at minimum) an interior stateroom
- Waived convenience fee for cashless wagering
- Discounted Wi-Fi packages
- Priority contact phone number
- Exclusive Family & Friends rates for Additional Staterooms
- Special offers with partnership casinos
- Annual complimentary cruise in an interior stateroom
Perks at the Signature level (25,000-99,999 points)
At 25,000 points you’ll reach the Signature tier. You’ll have similar benefits to those at the Prime level, but with a few additions and upgrades:
- An instant cruise reward certificate for a Grand Suite at 25,000 points
- A free Wi-Fi package for one device
- Your annual complimentary cruise is upgraded to a balcony
Perks at the Masters level (100,000+ points)
The Masters tier is the ultimate Casino Royale level on Royal Caribbean! If you can hit 100,000 points, you’ll be rewarded with:
- A free Wi-Fi package for two devices
- Priority entertainment access and dining reservations
- Free onboard credit
- Priority access at the terminal
- Carry-on bag onboard drop-off with priority delivery to your stateroom
- Welcome lunch in the main dining room featuring a menu from Chops Grille
- Access to meals at Coastal Kitchen
- Flexible departure time on disembarkation day with an à la carte breakfast
- Your annual complimentary cruise is upgraded to a Grand Suite
Overview of the benefits at each tier:
| Benefit | Choice | Prime | Signature | Masters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point redemption for FreePlay | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Ability to earn instant cruise rewards certificates | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| EFFY boutique credit at Regalia Fine Jewelry* | $200 | $250 | $350 | $550 |
| Waived convenience fee for cashless wagering | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Complimentary drinks in Casino Royale ** | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Free or discounted Wi-Fi packages | discount | 1 device | 2 devices | |
| Priority entertainment access and dining reservations | ✅ | |||
| Onboard credit | ✅ | |||
| Priority access at the terminal | ✅ | |||
| Carry-on bag onboard drop-off with priority delivery to stateroom | ✅ | |||
| Welcome lunch in MDR featuring Chops Grille menu | ✅ | |||
| Coastal Kitchen access | ✅ | |||
| Flexible departure with à la carte breakfast | ✅ | |||
| Exclusive casino offers | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Access to Club Royale VIP events | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Priority contact number | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Exclusive Family & Friends rates for additional staterooms | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Special offers with partnership casinos | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Annual complimentary cruise | Interior | Balcony | Suite |
How to find your current Casino Royale tier level
If you’re not currently on board but you’ve played in a Royal Caribbean casino before, you can always check your current Casino Royale tier level by visiting the Casino Royale page.
Just enter your last name and your Crown & Anchor number, then hit the lookup button. You’ll see your tier, how many points you’ve earned, and how many points you’ll need to reach the next tier.
If you have any current Club Royale offers (like a free cruise or money off your next booking), those will appear below your tier information.
FAQ about free drinks (and other perks) in Royal Caribbean’s casino
Royal Caribbean requires cruisers to be at least 18 years of age to play in Casino Royale (21 for Alaska cruises).
Once you reach Prime status to receive free drinks in the casino, that benefit will extend to all cruises taken through the end of the following casino year—April 1 through March 31.
Free drinks in the casino are only for the passenger whose name appears on the SeaPass card, and can’t be shared or given away.
More resources for your Royal Caribbean cruise
- How to Get a Free Casino Cruise on Royal Caribbean – Plus Free Perks!
- Where to Get Coffee on a Royal Caribbean Cruise
- Ultimate Guide To The Key on Royal Caribbean
Have you earned free drinks in the casino on Royal Caribbean? Or do you have any questions about how to get free drinks in Casino Royale? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
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Melinda
Saturday 17th of September 2022
I have a cruise coming up next month, and they put a Prime sticker on my card on my last cruise. I thought I only got free drinks in the casino on that cruise! According to your article, I should also get them on this cruise. But when do I get the sticker? Should I just wait until they come around again or is there someone I need to ask?
Carrie Ann
Sunday 18th of September 2022
Hi Melinda, I'm so glad I could let you know more about the free drinks benefit for hitting Prime on your last cruise! Yes, if you're still eligible, you'll get free drinks in the casino on your cruise next month.
Generally, if you're already Prime when you board your cruise, your SeaPass card will have PRIME pre-printed on it - in the same spot where they placed the sticker last time.
But if you pick up your cruise card and don't see the word PRIME, it's a good idea to visit the Casino Host desk to get a sticker before you order that first free drink. Your onboard account will usually show the bar staff that you have Prime status whether or not your card says so, but I like making sure it's on my card as well. Happy cruising! :D
Jessie
Saturday 10th of September 2022
My husband usually earns the free drink sticker in the casino, and sometimes I do too. But we always buy the drink package anyways. My question is, what's the point? Why would we try to get free drinks in the casino if we paid for them already? And it's not like we can just wait and see if we both get it or we don't. Is there some benefit I'm missing here??
Carrie Ann
Monday 12th of September 2022
Hi Jessie, Thanks for the question! If you're definitely going to buy the Deluxe Beverage Package every time you cruise, there really isn't any point in trying to get the free drinks sticker in the casino.
But Royal Caribbean's drink package is pretty expensive. If you're fairly certain you'll earn free drinks somewhat early in your cruise (based on how you generally play), it might be cheaper overall to buy drinks individually until you earn the benefit. You'd have to do the math to see if that option works for you.
Once you reach Prime, you'll still have the free drinks benefit in the casino on any cruises you take through the end of the casino's year (I explain how they calculate that above). So if you cruise often, you'll get free drinks on your next cruise(s) at the Prime level.