Cruise line quietly closes a popular loophole that passengers loved to abuse

If you were hoping to dodge Royal Caribbean’s all-or-nothing drink package rule, you’re out of luck.

The cruise line just made a major policy change to its popular Deluxe Beverage Package — the unlimited alcohol add-on that many cruisers consider a must-have. Until now, guests who didn’t drink could call in and request an exemption, allowing only one adult in a stateroom to purchase the alcohol package while the other opted for a nonalcoholic option. Not anymore.

As of August 1, that exception is officially gone. According to a statement obtained by Royal Caribbean blog, “Royal Caribbean will no longer be able to grant exceptions to our policy that both guests in a stateroom must purchase the Deluxe Beverage Package.”

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The reason the cruise line cites for the change is abuse of the system.

Royal Caribbean explained the change came after a surge in requests for exemptions — many of which led to guests sharing drink benefits with someone who didn’t pay for them. “This change allows us to ensure guests are consuming their beverage package responsibly,” the cruise line said.

The now-closed loophole had been a go-to workaround for people who were sober, expecting a baby, or simply not interested in all-you-can-drink perks. But some passengers reportedly used the honor system to skirt the rules and split one package between two adults — something that’s always been prohibited.

The backlash came fast on message boards and Reddit, where many agreed the change was inevitable. One user wrote, “Only takes a few to ruin it for everyone.” Others lamented that Royal Caribbean will likely lose beverage package sales from guests unwilling to double up.

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Still, cruisers looking to skip the alcohol package have a few workarounds. For instance, as the Royal Caribbean Blog notes, each adult can bring one bottle of wine aboard on embarkation day and there's no charge if you drink it in your own state room. As well, Diamond members get four free drinks per day, and Prime status in the Casino Royale program includes unlimited drinks at the casino bar. Some sailings still offer a limited 10-drink card that can be shared. And of course, there's always drinking off the ship, where prices may be lower.

But the loophole to the drinks package rule is gone, and if you want the unlimited drink package, your cabinmate has to want it too.

Yahoo CreatorAlesandra DubinAlesandra (Alice) Dubin is an award-winning travel and lifestyle journalist. She has a BA from UC Berkeley and an MA in journalism from NYU. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their twins.FollowFollow