Going on a Royal Caribbean cruise and curious about the Schooner Bar drink menu? Last fall Royal Caribbean updated the nautical themed bar’s menu, replacing everything except the Lavender Daquiri.
These are the Schooner Bar’s best and worst drinks. Learn what you should and shouldn’t order on your cruise.
Pro-tip: Lemon and lime juice feature heavily in all but two of the new drinks. If you have any issues with citric acid or are concerned that it can wear away or remove the enamel on your teeth and cause stomach issues, you may want to skip the new menu.
Or only order the Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioned or the Rum Old Fashioned.
How Much Do Drinks Cost
Schooner Bar drinks cost $14 each plus an automatic 18% gratuity. Prices for beer and wine vary depending on what you order.
Beers
- Amstel Light $7.99
- Blue Moon Belgian White $7.99
- Bud Light $7.49
- Budweiser $7.49
- Coors Light $7.49
- Corona Extra $7.99
- Daura Damm (Gluten-Free) $7.99
- Dos Equis $7.99
- Fosters Oil Can 750mL $9.50
- Heineken $7.99
- Miller Lite $7.49
- Paulaner Weiss $7.99
- Red Stripe 473mL $8.25
- Stella Artois $7.99
Other (Cider and Seltzer)
- Strongbow Hard Cider $7.99
- Truly Hard Seltzer (Wild Berry, Pineapple, Strawberry Lemonade) $7.49
- White Claw Hard Seltzer (Mango) $7.49
Non-Alcoholic
Red Wines
- Castle Rock, Pinot Noir $11 glass, $42 bottle
- Estancia, Pinot Noir $12 glass, $47 bottle
- Terrazas De Los Andes, Malbec $14 glass, $56 bottle
- Robert Mondavi, Merlot $11 glass, $42 bottle
- Castle, Rock, Cabernet Sauvignon $9 glass, $35 bottle
- Chateau D’Aussitres, Cabernet Sauvignon $9 glass, $33 bottle
- Kendall-Jackson, Cabernet Sauvignon $11 glass, $42 bottle
- Torres, Crianza $11 glass, $42 bottle
Sparkling
- Chandon Brut $12 glass, $58 bottle
- Ruffino Prosecco $11 glass, $55 bottle
White/Rosé
- Beringer White Zinfadel $8 glass, $29 bottle
- Chateau D’esclans Rosé $14 glass, $55 bottle
- Conundrum $16 glass, $61 bottle
- Danzante $10 glass, $40 bottle
- Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc $12 glass, $54 bottle
- Robert Mondavi Sauvignon Blanc $11 glass, $43 bottle
- Penfords Chardonnay $9 glass, $35 bottle
- Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay $11 glass, $42 bottle
- Chateau D’ Aussieres Chardonnay $9 glass, $33 bottle
- Robert Mondavi Chardonnay $11 glass, $42 bottle
Whiskey & Bourbon
- Balcones Rye $13.99
- Balcones Straight $13.99
- Buffalo Race $10.99
- Bulleit $11.99
- Canadian Club $9.99
- Crown Royal $9.99
- Fireball Cinnamon $9.99
- Gentleman Jack $12.99
- Jack Daniel’s $10.99
- Jack Daniel’s Rye $10.99
- Jameson $10.99
- Makers Mark $11.99
- Rittenhouse Rye $10.99
- Skrewball Peanut Butter $10.99
- Seagram’s 7 $9.99
- Templeton Rye $10.99
- Tincup $10.99
- Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch $10.99
- Woodford Reserve $10.99
- Yellow Rose $10.99
Cognac
- Hennessy V.S $10.99
- Remy Martin VSOP $12.99
Scotch
- Chivas Regal 12 $10.99
- Dewar’s White $9.99
- Glenfiddich $11.99
- The Glenlivet $12.99
- Johnnie Walker Black Label $10.99
- Johnnie Walker Double Black $11.99
- The Macallan Quest $12.99
- The Macallan Lumina $17.99
- The Macallan Terra $20.99
- The Macallan Enigma $39.99
Aperitif
- Aperol $10.99
- B&B $10.99
- Campari $10.99
- Fernet-Branca $10.99
- Jagermeister $10.99
- Pernod $10.99
- Pimm’s $10.99
Liqueurs
- Baileys Irish cream $10.99
- Chambord Black Raspberry $10.99
- Cointreau $10.99
- Disaronno Amaretto $10.99
- Drambuie $10.99
- Frangelico $10.99
- Grand Marnier $10.99
- Kahlua $10.99
- Midori Melon $10.99
- Sambuca $10.99
- Southern Comfort $10.99
Vodka
- Absolut $10.99
- Absolut Citron $10.99
- Absolut Vanilia $10.99
- Belvedere $12.99
- Grey Goose $13.99
- New Amsterdam $9.99
- Stoli $10.99
- Stoli ElIt $12.99
- Tito’s Handmade $10.99
Rum
- Bacardi 10.99
- Bacardi Reserva Ocho $12.99
- Captain Morgan Original Spiced $11.99
- Goslings $11.99
- Kraken $9.99
- Leblon Cachaca $10.99
- Malibu $9.99
- Myers’s Original Dark $9.99
- Pusser’s Navy $12.99
- Pyrat XO $13.99
- Ron Zacapa $12.99
Gin
- Aviation $10.99
- Beefeater $10.99
- Beefeater Pink $10.99
- Bombay Sapphire $11.99
- The Botanist $11.99
- Hendrick’s $12.99
- Tanqueray $10.99
Tequila & Mezcal
- 1800 Resposado $10.99
- Avion Silver $11.99
- Ilegal Joven $10.99
- Jose Cuervo Gold $9.99
- Jose Cuervo Silver $9.99
- Patron Anejo $13.99
- Patron Resposado $12.99
- Patron Silver $11.99
- Zignum Silver $11.99
How to Get Free Drinks
Despite changes to the Crown and Anchor Society program, you can get these drinks for free when you can use your Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle vouchers for these drinks.
These and other drinks throughout the ship’s bars, restaurants, and other venues are included in the Royal Caribbean drink package.
Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioned
Because I can’t resist anything with marshmallows, I started with the Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioned.
The drink is made with Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, toasted marshmallow syrup, and cocoa bitters, and served with 4 mini toasted marshmallows.
My first drink, yes, I tried this one a few times 😉, didn’t have Buffalo Trace Bourbon. They were out of it along with the mini marshmallows on the first night of the cruise. 😢 Provisioning (IFYKYK).
When a Royal Caribbean ship is out of Buffalo Trace Bourbon, the substitution is Jack Daniel’s Tennesse Whiskey. I wasn’t a fan. The combination of flavors didn’t work. Four Roses would have been a better substitution.
Thankfully, the ship got some Buffalo Trace the next day.
But instead of toasting the marshmallows, the bartender drizzled chocolate sauce over them. Disappointing. It lacked the additional punch of the marshmallow garnish.
When you toast or roast a marshmallow it caramelizes the sugar and gives it a nutty, almost buttery flavor. This helps to bring out and enhance the flavors in the whiskey.
Despite the lack of the roasted marshmallows, the drink was tasty and the flavors worked well together.
Toasted Old Fashioned is one of my favorites.
Tropical Sidecar
The Tropical Sidecar features Hennessy V.S cognac, Grand Marnier, passion fruit syrup, lemon juice, with a half sugar rim.
Adding the passion fruit syrup gives this a tropical twist on a classic sidecar. It also adds a sour element. I would prefer a full sugar rim vs a half rim.
Irish Peach
Schooner Bar’s Irish Peach blends Jameson Irish whiskey, peach, lemon juice, bitters, with a dash of black pepper
This is more of an Irish Peach Sour as the lemon juice is a bit overpowering. The sweetness of the peach counteracts the bittersweet taste of the Jameson.
I enjoyed the Irish Peach but felt the lemon juice was a bit overpowering.
Peanut Butter Tropic
Combine Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey, pineapple juice, bitters, and lemon juice and you have a Peanut Butter Tropic.
I’m a big fan of Skrewball Whiskey. The tartness of the pineapple didn’t work with the peanut butter for me.
Supposedly the peanut butter and the pineapple taste like a Butterfingers but I didn’t pick up on those notes.
My preference would be to substitute the Blueberry Puree from the Southern Belle for the pineapple juice. This would give it a sweeter flavor without the citric acid.
It would be similar to the PB&J Old Fashioned that you can get at the Mason Jar on the Wonder of the Seas. But with blueberry instead of raspberry.
Pro-tip: If you just want the peanut butter whiskey, it’s cheaper to order a glass of Skrewball for $10.99 vs the Peanut Butter Tropic for $14.
Southern Belle
The Southern Belle is crafted from Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, blueberry puree, mint leaves, lemon juice, and a splash of soda water.
This is a Blueberry Bourbon Whiskey Smash.
Sweet and refreshing, the Southern Belle is the perfect cocktail for a cruise. Or a hot day in Las Vegas. While in Vegas, be sure to match your Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor status to MGM.
Kentucky Summer
The Kentucky Summer also features Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. But it combines Buffalo Trace with St-Germain elderflower liqueur, mint leaves, mango, and lime juice.
You may be familiar with this drink because it was available on the Rising Tide bar menu on Oasis Class ships. This is Royal Caribbean’s tropical take on a mint julep.
The spicy sweet caramel floral flavors of the Buffalo Trace bourbon mix well with the citrus notes. But the Kentucky Summer had too much citrus for my liking.
This is Royal Caribbean’s version of a prickly pear margarita. Watch my video review of the Schooner Bar drink menu.
Desert Pear Margarita
Do you like tequila? The only new drink to feature tequila is the Desert Pear Margarita.
Crafted from Patron Silver Tequila, desert pear syrup, and lime juice this drink will have you rethinking whether or not you like margaritas.
The black lava rimming salt with activated charcoal gives it an added punch of contrasting color. Despite the rich color, this is not a sweet drink.
The mild flavor is deceiving. It is light without a lot of sweet syrup. So you may end up consuming more than you planned.
Sea & T
Looking for the perfect poolside cocktail? Consider the Sea & T.
The Sea & T is a Tom Collins with a nautical twist. Made with Beefeater Gin, Lagoon Bay Liqueur, simple syrup, lemon juice, and a splash of tonic water.
This was refreshing and tasty and unlike most of the new Schooner Bar drink menu, not too sweet. It’s one of my top favorite new drinks on the Schooner Bar drink menu.
Rum Old Fashioned
The Rum Old Fashioned made with Bacardi Reserve Ocho Rum, coconut syrup, and bitters is pretty tasty. All the sweetness of a traditional Old Fashioned but without the bitterness.
Parrot Punch
Folks like punch drinks for a couple of reasons: they tend to have more alcohol, hence the punch. The main flavor profiles are the fruit vs the base alcohol.
The Parrot Punch from the Schooner Bar drink menu is no different. Made with Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, Campari, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and simple syrup this is bound to be a punch lover’s favorite.
Although pretty and colorful, I wasn’t a fan of the flavors. I’m not a big spiced drink fan. The cinnamon from Campari and Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum was a bit much for me. But if you like cinnamon, this could be the drink for you.
Tropic Rye
The Tropic Rye is made with Jack Daniel’s Tennesse Rye Whiskey, passion fruit and guava syrups, pineapple juice, with lemon and lime juice
If you’re looking for a Rye Tai or a Tropical Sweet and Sour this is the drink you’re looking for.
There’s something in this drink that I’m allergic to so I didn’t try it. Jeff did and thought it was okay.
Rol & Rye
If you enjoy an Aperol Spritz but want something that blends into the woodwork while watching the game at the bar, try the Rol & Rye.
This traditional drink is made from Templeton Rye Whiskey, simple syrup, Aperol, and lemon juice.
Lavender Daquiri
The Lavender Daquiri is the only “old” drink on the Schooner Bar menu. Made with Bacardi Superior Rum, lavender syrup, and lemon juice it’s good-tasting but a little sweet.
Conclusion
These are the best and worst drinks on Royal Caribbean’s new Schooner Bar drink menu. What you should and shouldn’t order on your next cruise.
Of the 14 drinks, only two aren’t citrus based.
Which drink are you going to try on your Royal Caribbean cruise?
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