Cruise ships have a lot of bars and that's decidedly true on the ships operated by Royal Caribbean. Even a smaller ship usually has more than 10 bars, while the bigger classes will have more than twice that.
Some bars are merely bars like you would find in any hotel -- albeit with a better selection. Others have loose themes and cocktail menu that matches.
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The cruise line's Lime & Coconut concept used on most of its pool decks fits that description. These bars, which are often on two levels, put frozen and other tropical drinks on the menu, but most of the drinks could be found at any pool or beach bar.
A handful of bars on each Royal Caribbean (RCL) -) ship have deeper theming and more unique cocktails. That's true at the British pub that's on nearly every ship and even at Playmakers Sports Bar. Both of those bar concepts are full-service, but they also have fairly extensive menus of drinks created just for those locations.
Another Royal Caribbean fixture, the Schooner Bar, has long offered an extensive menu of mostly nautically-themed beverages with some nods to author Ernest Hemingway.
That menu was in place for years, maybe decades, but now the cruise line has abruptly replaced it with a nearly completely new menu.
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Royal Caribbean has a new Schooner bar menu
The Schooner Bar is a Royal Caribbean signature venue that's literally on every ship. It has a piano player entertaining crowds at night and a unique cocktail menu. Now, the cruise line has gotten rid of nearly the entire menu, keeping only the well-loved Lavender Daquiri, and has added a number of innovative new choices, according to a report from the Royal Caribbean Blog, which is not affiliated with the cruise line.
Each drink on the new menu costs $14, which means they are fully covered for people who have the Deluxe Beverage Package. The new menu includes a number of drinks never before seen on a Royal Caribbean ship:
- Parrot punch: Captain Morgan original spiced rum, campari, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and simple syrup
- Tropic Rye: Jack Daniel's rye whiskey, passion fruit and guava syrups, pineapple juice, with lemon and lime juice
- Desert pear margarita: Patron silver tequila, desert pear syrup, and lime juice
- Rol & Rye: Templeton rye whiskey, simple syrup, aperol, and lemon juice
Peanut Butter Tropic: Skrewball peanut butter whiskey, pineapple juice, bitters, and lemon juice
Kentucky Summer: Buffalo Trace bourbon, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, mint leaves, mango, and lime juice
Sea & T: Beefeater gin, lagoon bay liqueur, simple syrup, lemon juice, and tonic water
Irish Peach: Jameson Irish whiskey, peach, lemon juice, and bitters, with a dash of black pepper
Southern Belle: Buffalo Trace bourbon, blueberry puree, mint leaves, lemon juice, and soda water
Lavender daquiri: Bacardi Superior rum, lavender sirup, and lemon juice
Tropical Sidecar: Hennessy V.S cognac, Grand Marnier with half sugar rim passion fruit syrup, and lemon juice
Toasted marshmallow old fashioned: Buffalo Trace bourbon, toasted marshmallow syrup, and cocoa bitters, served with 4 mini toasted marshmallows
Rum old fashioned: Bacardi Reserve Ocho Rum, coconut syrup, and bitters
As is the case with any bar on a Royal Caribbean ship, these drinks are just the cocktail menu and full bar service is offered. This marks a significant change for the Schooner Bar and makes it the Royal Caribbean bar with the most-expansive cocktail menu.
While the Schooner Bar features a piano player at night, the bar is open at other times of the day. The bar should still be able to make any of the classic drinks which were dropped from its menu.
