Bourbon enthusiasts who missed out on in-person Kentucky festival tickets this September have a floating alternative worth raising a glass to. Royal Caribbean has launched a guided bourbon tasting experience across 17 of its ships in honor of National Bourbon Heritage Month, running through September 2026.
The 45-minute experience, developed in partnership with Suntory Global Spirits, walks guests through four bourbons: Maker's Mark Classic, Jim Beam Original, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 9 Year, and Basil Hayden Original. Along with the pours, participants learn about how bourbon is crafted, aged, stored, and bottled — essentially a condensed Kentucky Bourbon Trail education on the high seas. Ships hosting the experience include Icon of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas, Star of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, and 13 other vessels in the fleet.
The tasting is part of a broader push by Royal Caribbean to make bourbon more approachable to a wider audience. The line's onboard bars have introduced inventive cocktails designed to ease in guests who might not consider themselves bourbon drinkers. At The Mason Jar, the PB&J Old Fashioned combines Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey, Kentucky Bourbon, strawberry jelly, and walnut bitters. The Schooner Bar offers a Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioned as another entry point into the spirit.
The creative programming comes as the broader American whiskey market faces headwinds. U.S. whiskey sales dipped 1.2% in 2023 and volumes fell 4% in the first nine months of 2024, according to The Wall Street Journal. Through August 2025, U.S. whiskey production was down 28% year-over-year, per the Lexington Herald Leader — but Royal Caribbean is clearly betting that the right experience can keep guests interested regardless of industry-wide trends.
Details on the bourbon tasting experience were first reported by Royal Caribbean Blog.
