Cabin Drinks

Hi

 

I am just back from a cruise on Ventura. On boarding I wanted to order a bottle of spirit and mixers to be delivered on room service to my cabin as we had done on all previous cruises. When we arrived in our cabin, I could not find a price list nor was there anything showing on our interactive tv. On contacting room service I was advised that it was a new company policy recently introduced to stop providing drinks for consumption in your cabin, they could provide the mixer drinks but not the spirits.

 

Has anyone else had this issue on any other P&O ships?

 

Must remember to pack and take some with us on our next cruise

Copied from FAQ on P&O website.

 

Q. Can I order drinks to be placed in my cabin?

 

< Back

Yes, you can order beverages and food to your cabin 24 hours a day from our Room Service menu.

 

 

I think that P&O would have a mutiny on their hands if they stopped room sevice drinks.

Since June there have been chargeable mini bars on Azura for drinks within your cabin. :) In practice, this is your fridge stocked with bottles which are charged to your account as you consume them.

Edited September 24, 2016 by Scriv

The original poster was pointing out that on previous cruises their experience was that you could obtain full bottles of spirits together with a range of mixers to consume in your cabin at a later time.

 

Obtaining full bottles has allegedly been stopped and just miniatures or single glasses of spirits have been brought in as a replacement.

 

Regards John

Since June there have been chargeable mini bars on Azura for drinks within your cabin. :) In practice, this is your fridge stocked with bottles which are charged to your account as you consume them.

 

Does that mean you can no longer get litre bottles of spirits from room service?:confused:

I was able to buy a litre of Bacardi on Arcadia for £20 less than a month ago, but there was no listing anywhere. I only knew it was available due to information on Cruise Critic and P and O's FAQs accessed before we went. And Cokes were purchased at bar prices as individual items, cases not available.

Hi

 

I am just back from a cruise on Ventura. On boarding I wanted to order a bottle of spirit and mixers to be delivered on room service to my cabin as we had done on all previous cruises. When we arrived in our cabin, I could not find a price list nor was there anything showing on our interactive tv. On contacting room service I was advised that it was a new company policy recently introduced to stop providing drinks for consumption in your cabin, they could provide the mixer drinks but not the spirits.

 

Has anyone else had this issue on any other P&O ships?

 

Must remember to pack and take some with us on our next cruise

 

I fear that this may be the beginning of a change to their alcohol policy. There is more money to be made from a minibar than providing a bottle of spirits. I don't expect it will belong before they stop us taking our own spirits on board 😢

I agree, not that we bother. You are not allowed to take any alcohol on board Fred O. I don't want to drink in my cabin, would rather go to the bar, so wouldn't make use of the minibar either.

I fear that this may be the beginning of a change to their alcohol policy. There is more money to be made from a minibar than providing a bottle of spirits. I don't expect it will belong before they stop us taking our own spirits on board

 

Which was my thought when we were on Aurora and they brought the mini bar into the cabin.

I asked head of housekeeping if they were going to stop people bringing drink on board, and he said no....but its the bean counters who make the decisions..

That'd be a shame if they did stop you being able to bring your own alcohol on board. We're not massive drinkers in our cabin but we'll bring a bottle or two of champagne on board with P&O. It's becoming more and more obvious they're making cuts to make more money according to my parents :(

 

Dan

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Are P&O the only company who allow booze to be taken on board. I have only cruised with P&O and Fred.

Are P&O the only company who allow booze to be taken on board. I have only cruised with P&O and Fred.

RCI and Celebrity allow two 750 ml bottles of wine or champagne per cabin to be taken on board at initial embarkation. No spirits allowed, they are confiscated and could, according to policy be disposed of. Carnival allow 1 bottle of wine or champagne per person (over 21 years of age).

 

If you purchase any alcohol whilst in port, or from the duty free shop onboard on most lines, it will be taken from you and returned to your cabin late on the last evening, or early on the day of disembarkation.

 

MSC do not allow any alcohol to be taken on board, either at initial embarkation or from a port stop.

 

NCL allow you to take as many bottles of wine or champagne per cabin at initial embarkation. However, you must pay a corkage fee ($15 per 750ml bottle) before you board for each and every bottle, regardless of where you plan to drink it.

Edited September 25, 2016 by peteukmcr

So really P&O are (were) the only ones allowing spirits to be taken on board. I always thought it was strange as by allowing it they were losing money in the bars.

So really P&O are (were) the only ones allowing spirits to be taken on board. I always thought it was strange as by allowing it they were losing money in the bars.

 

 

Still are by all accounts. Just not supplying full bottles for in cabin use. Just plain daft.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Is it possible to buy large bottles of spirits in the shops in the ships? Just a thought.

 

I do hope that P&O retain their generous policy re drinks. To be fair to them they are the only ones who let cruisers bring on unlimited amounts of alcohol and we find this a real benefit (particularly if we go on a wine tour!)

We took alcohol on board Cunard, I really hope they don't stop allowing you to bring alcohol on board, I love a drink sat on the balcony late afternoon, before dinner in the cabin and last thing at night again on the balcony. I also hope they don't stop the use of electric cigarettes on the balcony as well.

Last year a cabin near to us complained that I was smoking on the balcony and a member of the management team called to see me to say they had reports of cigarette smoke coming from my balcony I explained that I don't smoke tobacco only electric cigarettes and that I though I could smoke in the cabin and balcony and showed him my electric cigarette he apologised and left.

We took alcohol on board Cunard, I really hope they don't stop allowing you to bring alcohol on board, I love a drink sat on the balcony late afternoon, before dinner in the cabin and last thing at night again on the balcony. I also hope they don't stop the use of electric cigarettes on the balcony as well.

Last year a cabin near to us complained that I was smoking on the balcony and a member of the management team called to see me to say they had reports of cigarette smoke coming from my balcony I explained that I don't smoke tobacco only electric cigarettes and that I though I could smoke in the cabin and balcony and showed him my electric cigarette he apologised and left.

Slightly off topic but don't sail with RCI as electric cigarettes are classified in the same category as cigarettes in that you can only use them in designated smoking areas and so are banned in staterooms and on stateroom balconies.

 

Not sure if the smoking policy has recently changed on Cunard, but according to their website the use of electric cigarettes is no longer allowed in cabins or on balconies.

 

For the safety, comfort and enjoyment of our guests, smoking (including Electronic alternatives) is not permitted in staterooms, on stateroom balconies or in public rooms. You will find designated areas of the open deck on each ship where smoking is permitted, these will be clearly signposted on board and listed in the Daily Programme.

Edited September 25, 2016 by peteukmcr

Glad I got the heads up on this issue. We are on Britannia on Tuesday so have been to Asda today and bought a litre of gin and one of vodka, £15 each! We have always been able to order litre bottles of spirits from our cabin steward and feel disappointed that this perk is now taken away from us. Hey ho, it won't spoil our cruising, we just go with the flow.

thanks for all your responses we were informed that the company wide policy was to stop the sale of 1litre bottles of spirits on room service and this was being rolled out accross the fleet (we travelled on 12th September) I have then heard from other passengers and again on here that mini bars were being put in your cabin fridge prior to boarding but if you didn't want them then the cabin steward would happily remove them. I love going to the bars onboard but do really enjoy a late afternoon drink on my balcony and a nightcap occasionally so utilised the in room ordering service. It's a shame that P&O will miss out on these sales as I feel sure people will bring their own onboard until of course they come in to line with other cruise lines and stop people bringing alcohol onboard all together - which I am sure is only a matter of time especially if they don't make any revenue on the mini bars!!

Just had another thought. If P&O are starting to change their alcohol policy to bring them in line with other companies, then maybe they will start offering an All Inclusive Drinks Package. Most cruise lines now offer this and it is the one thing I don't like about P&O.

There are ways of getting alcohol onto any ship, but P and O treat one like an adult. If that stops, then it makes them far less attractive.

So do they have bag scanners or searches everytime passengers return to ship after a port visit?

So do they have bag scanners or searches everytime passengers return to ship after a port visit?

 

 

Yes ever since we started cruising

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Yes ever since we started cruising

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

so in that case there is no way you could bring on a concealed bottle?

so in that case there is no way you could bring on a concealed bottle?

 

Some people resort to putting alcohol in pop bottles:eek: