The Golden Thimble Award

The Golden Thimble Award

First and foremost, it is understood that neither the service staff for their ships nor the policies and operations of their cocktail lounges come under the direct supervision of Oceania Cruise Lines, for these services we are told are contracted out. That said, what transpires within these areas should be of concern to the owners of the vessels as it pertains to future business.

Consider that, at the first port of call of our recent Amazon cruise aboard the Regatta, we were able to go ashore and purchase a whole bottle of distilled spirits for a price less than that charged for one drink at the ship’s Martini Bar. Moreover, the pouring of a single drink at this bar was so minuscule in volume that the value of the ice therein exceeded the cost of the spirit. It is common knowledge that all alcohol beverages acquired for consumption at sea are totally duty and tax-free and are purchased for but a few dollars per bottle.

Perhaps to compensate for the obvious lack of business, Regatta’s bar management offered each evening from 5:00-6:00 pm, a “Two For One” sale. This resulted in the pouring of two of the “Golden Thimble” measures into the same glass and still the cocktail barely measured up to a customary restaurant bar pouring. Even a wine based aperitif, always served in a 3-4ounce volume, was poured with the “Golden Thimble”, the resulting cocktail resembling some sort of sediment at the bottom of the ice filled glass. As a result and in protest of this nonsense, we joined friends in our rooms and on our balconies for pre dinner cocktails supplied from our hurriedly assembled bars, courtesy of duty free ports of call. The comfortable cocktail lounges appeared to be a total waste of space.

Having been served aboard all of the major cruise lines, there is little need to ask, "may I have the envelope please" in revealing the winner of “The Golden Thimble Award” for this dubious honour unquestionably goes to Oceania Cruise Lines.

I have never cruised Oceania and pardon my intrusion onto your thread, but your post is truly wonderful!!!! How great to have such a chuckle in the morning, this morning, Christmas, with no one awake in the house but me, I had to stifle my laughter... And I couldn't applaud... God Bless you sir! You have crafted a wonderful post!!!

I agree it is a very amusing post

I cannot imagine how big your thimble would be for your normal drinks

DH had a few drinks & they were normal size drinks comparable with what we have received back home or elsewhere.

Maybe in Canada we have bigger drinks:D

Great post! We also go ashore and avail ourselves of the local spirits, mainly wine and brandy.We do have a glass of decent wine before and even during dinner. No way that they minimize with a glass of wine.

As they say in the BVI, seasons greetings!:)

I do think it is important to state that we were aboard Oceania's Insignia at the same time last year, rounding the Horn. The bartender was one and the same man for both voyages for he remembered us from the previous sailing. The drinks served back then were fine and adequate, even by Canadian standards, so we must assume that the current miniscule pouring is a new, albeit foolish directive.

It is indeed, a foolish directive because they'll only be able to fool me once. I'll be taking my first cruise on Oceania (the Insignia as well) and if they pour from the golden thimble the first time, there will be no second time and they'll lose my business for the remaining two weeks. I sincerely hope this is not a normal occurrence.

We have been on 3 "O" cruises one on each ship and have never found anything to complain about in terms of drinks or service. I usually find that alcohol on the ships is less expensive than at big city fine restaurants or top land resorts.

Presumably it's fair game in a bar to ask the bartender to pour the liquor into a standard shot glass so you can see the amount dispensed, before adding to the ice? Just a thought. Funny post, did not know their bar staff was contracted-out.

If you measure a cruise by the size of your drink, Then I don't think the cruise is the more important event for you.!

I had a Gray Goose Cosmo during Happy Hour and it was no thimble they poured from....it was quite sufficient by my standards!

I guess I don't have to worry!!!! Coca-Cola is as stiff as it gets for me and you can't downsize a can of Coke!!

To Gail & Stephen (Worldly Travelers)

A cruise is comprised of so many aspects of the voyage. I made light of the meagre pouring of a cocktail for cocktails are an intricate part of my enjoyment of a cruise, as is clean linen , good food and a host of other essentials. I'm sure you would agree that any one service discrepancy would lessen the overall enjoyment of your criise.

I would and I don't mean to make light of the drink portions, or your plight. However, I have asked in an email to a number of cruise companies that we have travelled with what they consider to be by ounce., a normal drink pour. I hope to have an answer next week and will post the information.

On Disney cruise lines the control is very tight and not bottle poured.

Most of the casinos in LV use controlled pours and not a full ounce.