NO Liquor delivered to stateroom - Serenade of the Seas

Years ago I smuggled booze on board, but now I just pre-order a bottle to be delivered to our cabin. Convenient, no hassle. We don't drink in bars, and might have 1 or 2 drinks in our cabin per day. On most ships we are happy with their wine allowance (wife) plus a small bottle of scotch (me). However, I did some checking on a 2019 Serenade of the Seas cruise we have booked; HERE. That link indicates I cannot order a bottle of even Johnny Red (yuck!) for delivery to our cabin. Am I reading that correct? Looks like one cannot order a bottle delivered to ones cabin on most RCI ships, even at their very high prices.

I find that really strange and different from every other cruise line on which I've sailed. Can anyone verify I cannot pre-order a bottle of liquor on the Serenade? Since I don't drink in bars, my only option might be to find my old Rum Runners again........:(. The inconvenience of going to a bar, ordering a drink and returning to my cabin does not appeal to me.

Correct. On certain ships you can order small 375 ml bottles but there is a limited selection of about 4 or 5 offerings.

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Welcome to RCI, where profits depend on onboard revenue and bottle delivery must cut into that.

I'm not sure that there was EVER a time you could order a bottle of spirits to your stateroom (I know you could once purchase a bottle in the onboard store and take it with you for an additional fee - $9 I think). What you can do now is stop at any bar, order several shots poured into a large glass and carry it back to your stateroom. When you want a drink, pour some into a glass, just add ice and you're good to go. Not exactly rocket science.

I know on some ships you can order certain bottles of booze, along with mixers, and have it delivered to your room. This just started in the last year or so. I’m not sure why it’s only certain ships, but since your cruise is over a year away maybe they’ll expand it. You can always hope. They’re still making a huge profit on the sale of the bottle.

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I ordered a bottle last month on Anthem and just ordered another for Allure next April. Very limited selection.:mad:

I ordered a bottle last month on Anthem and just ordered another for Allure next April. Very limited selection.:mad:

These are the smaller bottles with mixers, right? Was thinking the OP was interested in the regular size bottle but maybe not. In any event, if it turns out to be profitable, RCI might extend this service to all ships by the time OP sails.

I agree that it would be nice if they had a better selection (and rolled it our fleet wide). However, I'm a little confused at your reluctance to stop at a bar to grab a drink to go, particularly if we're talking about maybe 1 or 2 drinks per day. Unless you're spending the overwhelming portion of your time in your stateroom, in which case I don't know what to tell you.

Not sure if it was clear, but you can bring two bottles of wine per stateroom with you (but usually only check to make sure each PERSON doesn't have more than two bottles). Which I guess solves your wife's problem but not yours.

I had thought room service would bring drinks, but I've never done it so don't know if that falls under the new room service charges.

I like gerif's idea, just take a drink back to your room when you are out and add ice when you are ready to drink it.

I'm not sure that there was EVER a time you could order a bottle of spirits to your stateroom (I know you could once purchase a bottle in the onboard store and take it with you for an additional fee - $9 I think). What you can do now is stop at any bar, order several shots poured into a large glass and carry it back to your stateroom. When you want a drink, pour some into a glass, just add ice and you're good to go. Not exactly rocket science.

But I don't like ice.....what shall I do?;)

Seriously, I know that option is open to me, albeit super expensive. Did I mention I am of a Scottish heritage (e.g., Cheap!). I did do just that on one of our NCL cruises where we had their "free" drink package. I did just as you did, getting a few shots of scotch to refill the empty Run-Runner I've brought for that purpose. Worked very well.

I've read the restrictions on ordering bar set-ups is an outcome of the Smith case settlement.

After all, it's allowed on =X=.

These are the smaller bottles with mixers, right? Was thinking the OP was interested in the regular size bottle but maybe not. In any event, if it turns out to be profitable, RCI might extend this service to all ships by the time OP sails.

I am the OP. Actually I'd be fine with even the smaller bottles, but a 750ml would be perfect for a 7-14 day cruise. Oddly enough, on many cruise lines, one can only order a liter bottle of spirits; far, far too much for me on a 7-10 day cruise. So when I do that I bring a Rum Runner for the remaining liquor and pack in my checked bag at the end of the cruise; if I have room.

I think it's curious how different cruise lines, who serve basically the same passenger demographics on the same/similar itineraries handle liquor deliveries to one's cabin very differently. On cruises in the last 5-10 years, Carnival, HAL and Celebrity provide a pre-order service for liter bottles, Princess I recall only provided one .375 ml bottle per day (but I recall the price wasn't unreasonable). RCI is the only line on which we're sailed lately that simply does not allow cabin delivery on most of their ships. I'm curious why.....on another thread someone mentioned some lawsuit because a passenger maybe killed himself? While that is unfortunate, I hope cruise lines do not start trying to protect ourselves from ourselves too much......take it to that logical end and we'd never leave the dock.:rolleyes:

I am the OP. Actually I'd be fine with even the smaller bottles, but a 750ml would be perfect for a 7-14 day cruise. Oddly enough, on many cruise lines, one can only order a liter bottle of spirits; far, far too much for me on a 7-10 day cruise. So when I do that I bring a Rum Runner for the remaining liquor and pack in my checked bag at the end of the cruise; if I have room.

 

I think it's curious how different cruise lines, who serve basically the same passenger demographics on the same/similar itineraries handle liquor deliveries to one's cabin very differently. On cruises in the last 5-10 years, Carnival, HAL and Celebrity provide a pre-order service for liter bottles, Princess I recall only provided one .375 ml bottle per day (but I recall the price wasn't unreasonable). RCI is the only line on which we're sailed lately that simply does not allow cabin delivery on most of their ships. I'm curious why.....on another thread someone mentioned some lawsuit because a passenger maybe killed himself? While that is unfortunate, I hope cruise lines do not start trying to protect ourselves from ourselves too much......take it to that logical end and we'd never leave the dock.:rolleyes:

It is all about profits. If it makes financial sense for the business, they will do it. That is how every business runs. If having a bottle in your room is priority, then another line, or another ship is in order.

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It is all about profits. If it makes financial sense for the business, they will do it. That is how every business runs. If having a bottle in your room is priority, then another line, or another ship is in order.

 

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No, not a very high priority, but it is something. I think RCI's reluctance to offer in cabin liquor may have more to do with that court case rather than profits. As someone above suggested, I can always go to a bar the first day and get 8 shots of scotch or whatever I think I need for the length of the cruise and take that back to the room. I could then pour that into a Rum Runner. Cost would be very high, but whatcha gonna do? My priorities for cruise lines and ships generally have more to do with the itinerary, convenience and price than with liquor-in-the-cabin options. The other option of course is to just drink wine during the cruise (in the cabin) or use Rum Runners to bring my own; neither appeals much to me.

Doug

No, not a very high priority, but it is something. I think RCI's reluctance to offer in cabin liquor may have more to do with that court case rather than profits. As someone above suggested, I can always go to a bar the first day and get 8 shots of scotch or whatever I think I need for the length of the cruise and take that back to the room. I could then pour that into a Rum Runner. Cost would be very high, but whatcha gonna do? My priorities for cruise lines and ships generally have more to do with the itinerary, convenience and price than with liquor-in-the-cabin options. The other option of course is to just drink wine during the cruise (in the cabin) or use Rum Runners to bring my own; neither appeals much to me.

 

Doug

If it were me I wouldn't bring a rum runner for that purpose. Just a regular bottle or something. No sense in getting called to the naughty room because they found the RR. That or put it in your carry-on.

If it were me I wouldn't bring a rum runner for that purpose. Just a regular bottle or something. No sense in getting called to the naughty room because they found the RR. That or put it in your carry-on.

Yes, I'd bring an MT Rum Runner to store the shots I got from the bar in my cabin. It will be in my checked bag when we board the ship. We will be flying to the port, so I don't want to risk a heavy, fragile glass bottle in the bags.

We recently did that on an NCL cruise were we had the drink package (an inducement to book early, else I NEVER pay those high fees; we don't drink near enough!). I' got shots at the bars, then take them to the cabin to enjoy on the balcony later. Worked great!

Doug

These are the ships where no alcohol is delivered to room.. You can still order wine.

This product is not available on the following ships:

• Anthem of the Seas
  
• Brilliance of the Seas
  
• Explorer of the Seas
  
• Freedom of the Seas
  
• Independence of the Seas
  
• Jewel of the Seas
  
• Legend of the Seas
  
• Mariner of the Seas
  
• Navigator of the Seas
  
• Ovation of the Seas
  
• Quantum of the Seas
  
• Radiance of the Seas
  
• Rhapsody of the Seas
  
• Splendour of the Seas
  
• Serenade of the Seas
  
• Voyager of the Seas
  

We bring our own wine and they will cork it for free in the dining room... You can bring two bottles.. They sell special Wine Bottle Protector for luggage and they work well...