Purchasing Alcohol on a B2B cruise?

[STARFISH*4]

i have heard if you purchase alcohol on board the first week of a B2B cruise that you get your alcohol purchase the end of that first week...is that true? anyone doing B2Bs have experience with this...THANKS:)

[NW Pacific]

Would really like some past cruisers answer also, specifically on the Gem recently.

[PanamaJoe]

Would really like some past cruisers answer also, specifically on the Gem recently.

Yes you do get it at the end of the first week, the store has no way of keeping track.

[spacewoman]

when you order from bon voyage depts they usually ask for booking numbers so I'm thinking you would have 2 booking numbers because technically you are on two different sailings? Order two separate orders under the 2 booking numbers. I'm sorry that I do not know this from experience (although I would like to:D)

[lambs2]

No problem for us on our Jade B2B, but that was in the Mediterranean. We just picked our bottles up from the store the night before the end of cruise one and we had the bottles in our cabin for all of cruise 2. Our second cruise was a 12 day, plus we were flying home from Europe, so we HAD to finish up our purchases or leave them behind.

[garycarla]

when you order from bon voyage depts they usually ask for booking numbers so I'm thinking you would have 2 booking numbers because technically you are on two different sailings? Order two separate orders under the 2 booking numbers. I'm sorry that I do not know this from experience (although I would like to:D)

 

Ordering via the Bon Voyage dept is TOTALLY different than buying in the store.

 

And, yes some others have mentioned, unless you are silly enough to tell somebody when you buy stuff the first week, you can pick it up the last night of the first cruise and already have it onboard. Good deal.

 

And, since everybody has their booze for the last night, I wonder how many decide to PARTY and finish off their bottles the last night?

[NMLady]

when you order from bon voyage depts they usually ask for booking numbers so I'm thinking you would have 2 booking numbers because technically you are on two different sailings? Order two separate orders under the 2 booking numbers. I'm sorry that I do not know this from experience (although I would like to:D)

 

I don't think the OP is talking about ordering from bon voyage dept but is talking about buying from the shops onboard.

 

Also, not all b2b's have 2 different booking numbers. Our 10/4 transatlantic is b2b with 10/16 Caribbean and only has 1 booking number since it was sold either as a 19 day cruise or as two separate cruises. We bought it as a single cruise since it was cheaper that way, even though it then counts as only one cruise towards our next level.

 

I've also been told that if you buy liquor in the shops aboard ship (much cheaper than buying from NCL bar setup or from Bon Voyage) that it will be kept until the last night of your cruise and then either delivered to your cabin or as a pick-up by you the last night. You'd then have it for the next cruise of your b2b.

We're hoping this is true since we plan to do that on our first of three b2b cruises. However, we also plan on buying a bottle of a different liquor from NCL for the first of our cruises.

[tdcjerry]

We did it on the Pearl a few years ago on our B2B, you can also have your butler pick it up ( if you have a suite ) for the second part of your cruise. We WILL be doing this on our next cruise that is a 7 day + a 14 day but booked as a 21 day.

[mpk218]

What ? No faith STATFISH ;):D

[Mc_Cruiser]

Can't you just go to the shop on the last night after 7pm and just buy it then over the counter? At that point you wouldn't need to wait to pick it up since it is already past the hand out time.

[mpk218]

Can't you just go to the shop on the last night after 7pm and just buy it then over the counter? At that point you wouldn't need to wait to pick it up since it is already past the hand out time.

 

 

Yes , you can do that too ..;)

[mbarnaby99]

Can't you just go to the shop on the last night after 7pm and just buy it then over the counter? At that point you wouldn't need to wait to pick it up since it is already past the hand out time.

 

Yes you can. I did this on the Pearl last year. I waited until the last night of my first week and bought liquor for the next week.

[OceanDreaming2]

Can't you just go to the shop on the last night after 7pm and just buy it then over the counter? At that point you wouldn't need to wait to pick it up since it is already past the hand out time.

 

Will have to do just that on the Gem. Thanks for the great idea.

[Got Tequila?]

This is typically the reason we have booked a 1 night cruise dinner and dance cruise prior to our 10 day cruise for next January and a 2 day CTN before our cruise next May.

 

It worked out perfectly for us last January on the GEM, much more reasonable than the bar set up price....and we had an extra night to unpack, settle in and relax before the 10 day cruise. :)

[STARFISH*4]

THANKS MUCHLY for all the ANSWERS they were what i was hopin for...purchasing and then picking up night before the cruise ends for the first leg...GREAT...and GOOD about purchasing like that night before or so

THANKS EVERYONE--i KNEW i would get my ANSWER:)

ya know all those cruise-secret books and stuff out are a WASTE..come to CC THESE BOARDS KNOW EVERYTHING!!!

THANKS AGAIN...sorry didnt get back sooner... internet probs!!

[Mc_Cruiser]

When we did the 3 B2B2B cruises on the GEM, we thought we would be able to do this after the 2 nighter out of Dover to Amsterdam and back, but apparently there were some European rules preventing sale of Alcohol on that cruise. The 10 day from Dover to Barcelona via several countries sold alcohol, and we had no problem ordering for out last 2 nighter. We didn't finish the bottle I must add, but the rum was less than the price of 2 bar drinks!

 

I'll always remember that 2 nighter, we moved from a courtyard villa to an ocean view for the the last 2 nights just to see what it was like. It was tiny. We then found we were 3 of only 5 passenger on board who were spoke English, everyone else was Spanish. We were very popular with most of the crew during those two day, and had regular conversations with the Concierge. Cruise Director, Hotel Director etc. I'll give NCL their due here though, they did take on a lot of additional staff for the reception and public areas who spoke Spanish, and kept the restaurants open till midnight, or later to accommodate their late eating habits..

[spacewoman]

what a fantastic idea. You're keeping the same cabin, night before you get next leg of the trip supplies:D. All you would need to do is order for the first leg and the savings from the next leg of the trip should offset that $80 bottle of booze. What's say a bottle of absolute in the gift shop $12?? Great bargain!!!!

[MissRabbit]

If your B2B has the same booking number, would that still work? could you still pick up a bottle at the shop on the last night of the first half of the cruise and be able to keep it?

 

What about if we bought liquor in a port of call? I know that gets taken away til the last night of your cruise. Would they return it then, even though i have only 1 booking number for the whole 14 days?

[Got Tequila?]

If your B2B has the same booking number, would that still work? could you still pick up a bottle at the shop on the last night of the first half of the cruise and be able to keep it?

 

What about if we bought liquor in a port of call? I know that gets taken away til the last night of your cruise. Would they return it then, even though i have only 1 booking number for the whole 14 days?

 

Hasn't been a problem for us with 1 booking number. :)

[MissRabbit]

Hasn't been a problem for us with 1 booking number. :)

 

*grin* I had considered rum runners but figured knowing my luck, i'd get caught. I also considered a bar set-up, but $60-$80/bottle was just too steep.

 

This is a better, legal, middle ground. My last port of call on our first half (aside from GSC) is Tortola. I think a nice bottle or two of Pussers rum might just be what the doctor ordered :)

[rrobynec]

This is typically the reason we have booked a 1 night cruise dinner and dance cruise prior to our 10 day cruise for next January and a 2 day CTN before our cruise next May. . :)

And I thought it was cuz you just wanted to hang out with us partiers!;)

[rrobynec]

When we did the 3 B2B2B cruises on the GEM, we thought we would be able to do this after the 2 nighter out of Dover to Amsterdam and back, but apparently there were some European rules preventing sale of Alcohol on that cruise. The 10 day from Dover to Barcelona via several countries sold alcohol, and we had no problem ordering for out last 2 nighter. We didn't finish the bottle I must add, but the rum was less than the price of 2 bar drinks!

 

.

As I recall the gift shop does not sell liquor as previously mentioned on European cruises.

Were you able to pick up what you bought in port the last night of the first leg (with one booking #)?

[Mc_Cruiser]

As I recall the gift shop does not sell liquor as previously mentioned on European cruises.

Were you able to pick up what you bought in port the last night of the first leg (with one booking #)?

 

On the Dover > Amsterdam > Dover, the gift shop had no alcohol even on display. The Dover > Barcelona stopped in Gibraltar which I believe was the reason they were allowed to sell alcohol.

 

I don't think this was due to any restriction, I think they just hadn't got around to putting everything out at that point.