How much would you pay for unlimited drinks?

[Himself]

Since I don't drink, I wouldn't pay anything. On the few occassions I take a drink, I would pay for it--it would be cheaper.

[BCEagle78]

I give folks a little more credit than that. I would hope the clientele would be classy and responsible.

 

Are you saying there is a significant segment of HAL passengers who would do the Homer Simpson and say "its free, so give me all I can stuff in my face and pour down my throat?"

 

A drinker is a drinker and a glutton is a glutton....costs have little to do with sobriety.

 

I have to side with jhannah on this one. I don't think he meant that a significant segment of HAL passengers would overdo it but with 1200-1400 passengers, some percentage of them would be susceptible to abusing the unlimited card. Probably a small percentage but it would there would be some abusers in a sample size this big.

 

The best way to keep this from happening is simply not offering unlimited drinks.

 

Yes, most HAL passengers would not abuse it but a few people drinking to excess could impact the enjoyment of the cruise for others. Why take the chance. Maybe this type of program would be more appropriate on another cruise line but I hope it would not be HAL.

[user8]

Like Himself, I don't drink so the card would be worthless to me and I would not even consider buying one.

[bas7]

I'll have a drink on my birthday, and perhaps another one throughout the year, so an unlimited drink card wouldn't be a wise investment for me. I'd just buy a drink, and pay for it. However, I have bought soda cards on my two Holland America sailings. And, yes, they were certainly cost effective.

Best,

As always,

Bruce

Volendam, December 16th, 2004

Zuiderdam, April 9th, 2005

[tlmlb]

The best way to keep this from happening is simply not offering unlimited drinks.

 

So you are saying that the its cost of drinks is what keeps folks from over-indulging. I think there are several anecdotes that indicate that this is not effective.

 

Trying to limit supply through price is not the way to control behavior. Look at the great success of the war on drugs. The government efforts to reduce supply has done nothing but raise prices and profits. Has drug use gone down?

 

Take a professional baseball game for example. Arguably, one of the places to get a very expensive nice, cold beer. The last time I went I think it was $7 or $8. I think we would all agree its expensive. Well most ball parks, to control drunkeness, do not sell beer or other alcohol after the 7th inning. High price points do not work.

 

Make the experience more all-inclusive, not less.

[dakrewser]

So you are saying that the its cost of drinks is what keeps folks from over-indulging. I think there are several anecdotes that indicate that this is not effective.

 

Trying to limit supply through price is not the way to control behavior. Look at the great success of the war on drugs. The government efforts to reduce supply has done nothing but raise prices and profits. Has drug use gone down?

 

Take a professional baseball game for example. Arguably, one of the places to get a very expensive nice, cold beer. The last time I went I think it was $7 or $8. I think we would all agree its expensive. Well most ball parks, to control drunkeness, do not sell beer or other alcohol after the 7th inning. High price points do not work.

 

Make the experience more all-inclusive, not less.

 

I don't think anyone is arguing that raising the price would cut down on the drunks. The argument is that making it unlimited not only rewards the drunks but also those who try to "get their money's worth." Arguably, they are more dangerous since they're less often inebriated.

[ger_77]

I wouldn't pay extra for all-you-can drink privileges ... I'm a cheap drunk (maybe that's why DH married me!); after a couple of drinks I fall asleep and miss all the fun. I have a very low tolerance for alcohol, so there's not much point in spending extra money just so I can have my two drinks and a 2 hour nap!!!

 

After speaking to some folks who have been to "all inclusive" resorts, I believe not having to pay extra for your alcoholic beverages does encourage over-indulgence in some, but others know their limit and stick by it. I'm not sure the same would take place on a cruise ship, maybe it depends on the cruise line you're on - I can't imagine a lot of Holland America passengers getting totally blitzed throughout the cruise. Now there'd be one for the boards!:D

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[M2D]

I certainly believe that. Not all people, of course, but I've seen too many people who do all they can to get all they can when there's no thought of cost involved. Just look at our Las Vegas buffets! It's incredible how high folks stack their plates with food, then go back again and again. These folks would be the same way with liquor if drinks were unlimited, IMO.

 

 

 

I agree... just like on lobster tail night.. imagine if they werent unlimited we'd only have 1 plate instead of as many as we want right?

[joeyanddavid]

I'll bid $4.95. ty

[corkpopr]

we bring on plenty of our own booze for the entire cruise. not to cut costs, because i don't care about that but because we want the brands, the size, the ratios, and the convienence

[stormyc]

I certainly believe that. Not all people, of course, but I've seen too many people who do all they can to get all they can when there's no thought of cost involved. Just look at our Las Vegas buffets! It's incredible how high folks stack their plates with food, then go back again and again. These folks would be the same way with liquor if drinks were unlimited, IMO.

 

I must agree - from witnessing the behaviour of some friends and co-workers at open-bar weddings and office parties vs. their behaviour when they must pay for their own - unfortunately, unlimited liquor does impact some people's intake.

 

I don't personally drink enough to justify buying a card, so I would not purchase one. The 'pay as you go' method works just fine for me.

 

(I have only been on one HAL cruise, but I personally did not encounter any watered down drinks - actually, just the opposite in two cases.)

[wblynch]

Think of it this way...

 

If HAL provided unlimited drinks, then people wouldn't notice or complain if the service, food or entretainment is bad.

 

With a boatload of drunken passengers, it might actually benefit the line if people don't notice the other cost-cutting measures. ??

[showdog]

just curious...

[bdmarine]

Silversea offers unlimited drinks to all its passengers. You can also order liters of your chosen liquor to be deliverd to your cabin. Siversea cruises are highly civilized and you do not see crowds of drunks. My DW and I have noticed that a discounted Silversea cruise actually works out to be cheaper than an S suite on HAL when you add in the the lack of beverage costs and tipping.

[zdude]

I disagree with the over indulging arguments. I have been to a number of all inclusive high end resorts and really have never seen in these resorts any more drunkedness than anywhere else.

 

I could see that a discount card might be nice, but for who? Only for the cruisers not for HAL. I am sure that HAL makes a bundle on liquor sales, so I doubt that a discount card matters too much to them. At $6.50/drink+15% service charge, they make a lot of money on this and they have a captive audience so to speak.

[khfadpi]

Not everyone would drink a few beers or 2 or 3 cocktails. Some people think if 3 is fine 6 is better and why not just one more after that. I would hate to pay a load of money on my vacation cruise to be ruined by some obnoxious drunks throwing up in the hall and cussing out his wife in the cabin next to me. If you want unlimited go to an all-inclusive in Cancun. My husband and I enjoy mixed drinks from time to time and will drink on the cruise we are going on.... But with unlimited you are going to get the unruly ones, because some people can't handle liquor. Plus, I can just see someone falling over the side of the ship.

[tlmlb]

[quote name='bdmarine']Silversea offers unlimited drinks to all its passengers. You can also order liters of your chosen liquor to be deliverd to your cabin. Siversea cruises are highly civilized and you do not see crowds of drunks.[/QUOTE]

Thank you so much for a voice of reason. Drunks are drunks and price has nothing to do with it, unless there is soemthing different about HAL.

[oliviaonthe beach]

No need for drink cards. I am a rule breaker. Amaretto comes with me in Dr. Pepper bottles and sour mix in Mountain Dew bottles. Amaretto Sours all week with a dash of champagne in the evenings and I am in heaven! I do get a drink of the day once in a while. Does HAL have these?

[whalers4ever]

On our recent Veendam cruise, HAL offered that for $50 you could get 10 vouchers to purchase 10 glasses of wine, that sare normally $5.75 a glass. S you are saving $7.50. Not too bad a deal.