Umm mm. ... Unbelievable. ..!! They Don't Know What Cider Is On Royal Caribbean???!!

[PeacefulHeart]

Hey, we'll be cruising on Royal Caribbean for the first time in January 2015, so I was online checking out potential drink packages. When looking at them, the lists of available alcoholic beverages indicated beer, wine, cocktails and of course non- alcoholic soft drinks. However, as cider is my favourite alcoholic drink I was looking for it and couldn't see it listed in any of the drinks packages. Rather than simply assume that it was cateogorised under beer, I rang up Royal Caribbean, and here's the thing- the young guy I spoke to didn't have any idea what cider was! So, I asked him what he thought it was - JUICE was his reply! Needless to say, my husband and I decided not to bother with drinks packages! As the cheapest package starts at approximately $45.00 Australian per person per day, the fact that we're allowed to bring 2 bottles of wine each onboard at the start, plus we'll probably get drinks at the Meet and Greets, the Captain's Cocktails, possible champagne at Art Auctions, possibly there will be a Champagne Fountain, and plus we'll be wine tasting in New Zealand - hey. .. we're not going to bother with drinks packages- especially when it doesn't look like I'll be getting any cider on Royal Caribbean, because they don't know what it is!!!!😞😞😟😛

[Shak]

Hey, we'll be cruising on Royal Caribbean for the first time in January 2015, so I was online checking out potential drink packages. When looking at them, the lists of available alcoholic beverages indicated beer, wine, cocktails and of course non- alcoholic soft drinks. However, as cider is my favourite alcoholic drink I was looking for it and couldn't see it listed in any of the drinks packages. Rather than simply assume that it was cateogorised under beer, I rang up Royal Caribbean, and here's the thing- the young guy I spoke to didn't have any idea what cider was! So, I asked him what he thought it was - JUICE was his reply! Needless to say, my husband and I decided not to bother with drinks packages! As the cheapest package starts at approximately $45.00 Australian per person per day, the fact that we're allowed to bring 2 bottles of wine each onboard at the start, plus we'll probably get drinks at the Meet and Greets, the Captain's Cocktails, possible champagne at Art Auctions, possibly there will be a Champagne Fountain, and plus we'll be wine tasting in New Zealand - hey. .. we're not going to bother with drinks packages- especially when it doesn't look like I'll be getting any cider on Royal Caribbean, because they don't know what it is!!!!

 

I do not know what cider is as well. As far as bring wine on board the policy is 2 per stateroom not 2 per person.

 

Shak

[Scrapnana]

When you called RCI did you speak with an Australian? I would expect an American to answer with juice (check out the second paragraph here - http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cider ) but not an Australian.

Edited October 5, 2014 by Scrapnana

[laurspag]

Your post indicated that cider is your favorite alcoholic drink. Cider, by itself, is just that - cider. You would have needed to ask if they carry hard cider. I don't think that they do. I like it myself, but they can only offer so many different varieties of beverages, so they probably go with the most popular.

[Clarea]

Royal carries Strongbow.

[TOMCAT22]

I have definitely had cider on board RCI ships although I think there was only a choice of one or maybe two at most.Also it was only available in certain bars.:)

[sr4mjc]

Back when I drank, they had Strongbow on board in bottles. I had many :p

[cb at sea]

Fermented apple juice...not something I'd pay for!

[spookwife]

and here's the thing- the young guy I spoke to didn't have any idea what cider was!

 

Hard cider is NOT popular here. 'cider' is apple cider.. NON alcoholic apple juice that is slightly cloudy and tangy and best when made into donuts

 

some lounges MIGHT have hard cider by the bottle available. but it can run out or is not widely available.

[tdmullins]

The Freedom had hard cider (Strongbow) when I sailed her in February.

 

Also being that it's fall and just regular ole Apple Cider is very popular right now I would go there first if asked about "cider". And I buy hard cider on a regular basis.

 

In my opinion Stongbow, Angry Orchard etc. is just recently becoming more popular in the states. Probably the main reason the rep was unaware of what you were asking.

[A&L_Ont]

Royal carries Strongbow.

 

And it's great on ice.

[cruisenfever]

the fact that we're allowed to bring 2 bottles of wine each onboard at the start, plus we'll probably get drinks at the Meet and Greets, the Captain's Cocktails, possible champagne at Art Auctions, possibly there will be a Champagne Fountain, and plus we'll be wine tasting in New Zealand - hey. .. we're not going to bother with drinks packages- especially when it doesn't look like I'll be getting any cider on Royal Caribbean, because they don't know what it is!!!!😞😞😟😛

Unfortunately you are only allowed 2 750ml bottles of wine per cabin.

[kebhouse]

I also wouldn't take what one phone rep says as hard proof of what beverages you will actually find on board. Personally I love hard cider, but you do have to distinguish between cider and hard cider if you want to know about the alcoholic beverage.

 

I know I've seen hard ciders on the beer menus I've seen posted here. It's hardly true that "Royal Caribbean" doesn't know what hard cider is.

 

 

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[sweetlove13]

In the US "cider" means non-alcoholic apple juice, everywhere else (from what I'm told) it means hard cider. Same goes for most bars in the US, you ask for "cider" and you get something like Magners or Strongbow. It's been becoming increasingly popular the last couple years, particularly since I think it was GQ, did an article about it then it became "the in thing." Now with Angry Orchard I recently read sales have skyrocketed, so hopefully RCI will catch on & start carrying cider on all ships!

 

 

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[AtlantaCruiser72]

Have always had Strongbow on RCCL ships, sometimes even served properly with a pint glass of ice :D. Would be better if it were Bulmers tho!

[ChipLondon]

But would you be happy paying for fermented Barley or Hops, or even Grapes ??

As in Beer or Wine :eek:

 

Fermented apple juice...not something I'd pay for!

[Hazydavo]

Unfortunately it appears that the people who answer calls from us for RCI don't seem to know very much about what happens on their ships, well certainly that's been my experience down here.

A wide variety of ciders are very popular here as they are in the UK and also in Europe I believe. (I'm sure some fine person from that side of the world can correct me if I'm wrong)

I don't drink it myself so didn't really look for it but on the RCI ships we've been on they do have quiet a selection of Australian beer and wine to chose from, so you could get lucky. Hopefully someone can help though who has looked for cider on ships down here recently??

[Hazydavo]

Have started a thread on the Australia/NZ board to find out...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=44333094#post44333094

[beckinoz]

Fermented apple juice...not something I'd pay for!

 

As opposed to fermented grapes? Each to their own! I'd drink a Bulmers cider over a wine anyday but that's just me :)

[Zach1213]

OP hasn't come back to say if the person on the other end of the call was American or not. So far it appears to be Australians saying "how ridiculous they don't know". Yes, in Australia (and elsewhere), cider defaults to an alcoholic drink. In US/Canada, it defaults to a non-alcoholic drink... Especially this time of year ;)

 

So the origin of the person on the other end of the phone matters.

[slyster]

I started a thread and asked about hard cider and more specifically, Angry Orchard hard cider. There was a discussion on hard ciders and ales in general and the most common answer I received is that only ships with an english pub carry cider and that was strongbow. I have not heard of them carrying any other type of hard cider nor was it available in other bar areas of the ship.

 

This was something I posted about a few months ago. It's possible they are carrying strongbow in the bars now, but they weren't a few months ago...only those ships with the english pub.

 

Edited to add link to the thread I started:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1980141&highlight=angry+orchard

Edited October 6, 2014 by slyster

[PeacefulHeart]

Well folks thanks for replies! Cider is a drink popular with English and European people more I think cos we make it!😊😊

[KuffMUp]

Yes, in Australia (and elsewhere), cider defaults to an alcoholic drink. In US/Canada, it defaults to a non-alcoholic drink... Especially this time of year ;)

 

Perhaps in Kansas it defaults to a non-alcoholic drink, but in the Pacific NW, we like our cider hard. I guess it might have something to do with the craft beer industry that is prevalent here. I can't think of a bar in my area that doesn't carry some brand of cider.

[rtazz17]

Hey, we'll be cruising on Royal Caribbean for the first time in January 2015, so I was online checking out potential drink packages. When looking at them, the lists of available alcoholic beverages indicated beer, wine, cocktails and of course non- alcoholic soft drinks. However, as cider is my favourite alcoholic drink I was looking for it and couldn't see it listed in any of the drinks packages. Rather than simply assume that it was cateogorised under beer, I rang up Royal Caribbean, and here's the thing- the young guy I spoke to didn't have any idea what cider was! So, I asked him what he thought it was - JUICE was his reply! Needless to say, my husband and I decided not to bother with drinks packages! As the cheapest package starts at approximately $45.00 Australian per person per day, the fact that we're allowed to bring 2 bottles of wine each onboard at the start, plus we'll probably get drinks at the Meet and Greets, the Captain's Cocktails, possible champagne at Art Auctions, possibly there will be a Champagne Fountain, and plus we'll be wine tasting in New Zealand - hey. .. we're not going to bother with drinks packages- especially when it doesn't look like I'll be getting any cider on Royal Caribbean, because they don't know what it is!!!!😞😞😟😛

 

Yup,I wouldve thought it was juice too.

[goneclear]

Fermented apple juice...not something I'd pay for!

 

Most alcohol is made from some fermenting process. Weather grapes, hops molasses etc.