Do US ships have an unfair alcohol advantage

[Wastegirl]

On the P&O website, a Princess cruiser mistakenly posted a question about their Diamond Princess Drinks Package being cancelled once the Diamond Princess was in Australian waters and presumably (temporarily) part of the Australian Princess Fleet.

 

That got me thinking, I have not been on a lot of cruises yet but enough to notice that US based cruising companies HAL and Celebrity both offer drinks packages. Both these lines stay US based even when in Australia for a season keeping US currency on board etc. I have had the Celebrity drinks package on my recent Century cruise (which I upgraded and paid for a Premium package) from Sydney to Adelaide back to Sydney, no international ports.

 

I have heard from several sources that Australia based ships, eg Carnival, Princess and P&O, due to Australian law, cannot offer drinks packages. Not that I would necessarily want one because my DH and I don't drink enough to make them economical unless they are part of a promotion.

 

Therefore are the 'cruise in cruise out' US based lines getting an unfair advantage over our local home grown lines (I know technically they are foreign owned) who are not able to offer promotional deals like Celebrity.

[Lilfrog79]

I know Royal Carribean offer all the same drinks packages in Australia as they do overseas. So I don't think there is any law preventing it!

[MicCanberra]

I am not sure Elise, but it does seem like the ships that remain using USD on board have the packages while the ones that convert to AUD do not.:D

[rkmw]

I am not sure Elise, but it does seem like the ships that remain using USD on board have the packages while the ones that convert to AUD do not.:D

 

whilst the Diamond Princess is cruising in Australian from now until march 2015 the currency will still be in USD so it must be a princess policy

[Wastegirl]

I was curious more than anything, after experiencing a drinks package it is certainly an easy way to cruise and Celebrity certainly use it to their benefit as a promotion. I suppose we should not be encouraging excessive drinking and Australian cruise lines are therefore acting more responsibly.

 

Its just at 58 do I want to act responsibly. Thinking about it ............. Nope! :D

[6666oz]

I would hate to think what drinks cost on ships that use USA dollars on board

the aussie dollar hit another all time low today .82, why is Australia at the bottom of the exchange rate all the time.

[Royalty X]

whilst the Diamond Princess is cruising in Australian from now until march 2015 the currency will still be in USD so it must be a princess policy

Diamond and Golden will both be converting to AUD when based in Australia from next season though.

[The_Big_M]

I don't believe it's due to any external restriction, just internal policies.

[MicCanberra]

I was curious more than anything, after experiencing a drinks package it is certainly an easy way to cruise and Celebrity certainly use it to their benefit as a promotion. I suppose we should not be encouraging excessive drinking and Australian cruise lines are therefore acting more responsibly.

 

Its just at 58 do I want to act responsibly. Thinking about it ............. Nope! :D

 

I am not sure that having a package makes people drunker, the rule for the service of alcohol still apply to any bar around the world doesn't matter where, "Do not serve a drunk person more alcohol or it may become a security problem"

The package may get people drinking more variety than they may have with out one but I think that there are just as many tipsy people without packages than with.

[The_Big_M]

I am not sure that having a package makes people drunker, the rule for the service of alcohol still apply to any bar around the world doesn't matter where, "Do not serve a drunk person more alcohol or it may become a security problem"

.

 

The same rules may apply, but the quantity available becomes much greater.

 

Just because you have a package doesn't mean you'll drink more - but if you're the kind who likes to drink a lot, having a package makes it a lot easier.

[dizzy1948]

I would hate to think what drinks cost on ships that use USA dollars on board

the aussie dollar hit another all time low today .82, why is Australia at the bottom of the exchange rate all the time.

 

It goes round in cycles - I don't have enough money to worry about the exchange rate - and if I did have - I wouldn't worry about it :p

That is my simplistic outlook of course - I don't bother worrying about something I have no control over - I just go into a controlled whinge fest when it's not going my way ;):mad::D

[PerfectlyPerth]

I know Royal Carribean offer all the same drinks packages in Australia as they do overseas. So I don't think there is any law preventing it!

 

I was on RCI Radiance 2 weeks ago and there were no alcohol packages - but I understood that to be because it was a private charter - not a normal RCI itinerary.

[MicCanberra]

It goes round in cycles - I don't have enough money to worry about the exchange rate - and if I did have - I wouldn't worry about it :p

That is my simplistic outlook of course - I don't bother worrying about something I have no control over - I just go into a controlled whinge fest when it's not going my way ;):mad::D

 

LOL, Don't we all.;)

[mr walker]

the aussie dollar hit another all time low today .82, why is Australia at the bottom of the exchange rate all the time.

 

$A was around US$1.10 not so long ago. One cruise last year it was $1.08 - it was great to pay LESS in $A than the amount in US$, even with the conversion and cc fee charges :D:D

[MicCanberra]

$A was around US$1.10 not so long ago. One cruise last year it was $1.08 - it was great to pay LESS in $A than the amount in US$, even with the conversion and cc fee charges :D:D

 

Those days were great but far to short lived.:D

[linanles]

We cruised on HAL in March last year. Aussie dollare was about US$1.10. A 1 ltr bottle of JW Red Scotch from room service was US$33, better than Dan's or 1stChoice. Those were the days.

Tried to buy a bottle on Carnival in October and they wouldn't sell one. Enquired at the Guest Services counter and the lady said sure you can I'll ring room service. When she got off the phone she said that the rules changed when they arrived in Australia and Guest Services weren't informed.

[BruceMuzz]

Do Australia-based ships have an unfair cruising advantage?

 

Non-US Flag Ships that sail in America cannot legally transport passengers between 2 US ports unless they visit a foreign port.

Non-US flag ships that start a cruise in one US port and end in another US port must visit a different continent during that voyage.

 

A non-Australia flag cruise ship can legally carry passengers between two Australian ports without going to a foreign port.

[Aus Traveller]

Do Australia-based ships have an unfair cruising advantage?

 

Non-US Flag Ships that sail in America cannot legally transport passengers between 2 US ports unless they visit a foreign port.

Non-US flag ships that start a cruise in one US port and end in another US port must visit a different continent during that voyage.

 

A non-Australia flag cruise ship can legally carry passengers between two Australian ports without going to a foreign port.

The simple answer is that neither has an advantage in the situation you mention. Australia doesn't have a silly (in my opinion it is silly) act like the American one, the Passenger Vehicle Services Act that was meant to protect American-owned and American-crewed vessels. In Australia any ship can carry passengers between any two Australian ports. :)

 

Apologies to the original poster that this question and answer are off-topic.

Edited December 12, 2014 by Aus Traveller

[MicCanberra]

The simple answer is that neither has an advantage in the situation you mention. Australia doesn't have a silly (in my opinion it is silly) act like the American one, the Passenger Vehicle Services Act that was meant to protect American-owned and American-crewed vessels. In Australia any ship can carry passengers between any two Australian ports. :)

 

Apologies to the original poster that this question and answer are off-topic.

 

I agree it is an outdated silly rule.

BTW, PVSA is actually the Passenger Vessel Services Act, link attached.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Vessel_Services_Act_of_1886

Edited December 12, 2014 by MicCanberra

[Aus Traveller]

I agree it is an outdated silly rule.

BTW, PVSA is actually the Passenger Vessel Services Act, link attached.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Vessel_Services_Act_of_1886

Sorry - That's what I meant, but not what I typed. :)

[MicCanberra]

Sorry - That's what I meant, but not what I typed. :)

 

That is ok, I often have typos. The reason I knew about it is that the PVSA has affected my plans several times now, it really hampers us doing B2Bs over in the US on the west coast.:D

Edited December 12, 2014 by MicCanberra