WOW! Booze is expensive on RCI???

[KarinaGW]

I agree. You have to drink an awfully lot to make the package worthwhile.

 

Sent from my ONE E1005 using Tapatalk

 

Really, no you don't.

 

A mimosa with breakfast. An umbrella drink, maybe 2 by the pool throughout the day. A glass of wine with dinner. A cocktail watching the evening's show. Right there, that comes damn close to breaking even. Close enough that I'd rather not be mentally counting pennies. And, if you are a night owl and close down the piano/Schooner bar, that's going to be at least one more drink.

[Goodtime Cruizin]

Read it again.

 

"Cruises are a good lifestyle for alcoholics" and I stand by that. I did not say that all who go cruising are alcoholics, as that is clearly not the case. The normalisation of high levels of alcohol consumption and the option of an almost unlimited supply for a single fee must be attractive to alcoholics. The excuse can be "I am just getting the value out of my package" etc.

 

Maybe my comments have hit a raw nerve with some.

 

A few questions.

 

1. Define 'drunk'

2. Define 'normalisation'

3. Define 'high level'

4. Have you personally purchased and used an alcohol bev pkg on a RCL 7 day cruise?

5. Specifically, who told you that "I am just getting the value out of my package."

[Cabansail]

Drunk is when someone is showing signs of being adversely affected by alcohol. There are safe levels for alcohol consumption. IIRC it's 3-4 standard drinks per day, above that it is moving into high consumption. It is also recommended to have some alcohol free days each week. If you are in a situation where it is the social norm to drink at a high level and it's encouraged then that would be normalisation.

 

4. I have not purchased any alcohol from RCL

[Retired LEO]

Drunk is when someone is showing signs of being adversely affected by alcohol. There are safe levels for alcohol consumption. IIRC it's 3-4 standard drinks per day, above that it is moving into high consumption. It is also recommended to have some alcohol free days each week. If you are in a situation where it is the social norm to drink at a high level and it's encouraged then that would be normalisation.

 

Please provide a link or source to these medical and/or scientific studies.

[Goodtime Cruizin]

Drunk is when someone is showing signs of being adversely affected by alcohol. There are safe levels for alcohol consumption. IIRC it's 3-4 standard drinks per day, above that it is moving into high consumption. It is also recommended to have some alcohol free days each week. If you are in a situation where it is the social norm to drink at a high level and it's encouraged then that would be normalisation.

 

4. I have not purchased any alcohol from RCL

 

In the US, if you were testifying as a witness in a court of law regarding a case of alcohol involvement, be it a witness for either a defensive attorney or a prosecuting attorney and these were your responses, they'd make you look like a fool.

 

You post your opinions loudly & guise them as facts. But in reality, this is meaningless as you speak w/ no experience. You failed miserably w/ #4.

 

Take the stairs.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Goodtime Cruizin

[grandgeezer]

We are casual drinkers. We used to buy drinks onboard but not anymore. I know there are places on land that charge the same, or more, but we don't frequent them. There are plenty of places where we can get a good drink at a fair price. We survive on the drinks we get from being a member of the loyalty program plus the drinks we get in port if we can find them at a fair price.

We had the drink package on the Silhouette and did not change our drinking habits just to get our money's worth. Over a weeks time, I had about 6-7 drinks using the package. The only reason we had the drink package is that when we booked the cruise it was "Pick your perk". Our online TA had a deal where if you picked the drink package, they gave you prepaid gratuities and a $200 obc. I tried to trade the package for more obc but they wouldn't do it. A drink package is worth it if you accept the price of the individual drinks and think you can save money with it. We come up short on both.

Like what's been stated many times before, the cruise line will make there money one way or the other, and I'm guessing drinks are a big contributor. Thaks for buying the drinks as it helps keep my cruise cost down.

[Cruise Cynic]

NEWS FLASH

 

Royal Caribbean (and all the other cruise lines) are a business, and this thread is as near to pointless as it gets.

 

Rest assured RCI Head Office has DAILY meetings on the two following priorities:

1- How to fill their ships at the highest fares possible

2- Once onboard, how to separate the passengers from their cash in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible, (without triggering a full-blown mutiny)

 

They have many FULL-TIME employees who are 100% focused on these goals. You have to be a VERY BRIGHT bulb to outsmart them in ANY way. They also read these forums, and any loophole discovered and stupidly posted here will be closed by the same employees in a "New York Minute". Yes, they probably get their booze for a buck a bottle. And you can bet they STILL measure it better than John Taffer.

 

FYI> I heard that most cruise lines will be following NCL's lead and making the "Discretionary Gratuities" a mandatory "Service Charge". You would have to contact Head Office post-cruise in order to remove or modify them, and provide them with what they deem to be an acceptable reason (in their sole view) for why you want this done. "Crappy Service" as a reason I bet is just not going to float. Remember, they've already got your money.... and possession is 9/10ths of the law. They also have many full-time lawyers on staff.

 

PS. Not sure if RCI has gotten around to rolling this little gem out just yet. But you can bet your sweet bippy it's blocking up a pipe somewhere, and they're just looking for the plunger. Will find out in a few weeks.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Cruise Cynic

[Cabansail]

In the US, if you were testifying as a witness in a court of law regarding a case of alcohol involvement, be it a witness for either a defensive attorney or a prosecuting attorney and these were your responses, they'd make you look like a fool.

 

You post your opinions loudly & guise them as facts. But in reality, this is meaningless as you speak w/ no experience. You failed miserably w/ #4.

 

Take the stairs.

 

I am not testifying in a US court. This is a discussion board. I was at work and have now looked up some data,

 

National Guidelines for Alcohol Consumption

 

"For healthy men and women, drinking no more than two standard drinks on any day reduces your risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury over a lifetime.

 

Drinking no more than four standard drinks on a single occasion reduces the risk of alcohol-related injury arising from that occasion"

 

The fact that I did not buy a drinks package or did not buy drinks on board make my points invalid. Great logic.

[GBfromOz]

Hey guys, too many posts feeding the troll 😜

 

Australia is a great place to visit, don't worry about the wildlife 😝

[astera]

Drunk is when someone is showing signs of being adversely affected by alcohol. There are safe levels for alcohol consumption. IIRC it's 3-4 standard drinks per day, above that it is moving into high consumption. It is also recommended to have some alcohol free days each week. If you are in a situation where it is the social norm to drink at a high level and it's encouraged then that would be normalisation.

 

I think the problem is not the copious amount of alcohol that is (over)consumed by many but the inability of some passengers to behave rationally after getting inebriated. :)

 

I get all the health recommendations and that, but real life is a bit different, plus a cruise is not daily life but something out of the ordinary. The all-inclusive concept for drinks is also not limited to cruise ships but can be found quite easily at hotels and resorts as well.

 

As mentioned, it's not so much about the alcohol as it is about the people. So for the 98%+ that can go overboard (in a drinking sense, not physically overboard the vessel!) there will always be the odd idiot who causes unnecessary trouble.

[Goodtime Cruizin]

I am not testifying in a US court. This is a discussion board. I was at work and have now looked up some data,

 

National Guidelines for Alcohol Consumption

 

"For healthy men and women, drinking no more than two standard drinks on any day reduces your risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury over a lifetime.

 

Drinking no more than four standard drinks on a single occasion reduces the risk of alcohol-related injury arising from that occasion"

 

The fact that I did not buy a drinks package or did not buy drinks on board make my points invalid. Great logic.

 

A seven day cruise cruise does not equal a lifetime.

Breakfast is an occasion. Afternoon poolside is an occasion. Dinner is an occasion. Late night dancing is an occasion. Based on your medical research, one can have 16 drinks and still fall within the guidelines.

 

Simply put, you're being foolish. You post with absolutely no personal experience. Hell you've never even purchased as much as a single beer/drink. You're anti-social drinking and you're trolling this subject with foolishness.

 

I'm out.

[mark290]

Drunk is when someone is showing signs of being adversely affected by alcohol. There are safe levels for alcohol consumption. IIRC it's 3-4 standard drinks per day, above that it is moving into high consumption. It is also recommended to have some alcohol free days each week. If you are in a situation where it is the social norm to drink at a high level and it's encouraged then that would be normalisation.

 

4. I have not purchased any alcohol from RCL

 

I guess I have never been drunk since I have never been adversely affected

by alcohol. It just seems to make me happy. Can I bank my alcohol free days

from when I'm not on vacation so I can enjoy my high consumption status while on a cruise?

 

I also think it would be fun to try and say "normalization"

at the end of one of my high consumption days.

[John&LaLa]

I guess I have never been drunk since I have never been adversely affected

by alcohol. It just seems to make me happy. Can I bank my alcohol free days

from when I'm not on vacation so I can enjoy my high consumption status while on a cruise?

 

I also think it would be fun to try and say "normalization"

at the end of one of my high consumption days.

 

I got cut off once, martinis can do that if your not careful :eek:

[Sir_Randy]

It's impossible to get more than one drink at dinner, they're just too busy. You either have to bring your own or run to the nearest bar, that's usually what I do.

 

Last time on the FOS my assistant waiter got mad at me for doing that which was bizarre, to say the least.

 

When I booked last year, they had a special, one drink package (premium) and the second for free so it's more reasonable.

 

Unfortunately with so many getting the packages it's not easy to get a drink anymore.

 

The most expensive drinks I ever saw were in Las Vegas at the Beatles show. I had a buy one get one free, ordered 2 glasses of (low end) wine, and the bartender said $22. I said, no I have a BOGO, and he said, yes I know, it's $22 EACH. Needless to say I went to bed quite sober.

 

I wonder how long until someone brings up rum runners?

Shhhh!

[Sir_Randy]

Doing a 5 day RCL in 1 month, will take 2 bottles of wine, and watch for drink specials and drink in moderation. Doing a 4 day NCL in November, got a free booze package before they raised their rates and made all cruises booze included. Going to Bahamas where we have been before and nothing there excites me, so that will be a cruise that is hard on my liver.

[SilkySal]

I got cut off once, martinis can do that if your not careful :eek:

 

I need a lemon drop!!;):cool:

[John&LaLa]

I need a lemon drop!!;):cool:

 

Absolutely, I also hear from my wife that Freedom CL makes a killer peach martini

[Itsbeentoolong]

We got our premium Drink Packages for free [emoji16] so we're definitely going to get our non money's worth! My biggest worry is not being able to get served when we want. Never been on RCI do they use waiters and can I go to the bar? Sounds a funny question but on P&O if they are busy when you try and go to the bar they call a waiter over and then you wait ages when they could have just got me my drinks there and then. I always take 100ish dollar bills hopefully a few of them now and again will keep them coming.

[Clarea]

We got our premium Drink Packages for free [emoji16] so we're definitely going to get our non money's worth! My biggest worry is not being able to get served when we want. Never been on RCI do they use waiters and can I go to the bar? Sounds a funny question but on P&O if they are busy when you try and go to the bar they call a waiter over and then you wait ages when they could have just got me my drinks there and then. I always take 100ish dollar bills hopefully a few of them now and again will keep them coming.

Both, they have roving bar servers and you can also go to a bar and get a drink.

[gooddayz]

Agree that booze is expensive. I complain about it, but next thing ya know, I'm at a poolside bar sucking down Canadian Club at 10$ a pop. But on the other hand, myself like most of you all on this board work hard and have achieved some level of success to even be able to cruise. So I feel that higher booze prices are part of the work hard, play hard formula. Not to justify prices, but the cruise lines are going to charge what the market will bear.

[Big_G]

Agree that booze is expensive. I complain about it, but next thing ya know, I'm at a poolside bar sucking down Canadian Club at 10$ a pop. But on the other hand, myself like most of you all on this board work hard and have achieved some level of success to even be able to cruise. So I feel that higher booze prices are part of the work hard, play hard formula. Not to justify prices, but the cruise lines are going to charge what the market will bear.

 

That pretty much sums it up. Life is to short. Happy sailing. ;)

[ccletzgo]

Drunk is when someone is showing signs of being adversely affected by alcohol. There are safe levels for alcohol consumption. IIRC it's 3-4 standard drinks per day, above that it is moving into high consumption. It is also recommended to have some alcohol free days each week. If you are in a situation where it is the social norm to drink at a high level and it's encouraged then that would be normalisation.

 

4. I have not purchased any alcohol from RCL

 

It is also recommended?

[oldguysandgalls]

We don't drink all that much; but we do bring the allowed 2 bottles of wine per cabin on board and use our OBC to cover our drinks for the remainder of the cruise - - - :)

Edited February 7, 2016 by oldguysandgalls

[constable145]

I am not testifying in a US court. This is a discussion board. I was at work and have now looked up some data,

 

National Guidelines for Alcohol Consumption

 

"For healthy men and women, drinking no more than two standard drinks on any day reduces your risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury over a lifetime.

 

Drinking no more than four standard drinks on a single occasion reduces the risk of alcohol-related injury arising from that occasion"

 

The fact that I did not buy a drinks package or did not buy drinks on board make my points invalid. Great logic.

 

 

I've testified in court countless times on the level of ones intoxication. I can tell you, the amount of alcohol one consumes is often completely irrelevant to their displayed level of intoxication.

 

True or false, a person can have 12 drinks over the course of the day and pass a blood alcohol test of .08?

 

The answer is true.

 

If someone has 5-6 drinks a day each and every day is that problematic? Perhaps.

 

If someone has 5-6 drinks a day over the course of a 7 day cruise is that problematic? Highly unlikely.

 

We get it. You don't like alcohol. But don't rain on the parade of those who can enjoy it responsibly.

 

And relax- it's not like we're driving the ship.

[Thoie]

And relax- it's not like we're driving the ship.

 

Dammit, well there go my plans for day 2.