Pride "Liqour Pick-Up Policy" Stinks!

[ShakyBeef]

You stay in a suite and then buy "cheap" liquor to take home with you. :D

 

I can buy anything that Carnival sells for half the price if I watch the sales here at home.

 

I'd bet that 75% if the liquor distributed by Carnival on the last day is purchased on shore where Carnival makes no profit and is doing their passengers a favor by storing and distributing it on the final day. Besides, don't you have to pay tax and or duty on excess bottles.

 

Yes, I stay in Suites and (used to) buy "cheap" liquor on the cruise ship. And your point is? We buy interesting liquors from the FunShops as gifts for DH's employees and for our friends and family. I never implied I thought the liqour onboard was a fabulous deal. I just said I buy it. Yes, I declare everything to Customs - I neither break rules nor laws.

[cruzelover55]

We stopped buying even before the new hassle of having to go and pick it up. Since we live in Texas, leave from Texas and return to Texas, the Texas tax makes it not any kind of a bargain. Have never understood how that is "duty free" when we have to pay the taxes.???:confused:

[psupa]

I wasn't happy with this policy either and the thing that bothered me most was I had to go all the way from the aft to deck 1 forward to pick it up and carry it back. I too wanted to pack it so we wouldn't have to carry it off. The first leg of the cruise pickup was in the Raphael Room. I don't know why it changed on the 2nd leg. Not sure if other cruise lines are doing this and will find out when we sail the Grandeur in a few weeks. Seriously is Carnival worried about people drinking it the night before or loss of revenue from drink purchases.

Edited February 15, 2016 by psupa

[kona_wahine]

I will not be purchasing alcohol on our next cruise because of this new policy. We have an excursion to the airport planned and it leaves pretty early. Without knowing how long a wait it would be to pickup the bottles plus having to get them packed, I'm not willing to deal with it. Kinda stinks as I like to pick up some kahalua, but carnivals loss. I'm certainly not going to drink a liter of booze, or part and pack an opened bottle in my luggage.

[momof3cruisers]

Best of luck getting them to reverse the policy because it inconvenienced you.

 

If you are giving up Carnival because of how you pick up and pack your booze, perhaps there are bigger issues to worry about. Like your knees and your wife's back.

 

If I had physical limitations that caused challenges in debarkation, the safety of my liquor would be pretty low on the priority scale.

 

It's not just one person complaining about this policy though, it's many.

 

We did buy one bottle of liquor on our last cruise only because we found Sangster's Rum Cream in Antigua and my husband has looked for it for years. We almost forgot the last morning and got there in the last five or ten minutes, no line, but still a pain!

[momof3cruisers]

You stay in a suite and then buy "cheap" liquor to take home with you. :D

 

I can buy anything that Carnival sells for half the price if I watch the sales here at home.

 

I'd bet that 75% if the liquor distributed by Carnival on the last day is purchased on shore where Carnival makes no profit and is doing their passengers a favor by storing and distributing it on the final day. Besides, don't you have to pay tax and or duty on excess bottles.

 

Hahaha...they are not storing it as a favor to their passengers...they are taking it so you don't drink it!

[Taters]

I no longer purchase alcohol in the fun shops or in port because I do not want the hassle. When I first started cruising Carnival we were able to purchase alcohol in the shop any time during the cruise and take it to our cabin immediately. Now look where we are. Carnival is simply greedy.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

I no longer purchase alcohol in the fun shops or in port because I do not want the hassle. When I first started cruising Carnival we were able to purchase alcohol in the shop any time during the cruise and take it to our cabin immediately. Now look where we are. Carnival is simply greedy.

 

You call them greedy...I call them smart. Being in business means "being in business" and making a profit. Also, keeping liquor by the drink sales up on board keeps the overall price of a cruise lower...look at it like an excise tax.

 

Also, it helps keep those under 21 from getting snokered....at least there is some control when liquor is purchased by the drink.

[zqvol]

Hahaha...they are not storing it as a favor to their passengers...they are taking it so you don't drink it!

 

 

The alternative is to not allow liquor purchased on shore to be brought on board, so yes they are doing you a favor.

 

BTW, other lines have the same policy. It is not a deal breaker at all, and is not as inconvenient as people claim. If you wait instead of going right when the shop opens there is rarely a line. There is nothing that says you have to be there right when the door opens. The packing and weighing thing is just an excuse. It is not a big deal to shove a couple of bottles of liquor in a suit case, and if you are worried about breakage bring some of those padded wine carriers along with you to put the bottles in.

 

Personally we don't buy liquor when we are flying unless we are coming out of St. Thomas or San Juan where you buy it after security and can carry it on the plane with you. If we drive to the port we always stock up with at least a case since we can each bring six liters back from those ports duty free.

Edited February 15, 2016 by zqvol

[RuthlessBoss]

They lost at least a couple of hundred on us. The clerk says he hears it all the time and liquor sales are definitely less. Are you listening CCL?

 

Good grief, how much do you buy? When they sell a bottle, it's not all profit to them.;)

[quickrate]

I drive to the port as well. But I will buy no more liqour bottles from Carnival if this operation remains. For me, it's not about possibly missing a flight or having to hurry off the ship for some other reason. It's about them making me get up and go down there (all the way from my aft suite to the very fore of the ship:mad:) to pick up something that should be delivered to me the night before. It takes away from my relaxing debarkation day experience (and might even make my traditional MDR breakfast impossible) and makes me work for something that I shouldn't have to. And then schlep it all the way back.:mad: I buy hundreds of dollars worth of liquor from the FunShops every cruise. No more.

 

Nice move, Carnival, you great gaggle of vacuous twits.:rolleyes:

I agree with everything You are saying! We also drive to the port but always bought many bottles of liquor to take home with us, some for us, some as gifts. This totally ruins the last morning, feeling rushed, no time for breakfast because you have to go stand in line to collect something you purchased. We no longer buy from the liquor shop either and we cruise 2 to 3 times a year so they are lsoing big time on us!

Pat

[quickrate]

You call them greedy...I call them smart. Being in business means "being in business" and making a profit. Also, keeping liquor by the drink sales up on board keeps the overall price of a cruise lower...look at it like an excise tax.

 

Also, it helps keep those under 21 from getting snokered....at least there is some control when liquor is purchased by the drink.

I truly don't think not delivering alcohol to your room on the last night raises people's bar bill that much. IMHO, they are losing money with this policy as so many seasoned cruisers no longer buy the hundreds of $$ of liquor to take home that they use to buy. Too inconvenient!!

Pat

[mafiadon]

You stay in a suite and then buy "cheap" liquor to take home with you. :D

 

I can buy anything that Carnival sells for half the price if I watch the sales here at home.

 

I'd bet that 75% if the liquor distributed by Carnival on the last day is purchased on shore where Carnival makes no profit and is doing their passengers a favor by storing and distributing it on the final day. Besides, don't you have to pay tax and or duty on excess bottles.

 

It is none of you concern if he stays in a suite or an inside cabin and wants to buy as you so call cheap liquor. Not all liquor can be bought in the states such as the chocolate tequila that can only be bought in Mexico or Sheridan that is not sold in the US.

I too think this policy stinks and I am not crazy about it but I really want the Chocolate Tequila as I may not get to Mexico again for a very long time. But I have the right to complain all I want about the policy and so does he, doesn't mean it is going to change anything but it is my right and so does he:rolleyes:

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

I truly don't think not delivering alcohol to your room on the last night raises people's bar bill that much. IMHO, they are losing money with this policy as so many seasoned cruisers no longer buy the hundreds of $$ of liquor to take home that they use to buy. Too inconvenient!!

Pat

 

I think you may be overestimating the $$$ amount or the amount of "seasoned cruisers" purchasing the over-priced liquor from the shops on Carnival. If Carnival was making ga-ga money from this they wouldn't have changed the policy. Personally I think that most of the last day liquor was for bottles purchased at the ports and only "being held and distributed" by Carnival, a cost for them with no monetary return,

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

It is none of you concern if he stays in a suite or an inside cabin and wants to buy as you so call cheap liquor. Not all liquor can be bought in the states such as the chocolate tequila that can only be bought in Mexico or Sheridan that is not sold in the US.

I too think this policy stinks and I am not crazy about it but I really want the Chocolate Tequila as I may not get to Mexico again for a very long time. But I have the right to complain all I want about the policy and so does he, doesn't mean it is going to change anything but it is my right and so does he:rolleyes:

 

You can complain all you want and I can comment on your complaints all I want. That is what an open forum is all about. No one is stopping anyone from purchasing liquor in a foreign port....the Cruiseline isn't obligated to make that purchase "easy" for you.

[ShakyBeef]

You can complain all you want and I can comment on your complaints all I want. That is what an open forum is all about. No one is stopping anyone from purchasing liquor in a foreign port....the Cruiseline isn't obligated to make that purchase "easy" for you.

 

You keep trying to make this about "purchasing liquor in a foreign port", with your guesses at statistics and your opinions of what the alcohol purchases might be. It's pretty clear, though, that the majority of us here on this thread are speaking of the liquor we purchase from Carnival, onboard.

 

I think the biggest shared complaint about this system that we are discussing here is not that Carnival isn't making a foriegn port purchase easy for us, but rather, that Carnival is making a Carnival purchase unnecessarily difficult for us.

[HamSammie]

I no longer purchase alcohol in the fun shops or in port because I do not want the hassle. When I first started cruising Carnival we were able to purchase alcohol in the shop any time during the cruise and take it to our cabin immediately. Now look where we are. Carnival is simply greedy.

 

Last time I checked, Carnival Corporation was not a non-profit organization. Its sole purpose is to maximize its shareholders wealth.

 

That being said, I would recommend watching the CNBC show Big Money on the High Seas. You will see how dependent a cruise line is on alcohol sales. It could mean the difference between a voyage ending in the red or the black.

Edited February 15, 2016 by RDPDGX

[HamSammie]

The alternative is to not allow liquor purchased on shore to be brought on board, so yes they are doing you a favor.

 

And I would rather not see this alternative, so you all better not ruin this for me! :)

 

I have little to no interest in the alcohol bottles they sell on the ship. 99 percent of time it is a brand I can easily find at home. While the price is cheaper, when I factor in hassle, labor, and possible duty and taxes, it is just not worth it to me. I purchase the stuff at ports that are local that you can not find in the United States.

[richstowe]

Last time I checked, Carnival Corporation was not a non-profit organization. Its sole purpose is to maximizes its shareholders wealth.

 

That being said, I would recommend watching the CNBC show Big Money on the High Seas. You will see how dependent a cruise line is on alcohol sales. It could mean the difference between a voyage ending in the red or the black.

 

"That being said" is the key phrase . I agree that corporations must maximize profit . I question whether this policy change actually was in the shareholders interest . Perhaps too many VP's with too much time on their hands . :rolleyes:

[traveling1969]

Just a few comments then I'm done with this:

 

Carnival cheerleaders seem to lean towards "Oh, it's not that big a hassle if you plan properly." Yeah right!:rolleyes:

 

Those who think that the majority of held liquor was purchased off the ship have never been there during pick-up. Carnival boxes dominate by a factor of at least 5 to 1. And don't come back saying Carnival boxes up your shore booze. That NEVER happens!

 

I really love those folks who want to dump on others who try to save a few dollars. Seems as if "cheap" is their buzzword,:rolleyes:

 

Lastly, it rests with each of us as to how we will react to this policy and what we can do to effect a change. I'm sure that on-board liquor sales will decline as a result of this policy. Survey comments may help. On-board complaints may help. Open forum discussion can't hurt and at least folks will know beforehand what's in store for them.

 

In closing, let me say that I am going to choose to spend my cruise dollars elsewhere. I'm going to put my money where my mouth is. I'm going to put up or shut up. It's not just the policy that rankles, rather it is the lack of concern for the customer that is driving me away. Maybe I can couch it in terms they will understand. Carnival has taken all the "FUN" out of the last day on board.

[ShakyBeef]

Just a few comments then I'm done with this:

 

Carnival cheerleaders seem to lean towards "Oh, it's not that big a hassle if you plan properly." Yeah right!:rolleyes:

 

Those who think that the majority of held liquor was purchased off the ship have never been there during pick-up. Carnival boxes dominate by a factor of at least 5 to 1. And don't come back saying Carnival boxes up your shore booze. That NEVER happens!

 

I really love those folks who want to dump on others who try to save a few dollars. Seems as if "cheap" is their buzzword,:rolleyes:

 

Lastly, it rests with each of us as to how we will react to this policy and what we can do to effect a change. I'm sure that on-board liquor sales will decline as a result of this policy. Survey comments may help. On-board complaints may help. Open forum discussion can't hurt and at least folks will know beforehand what's in store for them.

 

In closing, let me say that I am going to choose to spend my cruise dollars elsewhere. I'm going to put my money where my mouth is. I'm going to put up or shut up. It's not just the policy that rankles, rather it is the lack of concern for the customer that is driving me away. Maybe I can couch it in terms they will understand. Carnival has taken all the "FUN" out of the last day on board.

 

Hear, hear! Excellent post! And once again, thank you for bringing this to the attention of those of us who had not heard about it. You taking the time to relate your experiences has saved me (and I'm sure, others too)from going through a similar SNAFU on Debarkation Day.

 

ETA: Thank you for your service, sir, both to our country and to your fellow CCer's. :cool: :D

Edited February 15, 2016 by ShakyBeef

[HamSammie]

"That being said" is the key phrase . I agree that corporations must maximize profit . I question whether this policy change actually was in the shareholders interest . Perhaps too many VP's with too much time on their hands . :rolleyes:

 

It could be. My belief is that it is a combination of that and let's face it, the Carnival customer. If the liquor is delivered after dinner time on the last evening, sure, you or I may not find it worth it to open those bottles versus getting drinks at the atrium bar, but there are plenty that would find it worth it and are going out the last evening with a bang, possibly resulting in lost revenue. Carnival is probably trying to plug the revenue leak, but it could have done a better job.

 

It is not a bad policy overall, but what always seems to be Carnival's problem is efficiency with policies and procedures. Maybe have more employees working? Maybe multiple pick up places depending on your deck or VIFP status? Maybe extended hours for those that can just grab and go and do not need to worry about repacking for air travel?

[leedm]

Reduced purchases = reduced guest in line for pick up = no lines on the last day. Then carnival will say the policy is working no lines :)

[tandemcruzr]

It's pretty clear, though, that the majority of us here on this thread are speaking of the liquor we purchase from Carnival, onboard.

 

I think the biggest shared complaint about this system that we are discussing here is not that Carnival isn't making a foriegn port purchase easy for us, but rather, that Carnival is making a Carnival purchase unnecessarily difficult for us.

 

This exactly! We also bought alcohol from the Duty Free Shops on the ship. We have now been on 6 cruises since they implemented this policy and we have not and will not purchase alcohol on the ship. :mad:

[SeaGoingDAD]

Just returned from a back-to-back on the Pride. Ran into the WORST policy regarding liquor purchased on board and in ports. I don't know if this is a new fleet-wide policy or unique to the Pride but in my opinion it is the most inconvenient, cumbersome and ill-advised method for distributing held liquor I have ever encountered.

 

Here is what occurred. When purchasing liquor on board or when we had liquor that we had purchased off-ship held at the gangway, we were informed that we could pick up our held liquor on the morning of disembarkation between 6:30 and 8:00 am in the Butterflies lounge forward. I couldn't believe it! How were we to pack it securely and re-weigh our checked luggage prior to arrival at the airport? We were FORCED to either do self-embarkation (so we could pack and weigh on board) or try to do it in the arrival lounge or at the airport. What a nightmare and what a crappy note upon which to end our cruise.

 

We had 3 large bags and a medium carry-on and we knew walk-off would be difficult but we wanted to make sure that the liquor was packed securely so we decided to try the walk-off. The thought of trying to re-pack and re-weigh our bags in the terminal or at the airport was a definite no-go.

 

We arrived at the pick-up lounge at 6:25 am and the line was HUGE! Once they opened, the line moved at less than a snails pace. The pick-up lounge was obviously understaffed and the scene was chaotic with lots of angry exchanges and comments from those in the endless line. From the time we arrived until we received our liquor, well over an hour had passed. Others were complaining openly about this mess and we ran into another couple who were returning to the lounge as they had been given the wrong items. Since we knew we had to be out of our stateroom by 9:30 am we hurried back to repack. By the time we were finished, we were being hounded to get out of our cabin. So much for a leisurely breakfast and an easy stroll off the ship,

 

Of course it was another marathon wait trying to get an elevator but we finally got to deck 2 to walk off. Despite my crappy knees and DW's less than elastic back, we made it.

 

I'll never understand the rationale behind this absurd procedure. I much prefer the method employed by Royal Caribbean and Princess: liquor is delivered to your stateroom the afternoon or early evening on the day before disembarkation day and it works quite well. Plenty of time to pack and weigh and still put luggage out for pick-up. I seem to remember this as the procedure on previous Carnival cruises. Does anyone know if this is a fleet-wide policy/procedure or just an ill-advised improvisation on the Pride?

 

Is this a deal breaker? Pretty darn close. It changed the end of our cruise from a relatively stress-free waltz into a frenzied last-minute jittterbug. Since we were pressed for time, we couldn't go to guest services to make a formal complaint but I included a lengthy critique of the entire debacle in my survey. I will be sure to forward a copy of this post to Carnival in the hope that something can be done so others won't have to put up with this ill-conceived and ill-advised policy.

 

It's odd when a company involks a policy and process that does not work, at the expense of the customer base.

 

Same thing for the staggered boarding nonsense. Instead of admitting they stink at crowd control, and look to improve by looking at their competition, like Disney, who are EXPERTS at crowd control, they delay EVERYONE'S boarding, except those that pay for it, and the VIPers.