Drink package Cheaters??

[BamaGuy44]

It's interesting, when I spoke to RC they said the company policy was "no water, no soda" could be brought on the ship and pointed me to the written policy on the website. Just as you can get different answers when speaking to representatives on other issues, it seems like sometime you get someone that allows something that is clearly against company policy (no water, no soda is their written and confirmed policy).

 

Honestly, I do not care if people carry on water, nor do I care if people share their drink package. What bothers me (my original response) is that people are so quick to use harsh language against others on one policy violation, while encouraging a different type of similar violation. The point remains, both are direct violations of written policy of the cruise line, and lack of enforcement does not equate authorization.

 

I just had a client in my office today, looking at 1 year in jail, and his argument was similar, his crime is rarely enforced. My answer was similar, the limited enforcement does not remove the fact that it is still a crime.

 

Crimes are a bit different than company policies, I think we can all agree. There is a policy on the web site so they can enforce it if they choose to, which they do at certain times, in certain ports, etc.

 

An RCI employee saying it's fine and literally carrying my water to my room for me certainly does equate authorization. You'll have a hard time convincing me I cheated anyone in that specific case, regardless of what the web site says.

[GadgetGod]

Crimes are a bit different than company policies, I think we can all agree. There is a policy on the web site so they can enforce it if they choose to, which they do at certain times, in certain ports, etc.

 

An RCI employee saying it's fine and literally carrying my water to my room for me certainly does equate authorization. You'll have a hard time convincing me I cheated anyone in that specific case, regardless of what the web site says.

 

Of course I can agree that company policies are not crimes (although you did just refer to it as "stealing" a little more than an hour ago, and stealing by definition, is a unlawful.) I am sorry that I can not convince you that the two are very similar and you are taking money out of the cruise lines pocket. I can promise you I will not call what you are doing stealing or call you a thief, or question your ethics. Do what you think is right, and enjoy your cruise.

[akcruz]

I think the better example of this dichotomy is the suggestion I have heard many people offer that it is ok to bring bottled water or soda on at boarding. The rule is clear, it is prohibited and like sharing the soda package it is presumably taking some money out of RC's pocket. But I have never seen the backlash over that suggestion that sharing the drink package invokes. I was surprised to read so many people talk about bringing cases of water on board, with the only warning being that RC may choose to start to enforce the rule. I have never been able to understand the divide of opinion on these two seemingly similar policies.

Not that either is the right thing to do but the difference I see here is one is taking something you didn't purchase while the other is not.

 

If someone brings water onboard they are not using something the cruise line has purchased without their consent. If they didn't bring that water onboard they may have simply drank the water from the faucet, or some other beverage provided for free by the cruise line. By bringing water onboard they may actually be saving the line money.

 

If someone shares a package they are giving someone something that was not paid for.

 

My gripe with those that share, especially as blatantly as I have seen it done and/or talked about, is how it may impact me when they raise prices or make all in a cabin purchase. My DH and I both purchase the package as of now, especially with the discounted pricing (and even though we are diamond) so no sharing between us. BTW, we brought water on once, ended up not drinking most of it and leaving in the cabin. Much easier for us to get water out and about on the ship.

 

Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk

[DaniDanielle]

oh, damn! Is that illegal too? How about a case of bottled water? Don't forget the fan i bring every cruise...

 

lol

[Cel_cruise]

Threads like this help explain where the Pepper Grinders have gone..

 

Btw - I think it probably costs the cruise line more to store / recycle the water bottles brought on board than it does to make the water you will drink if you instead drank ship water.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[atnolan94]

[fd851]

DH has shared his OJ with DS. It bothers, me so now we pay OOP when DS wants OJ. Bonus, when paying OOP you get a choice of sizes, and the smaller one (not what is given with package) is a much more reasonable serving of OJ for one person.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

If I spend anymore time trying to decipher that, I will need a drink! And PDQ!:):):)

[XForeverYoursX]

I was thinking about this and if I get the full beverage package, I don't ever use the soda machine, I drink water and alcohol. Is it really that bad if I let my 5 year old use the cup once in awhile for a lemonade?

 

 

11/7/16 Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Seas

[csnarpy]

Crimes are a bit different than company policies, I think we can all agree. There is a policy on the web site so they can enforce it if they choose to, which they do at certain times, in certain ports, etc.

 

An RCI employee saying it's fine and literally carrying my water to my room for me certainly does equate authorization. You'll have a hard time convincing me I cheated anyone in that specific case, regardless of what the web site says.

 

On this note: A bartender who consistently pours me two drinks instead of one, and handing it to my wife is no different. Shows me authorization and he/she will always see my presence.

Edited November 16, 2016 by csnarpy

[LilBlackDress]

I purchase the drink/soda/water package, but prefer to bring some water/soda on board so that I have something I can easily grab in my cabin. Each bottle I bring on board is one that I am not getting on my unlimited drink package. Therefore, I'm actually saving the cruise line money by bringing water/soda on board. However, if I didn't pay for the drink package, bringing it on board would be taking money out of the cruise line's pocket.

 

We always get some sort of a package that includes water and I still bring my own, if possible. I need to drink a certain amount of water a day and I would need to drink way too many of those small bottles to meet my quota

 

If I spend anymore time trying to decipher that, I will need a drink! And PDQ!:):):)

 

Took me awhile too but OOP = Out of pocket! LOL

[ColoradoGurl]

If I spend anymore time trying to decipher that, I will need a drink! And PDQ!:):):)

 

 

Yeah me too, what the hell is "OOP?"

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[ColoradoGurl]

We always get some sort of a package that includes water and I still bring my own, if possible. I need to drink a certain amount of water a day and I would need to drink way too many of those small bottles to meet my quota

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Took me awhile too but OOP = Out of pocket! LOL

 

 

Oh for Christ sake, thank you.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Newby58]

Some can steal, cheat, or blur the lines and justify their actions and not feel guilty. Is it that those who feel uncomfortable doing this feel cheated or envious of those that can?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Newby58]

FYI, through all my life I have followed the rules. Boring, maybe, content, always.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[LilBlackDress]

Oh for Christ sake, thank you.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I did have a drink.... Maybe that is why I finally got it :)

 

Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk

[Ery]

Call it what ever eases your conscious, but bottom line is in the end it's not RCCL you end up screwing over it's your fellow passengers.

Thankfully RCCL allows only one guest in a cabin to buy the package. We always both buy but our friends don't. Depending on the friend either the husband or wife might buy one and then the party that isn't a big drinker will just buy their own drinks each time.

 

People cheating will lead to either RCCL raise the price to cover what they feel they are losing or lead them to follow suit and make everyone over 21 in each cabin buy one if one buys it, Or they will cap the number of drinks allowed per day.

 

So your drink you grab your wife or girlfriend won't hurt RCCL you're right, but in the end you will end up costing your fellow passengers who play by the rules.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Edited November 16, 2016 by Ery

[Ery]

Btw a vodka Coke isn't $13, it was $8 three weeks ago on board and that was Gray Goose. Yes specialty drinks and such are $10-15, which depending where you live isn't any higher than going to the local bar or having a drink at dinner. The average price of a martini where I live is $13, $8 if you go to happy hour and none of those places let me drink for $48 for 24 hours.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[vacationlover_mn]

Someone wondered how many bottles of water you could get a day? (Id do a quote, but don't know how from my phone). I've gotten as many as 12... my DH and I both have the drink package, and drink lots of water on excursion days. They usually let me pick up 2 bottles at a time, and since I wander around the ship more than DH (I usually wake up around 5 and have lots of free time :)), I'll pick up waters for both of us :)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[kerrycoco1]

Ok, I'll "explain that statement." Royal Caribbean is the one of the only cruise lines that allows only one adult in a cabin to purchase the Drink Package. On most other cruise lines ALL adults in a cabin are required to purchase the Drink Package, or no one can have it. So, if you keep sharing, Royal Caribbean will simply return to the everyone or no one policy. That affects ME and MY bottom line.

Does that clear it up for you?

Strongly agree

 

Sent from my Vodafone Smart ultra 6 using Forums mobile app

[Cel_cruise]

I was thinking about this and if I get the full beverage package, I don't ever use the soda machine, I drink water and alcohol. Is it really that bad if I let my 5 year old use the cup once in awhile for a lemonade?

 

 

11/7/16 Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Seas

 

 

Most times we go out to restaurants for dinner on land, I make my children get water. My DH and I occasionally have a drink that the kids would like as well (tea, soda, Powerade). There comes a point during dinner when either they have earned swapping drinks with me or they have whined and I can't take it anymore and we swap drinks. If this happened on a cruise - I wouldn't even pause for a second (in the moment) thinking that this was theft as I was about swapping beverages with them. I think that my moral compass is set such that I would not intentionally order/pour and hand it directly over to the child - but should it end up in his hands before it was finished similar to one of the scenarios above - I would not feel guilty or that I was teaching my child a bad lesson.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[troykahack]

I was just reading a thread where the passenger received an email with stated boarding times. They were upset about it since they always arrived earlier than the email time. Every person who responded pretty much said to ignore the email and arrive early. So, policies regarding what time to arrive for a certain group of people can be ignored - but policies on sharing beverages are gospel? I can see how it would be a big advantage to the staff to have all people/luggage for a particular deck to arrive in the same time frame. But it seems no one (well, no one chimed in against it) cares about that.

 

Yes, interesting how people are. Dress codes, drink packages, shorts, and other things?? Ask (request) them to board by deck number..... follow the rules by convenance.... lol

[troykahack]

Oh, come on. How can you possibly compare the two. The boarding time email has never been a mandate and besides that, it is not a policy, it is an attempt to manage the boarding process and avoid long lines.

 

A rule is a rule, same as a request. Where does one draw a line.

[apocalyps3]

I purchase the drink/soda/water package, but prefer to bring some water/soda on board so that I have something I can easily grab in my cabin. Each bottle I bring on board is one that I am not getting on my unlimited drink package. Therefore, I'm actually saving the cruise line money by bringing water/soda on board. However, if I didn't pay for the drink package, bringing it on board would be taking money out of the cruise line's pocket.

 

Justify it all you want, but technically you're still violating the same rules everyone else is being morally superior about. I personally don't have a problem with it, but I find it funny that people are okay with one violation, but not another.

 

I guess its only an ethics violation if its other people violating a rule you happen to agree with (not you specifically, just the general attitude through this thread).

[fletch1027]

Someone wondered how many bottles of water you could get a day? (Id do a quote, but don't know how from my phone). I've gotten as many as 12... my DH and I both have the drink package, and drink lots of water on excursion days. They usually let me pick up 2 bottles at a time, and since I wander around the ship more than DH (I usually wake up around 5 and have lots of free time :)), I'll pick up waters for both of us :)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

 

 

My wife and I last cruise both got the Refresh package and occasionally we would not be together and I would say it depends on the person you are dealing with as to getting "multiple" things per trip. Some examples (from my last cruise on Freedom):

 

- At the pool bar I got a virgin pina colada and asked for a bottle of water. Got both with no question.

 

- On port days they set up a bottled water kiosk in the Promenade. I would usually grab 2 bottles for us to take on shore. One day she let me have 2 no problem. Another day a different person gave me a "1 bottle per person" hassle until I explained we both had the package and she documented everything before giving me the 2nd one.

 

In any case, the antiquated way RCI has their system set up, they generate a ton of paper and waste tons of time ringing up things like bottled water and fresh OJ in the WJ. There is no reason those people should have to ring up stuff like that on a bar terminal where it spits out 3 copies or hand written receipts?? It would be nothing to have a portable swiper at their station to log the purchase and charge them if they don't have a package or smile at them if they do...

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[4-me]

Of course I can agree that company policies are not crimes (although you did just refer to it as "stealing" a little more than an hour ago, and stealing by definition, is a unlawful.) I am sorry that I can not convince you that the two are very similar and you are taking money out of the cruise lines pocket. I can promise you I will not call what you are doing stealing or call you a thief, or question your ethics. Do what you think is right, and enjoy your cruise.

 

I just want to thank you for your responses. It is refreshing to find a voice of reason in a sea of contradictions.