AIBP - Passenger Behavior???

[cruiselvr1]

Most evenings we go to the piazza after dinner (that means 9 ish). We would sit where we could find a seat. Did not see any problems.

 

Of course, there is always the one group on one cruise that is a problem., maybe OP just lucked into a bad group.

I've seen these idiots without the S&S.

[Adventures ahead]

geez, how hard is it to type out "bloody mary"?

... :rolleyes:

rofl! :'):'):') ;)

[elliair]

:D:D When I first saw BM mentioned I wasn't thinking of No 1, but No 2 :')

 

when I read BM I about died from laughing, then I got these weird visions in my head at how did that BM pan out!

[lovevacadays]

We had the Sip and Sail on the Regal last December. We sailed the Caribbean. It was my 12th Princess cruise. I didn't notice any bad behavior or crowds I would attribute to the Sip and Sail.

[sonomaphil]

I read where someone said that they are leaving Princess due to the Sip and Sail promo and passenger behavior. They were specifically unhappy about the crowds around IC and in the Piazza area where they said that the coffee crowd was being replaced by the Bloody Mary crowd and it was crowded and noisy. Just curious...Has anybody noticed an uptick in unacceptable behavior due to the advent of the Sip and Sail? I certainly haven't seen much in the way of complaints but perhaps it's still new enough that the complaints haven't started to show up yet.

 

Any comments?

 

Sounds to me like just another cruiser complaint that gives people who cruise a bad name.

[Cruise Raider]

LMAO! I wonder if that's the same 19-day Panama cruise that DH and I were on last November? It was hardly the "party boat". The average age on this cruise was 80-years-old. By midnight, the entire ship was practically deserted. A lot of us did have Sip and Sail, but I witnessed very few drunk passengers.

 

That is hilarious!!

[Cruise Raider]

Holy cow it took me a long time to find the thing. It's in the tipping thread of all things. The link is below but the relevant part of the post reads:

======================

 

The cruise industry has changed very much since 2000. We are doing cruises 78,79 and 80 in the very near future and then we are leaving the cruise world. The sip and sail has made us decide to leave. The last cruise 19 day Panama Canal the morning coffee scene was like a Vegas bar, beers and mimosa and bloody Mary's more than tea or coffee and then the volume went up very quickly. If you enjoy the strings in the Piazza or some soft music the SIP and SAIL has taken away the ambience.

======================

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=53932605&postcount=45

 

Something tells me that if the volumes of people that were sitting in the piazza with a cappuccino went up, that might bother her as well. Maybe the more newly formed, more crowded social setting is the reason for her leaving. Cruise ships are now built to hold up to 6000+ passengers and because of this, so many more average income passengers have the finances to fill that increased inventory. Cruising is no longer the vacation slated for the elite so I can understand where it may take on the look of a bar in Vegas. More and more passengers vs less public space seems to be the issue at hand. Times are changing and sometimes that may be hard for some to accept. At least I commend her for walking away from cruising vs trying to tell others how they should enjoy their vacation time. That probably wasn't the point of her post, though. It could just be that it is a thinly veiled threat directed at Princess.

I've also not seen a real uptick in drunks onboard since the introduction of the Sip and Sail. They had some before and they still have some. Even those that do drink to excess with (or without) the AIBP, I kind of think that after the first day of hitting it pretty hard, it calms way down for the remainder of the sailing. We always laugh about being able to identify passengers that have the AIBP for their very first time. Some will go through 2 or more days of drinking on that first day and they are not to be seen the entire second day. And on the third or maybe even the fourth day, just moderate consumption has the norm, from what I have observed. Suffice to say, one does not have to go through that more than one time to realize how horrible a hangover is while out at sea.

[Papa Yoda]

LMAO! I wonder if that's the same 19-day Panama cruise that DH and I were on last November? It was hardly the "party boat". The average age on this cruise was 80-years-old. By midnight, the entire ship was practically deserted. A lot of us did have Sip and Sail, but I witnessed very few drunk passengers.

 

It was the same one. The comment was by someone on our Roll Call. And you are spot on! It was one of the quietest cruises we've ever been on.

[partybarbie]

It was the same one. The comment was by someone on our Roll Call. And you are spot on! It was one of the quietest cruises we've ever been on.

 

I thought it was the same one. :D Yes, it was very quiet on that cruise, not that I'm complaining. It was one of our all time favorite cruises. We had booked with the Sip and Sail promo, so we spent a lot of time in Crooner's. They make a really good martini there called the "Bugsy". It's mostly Irish cream, very little hard alcohol. It would be difficult to get really drunk on those.

 

The one of the nice things about the Island is the coffee bar at the back of the Horizon court. We would go there in the mornings to get our fancy coffees. Most mornings, there was no one there. It looks out over the bow, so you have a beautiful view. I would think that someone that's been on a lot of cruises, rather than complain about what's going on in IC/Piazza, would know how to find the quiet areas on the ship. I know that is what we do. ;)

[caribill]

I read where someone said that they are leaving Princess due to the Sip and Sail promo and passenger behavior. They were specifically unhappy about the crowds around IC and in the Piazza area where they said that the coffee crowd was being replaced by the Bloody Mary crowd and it was crowded and noisy. Just curious...Has anybody noticed an uptick in unacceptable behavior due to the advent of the Sip and Sail? I certainly haven't seen much in the way of complaints but perhaps it's still new enough that the complaints haven't started to show up yet.

 

 

I interpret the person as complaining about long lines to get beverages.

 

Where there are long lines, it is likely to get noisy.

 

Doesn't sound like drunken behavior.

[ehurl]

I love this thread! Made me laugh out loud for real!!!

Thankz for the lolz;p:champagne-toast:

[socaljo]

I thought it was the same one. :D Yes, it was very quiet on that cruise, not that I'm complaining. It was one of our all time favorite cruises. We had booked with the Sip and Sail promo, so we spent a lot of time in Crooner's. They make a really good martini there called the "Bugsy". It's mostly Irish cream, very little hard alcohol. It would be difficult to get really drunk on those.

 

The one of the nice things about the Island is the coffee bar at the back of the Horizon court. We would go there in the mornings to get our fancy coffees. Most mornings, there was no one there. It looks out over the bow, so you have a beautiful view. I would think that someone that's been on a lot of cruises, rather than complain about what's going on in IC/Piazza, would know how to find the quiet areas on the ship. I know that is what we do. ;)

I had the Bugsy for the 1st time this summer on the Royal (thanks Ferdi for introducing me to that yummy thing!) and then when wanting something a wee bit stronger, Ferdi made me a Milky Way...oh now I'm just ruined...;p Bailey's and Grey Goose, with a pretty swirl of Hershey's syrup on the inside of the frosted martini glass! Heaven!

Happy Sailing!

[partybarbie]

I had the Bugsy for the 1st time this summer on the Royal (thanks Ferdi for introducing me to that yummy thing!) and then when wanting something a wee bit stronger, Ferdi made me a Milky Way...oh now I'm just ruined...;p Bailey's and Grey Goose, with a pretty swirl of Hershey's syrup on the inside of the frosted martini glass! Heaven!

Happy Sailing!

 

LOL! Yes! That's exactly what I do. If I don't have the drink package, then I usually drink Milk Ways because you get more alcohol for the money. ;p

[Thrak]

It's amazing to me what is called a "Martini" these days. It seems that anything put into a "martini glass" is now called a Martini. I know Crooner's makes some very tasty drinks but many of them really (really!) shouldn't be called a Martini!!!!!

 

Note: I don't think that will keep me from trying some of them on our next 4 cruises where we have the AIBP... I just object to the name.

[partybarbie]

It's amazing to me what is called a "Martini" these days. It seems that anything put into a "martini glass" is now called a Martini. I know Crooner's makes some very tasty drinks but many of them really (really!) shouldn't be called a Martini!!!!!

 

Note: I don't think that will keep me from trying some of them on our next 4 cruises where we have the AIBP... I just object to the name.

 

I know (heavy sigh). IMHO, real martini's are old school Rat Pack cocktails, like the Chairman of the Board martini.

[reney313]

We have been getting the AIBP on all lines (Princess, RCI, NCL) that we sail since they were first introduced. We get just as drunk now as we did before AIBP :) But seriously, before the drink packages, we ordered what we wanted. We were on vacation, after all. Having the package has not changed our habits and aside from a few rare instances, I haven't seen it change others' habits.

 

On our last Alaskan cruise, there was a passenger who did not have the AIBP. Why, I have NO idea. He was drinking a minimum of 20 drinks a day/night, when not in port. I can only imagine what his drink tab was. If someone is going to be drunk, they'll pay for it ala carte or with a package.

[Thrak]

I know (heavy sigh). IMHO, real martini's are old school Rat Pack cocktails, like the Chairman of the Board martini.

 

Why I do believe I'll be having one of those in the near future. We sail in 34 days. :)

[tgomfe]

It's amazing to me what is called a "Martini" these days. It seems that anything put into a "martini glass" is now called a Martini. I know Crooner's makes some very tasty drinks but many of them really (really!) shouldn't be called a Martini!!!!!

 

Note: I don't think that will keep me from trying some of them on our next 4 cruises where we have the AIBP... I just object to the name.

I agree. A "Martini" used to be gin and vermouth, with maybe an olive. Back then, if you merely changed the olive for an onion, the drink was not longer a "Martini", but a "Gibson" (?) , I believe. How things change.

[MixerDave]

I agree. A "Martini" used to be gin and vermouth, with maybe an olive. Back then, if you merely changed the olive for an onion, the drink was not longer a "Martini", but a "Gibson" (?) , I believe. How things change.

 

I understand that the Gibson was named after a businessman who wanted to remain sober while he made financial deals with gentlemen drinking martinis. He was drinking water, and the waiters put a pearl onion in his "martini" to distinguish it from the others.

[Thrak]

I understand that the Gibson was named after a businessman who wanted to remain sober while he made financial deals with gentlemen drinking martinis. He was drinking water, and the waiters put a pearl onion in his "martini" to distinguish it from the others.

 

We all know that wikipedia is not the end all-be all of accuracy but there is an interesting entry for the Gibson which doesn't agree with (but does mention) that story. It is located HERE. It seems the Gibson is mentioned in a book by a self-styled "Premier Mixologist" in 1908 called The World's Drinks And How To Mix Them The article does mention a more likely person by that name.

 

Like I said, wikipedia has some questionable listings but the one about the Gibson seems pretty good.

[VibeGuy]

Gin

Detectable Amount of Vermouth

Optional Olive or Twist

 

Now that *that's* settled.

 

I have been sailing Princess since the mid-70s, when drinks were cheap and fares were high. The shift in passenger drinking behavior is real, but it's mostly due to the change in passenger ages rather than amount consumed. There weren't many 22yos or hen/stag trips back then, but there were plenty of handsy belligerent old sots.

 

Sounds like the complainer prefers quiet bitter alcoholics who start later in the day.

[Thrak]

Gin

Almost Detectable Amount of Vermouth

Optional Olive or Twist

 

Now that *that's* settled.

 

I have been sailing Princess since the mid-70s, when drinks were cheap and fares were high. The shift in passenger drinking behavior is real, but it's mostly due to the change in passenger ages rather than amount consumed. There weren't many 22yos or hen/stag trips back then, but there were plenty of handsy belligerent old sots.

 

Sounds like the complainer prefers quiet bitter alcoholics who start later in the day.

 

There. Fixed it. :)

 

Place ice in shaker

Add vermouth

Shake ice and vermouth

Pour vermouth down the drain

Add Gin

Shake

Strain into appropriate glass

Add olive (or two)

 

Voila!!!

 

Of course there are multiple "legitimate" variations that I'm willing to accept. While not "pure" the Chairman of the Board is an acceptable "substitute". :D (33 days... 33 days... 33 days...)