Craft Beer...

[BeerNerd]

Hello....just booked my very first family cruise ever aboard the Liberty. It's still months and months away but we are all very excited. Do these ships offer up any craft beer? Just a bit afraid I will have to settle for the usual AB/InBev etc. offerings. Also, can we bring some aboard or is that a big no no? Thanks for your responses! 😊🍻

[MiniChunks]

Sierra Nevada is really the best option I've encountered for beer. Not sure what type of beer you're into, but if it's IPA, it's tough. They have all the usual light beers along with Red Stripe, Guiness and not much else worth mentioning. I haven't heard much about trying to bring beer onboard. You might luck out, but the rules specifically mention 2 750ML bottles of wine per stateroom. Beer and liquor are not allowed.

[BeerNerd]

Thanks for your response! Yes, IPA's and some darker beers are generally my preference, but I can definitely live with the brands that you mentioned. Thanks again....cheers!

[CruiseKeeper]

Thanks for your response! Yes, IPA's and some darker beers are generally my preference, but I can definitely live with the brands that you mentioned. Thanks again....cheers!

 

Had can of Stone IPA onboard last night.

[ahaught]

Had can of Stone IPA onboard last night.

 

Is Stone readily available throughout the ship or is there a certain bar that carries it?

[BeerNerd]

Had can of Stone IPA onboard last night.

 

That's more like it, much appreciated...thanks! 🍻

[MiniChunks]

Had can of Stone IPA onboard last night.

 

What ship and where were you sailing from? That would be a welcome addition to the beer menu. I was on Freedom in April and that was definitely not an option.

[CruiseKeeper]

Is Stone readily available throughout the ship or is there a certain bar that carries it?

 

Sorry, not sure, only had the one at the pub. We are on the Allure also had one two weeks ago on the Harmony.

[ahaught]

Check this thread out: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2169846

[dividedsky]

Be prepared to enjoy a lot of Sierra Nevada. Every now and then we find something tasty at the pub on the promenade. Every survey I complete for RCI begs for more craft beers at least All Day IPA would be nice.

[Big_G]

Usually the IPAs are only available in the pub. The only IPA I have found consistently is Redhook Longhammer. On occasion I've run across Dogfish Head 90 and have seen Stone on their menu but they never had it. Also know that some of the bartenders don't know what IPA means. I had one bartender tell me he only had Sierra Nevada so I gave him the thumbs up. I was half way through it when a guy walks up, asks for Dogfish Head 90, and gets served. It wasn't even on the menu.

[Big_G]

Be prepared to enjoy a lot of Sierra Nevada. Every now and then we find something tasty at the pub on the promenade. Every survey I complete for RCI begs for more craft beers at least All Day IPA would be nice.

 

We had the occasion to chat it up with the beverage manager on one of the Oasis class ships. He said he's been proposing a brew pub for some time. I wanted to tell him lets not get crazy but I bit my tongue. Just give me a good IPA and some pub food and I'll be a happy cruiser.

[dividedsky]

We had the occasion to chat it up with the beverage manager on one of the Oasis class ships. He said he's been proposing a brew pub for some time. I wanted to tell him lets not get crazy but I bit my tongue. Just give me a good IPA and some pub food and I'll be a happy cruiser.

 

I'd be more than happy with just some good IPAs I'd hate for them go all out then not sell the beers and scrap the idea.

[ladysummermoon]

Getting on Serenade this weekend....am hoping for some good beers too! Would love to find some Dogfishhead in the pub! will keep an eye out...thanks to whoever mentioned it lol

[boscobeans]

I don't know, but I feel like I am in a tiny, tiny minority of beer drinkers who are not into the IPA craze. I prefer what could be best described as Ordinary Bitter. Low carbonation, moderate hop bitterness with a nice malt base and an alcohol ABV that allows me to enjoy it over a long period of time without forgetting who or where I am.. LOL

 

The closest I can get to that on Royal Caribbean is Newcastle draft which I turn to when not at home drinking my own homebrew.

 

Amazing to see so many "CRAFT" beers that are super hopped and pushing the limits in the ABV department and so few true session brews.

 

bosco

[Rick-n-Lisa]

Hello....just booked my very first family cruise ever aboard the Liberty. It's still months and months away but we are all very excited. Do these ships offer up any craft beer? Just a bit afraid I will have to settle for the usual AB/InBev etc. offerings. Also, can we bring some aboard or is that a big no no? Thanks for your responses! 😊🍻

 

 

Bringing on board is definitely a no no. We love craft beer too. We sailed on NCL Escape in November and they actually have a brew pub on board with about 24 drafts and 50 bottled beers. Pretty good selection of beers. Always been able to find at least one or two good options on Royal's ships as well.

[ToddnMichelle]

I don't know, but I feel like I am in a tiny, tiny minority of beer drinkers who are not into the IPA craze.

 

I agree as well. While I'll drink IPA's if there are no other options, my heart lies with stouts, porters, belgians and bocks. Any of the ships carry Spaten by chance?

[jelliot4]

Coming from an area and state that is becoming a leader in true craft brews, I have yet to see a true craft beer on a RCI ship. What they call craft is just a unique mass market beer, and almost all are national. A craft beer is made at the pub, usually in small batches. Some of the larger brewers in Michigan Founders, Shorts, Bells, KBC and many others do bottle but I doubt few out of the Great Lakes area have heard of them. For some reason high hops, alcohol or dark color means craft to some, sorry, no not really.

 

 

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[jelliot4]

I agree as well. While I'll drink IPA's if there are no other options, my heart lies with stouts, porters, belgians and bocks. Any of the ships carry Spaten by chance?

 

 

 

I am another that is not into the highly hopped beers, The Addition of hops doesn't make it a craft beer, it just makes it taste like it has more hops

 

 

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[George C]

Almost all ships have a pub, which has a very large selection that includes where beer/ale is from and proof

[BermudaBound2014]

Some of the larger brewers in Michigan Founders, Shorts, Bells, KBC and many others do bottle but I doubt few out of the Great Lakes area have heard of them. For some reason high hops, alcohol or dark color means craft to some, sorry, no not really.

 

We had founders session ale last month, and even dirty rotten bastard! However; that wasn't on rcl :(. Even found founders centennial in Amsterdam!

 

More on topic- hubby always asks what they have that isn't listed. More often than not, there are additional beers. Never hurts to ask :)

 

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[Big_G]

Coming from an area and state that is becoming a leader in true craft brews, I have yet to see a true craft beer on a RCI ship. What they call craft is just a unique mass market beer, and almost all are national. A craft beer is made at the pub, usually in small batches. Some of the larger brewers in Michigan Founders, Shorts, Bells, KBC and many others do bottle but I doubt few out of the Great Lakes area have heard of them. For some reason high hops, alcohol or dark color means craft to some, sorry, no not really.

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My go-to packy is well stocked with Founders All Day IPA, Founders Porter, Dirty Bastard, and others. Around this neck of the woods, many craft breweries have no pub. Some of them actually sell it straight out of the brewery. The problem with putting craft beer on a mass market ship is volume. I'm an IPA, stout, and porter guy. Calling something 'craft' doesn't automatically make any better than the next beer but I do appreciate the little guys with real talent.

[DeadPhish]

Alot of it probably has to do with distribution. Royal probably only has one beverage supplier, at least at each port. So they are limited to what they supplier has.

 

Its nice that the ships with a pub have a better selection now, but unfortunately with the smaller ships, you are lucky if they have a good supply of Sierra Nevada.

[Kruzr41]

I don't know, but I feel like I am in a tiny, tiny minority of beer drinkers who are not into the IPA craze. I prefer what could be best described as Ordinary Bitter. Low carbonation, moderate hop bitterness with a nice malt base and an alcohol ABV that allows me to enjoy it over a long period of time without forgetting who or where I am.. LOL

 

The closest I can get to that on Royal Caribbean is Newcastle draft which I turn to when not at home drinking my own homebrew.

 

Amazing to see so many "CRAFT" beers that are super hopped and pushing the limits in the ABV department and so few true session brews.

 

bosco

 

Also not a big IPA fan, but that will do compared to most "normal" American beers which seem to be light and lighter and tasteless and less taste. I prefer malty German style pils and lagers, but since they take longer and cost more to brew, IPA's have become prominent.

 

I'd guess the reason there are now 10,000 different different craft beers is there are even more different beer drinker's preferences.

 

Better than the old days when the only difference in beer in the US was the label.:D

[jimmaher]

Would like to see a little more variety