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High alcohol prices

runner15km

By runner15km,
in Royal Caribbean International

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SRF

SRF

Posted
Posted
Everyone says that they are high prices, but when compared to land based restaurants and bars, the prices appear to me to be very reasonable.

 

The only way prices of what we buy can be considered expensive is if I compare to the bar in my home.

 

This ^^^^^^^^

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SRF

SRF

Posted
Posted
I was in St Thomas and watched several pallets of liquor being stowed onboard a ship last year. One of the bartenders told me the liquor they sell while in a U.S. port has the duty paid as well as local sales tax. Once at sea as they use those bottles they restock with the duty free ones. He seemed to know what he was talking about.

 

1) St Thomas is in the US Virgin Islands.

 

2) Have you ever seen them swapping out ALL the liquor at every bar? So you see the bottles marked?

 

If you watch on international flights, before landing, all the liquor has to be put into the bins and locked with a tag. Otherwise the airline will have to pay duty on it.

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PaperSniper4

PaperSniper4

Posted
Posted
That's the same price point in my neck of the woods.:) I just could not justify $700 for the two of us on a 1 week cruise.

 

Another option is to have a bottle of something delivered to ones cabin at the start of the cruise. I have been doing that lately. Problems with that are the bottle is one liter, and if there is only one drinker, there will be a lot left over unless it's a long cruise. Prices usually run around $60-$100 for that option. Still, it's less expensive that buying a drink or two each night on a 10-14 day cruise. The last price we paid for a bottle of Beefeaters on Celebrity (a Jan 2018 cruise) was $80. We prefer to drink in our cabin anyway as opposed to drinking in the bar, so it works for us.

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dpostman

dpostman

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Posted
Another option is to have a bottle of something delivered to ones cabin at the start of the cruise. I have been doing that lately. Problems with that are the bottle is one liter, and if there is only one drinker, there will be a lot left over unless it's a long cruise. Prices usually run around $60-$100 for that option. Still, it's less expensive that buying a drink or two each night on a 10-14 day cruise. The last price we paid for a bottle of Beefeaters on Celebrity (a Jan 2018 cruise) was $80. We prefer to drink in our cabin anyway as opposed to drinking in the bar, so it works for us.

 

Uummmm I'm sorry but I don't think RCCL does that. They do have a few options that you can pre-purchase in the cruise planner of a Bottle of liquor(Gin, Rum, Scotch, Vodka) with 4 cans of soda but those are only 375ml (13oz)

 

 

Here are the details: https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/royalgifts/onboard-delivery/packages/

 

 

dp

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time4u2go

time4u2go

Posted
Posted
I was in St Thomas and watched several pallets of liquor being stowed onboard a ship last year. One of the bartenders told me the liquor they sell while in a U.S. port has the duty paid as well as local sales tax. Once at sea as they use those bottles they restock with the duty free ones. He seemed to know what he was talking about.

St. Thomas is a U. S. port.

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robtulipe

robtulipe

Posted
Posted
St. Thomas is a U. S. port.

Yes, but all of the US virgin islands are duty and tax free locations so even local people don't pay these extra cost. That is why you can carry your alcohol purchase back to the ship there while on some of the other Caribbean islands, like Grand Cayman, all duty and tax free alcohol must be sent to your ship by the vendor otherwise they must charge the higher tax and duty inclusive price.

 

Typically we buy our alcohol at a discount department store, like the Kmart or a supermarket to get the lowest cost when on St. Thomas or any other duty and tax free locations like the ABC island or St. Maarten.

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PaperSniper4

PaperSniper4

Posted
Posted
Uummmm I'm sorry but I don't think RCCL does that. They do have a few options that you can pre-purchase in the cruise planner of a Bottle of liquor(Gin, Rum, Scotch, Vodka) with 4 cans of soda but those are only 375ml (13oz)

 

 

Here are the details: https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/royalgifts/onboard-delivery/packages/

 

 

dp

 

Well that is just terrible! I assumed (I know, always a mistake to do that!), RCI's and Celebrity's pre-ordered spirits policy and variety would be pretty much identical. But $50 for a .375l of hootch is a hard price to pay! I suspect more people smuggle onto RCI than Celebrity ships, which I am trying to avoid. I'd need to get two of those Johnny Red packages for a 10 day cruise....not sure what I'd do with the coke.....would anybody mix that with scotch? OMG!!:eek:

 

Seems to me that the "package" above is priced high so not to complete with their "unlimited drinks package" or whatever RCI calls it. But that package, for my wife and I, would make no sense. We'd need to drink 4 drinks or so per day.....we'd need to feel we got "our money's worth". (I know, more bad logic). Looking at it that way, RCI is "encouraging" folks to drink more (too much?) and asking for problems. But, I suppose they know what they are doing....don't they? :confused:

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reefdmain

reefdmain

Posted
Posted

Again, all these comparisons to land based resorts, restaurants and bars is off. You choose to go to a restaurant or bar in competition with other establishments. If you want to pay $15 for a drink you are free to do so, or go next door and pay $10 or whatever. On a boat it is totally captive, heck you can't even bring your own to your paid for room. That is what makes the cruise ship prices so ridiculous and insulting. IMHO.

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Husky1987

Husky1987

Posted
Posted
Man I thought Utah was the only state that has ridiculous liquor laws. And we do! :rolleyes:

 

I always had to laugh when I lived in Missouri back in the day during school. On Sundays, all the grocery stores put big tarps over the liquor section. Apparently, liquor was so evil not only couldn't you buy it on Sundays, you couldn't even look at it.

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John&LaLa "Live from...." Rare

John&LaLa

Posted
Posted
Again, all these comparisons to land based resorts, restaurants and bars is off. You choose to go to a restaurant or bar in competition with other establishments. If you want to pay $15 for a drink you are free to do so, or go next door and pay $10 or whatever. On a boat it is totally captive, heck you can't even bring your own to your paid for room. That is what makes the cruise ship prices so ridiculous and insulting. IMHO.

Just like you can choose which bar to go to, you can choose which cruise line to do business with.

 

I'd hardly call the drink prices insulting.

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Forums mobile app

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Foodluvr

Foodluvr

Posted
Posted
Man I thought Utah was the only state that has ridiculous liquor laws. And we do! :rolleyes:

 

Agree! Was in Utah for work a few years ago and was shocked I could not take my drink from bar to dinner table or out of the lounge. Also couldn't order food in the hotel bar?!?

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Husky1987

Husky1987

Posted
Posted
Just like you can choose which bar to go to, you can choose which cruise line to do business with.

 

I'd hardly call the drink prices insulting.

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Forums mobile app

 

This.

 

Any "captivity" you are under on a cruise ship is entirely of your own choosing. You're making your alcohol pricing choice the moment you book your cruise.

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dpostman

dpostman

Posted
Posted
Well that is just terrible! I assumed (I know, always a mistake to do that!), RCI's and Celebrity's pre-ordered spirits policy and variety would be pretty much identical. But $50 for a .375l of hootch is a hard price to pay! I suspect more people smuggle onto RCI than Celebrity ships, which I am trying to avoid. I'd need to get two of those Johnny Red packages for a 10 day cruise....not sure what I'd do with the coke.....would anybody mix that with scotch? OMG!!:eek:

 

Seems to me that the "package" above is priced high so not to complete with their "unlimited drinks package" or whatever RCI calls it. But that package, for my wife and I, would make no sense. We'd need to drink 4 drinks or so per day.....we'd need to feel we got "our money's worth". (I know, more bad logic). Looking at it that way, RCI is "encouraging" folks to drink more (too much?) and asking for problems. But, I suppose they know what they are doing....don't they? :confused:

 

I'm with you on your points. Too bad there is not a Rye & Ginger option, I'd have to take the Gin & Tonic if I were to go those options. But for my wife and I, we each get the deluxe package and we pretty much both break even by between 3 and 5 pm, with the rest of the day to go;p.

 

dp

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reefdmain

reefdmain

Posted
Posted
This.

 

Any "captivity" you are under on a cruise ship is entirely of your own choosing. You're making your alcohol pricing choice the moment you book your cruise.

 

All true. Which is one of the least attractive things about choosing to cruise. A negative that exists none the less.

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depplep

depplep

Posted
Posted (edited)

Like any buffet on land, some people exceed the price of admission and others use less profit. At 5 drinks or so per person, Royal is sorely losing on us but making it up on others. I don't even care what they're charging for a drink. $8, $14? Will I get the value out of a package? We're big drinkers so we want value and the package is a pittance to us.

Edited by depplep
More information.
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SRF

SRF

Posted
Posted
Johnny Red packages for a 10 day cruise....not sure what I'd do with the coke.....would anybody mix that with scotch? OMG!!

 

Well, to some people Johnnie Red is not drinkable, EVEN with mixing it with Coke.

 

Last one I had on an airplane, I ended up with close to 300 ml of water in it. BLAH!

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