High alcohol prices

[SRF]

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.

 

Sorry, but in major metro areas, ALL the bar prices are similar. So it is not just go next door.

 

The same with any land based resort location. Food and drink VERY high priced.

[SRF]

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.

 

Worse.

 

I was in Knoxville, TN for some training. We all arrived on Sunday, so went out to grab some beers. Found a convenience store, no problem. It had a big red line on the floor. After several purchased beer, one guy came up and the person at the register told him could not purchase it. Why not? We crossed the line. HUH??? It turns out, the red line was the county line, and he had crossed into a dry (or at least no Sunday sales) county, and could not buy that 6 pack. But he COULD take that one back to the cooler, pick up another one, and carry it to the register, WITHOUT CROSSING THE LINE, and buy that one.

 

Some time late, I was in Topeka visiting a military buddy, and his family took us out. At the restaurant, we ordered drinks, and the waiter asked if we were members. My friend's Dad said Yes, and we were served. It turns out, in Topeka, to be served at a restaurant, you needed to be a member. But all the restaurants had reciprocity, and the dues were $1, for LIFETIME. So if you said no, they would charge you $1 membership fee. If you said Yes, they took your word (no cards or any proof of membership).

[radiationman]

We too live near NYC and have found prices for beer and hard liquor to be commensurate with local bars and restaurants, actually cheaper the Manhattan. Just for comparison we usually drink a top shelf Vodka (ie Chopin, Kettl 1 etc) & Jack Daniels. Beer on tap. We usually have only a few drinks a day. Folks need to drink lots to break even on a package. Also need to consider different packages and what brands may or nay not be included. My real problem is with markup on wine, bottles that cost $10-20 at home go for $30 to 40+. 3 to 4 bottles for seven night cruise. Quite a ripoff but that's the way it is, I can't be bothered carryinhbottles from home(pack through luggage?). For what it's worth we do not have any sugary Fru fru drinks nor do we get mixers or soda. All drinks neat or in rocks.

 

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[broberts]

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.

 

While this is true, RCI has a much, much higher profit margin as it typically does not pay any duty or taxes on drink contents.

 

Prices are at the level they are because people keep buying drinks and drink packages.

 

Very true.

[Merion_Mom]

Worse.

 

I was in Knoxville, TN for some training. We all arrived on Sunday, so went out to grab some beers. Found a convenience store, no problem. It had a big red line on the floor. After several purchased beer, one guy came up and the person at the register told him could not purchase it. Why not? We crossed the line. HUH??? It turns out, the red line was the county line, and he had crossed into a dry (or at least no Sunday sales) county, and could not buy that 6 pack. But he COULD take that one back to the cooler, pick up another one, and carry it to the register, WITHOUT CROSSING THE LINE, and buy that one.

 

Some time late, I was in Topeka visiting a military buddy, and his family took us out. At the restaurant, we ordered drinks, and the waiter asked if we were members. My friend's Dad said Yes, and we were served. It turns out, in Topeka, to be served at a restaurant, you needed to be a member. But all the restaurants had reciprocity, and the dues were $1, for LIFETIME. So if you said no, they would charge you $1 membership fee. If you said Yes, they took your word (no cards or any proof of membership).

 

Grocery stores? There is booze in grocery stores?

 

 

Not in Pennsylvania. (second worst state for alcohol laws after Utah)

[Ocean Dancer]

Grocery stores? There is booze in grocery stores?

 

 

Not in Pennsylvania. (second worst state for alcohol laws after Utah)

No booze in Delaware grocery stores either:o

[atanac]

Grocery stores? There is booze in grocery stores?

Not in Pennsylvania. (second worst state for alcohol laws after Utah)

 

Uhhh....have you seen the surcharges for liquor in Washington State??

Spirits sales tax at the rate of 20.5 percent of the selling price

Spirits liter tax at the rate of $3.7708 per liter

[katiel53]

No booze, other than beer, in grocery stores in NY either. I guess I should say that I have seen some low alcohol wine (or whatever it is) a few times, but no regular wine or liquor.

 

It seems so strange to me as for many years I lived in FL and could buy wine in the grocery stores and many of the chain groceries, ie Winn Dixie and some Publix stores had a liquor store attached to the grocery store or in the same strip mall.

 

It's a real pain to plan a nice dinner with wine and have to buy the groceries in one store, then go to a liquor store for the wine. One stop shopping is so much easier.

[taglovestocruise]

Last week I met my son, his girl friend and her parents at the Best Western in Palm Springs. Went to the pool bar and ordered 3 Margaritas, 1 Gin and Tonic, 1 Makers and coke and a Bud Light. $86.00 and a 5 dollar tip, the ship prices are less. What a joy being Diamond..

[reefdmain]

Sorry, but in major metro areas, ALL the bar prices are similar. So it is not just go next door.

 

The same with any land based resort location. Food and drink VERY high priced.

 

Not so much. You still have choices, on land, by car. Competition, it is an economic principal.

[reallyitsmema]

Last week I met my son, his girl friend and her parents at the Best Western in Palm Springs. Went to the pool bar and ordered 3 Margaritas, 1 Gin and Tonic, 1 Makers and coke and a Bud Light. $86.00 and a 5 dollar tip, the ship prices are less. What a joy being Diamond..

 

Was this a typo or an attempt to stir things up a bit?

[Ocean Dancer]

Last week I met my son, his girl friend and her parents at the Best Western in Palm Springs. Went to the pool bar and ordered 3 Margaritas, 1 Gin and Tonic, 1 Makers and coke and a Bud Light. $86.00 and a 5 dollar tip, the ship prices are less. What a joy being Diamond..

I hope her parents picked up the next round! We went out for Mexican with our son and his girlfriend. The two pitchers of Margarita's were more than the meal.............in that price range!:loudcry:

[PaperSniper4]

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

 

I wish the cruise lines would do something like they do with wine, a policy where most charge $15 or so per .750 litter bottle for wine to be consumed (usually) in your cabin. I think that is reasonable, and doesn't cause the ship to lose money selling wine, at least according to my poor math skills. It has the added benefit of allowing their passenger the choice of what wine to bring; something very important to many people. I have suggested the lines offer a similar program with spirits; maybe charge $50 a bottle that you choose to bring on board and consume in your cabin. That's where we drink, not in bars or even the restaurant. If we don't have our wine or liquor we very rarely have anything alcoholic to drink. IMHO that policy would drastically cut down on passengers smuggling, allow the cruise line to make a few bucks, and dang it, allow me to bring on board one of my favorite single malt scotches as opposed to that awful Johnny Walker Red!;)

[DirtyDawg]

Yup we are Diamond & get all the free cocktails & wine . We enjoy this perk & we earned it :cool::D

 

With those high booze prices damn right you earned it! :wine-glass::cocktail::tropical-drink:

;)

[CruisingNole]

Last week I met my son, his girl friend and her parents at the Best Western in Palm Springs. Went to the pool bar and ordered 3 Margaritas, 1 Gin and Tonic, 1 Makers and coke and a Bud Light. $86.00 and a 5 dollar tip, the ship prices are less. What a joy being Diamond..

 

You tipped $5 on $86. Are you kidding me? I was a bartender for 8 years when I was younger and it would be a cold day in hell before I'd come across someone THAT cheap. Just...wow.

[Clarea]

I wish the cruise lines would do something like they do with wine, a policy where most charge $15 or so per .750 litter bottle for wine to be consumed (usually) in your cabin. I think that is reasonable, and doesn't cause the ship to lose money selling wine, at least according to my poor math skills. It has the added benefit of allowing their passenger the choice of what wine to bring; something very important to many people. I have suggested the lines offer a similar program with spirits; maybe charge $50 a bottle that you choose to bring on board and consume in your cabin. That's where we drink, not in bars or even the restaurant. If we don't have our wine or liquor we very rarely have anything alcoholic to drink. IMHO that policy would drastically cut down on passengers smuggling, allow the cruise line to make a few bucks, and dang it, allow me to bring on board one of my favorite single malt scotches as opposed to that awful Johnny Walker Red!;)

I think in Royal's case, the court case is the main reason for no bottles or spirits in the stateroom.

[PaperSniper4]

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!

 

Ha! I do not agree at all!:cool: But that's the only scotch RCI offers, dang it. At least on this ship on this sailing.

[papaflamingo]

Drink prices are what they are because people will pay them. It's a "for profit" business. Businesses maximize profit. They charge whatever the market bears. Management would be fools to charge less "just to be nice." They'd be losing profits and would be fired by the Board of Directors. No conspiracy here.

[PaperSniper4]

I think in Royal's case, the court case is the main reason for no bottles or spirits in the stateroom.

 

I must have missed that.....what court case is that?

[LMaxwell]

I must have missed that.....what court case is that?

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/ourCompany/pressCenter/georgeSmith.do

 

We used to be able to buy bottles of liquor on board in the shops and pay an extra $10 to take back to the room immediately.

[PaperSniper4]

Drink prices are what they are because people will pay them. It's a "for profit" business. Businesses maximize profit. They charge whatever the market bears. Management would be fools to charge less "just to be nice." They'd be losing profits and would be fired by the Board of Directors. No conspiracy here.

 

That would only work if there were no collusion among cruise lines....but they all operate with a blind eye to what others are doing, huh? Just like the gasoline stations in my town. I don't think so! Look at the tips-on-your-invoice that started many years ago - only one line did that, but others jumped on board very soon. However, bad example as that's one program with which I wholeheartedly agree! So I don't think we have as much choice when it comes to things like alcohol and so on, and I DO think there is a certain amount of "conspiracy". Not all of that sharing is bad, mind you, but I still think prices on alcohol in some cases are very high. BTW, management often charges a different price not "to be nice", but to entice customers. That's a tenet of the free enterprise system also...but what do I know; I was a psychology major in college!:o

[SRF]

Ha! I do not agree at all!:cool: But that's the only scotch RCI offers, dang it. At least on this ship on this sailing.

 

Only for in room.

 

The bars have a few decent Scotches.

[PaperSniper4]

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/ourCompany/pressCenter/georgeSmith.do

 

We used to be able to buy bottles of liquor on board in the shops and pay an extra $10 to take back to the room immediately.

 

Thank you for the link, but I don't see anything that should have changed a ship's policy on allowing passengers to bring or purchase a bottle of liquor for use in their cabin. If their feeling was that drunk people are disruptive and might do loud and stupid things, they are correct. But the cruise line had nothing to do with that. Are we to simply prohibit the consumption of any alcohol product because of such an incident MIGHT take place? The logic doesn't work.

 

I don't know. I am a very moderate drinker, but I do want to be able to have a couple of drinks while on a cruise...in the comfort of my cabin. Seems like that's not asking too much. On our then day 2019 RCI cruise, I will have to be satisfied with my .375 liter of scotch and the two bottles of wine we bring onboard in FLL. I don't want the hassle of bringing scotch filled RunRunners, and we won't be buying any drinks in the bars or at the shows, that's just not "our thing". But I know we probably are in the minority....and RCI knows that, eh?:cool:

[Clarea]

Thank you for the link, but I don't see anything that should have changed a ship's policy on allowing passengers to bring or purchase a bottle of liquor for use in their cabin. ...

Royal used to allow bottles of spirits in staterooms, but after the George Smith case they changed the policy and no longer allowed it. It's only recently that they started allowing the 375ml bottles in the stateroom on some ships.

[mispi]

You tipped $5 on $86. Are you kidding me? I was a bartender for 8 years when I was younger and it would be a cold day in hell before I'd come across someone THAT cheap. Just...wow.

See this 4 courses menu from good restaurant chain in Slovakia. /around 5,50 USD/. Waiters are accustomed to have tips maybe 0,50 USD per meal - of course, they have REAL sallery from employer...

 

https://www.penzion-hoffer.sk/stranky/sk/obedne-menu.php?w=1&mesto=Nitra&prevadzka=

use google translator to translate to english