Cheers while in Port

[TxStacey]

Quick question.. I searched the Carnival website and these boards and can't find the answer. If I should choose to stay on the ship while it's ported in Cozumel, will my cheers package work? I have heard conflicting answers. Thanks in advance!

 

 

Cheers!

[Hoosierpop]

Yes, it should work. Don’t see why it wouldn’t.

 

 

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[ibbarry]

The last time we were in Cozumel, we didn't even get off the ship. Cheers works well while in port ... even better ... you've got most of the ship to yourself. No waiting in line, and someone is always there to get you a drink! :cool::cool::cool:

[TxStacey]

Perfect! That's what I thought, but one of my friends (who is a seasoned cruiser) told me that it doesn't work on the ship while in port. I have been on 18 cruises myself, but don't usually stay on the ship. Thanks!

Edited July 12, 2018 by TxStacey

[Schoifmom]

It doesn't work in port. It does work on the ship while the ship is docked/anchored.

[coevan]

We usually stay aboard in Grand Turk. Our favorite time as the Serenity area is empty and the bartenders are at the ready. I don't "get" Margaritaville. Sit by a packed pool and pay $8 for Land Sharks and overpriced mediocre food

[Mutumbojimbo]

On our cruise from Mobile we had Cheers. The only place that it was limited was when we were in Mobile. Even then, our drinks were covered, but there was a limited menu. I can't remember all the rules, but I couldn't get a spiked coffee and I could get bourbon on the rocks and Jack and Coke, but not a Manhattan. The other days the only limit was 15 alcoholic drinks and I guess there is an upper price limit but nothing I chose was out of bounds.

[MomtherOfDragons]

Maybe they meant it doesnt work in Galveston? We used the heck out of it in cozumel when we decided not to get off

[christyran1228]

Maybe they meant it doesnt work in Galveston? We used the heck out of it in cozumel when we decided not to get off ��

 

 

We've decided our cruise in October is just for the time off and to get away, so we aren't going to do excursions, except for maybe walk around the port area. Therefore, we are getting Cheers this time and we're going to USE it. lol

 

And maybe they were thinking it was that first day in Galveston (and a couple of other US home ports) that you can't buy drink packages when still docked. Texas liquor laws are antiquated, for sure.

[naxer]

My favorite thing to do is stay on the ship in a place like Cozumel and use my Cheers! No lines, open seating, pools and whirlpools are free. On two occasions, at their initiative, the bar waiters even set up a delivery schedule with me, lol.

[BallFour4]

Maybe they meant it doesn't work in Galveston?

Pardon me for truncating your post, but here's what I think you are talking about.

 

Galveston cruises on Carnival don't offer the Cheers program until the first full day of your cruise which is the first day at sea. Those that purchase the package can get started on their fifteen drink limit as early as they want, I'm pretty sure it starts at 6:00 am that morning.

 

We have some antiquated liquor laws here in Texas. They charge a duty/tax on beverages consumed within state boundaries, whether on the water or land, and Carnival refuses to go along with collecting the tax. Can't say I blame them.

 

When you first board the ship here in Galveston you will find a full bar service of beers and mixed drinks, but not all the brands are available. Once the ship reaches international waters (12 miles out) a change over happens at every open bar. In about ten minutes the crew stores away the bottles with the tax stamp, locks some of the beer cases and then open the full bar and second set of beer cases that are good to go. Some post that the full bar isn't available the first day, and that's not quite true. It usually happens about thirty minutes after sail-away, and long before the dining room opens.

 

When you return to Galveston you are greeted by the TABC folks with their little card table and cash box AFTER you clear US Customs. They ask everyone about their alcohol purchases and I'd not even wager what percentage stop and surrender their cash to pay the duty. This law is decades old, but the TABC elected to enforce this only a couple of years ago.

 

Funny story; once aboard the Celebration the cruise director was going through his monologue during the Welcome Aboard Show (remember the FUN letters that inflated?) and he said "one guy came up to me the last night and said we bought four bottles of liquor and drank one, do we have to declare it?"

 

In the past you could take your purchases from the on-ship store on the last sea day. Carnival figured out that was one of their biggest profit days for drink purchases and stopped it. I'd assume it also had something to do with keeping a closer count on how much one had to drink. I could be wrong...

 

Whatever the reason, the size of the liquor store part of the shops diminished and the selections dropped too. That ended our purchases of four bottles of cheap flavored Cruzian rum on the next cruise.

 

 

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[christyran1228]

Thought this was interesting ...

 

Drink Packages

According to a spokesman for the TABC:

“State law and TABC rules prohibit any practice which could reasonably be interpreted to allow or encourage overconsumption of alcohol. This includes “all you can drink” packages or other promotions which allow unlimited alcohol for a buy-in price. These standards would apply to any alcoholic beverages served or sold within Texas territory, including any waters over which Texas claims jurisdiction. Once a vessel is outside of Texas territory, the state’s laws no longer apply.”

 

Not sure how Royal Caribbean can do this ... ?

 

Limited Menus

We also asked the TABC about limited menus and why they might be offered. According to the agency:

“Like any business which holds a Texas permit to sell alcohol, any alcohol sold by the cruise lines while in Texas must comply with the state’s alcohol laws. Sec. 28.07 of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code requires that any holder of a Mixed Beverage Permit (the permit most commonly used by the cruise lines) must obtain their alcohol inventory from the holder of a Local Distributor’s Permit. Again, once the vessel is in international waters, these requirements no longer apply.”

[MomtherOfDragons]

Ive been curious how royal does it too...

[memoak]

The one thing that might occur in a US port is you may be taxed the local sales tax for the drink - does not amount to much.

[mgf316]

This happens in NY too with carnival. Cheers doesn’t start until day 2... Norwegian and Royal start theirs right when you board the ship so I don’t know why carnival can’t do this as well

 

 

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[flounder315]

When we got back on the ship in Key West, went to the bar to get a drink. Used the cheers program, but was charged a tax while docked in Key West. Waited until we sailed before we ordered another round.

[Joebucks]

We usually stay aboard in Grand Turk. Our favorite time as the Serenity area is empty and the bartenders are at the ready. I don't "get" Margaritaville. Sit by a packed pool and pay $8 for Land Sharks and overpriced mediocre food

 

I would personally walk back to the boat for lunch, grab a drink and food on the boat, and return. Margaritaville is fun, but overpriced and bland.