flagger Posted June 12, 2004 #1 Share Posted June 12, 2004 I read posts of people with a $2000 bar bill for a week and I wonder who these people are. At the height of my dalliances with the liquid libations of life, I never had that big of a bar bill on land for a week. I am glad you people so enjoy life, but sheesh! Note, I am not judging any of you just wondering how on earth do you manage that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquaholic Posted June 12, 2004 #2 Share Posted June 12, 2004 You know Flagger, I wonder the same thing. I hope people don't always drink the way they do on vacation and cruises. I'm sure a lot of it is just due to the festive nature of cruising and people do tend to eat and drink more when with others. That's understandable but I'm perplexed at the massive amounts of food people consume on cruises (and let's face it, buffets in general). I saw a man on my last cruise eating a heaping full plate of bacon! It was a pile of bacon several inches high! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffett010 Posted June 12, 2004 #3 Share Posted June 12, 2004 Flagger - We tend to spend more money on alcohol on our cruise for many reasons (although no where near $2000) #1 - We will get a good bottle of wine (or two) with our meal and share with the table #2 - We tend to drink a little more, although we are not usually drunk, we just enjoy being able to relax with a drink without having to worry about our 4 year old or driving home (he doedn't cruise with us) #3 - We'll buy someone a drink that we are with #4 - The drinks tend to be more expensive (around $9 for a martini, $6 for Grolsch, etc.) #5 - We will drink more single malt Scotch that we don't have in our liquor cabinet at home (one shot of Royal Salute is $18) So, although our bar bill will not be $2000, or even close, we do tend to see a larger bill. Plus, add to that the fact that some of that amount will be for sodas for me when I don't feel like drinking. We do splurge a bit more on vacation at sea than we would on a land based vacation. But, to respond to the food post - that's where we tend to eat less. I would rather have small amounts to sample things than 1 large amount of one thing. Plus, I really enjoy the wonderful fresh fruit and seafood, so I'm eating more healthy than I do here in the Midwest. So, even though I will purchase more alcohol, I agree that $2000 is a LOT of booze! I'd rather save that and go on another cruise, but that's just me! ----------------- "When you see the Southern Cross for the first time, you'll understand just why you came this way." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newtocc Posted June 12, 2004 #4 Share Posted June 12, 2004 I have a high tolerance for alcohol, but alcohol doesn’t have any tolerance for me! After about 17 Heinekens, I start to get a buzz, by the 18th, I’m drunk, I guess it just sneaks up on you! This ship 10/91 That ship 11/95 Whatever ship 12/98 here a ship 13/99 there a ship 14/00 everywhere a ship ship 15/05 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Lois R Posted June 12, 2004 #5 Share Posted June 12, 2004 Flagger, I am just going to play devils advocate for a moment. I drink on a cruise but normally my bar bill is not 2grand and I sail solo. Now...there are people who drink 2 bottles of wine every night for dinner. Lets just say they pick a bottle that is 50.00. And you can find them for 25.00 (I have purchased it) and you can also spend 250.00. Anyway back to the liquor scenerio. This is just dinner. 50x2= 100.00...x 7 nights = 700.00. That is wine only. I am rounding this off for a party of 2. Lets say both people drink and have pre-drinks every night. Lets just say both drink Martinis and they have only 1 each before dinner. I believe they are 7.95...so rounding it up to 8.00...x 2 = 16.00 x 7 = 112.00. And lets say they drink at the pool every day...and they have a suite for example and want to have friends over a couple of times. You can have all the food you want in a suite but the booze is xtra. Anyway...I am just trying to give you an idea oh how people can spend (OR NOT) spend their money. Now, my bar tab on Mercury was the most I had ever spent because we drank wine at dinner and I didn't expect Phil and Ken to pay every night. I drank too so I tried to contribute as well. 5 of us drank and we had 2 bottles of wine each night. We all took turns paying. One afternoon we all were in the Navigator and one of the couples we met had just been married...I bought us all a bottle of bubbly to celebrate It was one bottle for about 8 people..so we all got a sip . So it really depends on each person. Yes, 2grand is ALOT of $$$ to me...and I know myself well enough to know that is not something I would do. But there are plenty of folks who do it and that is fine with me Next up...HORIZON Sept 18th to Bermuda! See My Century and Mercury Pictures at: http://community.webshots.com/user/lovescruising Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dorothy Posted June 12, 2004 #6 Share Posted June 12, 2004 My husband and I are very moderate drinkers. When at home, we have an occasional drink if we go out with friends. But when we are cruising, we drink almost every evening. This may not sound like much to some, but we usually spend about $300.00 for the week. We are leaving on Mercury next week and I wanted to bring some champagne onboard. Another thread said there are new rules and we aren't supposed to bring our own liquor onboard. But, I am also reading that people are still bringing their own and getting away with it. I know the price of what it would cost onboard and the price is usually double. We have two special occasions, our wedding anniversary and also my daughter doesn't know it yet, but her boyfriend will be popping the question, so we would like to be able to celebrate with champagne that evening too. I'll do what you all tell me. Bring champagne or don't bring champagne?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newtocc Posted June 12, 2004 #7 Share Posted June 12, 2004 Well said Lois, I love you! This ship 10/91 That ship 11/95 Whatever ship 12/98 here a ship 13/99 there a ship 14/00 everywhere a ship ship 15/05 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruising with marti Posted June 13, 2004 #8 Share Posted June 13, 2004 Lois my darling, did you have to expose my drinking habits for all the world to see? Seriously, your math was great and very accurate. Good job phil galaxy trans Atlantic mercury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MISSYLOU Posted June 13, 2004 #9 Share Posted June 13, 2004 We are not big drinkers. Now that we are older we know better. But I like a Bailey's or a Mango daiguiri every now and then. Hubby generally has one or two beers. We probably don't buy more than 10 or 12 drinks for the entire cruise. Our bar bill is a very small one. Too much alcohol doesn't mix well for us with all the rich food we will be eating. Karen & Paul kmbix56@wmconnect.com http://community.webshots.com/album/124134511FOjEih Infinity Galaxy B2B 10/04 Mercury Mexican Riviera 03/04 Radiance Eastern Caribbean 01/04 Summit Alaska and Pacific Coast 09/03 Infinity B2B Hawaii 03/03 Infinity Panama Canal 10/02 Maasdam Eastern Caribbean 07/02 Sun Princess Partial Canal Transit 03/02 Maasdam Western Carribbean 11/01 Statendam Alaska 07/01 Dolphin Eastern Caribbean 1990? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruin Steve Posted June 13, 2004 #10 Share Posted June 13, 2004 I guess I'm just a lightweight... I've got bottles of booze at home that I still have from when I was single...and we've been married for 23 years now... So, when I go on a cruise, I drink way more than I do the rest of the year... Like when we last cruised in January on the Monarch of the Seas for a quickie 3-nighter, we ran up a bar bill of almost TWENTY DOLLARS...of course, being Platinum Crown and Anchors members, we got a couple of those coupon books with the two-for-one drink coupons... Well, I guess if we bought expensive champagne every night and for the whole table, we might run up a big bar bill...of course, we've always found that when we treat the table one night, someone else does it the next... So, $2000 sounds really hard to reach... Now, others have tried to justify it with "If a bottle of really good wine costs $100 and if you treat the table..."...I choose to look at it another way... Okay, ships tend to have a "Daily Special" costing something like $3.95...and there are a lot of "plain wrap" type drinks you can buy for around $5 apiece... So, let's take $2000 divided by $5...that makes 400 individual drinks...and say this is a seven night cruise...divide 400 by 7 and that's roughly 57 drinks per day... Okay, so that's two of you though...being somewhat chauvinistic and assuming (we hope) that the wife has a lower body weight (we REALLY hope) and therefore a lower tolerance for alcohol, we'll split these a little unevenly...let's say the little lady can only chug down a mere 25 drinks a night to your 32... Now, of course, most of these days you are in port...and that ship bar bill does not include what you're chugging down at lunch in port or on that wine tasting or tequila factory shore excursion you're on...Those drinks are only "in addition" and, of course, free samples at the tequila factory really don't count as drinking at all... So, you get back from port, let's say, at around six o'clock and won't pass out until 2:00 am each night...well, that gives you a good 8 hours of drinking each night...so, those 32 drinks a night really only break down into 4 drinks per hour, every hour... I guess, if the service is really excellent and if you don't waste too much time hitting the men's room between drinks...or with eating or other shipboard activities... And you do have to make sure the bar waiter can locate you to bring you those 4 drinks during the "Friends of Bill W" meeting... Well, I see how it could be entirely possible... PS. I did forget to take into account whether these big bar bill folks are also among those we often read about on these boards who are also smuggling 3 cases of booze inside their luggage so they can also drink on their balcony without the inconvenience of finding a bar waiter...that might make a small difference as well... Summit, July 3, 2004: Alaska: 13 night cruisetour Constellation, July 16, 2005: Northern Europe: 14 nights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lougee1043 Posted June 13, 2004 #11 Share Posted June 13, 2004 my wife and i will have a pre dinner drink --at the table i might have another --wouldnt buy more then 2-3 bottles of wine for dinner for the total cruise --between my wife and myself a total of 3 nightcaps maximun lougee1043 Since we last sailed on the Oosterdam <img src=http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&prgb=2325FF&cdt=2004;03;28;08;00;00&timezone=GMT-0800> til our next cruise on the Galaxy <img src=http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&prgb=2325FF&cdt=2005;03;21;18;00;00&timezone=GMT-0800> 9/87 HAL - Noordham 10/92 HAL - Westerdam 4/01 HAL - Zaandam 5/02 HAL - Maasdam 8/02 HAL - Zaandam 3/03 HAL -Statendam cancelled due to surgeries 12/03 HAL - Statendam replacement cruise 3/04 HAL Oosterdam 3/05 Celebrity Galaxy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andym Posted June 13, 2004 #12 Share Posted June 13, 2004 Having been on several European cruises where they have an unlimited drinks card for £109 ($190), and realising that we don't even drink that much, then obviously we aren't big drinkers, although we do like a drink when we are away on vacation. Anyone who really does like a drink or two or three does get rwally good value from these cards. Flagger does seem to ask some really good questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNLROSE Posted June 13, 2004 #13 Share Posted June 13, 2004 Lois! GREAT math job. BUT, I don't see where anyone asked if those people who say they have $2000 bar tabs said it was for a 7 day cruise or longer!!!! On our last 11 nighter, our bar tab was about $1500, and we drink somewhat expensive wine with dinner, I think most nights the bottle was over $50. We sometimes had 3 since we were a table for 10. 1 glass of champage was $18 and I LOVE champagne! We also enjoyed martini's @ $10 a pop! Tack on 15% to it all and it really adds up!! This is in addition to what we had in our cabin (that was smuggled!) I think the first question to ask is how many days????!!!! Doesn't look that bad when put into perspective! PS, we don't drink like this at home either as a rule!!! Of course since I "smuggled", we all know I like to break the "rules"!! Rosie E-mail me <a href="mailto:JNLROSE@AOL.COM">here</a href> Look out MERCURY Here we come!!! September 19, 2005--"Millie in the Med"--We're there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undecided Posted June 13, 2004 #14 Share Posted June 13, 2004 I definitely can see how a bar tab can get very large very fast. Most people drink and spend alot more while on vacation than when they are home. I just spent $320 on my account on the Zenith, and like Lois I travel solo. I am a beer drinker, not a liquor drinker. The cost of Corona beer was $4.89, and I know I drank at least 30 beers during the cruise- alot more than I normally drink at home. It's your vacation- loosen up, have a blast and hopefully your hangovers won't be too severe. I'm French! Why do you think I have this outrageous accent you silly king! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Lois R Posted June 13, 2004 #15 Share Posted June 13, 2004 Undecided...did you have a good time? Ahhhh...I like beer too but a nice cocktail just tastes better to my palate...on a cruise anyway . You know, honestly....I drink more on a 7 day cruise than I do in 6 months at home. I don't drink here...well maybe a glass of wine if I go out to dinner...but here..in the house...I don't drink. Went out yesterday to a Festival down by the River...check out this website www.sailjacksonville.com I had lunch at a Mexican place and they had 2 4 1 beers on tap oops sorry....got off topic here LOL...anyway...I hope you had a good cruise Next up...HORIZON Sept 18th to Bermuda! See My Century and Mercury Pictures at: http://community.webshots.com/user/lovescruising Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardencat Posted June 13, 2004 #16 Share Posted June 13, 2004 A lot depends on what you drink. Yes, if you have the special of the day or the 'plain wrap' type drinks you can keep your bill down. But I am on vacation and I'm not drinking to get drunk, I'd actually like to enjoy what I drink. I won't chose a drink just because it is cheap or offers the most alcohol for the money. As someone else pointed out champagne was about $18 dollars a glass, martinis $10. I like port but don't buy it for home because it would take me forever to go through a bottle but, on a cruise, maybe one or two nights after dinner I will indulge. Wine with dinner? Again you're on vacation while having a special dinner maybe an especially nice bottle of wine would be good. No, my bar bill has never been anywhere near $2000 but I've only been on 7 days cruises. I can see how a couple on a longer cruise who wanted to celebrate with some special wine or champagne could get there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarch@islc.net Posted June 13, 2004 #17 Share Posted June 13, 2004 I have not had a $2000.00 bar bill....maybe $1000.00. Hey it's expensive out there! We do also like the 10 to 14 day cruises. I'm like a lot of y'all in that I don't drink a lot at home, but get me on that boat!! YEE HA! I'm gunna have me a liquer drink!! It's those Bloody Mary's (breakfast in a glass) that kill me. Then (after my nap) those well before dinner Crown Royals. By the time late seating rolls around, I'm a real treat. I'm a light weight though, usally after two sea daze, it's back to wine at dinner only. Dave's cruise tip of the week Zing Zang Blood Mary Mix! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zurmolly Posted June 13, 2004 #18 Share Posted June 13, 2004 Well, on our last cruise we spent around 450.00 for the two of us. DH had even brought on some beer. Wine at dinner, and I spent to much time at the Martini bar... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flagger Posted June 13, 2004 Author #19 Share Posted June 13, 2004 Rose knows when I drank what my favourite wines are...but I don't see them having those on board. I cannot imagine two bottles at dinner a night. But to each their own. The couple of times I have seen $2000 grand bar bills, were on a 7 night cruise and they also brought booze on board. I think they were saying they brought booze on board yet still managed to ring up quite the bill so the line was not suffering in any way. I honestly do not think I have ever had a $2000 bar bill in a month, but then I have never been a pub crawler anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
satchiesmom Posted June 13, 2004 #20 Share Posted June 13, 2004 We almost never drink at home, but managed to put away a LOT on our last cruise, martini's, wine, beer, drinks of the day, loved it all. I don't remember what our bar bill was for the week, but I know it was nowhere near $2,000. I can't imagine it, but then I'm not a real wine conisseur (sp?) so more that $50 for a bottle of wine is beyond my ken. Besides, that's 10 martini's! until Century 1/22/05<BR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEXASMUNK Posted June 13, 2004 #21 Share Posted June 13, 2004 You cannot get a DWI on a cruise ship Next....San Juan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruin Steve Posted June 13, 2004 #22 Share Posted June 13, 2004 <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by gardencat: A lot depends on what you drink. Yes, if you have the special of the day or the 'plain wrap' type drinks you can keep your bill down. ...champagne was about $18 dollars a glass, martinis $10.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Okay...so, I used "ordinary" drinks for my estimate...I didn't figure on $10 martinis or $18 glasses of champagne... That mke a BIG difference... Drinking $10 martinis instead of $5 well drinks, that brings it WAY down from 32 drinks a night (57 for a couple) down to a far more understandable 16 drinks for him and a barely-able-to-work-up-a-buzz 12 to 13 for her... And if one sticks SOLELY to champagne-by-the-glass, it's a mere 22-23 drinks per night per couple... Of course, then, why would one drink it by the glass? Don't they make it available by the "kegger"? Perhaps a "bucket and a straw"? Or, save the trouble of running it through the mouth and go for the old intravenous drip.... Summit, July 3, 2004: Alaska: 13 night cruisetour Constellation, July 16, 2005: Northern Europe: 14 nights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy ks Posted June 13, 2004 #23 Share Posted June 13, 2004 I tend to not put a whole lot of merit in posts where people say they have that high of a bar bill. Remember the old saying "believe half of what you see and nothing that you read". Anyone can post here that they had that type of bar bill, you do not have to believe them. Still, a fairly high bar bill is not that hard to reach on a 7 day cruise. My husband and I are pretty moderate drinkers. We will have a bottle of wine each night at dinner and a few cocktails during the week. We also will bring on a bottle of Jack Daniels for his in cabin drinks. Our bar tab for a week is usually around $200-250. I can see how a couple who has drinks by the pool, before and after dinner cocktails, wine with dinner and a few drinks in the disco or casino can run up a bill of $1000. As far as I am concerned, anothers bar tab is none of my business. Unless, of course, they are falling on me as they stumble down the hall or so loud and obnoxious in the cabin next to me that I cannot sleep. Kathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jschutz Posted June 13, 2004 #24 Share Posted June 13, 2004 Alright, let me clear my previous post up. The $2,000 bar tab was not for one week, but for a 17 day TransAtlantic cruise, of which 10 days were at sea with no off-the-ship excursions. Our son and daughter-in-law were with us, so I picked up alot of their cocktails, along with the 1 to 2 bottles of wine ($50.00 + 15% gratuity) we had with dinner each night. This was not a big drinking binge as some on this board has alluded to - and if you use Lois' math you can see how it can add up very quickly. Sorry for the confusion 03/03 Carnival Spirit/Panama Canal/17 days 03/04 Norweigan Dream Transatlantic/Europe/17 nights 07/03 Celebrity/ Century/Caribbean/7 nights 09/17 Celebrity Summit/Alaska/14 nights 12/27 Celebrity Mercury/Mexico/10 nights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy ks Posted June 13, 2004 #25 Share Posted June 13, 2004 jschutz, That makes more sense. I still don't understand why a person needs to question something that is really none of their business. Even though you do not owe anyone an explanation, it was nice of you to respond. We all have our own choices in life and we here have wonderful opportunities to enjoy the finer things, such as cruises. Even though we cannot afford much more than the cruise itself, I am happy for anyone who is able to spend whatever they like. It's a personal thing. Kathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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