Texas liquor laws and how they affect Carnival ships (from what I have read)

[dafish831]

I am not much of an industry valued consumer of alcohol, though I do like to have a couple of drinks before bed. Buying into an inclusive alcohol program offered by most cruise lines makes no financial sense. I believe even if I had enough money to not care about the cost of these programs my frugal upbringing would make me care. I do like the option of buying a bottle of liquor for in cabin consumption, willing to pay the premium.

I have cruised many times on Carnival from Texas and have been confused about Carnival’s policy on their liquor policies for their ships leaving from Texas. I first thought it had something to do with Texas’s Sunday liquor laws since a lot of ships embark on Sunday. Years ago I searched the internet for answers as to why Carnival does not serve certain types of liquor on the first day of the cruise and why their liquor packages are not honored until the second day of the cruise with little results.

A more current search seems to show that Texas law will not allow cruise line to serve liquor not purchased from a local licensed supplier while in Texas waters. This accounts for the limited liquor menu on the first day of a Texas Carnival Cruise. Also Texas prohibits all you can drink packages. This affects not only the inclusive alcoholic programs Carnival offers but also in cabin liquor purchases.

 After a couple of hours when the ship is outside of Texas jurisdiction these laws no longer apply. Yet Carnival it seems has a policy to wait till the second day. Is this provide a Texas fleet standardization? Also I think it may be to avoid the possible confusion and extra supervision and labor costs to determine when it will be OK to ignore Texas Laws. Carnival’s policy concerning Texas Liquor laws are different as compared to say Royal Caribbean.

I encourage Texas cruisers to research these laws and perhaps contacting their state representatives to make the Texas liquor laws more in line with other states regulating liquor use for cruise ships leaving their ports.

[shof515]

new york also has the same issue too

[jdemps]

I just don't cruise from Texas or New York.  Problem solved.

[PhillyFan33579]

20 minutes ago, jdemps said:

I just don't cruise from Texas or New York.  Problem solved.

 

Excellent point.  Granted if I lived near either port my view may be different, but no way I would travel to either port because of the rules regarding Cheers. Of course someone may suggest I need professional help. 😀

[1025cruise]

My guess is the way that Carnival structured the pricing of the program is the reason why they don't start it until day two. Even though they most certainly swap the booze the second they are able to.

[VentureMan_2000]

Correct... Texas law will not allow cruise lines to serve liquor not purchased from a local licensed supplier while in Texas waters.  

My understanding is that Carnival finds it more easy to just make folks purchase their drinks on Day 1 than it is to explain to a passenger why they can't have the drink of their choice as advertised with the Cheers package.

[bingomamma19]

14 hours ago, dafish831 said:

I am not much of an industry valued consumer of alcohol, though I do like to have a couple of drinks before bed. Buying into an inclusive alcohol program offered by most cruise lines makes no financial sense. I believe even if I had enough money to not care about the cost of these programs my frugal upbringing would make me care. I do like the option of buying a bottle of liquor for in cabin consumption, willing to pay the premium.

 

I have cruised many times on Carnival from Texas and have been confused about Carnival’s policy on their liquor policies for their ships leaving from Texas. I first thought it had something to do with Texas’s Sunday liquor laws since a lot of ships embark on Sunday. Years ago I searched the internet for answers as to why Carnival does not serve certain types of liquor on the first day of the cruise and why their liquor packages are not honored until the second day of the cruise with little results.

 

A more current search seems to show that Texas law will not allow cruise line to serve liquor not purchased from a local licensed supplier while in Texas waters. This accounts for the limited liquor menu on the first day of a Texas Carnival Cruise. Also Texas prohibits all you can drink packages. This affects not only the inclusive alcoholic programs Carnival offers but also in cabin liquor purchases.

 

 After a couple of hours when the ship is outside of Texas jurisdiction these laws no longer apply. Yet Carnival it seems has a policy to wait till the second day. Is this provide a Texas fleet standardization? Also I think it may be to avoid the possible confusion and extra supervision and labor costs to determine when it will be OK to ignore Texas Laws. Carnival’s policy concerning Texas Liquor laws are different as compared to say Royal Caribbean.

 

I encourage Texas cruisers to research these laws and perhaps contacting their state representatives to make the Texas liquor laws more in line with other states regulating liquor use for cruise ships leaving their ports.

 

Liquor lobbys are one of the most powerful lobbyist in our country.   You are not going to change any laws.   I live in Wisconsin, we have such a strong liquor lobby, your first drunk driving is not even a crime.

 

Carnival (and all cruise ships) have been dealing with this for years and handle accordingly.   Its been well discussed here on the board also.

 

 

[DallasGuy75219]

4 hours ago, bingomamma19 said:

Liquor lobbys are one of the most powerful lobbyist in our country.   You are not going to change any laws.  

 

Carnival (and all cruise ships) have been dealing with this for years and handle accordingly.   

 

Not to mention the lack of Cheers on Day 1 doesn't seem to be hurting Carnival's demand in Texas.  They opened Galveston with one Holiday-class ship in 2000 and are now up to a Vista, Dream, and Conquest ship homeported there.

[txjenny77]

We'll be sailing for the first time out of Galveston soon.  I think these laws are dumb as I'm used to sailing from NOLA and not dealing with it.  However, it is what it is.  We're bringing a bottle of wine with us (something we don't do in NOLA) and using the OBC we received for booking for day 1 drinks.  We'll probably go back to NOLA in the future.

[gatour]

Royal Caribbean does allow you to utilize their equivalent to Carnival's unlimited drink package upon embarkation day.  On Royal Caribbean you still have limited choices, but you can drink as much as you want of those choices until the second day.

 

There has been several discussion over the years between the discrepancy about why Carnival limits you to pay out of pocket on embarkation day while Royal allows you to utilize the package from day one.  No consensus about why one line does it one way and the other does it differently.

[coevan]

look at it this way, if you don't spend $56, you are ahead of the game. To say you won't sail out of Texas because of an antiquated state law is silly.

[Lottacruises]

 But RC has the drink package available on day 1 out of Galveston.

[VentureMan_2000]

49 minutes ago, Lottacruises said:

 But RC has the drink package available on day 1 out of Galveston.

 

Yup...  they are willing to deal with the trouble of local alcohol only policies...  Carnival is not.

[lasvegascruising]

It has been a few years(at least 10) and I am still trying to figure out why Royal and NCL(took a cruise on the Jade when NCL was still in Texas)can offer guests the package on day one but Carnival can't. I do remember Royal and NCL have a sticker on all the bottles, I'm guessing is the tax paid bottles.  After reading some of the above postings, I wonder where Carnival purchases the booze from if it's not from an approved "licensed supplier".  I'm on the Vista this December and with our $50 OBC it will pay for half of our package for day one, roughly.  Which brings me to my next question, are there any happy hour specials on the Vista on embark day?

[chengkp75]

It is not that the liquor has to be from a "licensed supplier", but that the Texas state liquor tax has been paid on the liquor.  All cruise lines buy "out of bond" liquor which means that no state, local, or federal tax is paid on the liquor when the ship buys it.

 

The difference between Carnival and RCI is that RCI is willing to not "post" the drink transactions until after the ship is outside of Texas jurisdiction, while Carnival won't go through that step of holding the transactions.  While Carnival's way is the "legal and ethical" way of meeting the law, not sure which gives more revenue.

[1025cruise]

6 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

It is not that the liquor has to be from a "licensed supplier", but that the Texas state liquor tax has been paid on the liquor.  All cruise lines buy "out of bond" liquor which means that no state, local, or federal tax is paid on the liquor when the ship buys it.

 

The difference between Carnival and RCI is that RCI is willing to not "post" the drink transactions until after the ship is outside of Texas jurisdiction, while Carnival won't go through that step of holding the transactions.  While Carnival's way is the "legal and ethical" way of meeting the law, not sure which gives more revenue.

This makes sense. Since Carnival's package has a drink number restriction, they need to post the drinks immediately. RCI and NCL don't restrict the number of drinks, so if they don't post until after sailing out of Texas, there is no major accounting headache.

[ray98]

I think it is easier for Carnival to just hold the program to the second day based on how it is set up.  Due to the restrictions on the package Carnival has to post the transactions at the time of service, other lines have different policies and can formally tender the charges later.

[AmazedByCruising]

2 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

This makes sense. Since Carnival's package has a drink number restriction, they need to post the drinks immediately. RCI and NCL don't restrict the number of drinks, so if they don't post until after sailing out of Texas, there is no major accounting headache.

 

That would run Royal into the next problem within the 12 mile zone, 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. 

https://www.cruzely.com/answered-first-day-drink-packages-and-alcohol-on-galveston-cruises/

 

"Any practice" sounds rather strict. Not like "if you pay a day later, there's not problem".

 

Also wonder if Royal would be doing the same around Spain.

[chengkp75]

Since the drinks are not posted until outside Texas jurisdiction, they are not "bought" in Texas, so RCI is not selling an unlimited package in Texas.

[AmazedByCruising]

20 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Since the drinks are not posted until outside Texas jurisdiction, they are not "bought" in Texas, so RCI is not selling an unlimited package in Texas.

 

 

That wouldn't pass the giggle test. 

 

TABC itself says: "State law and TABC rules prohibit any practice which could reasonably be interpreted to allow or encourage overconsumption of alcohol" . Sounds like they don't even care if or where or when you pay for it, just the encouragement is enough. An unlimited package apparently equals an encouragement.

[VentureMan_2000]

19 hours ago, txjenny77 said:

We'll be sailing for the first time out of Galveston soon.  I think these laws are dumb as I'm used to sailing from NOLA and not dealing with it.  However, it is what it is.  We're bringing a bottle of wine with us (something we don't do in NOLA) and using the OBC we received for booking for day 1 drinks.  We'll probably go back to NOLA in the future.

 

 

This law only affects the Cheers package.  You can still purchase drinks individually on the ship at the Galveston Port.

[chengkp75]

3 hours ago, AmazedByCruising said:

 

 

That wouldn't pass the giggle test. 

 

TABC itself says: "State law and TABC rules prohibit any practice which could reasonably be interpreted to allow or encourage overconsumption of alcohol" . Sounds like they don't even care if or where or when you pay for it, just the encouragement is enough. An unlimited package apparently equals an encouragement.

But here again, you fall into the gray area of overlapping jurisdictions, since the ship is foreign flagged, there will be some point where TABC cannot enforce their laws on the ship.  They can control the sale of only Texas state taxed liquor onboard because that is commerce, but their particular state liquor laws may not be enforceable.

[tkportersat]

Most of my cruises have been out of Texas and while the liquor law is certain dumb it hasn't ever kept me from getting my liquor on....I'm not sure I understand people if they choose not to cruise out of Texas because of the silly law.  It really doesn't make that big of a difference.  seriously.

[Djptcp]

Does Carnival reduce the cost of the Cheers program by one day since you can't use it until the second day? We live in FL and would never cruise out of Galveston and would never buy the Cheers program, just curious. If they don't, why would you go ahead and pay for seven days if you only get to use it for six days?

[VentureMan_2000]

1 minute ago, Djptcp said:

Does Carnival reduce the cost of the Cheers program by one day since you can't use it until the second day? 

Yes... they do not charge for the first day.