Royal Caribbean - can you purchase drinks when in Greek ports (or drink them from your beverage package)?

[podgeandrodge]

Can you purchase drinks when in Greek ports (or drink them from your beverage package)?

 

People on Norwegian experiencing this problem due to "Greek laws".

 

Can people confirm if Royal the same?

 

Thanks.

[lovesthebeach2]

While I can’t answer your question directly, I do recall on a recent cruise we were on to the Panama Canal, in one country they weren’t allowed to open the bars on the ship while we were in port, except for the bar by the pool. I don’t remember which country had that law.

Edited June 7, 2023 by lovesthebeach2

[Tlbecker1]

We were just in Greece last month and didn’t have any problems getting a drink in the Schooner.  We were also in Greece for 4 stops last year and no issues.

[icsys]

No issues last week whilst ported in Piraeus, Argostoli, Corfu or Mykonos? 

[podgeandrodge]

3 hours ago, Tlbecker1 said:

We were just in Greece last month and didn’t have any problems getting a drink in the Schooner.  We were also in Greece for 4 stops last year and no issues.

 

52 minutes ago, icsys said:

No issues last week whilst ported in Piraeus, Argostoli, Corfu or Mykonos? 

Thanks both.  No issues paying for drinks, or using beverage package?  NCL are making a distinction - package you can get a drink, but you can't pay for a drink if you don't have package.

[JK805]

Could be related to taxes while in port, and NCL doesn't want to try and figure out the taxes that will be owed (or doesn't want to program the POS systems) so they made the decision to not allow sales but will allow package redemptions since that's essentially a zero bill and no taxes will be owed. I know some rules in port require ships to collect local taxes on individual sales while in port (I think even some US ports require that for embarkation day). 

For example, in the app there's a blurb for the days when the ship is sailing in Spanish waters about taxes and restrictions for a current sailing.

[podgeandrodge]

Yep agreed JK805.  Seems to be NCL specific.  But they are being potentially flippant with the truth blaming Greek regulations if they are solvable by NCL.

[JK805]

4 hours ago, podgeandrodge said:

Yep agreed JK805.  Seems to be NCL specific.  But they are being potentially flippant with the truth blaming Greek regulations if they are solvable by NCL.

Yep, or they’re taking the attitude of “blame the local/country regulations” and hope the customers just accept that and go away so we don’t have to do anything more. 
But the cruise lines all seem to take their own path in dealing with local regulations. Take Galveston and the Texas liquor laws - Royal says your selection will be limited until we are out of Texas jurisdiction but you can still use your package/benefit for what they can sell while in Texas waters, but others say your package/benefit can’t be used the first day of sailing and you pay a la carte for each drink first day as the way they deal with it. 

[Tree_skier]

On my one and only NCL cruise I was charged tax on every drink I got with the package.  I thought that was weird.  But didn't complain, it didn't amount to huge amount. 

[JK805]

15 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

On my one and only NCL cruise I was charged tax on every drink I got with the package.  I thought that was weird.  But didn't complain, it didn't amount to huge amount. 

Definitely weird… But at least it didn’t amount to that huge of a bill for you.