Nickel and Dimes...

[Mary229]

I have been surprised this year to notice drink prices in restaurants.  I have customers and friends in Houston, New Orleans, Denver, and Taos. Every single restaurant, regardless of style of dining charged at least $11 per drink.  It put HAL prices into perspective.  I do agree with @Mosaic that a decrease in quantity with an increase per price per beverage is a good idea 

[tuolumne couple]

6 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

There WERE plenty of options before HAL increased the prices. I was on NS just before the price increase and even then one needed to scrutinize the menu to make a selection that would be "free" under the package. After the price increase, almost all of the drinks I had picked would no longer be "free" but would incur additional cost.

 

In my mind (and others may disagree), the attraction of a drinks package is being able to order a reasonable choice of drinks within a pricing tier that do not add extra cost.

 

Once HAL starts nickel and diming like this, it makes folks like me reconsider whether adding the beverage package or the HIA in general is worthwhile, as I'm not a huge drinker and rarely come near the daily limits. I just like the convenience. However, if HAL makes me scrutinize too closely, I will choose NOT to add it.

 

 

oh Jesus, you do know that this covers coffee and a lot of of other non-alcoholics drinks, right? 

Just upgrade to Elite , seems like that is what you need anyway.

[Billthekid]

9 hours ago, SilvertoGold said:

Change the $11.50 to $11 What OP describes is HAL is cutting it too fine, rather silly way of pricing. I can't even see this as deliberate: just one hand not knowing what the other hand is doing. Having an invoice at the end of the cruise with a lot of ,50 , .75 and even $1.00 charges would look ridiculous.

Curious.  Is there an 18% service charge on each of those .50, .75, etc

[RuthC]

2 minutes ago, Billthekid said:

Curious.  Is there an 18% service charge on each of those .50, .75, etc

Yes. 

[dockman]

4 hours ago, USN59-79 said:

Looking at the bar menus, I was surprised at how few drinks were available for $11. or less; less than 10%.  Also, the menus are not very useful.  Do they really only sell 5 or 6 different mixed drinks in the various bars?  What is the point of a menu if you don't list the available drinks?  I have never bought HIA, and it looks like I won't in the future.  Our next cruise is on Seabourn, where they charge more up front for the cruise fare, but don't nickel and dime you for the drinks.  In fact, most are free.

Ray

Included would be more accurate than FREE.  Seabourn is a wonderful pretty much all included cruise but the price reflects the inclusions.

[Billthekid]

So .50 becomes .59 and .75 becomes .88.  Look at it this way, it all adds up to becoming 5*

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, tuolumne couple said:

oh Jesus, you do know that this covers coffee and a lot of of other non-alcoholics drinks, right? 

Just upgrade to Elite , seems like that is what you need anyway.

 

No way that would make any sense for me. As I said above, I'm not a big drinker and don't ever come close to 15 drinks.

[redbanshee]

6 hours ago, USN59-79 said:

Looking at the bar menus, I was surprised at how few drinks were available for $11. or less; less than 10%.  Also, the menus are not very useful.  Do they really only sell 5 or 6 different mixed drinks in the various bars?  What is the point of a menu if you don't list the available drinks?  I have never bought HIA, and it looks like I won't in the future.  Our next cruise is on Seabourn, where they charge more up front for the cruise fare, but don't nickel and dime you for the drinks.  In fact, most are free.

Ray

For me the biggest shock is a Pina Colada is no longer included for $11. Has to be one of the most popular warm weather beverages….or….maybe that’s the point. .50 cents per drink will add up nicely for HAL. Also up goes the price on the evening martinis. I have SBP for my April cruise …Don’t t get me wrong if I want either one I’ll pay but historically the SBP limit would increase along with the drink prices on these favorites. I guess they reached their breaking point.

one good tip…don’t buy a mimosa with your SBP …get a full glass of bubbles and make your own with lido breakfast orange juice 😂

[POA1]

Serious question. What's the $11.50 drink you all need?

 

Don't say that the Cosmo or the Mai Tai are over the limit. (Unless that's your go-to drink.)

[julia]

1 hour ago, POA1 said:

Serious question. What's the $11.50 drink you all need?

 

Don't say that the Cosmo or the Mai Tai are over the limit. (Unless that's your go-to drink.)

Painkiller....  

[KAKcruiser]

Maybe if people get fed up and quit buying the HIA package, HAL will get more realistic in the rules.  I don't think it is fair to have to upgrade to the elite package to get basic drinks that should be included in the regular package.  I hope this money grab backfires on them.

[esimon]

Isn’t it wonderful and I find it amazing that this is the biggest thing you have to fuss over lol only in a first world country.

[POA1]

7 hours ago, julia said:

Painkiller....  

The painkiller is really $3 more, because you have to get the rum floater. 🍹

[redbanshee]

6 hours ago, esimon said:

Isn’t it wonderful and I find it amazing that this is the biggest thing you have to fuss over lol only in a first world country.

Right?!?!….for me I guess if this is my biggest problem I am pretty darned lucky 🤗😊

[KAKcruiser]

We don't come here to discuss the biggest problems in the world.  We discuss things that make our life more enjoyable.  And, having a drink package that includes most drinks makes my life easier which is why I buy it. 

[Real NHDOC]

This topic has been discussed ad nauseam and while it is irritating that HAL has chosen to raise both the price of HIA and many drinks to more than $11 but not raise the $11 limit it’s what they did. The most effective way to get it changed is to make a comment in the post cruise survey when it asks what they could do to make the experience better. 
 

The Eurodam now has an $11 limit on happy hour drinks meaning you can’t get any discount off of any drink over $11 which seems stupid when they could just limit the discount to the first $11 if they really wanted to nickel and dime. But there’s no limit on the number of drinks you can order at a discount so we often see 6 packs of beer leaving the bar to go back to the cabin fridge to be enjoyed at any hour and not just happy hour. 

[esimon]

I always find it interesting that people who can afford a cruise which we all know isn’t cheap complain about nickels and dimes. But you’re allowed to do that in the great old USA. And I agree if you have a problem, put it on the survey at the end of the cruise.

[WVU_Neal]

20 minutes ago, esimon said:

I always find it interesting that people who can afford a cruise which we all know isn’t cheap complain about nickels and dimes. But you’re allowed to do that in the great old USA. And I agree if you have a problem, put it on the survey at the end of the cruise.

One of the reasons I am fortunate enough to afford cruises is that I managed my “nickels and dimes” (as well as larger coins) quite well over the years. I lived well, and below my means. 
 

I am the OP here and simply dislike companies that tend to nickel and dime their loyal customers. Indeed, there are worse offenders than HAL-for the most part they do a great job. 

[Mary229]

31 minutes ago, esimon said:

I always find it interesting that people who can afford a cruise which we all know isn’t cheap complain about nickels and dimes. But you’re allowed to do that in the great old USA. And I agree if you have a problem, put it on the survey at the end of the cruise.

Complaining is the most popular sport on my last couple of cruises.  I took one new found friend to task for complaining about the free cruise that person was on.  That person even had free drinks in the casino, free room, free specialty dinners. The person was just caught up in the sport of it as when I challenged that person they laughed and agreed that life was good 

Edited February 10 by Mary229

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, WVU_Neal said:

One of the reasons I am fortunate enough to afford cruises is that I managed my “nickels and dimes” (as well as larger coins) quite well over the years. I lived well, and below my means. 
 

I am the OP here and simply dislike companies that tend to nickel and dime their loyal customers. Indeed, there are worse offenders than HAL-for the most part they do a great job. 

So, if they raised the price of the drink by $2, instead of 50 cents, they wouldn't be nickel and diming? I know some would be screaming they were being greedy. Prices go up...its a fact of life.

[chill6x6]

"Have it all" is somewhat misleading.  To me and probably most of us "Have it all" gives the impression that once I've paid the cruise fare I'm done as in "all inclusive."  But as we know, that's not so.

 

Signature beverage package- Sounds like it HAS to be the best or only beverage package but it's not.  Let's say we decide to go to Pinnacle Grill for dinner.. with a cover charge of about $54pp.  To start out of six "featured wines" none of them would be completely covered by your signature beverage package.  Of their listed "cocktails" one of the five listed would be covered under the signature beverage package. Let's say I want to order "surf and turf" which is In no way unreasonable on a cruise. That will cost you $10 extra. What about a Delmonico steak? $25 extra.  

 

Now let's say it's a rainy day aboard the ship and you want watch some YouTube videos on your balcony mostly out of the weather.  Well you probably can't because your "premium internet" isn't good enough,  You'll need the "stream internet" for extra.  

 

Now let's consider you're staying in a Neptune/Pinnacle suite.

 

That's nickel and diming.  No need to take it personal but it is.  They all do it.  HA isn't the worst but they are somewhere in the middle.  The only times I haven't experienced nickel and diming was Star Class on Royal and Celebrity suite when "all included" really was all included. 

 

 

 

 

[SilvertoGold]

5 hours ago, Real NHDOC said:

This topic has been discussed ad nauseam and while it is irritating that HAL has chosen to raise both the price of HIA and many drinks to more than $11 but not raise the $11 limit it’s what they did. The most effective way to get it changed is to make a comment in the post cruise survey when it asks what they could do to make the experience better. 
 

The Eurodam now has an $11 limit on happy hour drinks meaning you can’t get any discount off of any drink over $11 which seems stupid when they could just limit the discount to the first $11 if they really wanted to nickel and dime. But there’s no limit on the number of drinks you can order at a discount so we often see 6 packs of beer leaving the bar to go back to the cabin fridge to be enjoyed at any hour and not just happy hour. 

Agree with this post. Carnival must be putting the screws on HAL to up their bottom line. With fares up in many cases and sold-out ships more noticible than usual, HAL can do the pricing dance with HIA and Happy Hour. I noticed with Happy Hour soon after the ships came back after Covid HAL was giving only 50% off the second drink. There appeared to be a free-for-all among the ships to come up with different pricing schemes. So,this latest Happy Hour pricing is at least better than it might be.

[Mary229]

2 minutes ago, SilvertoGold said:

Agree with this post. Carnival must be putting the screws on HAL to up their bottom line. With fares up in many cases and sold-out ships more noticible than usual, HAL can do the pricing dance with HIA and Happy Hour. I noticed with Happy Hour soon after the ships came back after Covid HAL was giving only 50% off the second drink. There appeared to be a free-for-all among the ships to come up with different pricing schemes. So,this latest Happy Hour pricing is at least better than it might be.

In January I noticed they were rotating various happy hour pricing schemes. I assumed they were testing which actually produces the most revenue.  

[SilvertoGold]

1 minute ago, Mary229 said:

In January I noticed they were rotating various happy hour pricing schemes. I assumed they were testing which actually produces the most revenue.  

Interesting to know, Mary.

 

I wonder what is next?  We love not being big drinkers and not having to figure out if HIA is worth it to us, whether Happy Hour has the old, new, newer or newest pricing type :)

[Mary229]

1 minute ago, SilvertoGold said:

Interesting to know, Mary.

 

I wonder what is next?  We love not being big drinkers and not having to figure out if HIA is worth it to us, whether Happy Hour has the old, new, newer or newest pricing type 🙂

I do think they will be raising the minimum price covered by the HIA but may also be lowering the number of drinks or perhaps excluding things like coffee.  The coffee bars are proving very popular.   As a recent 4 star and now getting 1/2 price on wine packages, 1/2 price on coffee and 1/2 price on dining the HIA has lost its allure.  I am sure that is the same for many and they are going to have to change things.