New Wine Policy and Missing Passenger

[KLLund]

We are just back from Monarch of the Seas and we ran into an interesting situation. We took our two bottles of wine, as the cruise lines informed us we could do, and they insisted on confiscating it at the dock. The "Young" man taking the wine was clueless and said check with the headwaiter but all I know is it will be kept until the last night of the cruise.

 

We checked with the headwaiter and he told us to tell our Waiter which bottle we wanted and he would bring it to our table and if we told him which we wanted the next night he would see to it that it was there. Since between us we had 5 bottles and we ended up only using 4 the first and second night, the last bottle was delivered to my son's stateroom mid morning on the Sunday.

 

We asked why the change and were told that they were revamping some alcohol policies in the wake of the latest missing passenger incident. I will say it worked very well, but they should have had the crewman taking the wine at the dock a bit better informed ( some people were quite irate and did not seem ready to go aboard and find out what was going on.)

 

Great cruise....

 

Kathy

[wolfcathorse]

this is an interesting development for us smugglers!

[mrsrosner]

I just got back from the 4 night Sovereign and actually witnessed one bar staff in the casino decline a passenger's request for another beer. The passenger was probably in her early 40s, but apparently had bought 10 beers within two hours. Even the bar manager would not let her puchase any more drinks! After 13 cruises, this was a first. I am sure it has to do with drunks falling overboard! Personally, I think this is a good ideal.

[Cruising89143]

Doesn't really surprise me at all.

[Lyncruiser]

In our experience, the employees and others assisting with boarding are often woefully unaware of the policies, how to interpret them and basic facts. When checking in for the Mariner, the employee checking us in insisted that no credit cards could be used on board -- only a Seapass card. We said this was surprising since we'd been on at least 10 previous RCCL cruises and had always used our credit card in the shops. He insisted that was not possible on Mariner. Of course, he was totally wrong. Have the employees never been on the ships??

 

As for confiscating wine, I don't really think that the expensive French and Italian wines we (a middle-aged couple) bring on board for drinking with dinner (in light of the poor wine choices available on board) are the problem. I think the problem is hard liquor smuggled on board by teenagers and young adults. Once again, the solution is not evenly remotely tailored to address the problem!

[johnjen]

Bummer.....this means I can't bring granma's home made 'tater vodka on the boat!

[Mlkkc]

ummmmmmm never been able to use a credit card in shops we've only have been able to use a seapass must try using credit card in shops

[wrp96]

ummmmmmm never been able to use a credit card in shops we've only have been able to use a seapass must try using credit card in shops

 

Me either. I've never found anywhere on the ship that takes my credit card - other than guest relations.

[LivnLife]

I think the problem is hard liquor smuggled on board by teenagers and young adults. Once again, the solution is not evenly remotely tailored to address the problem!

 

I completely agree!

[Lightsluvr]

That is new info for me. Learn something new every day...

 

I just sent an e-mail to Crown & Anchor customer service to learn if that applies to all onboard services, or just the shops.

 

LL

[isujim]

LL

 

You couldn't use a CC in a shop on the Mariner last month.........now granted I didn't try..........but will be interested in your reply when you get it.

 

Jim

[Ocean Boy]

Bummer.....this means I can't bring granma's home made 'tater vodka on the boat!

Sure you can. They are confiscating wine bottles. They are still letting the Listerine bottles go through.:)

[Nliedel]

The policy changed a year or so ago. The current policy reads that no alcohol may be brought on board.

[CoachRob]

I just got back from the 4 night Sovereign and actually witnessed one bar staff in the casino decline a passenger's request for another beer. The passenger was probably in her early 40s, but apparently had bought 10 beers within two hours. Even the bar manager would not let her puchase any more drinks! After 13 cruises, this was a first. I am sure it has to do with drunks falling overboard! Personally, I think this is a good ideal.

 

I couldn't agree more. Maybe if we all look out for one another like we use to do about 10-15 years ago, then we would have a better situation in society.

[teajak]

In our experience, the employees and others assisting with boarding are often woefully unaware of the policies, how to interpret them and basic facts. When checking in for the Mariner, the employee checking us in insisted that no credit cards could be used on board -- only a Seapass card. We said this was surprising since we'd been on at least 10 previous RCCL cruises and had always used our credit card in the shops. He insisted that was not possible on Mariner. Of course, he was totally wrong. Have the employees never been on the ships??

 

As for confiscating wine, I don't really think that the expensive French and Italian wines we (a middle-aged couple) bring on board for drinking with dinner (in light of the poor wine choices available on board) are the problem. I think the problem is hard liquor smuggled on board by teenagers and young adults. Once again, the solution is not evenly remotely tailored to address the problem!

In all of our many, many cruises we have never been allowed to use a credit card anywhere on the ship. They tell you up front that it is a cashless society and that includes credit cards. You must use your sea pass for all charges.This has been true on all the cruise lines we have used not just RC.

[Nliedel]

In all of our many, many cruises we have never been allowed to use a credit card anywhere on the ship. They tell you up front that it is a cashless society and that includes credit cards. You must use your sea pass for all charges.This has been true on all the cruise lines we have used not just RC.

 

I have to agree with teajak. I've been sailing for twenty years now, three seperate lines and I've never been able to use a credit card in the gift shops. Just my sign and sail card (or whatever the various lines call it).

[dougp26364]

I couldn't agree more. Maybe if we all look out for one another like we use to do about 10-15 years ago, then we would have a better situation in society.

 

Look at each other like we did in the 90's? I don't know where you were in the 90's but from my stand point we were pretty much at the anything-goes point then. Maybe you're thinking back 50 or 60 years ago when people tried to keep their dirty laundry from the public eye but not a short 10 or 15 years ago.

[Sailfish]

We are just back from Monarch of the Seas and we ran into an interesting situation. We took our two bottles of wine, as the cruise lines informed us we could do, and they insisted on confiscating it at the dock. The "Young" man taking the wine was clueless and said check with the headwaiter but all I know is it will be kept until the last night of the cruise.

 

We checked with the headwaiter and he told us to tell our Waiter which bottle we wanted and he would bring it to our table and if we told him which we wanted the next night he would see to it that it was there. Since between us we had 5 bottles and we ended up only using 4 the first and second night, the last bottle was delivered to my son's stateroom mid morning on the Sunday.

 

We asked why the change and were told that they were revamping some alcohol policies in the wake of the latest missing passenger incident. I will say it worked very well, but they should have had the crewman taking the wine at the dock a bit better informed ( some people were quite irate and did not seem ready to go aboard and find out what was going on.)

 

Great cruise....

 

Kathy

 

We'll be on the Monarch next month so I have a question. Did you get charged a corking fee? Just curious.

 

I know in the past, when I took the bottle of wine with me to dinner, I was assessed a corking fee. Not a big deal, mind you; I was just curious since they took the bottle from you before you boarded the ship if you ended up being charged the $12 fee per bottle.

 

Suzi

[Jeepers385]

When we were on the Empress 3 weeks ago there was a woman (early 40's) totally trashed. She was trying to walk and looked like Roadrunner with the feet moving up and down and taking 4 steps back to get 1 step forward, falling all over a wait staff to give him a kiss. When we mentioned to the bartender and wait staff about flagging her they laughed it off and said no big deal, we even said something to her friends but nobody really seemed to care. I just think at some point someone should stop serving when you see people totally inebriated. Hey that would include me too if I was that bad.

[whiskey girl]

dougp26364 - Look out FOR each other not look at each other. I have to agree that in the early to mid 90s gave more respect, attention and heed to their fellow man. Someone (probably labeled a busy body) might have felt more comfortable in checking on a stranger passed out in a deck chair.

 

I do not think your analogy of dirty laundry is anywhere near on point. Though not yet born, I hear of the 50s as "kinder, more gentle times", but having been around for a while now I certainly think we were a more civil and respectful society in the 90s than we are now - though I wouldn't have believed it then!

[LadyGodiva]

I'm certainly in favor of bartenders and waiters cutting people off when they've obviously had too much to drink, as far as they're able to, but I don't want to see these cruise ships turning into police states because of the bad judgment of a stupid few!

[critterchick]

dougp26364 - I do not think your analogy of dirty laundry is anywhere near on point. Though not yet born, I hear of the 50s as "kinder, more gentle times", but having been around for a while now I certainly think we were a more civil and respectful society in the 90s than we are now - though I wouldn't have believed it then!

 

Let's hijack this thread!:D

 

There's a Billy Joel song that has the line "the good old days weren't all that good," and that applies to the 50s, IMHO. Racial segregation was still legal, women in the workplace were largely confined under a glass ceiling and the threat of nuclear war was in the front of everybody's minds (ok, maybe that part hasn't changed, but surely there are plenty of us who remember the underground shelters and Nike sites, which have nothing to do with shoes or the Internet).

 

But I think Doug is right about the dirty laundry - media coverage wasn't within a country mile of what it is now, so JFK and Marilyn Monroe and JFK and Judith Exner (60s, close enough) weren't a huge scandal, Teddy got away with Chappaquidick, etc. etc. etc. Although Fannie Foxe did take down Wilbur Mills (who for you young 'uns was the Speaker of the House at the time he frolicked with her, a stripper, in the Tidal Basin in DC while rip roaring drunk). But that was in the 70s.

 

I still think the new alcohol policy started out being profit-driven, but with heightened awareness of complications from overindulging at sea and the threat of legal action, has taken on a social component. Not allowing fine wines to be brought on board is somewhat throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but as they say, it only take a few to ruin it for everybody else. I just wish RCI would adopt Celebrity's wine list and pricing.

[KLLund]

We'll be on the Monarch next month so I have a question. Did you get charged a corking fee? Just curious.

 

I know in the past, when I took the bottle of wine with me to dinner, I was assessed a corking fee. Not a big deal, mind you; I was just curious since they took the bottle from you before you boarded the ship if you ended up being charged the $12 fee per bottle.

 

Suzi

 

Yes .. we were charged the $12 A bottle

 

Kathy

[SuiteCruiser]

I was on the Explorer last week and was told I could use either my credit card or my Seapass in the jewellry store. I didn't ask in the Logo Shop. I opted to use my Seapass as it ended up in the same place anyway, but could definitely have used my credit card.

 

Hope this helps!

[tarheelmjfan]

Royal Caribbean only allows you to bring on 2 bottles of wine? We usually sail on Celebrity a bring on wine for the dining room. We enjoy Ice Wine with dessert, & they don't carry it. One bottle only lasts us 2 dinners. We would need 3 for a 7 night cruise. Occasionally, we bring on other wines as well. Celebrity doesn't limit the amount we bring on. I have no problem with them taking it at embarkation & delivering it to the dining room. This keeps us from having to send it by our cabin attendant. I just need to know how many bottles they allow. On a side note, I like the $12 corkage fee better than the $15 we're used to paying. :D