No Host Mini Bar -- Keep It or Ditch It???

[Krazy Kruizers]

What are your feelings about the No Hose Mini Bar?? Do you use it??

How much waste do you think there is?? Could HAL save money by not having a no host mini bar in the cabins???

Now I understand that on the R and S class ships not all cabins have the no host mini bar because they don't have mini refrigerators. But it is a different situation on the Vista class and Signature class ships. Don't know about the Prinsendam. We asked what they were doing with them -- throwing them out -- getting old. They do this every couple of months -- at least that is what the crew told us -- maybe someone can confirm.

In 2008 while on our repositioning cruise from Ft Lauderdale to Seattle, the majority of the passengers got off the ship in San Diego. The crew used this time to go around to all the cabins to clean out the refrigerators -- all the mini bottles and sodas were all thrown into big bins to be thrown out later. There were hundreds of bottles and cans in the bins. Seems like an awful lot of waste to me.

Your opinions please.

By the way the No Host Mini Bar contains these items:

These are all airline size bottles 1.75 ounces
2 Beefeater Gins - $4.95
1 Johnny Walker Red Lable - $4.95
1 Bicardi Rum - $4.95
1 VSOP Courvoisier - $4.95
1 Smirnoff Vodka - $4.95


1 Vendange Chardonnay - 187 ml - $9
1 Vendange Cabernet - 187 ml - $9

1 split Henkell Champagne - $8.50

1 Red Bull - $3.50

1 Bloody Mix - $2.50

2 regular cokes - $1.95
2 diet cokes - $1.95
1 tonic water - $1.95
1 Club soda - $1.95
1 sprite - $1.95

1 Heineken - $3.75

1 Miller Sharps (non alcoholic) - $3.75

1 Miller Lite - $3.25

2 Perrier water - $2.95

2 one liter bottled water - $2.95

[Betsy's Mom]

We never use the mini bar and always request that the reefer be emptied by our steward. We then keep our own water and meds in there. No problem with this.
B.

[Randyk47]

We rarely get anything out of the mini-bar. I think the count is something like 3 or 4 Cokes and a couple of bottles of water and that's the total for all cruises. We've never gotten into the liquor, beer, or wine. I'd agree the few times we've used items it was nice to have them handy but we could have gotten by without.

[CowPrincess]

I agree -- that is a HUGE amount of waste, if every unopened bottle or can gets thrown out. It would be pretty easy for HAL to provide a menu regarding the stock you want for your mini-bar (similar to the "fruit" menu we get in the cheap cabins).

[jhannah]

I'd say ditch them. That IS a huge waste if so much of it gets tossed.

Too bad they don't have a system where you can note your mini-bar stocking preferences in your profile then stock them accordingly. Princess has it ... but we've found it doesn't work. The 'fridge is never stocked like our profile indicates. Guess that could be a nightmare to administer, though.

I'm guessing it's still worth their while to do it, even with so much waste. Enough people consume the soda and little bottles of liquor that it still pays off.

[solocanadian]

Originally Posted by Krazy Kruizers

What are your feelings about the No Hose Mini Bar?? Do you use it??

How much waste do you think there is?? Could HAL save money by not having a no host mini bar in the cabins???

Now I understand that on the R and S class ships not all cabins have the no host mini bar because they don't have mini refrigerators. But it is a different situation on the Vista class and Signature class ships. Don't know about the Prinsendam. We asked what they were doing with them -- throwing them out -- getting old. They do this every couple of months -- at least that is what the crew told us -- maybe someone can confirm.

In 2008 while on our repositioning cruise from Ft Lauderdale to Seattle, the majority of the passengers got off the ship in San Diego. The crew used this time to go around to all the cabins to clean out the refrigerators -- all the mini bottles and sodas were all thrown into big bins to be thrown out later. There were hundreds of bottles and cans in the bins. Seems like an awful lot of waste to me.

Your opinions please.

By the way the No Host Mini Bar contains these items:

These are all airline size bottles 1.75 ounces
2 Beefeater Gins - $4.95
1 Johnny Walker Red Lable - $4.95
1 Bicardi Rum - $4.95
1 VSOP Courvoisier - $4.95
1 Smirnoff Vodka - $4.95


1 Vendange Chardonnay - 187 ml - $9
1 Vendange Cabernet - 187 ml - $9

1 split Henkell Champagne - $8.50

1 Red Bull - $3.50

1 Bloody Mix - $2.50

2 regular cokes - $1.95
2 diet cokes - $1.95
1 tonic water - $1.95
1 Club soda - $1.95
1 sprite - $1.95

1 Heineken - $3.75

1 Miller Sharps (non alcoholic) - $3.75

1 Miller Lite - $3.25

2 Perrier water - $2.95

2 one liter bottled water - $2.95

It sure is a waste if everything is thrown away when it expires. However I've never heard of liquor having an expiration date except beer.

[jhannah]

Originally Posted by Krazy Kruizers

What are your feelings about the No Hose Mini Bar??

Maybe if prices were a little lower, I wouldn't feel like I was being hosed when I consumed the products!

[solocanadian]

Originally Posted by Krazy Kruizers

What are your feelings about the No Hose Mini Bar?? Do you use it??

How much waste do you think there is?? Could HAL save money by not having a no host mini bar in the cabins???

Now I understand that on the R and S class ships not all cabins have the no host mini bar because they don't have mini refrigerators. But it is a different situation on the Vista class and Signature class ships. Don't know about the Prinsendam. We asked what they were doing with them -- throwing them out -- getting old. They do this every couple of months -- at least that is what the crew told us -- maybe someone can confirm.

In 2008 while on our repositioning cruise from Ft Lauderdale to Seattle, the majority of the passengers got off the ship in San Diego. The crew used this time to go around to all the cabins to clean out the refrigerators -- all the mini bottles and sodas were all thrown into big bins to be thrown out later. There were hundreds of bottles and cans in the bins. Seems like an awful lot of waste to me.

Your opinions please.

By the way the No Host Mini Bar contains these items:

These are all airline size bottles 1.75 ounces
2 Beefeater Gins - $4.95
1 Johnny Walker Red Lable - $4.95
1 Bicardi Rum - $4.95
1 VSOP Courvoisier - $4.95
1 Smirnoff Vodka - $4.95


1 Vendange Chardonnay - 187 ml - $9
1 Vendange Cabernet - 187 ml - $9

1 split Henkell Champagne - $8.50

1 Red Bull - $3.50

1 Bloody Mix - $2.50

2 regular cokes - $1.95
2 diet cokes - $1.95
1 tonic water - $1.95
1 Club soda - $1.95
1 sprite - $1.95

1 Heineken - $3.75

1 Miller Sharps (non alcoholic) - $3.75

1 Miller Lite - $3.25

2 Perrier water - $2.95

2 one liter bottled water - $2.95

It sure is a waste if everything is thrown out when it expires. I know soda and beer expires. However I've never heard of hard liquor expiring.

[DizzyDallasDi]

Why the heck are they throwing away perfectly good liquor? Distilled spirits in sealed bottles don't just "go bad." This makes no sense to me...

Diane

[sapper1]

I sometimes will grab a pop from the mini bar when I get thirsty late at night. Other than that I don't use it.-----but I am sure glad that pop is there when I want it.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I agree about there being no expiration dates on the alcohol -- but everything was being tossed out.

We never use the mini bar either.

We prefer to order a bottle of alcohol through Ship Services so that we can have a drink out on our verandah of a brand that we like.

[taxmantoo]

One of the first things we do after getting onboard... ask the steward to empty the refrigerator so we can put in our own selection of wines, soft drinks and beer.

[fann1sh]

I would LOVE if they eliminated the no-host bar.

Once, after we asked for all items to be removed, a charge appeared on our account.

I think the inventory is a nightmare for the stewards.

[booboo29]

This makes no sense whatsoever. I can't imagine throwing out the contents of the mini bar. As for having it or not, I like having it. We always use the water, sparkling and still and I usually have some wine out of there now and again throughout the cruise. DH doesn't drink much, or at all, so a whole large bottle is a waste. I like having the option.

Jennifer

[Nancyquilts]

Originally Posted by jhannah

maybe if prices were a little lower, i wouldn't feel like i was being hosed when i consumed the products! :d

lol.

[Jemima]

Yes, get rid of it. I'd prefer a system where items could be purchased, either delivered or hand carried and charged to our shipboard account when purchased or delivered. The only items we use are water and diet Coke. We don't want any of the other items. I'd think this would save the cruiseline money on checking and stocking all the no-host bars. They would probably make just as much money.

[Willsot]

Ours was locked when we boarded and we left it locked for the 10 days. No hassles of the guy coming in to do inventory or restocking.

[DizzyDallasDi]

Originally Posted by Jemima

Yes, get rid of it. I'd prefer a system where items could be purchased, either delivered or hand carried and charged to our shipboard account when purchased or delivered. The only items we use are water and diet Coke. We don't want any of the other items. I'd think this would save the cruiseline money on checking and stocking all the no-host bars. They would probably make just as much money.

They already have the delivery system...it's called room service.

[jtl513]

No, we like to keep our wine in them.

I can't believe they would throw away liquor that won't expire, though. Maybe they're used in the bars.

BruceMuzz, can you comment?

[sail7seas]

I've never seen them tossing the contents of the mini-bars.

I suppose maybe they do but we sure must be oblivious to keep missing that out of all our cruises and back-to-backs.

I can't imagine them tossing out sealed liquor bottles.
Doesn't make any sense to me but what do I know?! An un-used, sealed small bottle of vodka? Why?