Cunard drinks are such a rip off..

You can compare and disagree as much as you like. I have to say I admire the loyalty some people show the brand in that they are happy to say they think everything is marvellous and an absolute bargain.

However, I purely compare Cunard prices and measures to Cunard prices and measures less than two years ago. No matter what you say and think the fact is Cunard increased prices, reduced measures and started charging for mixers in one fell swoop for spirits and mixers, making the cost of drinks on board a lot higher in one go. Something you are bound to notice when cruising regularly. This has resulted in far less people using the bars once 10.30pm comes and as a consequence losing some ambience and atmosphere around the ship.

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You can compare and disagree as much as you like. I have to say I admire the loyalty some people show the brand in that they are happy to say they think everything is marvellous and an absolute bargain.

 

However, I purely compare Cunard prices and measures to Cunard prices and measures less than two years ago. No matter what you say and think the fact is Cunard increased prices, reduced measures and started charging for mixers in one fell swoop for spirits and mixers, making the cost of drinks on board a lot higher in one go. Something you are bound to notice when cruising regularly. This has resulted in far less people using the bars once 10.30pm comes and as a consequence losing some ambience and atmosphere around the ship.

 

 

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Agree completely

I have to say I admire the loyalty some people show the brand in that they are happy to say they think everything is marvellous and an absolute bargain.

Spot on. I was thinking that earlier today as well.

You can compare and disagree as much as you like. I have to say I admire the loyalty some people show the brand in that they are happy to say they think everything is marvellous and an absolute bargain.

 

However, I purely compare Cunard prices and measures to Cunard prices and measures less than two years ago. No matter what you say and think the fact is Cunard increased prices, reduced measures and started charging for mixers in one fell swoop for spirits and mixers, making the cost of drinks on board a lot higher in one go. Something you are bound to notice when cruising regularly. This has resulted in far less people using the bars once 10.30pm comes and as a consequence losing some ambience and atmosphere around the ship.

 

 

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Think that is the case with most cruise lines where they all have loyal fans who will not have a bad word said against them at any cost and will always stay loyal however good or bad they are treated.

You can compare and disagree as much as you like. I have to say I admire the loyalty some people show the brand in that they are happy to say they think everything is marvellous and an absolute bargain.

 

However, I purely compare Cunard prices and measures to Cunard prices and measures less than two years ago. No matter what you say and think the fact is Cunard increased prices, reduced measures and started charging for mixers in one fell swoop for spirits and mixers, making the cost of drinks on board a lot higher in one go. Something you are bound to notice when cruising regularly. This has resulted in far less people using the bars once 10.30pm comes and as a consequence losing some ambience and atmosphere around the ship.

 

 

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I absolutely agree on both accounts. People tend to have blind loyalty to their line of choice, and will defend it to the death like a family member. Sounds a little bit like politics these days. Happily I'm not loyal to any one brand, and prefer experimenting and trying them all. I do love Cunard though, but by no means are they perfect. As with most things in life, there is room for improvement.

Like you, I noticed the change in Cunard drink prices and quality probably around 2 years ago. For me it was when QM2 came out of her major refit. I've even mentioned that in a few posts. I'm guessing we will see more changes (perhaps some good, but some not so good) when the new ship makes her debut.

It is also true that the measurement of value is entirely individual. Inflammatory statements like "such a rip off" and "extortinate" combined with the substitution of anecdotes for data do not make for a very solid academic discussion.

One person's rip off is another person's great deal and one person's survey of bar crowds does not equal data that proves increasing drink prices have caused fewer people to be drinking later in the evening. Indeed, even if it did, it would not prove that actual alcohol consumption has dropped.

Do I wish that drinks on Cunard (and all cruises) were less expensive? Of course. However, even at the current prices they are less than at any bar or restaurant near my home and SIGNIFICANTLY less than the prices in luxury hotels in the major cities where I have traveled. More importantly, compared to Princess, Cunard offers a dramatically broader selection of beers and spirits allowing me to sample flavors and combinations that I cannot access conveniently elsewhere. All of that adds up to me viewing the drink prices as reasonable and a good value for my spending dollar.

If you disagree, great, because the world isn't full of absolutes and in terms of value, opinions will vary.

For the most part, cruise lines and cruisers exist in a constant battle of give and take. The cruise lines owe their shareholders the best possible return on investment, while cruisers seek to maximize the value they perceive to have gained from their expenditure of money on a cruise. If an equilibrium between those two is reached, both parties are happy, the company makes money and the customer goes home from their vacation happy. Companies that fail to generate a return on their shareholders' investment do not last long and customers who do not go home happy will likely not return. However, given that Carnival continues to generate a tidy profit (they do not break out the individual brands in their public disclosures) and the ships sail full and the gangways are usually filled with smiles, I think that as of September 2018, both parties are more or less at an equilibrium.

It is also true that the measurement of value is entirely individual. Inflammatory statements like "such a rip off" and "extortinate" combined with the substitution of anecdotes for data do not make for a very solid academic discussion.

 

One person's rip off is another person's great deal and one person's survey of bar crowds does not equal data that proves increasing drink prices have caused fewer people to be drinking later in the evening. Indeed, even if it did, it would not prove that actual alcohol consumption has dropped.

 

Do I wish that drinks on Cunard (and all cruises) were less expensive? Of course. However, even at the current prices they are less than at any bar or restaurant near my home and SIGNIFICANTLY less than the prices in luxury hotels in the major cities where I have traveled. More importantly, compared to Princess, Cunard offers a dramatically broader selection of beers and spirits allowing me to sample flavors and combinations that I cannot access conveniently elsewhere. All of that adds up to me viewing the drink prices as reasonable and a good value for my spending dollar.

 

If you disagree, great, because the world isn't full of absolutes and in terms of value, opinions will vary.

 

For the most part, cruise lines and cruisers exist in a constant battle of give and take. The cruise lines owe their shareholders the best possible return on investment, while cruisers seek to maximize the value they perceive to have gained from their expenditure of money on a cruise. If an equilibrium between those two is reached, both parties are happy, the company makes money and the customer goes home from their vacation happy. Companies that fail to generate a return on their shareholders' investment do not last long and customers who do not go home happy will likely not return. However, given that Carnival continues to generate a tidy profit (they do not break out the individual brands in their public disclosures) and the ships sail full and the gangways are usually filled with smiles, I think that as of September 2018, both parties are more or less at an equilibrium.

Completely agree! :)

Completely agree! :)

Think the answer is to remember that everyone is entitled to their opinion and should respect each other. This forum isn’t about one upmanship and it’s a shame that the topics can be lost in the in-fighting.

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Think the answer is to remember that everyone is entitled to their opinion and should respect each other. This forum isn’t about one upmanship and it’s a shame that the topics can be lost in the in-fighting.

 

 

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Another well put comment.

However when reading a thread or a post, declaring something a rip off when to many the word expensive could have been used instead we must bear in mind some statements are almost designed to provoke.

With such an eclectic mix of passengers, there are many factors to take into consideration when getting down to the nitty gritty of ''cost'' and the £/$ slide has done the British contingent no favours. Add the inevitable price rise and yes, some aspects of Cunard are now seemingly expensive to the UK market.

I'm one who is loyal to the product but that doesn't mean I don't see the effect of any price rise but I am on holiday and I can vote with my wallet if I want to. Others can vote with their feet. The choice is ours to make.

I'll stick with Cunard.

If I had a glass of wine for every occasion I've read a comparison of Cunard wines with supermarket prices I could open a wine bar myself.

 

My wife and I also enjoy wine at home most evenings and most often than not wines that come in over £8.00 a bottle.

 

To break that habit while on a cruise would be tantamount to throwing one's toys out of the pram. For us it's all part of the cruising experience and as I often say, the moment one worries about onboard costs then the personal enjoyment barometer goes into free fall.

 

Fair enough. As I said, we do not NEED wine to enjoy ourselves, so we'll stick to Adam's Ale in the Dining Room.

Fair enough. However I've always subscribed to the theory that wine enhances the meal, i.e. the food, which again, in my particular case, keeps the enjoyment barometer at a good high.

Fair enough. However I've always subscribed to the theory that wine enhances the meal, i.e. the food, which again, in my particular case, keeps the enjoyment barometer at a good high.

Agree! I think though that the Cunard label wine is undrinkable and I am not a wine snob, they really should bump up the quality factor (quite a bit).

Agree! I think though that the Cunard label wine is undrinkable and I am not a wine snob, they really should bump up the quality factor (quite a bit).

Hi Cate, you may well be right though I generally choose the wines I recognise by "label' rather than risk spoiling my meal.

Just got off the QM2. Martinis and Manhattans are both $12+ for a two ounce pour, over $14 with service. Too much for that quantity even with the vermouth.

Thanks for the info. Now know what's offered to plan for my QM2 cruise next year. I was looking for seltzer on the drinks menu but didn't see it.

Good points Mark. I certainly don't mind paying for a drink but I at least want it to be decent (tasting more than just Diet Coke or Pepsi). My standards might be a little high. I'm used to gay bars, where drink prices can be expensive or cheap depending on the bar ... but they are always strong! Even so, I've had better drinks on most other cruise lines compared to Cunard, and cheaper too. I've been sailing on Cunard for years (since QE2) and this is new phenomenon for me. I've always been quite pleased with the drink prices and drink quality on Cunard, up until QM2's recent refit. After that is when I noticed the change. Higher drink prices (and charging separately for mixers), and lower quality. I also know a strong drink doesn't always equate to a good drink, but I'm a fairly basic mixed drink drinker, and lately on Cunard I've been hard pressed to even taste the alcohol. Sometimes I feel like I'm drinking straight soda.

I would agree 100% with this.

Maybe it's QM2 that's the weak link (or drink) here... I just got off QE and I admit I took shameless advantage of my $12 or under Grills drinks package. And there was certainly alcohol in all those drinks. There was one bar tender in Commodore and later at night in the Yacht Club who produced the finest (and most potent) Negronis I've ever had. And yes, you could still have a Gordons or Plymouth gin martini for under $12... and yes that's cheaper than Oceania charge, too.

They have fiddled the drinks and wine prices, though. Our favourite English sparkling wine went from $11.95 to $12.35 and was also missing from much reduced Commodore Wine Package. You can still get a superior glass of wine cheaper than Oceania and most U.S. market lines. Indeed, Cunard's wine and bar list is probably the most comprehensive afloat.

I think one of the main issues here is that it's all in USD and if you're Cunard's main market in the U.K., you are reeling more from the prevailing exchange rate than the actual cost of the drinks which remain well within those charged in top end city hotels and most cruise lines.

Maybe it's QM2 that's the weak link (or drink) here... I just got off QE and I admit I took shameless advantage of my $12 or under Grills drinks package. And there was certainly alcohol in all those drinks. There was one bar tender in Commodore and later at night in the Yacht Club who produced the finest (and most potent) Negronis I've ever had. And yes, you could still have a Gordons or Plymouth gin martini for under $12... and yes that's cheaper than Oceania charge, too.

 

They have fiddled the drinks and wine prices, though. Our favourite English sparkling wine went from $11.95 to $12.35 and was also missing from much reduced Commodore Wine Package. You can still get a superior glass of wine cheaper than Oceania and most U.S. market lines. Indeed, Cunard's wine and bar list is probably the most comprehensive afloat.

 

I think one of the main issues here is that it's all in USD and if you're Cunard's main market in the U.K., you are reeling more from the prevailing exchange rate than the actual cost of the drinks which remain well within those charged in top end city hotels and most cruise lines.

Lucky you we very rarely or if at all get offered free drinks package for Grill bookings in the UK.

Lucky you we very rarely or if at all get offered free drinks package for Grill bookings in the UK.

Personally I think drinks should be automatically included for anyone booked in the Grills. To me it's very odd they are not, when you consider that the Grill product is competing with all-inclusive brands like Seabourn, Silversea, and Crystal. Other lines like MSC that have a "ship within a ship" concept like the Yacht Club automatically include drinks with the booking. Now you have lines like Marella (TUI) and Saga also going all-inclusive for all passengers. It's the trend as people are getting tired of the nickel and diming. I think Cunard will have to adapt. Perhaps gratuities should be included as well. I know P&O recently announced they are going in that direction.

You do though get the two bottles of spirits and the complimentary mini bar in the Queen's Grill, this meant that on our last cruise on QV we didn't spend as much in the main bars as we had drinks in the room. The Commodore Club was noticeably very quiet indeed. However, when you cruise with Cunard you know what to expect. Personally I wouldn't want it to be 'all-inclusive' style of ship.

Personally I think drinks should be automatically included for anyone booked in the Grills. To me it's very odd they are not, when you consider that the Grill product is competing with all-inclusive brands like Seabourn, Silversea, and Crystal. Other lines like MSC that have a "ship within a ship" concept like the Yacht Club automatically include drinks with the booking. Now you have lines like Marella (TUI) and Saga also going all-inclusive for all passengers. It's the trend as people are getting tired of the nickel and diming. I think Cunard will have to adapt. Perhaps gratuities should be included as well. I know P&O recently announced they are going in that direction.

I certainly don't think you can compare the Grills with MSC's Yacht Club.

From what I have read you pay an additional amount to have 'Yacht Club perks' from pretty standard cabins.

I certainly don't think you can compare the Grills with MSC's Yacht Club.

 

 

 

From what I have read you pay an additional amount to have 'Yacht Club perks' from pretty standard cabins.

I’ve sailed in both and I can absolutely compare. In many ways the Yacht Club experience is superior to the Grills. In other ways not.

All Yacht Club cabins are classified as suites. When you book into the Yacht Club all your drinks anywhere on the ship are automatically included. There are many other perks as well.

We were on QM2 Sept. 9-16 and purchased the Premium Drink package at $70 per day each (2 of us) and it was a great value for us. Our habits include martinis, cocktails, beer with lunch, coffee drinks, wine with dinner as well as dessert and Coca Cola. Although Liquor drinks were limited to 1 or 1.5 ounces, you couldn’t the day the premium drinks package is a good value. order as many as you like. Also with the cost of a Coke at almost $5 and if you enjoy all kinds of drinks throughout the day the Premium package is well worth it. :)