Opinion on being able to BYOB on cruise ships.

[hlb76]

I read smuggling posts all the time. And now with the fruit punch mixer being brought back up.

 

Do you really think if Carnival allowed a "reasonable" amount of booze to be carried on it would really effect bar sales.

 

I am using reasonable meaning like 12-pack beer per person just like the allow w/ pop. Or a bottle of liquor as they do wine.

[H82seaUgo]

actually, you used to be able to freely take booze on board. i wonder what the "restriction" did to on board sales, in addition to outpricing themselves so much that it pays to bring booze onboard, any way you can.

[LHP]

I don't think bar sales would go down....because we always have a bottle of rum waiting for us via Bon Voyage.

 

If it was so bad for bar sales....I don't think they would offer Bon Voyage.

[elcuchio24]

Sure, and it might just happen. But when it does it will be a non issue because the Caribbean sea will have frozen over:D

[BaconIsGood]

Of course they would go down. Same reason no outside food or drink is allowed at the movies :) If I could bring my own popcorn and save $8 Id do it every time :)

[hlb76]

I personally don't think bar sales will go down a crazy amount. I think at first they might as everyone rushes to bring there own drinks on. I realy think a lot of people will still buy from the bars for many reasons..like convience or wanting a speciality drink. I love my vodka cranberry at home but when at sea I want a frozen fruity something. I think many are on the same boat.

 

They allow us to bring pop on board but I see most still prefer to buy a card or buy it per can as its way easier than lugging it on board.

 

I really feel if they lowered the prices it would get more people buying drinks. I know at almost $10 a pop I watch how many I buy. Now we go to a bar at home where drinks are less it's nothing for us to drop $100+ but the money flows faster the better I feel ;)

 

I think smugglers will still smuggle, I think they are doing it to get away w/ it vs wanting to save a buck.

[norcal2]

Here is my thought: It appears to me that because the cost of ordering from BV is so cheap compared to the cost of these cruises, it may not be about prices but rather about the act of smuggling. I suspect it gets down to whether someone gets more of a kick out of the cruise or feel a need to enhance it their way by adding a little stress or to feel like it is a big deal one way or the other. I look at all these kinds of ideas as Disneyland for adults who have a focus on something other than my lazy self cruises for. To me it does not seem like it matters how much BV is or how much is allowed on free because I do not think cost saving of $30 or $40 is really the bottom line. But that is just an opinion and opinion's are the only free thing on a cruise. Some of the methods crack me up but the bragging about the methods: Priceless.

 

I think what would be better is to have a better selection of beers but in the case of the smuggling, no matter what any line has, no matter the cost, smuggling will happen because some enjoy it as much as they enjoy finding Disneyland at the end of a nature trail. Entertainment value. The ship must charge whatever the profit margin allows so unless the cost to supply if goes down, I doubt cost will change.

 

You will find no moral lecture in the above, just a possibility.

[firefly333]

Booze and gambling are the two biggest profit centers for cruises. The cruisefare is a loss leader...if you want to pay higher rates (I dont so others can bring their own), then sure its a great idea for those who drink a lot.

 

(see CNBCs special on cruising for back up to what I say regarding if they dont sell a certain amount of booze the cruise is in the red profit wise)

[amy_ammo]

I actually answered no. My first cruise the S&S was double (for one person) than what we paid for the cruise. The second, we used rum runners, got them on no problem, two different types of booze for less than one BV bottle. STILL had a S&S of about half of the cruise cost. Again, one person.

 

I mean, if I've been making drinks and by the end of the day rolls around, the last thing I want to do is keep running back to my room to make a drink from the piano bar. So I will order several from there.

 

This cruise I will just do BV but if they lowered the BV costs or even, heaven forbid, the drink prices by a few bucks, I wouldn't bother with either.

 

And in regards to the fruit punch thread. Trying to say it's gone because people are using it as mixers could be correct, but if they were that worried about the mixing part, they wouldn't sell BV.

[Anung Un Rama]

If I could bring my own rum, my S&S would be about $200 less. I'd still be ordering some specialty drinks throughout the week but it'd be cut in half at least.

 

Anyone who says no doesn't realize how much cheaper it would be for people to bring their own liquor aboard and that's one of the main reasons you have so many threads about people smuggling booze on.

[elcuchio24]

In reality, ours would be exactly the same. Bottle of BV gin, couple bottles of wine. The drinks we buy on deck, at dinner, at shows, we would be anyway even if we could bring whatever we wanted.

 

The reason this will NEVER happen is that 1.-CCL would no long have any control over how much people drank and you'd have Eddie Springbreaker falling off the side of the ship everynight and his mommy suing CCL. 2.- You really want Bubba and Little D next door bring 1000 bud lights on the ship? Enjoy it.

[hlb76]

And in regards to the fruit punch thread. Trying to say it's gone because people are using it as mixers could be correct, but if they were that worried about the mixing part, they wouldn't sell BV.

 

 

Guess I never thoughty about that...... Fruit punch was gone before I knew about the BV ut I could totally of seen me buying a bottle from BV and enjoying the fruit punch w/ it.

BV needs to be mixed w/ something. I'm sure not everyone drinks it stright up!

[BigDfromTN]

I dont really feel it would make a drastic drop in bar sales. A few reasons for this are IMO:

 

1. Smugglers would just bring it in Carry on. (no change there)

2. Ones that order from BV for convience will still do so.

3. Most folks will not make the trek to and from their room each time they want to mix another drink.

 

Just a few things for thought. Not sure how to measure any of this or even if you could.

[Pour-Tour-Snore]

I dont really feel it would make a drastic drop in bar sales. A few reasons for this are IMO:

 

1. Smugglers would just bring it in Carry on. (no change there)

2. Ones that order from BV for convience will still do so.

3. Most folks will not make the trek to and from their room each time they want to mix another drink.

 

Just a few things for thought. Not sure how to measure any of this or even if you could.

 

Based on being able to bring on a REASONABLE amount I agree with Big D.

[Luke gs Daddy]

If the Beer and Cocktails were reasonably priced I would not even think of smuggling.

[Frank12]

I dont really feel it would make a drastic drop in bar sales. A few reasons for this are IMO:

 

1. Smugglers would just bring it in Carry on. (no change there)

2. Ones that order from BV for convience will still do so.

3. Most folks will not make the trek to and from their room each time they want to mix another drink.

 

Just a few things for thought. Not sure how to measure any of this or even if you could.

 

Number 3 is very true. I smuggle a little, but about the only time I have a drink in the room is when waiting for DW to get ready for dinner. I'm not leaving the lido deck or the blackjack table to go back to my room and make a drink!

[StingRaysfan]

I answered no because we rarely order drinks whether we smuggle or not... we just go without drinking due to cost. We'd rather spend the money on a nicer cabin, excursions, and stuff we can take home to remind us of our cruise.

[VolzCruiser]

While I agree that people won't go back to their rooms to make another drink how many ppl would actually bring their bottle or 6 pack of beer with them when they leave their room since there wouldn't be any issues about bringing there own on board.

[G'ma]

Alcohol is the number one revenue generator on a cruise....then shore excursions and the casino.

 

Of course it would cut into revenue, effect the bottom line and cause cruise rates to climb.

[firefly333]

Alcohol is the number one revenue generator on a cruise....then shore excursions and the casino.

 

Of course it would cut into revenue' date=' effect the bottom line and cause cruise rates to climb[/color'].

 

For once we agree 100%.

[Wingtips56]

OK, no flames here as I'm just going to be a devil's advocate for conversational purposes, and party-poopers need their representation too:

 

Sure, the cruise lines want the profits from the alcohol sales; after all, they are for-profit businesses, not public transportation. Prices are what the market will bear. I don't mind paying corkage for my wine (I have a better wine list at home than the ships ;)), as I'm still using their glasses and what-not, but understand their need to make money too.

 

But they also need to try to prevent out-of-control drinking and the problems that a few can inflict on themselves and others by being stinking drunk. Bars and airlines have to stop serving you when it's apparent you've had too much, but the ship can't stop you if you have gallons of booze back in your room.

 

If Bubba drinks himself into a stupor and fall over the side, the ship gets sued as somehow having been liable. As a business, wouldn't you want to exert some control?

 

And believe it or not, hard alcohol can be a fire hazard, so the ships don't want a whole lot of it stashed in our staterooms for that reason, like they don't want candles, hot-pots, etc. I used to have to teach the annual hazardous materials class for my airlines: Scotch, bourbon, etc. are "combustible materials" and will ignite with a flame, while "151" and "Everclear" are actually classified as "flammable", and banned from air transport. See, I knew you'd be impressed..... OK, now picture a drunken Bubba lighting up the night sky as he goes over the side .... while his family prepares a lawsuit.

[realmccoy]

No, just off the Spirit and they took my bottle of Midori...first time in 9 cruises. The bar bill for my husband and I = $0. They do not have Midori onboard, and that is the only drink I like. So by taking my alcohol, got them nothing.

[Tightlinerods]

I don't think bar sales would go down....because we always have a bottle of rum waiting for us via Bon Voyage.

 

If it was so bad for bar sales....I don't think they would offer Bon Voyage.

 

When you price that bottle in drinks you will see that them selling you a bottle for 40.00 is equal to that many shots at any bar on board.

 

John

[ollychelle]

We have booked our first Carnival Cruise, we leave a month from today!! We usually cruise Disney because of our kiddos, but we are leaving them at home. Since Disney allows you to carry alcohol on, there is no smuggling. We carry on, as do many others. There is still a lot of purchasing going on though. When we go to a comedy show, or karaoke, or etc. It is no fun to head back to your room to have to mix a drink and miss the fun. There is something about being on vacation and the ease of being served instead of getting your drinks yourself. Disney also has the advantage of their personal port Castaway Cay- serving alcohol on the beach is nice so they make more profit off drinks there as well. Of course DCL costs more, but I still think they make a lot of $$$ on alcohol too and of course cruise prices. With CCL's low prices, I think it would be difficult to allow people to BYOB. I would imagine that they get the majority of their profit from drinks, including soda as well as alcohol.

[plywood12]

You hit the nail on the head. Realistically, cruise prices are very low and he bulk of the profit comes from the bar, gambling and--shore excursions. My wife and I don't drink and like you. I don't want to subsidize someone else's cruise so they can drink more cheaply on my dime.