Carnival Cruise Lines Defends Itself Against Beverage Program Complaint

[MrPete]

Of course not having cruised on Carnival for over 5 years you really have no idea what things are like onboard a Carnival ship today.

 

All you know is what you read on the boards and that never tells the full story.

 

Your post confuses me.

 

Are you saying in 5 years the drunks have taken over the ships, or the FUN is gone?

[sonicbuffalo]

I like the Cheers concept, and wish it had been available when I sailed in June. But, I'm also a fairly responsible drinker and if Irish Coffees cut into my balance and I want a drink later, I'd want the right to get it. So if anyone knows the answer, please pass it along.

 

What's a fairly responsible drinker?

[frayedend]

Seriously some people should get off the high horse and realize that there are people that can drink a lot on vacation and that are not alcoholics needing treatment. The post about 4 drinks a day makes no sense. I didn't search but my guess is that is every day for a prolonged period. Yet 2 drinks per day is seen as healthy in a lot of research. When I drink, it's a lot but it isn't that often.

 

I personally don't think the Cheers program is worth it but then I don't drink that many expensive frozen drinks. If a few DOTD makes up for the cost then go for it because then it makes perfect sense.

[MissMeggieMurphy]

isn't cruising all about personal perspectives, just like life in general. i have family members who are teetotalers and think that anyone who drinks is on the road to being a drunk and insist on telling them so. they also go ballistic about peeps who smoke, families who travel with infants, young girls who dress as trollops, people who swear. my silly point is that we can all have pet peeves, we can judge what people do, say,smoke, and wear but the bottom line is that most of what people do affects us very little. unless that drunk accosts us or that smoker blows it into our face or that infant cries during all of dinner or that trollop propositions us we can choose to just ignore it.

 

personally i think being judge and jury for everything i didn't like would get real tiresome and would affect me way more than it would those who care little about how i perceive their actions. i'm probably a poor example of god's plan to be my brother's keeper, but i have enough to worry about without spending my time concerned about the welfare of someone with free choice. so, if someone wants to down 15 shots of tequila a day, so be it. its their brain.

[Jdfireman]

Dam i need more popcorn for this one...

 

Where is my friend Cruiznbuckeye. We have been on several open bar cruises under the old program that they offerd to groups of 30 or more.

Yes there was 1 or 2 people who were seen drunk during the day but come on Being on a few cruises there is ALWAYS that 1 or 2 people drunk and you notice. This has been going on long before cheers program on Carnival or any other lines drink program.

 

REMEMBER its 15 drinks a day for a set price. If you only have 8 drinks in a day and it covers the cost of the package per day you are ahead of the game.

Some people rather pay up front and know how much there bar bill will be by the end of the week its called a budget.

 

Bottom line its Vacation have fun let loose and enjoy yourself

 

Yes I will be buying the program on my next trip so i know what i am spening. The days of the $999.95 bat bills at the end of the week are over.

 

Yes now you all can kick me and call me a drunk too. Its cool i can take it. People like to point out the weakenss in other people so they can make themselfs look better. \

 

Happy Crusing

[Dori Saltzman]

I noticed that last sentence didn't have any quotes around it so no one from Carnival was quoted as saying it. It appears to just be the Editor's take from what she heard. Which if I was to guess was probably wrong.

 

 

 

Actually Jim Berra did tell me this, though I didn't have his exact wording so I didn't quote him. But it came directly from the mouth of a Carnival executive! :)

[sparks1093]

Actually Jim Berra did tell me this, though I didn't have his exact wording so I didn't quote him. But it came directly from the mouth of a Carnival executive! :)

 

Thank you for the clarification!

[MrPete]

Actually Jim Berra did tell me this, though I didn't have his exact wording so I didn't quote him. But it came directly from the mouth of a Carnival executive! :)

 

Thanks for that clarification! :)

[truecruiser]

What's a fairly responsible drinker?

 

someone who paces themselves; listens to their body; slows down, takes a break, or stops all together. Someone who doesn’t go out and try to slam 15 in 2 hours with the only goal being to get completely wasted/drunk.

 

Take out the “fairly” if you want, you get the idea. The "fairly" was put into the sentence because I knew that there’d be someone who would call 15 drinks a day irresponsible no matter the case. Seems like I’m answering the post of one now, correct? :p

 

 

I'm a female and not a big one at that and I could drink 15 drinks over a course of an entire day and be fine. I mean sure it sounds like a lot, but when you account for how long you are awake and going it's not that crazy... just saying it's not as much or as hard to do as some may think.

 

agree

 

The plan pays for itself even if you buy 5-6 DOD's, so please, before you judge anybody on the Cheers program, do the math and see that some of us are just trying to save money and have a good time! Maybe some of y'all could take a few pointers :)

 

absolutely agree.

 

...REMEMBER its 15 drinks a day for a set price. If you only have 8 drinks in a day and it covers the cost of the package per day you are ahead of the game...

 

x3!

 

A bucket of 4 beers costs nearly $25 bucks. The plan costs around $50, roughly the cost of 2 buckets. You can add the occasional other drinks in there (a bloody mary, mudslide, dod) without even having to buy them separate.

 

Unless the cruise is very port intensive, it makes dollar sense to me -- even if i don't hit the 15.

 

I wonder if they will not open a beer for you under the program if you ask them not to (allowing you to bring it back to your cabin and put it on ice). I'm betting probably not.

[coops]

During the mid 1990's CCL was trying to move away from the party atomsphere, you had to be 21 to get on the ships, the things on the lido deck(drinking contest) ect were taken away. They wanted to make the CCL brand move toward families. It seems to me CCL is going back to their roots by selling this drink package. It kind of encourages drinking. What do you think?

 

Seems like alot of cruise lines are offering the package. I just think Carnival gets the bad rap because its the party ship. All I am saying is people who are drunken idiots are still going to be the same wheather purchased or not. I am glad I will have the option to purchase if I choose .

[Cyber Kat]

just like the soda card and the coffee card i am sure that the drink's card will only have limited takers and of those only a small percentage will be vocal about the limitations of the card. also, for port intensive cruises, unless a drinker decides to stay onboard all day, everyday many may find that the cost isn't worth it. and those that drink to get drunk would do it with or without the card.

 

There's a coffee card??? I might be interested in a coffee card! Does everyone in you cabin have to get one :rolleyes:

[truecruiser]

There's a coffee card??? I might be interested in a coffee card! Does everyone in you cabin have to get one :rolleyes:

 

i went to buy it in June and was told it was taken away. :(

 

Just another thing that lasted 5 mins before they changed it, lol.

[Cyber Kat]

i went to buy it in June and was told it was taken away. :(

 

Just another thing that lasted 5 mins before they changed it, lol.

 

Rats - I would have been interested in that! I love my cappuccinos!

[simpleman]

 

I wonder if they will not open a beer for you under the program if you ask them not to (allowing you to bring it back to your cabin and put it on ice). I'm betting probably not.

 

I think they will just can't get another one for 15 minutes is what I understand.:D

[MrPete]

I think they will just can't get another one for 15 minutes is what I understand.:D

 

I think it's more like 5 minutes.

[simpleman]

I think it's more like 5 minutes.

 

That sounds more reasonable, I'll have another.:p

[Packlawyer17]

Do a simple google search for reputable health services and will find that more than 4 drinks a day for men and less for women will cause either repairable or irrepairable liver damage as well as other health problems.

 

To be promoting 15 drinks a day is simply irresponsible.

 

LOL, weighing 400 pounds sure does wonders for ones health. Sure does not stop people on a cruise from ordering 2 entrees. What is your opinion of those people?

 

Where are the people telling others to put food down at the buffet line and calling them out for being irresponsible.

 

Typical American response to alcohol. Alcohol is bad, it is the devil's water.... oh no, hide the children.

 

I will be on the Breeze starting Sunday. If I don't hit 15 each day I will be terribly disappointed in myself.

[kece4]

I couldn't have said it any better Packlawyer17! Just got off the Breeze on Saturday with about 10 friends and all of us had our 15 drinks per day and more. I love how so many people wanna judge and think they know best. My friends and i work hard and when we get the chance we play hard to. Its not that inconceivable for a person to drink 15 drinks from 9 am to 12am and not be falling over drunk. Anyone that was in the Red Frog Pub on the cruise would have seen this first hand as my friends and I were whipping everyone in shuffleboard from about 9 pm to midnight.

[yogimax]

LOL, weighing 400 pounds sure does wonders for ones health. Sure does not stop people on a cruise from ordering 2 entrees. What is your opinion of those people?

 

 

Hey look, I enjoy my drinks. In no way am I trying to say don't drink. I do. My point is simple. 15 drinks a day is over the top. Anyone who has more than 15 drinks a day on a cruise will probably drink pretty heavily at other times. (I know the flames will come soon... "I only drink on vacation"... "I only drink on a cruise"... "Who are you to judge what I do?"... Blah, Blah, Blah

 

In any case, this leads to my response to your question.

 

In 2010 in the United States alone, over 10,000 people died in auto "accidents" at the hands of those who were legally drunk. This doesn't even take into account deaths and injuries caused by those who thought they were drinking responsibly. Deaths and injuries on cruise ships have been caused by drunken passengers.

 

Not sure, but I don't know of any 400 pound person who caused the death of someone else by eating two entrees.

 

Sorry, but I want to enjoy my vacation too and don't want to be awakened at three in the morning by yelling and screaming in the hallway.

[truecruiser]

LOL, weighing 400 pounds sure does wonders for ones health. Sure does not stop people on a cruise from ordering 2 entrees. What is your opinion of those people?

 

Where are the people telling others to put food down at the buffet line and calling them out for being irresponsible.

 

Typical American response to alcohol. Alcohol is bad, it is the devil's water.... oh no, hide the children.

 

I will be on the Breeze starting Sunday. If I don't hit 15 each day I will be terribly disappointed in myself.

 

hahahahahaha....and a lol

 

Hey look, I enjoy my drinks. In no way am I trying to say don't drink. I do. My point is simple. 15 drinks a day is over the top. Anyone who has more than 15 drinks a day on a cruise will probably drink pretty heavily at other times. (I know the flames will come soon... "I only drink on vacation"... "I only drink on a cruise"... "Who are you to judge what I do?"... Blah, Blah, Blah

 

In any case, this leads to my response to your question.

 

In 2010 in the United States alone, over 10,000 people died in auto "accidents" at the hands of those who were legally drunk. This doesn't even take into account deaths and injuries caused by those who thought they were drinking responsibly. Deaths and injuries on cruise ships have been caused by drunken passengers.

 

Not sure, but I don't know of any 400 pound person who caused the death of someone else by eating two entrees.

 

Sorry, but I want to enjoy my vacation too and don't want to be awakened at three in the morning by yelling and screaming in the hallway.

 

But, Yogi, you're missing the point: anyone who's gonna kill himself with blood alcohol poisoning is gonna do it regardless of whether there's a plan in place.

 

And from all posts on here it seems that CCL is the only line that acually has a per day drink limitation. So why not the problem with all of the other lines that don't have a limitation imposed?

[lorijeannj]

LOL, weighing 400 pounds sure does wonders for ones health. Sure does not stop people on a cruise from ordering 2 entrees. What is your opinion of those people?

 

Where are the people telling others to put food down at the buffet line and calling them out for being irresponsible.

 

Typical American response to alcohol. Alcohol is bad, it is the devil's water.... oh no, hide the children.

 

I will be on the Breeze starting Sunday. If I don't hit 15 each day I will be terribly disappointed in myself.

 

lmao

[alimo84]

15 drinks a day is over the top. Anyone who has more than 15 drinks a day on a cruise will probably drink pretty heavily at other times

 

According to you. Those of us who let loose on a cruise prob. have day jobs and other things going on where we don't have the freedom, ability, or desire to drink like a sailor daily.

 

In any case, this leads to my response to your question.

 

In 2010 in the United States alone, over 10,000 people died in auto "accidents" at the hands of those who were legally drunk. This doesn't even take into account deaths and injuries caused by those who thought they were drinking responsibly.

 

This is not even close to the same statistic. We aren't going to be driving and you comparing the two isn't even close to valid.

 

Sorry, but I want to enjoy my vacation too and don't want to be awakened at three in the morning by yelling and screaming in the hallway.

Completely understand as we don't either, but some of us on the board who are going to be consuming however much alcohol are adults and aren't looking to party like a college kid, we're just looking to have a good time and have fun!

[MrPete]

hahahahahaha....and a lol

 

 

 

But, Yogi, you're missing the point: anyone who's gonna kill himself with blood alcohol poisoning is gonna do it regardless of whether there's a plan in place.

?

 

There I have to disagree. The novice trying to their 15 drinks worth may not realize what they are doing to their bodies as they are getting there.

[mikel24m]

LOL, weighing 400 pounds sure does wonders for ones health. Sure does not stop people on a cruise from ordering 2 entrees. What is your opinion of those people?

 

Where are the people telling others to put food down at the buffet line and calling them out for being irresponsible.

 

Typical American response to alcohol. Alcohol is bad, it is the devil's water.... oh no, hide the children.

 

I will be on the Breeze starting Sunday. If I don't hit 15 each day I will be terribly disappointed in myself.

 

Thanks for that laugh

[truecruiser]

There I have to disagree. The novice trying to their 15 drinks worth may not realize what they are doing to their bodies as they are getting there.

 

I see what you're saying, and I agree with it to a certain extent: I agree that there will probably be some people who will foolishly keep going to try "to get more than their $'s worth." And, the "more than" distinction is impt, because if you're talking about 15 drinks, not beer, which cost close to, or more than, 10 bucks a piece, you're talking a lot more than $50, so they'd be looking to get more. But I think CCL has accounted for this possibility by reserving the right to terminate the program for the passenger and refund the $ to the S&S account. I think these people will be the exception, rather than the rule, unless you are on board with Greek row, in which event it may be more prevalent. And, I don't think the program itself is going to cause the ordinary person to push the envelope.

 

There will always be people who push the envelope, but the majority of those people are the same people who did it before the Cheers program even existed. Perfect example, on one cruise I had the unlucky fortune of having a new high school graduate and his friend in the cabin across from me and my kids. The boy smuggled a bottle of jack in his luggage. He and his friend were completely destroyed. they were passed out in the hall, falling, puking, a total mess. I hated my kids seeing this. Thankfully, the kids parents were also on board. The father and mother came down to see them, discovered what was going on and that was the end of that. The father went ballistic on the kid, the mother was so devastated she was in tears. It took nearly 2 days for the boys to come around. It wasn't good. I'm thankful that their parents were onboard and that they stopped this. 7 days of them doing this outside our door would have made for a very long cruise. But, at the end of the day, these kids were gonna do this no matter what. In fact, the only reason it stopped at all was because of the parents. So, people will always push the envelope. Even people who aren't legally able to drink onboard.

 

For the majority of us, the program is a pretty good way to save some $. Ever since UB left and UG took over, everything has changed into a price, and the things that had a price before, catapulted upward in price. This might be the first price break I have seen in any area since the transition at the helm. So, I'm happy they have it.

 

(But don't worry, it probably won't last long!!!! LOLOLOL)