Bon Voyage liquor price increases

[ahottoddie]

Is this normal??? We are now 63 days from our Alaska cruise on the Miracle and the bottle of Skyy vodka thru Bon Voyage that was $50 2 months ago and $55 last week is now $65...*** is this normal and will it keep increasing as we get closer still???:confused:

[sjcruiser]

Prices went up a few months ago, and should hold steady there, or at least until next year. I paid $50 for the Skyy in March, but considering how many drinks I can get out of the bottle using my own mixers or the ships juices, its a bargain. The price of the Skyy is more than $30 buck than I would pay for it at home, but I don't mind since I' on vacation.

[ahottoddie]

Prices went up a few months ago, and should hold steady there, or at least until next year.

 

I just logged on and the Skyy is $65...last week it was $55:confused:

[Bases5]

Is this normal??? We are now 63 days from our Alaska cruise on the Miracle and the bottle of Skyy vodka thru Bon Voyage that was $50 2 months ago and $55 last week is now $65...*** is this normal and will it keep increasing as we get closer still???:confused:

 

The liquor part of Bon Voyage has been down over the last several week's I was afraid they were adjusting prices again. I bought 2 bottles of Sky a month ago for $55. It's $65 today. It has nothing to do with getting closer to sailing date. It's carnival raising there prices again. My opinion is they want to push more people to the Cheers program which they just raised the prices on also.

It's expensive I agree.

I was looking at NCL bon voyage prices last night and carnivals is still $20+ less.

Smuggling will pick up again.

[jbhcw]

A few years back a liter of Jim Beam was 37 or 38 dollars...it was 64 on our Glory cruise a week ago....still not a bad price compared to drink prices..and dh likes to mix his own drink in the cabin while getting ready for dinner..

[geckog]

Yep, I bought a bottle of rum for 60 last week and it is now 75.

[goblue85]

Yeah I noticed this yesterday as well.... Guess I shouldn't have been waiting around and just ordered my liquor when I booked

[Josher61]

Regardless of "value" of purchasing a bottle .... a 25-30% price increase in two months?? :eek: That seems steep. For any aspect of a business. All the while dropping cabin prices according to many posts/threads on here.

[*Luv2Cruz*]

I'm still way ahead of the game with all the price drops!!!!!!!!!!!;):cool:

[mikel24m]

Prices went up a few months ago, and should hold steady there, or at least until next year. I paid $50 for the Skyy in March, but considering how many drinks I can get out of the bottle using my own mixers or the ships juices, its a bargain. The price of the Skyy is more than $30 buck than I would pay for it at home, but I don't mind since I' on vacation.

 

Prices didn't go up a few months ago, this is a new increase.Those were not the prices a few days ago

[crusinpsychRN]

Regardless of "value" of purchasing a bottle .... a 25-30% price increase in two months?? :eek: That seems steep. For any aspect of a business. All the while dropping cabin prices according to many posts/threads on here.

 

Sure is. The bottle of Jim Beam I can get locally is $20, from BV $60. Usery rates. No wonder people smuggle.

[frayedend]

Holy crap! I was in a thread a few days ago when the site was up and down but prices had not changed. Today the Captain Morgan is now $80. They just changed my mind from Bon Voyage to Rum Runners. Idiots.

[BallFour4]

The inboard pricing is market driven. Cruises remain a bargain and are lesser priced than 30 years ago.

 

Carnival makes the biggest revenues from alcohol, gambling, spas and excursions. Perhaps a reasonable explanation how a bingo card can cost $30.

 

I have no desire to attempt to defend, but it makes sense to charge a premium for the extras if they keep the basic costs low.

 

See you at sea.

[Josher61]

The inboard pricing is market driven. Cruises remain a bargain and are lesser priced than 30 years ago.

 

Carnival makes the biggest revenues from alcohol, gambling, spas and excursions. Perhaps a reasonable explanation how a bingo card can cost $30.

 

I have no desire to attempt to defend, but it makes sense to charge a premium for the extras if they keep the basic costs low.

 

See you at sea.

 

I dont disagree with your thinking, I concur. And as a Canadian the BV pricing is not problematic to me :) but I still maintain that ANY company that ups a product 25-30% almost overnight has to expect some backlash.

[rogers417]

Just will bring my wine and buy my drinlks. Usually I do order a bottle of rum or two. Not now. This has the potential to backfire as more people might try sneaking booze on board. It's a fine line to walk.

 

 

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[pcmom10]

Prices went up within the past 2 days.

 

On Thursday morning (6/20) I asked my DH what to order. The Patron Reposado or Silver, prices were $95 and $90 respectively. Today they are $105 and $100 :eek::eek: and the Bacardi Rum was $65 and is now $75.

 

I should have ordered on Thursday now it will cost me nearly 10% more! :mad:

[jwm51]

Sure is. The bottle of Jim Beam I can get locally is $20, from BV $60. Usery rates. No wonder people smuggle.

 

My local Safeway has Beam $19.99, Morgan for $9.99!!!:eek:

 

SHAME ON YOU CARNIVAL!:(

[Josher61]

Sure is. The bottle of Jim Beam I can get locally is $20, from BV $60. Usery rates. No wonder people smuggle.

 

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but....that Jim Beam you like has just gone up another $10. Its now $70.00

 

Just my sense of humour, don't flame me :) but perhaps we could start a thread for the BV price hike checks the same as all the price drop check threads :)

[caribbean dreams]

Hummm, my guess is that with these constant price increases, Carnival is trying to encourage people to buy the new drink package because they make so much more money off of it, then they do with a single bottle of booze..just my thoughts:) I will still buy the higher price bottle for my cabin, to me, its cheaper then $49+a day.

[nodogkisses]

Dummy me. I thought that Carnival was putting new liquor choices on the website the other day when it was unavailable for ordering. Like flavored vodkas, etc. I never dreamt that it was for a price increase when they just had a price increase not too long ago. Wow.

 

 

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[mikel24m]

The inboard pricing is market driven. Cruises remain a bargain and are lesser priced than 30 years ago.

 

Carnival makes the biggest revenues from alcohol, gambling, spas and excursions. Perhaps a reasonable explanation how a bingo card can cost $30.

 

I have no desire to attempt to defend, but it makes sense to charge a premium for the extras if they keep the basic costs low.

 

See you at sea.

 

But why do we have to subsidize other people fare ? Why do I have to pay $90 for a bottle of liquor and some people cruise for $499 for the week and don't spend another penny onboard? Please enlighten me

[Josher61]

I think there are many different factors at play: my speculation on a few of them are: rock bottom cabin pricing, introduction of drink program to remain competitive with other lines (even if Carnival's is much more restrictive), normal "up pricing" of all ancillary items, bad press over the past while, not to mention bad earnings reports :)

 

I think what I find interesting about the introduction of the Cheers program and the significant raise of BV liquor is it appears to be somewhat shortsighted and perhaps even backward. Perhaps I am abnormal (not surprisingly) but I order from BV as well as a drink card. I enjoy my late night drinks on my balcony and simply appreciate the convenience of having my own bottle in my cabin for whenever I wish to partake. I don't smuggle booze onto a ship, I bring my allowed wine etc. So sure, I can spend another 20-30 bucks on a bottle (or 40-60 if buying for a guest as well) but I think the long term of this plan is what is interesting.

 

Assuming that eventually the cabin prices must go back up and return to what are "feasible" or more realistic numbers from a corporation standpoint they become (or return) to being more in line with some other lines. So that leaves what then? A restrictive drink program, higher BV prices, plus all the cuts that many lament about here etc. So you have a relatively mediocre experience at what are no longer such reduced rates. What will people do? And that is what I am wondering about....the long term thinking of what's behind these changes and what management thinks the end result will really be.

 

I'm just musing out loud....wondering about the line of reasoning that is in effect. I'm a bit of a "long term" thinker and generally try to understand the "plan" :) end of my philosophizing.

[Josher61]

But why do we have to subsidize other people fare ? Why do I have to pay $90 for a bottle of liquor and some people cruise for $499 for the week and don't spend another penny onboard? Please enlighten me

 

And this is often the dilemma for many businesses. How do you satisfy clients while promoting a "loss leader" in your "store"? For a cruiseline this is difficult. Because potentially those that avail themselves to the "loss leader" part of things may also be the ones that don't avail themselves to the higher "add ons". Most businesses manage to figure out a bottom line that allows the business to win. In this case (see my previous rambling post) do those that do regularly avail themselves to the higher end cabins, spa treatments, BV, excursions etc....do they finally say...ok Im going elsewhere? That's what I'm wondering. Or are those that "gain" upfront (with the low cabin pricing) spending extra money by availing themselves to more of the ancillary items? That is what I am sure they already know. They of course have these breakdowns...average spending per person, per cabin, per category of cabin, etc. And I can't imagine they are making these decisions without having analzed those numbers to death. At least I hope not, but I know nothing of the corporate workings of the company. So yes, I agree with your statement/reaction...and I don't believe you are alone in your thinking....at some point...especially when cabin prices start to rise (assuming they do) some (or many) will say...I'm going elsewhere for my experience. Thats the "danger" as I see it.

[melissastar1980]

[mikel24m]

And this is often the dilemma for many businesses. How do you satisfy clients while promoting a "loss leader" in your "store"? For a cruiseline this is difficult. Because potentially those that avail themselves to the "loss leader" part of things may also be the ones that don't avail themselves to the higher "add ons". Most businesses manage to figure out a bottom line that allows the business to win. In this case (see my previous rambling post) do those that do regularly avail themselves to the higher end cabins, spa treatments, BV, excursions etc....do they finally say...ok Im going elsewhere? That's what I'm wondering. Or are those that "gain" upfront (with the low cabin pricing) spending extra money by availing themselves to more of the ancillary items? That is what I am sure they already know. They of course have these breakdowns...average spending per person, per cabin, per category of cabin, etc. And I can't imagine they are making these decisions without having analzed those numbers to death. At least I hope not, but I know nothing of the corporate workings of the company. So yes, I agree with your statement/reaction...and I don't believe you are alone in your thinking....at some point...especially when cabin prices start to rise (assuming they do) some (or many) will say...I'm going elsewhere for my experience. Thats the "danger" as I see it.

 

Don't get me wrong we love Carnival ,but I think we are going to try NCL next time .Were gamblers and they treat gamblers well from what I read on here.I guess right now they suit us better than Carnival.Something I never understood is why cruise lines don't have some sort of rewards program for overall spending for example we buy our balcony location we like,I bring minimum $5k to gamble,we buy pictures ,buy bottles from BV,do chefs tables

 

Why wouldn't it pay for them to reward people better and keep loyalty to Carnival(I realize its my choice to gamble).Maybe if we go on NCL and they take better care of us some people may not come back regardless of price