Cruise Line with less alcohol sale push?

[Karlou]

I agree with CB at Sea. If you don't want a drink, don't have one. If you do, that's great, too. I certainly don't want a holier than thou non drinker thinking I'm obviously a drunk because I do like a mojito or two in the afternoon! A trip to the Alchemy Bar before dinner, then a glass of wine with dinner. A night cap to finish it off and I sleep like a baby with the lull of the ship!

[xxoocruiser]

Looking to find a cruise that has less push for alcohol sales! My wife and I are not big drinkers! We have only cruised Carnival, do all cruise lines push alcohol as much? I think what may have set me looking, was Carnival pushing Jello Shots in the main dining room! A cocktail, a glass of wine, but Jello Shots? Just looking for info on other cruise lines! Thanks all! RockNCntry

 

Also don't drink alcohol. Have been on RCCL, HAL and Princess . Though alcohol is a big revenue maker I have never felt pushed or force to purchase anything. A simple no thank you works. Also the waiters are pretty quick to learn very early into the cruise who the spenders and non spenders are.

[Putterdude]

We certainly have never had an issue with the cocktail stewards on Princess or Celebrity, not even in the lounges. If you are sitting in a lounge they will often turn a napkin upside down on your table to indicate that you don't care for a drink and will leave you alone. Poolside on Princess ships they will even bring you ice water or lemonade if you ask and will offer a refill when your glass is getting low.

[Guest maddycat]

Carnival also has dancing waiters and I have to admit I'm not a fan especially when I'm wishing for someone to take my order.

 

Cruise lines make big profits on alcohol so yes there is a "push". But have to agree Jello shots in the MDR is crossing the line.

 

We prefer NCL and while you can always get a drink, I've never felt pushed. Often my husband would drink beer in the afternoon and I drank soda or water. No pressure.

 

On one Carnival cruise my SIL was having a drink and I wanted soda, the bartender told me that I could not sit at the bar unless I ordered a drink! That's pushy.

 

Try some of the other boards and check out the atmosphere. Princess, Celebrity, RCI and NCL would be my recommendations.

 

We've never sailed with Carnival. We've tried Costa, NCL and Princess. These days we sail with either Celebrity or Royal Caribbean. Neither pushes drinks. You can sit at any bar on any of their ships and not order a drink, even a soda and no one will say anything.

[lamchops]

Nothing funny about enjoying a glass of wine while reading a good book. Many cruise lines are now installing self serve wine dispensing machines. They are a great way to try different wines that one may not be aware of. They typically serve different amounts, from an ounce to a full glass, so a person could sample several different wines, and purchase a full glass of a new favorite.

 

Here are two such dispensers:

 

 

I see Amarone, Dockhorn, Caymus, Opus One!

That's not your average dispenser as I believe the cheapest bottle is $70 and the highest is $200+ !:eek:

[boogs]

I see Amarone, Dockhorn, Caymus, Opus One!

That's not your average dispenser as I believe the cheapest bottle is $70 and the highest is $200+ !:eek:

 

That's the nice thing about these dispensers. Instead of paying $200 for a bottle of wine to try it out, you can dispense a one ounce serving to give it a try for only a few bucks. Like it? Dispense a full five ounces and enjoy.

 

The selection changes throughout the cruise, so you have many opportunities to try many different wines. I have seen wines as little as $30 per bottle in these dispensers. For more info about these devices:

 

http://www.usatoday.com/experience/cruise/article/cruises-go-self-serve-with-wine-beer/2642325/

[boogs]

My point is that Carnival will sell alcohol anywhere.

 

They don't need to put dispensers for wine in a library.

 

Here is what Carnival has done on Carnival Breeze. There are the dispensers, but there is also a bar tender mixing up your drinks. Doesn't look too bad to me. The large TV screen is what I find dreadful in a library:

 

 

[hubofhockey]

They turned a library into a bar. Carnival is turning non-revenue spaces into liquor sales. I doubt other lines will follow their lead.

[sail7seas]

That's the nice thing about these dispensers. Instead of paying $200 for a bottle of wine to try it out, you can dispense a one ounce serving to give it a try for only a few bucks. Like it? Dispense a full five ounces and enjoy.

 

The selection changes throughout the cruise, so you have many opportunities to try many different wines. I have seen wines as little as $30 per bottle in these dispensers. For more info about these devices:

 

http://www.usatoday.com/experience/cruise/article/cruises-go-self-serve-with-wine-beer/2642325/

 

 

I love that idea but haven't seen it on any ships we've sailed.

 

[sail7seas]

We certainly have never had an issue with the cocktail stewards on Princess or Celebrity, not even in the lounges. If you are sitting in a lounge they will often turn a napkin upside down on your table to indicate that you don't care for a drink and will leave you alone. Poolside on Princess ships they will even bring you ice water or lemonade if you ask and will offer a refill when your glass is getting low.

 

 

 

Same on HAL. :)

 

[sail7seas]

Nothing funny about enjoying a glass of wine while reading a good book. Many cruise lines are now installing self serve wine dispensing machines. They are a great way to try different wines that one may not be aware of. They typically serve different amounts, from an ounce to a full glass, so a person could sample several different wines, and purchase a full glass of a new favorite.

 

Here are two such dispensers:

 

 

 

 

 

I'd be most happy to have one of those dispensers handy right now. We've chosen to stay in tonight and a few glasses of wine from this selection could be very relaxing and enjoyable. :)

 

[CruisingGatorGirl]

I would agree with Celebrity. My fiance does not drink at all, and I hardly drink. We like Celebrity because in general, things are not as "pushy"

 

:) just my 2 cents

[RockNCntry]

I really appreciate the info on other cruise lines. Thanks a lot! I normaly don't have a problem with a waiter walking by and asking and they are usually very polite and are not what I call pushy! So I guess I worded it wrong! Sorry! I was just looking for other options, which I knew others here would help with their advice on other lines they have sailed on! Thanks for all the information! RockNCntry

[SMerritt]

We do not drink. Sailed on many Cruise Lines (see sig. below), we have never felt "pushed" for drinks. The first "no thank you" at a dinner table, etc. and no one asks again.

 

On a few cruises, I have become a little irritated with constant cameras in my face, especially during a quiet dinner.

[A2Mich]

 

Cruise lines make big profits on alcohol so yes there is a "push". But have to agree Jello shots in the MDR is crossing the line.

 

 

I wholeheartedly agree.......Jello shots are only for breakfast and lunch! Just kidding....sort of. While I particularly like Jello shots, I don't think they're appropriate for the dining room. Around the pool at the bar, sure, but I don't feel the MDR is the proper place either......JMHO

[marco]

By "pushing", if what you mean is continuously soliciting you to purchase beverages, to completely avoid that go on a line that is totally all inclusive.

[swsfrail]

By "pushing", if what you mean is continuously soliciting you to purchase beverages, to completely avoid that go on a line that is totally all inclusive.

 

Not necessary. There are a couple of mass market cruise lines already mentioned in this thread that treat their passengers like guests, not money machines.

[MCAT48]

They have those wine dispensers on NCL breakaway too it's pretty neat IMO.

 

On my last few cruises(on NCL) a lot less of the pushing of alcohol even at the pool deck. Even at the bar sitting area on the waterfront on breakaway they had one or two servers that would ask once and then leave you alone, which was good until I actually wanted a drink. In the headliners comedy club there was only maybe 2 or 3 people taking orders that I saw, the first time we went there the servers never came near us to even ask if we wanted anything. The other times we sat closer to the bar so they came over to us.

 

I like that there is not as many servers as there was on my first cruise, I was asked maybe every 5 minutes if I wanted bar service but wish there could be a happy medium between too much and too little. ...if that makes sense.

[A2Mich]

I'm not a wine drinker myself, but do think those machines are pretty cool. For all of the years that vending machines have been around, I'm surprised it took so long to come up with this. I also think that wine drinking has become a bit more mainstream in the past few years so now there may be a greater demand than there was say 10-15 years ago?

 

 

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