WOW - bar drinks prices increased by up to 40%

[John&LaLa]

small price to pay.....too small to read...at least here. I have noticed though, that places that sell wine, it's usually not as budget priced as beer/other drinks...Like I said, people want to pay less. It's just not going to happen too much, not on a cruise.

 

Sorry, the CSM Riesling was $8 as glass, $32 a bottle

Edited May 3, 2015 by John&LaLa

[weatherboy80]

This varies, you might find them amenable to fetching wine from the dining room for you.

 

Thanks - certainly hope so.

[mosskins]

We have just returned today from our sailing on the Vision. Cocktails were a standard $14 plus vat!! Same cocktails in November were $7.50!!!

[Jimmy Geegitz]

We have just returned today from our sailing on the Vision. Cocktails were a standard $14 plus vat!! Same cocktails in November were $7.50!!!

 

WOW!!! That's almost double. I'll go back to smuggling.

[splash_in_the_water]

Sorry, the CSM Riesling was $8 as glass, $32 a bottle

 

eh, seems par for the course at most casual dining places like that. How was the food there anyway? The menu looks pretty good.

 

You know, sometimes I wonder what we're all bickering about anymore lol.....

[OzKiwiJJ]

Anyone have a very recent wine list as I will be on the Radiance in a few weeks going to Alaska? I'm still holding out some hope for them to bring the wine package similar to the Oasis class.

 

Jean has the best wine lists:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=46082438&postcount=1

 

I think Jean's wine lists were from before the price rises. On our mid-March cruise most of the wines were significantly higher. On the main MDR wine list there were no wines by the glass less than $11 and the prices ranged up to $14 per glass, however I think those prices included the 18% service charge as Rhapsody was sailing out of Australia at the time - Australians are used to inclusive pricing. My favourite, the Spy Valley Pinot Noir, was $14 per glass. All cocktails were $14. On that cruise the Premium and Ultimate packages covered drinks to $14.

 

However on our cruise there was a separate wine list of Australian and New Zealand wines and the prices on that were lower, $8-9 per glass, which was covered by the Select package.

[Clarea]

I think Jean's wine lists were from before the price rises. On our mid-March cruise most of the wines were significantly higher. On the main MDR wine list there were no wines by the glass less than $11 and the prices ranged up to $14 per glass, however I think those prices included the 18% service charge as Rhapsody was sailing out of Australia at the time - Australians are used to inclusive pricing. My favourite, the Spy Valley Pinot Noir, was $14 per glass. All cocktails were $14. On that cruise the Premium and Ultimate packages covered drinks to $14.

 

However on our cruise there was a separate wine list of Australian and New Zealand wines and the prices on that were lower, $8-9 per glass, which was covered by the Select package.

Interesting, because on our mid-March cruise I thought the wine prices had declined somewhat from what I saw in January. I admit however that I was looking only at per bottle prices, not per glass prices.

[John&LaLa]

eh, seems par for the course at most casual dining places like that. How was the food there anyway? The menu looks pretty good.

 

You know, sometimes I wonder what we're all bickering about anymore lol.....

 

My favorite of the Cove Restaurants. Great happy hour from 4-6 everyday. You can't see ships leave from T1 (RCL pier) but no ships leave from there on Saturday, anyway

[sugcarol]

Years ago on our cruises, drinks especially drink of the day was really cheap. Bartenders told us that booze bought by cruise line is practically nothing so they could afford to sell to passengers at low cost. RCI is still getting booze at super low prices, but they are certainly not passing those savings onto us now. Frankly I think they have gone way overboard [pun intended] with current prices. Sailing is going to price us out of the market. I love to cruise but don't want to be taken advantage of.

[weatherboy80]

I think Jean's wine lists were from before the price rises. On our mid-March cruise most of the wines were significantly higher. On the main MDR wine list there were no wines by the glass less than $11 and the prices ranged up to $14 per glass, however I think those prices included the 18% service charge as Rhapsody was sailing out of Australia at the time - Australians are used to inclusive pricing. My favourite, the Spy Valley Pinot Noir, was $14 per glass. All cocktails were $14. On that cruise the Premium and Ultimate packages covered drinks to $14.

 

However on our cruise there was a separate wine list of Australian and New Zealand wines and the prices on that were lower, $8-9 per glass, which was covered by the Select package.

 

Hmmmm, hope that isn't the case - but thanks for the updated info. Hopefully they will bring back the wine and dine package!

[CruisingFeline]

I was stunned at the on board pricing!

 

$4 for a Coke, $9 for a beer, $15 for a Martini?

 

For a company that does billions in annual procurement, don't tell me they aren't paying less than 25 cents for a tin of Coke or $1.00 for a Stella. I'd call 100% margins.

 

Thank God we have the Elite/Diamond boozy hour and free lattes/espresso other times.

 

We bought a total of 2 drinks on the first night, then zero after that. We don't drink enough sugary sodas and liquor to justify a drink package.

[Hgeffen]

I'm sure this was covered somewhere within this thread, but anyone know if this steep increase applies to non alcoholic drinks? Like, if I wanted a virgin strawberry daiquiri, what should I expect to pay?

[Davb6354]

Order Shots, that's what I usually do!:D

Not everybody has gone up in drink prices, MSC came out with a new voucher book that gives 18 drinks for $84! That's $4.67 a drink! And if you pre-order there's no gratuity added!

 

That is awesome! I sure wish Royal Caribbean would consider something like this.

 

Just returned from the Adventure of the Seas today. On the second to last day, they offered a 10 "House Drink" Package for $75.00. I have not cruised on RCI for a few years so I'm not sure if this is a normal end of cruise offer or if this is a step in the direction of offering per drink coupons.

[sexylegend8]

I'm sure this was covered somewhere within this thread, but anyone know if this steep increase applies to non alcoholic drinks? Like, if I wanted a virgin strawberry daiquiri, what should I expect to pay?

 

I was on the Radiance in April and from memory the mocktails were $5 and there were signs everywhere that kids needed parental permission for drinks with energy drinks in them.

[BekkaW]

For a company that does billions in annual procurement, don't tell me they aren't paying less than 25 cents for a tin of Coke or $1.00 for a Stella. I'd call 100% margins.

 

I'm sure you realize their costs involved in getting that beer to you on a ship are much more than the cost of the beer itself.

[ATC cruiser]

I'm sure you realize their costs involved in getting that beer to you on a ship are much more than the cost of the beer itself.

 

 

At the volume they buy their booze, the cost of having it delivered to the ship is negligible. I'd be surprised if the liquor distributor even had a separate line on the invoice charging for delivery. The longshoreman taking it from the dock, to the ship, may be another story. I don't believe there is any reason for the drink prices to increase like they did except for greed, on the part of RCI. But they're a business trying to make money for their shareholders, so they can charge what they want, I don't have to buy it, nor will I. Lets not try to justify their price increases by saying the cost of everything is going up. While that may be true, the price of booze hasn't increased by 30 to 50 percent.

[American Bear]

Just returned from the Adventure of the Seas today. On the second to last day, they offered a 10 "House Drink" Package for $75.00. I have not cruised on RCI for a few years so I'm not sure if this is a normal end of cruise offer or if this is a step in the direction of offering per drink coupons.

 

 

Interesting, that would bring the per drink price down to $7.50, which most cruisers would be OK with, and RCL is still making a big profit.:)

Thanks for the info.

[Clarea]

Just returned from the Adventure of the Seas today. On the second to last day, they offered a 10 "House Drink" Package for $75.00. I have not cruised on RCI for a few years so I'm not sure if this is a normal end of cruise offer or if this is a step in the direction of offering per drink coupons.

It would be interesting to know exactly what they considered a "house drink".

[John&LaLa]

At the volume they buy their booze, the cost of having it delivered to the ship is negligible. I'd be surprised if the liquor distributor even had a separate line on the invoice charging for delivery. The longshoreman taking it from the dock, to the ship, may be another story. I don't believe there is any reason for the drink prices to increase like they did except for greed, on the part of RCI. But they're a business trying to make money for their shareholders, so they can charge what they want, I don't have to buy it, nor will I. Lets not try to justify their price increases by saying the cost of everything is going up. While that may be true, the price of booze hasn't increased by 30 to 50 percent.

 

I believe they were referring to the expense of having cold beer available in the middle of the ocean

Storage, cooling, handling, etc.

Not like you can jump in your car and drive to Publix to buy more at $9 a six

:beer:

[ATC cruiser]

I believe they were referring to the expense of having cold beer available in the middle of the ocean

Storage, cooling, handling, etc.

Not like you can jump in your car and drive to Publix to buy more at $9 a six

:beer:

 

 

I don't believe the cost of that has gone up 30 to 50 percent either.

[ATC cruiser]

I don't mind an increase of prices, it's the amount of the increase. But it's within their rights to do it.

[John&LaLa]

I don't mind an increase of prices, it's the amount of the increase. But it's within their rights to do it.

 

Yep, it's a money grab. Really not much of an issue for me. If they make their margin on extras vs ticket price, I can live with that. Cheers

[smoosh21]

Just boarded the Serenade in Copenhagen. Everything is 14 which includes gratuity. I did a Europe cruise on Celebrity last year and drinks were same price as US ports. These new prices are ridiculous. I hadn't been reading the boards lately so I didn't know these huge increases occured. I had to come here to investigate. These will greatly reduce what drinks I buy, if any.

[icsys]

Yep, it's a money grab. Really not much of an issue for me. If they make their margin on extras vs ticket price, I can live with that. Cheers

 

I'm sure the majority of us can live with that. :)

We can choose to buy 'extras' or not.

But what will RCI do if the purchasing of 'extras' falls and therefore their margin?

 

Just boarded the Serenade in Copenhagen. Everything is 14 which includes gratuity. I did a Europe cruise on Celebrity last year and drinks were same price as US ports. These new prices are ridiculous. I hadn't been reading the boards lately so I didn't know these huge increases occured. I had to come here to investigate. These will greatly reduce what drinks I buy, if any.

 

As long as passengers continue to buy the packages (the driver behind bar price rises) and packages are given as 'all inclusive' deals, nothing will change.

[Summerknight]

Just boarded the Serenade in Copenhagen. Everything is 14 which includes gratuity. I did a Europe cruise on Celebrity last year and drinks were same price as US ports. These new prices are ridiculous. I hadn't been reading the boards lately so I didn't know these huge increases occured. I had to come here to investigate. These will greatly reduce what drinks I buy, if any.

 

Can't say I blame you! We will certainly be drinking less. We do not drink enough to have a package.

I feel bad for the people that love their cocktails, especially on vacation. Thankfully we cruise for the sun and the sea.