$12 Drinks? No thanks!

[marci22]

Did someone actually say that, or are you just making things up for the sake of argument?

 

No, it was a paraphrase of, "I just have a picture in my mind of the above posters & their families sitting there on their cruise with their sad faces on refusing to spend a cent to punish the terrible cruiselines."

 

Sometimes I don't feel like searching the thread for the exact quote.

[American Bear]

Interesting to read from someone who recently cruised on Carnival that their drink prices have increased as well and that it is not just a phenomenon on Royal.

 

 

Carnivals drink prices have not increased anywhere near what RCL's have.(an approx 10% increase vs RCL's 40%-50%)

Carnival also allows you to purchase liquor for your cabin.

An example would be 1 liter/22 shots of Vodka for $75.=less then $3.50!!!

PS Carnival cruises are cost less!

 

MSC has drink voucher books, the new price, 18 drinks for $85. or less then $5. a drink!!!:eek:

MSC beer voucher books bring the price of bottled beer to less then $4.!!!:eek:

PS MSC cruises are cost less!

 

RCL's drink prices, and Drink Pkge. prices are a rip off!

[Setting sail for fun]

I know I've said this a million times. But, for me the issue isn't that prices went up. It's the fact that some drinks went up as much as 40-50% overnight.

 

Agree. We all know prices increase. It is the amount of the increase that was shocking!

[marci22]

It's even stranger that people who are getting "ripped off" continue to book future cruises with RC

 

It's not black and white, is it? You can complain about certain policies and like other aspects of the company.

 

I have a cruise coming up that I booked at a 'good' price. If that price wasn't available, I probably wouldn't be going. If the food is meh, or the service not up to the usual standards, I don't care because I didn't pay a lot of money.

 

I have my own parameters for what I feel is 'value' and I go by that. If I'm not feeling the value, I don't book or I cancel.

[Paulette3028]

I was just comparing prices to show that it's not just RC that has "high" drink prices. I'm not a "heavy" drinker either and I'm not even sure what a "heavy" drinker is exactly. My wife gets the refreshment package and I get the premium. It works for us, but I can see how it can frustrate others. I still think the percentage of people complaining is way too small for RC to change, but good luck!

 

I totally agree with you, lots of other entertainment offerings have high drink prices. We have tickets to a baseball game later this summer, and the tickets themselves were high and we know that food and drink will be high as well. That for us is a one day event. Some people have 6, 7 or more drinks a day.....and on a long cruise, oh my. I would never make it past day two awake, if I did that.

 

The only way it changes, is when cruisers spend less on it .... and some people will adjust what they spend and others will say, it is just the cost of my vacation.

[Paul65]

An example would be 1 liter/22 shots of Vodka for $75.=less then $3.50!!!

 

I suppose that's a good deal, if you just want to hang out in your room doing shots of vodka. I'm one of those who would rather have a $10 or $12 martini mixed for me by a professional bartender in a social setting than pour a $3.50 shot of vodka in my cabin. But it's nice that Carnival offers that for those who want it.

[Big_G]

Exactly. I find it strange that some people still are completely okay with being ripped off, which I guess is okay if that works for them - but don't ridicule others for taking a stand on something and standing up for themselves.

 

By ridiculing those that are OK with paying these prices, your comment is no better than comments ridiculing those that are taking a stand. Just sayin'...

[dcgrumpy]

It's not black and white, is it? You can complain about certain policies and like other aspects of the company.

 

I have a cruise coming up that I booked at a 'good' price. If that price wasn't available, I probably wouldn't be going. If the food is meh, or the service not up to the usual standards, I don't care because I didn't pay a lot of money.

 

I have my own parameters for what I feel is 'value' and I go by that. If I'm not feeling the value, I don't book or I cancel.

 

I agree. We booked our August cruise at a good price. I've actually looked at other cruises to see if it would be worth it to switch. I haven't been able to find anything comparable. So instead, I just won't drink as much as I normally would.

[LuckiStac13*Majesty*]

By ridiculing those that are OK with paying these prices, your comment is no better than comments ridiculing those that are taking a stand. Just sayin'...

 

How am I ridiculing? By saying it's "strange"?

[Big_G]

How am I ridiculing? By saying it's "strange"?

 

I find it strange that some people still are completely okay with being ripped off, which I guess is okay if that works for them

 

Yea, if you don't see it, I'm not sure anyone can explain it to you. :)

Edited April 21, 2015 by Big_G

[American Bear]

I suppose that's a good deal, if you just want to hang out in your room doing shots of vodka. I'm one of those who would rather have a $10 or $12 martini mixed for me by a professional bartender in a social setting than pour a $3.50 shot of vodka in my cabin. But it's nice that Carnival offers that for those who want it.

 

 

 

Who says you have to hang around your room, fill up a large mug, add a mixer if you want, and take a stroll!

We like balconies, so having a drink on the balcony when we want it is nice.

Also you can use the cabin booze for lowering your cruise drink expenses, you can still buy drinks out and about.

(example: You don't always eat out, but occasionally eating at home lowers your monthly food bill.)

Also the drink vouchers on MSC are good at all bars.

[dpostman]

Posters are always saying 'if you don't like it just don't buy it!' then someone goes and actually does that and someone says they're ruining their family's fun.

 

Did someone actually say that, or are you just making things up for the sake of argument?

 

 

Yup:

 

I know what to tell ya... don't purchase what is being sold. Problem solved and no one gets "taken"! It really can't get much simpler.

 

If you can't afford to drink on a cruise, don't drink.

 

I could find more if you like :(

 

dp

Edited April 21, 2015 by dpostman

[ryano]

It's not black and white, is it? You can complain about certain policies and like other aspects of the company.

 

 

I agree 100%. No it is not black and white. I think the new drink prices are outrageous and told them as much in my survey I just completed. Combine that with overall poor bar service and weaker drinks of which I also commented on and I am surprised some people are happy with paying more and getting less. Will me commenting on that in the survey change things? Highly doubtful but it made me feel better :) I still had a great cruise though and still like the product RCI offers overall.

 

I just adjusted my onboard drinking down to about nothing and got my drink on in port. You can now drink much cheaper at Margaritaville and Senor Frogs and various other places in port than you can onboard :)

Edited April 21, 2015 by ryano

[American Bear]

Yea, if you don't see it, I'm not sure anyone can explain it to you. :)

 

:) doesn't stop your comment from being rude!

[Paul65]

Yup:

 

 

 

 

 

I could find more if you like :(

 

dp

 

The point I was getting at was that she said something like, "You just can't win, because some people will tell you A, then other people will tell you B."

 

So, my point had more to do with a - Duh! Of course different people on here are going to have different opinions. So, no, you cannot "win" if winning for you means having an opinion with which everyone agrees.

 

(And that includes some people thinking that high drink prices should just mean "don't buy it, if you don't like the price" and other people thinking you'd be ruining your vacation by refusing to buy the drinks. Neither is right or wrong for everyone, because people are different.)

Edited April 21, 2015 by Paul65

[marci22]

The point I was getting at was that she said something like, "You just can't win, because some people will tell you A, then other people will tell you B."

 

So, my point had more to do with a - Duh! Of course different people on here are going to have different opinions. So, no, you cannot "win" if winning for you means having an opinion with which everyone agrees.

 

(And that includes some people thinking that high drink prices should just mean "don't buy it, if you don't like the price" and other people thinking you'd be ruining your vacation by refusing to buy the drinks. Neither is right or wrong for everyone, because people are different.)

 

Well I didn't say 'you can't win', that was someone else.

 

Maybe it's my pet peeve because I think "simple! just don't buy it!" is a rude comment and it gets made again and again and again. But if someone says anything along the lines of 'I'm not paying anymore' a lot of posters are all 'don't let the door hit you on the way out'.

 

So maybe it's just a pet peeve of mine and I gave it a mini-rant.

[CruisinCons]

My $12 (plus gratuity) drink from the robots on Quantum included 2 shots of alcohol, 2.5 shots of Sprite, and 5 parts ice. Oh, and it spilled a quarter of it while "stirring."

 

Once to say I had a drink made by a robot...and once only at that price.

[LMaxwell]

For discussion sake, and these numbers are for demonstration purposes only.

 

RCI cost to make a drink, all in = $1

Sale price of drink = $8

 

Let's say you purchase two drinks. $2 to make them; $16 in sales. $14 profit, or a big fat 700% margin.

 

Now they jack up the price to $12. FINE. I'll show THEM. I'll order one.

$1 to make the drink, $12 in sales. $11 profit, or an even nicer 1,100% margin.

 

Believe me, if this doesn't push people into packages there is still PLENTY of margin built in to calculate for those who are going to drink less due to high prices. Less ordered means less product used, less manpower to deliver the product, etc. So they've accounted for those that will cut back.

 

Brilliant move. If drinks sell at the same rate, or faster than before, and this summer will be the real test, prices will only go one way. The only way to counteract it really is to buy no alcohol and not that many people are going to totally forgo having a nice cold drink on vacation to relax with.

Edited April 21, 2015 by LMaxwell

[dcgrumpy]

Who says you have to hang around your room, fill up a large mug, add a mixer if you want, and take a stroll!

We like balconies, so having a drink on the balcony when we want it is nice.

Also you can use the cabin booze for lowering your cruise drink expenses, you can still buy drinks out and about.

(example: You don't always eat out, but occasionally eating at home lowers your monthly food bill.)

Also the drink vouchers on MSC are good at all bars.

 

I agree, you can do both. I normally keep some alcohol in my hotel room on vacation. But I also buy drinks. I like the convenience of having something in the room. I like to have a drink while I'm getting ready for dinner.

[marci22]

Brilliant move. If drinks sell at the same rate, or faster than before, and this summer will be the real test, prices will only go one way.

 

Another way to look at it is that the drink packers are subsidizing the drink voucherers. So I say raise the prices even more. I'd rather drink a highball than a polynesian lava flowzie anyway.

[Paul65]

Maybe it's my pet peeve because I think "simple! just don't buy it!" is a rude comment and it gets made again and again and again. But if someone says anything along the lines of 'I'm not paying anymore' a lot of posters are all 'don't let the door hit you on the way out'.

 

So maybe it's just a pet peeve of mine and I gave it a mini-rant.

 

I suppose rude is sometimes in the eye of the beholder. I think it's a reasonable approach to suggest, if you don't like the price don't buy it, or choose another vacation. Making suggestions for improvement is one thing, but some people do seem to be on a crusade to change the cruise lines, when they think something is, in this example, priced too high.

 

Yeah, some people do just need to rant or vent about things. I can understand that. But you can't rant on a public forum and expect everyone to agree with you. Some people won't, and they might even find your rant petulant.

 

One of my favorites on this (and other) board is to see the people who post a rant along with something to the effect of, "only those who agree with me need respond." :D

[Big_G]

:) doesn't stop your comment from being rude!

 

Actually it was probably one of the more polite comments in this thread but thanks for your input. ;)

[marci22]

I suppose rude is sometimes in the eye of the beholder. I think it's a reasonable approach to suggest, if you don't like the price don't buy it, or choose another vacation. Making suggestions for improvement is one thing, but some people do seem to be on a crusade to change the cruise lines, when they think something is, in this example, priced too high.

 

Yeah, some people do just need to rant or vent about things. I can understand that. But you can't rant on a public forum and expect everyone to agree with you. Some people won't, and they might even find your rant petulant.

 

One of my favorites on this (and other) board is to see the people who post a rant along with something to the effect of, "only those who agree with me need respond." :D

 

Alright. Whatever, Paul65. Over it.

[Paul65]

Alright. Whatever, Paul65. Over it.

 

Okay. Was just trying to suggest that you can actually enjoy the diversity of opinions, if you don't take it all too seriously. I don't like to see people give out incorrect information that someone might take as factual. That's maybe my peeve, but I can handle almost anyone's opinion. (I might argue with them, and even think them to be "wrong," but it won't bother me.)

[kruzerci]

Some of the responses on this thread...