Royal Caribbean piloting self service beer dispensers

[Ex techie]

So as DCL decide to restrict their once very liberal policy of bring all you can amount of booze, beers, wine and hard liquor to allegedly combat drunkeness and stop minors access to alcohol, Royal Caribbean start a trial of self service Stella Artois beer dispensers that are around the pool deck....

 

(12:07 p.m. EDT) -- Royal Caribbean is piloting a self-serve beer program onboard Freedom of the Seas, through which holders of the line's Ultimate, Premium or Select drink packages can serve themselves Stella Artois beer. The self-serve machines are located only around the pool deck and in the Windjammer buffet. Package-holders make their purchases via a special card they swipe at the machines. The self-serve machines have time limits built into them to ensure there is no continuous pouring; there is also a time limit between refills.

 

For beers other than Stella or outside of the pool deck and Windjammer, package-holders will still need to see a bartender. A Royal Caribbean spokeswoman told Cruise Critic there are no current plans to expand the trial to other ships in the fleet.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6539

 

Seriously! You couldn't make this stuff up!

What on earth is the cruise world doing!

 

ex techie

Edited September 19, 2015 by Ex techie

[moki'smommy]

Well, their swipes sound like the mug plan at WDW. Those chips also have a time limit and lock out feature.

[hencoll]

So as DCL decide to restrict their once very liberal policy of bring all you can amount of booze, beers, wine and hard liquor to allegedly combat drunkeness and stop minors access to alcohol, Royal Caribbean start a trial of self service Stella Artois beer dispensers that are around the pool deck....

 

 

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6539

 

Seriously! You couldn't make this stuff up!

What on earth is the cruise world doing!

 

ex techie

 

Sounds very similar to the trendy serve yourself wine bars popping up everywhere. With the time limits and electronically limited "pours" one has to work hard to over do it. One could get drunker faster on the beer buckets and wine packages cruise lines (including DCL) sells.

[Ex techie]

I was thinking more along the lines of a Guest getting smashed ashore, then being able to self serve when back aboard, and where a bartender or server may cut that person off, the machine will not know?

 

I guess they have thought it through?

 

ex techie

[holula]

I believe they have wine versions of this on Celebrity already. Possibly another line, but I'm fairly certain it's Celebrity.

[hencoll]

I believe they have wine versions of this on Celebrity already. Possibly another line, but I'm fairly certain it's Celebrity.

 

The NCL Breakaway and Getaway have the wine versions too.

[Loonbeam]

My concern as well is the ability for someone already cut off to bypass a bartender...

[moki'smommy]

I believe they have wine versions of this on Celebrity already. Possibly another line, but I'm fairly certain it's Celebrity.

 

Celebrity and Royal have the same parent company, so this would make sense. And currently Celebrity is offering a complimentary "Classic Beverage Package" with many sailings. This is the cheaper of their alcohol packages. So there would be a lot of people who might not have an unlimited package for $50+ per day but will happily take it as a freebie.

[RiotAct]

Carnival had these on a couple of their ships, too.