Before you buy that Drink Package...

[birdylady]

...there are some changes you might want to be aware of.

 

About this time the lady sitting next to me at the card table says "If you think that choice is bad you ought to see what they are passing off as booze in the diamond lounge and during the cocktail hours". She said the vodka available at these events was New Amsterdam (??? never heard of that one)..

PLEASE tell me I can still get my Bailey's in the Diamond Lounge. The 'generic' versions just aren't nearly as smooth.

 

 

Erika

[Bead Pirate]

Hello to all of my fellow drinkers out there, I spent the evening last night checking out the bars and I have some news to report. By the way, as one of our previous posters mentioned I do not drink for quantity (that was the younger days) now I drink for quality... but that is always a matter of personal choice and taste.

 

The Casino bar had no change (very limited selection) so no drinking there for me (probably going to save some money). New bottles began appearing at the Champagne Bar! (however not at Pub, Sorrentos).

 

Here are the higher end offerings:

 

In the Scotch line they now will carry Talisker and Ardbeg (both 10 year).

In the Bourbon line they will now carry Whistlepig Rye, Bulliet, Cyrus Noble, Corrasir Triple Smoked, Blantons, Buffalo Trace

In the Tequila Line we have Patron, Cuervo

 

 

I did actually talk with Tony at the Champagne bar last evening (he says hello to you all). Most of the items mentioned above (pretty much all of them in fact) will be priced a bit higher than the limits of the Drink Package (think $2 to $4 additional per drink). These products will only be available at the Champagne Bar at this time.

 

 

I actually enjoy Whistlepig Rye (prefer the Old World version which I keep at home), the Cyrus Noble was interesting as it starts out sweet and finishes with a burn and the Triple Smoked was as close to a smoky scotch as any Bourbon I have ever had.

 

The dynamics at the Champagne bar were interesting, they had 4 bar tenders and a constant flow of people coming up and ordering doubles "to go". I watched people order their drinks and march over to the pub or take the steps back down to the casino (with drinks in hand).

 

I will check Dazels and Blaze tonight and report back in the AM.

 

Pulling into Labadee as I type this (having breakfast on the balcony), wish you all could be here and I am sure many of you soon will be!

[chandom]

Yeah, the Champagne Bar was interesting. The no beer and blender drinks thing keeps a good bunch from staying.

 

The other gotcha is just about every drink made is getting shaken and strained. So that slows the bar down tremendously.

 

Disappointed that the extended collection is over the covered limits now. Very few straight ups weren't covered. It was just a few of the Cognacs, JW Blue, and a higer end Crown Royal (XO or XR). Now the mixed drinks, different story.

 

Sent from a mobile device

[cbusbigred]

New Amsterdam is under $20 for 1.75 l. What's next? Kirkland's?

 

I'm not a connoisseur of vodka, but I will say this much:

 

I make cakes on the side (as in, wedding cakes, fancy fondant-covered creations ... all-butter buttercream frosting in any flavor you can imagine). It's my zen. Part of my niche is that everything is handcrafted ... right down to the vanilla extract I make myself and use in my cakes / frosting.

 

I won't use New Amsterdam in my extract process. It doesn't perform / behave like the true higher end vodkas, and the taste is BRUTAL with my expensive vanilla beans. It's not smooth at all, and it overwhelms the vanilla flavor with bitterness.

 

If I won't put it in cake, I won't drink it straight. :')

[Kmermaid]

Last week on Harmony there was no Knob Creek to be found anywhere. We drank our full of Bookers, Four Roses and alot of Blantons. Where we found the Blantons was at the Pub, Solarium Bar and Schooner Bar (finished a bottom and was even given the stopper though it was a letter I already had). I saw plenty of Patron in every bar. We had high winds the first 3-4 days/nights so we got our $$ worth out of the drink package!

[NanciRDH]

Just curious...I've got a Johnny Walker black drinker here...is that one on the plan? Or even on board still? If not, it's a deal breaker for one guy I know, he's left restaurants before if it's not available lol.

[shack]

Interesting thread. My hard alcohol days are over so I'm just looking for the Radiance bar that has the best wine by the glass selection and the least traffic (shortest wait). TIA

[DISFANS3]

Going to have to rethink the drink package, before next cruise...

[Cauzneffct]

Hello to all of my fellow drinkers out there, I spent the evening last night checking out the bars and I have some news to report. By the way, as one of our previous posters mentioned I do not drink for quantity (that was the younger days) now I drink for quality... but that is always a matter of personal choice and taste.

 

The Casino bar had no change (very limited selection) so no drinking there for me (probably going to save some money). New bottles began appearing at the Champagne Bar! (however not at Pub, Sorrentos).

 

Here are the higher end offerings:

 

In the Scotch line they now will carry Talisker and Ardbeg (both 10 year).

In the Bourbon line they will now carry Whistlepig Rye, Bulliet, Cyrus Noble, Corrasir Triple Smoked, Blantons, Buffalo Trace

In the Tequila Line we have Patron, Cuervo

 

 

I did actually talk with Tony at the Champagne bar last evening (he says hello to you all). Most of the items mentioned above (pretty much all of them in fact) will be priced a bit higher than the limits of the Drink Package (think $2 to $4 additional per drink). These products will only be available at the Champagne Bar at this time.

 

 

I actually enjoy Whistlepig Rye (prefer the Old World version which I keep at home), the Cyrus Noble was interesting as it starts out sweet and finishes with a burn and the Triple Smoked was as close to a smoky scotch as any Bourbon I have ever had.

 

The dynamics at the Champagne bar were interesting, they had 4 bar tenders and a constant flow of people coming up and ordering doubles "to go". I watched people order their drinks and march over to the pub or take the steps back down to the casino (with drinks in hand).

 

I will check Dazels and Blaze tonight and report back in the AM.

 

Pulling into Labadee as I type this (having breakfast on the balcony), wish you all could be here and I am sure many of you soon will be!

 

 

Talisker works for me. Thanks for sleuthing this all out

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[KnightsFan]

It sounds like they're bringing the liquor selection down to the same level as the beer selection. I'd hoped it would go the other way, because the beer selection looks to be awful.

[ranchette]

Do they still offer Dewars or Johnny walker red scotch???????????????????????

[torpeedo]

So I guess my question is will the lower end alcohol be just for drink packages? I don't buy the drink packages since I don't drink that much BUT if I want a Grey Goose martini, that's what I want. DH enjoys the Knob Creek also as evidently a lot of others. Will that be available I wonder?

I'll keep up with OP's investigation!

[crusinthrough]

Still only one alcoholic package: Deluxe.

 

 

Whew, Thank you, all of my cruises are further out and the cruise planner is not available yet to check.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[chandom]

Do they still offer Dewars or Johnny walker red scotch???????????????????????

 

 

Just curious...I've got a Johnny Walker black drinker here...is that one on the plan? Or even on board still? If not, it's a deal breaker for one guy I know, he's left restaurants before if it's not available lol.

 

Don't recall seeing JW Red. Have seen JW Black and Double Black both covered by the package.

 

Want to say yes on the Dewers, think it was just the white label version.

 

Sent from a mobile device

[skyking]

Wonder if mid week the menus change, my brother is also onboard this week, I will text him and see what he can find out as well. Thanks!

[Bead Pirate]

Johnny Walker Black, Double Black and Blue were all available in the Champagne Bar.

 

Also found Patron in Boleros (did not see it in Casino or Pub)

 

In Jamaica today (beside one of my favorite ships, the Reflection) so a little island drinking is in order, I think I am starting to have Knob Creek withdraw ...

 

Thanks for keeping up!

[cstimmons]

If I have to end up paying for even mid range alcohol with the drink package I think I would have to reconsider cruising with royal. The biggest part of it for me is the all inclusive/peace of mind feeling. Pricing a drink 1-2 $ outside the limit of the package just wreaks of desparation to wring out a few extra bucks with no reguards to the customer.

 

But, as previously stated Buffalo Trace is one of my favorites and if I can get that and a few grey goose martinis I'll still be a happy camper.

[bUU]

... after all "everybody has the drink package now" (what that has to do with anything is beyond me). ...

Hard to say, but it reminds me of what many folks noted at Walt Disney World when they introduced dining plans.

 

While the theme park had typical crap food since it opened, around 1994-1995 that all changed, with over a dozen fine restaurants opening, a couple even inside the theme parks (though the rest at the deluxe hotels but still Disney owned). These restaurants offered an amazing dining experience given the circumstances - for many a perfect combination of Florida theme park casual with quality ingredients, quality preparation, and quality service.

 

The dining plans were introduced in 2006 and very soon thereafter people started blaming the dining plans for changes and compromises made in the fine dining offerings. There were some very obvious interactions: certain selections not available on the dining plans, selective surcharges, and in some cases, counting single meals at some of the restaurants as two meals. Claims were that there were other, less obvious interactions, including smaller portion sizes, simplification of menu items, lower quality ingredients and even reductions in service quality. How much of the degradation was real versus imagined is an open question, however there's no denying that the number of restaurants there that can be still considered "fine" is much lower, perhaps countable on the fingers of one hand.

 

I'm not sure why, but at least in that case, "packaging" food and beverage did have a negative impact.

 

If I have to end up paying for even mid range alcohol with the drink package I think I would have to reconsider cruising with royal.

Which comparable cruise line does this better?

[cstimmons]

 

Which comparable cruise line does this better?

 

Good question...Not sure as I don't have much experience. I know carnival limits the AMOUNT of drinks you can order in a day. If cruising became too expensive for me...or not worth the value...I'd probably look into taking my money to a resort instead.

 

I like, almost more than anything, the fixed cost aspect of it all.

[bUU]

If cruising became too expensive for me...or not worth the value...I'd probably look into taking my money to a resort instead.

We're back to cruising after eight years because resorts are getting too expensive for us.

 

I like, almost more than anything, the fixed cost aspect of it all.

That's going to get increasingly uncomfortable, because the overwhelming majority of American consumers these days are bargain hunters, seeking out the lowest base price with practically no reasonable regard for the compromises they're making in doing so.

[gotcha3]

Hard to say, but it reminds me of what many folks noted at Walt Disney World when they introduced dining plans.

 

While the theme park had typical crap food since it opened, around 1994-1995 that all changed, with over a dozen fine restaurants opening, a couple even inside the theme parks (though the rest at the deluxe hotels but still Disney owned). These restaurants offered an amazing dining experience given the circumstances - for many a perfect combination of Florida theme park casual with quality ingredients, quality preparation, and quality service.

 

The dining plans were introduced in 2006 and very soon thereafter people started blaming the dining plans for changes and compromises made in the fine dining offerings. There were some very obvious interactions: certain selections not available on the dining plans, selective surcharges, and in some cases, counting single meals at some of the restaurants as two meals. Claims were that there were other, less obvious interactions, including smaller portion sizes, simplification of menu items, lower quality ingredients and even reductions in service quality. How much of the degradation was real versus imagined is an open question, however there's no denying that the number of restaurants there that can be still considered "fine" is much lower, perhaps countable on the fingers of one hand.

 

I'm not sure why, but at least in that case, "packaging" food and beverage did have a negative impact.

 

Which comparable cruise line does this better?

 

Celebrity

[lvcrzn]

New Amsterdam is under $20 for 1.75 l. What's next? Kirkland's?

This post made me laugh out loud! My husband (a whiskey drinking guy) happens to enjoy Kirkland brand whiskey and is still unhappy that our local big box no longer has it in stock:'). Well, I know one person who would be trilled with this choice :o

[jyasneski]

Hard to say, but it reminds me of what many folks noted at Walt Disney World when they introduced dining plans.

 

While the theme park had typical crap food since it opened, around 1994-1995 that all changed, with over a dozen fine restaurants opening, a couple even inside the theme parks (though the rest at the deluxe hotels but still Disney owned). These restaurants offered an amazing dining experience given the circumstances - for many a perfect combination of Florida theme park casual with quality ingredients, quality preparation, and quality service.

 

The dining plans were introduced in 2006 and very soon thereafter people started blaming the dining plans for changes and compromises made in the fine dining offerings. There were some very obvious interactions: certain selections not available on the dining plans, selective surcharges, and in some cases, counting single meals at some of the restaurants as two meals. Claims were that there were other, less obvious interactions, including smaller portion sizes, simplification of menu items, lower quality ingredients and even reductions in service quality. How much of the degradation was real versus imagined is an open question, however there's no denying that the number of restaurants there that can be still considered "fine" is much lower, perhaps countable on the fingers of one hand.

 

 

This was my thought too. Used to visit the World a lot when kids were younger and I agree that the dining package did bring down the quality and selection of food.

[FSUNole]

New Amsterdam is under $20 for 1.75 l. What's next? Kirkland's?

Hey, I hear Kirklands is actually Titos which is pretty good. That would be a step up!

[FSUNole]

This is going to start another round of sneaking liquor on board. I admit I was one until they introduced the drink packages. Now, if they truly are reducing the quality, I imagine I'll start smuggling again and others can complain about how the smugglers are causing the reduction in quality and increase in price.