Draught lager available and at what price?

[PrincessPete]

I am trying to work out whether it is worth buying a drinks package for our forthcoming Rhapsody cruise.

 

I understand all the principles about how many port days/time off the ship etc etc but would appreciate any information on the current cost of lager. Afraid that's all I drink!

 

Do the Royal Caribbean ships sell draught lager and if so how much is a pint? Or perhaps they don't use the pint as a measure?

 

I know from experience that some bars on most ships only sell bottled beer so how much would, say, a 16oz Budweiser cost which is moreorless a pint I recall.

 

Grateful for any help and with kind regards.

 

Peter

[Clarea]

Our experience has been poor getting draft beer. Sometimes the pub will have one or two beers on tap, but more often than not, they say they are out. A 16oz Bud would be $6 - $7.

[PEBBarney]

Bud Light 16oz aluminum bottle $8.20 after 18% gratuity added last week on the Empress.

 

Not all ships have draught, Empress did not.

[matj2000]

The draft beer is usually out or not working.

I think I have only able to get it once.

Don't remember what ship but it was Heineken.

[cb at sea]

16 oz IS a pint...no "more or less" about it!

[GRANT2702]

"I am trying to work out whether it is worth buying a drinks package for our forthcoming Rhapsody cruise"

 

 

If you enjoy a few drinks a day, not to mention a couple bottles of water, a couple soft drinks, a wine with dinner, it's a no brainer get the deluxe package. You won't have to sign tickets and count everything you purchase. You also won't have to only drink the awful coffee served you can get the specialty coffees.

[AWOL]

16 oz IS a pint...no "more or less" about it!

US Pint, the Imperial pint is about 20% more

[shipshape sam]

US Pint, the Imperial pint is about 20% more

 

That is interesting. Will try to learn something to know for my UK friends. Like stones.

[LSUfan4444]

I was/am severely disappointed in the beer offerings on RCL (draft or bottle). I don't want to sounds like a beer snob or anything and I'm not a "Craft Beer or Nothing" kind of guy but I expected something similar to what I saw on Disney. Hopefully they get some new additions by my next sailing next May.

[shipshape sam]

I was/am severely disappointed in the beer offerings on RCL (draft or bottle). I don't want to sounds like a beer snob or anything and I'm not a "Craft Beer or Nothing" kind of guy but I expected something similar to what I saw on Disney. Hopefully they get some new additions by my next sailing next May.

 

Hope so too!

 

I am a beer snob and Royal has had some great craft beers on the last couple of sailing we have done. We were on the first sailing after a TA and they had 'Old Speckled Hen', a great British ale. I was enjoying the widget cans.

 

Do wish they had more draft selections though.

[LSUfan4444]

Encouraging for sure. On my last sailing I basically had a Sierra Nevada IV line (except on embarkation day in Texas) when it was Shiner Bock. ;p

[shipshape sam]

Here is one explanation of the pint differences.

 

The difference can be traced back to the British Weights and Measures Act of 1824.

 

This act standardized the various pints in use at the time to a single imperial pint throughout the British Empire. The US pints were unaffected by this and can be traced back to pre-1824 pints in England.

 

Although both pints are defined as one eighth of the gallon, the definition of gallon itself varies across these countries. The UK pint (568 mL) is 20% larger than the US pint (473 mL).

 

The UK pint is divided into 20 ounces, whereas the US pint is divided into 16 ounces, making the UK ounce slightly smaller than the US ounce.

 

So, if British pint is 20% larger, then 16 oz times 1.2 would get you 19.2 oz (approx. with truncating) or 3 more oz. in a British pint. If you use the British 20 oz measure, then each oz is slightly smaller than each US oz by about 4% they say.

May ask for the British pint (measure) at my next visit to a local pub! :)

[krisko]

You're going to be disappointed in the beer selection, though I've never been on Rhapsody. It'll be just over $8 including tip, pretty much ridiculous. I think they're increasing prices to drive people to the drink packages but we just don't drink that much.

[shipshape sam]

You're going to be disappointed in the beer selection, though I've never been on Rhapsody. It'll be just over $8 including tip, pretty much ridiculous. I think they're increasing prices to drive people to the drink packages but we just don't drink that much.

 

For sure that is what they are doing. If the individual price of a beer was $4 to $5 for a domestic and say $6 for a craft/import beer, why would anyone buy the drink package? (assuming for this discussion we are talking only beer) For sure there is wine and spirits and they too have seen price increases to help create the 'value' proposition of the drink package.

 

Secondly, we are a captive audience while on board. I like to try the local beers when in ports. Most are not great though, but I push on in search of the next great tasting beer. :)

[krisko]

Secondly, we are a captive audience while on board. I like to try the local beers when in ports. Most are not great though, but I push on in search of the next great tasting beer. :)

 

This is the best reason NOT to buy a drink package, you can't take advantage if you get off the boat. If they would do an 'every other day' package I'd do it.

[shipshape sam]

This is the best reason NOT to buy a drink package, you can't take advantage if you get off the boat. If they would do an 'every other day' package I'd do it.

 

I would not be buying many beers off the ship, but trying the local brews at each port if I have not tried them previously. For those not drinking beer, I would suspect glass of wine, a frozen drink would not negate the premise of the drink package.