Drink Package - Lack Of Products

[mom2tcdx2]

I was a bit surprised at the limited Scotch selection on the Royal menu's.  My husband had way more choices of decent Scotch on Carnival.  I guess I kind of thought he would have more choices on Royal? I can certainly see running out of ingredients being a hassle, especially if you happen to like one drink in particular and the ingredient is missing.  Others will order all types of cocktails and won't necessarily notice.  If however you like just certain things, then buying the drink package and then not getting what you like to enjoy I can see being very disappointing.  Personally I am rather limited in the drinks I will order/try - I really dislike club soda or tonic water and I see Royal likes to put club soda in a lot of their drinks.  My go to drink is a Side Car - I will be soooo unhappy if those ingredients are low or missing.  

[Husky1987]

42 minutes ago, rmurray847 said:

It's just funny what things are on shelves and then where an empty shelf is collecting dust due to nothing being there for weeks.  (Like Caffeine Free Diet Coke in almost every grocery store in New Mexico.)

 

A little while back for a stretch of weeks I could find every cracker known to man except for Saltines.

[Husky1987]

14 minutes ago, mom2tcdx2 said:

I was a bit surprised at the limited Scotch selection on the Royal menu's.  My husband had way more choices of decent Scotch on Carnival.   

 

Something like Carnival's Alchemy Bar would be a huge hit on Royal.

[mom2tcdx2]

2 minutes ago, Husky1987 said:

 

Something like Carnival's Alchemy Bar would be a huge hit on Royal.

I could agree with you on that one as well.  I really enjoy finding a bartender that will make drinks off menu, and not just your old staples of rum/coke, gin/tonic, etc.  

 

[geneparmesan]

3 hours ago, Husky1987 said:

Our local Mexican restaurant bar hasn't been able to get Silver Patron for a couple months.  They were also out of Grand Marnier for my usual Cadillac Margarita.  Alcohol supply chain issues are showing up all over the place.

They should switch to Maestro Dobel Diamante and never look back. 😀

[DCPIV]

7 minutes ago, Husky1987 said:

 

Something like Carnival's Alchemy Bar would be a huge hit on Royal.

 

That's not the case, apparently.  The R Bar was a "mixology" bar along the same lines as Alchemy, but Royal discontinued that concept after the Freedom class ships.  On the ships that do have an R Bar, they got rid of the "mixologists" and limited the standard ingredients stocked.  Before the change, they had all sorts of fruits and herbs and liquors and liqueurs and other what-nots not found at other bars, and the mixologists would make up all sorts of weird and wonderful things. 

 

They still have some unusual items and get more creative in the R Bar, but it's nothing like it used to be.  I can only imagine that is because it wasn't as popular as expected.  

[SRF]

22 hours ago, ONECRUISER said:

Funny should say that. Even Pre-Covid and Supply issues lots times a Ship runs out items. 

 

On one cruise, the ran out of cachaca (used to make caipirinha) .  I expected them to buy a case at the next port.  NOPE.  Once they were out, they were out the entire cruise.

 

 

[SRF]

20 hours ago, mom2tcdx2 said:

I was a bit surprised at the limited Scotch selection on the Royal menu's.  My husband had way more choices of decent Scotch on Carnival. 

 

So, what Scotches did he find on Carnival?

 

I could be convinced to switch lines for a decent Scotch menu.

[cublet]

6 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

On one cruise, the ran out of cachaca (used to make caipirinha) .  I expected them to buy a case at the next port.  NOPE.  Once they were out, they were out the entire cruise.

 

 

Hello,

 

On Brilliance out of Malaga, we ran out of orange juice off Seville and so it remained for the rest of the cruise.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

[George C]

21 hours ago, rmurray847 said:

I couldn't find JW Black at my two local Total Wines.  It's just funny what things are on shelves and then where an empty shelf is collecting dust due to nothing being there for weeks.  (Like Caffeine Free Diet Coke in almost every grocery store in New Mexico.)

Same here our total wine and some other large stores were out of several Johnny Walker scotch’s .

[mom2tcdx2]

24 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

So, what Scotches did he find on Carnival?

 

I could be convinced to switch lines for a decent Scotch menu.

They had Glenfidditch, Glenlivet, Glenmorangie, Glen Deveron, Macallan,  and of course still Dewars and Johnnie Walker.  Mind you I am not a scotch drinker, but husband tended to like the Macallan.  

[SRF]

5 hours ago, George C said:

Same here our total wine and some other large stores were out of several Johnny Walker scotch’s .

 

Good for them. 😄

 

[SRF]

5 hours ago, mom2tcdx2 said:

They had Glenfidditch, Glenlivet, Glenmorangie, Glen Deveron, Macallan,  and of course still Dewars and Johnnie Walker.  Mind you I am not a scotch drinker, but husband tended to like the Macallan.  

'

Thanks

 

Glenmorangie is one of my favorites.

 

I would give Glen Deveron a try.  The rest are Speysides and I don't drink Speysides.

[DiamondDiva23]

I hope my Sept cruise on Navigator has a really big supply of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc lol

 

[mom2tcdx2]

17 hours ago, SRF said:

'

Thanks

 

Glenmorangie is one of my favorites.

 

I would give Glen Deveron a try.  The rest are Speysides and I don't drink Speysides.

My husband really liked the Glenmorangie too.  

[SRF]

On 3/16/2022 at 9:38 AM, mom2tcdx2 said:

My husband really liked the Glenmorangie too.  

That was my first even single malt.

 

I have even been to the distillery. 😄

 

I probably have over 50 different Glenmoranies in my collection.

[LB_NJ]

On 3/14/2022 at 10:16 AM, topnole said:

Very true.  The hard part is when one is on a cruise, there may be very limited substitutes.  On land, one can usually hunt down something that at least serves as a decent substitute.  For those that prefer that go to brand of beer or booze, it definitely puts a damper on the overall trip.  This is not near as big of a potential issue for land based vacations.   
 

That is definitely true about being on land.  Was at a get together recently and the bar didn't have Patron or Jack and one of the guests merely walked a couple of blocks to the closest liquor store and bought a bottle of each.

[xmansmommy]

I get what everyone is saying about the shortages.  It's happening with lots of products right now.  My issue is that they have the bottles available to purchase.  They've already made their money on the drink packages so they aren't worried about having the listed alcohols.  If they can sell the bottles then it's more money for them.  IMO it's pretty crappy on RCs part.

 

[OC PAT]

On Holland America this fall, getting straight club soda was a real problem. Some bars told me they didn't have it.  If you have a fountain machine in my experience, you have club soda.

 

What about gin?  Hubby only likes Tanqueray Gin.

[DCPIV]

On 3/19/2022 at 12:21 PM, xmansmommy said:

I get what everyone is saying about the shortages.  It's happening with lots of products right now.  My issue is that they have the bottles available to purchase.  They've already made their money on the drink packages so they aren't worried about having the listed alcohols.  If they can sell the bottles then it's more money for them.  IMO it's pretty crappy on RCs part.

 

 

I'm pretty sure RC just leases space to the liquor store in the same way they lease space to the jewelry store and the other shops in board. RC can't just go raid the liquor store to stock the bars because it ain't their booze. 

[paross4]

1 hour ago, OC PAT said:

On Holland America this fall, getting straight club soda was a real problem. Some bars told me they didn't have it.  If you have a fountain machine in my experience, you have club soda.

 

What about gin?  Hubby only likes Tanqueray Gin.

We were on the Oasis a few weeks ago and the types of Tanqueray there were Tanqueray London Dry and Tanqueray 10.   (at least those were the bottles I saw at several of the bars)

 

[rmurray847]

On 3/15/2022 at 1:44 PM, SRF said:

I would give Glen Deveron a try.  The rest are Speysides and I don't drink Speysides.

Good for you.

 

[SRF]

On 3/19/2022 at 1:21 PM, xmansmommy said:

I get what everyone is saying about the shortages.  It's happening with lots of products right now.  My issue is that they have the bottles available to purchase.  They've already made their money on the drink packages so they aren't worried about having the listed alcohols.  If they can sell the bottles then it's more money for them.  IMO it's pretty crappy on RCs part.

 

 

Different departments.

 

Bottles for sale are under the shops.

 

Bottles for the bar are under the food and beverage department.

 

So the food and beverage department would have to "buy" them from the retail department.