Strange Bar Closings on Equinox Today in Grand Cayman

[helen haywood]

Also of note, to complicate things, many people had their shore excursions canceled as the Coast Guard closed Sting Ray City due to high winds.  

[raudacruise]

16 hours ago, horseymike said:

Hi Terry,

We did a stingray city tour through x in November 2022 , it was second rate every inch of the way.

We had done it a few years before, pre Covid and it was great.

My first stingray excursion years ago was with X on a huge, crowded catamaran. Total mob scene.

 

Captain Marvin and Stingray Sailing both highly recommended.  Small groups. 

[CHEZMARYLOU]

22 minutes ago, helen haywood said:

Also of note, to complicate things, many people had their shore excursions canceled as the Coast Guard closed Sting Ray City due to high winds.  

I don't care if we never go to GC again. Luckily our next 3 sailings don't include this port.

[Georgia_Peaches]

37 minutes ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

I don't care if we never go to GC again. Luckily our next 3 sailings don't include this port.

I'm with you!  I dared say this out loud once on CC and was lambasted by GC cheerleaders for not appreciating the beauty and charm of the island.  I just don't get it...

[phoenix_dream]

Good heavens the uproar that someone might have to go without alcohol for a few hours during the day or heaven forbid walk to a particular bar to get your fix. Makes me wonder what kind of crowd is sailing Celebrity these days. 😁😁

[Georgia_Peaches]

21 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

Good heavens the uproar that someone might have to go without alcohol for a few hours during the day or heaven forbid walk to a particular bar to get your fix. Makes me wonder what kind of crowd is sailing Celebrity these days. 😁😁

My take is that the "uproar" is not about going without alcohol but rather, shutting down most alcohol venues while in GC when many, many people who remain on board are traveling with a purchased drinks package to which access is being limited.  When I pay for something, I expect to receive something in return.  At the end of the day, it boils down to a couple of scenarios...1. GC has new rules or 2. Celebrity doesn't want to pay the fees associated with keeping bars open while in port. In either scenario, the paying customer is being offered limited access to the product for which they have paid.

[cruisestitch]

3 hours ago, helen haywood said:

OK, to report back, to begin with, the Daily Program was totally misleading and inaccurate, which is inexcusable.  It stated that Cafe al Bacio would not open until 4 pm when we'd departed Grand Cayman.  No, it was open at the usual hour, but only serving non-alcoholic beverages.  And I later heard that our friends were able to order wine in the Oceanview Cafe with their lunch.  So it seems that the Pool Bar was the only bar serving hard liquor but at lunch the Oceanview was able to serve wine, and I presume beer.  I'm reading that this happened on Reflection as well, albeit with some differences.  I still have not heard any definitive accounts that this is a Grand Cayman rule or law or regulation.  When I get home I plan to ask on other cruise line boards if any other line had this occur at Grand Cayman.

 

The servers go to the Pool bar to get your drinks. The same happened to us at the mast bar — the server had to go to the pool bar to get it

Edited January 15, 2023 by cruisestitch

[cw2go]

10 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

My take is that the "uproar" is not about going without alcohol but rather, shutting down most alcohol venues while in GC when many, many people who remain on board are traveling with a purchased drinks package to which access is being limited.  When I pay for something, I expect to receive something in return.  At the end of the day, it boils down to a couple of scenarios...1. GC has new rules or 2. Celebrity doesn't want to pay the fees associated with keeping bars open while in port. In either scenario, the paying customer is being offered limited access to the product for which they have paid.

 

100% this ^

 

I don't purchase the bev packages, we choose to purchase as we go but I'd like to have more than one option when in port from 10-6 

 

Sailing Beyond next month 

 

Patty 

Edited January 15, 2023 by cw2go

[RoperDK]

33 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

Good heavens the uproar that someone might have to go without alcohol for a few hours during the day or heaven forbid walk to a particular bar to get your fix. Makes me wonder what kind of crowd is sailing Celebrity these days. 😁😁

Geez.  🤔🙄  It really isn't about the alcohol.  It's about continued cutback surprises. 

[DingoMom]

23 hours ago, terrydtx said:

One other cause may be with the shortage of staffing, the bartenders and servers are given a day ashore with no relief help available.

I don’t think this is the case. In most places with tenders, the ‘service’ personnel (simply because I can’t find a better word!) don’t get a chance to go in. They have to wait until all the guests that are trying to get on tenders have been able to do so, and they have to return an hour earlier than the passengers. The folks I have spoken to have said it just isn’t worth it to them to take time off at tender ports.

[chamima]

18 minutes ago, DingoMom said:

I don’t think this is the case. In most places with tenders, the ‘service’ personnel (simply because I can’t find a better word!) don’t get a chance to go in. They have to wait until all the guests that are trying to get on tenders have been able to do so, and they have to return an hour earlier than the passengers. The folks I have spoken to have said it just isn’t worth it to them to take time off at tender ports.

 

They take the time off but use it to nap! ☺️

[miched]

2 hours ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

I don't care if we never go to GC again. Luckily our next 3 sailings don't include this port.

Same here.  We mostly sail in the Caribbean.   Very seldom do we ever go there when it is a stop.  There is nothing there for us.   Lately we have been lucky  that due to wave conditions we by pass it and have a sea day.   A sea day means there are more activities on board, the restaurants are open for lunch, casino is open and so are more bars.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[jwlane]

42 minutes ago, RoperDK said:

It really isn't about the alcohol.

It's about having to wait to get it.

[Wspinelli]

On 1/14/2023 at 5:36 PM, miched said:

 

If I am reading it correctly Celebrity should dock a little further out than 1/2 mile and not have that issue.     It looks like an excuse to cut more into products that were paid for without producing.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

With GC as a stop that anchors and tenders the guests in there are two issues with anchoring farther out. First is the additional time and fuel to tender guests into shore and back. Not a huge problem but one the bean counters would have an issue. Second since you are in territorial waters as well as a Marine Park the GC authorities can tell you where to park. my guess is they don't want you parking where the bottom is approximately a quarter mile away from the surface.  It gets pretty deep pretty quick there.

 

[CHEZMARYLOU]

2 hours ago, cruisestitch said:

The servers go to the Pool bar to get your drinks. The same happened to us at the mast bar — the server had to go to the pool bar to get it

Not when in Sushi on 5, no offer to get us a glass of wine or a Kirin beer, and I can't blame them. However, when on a cruise we enjoy a glass of wine with lunch. Ok, so they can't sell alcohol, what about Michaels Club where it is complementary?  

[Mrearl]

On 1/14/2023 at 3:34 PM, jwlane said:

This was September 1 in Victoria, BC. Who knows the rhyme or reason about local laws?

we had the same in Canada ports on NCL in October

[Markator]

On Celebrity Beyond right now and Capt Kate just announced as we leave Cozumel only the pool bar will be open due to local laws in Grand Cayman tomorrow which is the next port. 
Currently at the Retreat Sundeck bar typing this and they said yes they have to be closed as well so only the main pool bar is allowed open while in port. 
Maybe a 2023 thing as they said same thing happened  on the previous western itinerary going to Grand Cayman. 

[garyl62]

40 minutes ago, Markator said:

On Celebrity Beyond right now and Capt Kate just announced as we leave Cozumel only the pool bar will be open due to local laws in Grand Cayman tomorrow which is the next port. 
Currently at the Retreat Sundeck bar typing this and they said yes they have to be closed as well so only the main pool bar is allowed open while in port. 
Maybe a 2023 thing as they said same thing happened  on the previous western itinerary going to Grand Cayman. 

Nice to get plenty of advance notice.... start stocking your fridge now!

[CruiseCrew123]

So will the retreat hosts go to get your drinks from the pool bar as it’s a service you have dearly paid for ?

Edited January 19, 2023 by CruiseCrew123

[mac_tlc]

Will be on Beyond in two weeks with same situation I suppose. I’d rather stay at sea. We don’t plan on getting off and I bet the Pool Bar will be a crowded mess. 
 

Celebrity should ditch GC . 
 

mac_tlc

[Tyler414]

On Beyond now and same thing for our GC stop tomorrow 

[CHEZMARYLOU]

1 hour ago, CruiseCrew123 said:

So will the retreat hosts go to get your drinks from the pool bar as it’s a service you have dearly paid for ?

No, the Retreat Lounge, Michaels Club, was totally shut down on our GC stop on Reflection.  You can be sure we will take steps to have wine available when we are next in GC since we don't leave port until 7:00 PM.

 

[phoenix_dream]

On 1/15/2023 at 5:39 PM, RoperDK said:

Geez.  🤔🙄  It really isn't about the alcohol.  It's about continued cutback surprises. 

They said it was GC regulations.  Is there proof otherwise that Celebrity was lying to us and was just cutting back?  If so please share.

Edited January 20, 2023 by phoenix_dream

[horseymike]

time to avoid cruises stopping in Grand Cayman

[George C]

1 hour ago, horseymike said:

time to avoid cruises stopping in Grand Cayman

I was thinking the same thing, but if in a royal suite you have your liquor setup in suite.