Strange Bar Closings on Equinox Today in Grand Cayman

[TeeRick]

7 minutes ago, paladin757 said:

I was just on Beyond in Grand Cayman last week and indeed the only bar open was the Pool Bar for everyone.. We were in the Retreat area and that "Pool Bar" was also open. but no others were..   No reason was given other than that Local rule was from the GC government.  I think the Cruise lines should all Boycott GC until this changes .. Since most have the Beverage packages and can't use them it should be reduced in price if the ship stops in Grand Cayman.. 

IMHO

 

It seems more and more from a series of reports here that this is something going on only with RCCL and Celebrity ships stopping at GC, with only the Pool Bar open in port- or in some cases the Retreat Lounge too.  No solid explanation yet.  I have not really seen this reported here by any other cruise lines.  Is it some type of negotiation between RGG lines and the Cayman Islands government?  Weird that there is no public info reported about this.

[soniam]

32 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

It seems more and more from a series of reports here that this is something going on only with RCCL and Celebrity ships stopping at GC, with only the Pool Bar open in port- or in some cases the Retreat Lounge too.  No solid explanation yet.  I have not really seen this reported here by any other cruise lines.  Is it some type of negotiation between RGG lines and the Cayman Islands government?  Weird that there is no public info reported about this.

 

I just asked on a DCL message forum. DCL may be more inclined to pay the license fee though, because they don't have drink packages that are usable at the bars. So they may make enough money off the paid drinks to make up for any license fees.

[natshala]

On 2/4/2023 at 12:48 PM, DCPIV said:

 

You are either a slow walker or a quick drinker. Either way, my hat is off to you. That's a nice way to cruise! 

Lol.

[volk904]

I have glanced through this thread and did not see this theory. It is possible that Grand Cayman has decided that the ship needs a separate license for each bar that operate while in port and they are expensive so Celebrity just buys one for the pool bar or the second possibility is they only will grant them a license  for 1 bar.   At any rate the cruise line makes big money off drinks so only having 1 open hurts the bottom line. 

[terrydtx]

5 hours ago, volk904 said:

I have glanced through this thread and did not see this theory. It is possible that Grand Cayman has decided that the ship needs a separate license for each bar that operate while in port and they are expensive so Celebrity just buys one for the pool bar or the second possibility is they only will grant them a license  for 1 bar.   At any rate the cruise line makes big money off drinks so only having 1 open hurts the bottom line. 

More like when 50% or more of the passengers have a drink package, they save money by not providing them drinks.

[TeeRick]

11 hours ago, terrydtx said:

More like when 50% or more of the passengers have a drink package, they save money by not providing them drinks.

Yeah but why only Grand Cayman then?

[terrydtx]

11 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Yeah but why only Grand Cayman then?

Maybe GC is a beta test for other ports? Once the bean counters see a cost saving, they may expand it. LOL

[horseymike]

interesting I have looked at some future itineraries for the ABC islands on X and I am noticing

8 nights  as opposed to 9 nights sans the port of call stop at GC.

[terrydtx]

22 minutes ago, horseymike said:

interesting I have looked at some future itineraries for the ABC islands on X and I am noticing

8 nights  as opposed to 9 nights sans the port of call stop at GC.

In 2021 we did the ABC island cruise on the Equinox, but it stopped in Nassau in the 9-day itinerary. Two days before we departed FLL, Nassau implemented that you could only get off the ship if you had a ships tour booked no private tours or walking off the ship on our own, this was all due to Covid restriction. We sat on the ship all day as we had a private tour booked that had to be canceled.

Edited February 11, 2023 by terrydtx

[Jim_Iain]

On 2/5/2023 at 10:21 AM, DCPIV said:

 

I expect there has been a great deal of disappointment (for lack of a better word) expressed by Retreat guests who could not get a drink in the lounge. 

 

I think you might be surprised that Retreat Guests (in my humble opinion) are usually less highly maintenance guests than some of those in the least expensive cabins.    Just an observation while traveling. 

 

It is not uncommon for us to have so many bottles of gifted wine that we just leave them on the ship or try to offer on CC to others traveling on the same cruise.   

 

After teaching a university course for many years on understanding addictive behavior, I am confident that those that need to have their needs will have already  planned on having a supply available.  Like many other activities like a long hike or excursion many will plan on bringing snacks and water along. 

 

I'm just saying -  Plan for it and you won't be disappointed.

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

I think you might be surprised that Retreat Guests (in my humble opinion) are usually less highly maintenance guests than some of those in the least expensive cabins.    Just an observation while traveling. 

 

It is not uncommon for us to have so many bottles of gifted wine that we just leave them on the ship or try to offer on CC to others traveling on the same cruise.   

 

After teaching a university course for many years on understanding addictive behavior, I am confident that those that need to have their needs will have already  planned on having a supply available.  Like many other activities like a long hike or excursion many will plan on bringing snacks and water along. 

 

I'm just saying -  Plan for it and you won't be disappointed.

Jim. always the voice of reason, thank you

[Susanb10567]

Got off a five night cruise on the Summit yesterday that visited Grand Cayman..we were staying in a sky suite…

 

I did not notice anything written in the Today regarding limited alcohol service..

 

we returned to the ship around 1:00 had lunch in the Ocean View ..did not notice alcohol available but I was not really looking for it…

 

after lunch we went to the Retreat deck …I asked a server not a usual retreat one for a Miami Vice..he said he had to ask his supervisor…came back pretty quickly and said he would bring it…but then I was talking to someone in the hot tub and he said no one would serve him until I got the server to ask his supervisor…

[39august]

So, you got a supervisor, other then Retreat, who allowed a waiter to bring an alcoholic drink when bars were shut down?

[Susanb10567]

3 hours ago, 39august said:

So, you got a supervisor, other then Retreat, who allowed a waiter to bring an alcoholic drink when bars were shut down?

No …i simply asked for a drink from a server in the Retreat and he said he would ask his supervisor who said it was alright..

[dlh015]

2 minutes ago, Susanb10567 said:

No …i simply asked for a drink from a server in the Retreat and he said he would ask his supervisor who said it was alright..

I had a similar occurrence on the EQ on Jan. 14th...I had rented a cabana and asked when the server would bring my included liter of grey goose. Sha also said she would ask her supervisor. It was delivered about 15 minutes later. (I was staying in a Sky suite...)

[rcrabb1513]

On 1/14/2023 at 3:48 PM, Georgia_Peaches said:

But the rub lies in the fact that people haven't experienced this local law or custom in the past...so it leaves people wondering what gives.  Hopefully @helen haywood will encounter someone on board who might know the answer.

Could it be GC became more adamant enforcing its laws? 

[terrydtx]

23 minutes ago, rcrabb1513 said:

Could it be GC became more adamant enforcing its laws? 

However, from reading in other forums, it seems that this "law" is only enforced on Celebrity ships. Makes one wonder why?

[Georgia_Peaches]

56 minutes ago, rcrabb1513 said:

Could it be GC became more adamant enforcing its laws? 

Not a single word about bar closings on board any other ships that tender in GC. If it was about the law, wouldn’t it apply to all cruise lines/ships?

[rcrabb1513]

You have checked all the other cruise line forums?  If so, it is strange to be sure.

[Georgia_Peaches]

2 minutes ago, rcrabb1513 said:

You have checked all the other cruise line forums?  If so, it is strange to be sure.

Actually, yes!  I visit Carnival, NCL, Royal, Celebrity and MSC daily. Amazing what one can learn by reading other forums. Mostly, I’m just looking for drama. Other people’s drama is much more fun than my own. 😇

[helen haywood]

And it’s not even fleet wide on Celebrity.  Someone on the Summit reported all bars were open recently at Grand Cayman.

[PTC DAWG]

On 2/11/2023 at 12:16 PM, Jim_Iain said:

 

I think you might be surprised that Retreat Guests (in my humble opinion) are usually less highly maintenance guests than some of those in the least expensive cabins.    Just an observation while traveling. 

 

It is not uncommon for us to have so many bottles of gifted wine that we just leave them on the ship or try to offer on CC to others traveling on the same cruise.   

 

After teaching a university course for many years on understanding addictive behavior, I am confident that those that need to have their needs will have already  planned on having a supply available.  Like many other activities like a long hike or excursion many will plan on bringing snacks and water along. 

 

I'm just saying -  Plan for it and you won't be disappointed.

Well said...

[OysterD]

On 1/22/2023 at 7:21 AM, kremerlorraine said:

 

We had the same experience in GC in early January on a Costa ship, so it's not a(nother) Celebrity cutback...

 

On 2/4/2023 at 11:24 PM, florisdekort said:

For what it’s worth, the same happened on our recent Seabourn cruise. Only 1 bar open for alcoholic beverages. 
 

 

 

It's not just a Celebrity thing. 

 

Maybe people on other boards just aren't as fussed about only having one bar open on a port day so don't feel the need to speculate and talk about it for months on end? 

[Jim_Iain]

On 2/11/2023 at 10:23 AM, terrydtx said:

Jim. always the voice of reason, thank you

 

Not always the voice of reason. Haaahaaahaaa.     After teaching that University Course on Addictive Behavior for 5 years I finally thought I would try what I taught and stop smoking.     Of course I chose to stop caffeine on the same day. 

 

There is a very easy way to stop -  Don't have the first.    

 

Happy to say I never had the First for the past 34 years.   I am however still addicted to Caffeine

[owensjro]

2 hours ago, helen haywood said:

And it’s not even fleet wide on Celebrity.  Someone on the Summit reported all bars were open recently at Grand Cayman.

 

Yes, we were on the Summit this past week with a stop in GC alongside the Apex. While the Apex apparently was limited service on the Summit we found beer and wine in the OVC (the little areas they setup to serve during lunch), the bar at the back was serving, the Grill had beer and wine out, and both the Pool and Mast bar were open and serving drinks.

 

Note that all of them were only hand-writing the stateroom and checking your card for your package. At all other times I got drinks at a bar they swiped the card. Related? Not sure, but feels like it could be they were working around the restriction...

 

Jim