Transatlantic… how much wine????

[RRTcruiser]

Jewel of the Seas,  August Transatlantic for 16 days. Is it still considered 1 cruise and only 2 bottles of wine or does the extended duration allow for more?

[Biker19]

Just now, RRTcruiser said:

Is it still considered 1 cruise and only 2 bottles of wine or does the extended duration allow for more?

Still one bottle per person.

[BND]

16 minutes ago, RRTcruiser said:

Jewel of the Seas,  August Transatlantic for 16 days. Is it still considered 1 cruise and only 2 bottles of wine or does the extended duration allow for more?

Yes, it's one cruise.  One bottle per person 21 and older.

 

[RRTcruiser]

Thanks…. kind of figured I knew that…. 

[Mum2Mercury]

That rule really doesn't make sense:  3 day cruise?  One bottle.  7-day cruise?  One bottle.  Transatlantic?  One bottle.  Equal isn't always fair. 

[Twenty2020]

How much wine would I drink on a TA?

[Biker19]

9 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

That rule really doesn't make sense:

It makes perfect sense if one tries to enforce it.

[leaveitallbehind]

12 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

That rule really doesn't make sense:  3 day cruise?  One bottle.  7-day cruise?  One bottle.  Transatlantic?  One bottle.  Equal isn't always fair. 

And there was a time pre-beverage packages when there were very few restrictions.  I  recall one cruise years ago out of Puerto Rico in particular where our cab driver stopped at a store en route from the airport to the cruise terminal so I could buy a case of beer, which we carried on with us.  They then restricted all beverages.  Then it was hit or miss on water and soda.   

 

When the beverage packages commenced, they wanted all in the stateroom to buy it. They also at one point then allowed for single purchases, but that reverted back to all rather quickly.  Then the wine was allowed. At times with or without a corkage fee.

 

It has been an interesting evolution regarding what and how much can and cannot be brought on board over our 32 year cruising history with RCCL!  Making sense of fair or not fair just adds to the confusion.

Edited May 15 by leaveitallbehind

[RRTcruiser]

We are Diamond, almost Diamond + (regrettably only 6 points away) at time of sailing. Isn’t there an opportunity to buy bottles of wine on board at a discount or is that something that varies cruise by cruise?

[Biker19]

Just now, RRTcruiser said:

Isn’t there an opportunity to buy bottles of wine on board at a discount or is that something that varies cruise by cruise?

Like the wine allowance, the C&A discount for wine is fixed for all sailings.

[leaveitallbehind]

9 minutes ago, RRTcruiser said:

We are Diamond, almost Diamond + (regrettably only 6 points away) at time of sailing. Isn’t there an opportunity to buy bottles of wine on board at a discount or is that something that varies cruise by cruise?

Your 4 daily beverage vouchers provide for a 20% discount on the purchase of wine bottles over $100, and 40% discount on wine bottles under $100. 

 

See footnote #6 on the second page of the attached C&A Benefits pdf.

 

Crown & Anchor Benefits.pdf

Edited May 15 by leaveitallbehind

[Mum2Mercury]

9 hours ago, Twenty2020 said:

How much wine would I drink on a TA?

Well, I'd drink zero.  I've never cared for wine.  

3 hours ago, Biker19 said:

It makes perfect sense if one tries to enforce it.

How so?  In any given terminal, everyone is boarding the same ship -- for the same number of days.  So the staff needs to know, this is a two-bottle week.  What's difficult?  It's not like some passengers are boarding a 3-day cruise while others are boarding a 7-day.  

[leaveitallbehind]

22 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

How so?  In any given terminal, everyone is boarding the same ship -- for the same number of days.  So the staff needs to know, this is a two-bottle week.  What's difficult?  It's not like some passengers are boarding a 3-day cruise while others are boarding a 7-day.  

That's assuming RCCL wants to apportion wine bottle volume based on itinerary days, which given the current policy and time that it has been in place, doesn't seem too likely.  And IMO given the history of what can and cannot be brought on board, and in consideration of the beverage package options, they likely see any wine brought on board as a generous concession.

 

The other possible difficulty may be in the fact that none of the people involved with luggage check, security check, or counter check in agents, are cruise line employees. Being all third party contractors may pose complications on which day, which ship, which amount of wine?  They may not want to be bothered.  I don't know.....

Edited May 15 by leaveitallbehind

[Mum2Mercury]

4 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

That's assuming RCCL wants to apportion wine bottle volume based on itinerary days

That makes sense, though -- from a passenger's point of view -- more days = more wine.  

4 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

The other possible difficulty may be in the fact that none of the people involved with luggage check, security check, or counter check in agents, are cruise line employees. Being all third party contractors may pose complications on which day, which ship, which amount of wine?  They may not want to be bothered.  I don't know.....

Yes, they're terminal employees, but nothing's complicated about saying, "Okay, checkers, today we're boarding a 7-day cruise.  Passengers are allowed 2 bottles of wine."  It'd be true all day.  I can't imagine that'd be too complicated for the handful of people who check bags to handle.  

[leaveitallbehind]

31 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

That makes sense, though -- from a passenger's point of view -- more days = more wine.  

Yes, they're terminal employees, but nothing's complicated about saying, "Okay, checkers, today we're boarding a 7-day cruise.  Passengers are allowed 2 bottles of wine."  It'd be true all day.  I can't imagine that'd be too complicated for the handful of people who check bags to handle.  

You're preaching to the choir. It would seem that a lot of things that don't make a lot of sense could with a little effort.  Just suggesting one idea as to why they may not do it with the terminal staff.  But it has to start with the cruise line's willingness to adjust things.  I just don't see that happening as that would also cut into their on board revenue stream.

[lovesthebeach2]

1 hour ago, RRTcruiser said:

We are Diamond, almost Diamond + (regrettably only 6 points away) at time of sailing. Isn’t there an opportunity to buy bottles of wine on board at a discount or is that something that varies cruise by cruise?

It’s good that you get 4 drinks each day, so if you drink a bit more it’s not so bad. 
now I’m not saying we ever did this before….but a person could bring in 2 bottles because the spouse doesn’t want to carry it….then the spouse also may bring a bottle in their carry on. 😇

[RRTcruiser]

All theoretical of course 🍷😁

[TYMAN]

2 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

And there was a time pre-beverage packages when there were very few restrictions.  I  recall one cruise years ago out of Puerto Rico in particular where our cab driver stopped at a store en route from the airport to the cruise terminal so I could buy a case of beer, which we carried on with us.  They then restricted all beverages.  Then it was hit or miss on water and soda.   

 

When the beverage packages commenced, they wanted all in the stateroom to buy it. They also at one point then allowed for single purchases, but that reverted back to all rather quickly.  Then the wine was allowed. At times with or without a corkage fee.

 

It has been an interesting evolution regarding what and how much can and cannot be brought on board over our 32 year cruising history with RCCL!  Making sense of fair or not fair just adds to the confusion.

Back in the early 90's, when we cruised the Sovereign quite a few times, they would allow you to buy a bottle in one of the shops, pay a 10% upcharge, then you could take to the room. I remember getting OJ delivered to the room then sat at the pool all day drinking Screwdrivers. I'm probably one of the reasons they stopped doing that. Lol! 

[leaveitallbehind]

23 minutes ago, TYMAN said:

Back in the early 90's, when we cruised the Sovereign quite a few times.....

1992 Sovereign was our first and second. We also cruised on Majesty a couple of times.  I digress, but back then they also published a guest list booklet with the passengers names and towns they were from for a given itinerary that was in the staterooms.

 

Back then they were remarkable ships!

Edited May 15 by leaveitallbehind

[TYMAN]

9 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

1992 Sovereign was our first and second. We also cruised on Majesty a couple of times.  I digress, but back then they also published a guest list booklet with the passengers names and towns they were from for a given itinerary.  

Nordic Empress was our first. Got me hooked! Went from Sovereign to Majesty to Monarch etc etc. It's been a lot of fun, and I sure do love the perks! 

[The Scurvy Pirate]

Although against the rules, I have heard some people who put two in the checked baggage and then carry two more in a carry on.  If you are D+, then you can also get a free bottle as your gift.  The 40% off lets you pay only about double for what some wines cost at the local wine store...

[1025cruise]

It is my understanding that the reason for the low limit goes back to an old tradition of people bringing a bottle of wine to toast their cruise at sailaway. Since there is only one sailaway, only one bottle.

[Billy Baltic]

What about B2Bs? Can you board with the allowance for both cruises?

[leaveitallbehind]

9 minutes ago, Billy Baltic said:

What about B2Bs? Can you board with the allowance for both cruises?

Yes.  They are seen by the cruise line as two separate itineraries that happen to be sequential for those sailing on both.  

 

We have sailed with people who during the first cruise of their B2B bought alcohol in a port of call, which was then taken at security to be held until the end of the cruise.  It was promptly returned to them in their stateroom on the last night, which they then had on hand for their second cruise of the B2B.  We only joined them on the second cruise but had one heck of a sail away party on their balcony for their second leg. LOL

Edited May 15 by leaveitallbehind

[time4u2go]

48 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

It is my understanding that the reason for the low limit goes back to an old tradition of people bringing a bottle of wine to toast their cruise at sailaway. Since there is only one sailaway, only one bottle.

I suspect that the reason for the low limit is $$$.