Another booze on board question :)

[clgcrusier]

It seems as though you think all or most smugglers are either heavy drinkers or are unconcerned about their vacation budget or both. Your two extreme assumptions are that all or most smugglers would otherwise have a significant bar bill because they are heavy drinkers ("if he can't smuggle it, he will be forced to buy it - and he will") and that all or most smugglers would not let a significant bar bill affect their other onboard spending. Your first assumption does not address the number of smugglers who smuggle for convenience, such as myself, who just will not order that pre-dinner or relaxing on my balcony drink in my cabin since it may take a good half hour or so to get it. The cruise lines is losing NO revenue from those drinks. Many bring on one bottle of liquor for one or two drinks a day in their cabin. It seems as though you believe that all or most smugglers do not buy ANY drinks on board.

 

Your second assumption ignores the people who have posted that say they do have to keep onboard spending down. Although you may not be in the position to have to do it, there are plenty of folks who have a set amount they can spend on their vacation. They split their limited budget on a cruise line's drinks, spa treatments, shore tours, etc. If they bring on their own drinks, they can play more bingo or take that additional shore tour.

 

Although I do not smuggle booze, because I don't drink that much to find the inconvenience of it worthwhile, these are my thoughts EXACTLY. Just a few drinks in a week on board could have paid for a shore excursion, on my limited pocketbook. And even though I truly enjoy good wine, I would rather save the $$'s on a bottle of expensive stuff and bring a small box of cheapo stuff (which isn't that horrible, IMHO) to keep in my cabin for the pre-dinner drink, and also save time and money over waiting to have someone bring it to me glass by glass. (wine including tip each time-you may as well buy and bring premium stuff!-:eek: ) I simply cannot afford that. Just because someone else can, they shouldn't be looking down their snouts at other people!:mad: Same thing goes for the dining room clothing issue. If you don't like what people are wearing, spend your money at the supper club!

[boaterette]

I wonder if those people who smuggle to keep the costs down can truly afford a cruise vacation. Perhaps if they have to break the rules in order to partake of this vacation they should look at less expensive alternatives. It bothers me to see how we are such a society that many people live paycheck to paycheck but still manage to go on vacation at all. Growing up I was taught that vacations were luxury items only to be indulged in after having at least six months worth of living expenses in a savings account. For me I know that if I have to break the rules I really can't afford it just yet and will wait until I can.

[SueSea]

I wonder if those people who smuggle to keep the costs down can truly afford a cruise vacation. Perhaps if they have to break the rules in order to partake of this vacation they should look at less expensive alternatives. It bothers me to see how we are such a society that many people live paycheck to paycheck but still manage to go on vacation at all. Growing up I was taught that vacations were luxury items only to be indulged in after having at least six months worth of living expenses in a savings account. For me I know that if I have to break the rules I really can't afford it just yet and will wait until I can.

 

Do you also wonder if those who don't smuggle and still manage to keep onboard expenditures to a minimum can afford to cruise? If someone scrimps to save, say, $1,000 for a cruise and on board extras, just because they choose to bring booze onboard so they can spend their money on other things does not mean they can't afford to cruise. And by the way, many people who has saved the $1,000 for vacation may have 6 months of living expenses in the bank. That doesn't mean the shouldn't stick to their vacation budget, should it?

 

It may bother you that people living paycheck to paycheck still manage to go on vacation, but the cruise lines, resorts, and tourist attractions are darned glad they do! They want demand to be high.

[smashley]

I wonder if those people who smuggle to keep the costs down can truly afford a cruise vacation. Perhaps if they have to break the rules in order to partake of this vacation they should look at less expensive alternatives. It bothers me to see how we are such a society that many people live paycheck to paycheck but still manage to go on vacation at all. Growing up I was taught that vacations were luxury items only to be indulged in after having at least six months worth of living expenses in a savings account. For me I know that if I have to break the rules I really can't afford it just yet and will wait until I can.

 

I find that to be a bit insulting. When I go on my cruise next January, I will just have graduated from college and I find it to be a great graduation gift to myself. Of course I live from paycheck to paycheck now as I am a full-time college student, but I have planned this cruise a year in advance to ensure that I will be able to save up for it. I will be saving up for atleast one excursion at every port, that coconut monkey that I'm dying to have some nice frozen drinks out of, maybe even a massage. If I bring a bottle of liquor with me it doesn't mean that I shouldn't be on vacation, or that I can't afford it... and you shouldn't be the one telling me that, either. I'll decide for myself thank you:)

[KruznKel]

I wonder if those people who smuggle to keep the costs down can truly afford a cruise vacation. Perhaps if they have to break the rules in order to partake of this vacation they should look at less expensive alternatives. It bothers me to see how we are such a society that many people live paycheck to paycheck but still manage to go on vacation at all. Growing up I was taught that vacations were luxury items only to be indulged in after having at least six months worth of living expenses in a savings account. For me I know that if I have to break the rules I really can't afford it just yet and will wait until I can.

 

Keeping the costs down I highly doubt it.. myself I spend a heck of alot more than the 15 bucks for a case a beer that is brought on board.. Don't you ever judge a person in that way.. too me I can judge you .. but really it is not worth my time or energy to tell you what you should be judged as:rolleyes: ( and I don't live paycheque to paycheque)

[Dee79]

Then you oughta like my post.

 

You suffering from poverty? Alcoholism denial?

 

Unless you were planning a special occassion, why would you even want to go to the trouble of packing bottles so that the trained apes in TSA don't break them while searching for stuff they don't even know they're looking for?

 

They've got a gym in case you desperately need to lift weights. Your bartender Isaac lives on tips. Don't blow him off.

 

 

Did you read my post at all? Apparently you didn't. It's our anniversary.. We're not big drinkers.. It's not like we're bringing an entire bar with us. If we wanted a drink other than wine, then yes, we would go to the bartender.

 

No I'm not poverty stricken or an alcoholic.

 

Wrapping the wine- Very popular in these posts.. Never know what might happen. I'd rather take the time and wrap up a bottle of wine incase they damage it. Understand now?

[yogimax]

...you will find most arguments he throws out there to be in the extreme cases only, it is where he lives, I just have him on ignore, except like in your case when he gets quoted... which he certainly is not worthy of...

 

 

mrdood... why do you find it necessary to stalk me? If I am on your "ignore" list, why don't you just ignore me? Responding to a quote is the same as responding to the original post. I also find your mockery of my name to be hilarious.

 

It seems you are obsessed by my posts. That's o.k.. I have presented totally rational arguments here. Some may choose to challenge them and debate them and that is perfectly fine - it is what this board should be all about. I welcome a dialogue with SueSea and others who embrace differences of opinion.

 

Is it possible you will ever respond in a purely rational way without the personal attacks? I truly hope so!

[French_Fry]

A purely rational response!

 

FOLLOW THE RULES.

 

No exceptions, no leeway, no wiggle room!

 

FOLLOW THE RULES!

[direfun2000]

Only 7 pages???:confused: Sheesh

[corkpopr]

you and all the other lemmings can follow "the rules" and jump off the cliff.

i obey all laws. i do not smuggle, i pack. i could care less how much drinks cost and i am not trying to cut down on my bar bill. on twenty cruises we have packed the following each time. vodka, brandy, vermouth, olives, port, and wine from our collection. we only consume this in our cabin. we purchase drinks in the bars and wine in the dining room. We want the brands we like made the way we like them before dinner and as a nite cap each day.

i don't hog chairs, get drunk and loud, let kids run wild on the ship, etc. i will be reading my book and smoking cigars on my balcony if you need me.

[yogimax]

you and all the other lemmings can follow "the rules" and jump off the cliff.

 

Great argument!

[mrdood]

you and all the other lemmings can follow "the rules" and jump off the cliff.

i obey all laws. i do not smuggle, i pack. i could care less how much drinks cost and i am not trying to cut down on my bar bill. on twenty cruises we have packed the following each time. vodka, brandy, vermouth, olives, port, and wine from our collection. we only consume this in our cabin. we purchase drinks in the bars and wine in the dining room. We want the brands we like made the way we like them before dinner and as a nite cap each day.

i don't hog chairs, get drunk and loud, let kids run wild on the ship, etc. i will be reading my book and smoking cigars on my balcony if you need me.

 

AMEN! I will be on the next balcony over doing the same!!!

[boaterette]

Do you also wonder if those who don't smuggle and still manage to keep onboard expenditures to a minimum can afford to cruise? If someone scrimps to save, say, $1,000 for a cruise and on board extras, just because they choose to bring booze onboard so they can spend their money on other things does not mean they can't afford to cruise. And by the way, many people who has saved the $1,000 for vacation may have 6 months of living expenses in the bank. That doesn't mean the shouldn't stick to their vacation budget, should it?

 

It may bother you that people living paycheck to paycheck still manage to go on vacation, but the cruise lines, resorts, and tourist attractions are darned glad they do! They want demand to be high.

 

Well if they have to smuggle on alcohol to keep costs down then yes it does mean they can't afford it. So you think it is more important to go on vacation then to save money in case of an emergency. You would rather support them with your tax dollars. Sorry not me. In my job I see too many people that don't save but yet blow there money on unneccessary things. And then when the time comes that you are faced with an emergency they are broke and need help.

[boaterette]

Do you also wonder if those who don't smuggle and still manage to keep onboard expenditures to a minimum can afford to cruise? If someone scrimps to save, say, $1,000 for a cruise and on board extras, just because they choose to bring booze onboard so they can spend their money on other things does not mean they can't afford to cruise. And by the way, many people who has saved the $1,000 for vacation may have 6 months of living expenses in the bank. That doesn't mean the shouldn't stick to their vacation budget, should it?

 

It may bother you that people living paycheck to paycheck still manage to go on vacation, but the cruise lines, resorts, and tourist attractions are darned glad they do! They want demand to be high.

 

Sorry but if you smuggle to save money for something else then yes you can not afford it. Sorry but vacations are not a fundemental right. They are something that you indulge in after you make sure the your financial obligations are met.

[iluvkst]

mrdood... why do you find it necessary to stalk me? If I am on your "ignore" list, why don't you just ignore me? Responding to a quote is the same as responding to the original post. I also find your mockery of my name to be hilarious.

 

It seems you are obsessed by my posts. That's o.k.. I have presented totally rational arguments here. Some may choose to challenge them and debate them and that is perfectly fine - it is what this board should be all about. I welcome a dialogue with SueSea and others who embrace differences of opinion.

 

Is it possible you will ever respond in a purely rational way without the personal attacks? I truly hope so!

All I can say is....Word! Mr.Dood has given me a real bad time in the past too...under another screen name. Now I don't feel so bad because I know that it wasn't me. Thanks Yogimax. Mr.Dood has got issues.

[BalconyLover]

you and all the other lemmings can follow "the rules" and jump off the cliff.

i obey all laws. i do not smuggle, i pack. i could care less how much drinks cost and i am not trying to cut down on my bar bill. on twenty cruises we have packed the following each time. vodka, brandy, vermouth, olives, port, and wine from our collection. we only consume this in our cabin. we purchase drinks in the bars and wine in the dining room. We want the brands we like made the way we like them before dinner and as a nite cap each day.

i don't hog chairs, get drunk and loud, let kids run wild on the ship, etc. i will be reading my book and smoking cigars on my balcony if you need me.

You said it best.....we're w/ you! Gotta love the cigar, favorite drink and balcony rituals!

[sj.turfman]

I always smuggle a little Newfie Screech to start the motor and then head to the ship's bars - so lets stop the debate, if you are going to pay ships prices at the bar( which are no worse than most bars ) than you will and if you won't than you will go back to your room and mix your drinks but big deal you paid the money to be on the ship

[Chigirlcruzin]

Well if they have to smuggle on alcohol to keep costs down then yes it does mean they can't afford it. So you think it is more important to go on vacation then to save money in case of an emergency.

 

I wanted to stay out of this whole debate, but these comments are extremely offensive. Who is saying that people that smuggle DON'T have savings? I'm sorry, but I don't have an unlimited budget, and I won't dip into my savings to fund my alcohol purchases - I buy what I can afford on board/in port. I go on the ship knowing I can spend x, and I have to divide that up between shore excursions, pictures, drinks, etc. For the record, I brought a bottle of vodka on my last cruise, and I won't do it again. Prior to the last day of the cruise, I only made one drink from it, and I ended up leaving half the bottle because I wasn't going to drink nearly a whole bottle in the last day :eek: .

 

Some people do consider vacation a necessity for their mental well-being. I have an extremely stressful job, and after not having a vacation for almost 3 years due to being a slave to my job, I was at my wit's end. Having the cruise to look forward to, and the relaxation and battery recharging effects of my cruise was great therapy. I won't put myself in this position again, and I will be going on vacations more often.

 

Since you have an unlimited budget, good for you. But get off your high horse and stop making assumptions and judgements about people that don't do things as you do.

[ParrotRob]

One of our group is planning on bringing a 12 pack of BUD. Our TA says all luggage gets examined. It sounds like a lot of people have been successful in getting their beer on board. Is my TA accurate and can we assume it will be confiscated or is it worth a try for my friend?

 

OK, without getting into right or wrong, WHY would you bring a "12 pack of Bud" on board with you? Bud is easily available anywhere on the ship, relatively inexpensive (compared to high-end liquor drinks), and available by the bucket too. So after you've bought the Bud, you've saved what? MAYBE 35 bucks?

 

If saving $35 is that important to your friend, I submit there are probably better things he should be doing with his money than cruising.

[jakieemma]

I wonder if those people who smuggle to keep the costs down can truly afford a cruise vacation.

 

I will ponder that silly query in my suite while I sip on smuggled booze.

 

I probably pay more for season tickets to the Red Sox and Patriots than some make in a year, and I smuggle peanuts into both venues. :D

[mrdood]

I will ponder that silly query in my suite while I sip on smuggled booze.

 

I probably pay more for season tickets to the Red Sox and Patriots than some make in a year, and I smuggle peanuts into both venues. :D

 

...would not waste my time with peanuts;) Nothing but pistachios for me, smuggled into every game!!! I guess not wanting to pay $3 for 4oz of them makes me some kind of deviant... very cool!!!:p

[NYROADKING]

The following is an old concept that has been stated sometime in the past, but I just feel compelled to restate it, sorry if this is redundant.

 

When staying at most Hotels there is quite often a bar which counts mostly on those staying at the Hotel for their patronage. However, this does not preclude you the right to bring and consume your own alcohol in your room.

 

I realize that cruise lines depend on the bar revenue more than hotel chains, but why is the concept so different? I have heard the argument that the cruise lines want to control the level of intoxication on-board the ship. In practice I just don't see this as a valid reason. They can't control your consumption while on excursions, and in my opinion this is where I have seen most intoxicated.

 

The cruise line has you as volunteer captives on their ship and they want you to spend $$$ at their bars when you are there. Plain and Simple, good business.

 

Now, let's stop passing judgement on others. We are all adults who should ultimately take responsibility for our own actions. I know healthy discussion is good for the soul, but demeaning accusations and assumptions about others morality, financial responsibility, and right to go on cruises is not.

 

We go on cruises to relax and have a good time, not to worry about those who judge us. Do as you personally seem fit regarding alcohol on board. The cruise line bars are not hurting one bit by a few stateroom cocktails.

[SueSea]

When staying at most Hotels there is quite often a bar which counts mostly on those staying at the Hotel for their patronage. However, this does not preclude you the right to bring and consume your own alcohol in your room.

 

I realize that cruise lines depend on the bar revenue more than hotel chains, but why is the concept so different? I have heard the argument that the cruise lines want to control the level of intoxication on-board the ship. In practice I just don't see this as a valid reason. They can't control your consumption while on excursions, and in my opinion this is where I have seen most intoxicated.

 

Exactly! And in regard to controlling the level of intoxication--just how diligent is the cruise line in policing those drinking in its bars? Let's face it, they don't police chair hogs, theater seat savers, & parents of unruly children, and they aren't making any 'extra' money off of them. Just how quick are they to refuse to serve another drink to someone who has had too much already? Not only do they lose out on that revenue, but they risk ticking off that passenger. I'm sure they do refuse to serve some, but most likely after they are way past the over-served point! You know those folks running to the ship after an afternoon at Carlos & Charlies run right into the bars. How many of them are refused service? I never was! :D

 

If they truly want to control the level of intoxication, they should adopt a zero tolerance policy. If you get drunk and cause problems on board, you will be put off at the next port and will need to make your own arrangements to get home. Don't punish those who don't drink in excess by forbiding them to bring on alcohol. Punish those who do drink and cause trouble, whether they bought it onboard or not.

 

The one thing I don't really agree with, NYROADKING, is that cruise lines are more dependent on alcohol revenues than are hotels. Speaking in general, most hotels don't have casinos, photos, bingo, spas, excursions, or salons. Of course, there are some resorts that have some of the above, but they are a small subset of all hotels. Hotels don't get a cut of shopping at recommended stores or art auctions or wine package sales (as done on Celebrity). Another big difference is this: Hotel rates are not higher for a room that's exactly the same as one that is one floor below it. When they charge more, it's for something tangible, like a view or a concierge level.) If you check the lowest inside and the highest inside cabins, you will typically find a BIG discrepancy in price. Everything else about those cabins may be the same, except the location. Expenses are the same for both rooms, so the additional fare goes right to the bottom line. Another difference? Hotels can't pay their staff what the cruise lines pay.

[corkpopr]

actually, bar revenue is not that important in the overall profits on a ship. if that was the case there would be no free drinks in vegas. the bar is a revenue line item as are ships tours, kickbacks from approved stores on shore, the ships shops, the casino, the spa, etc. but first and foremost, the top officer after the ships captain is the HOTEL manager. The ship is a floating hotel and no hotel in the world bans bringing in your own libations for your room. You simply cannot take you own drinks out to the public area. Over 80% of the revenue is coming from cabin bookings!

 

also, booze brought on board does not encourage excessive drinking. those that have a problem will use that no limit cruise charge card for 10 a day or more. these are usually the same ones who get wasted in ports and go on the no limit rum sailing excursion. royal carribean and NCL with the strictest policies still have loud obnoxious drunks on each sailing as well.

 

I encourage everyone to have a great vacation in whatever way they like to enjoy it.

[keeponrolling]

Jeeeeez....folks, just clear your conscience. This is no big deal to anyone.

 

I packed my "special occasion" wine right on top of my carry on. Special occasion, sir? Yep, I'm having dinner in the Special dining room. Acually, no one said a word. I brought my wine one day to my waiter at lunch, asked him to ice it for dinner; two other days I brought it down myself after icing it in my room. Walked right in to the dining room, exchanged pleasantries with the maitre'd, brought it to the table, and the waiter took it from there. No corking fees, nothing.

 

I poured what was left of a pineapple rum bottle at home in a lexan bottle, stowed it in the webbing of my backpack, walked it in. Love the bar, but I don't trust the barman with the delicate proportions of lemonade and fruit punch for my rum I have perfected from the Lido buffet taps.

 

I truly believe these folks realize you're on vacation. If you are straightforward, pleasant and personable, they will be the same to you.