Anyone else notice drinks went up?

[dan40]

I think these prices are a bid ridiculous to be honest. Add your 15% grat on top of that, and if you're canadian you're 15% exchange rate, and we're paying $10ish for a DOD in a souveneir glass.. bit much

 

Maybe Carnival should think in reverse, if drinks were more reasonably prices, fewer people would do the rum runner any type of smuggling on their own booze thing? just maybe

 

Until about 15 years ago, Carnival drink prices ran well below land prices. Even below 'corner bar' prices. Even 5 years back, they were at the low end of hotel or nice bar prices But more and more smuggling went on anyway. Many of us have said for a long time that smuggling RAISES the drink prices. Smugglers poo-poed that like we were radical nutjobs. Well here we are at today's prices. Why?

 

Does it matter why? It is and that is that.

[gone_cruisin]

Anyone have the beer prices?

[UpstateCruizer]

Until about 15 years ago, Carnival drink prices ran well below land prices. Even below 'corner bar' prices. Even 5 years back, they were at the low end of hotel or nice bar prices But more and more smuggling went on anyway. Many of us have said for a long time that smuggling RAISES the drink prices. Smugglers poo-poed that like we were radical nutjobs. Well here we are at today's prices. Why?

 

Does it matter why? It is and that is that.

 

I don't normally order alcohol with my dinners in resturants but I did recently. The prices were similar to the ship prices and my drink didn't taste nearly as good as it did on the cruise. I suppose if drinks were cheap it would encourage people to drink more such as happy hour 2 for 1 specials.

 

As for seeing a rush fee on any of my drinks by walking up to the bar I've never seen that. We got our drinks on the Splendor from the bar several times and nothing was added. If I had seen that I'd have been ticked too. I prefer getting my own drinks most of the time since the servers can be very slow in returning. Last cruise we were ready to leave our loungers and had to hunt down our server it took so long. :eek:

[dan40]

I don't normally order alcohol with my dinners in resturants but I did recently. The prices were similar to the ship prices and my drink didn't taste nearly as good as it did on the cruise. I suppose if drinks were cheap it would encourage people to drink more such as happy hour 2 for 1 specials.

 

As for seeing a rush fee on any of my drinks by walking up to the bar I've never seen that. We got our drinks on the Splendor from the bar several times and nothing was added. If I had seen that I'd have been ticked too. I prefer getting my own drinks most of the time since the servers can be very slow in returning. Last cruise we were ready to leave our loungers and had to hunt down our server it took so long. :eek:

 

I have never seen, nor heard of a "rush" fee, and I normally order from the bar. But I DO hand the btender a dollar with my card, every drink, or if he already knows my folio # I lay a dollar on the bar when I order. And will leave a $5. or a $10. when I leave the bar if the btender had been extra good. Service is always VERY fast, drinks are always potent.

[cathyoo]

Hmm, I wondering what impact these prices will have on my BAR CARD... I think it is unlimited drinks $7.25 and under. For my husband I'm sure his beers will still be good but I'm worried about my frozen concocotions.

[joebat1]

I don't care about laundry costs as I will be platimum on my next cruise:D

 

How much are virgin frozen drinks? On my last Princess cruise, they were cheap, like $2.75. I would get strawberry margaritas and almost magically, some tequila in a small bottle in my coat pocket would leap into it!

 

That is really neat trick, is it easy to master???? If so I sure would like to learn the secret~~!!~~

[vacruizer]

That is really neat trick, is it easy to master???? If so I sure would like to learn the secret~~!!~~

 

Virgin drinks last week on the Pride were running $4.95. The real ones might as well have been virgin - very little if any liquor in them.

[erinmarie424]

It seems like prices on just about everything have gone up in the last year... and if the price hasn't gone up the item itself has gotten smaller (boxed cereal, for example)

 

Prices on cocktails and beer at our after-work hangout have increased anywhere from 50 cents to $1.50 each since last summer - It does not surprise me to hear the same sort of increase on cruise lines.

[mistyinca]

Last week on the miracle it was $26.45. Dont know how, but we managed to come home with unused punches left on a DOD card. The cards are generic. Does anyone know if the unused drinks can be used on a future cruise? We sail again in october.

 

I don't see why not. Give it a try.

[inlovew/cruising]

Last week on the miracle it was $26.45. Dont know how, but we managed to come home with unused punches left on a DOD card. The cards are generic. Does anyone know if the unused drinks can be used on a future cruise? We sail again in october.

The coupons are so maybe the same for cards. Maybe someone else knows for sure.

[10sbum]

On the Splendor i would go up to the bar for the special drink of the day and he would attempt to pour my drink from a pre mixed container and you woud be lucky to even taste any liquor.Since the drink of the day lists the ingredients I watched him make from scratch and on one occasion he totally left out the rum and when confronted he did add and did not apopear to be happy at my calling him on it.for the prices they are charging and the cheap booze in the fancy drinks you would think they would make according to their wriiten menu.

[dan40]

On the Splendor i would go up to the bar for the special drink of the day and he would attempt to pour my drink from a pre mixed container and you woud be lucky to even taste any liquor.Since the drink of the day lists the ingredients I watched him make from scratch and on one occasion he totally left out the rum and when confronted he did add and did not apopear to be happy at my calling him on it.for the prices they are charging and the cheap booze in the fancy drinks you would think they would make according to their wriiten menu.

 

Your experience is NOT a new phenomena.

 

Going back FIFTY years, when I was a young man. Mixing a "resort drink,' like a whiskey sour from scratch. [or any drink] You mix all the fru fru stuff, pour it in the serving glass. Then take a skinny stirring straw and dip it in the whiskey. Hold your finger over the end of the straw, picking a skinny straw full of whiskey [maybe a tenth of an ounce, if that.] Stick the straw down in the drink and THEN release your finger. What little booze was in the drink stayed in the straw. A lady would naturally take the first sip thru the straw and EXCLAIM, "WOW, they make the drinks STRONG!!" Then, of course she would stir the now virgin drink.

 

When I lived in Ca. there was a time when Sunday Brunch was all the rage. EVERY hotel and restaurant had to serve a Sunday Brunch. Everyone advertised a vanilla milkshake type drink [can't remember the name] and ALL claimed to mix the STRONGEST one in the area. A newspaper decided to see who actually did make the strongest brunch drink. They went to all these places and bought that drink and then snuck it out of there and had a lab analyze them. About 30 drinks, MORE than half showed NO alcohol AT ALL. Of the rest, the STRONGEST had about a quarter shot of booze.

The paper published the results, NAMING NAMES. Sunday Brunch became the thing NOT TO DO.:eek::D

[vacruizer]

Your experience is NOT a new phenomena.

 

Going back FIFTY years, when I was a young man. Mixing a "resort drink,' like a whiskey sour from scratch. [or any drink] You mix all the fru fru stuff, pour it in the serving glass. Then take a skinny stirring straw and dip it in the whiskey. Hold your finger over the end of the straw, picking a skinny straw full of whiskey [maybe a tenth of an ounce, if that.] Stick the straw down in the drink and THEN release your finger. What little booze was in the drink stayed in the straw. A lady would naturally take the first sip thru the straw and EXCLAIM, "WOW, they make the drinks STRONG!!" Then, of course she would stir the now virgin drink.

 

When I lived in Ca. there was a time when Sunday Brunch was all the rage. EVERY hotel and restaurant had to serve a Sunday Brunch. Everyone advertised a vanilla milkshake type drink [can't remember the name] and ALL claimed to mix the STRONGEST one in the area. A newspaper decided to see who actually did make the strongest brunch drink. They went to all these places and bought that drink and then snuck it out of there and had a lab analyze them. About 30 drinks, MORE than half showed NO alcohol AT ALL. Of the rest, the STRONGEST had about a quarter shot of booze.

The paper published the results, NAMING NAMES. Sunday Brunch became the thing NOT TO DO.:eek::D

 

LOL - every once in a while during my bartending days someone would send a drink back saying it wasn't strong enough. Here in VA the state liquor laws actually limit how much alcohol can be served in one drink and the chain place I worked for required us to measure our pours. So when one would get sent back we'd dribble a little straight boozed down the straw since we couldn't legally add another shot, they'd take a sip, get a mouthful of straight liquor, and not be able to taste enough for the rest of the drink to know the difference.

 

Odd thing on the ship was last week I watched the bartenders on some of the drinks I ordered measure the shot into the drink which is plenty of alcohol for me. Then I'd taste the drink, no liquor flavor, and wouldn't feel the alcohol at all which is very odd for me - I'm a complete lightweight when it comes to booze. I actually started to wonder by the fifth or sixth time I saw this over the course of the cruise if they were watering down the bottles. :eek:

[dan40]

LOL - every once in a while during my bartending days someone would send a drink back saying it wasn't strong enough. Here in VA the state liquor laws actually limit how much alcohol can be served in one drink and the chain place I worked for required us to measure our pours. So when one would get sent back we'd dribble a little straight boozed down the straw since we couldn't legally add another shot, they'd take a sip, get a mouthful of straight liquor, and not be able to taste enough for the rest of the drink to know the difference.

 

Odd thing on the ship was last week I watched the bartenders on some of the drinks I ordered measure the shot into the drink which is plenty of alcohol for me. Then I'd taste the drink, no liquor flavor, and wouldn't feel the alcohol at all which is very odd for me - I'm a complete lightweight when it comes to booze. I actually started to wonder by the fifth or sixth time I saw this over the course of the cruise if they were watering down the bottles. :eek:

 

Is there a Liquor Control Board that is going to come in and check the bottles like there is on land? NO!

When I owned a bar in Pa. We had to buy all liquor from the State Store. Each bottle had a PA tax stamp sealing the top. Only those bottles on the serving shelves could have a broken seal. All in back up had to have unbroken seals and WOE on you if there was a single bottle in the building WITHOUT a tax seal. The LCB guys would write you a painful fine!

[erinmarie424]

The cards had to be used up on our April cruise. We bought one on the last day and were politely reminded that we would need to use it up that day.

 

Also, I found that if you ordered a DOD from a different day it was noticeably stronger since it was made from scratch instead of poured out of that premixed container. One of the bartenders even joked "it's pretty strong, I hope you can handle it" as she handed it to me.

[bobsfamily]

Also, I found that if you ordered a DOD from a different day it was noticeably stronger since it was made from scratch instead of poured out of that premixed container. One of the bartenders even joked "it's pretty strong, I hope you can handle it" as she handed it to me.

We found if you went to the bar outside the casino it had the "strongest" drinks... and that's where we got the DOD's from...

[hawaiikat]

Inquiring minds want to know.....Please

[Silverscreencruiser]

I wonder if the higher drink prices have anything to do with the bargain fares Carnival had to offer to fill up ships this last month. May and June are normally two of the higher cost cruise months and they've had to cut back fares like crazy. This might be a way to recoup, and, if so, the question is whether they'll keep doing it when everything shakes out.

 

I don't think Carnival wants to get a reputation for gouging on drink prices.

[eedee]

Inquiring minds want to know.....Please

Yes please tell. what is a bar card?

[bobsfamily]

Yes please tell. what is a bar card?

 

I think it is the DOD card... BUT it could be when you have a group (I think 35 or more and am not sure they still do it) and ALL decide to drink you can buy a AI drink card for the entire crowd and everyone drinks "free"

[Flynlo]

Another good reason to take your own booze with ya!

[jks336]

at least with the drink coupons most of your drink is pre-payed that way my balance on my s&s won't be a killer.. good thing i'm not a heavy drinker..lmao.. but still, it can add up especially as i hear the drinks are weak.. they must use the measured pourers dangit!. proper shot is just over that! lol. i bought 4 packs of the drink coupons for my cruise lol

[killian25]

YES......This was my 1st CCL cruise and I couldn't believe how much drinks were.....Oh well we still had fun but we got 2 bottles of wine, 3 vodka, 12 pack of beer onto the boat so that helped..

[EastTexans2]

I was on Conquest two weeks ago and one afternoon I decided that I wanted a diet coke........no liquor....just a diet coke. The price on the in-room mini bar said they were $1.95 so I took one. The next afternoon I did the same thing.

Checked my bill on the TV and I was charged $4.95 for each of those! Didn't do that anymore.

[Bandman]

I was on Conquest two weeks ago and one afternoon I decided that I wanted a diet coke........no liquor....just a diet coke. The price on the in-room mini bar said they were $1.95 so I took one. The next afternoon I did the same thing.

Checked my bill on the TV and I was charged $4.95 for each of those! Didn't do that anymore.

 

If they are charging $5 for a coke they have gone to far. I love Carnival, but if these kinds of prices are true then my upcoming cruise is starting to look like a "Bait & Switch".

 

~ Yes, I know lemonade is free. But to get people out on the ocean and then charge $5 for soft drinks......