Is it true--RCCL to cut drink prices!!!

[G'ma]

HI all,

 

`my sister has just telephoned me to say she has recieved an e-mail (earlier on this evening) from the TA we booked our Splendour cruise with.The e-mail says that due to complaints from pax on the IOTS-RCCL will be lowering the price of the drinks on this ship as from the 23rd of June.The new prices will be rolled out fleetwide as from this date.

 

Anyone else heard this news.

 

Taffygirl

 

Wouldn't surprise me a bit. With their new pricing policy, attending higher fares and no more OBC for price reductions...they can afford to lower prices a bit.

 

Imagine how much lower it could go if they'd simply make a better effort to stop the smugglers......

[evansr]

I've never split a card but we buy a card for all 3 of our kids and I have (usually once per cruise) gotten them to get me a coke to drive away a headache. I know I should go buy one at the bar but after paying $112 I think I paid for it. (plus my9 yr old only buys one because she wants to be like her brothers-I think last time she drank one coke)

Hi

was just wondering if you could get such a card for coffee.

[Creepella]

Do they charge extra for mix? I mean if you get liquor and soda, are you charged extra for the soda? How much?

[shelby_36]

coffee- ick!

[EBJarvis]

Wouldn't surprise me a bit. With their new pricing policy' date=' attending higher fares and no more OBC for price reductions...they can afford to lower prices a bit.

 

Imagine how much lower it could go if they'd simply make a better effort to stop the smugglers......[/quote']

 

Sailing on the AOS on 1 November. This will be our first Royal Caribbean cruise. Previously cruises have been on HA and X. Does anyone know if the drink prices are being lowered on the AOS? With HA, we were always able to bring wine on board, so we're disappointed that Royal Caribbean doesn't allow us to do so. Had mixed feeling about Royal Caribbean, so hopefully, we won't regret our decision to try another line.

[Tweety2]

Hi there!

I see you are on the Nov 1 cruise for the AOS. Have you checked the Roll Call forum for this cruise? You will be able to chat with people that will be on this cruise. Also have you signed up for the Meet & Mingle Party. We only have 5 people signed up now and I think we need 20 to have a party.:)

[pcur]

This is interesting. Just to confirm, were RCL really telling you to purchase one soda card and use it to to supply two people with drinks? I thought their intention was that customers purchase one card per cruiser.

 

RCCL is pretty flexible with a lot of their policies, especially if it involves two people in the same cabin. It's actually the posters on this board that turn a "policy" into a "rule". :D

[sotonjoe]

RCCL is pretty flexible with a lot of their policies, especially if it involves two people in the same cabin. It's actually the posters on this board that turn a "policy" into a "rule". :D

 

Thanks. I was considering getting one card for my wife when we cruise in August as she doesn't drink alcohol. I wondered whether they would police it very strictly. Ideally, she could get a coke for us to share etc and it sounds like this wouldn't be a problem. I'd feel a bit ripped off having to buy two cards given the fact that we'll often be off the ship and I'll be paying extra for alcohol in the evenings anyway!

[Cruisin-Family]

RCCL - I hope you are listening. I have never cruised anything other than Royal Caribbean; but the more I hear about your cutbacks and increased costs, and the more I hear about great experiences on other cruise lines from other people on these boards and in my day to day experience, the more likely my family and I are to try another cruise line which could mean another lost family of cruise customers for RCCL.

 

 

We are D members who as a direct result of the RCI loyalty program debacle has started cruising other lines and loving it. We haven't ruled RCI out completely, but RCI has lost 4 cruise decisions from us since changing their loyalty program, and have enjoyed the new experiences so far. It has been great for us..., I'd like to see their numbers of their returning guests (frequency and recency). I can only speculate what they are from reading the posts. And to be fair, lots of RCI cruisers don't care much about the changes. We all get our individual votes with our vacation dollars...RCI gets to tally them on their income statement in order to make the best business decisions.

[Ladylouwho]

I have read the prices of drinks are higher on the ships in Europe (specifically the IND) but I can not confirm that.

 

We were on the Voyager of the Seas out of Barcelona sailing the Med over Thanksgiving last year. One month later we sailed the Voyager again out of Galveston in the Carib. The drink prices were higher in Europe than a month later out of Texas.

 

I specifically asked one of the bartenders in the casino and he confirmed, yes, they raise the drink prices while in Europe and lower them once in the U.S. ports.

 

I think it is because things cost more in Europe (U.S. dollarwise) and they figure they can get those prices while back in the U.S. they would not be competitive with those higher prices.

 

Colleen

[Ladylouwho]

RCCL is pretty flexible with a lot of their policies, especially if it involves two people in the same cabin. It's actually the posters on this board that turn a "policy" into a "rule". :D

 

Wow, isn't that the truth, lol!

 

Colleen

[Jsme]

I think beer is a bit much on board and sometimes wine is a lot. It really depends on how it is being compared. I can buy a bottle of wine at the wine store for $10 that RCI charges $30 for. But if I go to out to dinner at our favorite place the price is almost $30 for the same bottle.

 

For beer, it I buy at the grocery store I can get a 6 pk for the price of one beer. But if we go to an upscale restaurant my DH will pay $6-$8 for the beer he likes. This will compare evenly with RCI's beer DH likes.

 

As for drinks, really they are about the same cost of any restaurant in our area. I have a hard time comparing a drink I can make at home to drinking out because you have to buy so much to make them they way I like them. I would think they would be a bit cheaper. I have never done the math though. However, logic would make you think it would be cheaper to make from home. I just do not drink a lot of alcohol drinks at home because there are so many points to them...sorry on Weight Watchers. But on the ship I like a good Dirty Vodka Martini with Grey Goose and hold the Vermoth. I don't care for the Vermoth anyway and this makes your $10 drink a double. Thus, the reason I gain weight on a cruise.

[smoosh21]

What in the world were you drinking.

Even on RCL, I have never purchased a $10 drink.

 

I was going to ask the same thing. It has been a few years since I sailed RCI, but I think most drinks were 5.95 to 7.95

[BecciBoo]

Water with Lemon available at any bar and free of charge too! :eek::p:D

 

I read you loud and clear diva:D;) Orange juice free too........

[house7]

I read you loud and clear diva:D;) Orange juice free too........

 

Ice tea too....I guess if you wanted to drink lots go on one of the all inclusive beach vacations...not a cruise...unless you can afford it.:)

[snowbird1]

I was just on the Enchantment and the prices were not reduced from my INDY TA. My guess is without ready all the posts here is they lowered the drink prices of the European cruises. From what I heard, the prices went up on the INDY once it got to England but that is just what I read and can't verify that.

[BonnieLark]

What in the world were you drinking.

Even on RCL, I have never purchased a $10 drink.

 

I purchased a pina colada on NCL Norwegian Pearl in Feb 2009 and it was $14! I just did without after that. Too many calories anyway.