JTexcruise

If they're not familiar they can't be dishonest..... OP has asked for first hand experience of purchasing after the first day....

I was being nice.....they know exactly what they are doing.

With the new drink packages you can buy them after the first couple of days. There needs to be a minimum of 4 days remaining and you will only be charged for the days that you use. Once you buy it you buy it for the remainder of that cruise.

 

I think that the staff are also not familiar with how the program is supposed to work.

The first day onboard sales staff are NOT familiar (dishonest) with the program & tell people they have to buy it day one or not at all.

If you don't have liquor you won't have to wait in the line.

Question: Is there a separate line for passengers who don't have liquor?

No...just one separate line after clearing customs.

It depends on your Crown & Anchor status for getting off the ship... higher levels get to go early. Also, if you have early flights booked, you get to go early. If you are part of the "herd", you get to wait & wait & wait. Our friends are Diamond, they got off at 8:00am & were in their car headed home within 30 minutes! We were still sitting in the theater.... for hours, then finally got off the ship only to stand in line for over an hour to get our luggage.

 

Also, I read that if you have sailed to Honduras, they check everything much more in detail. Not sure which itinerary y'all were on this week, but that could explain some of the delay.

We did the Roatan, Belize, Cozumel itinerary this week and did the self assist disembarkation (group E). This service is available to all regardless of status as long as you can bring your own bags off the ship.

We had ZERO problems getting off the Navigator today. It was exactly 45 minutes from line up at 8:30 to clearing customs. BTW....it took us only 15 minutes to embark (we were on board at 11:00 am). I realize some others may have waited longer but many of us had a great experience. The TABC tax table was after customs and off to the side. It did not slow us getting off the ship since we had no liquor. This was our 6th cruise out of Galveston and all have been trouble free.

Its fine sailing out of Galveston, its another thing sailing back in. I just got off the Navigator this morning and it was complete chaos in Terminal 2. The crowd were almost ready to riot. We departed the ship at 9.00am and it took two and a half hours to clear customs. It was a mess with little to no communication or direction. I don't know who is at fault because they all blame one another, but many elderly people needed help and to be able to use the restroom. There were many families and children and foreign visitors, and only 10 Customs people. Four of the posts were for US passports but only three were open. It was a horrible way to end what had been a wonderful cruise.

Wow....that is crazy! We got off the Navigator today at 8:30 am & cleared customs 45 minutes later. It was slower than last time we disembarked but really not that bad. Sorry you got stuck like that but please note....many passengers got off in a reasonable amount of time. BTW overall the cruise was great & we got lucky with the weather :-) The biggest snafu on the trip had to do with evening production show cancelations due to motorized back stage technical problems. I am sure there will be a thread started on that soon.

Good Morning everyone. Has anybody seen the Navigator come in this morning? I can't tell f she is behind Carnival. I thought the pier 23 cam would show her but ............not.

 

I am on her today...........just checking. :)

Check the "Emerald Cam" on the website. She is here :-D

BTW.....Even though bar tending is not my primary source of income now I still enter mixology contests from time to time. Here is my latest recipe...cheers!

Paradise Pom Margarita

* .5oz Pomegranate Juice

.75 oz Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

1 oz blood orange juice

.5 oz Simple Syrup

.5 oz Pomegranate Syrup

2.0 oz Partida Blanco Tequila

1.0 oz Solerno blood orange liqueur (Triple Sec as substitute)

* Flash blend with 1/4 blender of ice or hand shake on the rocks. If hand shaken add a splash of water.

* Present in a large martini glass

* Garnish with blood orange wheel twisted on rim

* simple syrup is equal parts sugar & water dissolved together.

* Pomegranate syrup is made by simmer juice to syrup consistency.

My brother and a few friends are bartenders. I know of spillage. I also know that actual spillage and drink mistakes happen, which is what that cushion is for. That cushion is not to cheat for people who bribe you.

 

The more people that follow your advice and methods... the more the house gets cheated. OR the more chumps that don't bribe the bartenders get short-poured.

Spillage is also for "marketing" purposes. In fact it is the bartenders slush fund budget to do with as he pleases as long as he does not exceed it. Sorry Poncho.....we will have to agree to disagree on this one.

So:

 

Cheat & steal against me... BOO! YOU STEALING SCUM!

 

Cheat & steal for me... YAY! YOU GAVE ME EXCELLENT SERVICE!

 

 

 

How about they just pour a decent drink and don't cheat or steal from you or their employer?

 

 

This is why SkyNet bartenders will eventually rule the world!

;)

Giving a customer a long pour is NOT always cheating the house! I was a bartender for many years out of college and all bartenders are given a house percentage of "spillage". As long as you stayed within your pourable volume/drink ratio you were ok. I guess you were not aware of this :-D

Wow!!!!! Now that is an amazing collection of cruise photos :) Thanks for putting that together & sharing!

Thanks for the info. It would be a big splurge for us but if the experience has value we may consider it :)

We are booked on the Allure for late Spring in two adjoining ocean balconies. We have the option of upgrading to one Sky or Crown loft suite but at a huge price differential (6k vs. 12.5k or 18.9k). What do these suites offer to command such a huge upgrade price? Has anyone stayed or toured these suites that can offer any insight? Thanks in advance.

Thanks jebl for your post. I did not realize you took care of the situation straight away when it happened. By bringing it up directly with the bartender, writing RCCL about the practice & notifying your fellow cruisers of the problem you have covered all the bases. Thanks for the heads up....cheers!

BTW.....The more passengers who deal with this problem straight away with the bartender vs. bitching about it after the fact anonymously online the less it will occur.

Happened quite a few times when we were on the Mariner ordering rum & cokes. I simply refused to pay the bill & had the bartender make me a new one when it happened. Bartenders who "long" poured me with the drink I requested got tipped 30% or more. Enough said...never had a problem as a customer.

Member since Dec. 20 2013. Welcome to Cruise Critic!