New liquor policy

[kerrytens]

[quote name='luvthebalcony'] You could pack the booze you want to buy in a carry on case after you pick it up in the morning. [COLOR=red]Enough said[/COLOR] ![/quote]
Don't think so - if you have to fly out the same day as you disembark, sorry but the carry on option does not work.

As a Canadian, I want to get my one super cheap (in our world anyway) bottle of booze to bring home. First I had to learn how to pack the freaking thing in my checked luggage in such a way that it won't sully my clothes if it breaks. Now, I have to open up said piece of baggage on the sidewalk outside the terminal for all to see to do it? Come on CCL, get a grip.

[mcwebber]

[quote name='luvthebalcony']For all of you throwing a little tantrum if you don't like it go somewhere else.[/quote]
You first.

[bluecat_1975]

[quote name='airmj2123']Plan ahead and roll a suitcase off... or carry it off and have space in one of the suitcases waiting for you.[/QUOTE]

Not so easy when you need your hands to help a person with special needs off the ship or when you have special needs yourself.

[bluecat_1975]

[quote name='ardnassac79']Like.

I'll be the first to say we always buy our allotted 2 bottles of liquor per adult for duty free in the ship's shop.

That said... I don't see what the huge deal is... I can understand if they didn't know "who's box was who's" and you got a Russian Roulette of liquor boxes at the end. Most everyone I've seen has at least a carry-on with them while debarking - and unless you're buying a massive amount of alcohol (which I'd have a hard time understanding how you re-packed it in the first place without intricate plans of bringing at least 1-2 extra empty bags on board) the carry-on should be fine. Just either smoosh the box in your carry-on, or for heavens sake just CARRY it. Doesn't seem like a Bachelors Degree in Logistics is needed here. I'm sure the crew has more more important things to do on the night before debarkation than make sure we have our liquor that we purchased in the shops or on shore.. You took the time to buy it, be responsible for it.[/QUOTE]


Great for people who are not driving and not flying. Its lovely to have to open your suitcase in the middle of a cruise terminal or airport and repack it. I am assuming you do know that you are not permitted to take the liquor in your carry on. If they are making you pick up your liquor you should have to show you S & S to get it. It should be done in a controlled manner and it should be done the night before so you have time to pack it.

We always buy at least 6 bottles between us and pay duty. It is still a HUGE bargin from Canadian prices. maybe they should take all electronics and jewellery as you board from the ports too and make you pick them up the morning of debarkation. After all this is really about increasing sales in the fun shops now isn't.

[KruznKel]

As per John Heald on FB..

[B][/B]OK, with the new liquor policy..........if you have luggage express the bottles will be delivered to your cabin at 7:00pm the last night of your cruise. Getting other information now.

No further info has been posted yet.. but check out his FB page for further updates..

[bluecat_1975]

[quote name='luvthebalcony']For all of you throwing a little tantrum if you don't like it go somewhere else. Carnival does a great job for the dollar. You could pack the booze you want to buy in a carry on case after you pick it up in the morning. I don't believe this a way to nickel and dime us or a way to cut cost or raise revenue although they are in the business to make money. If they can't make money the ships won't sail. Go ahead and reclaim your vacation or better yet go with some other line if you don't like Carnival.
We have tried other lines over the years and have decided we like Carnival more for many reasons. I hope I don't have to listen to people bitchin while I'm on my vacation I just go with the flow and have fun. Enough said ![/QUOTE]


and they seem to be giving less and less service each year. This is not about not liking Carnival this is about cutting a service that has always been included. So pay the same and let us cut a few things every year... but don't say anything because if we continue to deliver this to your room we are suddenly going to lose more money. Well on average we spend 900-1000 in funshops, excursions and casino on a 7 day cruise. I wonder how it costs Carnival to deliver my purchases - that they took to my room? Because if this policy is kept ALL my spending will be done in port....

I guess i will have a few incidentals but Carnival will lose I would say 700 each time I cruise. But at least the ports will get it...and perhaps they need it more.

[golfadj]

If they do this I will stop buying liquor.

We leave the ship very early and I am not going to spend time going to pick up my booze.

If it is too difficult to deliver it the last night so we can pack it into our luggage than I will just not buy it on the ship.

[Crusing Nut]

[quote name='KruznKel']As per John Heald on FB..

OK, with the new liquor policy..........if you have luggage express the bottles will be delivered to your cabin at 7:00pm the last night of your cruise. Getting other information now.

No further info has been posted yet.. but check out his FB page for further updates..[/quote]

That is what I was told.... but most times you cannot do luggage express if your flight leaves before 11:30.

[Frank12]

[quote name='golfadj']If they do this I will stop buying liquor.

We leave the ship very early and I am not going to spend time going to pick up my booze.

If it is too difficult to deliver it the last night so we can pack it into our luggage than I will just not buy it on the ship.[/quote]

I believe many feel this way. I think in the end this change will cost CCL due to lost liquor sales.

[KruznKel]

[quote name='Crusing Nut']That is what I was told.... but most times you cannot do luggage express if your flight leaves before 11:30.[/quote]

I dunno luggage express is not an option for us Canucks.. as I posted JH was looking into more info.. go to his FB page to find out the latest updates;)

[AuntieBon]

I will have to make sure of the policy when I'm on the Magic in December. If this is the new policy then I will NOT be buying any liquor. Having to repack my suitcase in the middle of the chaos that is debarkation and luggage retrieval is not something I will do.

I appreciate the opportunity to purchase some cheaper alcohol then I can get at home and buy some for my work Yankee Swap I'll manage without it.

To the Carnival Beards, if it's the expense and the time the stewards have to deliver to our rooms I am not against having to go down the NIGHT before to retrieve my booze it's the morning of debarkation and AFTER I've packed my bags and put them out that I find offensive. :mad:

[Karysa]

I guess that I see it differently than others on here. I think that the way to change the policy is not to stop buying liquor but rater buy more. Causing chaos when disembarking is what would make them change the policy.
Carnival is reminding me of some of the dictators in the news lately. Maybe they need a lesson of their own.

[kingoftheicedragons]

I agree that this is a very stupid and ill-thought out policy. I will admit, I never buy liquor from the ship's store, and rarely have I bought it on shore (Grand Cayman was the one exception). However, I am planning on buying a couple of bottles at St. Maarten next year. And I don't care that the ship holds onto it, until the night before debarkation.

But having to pick it up the morning of debarkation doesn't make sense. It adds one more thing that you have to do that morning which seems hectic enough already. You then need to re-pack your luggage after you debark since you can't take liquor as a carry-on onboard a plane. And what if you forget to include it on your customs declaration, as I fill that out the night before based on what I pack into the suitcase.

I have a feeling that this policy isn't going to last very long.

[KruznKel]

[quote name='kingoftheicedragons']I agree that this is a very stupid and ill-thought out policy. I will admit, I never buy liquor from the ship's store, and rarely have I bought it on shore (Grand Cayman was the one exception). However, I am planning on buying a couple of bottles at St. Maarten next year. And I don't care that the ship holds onto it, until the night before debarkation.

But having to pick it up the morning of debarkation doesn't make sense. It adds one more thing that you have to do that morning which seems hectic enough already. You then need to re-pack your luggage after you debark since you can't take liquor as a carry-on onboard a plane. And what if you forget to include it on your customs declaration, as I fill that out the night before based on what I pack into the suitcase.

I have a feeling that this policy isn't going to last very long.[/quote]

I posted this suggestion on the other thread as well.. I think for people flying they just prove they are to the purser or the gift shop when purchasing.. and they receive the liquor the nite before as they are going to do with the luggage express pax...

[richstowe]

[quote name='AuntieBon']I will have to make sure of the policy when I'm on the Magic in December. If this is the new policy then I will NOT be buying any liquor. Having to repack my suitcase in the middle of the chaos that is debarkation and luggage retrieval is not something I will do.


To the Carnival Beards, if it's the expense and the time the stewards have to deliver to our rooms I am not against having to go down the NIGHT before to retrieve my booze it's the morning of debarkation and AFTER I've packed my bags and put them out that I find offensive. :mad:[/quote]

[SIZE=3]Good idea. If Carnival doesn't agree to let you pick it up at a reasonable time[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]the night before, then evereryone can conclude it was just a cash grab to get a few more sales of booze[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]on the final night of the cruise. Perhaps pick-up could start at 6 or 7 PM.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]Of course the best action is [B]NO[/B] change at all.[/SIZE]

[tandemcruzr]

[quote name='fourwaystreet']Smuggling booze onto the ship I understand, buying booze in port or on the ship to bring home seems like more hassle than it is worth. Is the savings that significant?[/quote]

Not necessarily, but sometimes you can't get at home what you can find in a port.

[gman0119]

Got off the Triumph yesterday, and that was the case. They started giving the land purchased stuff out at 6AM, in the Hollywood Disco. Pretty unorganized at first, but did a little better as time went. We got there about 7AM, and there was one line back about 50 yards, but once you got inside, there was about 3 different areas. Some passengers started coming out saying, "Go in this way if you are on decks 6-10. We did that and bypassed almost half the line and got the stuff in a couple of minutes. Staff getting the bottles brought us 2, after I had told her we had one bottle and one box, and one wasn't for us. We showed her she had the wrong room number. She went back looking, and kept looking for the wrong box. I called out to her 3 or 4 times, and she looked at me like she didn't care. She then asked for help, and I told a staff man what the box looked like, and he found it in about 15 seconds. Geez...

[capndinghy]

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"][SIZE="4"]I would like to think that this dumb new policy will be changed when Carnival sees their on board duty free liquor sales plummet. I wonder what rocket scientist thought this one up?[/SIZE][/FONT]

[mcwebber]

When you check your liquor that you bring back from port be sure to take a picture of it.

[golfadj]

John Heald asked for comments on FB the other day and pretty much everyone said this was incredibly dumb and he said he would pass it along to his beards.

[trvlqueen]

This policy caught me off guard - I purchased 2 bottles of Tequila in Cozumel, as gifts for the people taking care of my business while I'm out of town. Sometimes there IS a reason to buy in port or on board - some things are not available in the states - got back on board and checked my liquor like a good girl (I could have bypassed the table - it's not that hard to do) and received the letter advising me to pick up on the last morning.

First reaction - P.O.'d - we were flying out and this policy is a hassle for those flying! I called guest services and lodged my views to no avail. They advised me to sign up for luggage express - which isn't offered on the airline I was flying.

Last morning I almost forgot to pick up the liquor - if my friend hadn't reminded me, it would have been left behind. Between last minute packing of the stuff we needed for the last morning, taking care of my daughter who wasn't feeling well, things got hectic ... then, at the airport I had to stop and tuck them in to the suitcases -

That said, if I was driving and didn't have a sick daughter, it would have been a painless process. However, if flying, this is not a good process. It's a PIA and needs to be changed back - I would not object to picking my own liquor up. But it absolutely needs to be done prior to luggage being put out in the hall on the last night.

[mcwebber]

[quote name='trvlqueen']

That said, if I was driving and didn't have a sick daughter, it would have been a painless process. However, if flying, this is not a good process. It's a PIA and needs to be changed back - I would not object to picking my own liquor up. But it absolutely needs to be done prior to luggage being put out in the hall on the last night.[/quote]

Even driving it's not. I bought a variety of tequilas in Coz last Nov when they decided to start this stupid experiment, and it was a PIA having to keep my rather large suitcase to pack it all after picking up that morning and then screwing around to get on an elevator since every time one stopped it was chock full. Had I known about it in advance I could have brought another suitcase just for that purpose, but still very inconvenient on the last morning.

[martini_guy]

This year I was abit annoyed by another policy change. I used to be able to purchase my duty free on the morning of the day before reaching home port, on the Dream I now had to wait until at least 4pm. It was an inconvenience for me as I had enough going on and things to do that evening other than run to the busy duty free shop that afternoon when I would've liked to have most of my packing and weight rebalancing of bags done before then.


[quote name='capndinghy'][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4]I would like to think that this dumb new policy will be changed when Carnival sees their on board duty free liquor sales plummet. I wonder what rocket scientist thought this one up?[/SIZE][/FONT][/quote]

I really wonder how much they make on some of these duty free liquor sales. I can't imagine more than a few bucks a bottle in many cases. The prices for things like Stoli vodka and Bacardi rum I haven't seen more than a dollar less at ANY duty free port.

[John&John]

[quote name='capndinghy'][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4]I would like to think that this dumb new policy will be changed when Carnival sees their on board duty free liquor sales plummet. I wonder what rocket scientist thought this one up?[/SIZE][/FONT][/quote]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=DarkGreen]
I am under the impression (not sure why) that Duty Free purchases on-board are still delivered the night before debarkation.

I think this only applies to alcohol that one brings back on the ship.

Anyone know?

Also, if by any chance [I]someone[/I] brings an extra bottle of wine at embarkation and it is taken away will it be returned to the cabin the night before or will it also need to be picked up the morning of embarkation?[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[KandCsailing]

[quote name='KruznKel']I dunno luggage express is not an option for us Canucks.. as I posted JH was looking into more info.. go to his FB page to find out the latest updates;)[/QUOTE]
On our last cruise on Legend they were also only letting US citizens carry their own luggage off the ship early. The rest of us had to put our bags out the night before and wait for the numbers to be called.