Why don't Cruise lines allow bringing on alcohol.

[miched]

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The cruise lines won't let passengers bring alcohol on board but passengers can bring on bottled water and soft drinks. This is discrimination. They sell all of it on board and apparently to make a profit. If it is about revenue than look at what they are losing.

 

Why should it be any different? People bring their own soda and water because they dont want to pay $3 for that on board.

 

I dont like payin $5 for beer either but I can't briing it on board. :confused:

 

 

 

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[paul929207]

Profit.

[cgal32]

I would love to bring alcohol too, but it isn't discrimination. Technically, it is their ship. They can make the rules and we can choose to cruise somewhere else.

 

I am a smoker. I wouldn't like to smoke anywhere I want such as in my room, but I would like to not be segregated when I am outdoors. Just the breaks.

[luddite]

Because they get to make the rules.

[Shorex]

Surprise, cruise lines are businesses that actually prefer to be profitable. Alcohol and other beverages are major profit centers for most lines. Permitting guests to bring aboard their own adult beverages would undercut the profit. "Profit" is not a dirty word. Ask what happened to the lovely Renaissance Cruise Line when they failed to be profitable.

 

Now, there are lines that care not a whit about how much adult beverages are brought on board. Try a cruise on Silversea or some other luxury all-inclusive line and you can bring your beer by the case if you like. :)

[greatam]

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The cruise lines won't let passengers bring alcohol on board but passengers can bring on bottled water and soft drinks. This is discrimination. They sell all of it on board and apparently to make a profit. If it is about revenue than look at what they are losing.

 

Why should it be any different? People bring their own soda and water because they dont want to pay $3 for that on board.

 

I dont like payin $5 for beer either but I can't briing it on board. :confused:.

 

Upgrade your cruise line and you can either bring as much on board as you want or it will be included in the price of the cruise.

 

Have walked right onto 3 cruises on Cunard with both many bottles of Piper Heisdeick champagne and bottles of Kahlua. No one said a thing. In fact, one time , I left the QE2 in NYC, walked over about 10 blocks to a liquor store, bought three bottles of Kahlua and walked back to the ship with three brown bags.

 

Seabourn-DH drinks A LOT of beer. Get a good bargain on Seabourn and the booze bill is $00.00 instead of $1000.00.

 

 

 

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Edited January 31, 2012 by greatam

[Don P]

We're sailing on te Celebrity Eclipse next month. We're allowed to bring two bottles of wine per stateroom.

 

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The cruise lines won't let passengers bring alcohol on board but passengers can bring on bottled water and soft drinks. This is discrimination. They sell all of it on board and apparently to make a profit. If it is about revenue than look at what they are losing.

 

Why should it be any different? People bring their own soda and water because they dont want to pay $3 for that on board.

 

I dont like payin $5 for beer either but I can't briing it on board. :confused:

 

 

 

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[CruiserBruce]

Do bars allow you to bring booze to them?

 

A lot of stadiums, arenas, etc, don't allow you to bring booze in. Is that discrimination? They sell booze.

 

You could discriminate by not going on cruises.

Edited January 31, 2012 by CruiserBruce

[vacation_junkie]

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The cruise lines won't let passengers bring alcohol on board but passengers can bring on bottled water and soft drinks. This is discrimination. They sell all of it on board and apparently to make a profit. If it is about revenue than look at what they are losing.

 

Why should it be any different? People bring their own soda and water because they dont want to pay $3 for that on board.

 

I dont like payin $5 for beer either but I can't briing it on board. :confused:

 

 

 

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When a cruise leaves port its running in a deficit...at a loss. They make their money on Alcohol and the other extra on the ship.

[BruceMuzz]

I have managed many ships for several different cruise lines. Occasionally in the past we experimented with confiscating alcohol one crusie and then allowing it onboard the next cruise.

 

We were quite surprised to learn that onboard revenues were rarely affected by these actions. We made as much bar revenue while confiscating alcohol as we did when we allowed passengers to bring it onboard.

 

But there were other issues that were affected by our actions.

When we confiscated alcohol, we had far fewer complaints from passengers that their neighbors were partying in their cabins and keeping everyone awake.

We also had far fewer accidents where drunk passengers were falling down and breaking bones.

We had fewer fights where drunks were punching each other over really silly things.

We had fewer cabins trashed by drunk partiers.

We had fewer drunk people falling overboard.

 

And most importantly, we had far fewer lawsuits from people who brought their own alcohol onboard, got drunk in their cabins, got into some sort of trouble, and then sued the cruise line for millions for getting them drunk.

 

Most of these were frivolous lawsuits that were thrown out of court. But the cruise lines still had to pay big legal fees to defend themselves until the charges were thrown out. At one point, the cruise line I worked for had over $500 Million in frivolous lawsuits to defend.

 

The US Courts ruled that they would be more willing to dismiss the bulk of these charges if the cruise lines could demonstrate that we had a relatively tight control of alcohol consumption on our vessels.

 

By limiting and controlling what is brought onboard, establishing Responsible Service of Alcohol Training for all servers, making regulations for refusing to serve drunks, and keeping prices comparable to those on shore, the cruise lines convinced the courts that we are making a serious effort to control drunkenness on our ships. The courts in turn have been very cooperative in refusing to entertain frivolous lawsuits from those who still manage to get themselves drunk on ships.

 

Unfortunately when you deal with the masses on a mass market ship, the bad behaviour of a few has unfortunate consequences for all of us.

 

The directive to confiscate alcohol did not come from our Revenue Department, but from our Legal Department.

Edited January 31, 2012 by BruceMuzz

[paul929207]

Even movie theaters do not allow you to carry in popcorn. Why? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[klfrodo]

I have managed many ships for several different cruise lines. Occasionally in the past we experimented with confiscating alcohol one crusie and then allowing it onboard the next cruise.

 

We were quite surprised to learn that onboard revenues were rarely affected by these actions. We made as much bar revenue while confiscating alcohol as we did when we allowed passengers to bring it onboard.

 

But there were other issues that were affected by our actions.

When we confiscated alcohol, we had far fewer complaints from passengers that their neighbors were partying in their cabins and keeping everyone awake.

We also had far fewer accidents where drunk passengers were falling down and breaking bones.

We had fewer fights where drunks were punching each other over really silly things.

We had fewer cabins trashed by drunk partiers.

We had fewer drunk people falling overboard.

 

And most importantly, we had far fewer lawsuits from people who brought their own alcohol onboard, got drunk in their cabins, got into some sort of trouble, and then sued the cruise line for millions for getting them drunk.

 

Most of these were frivolous lawsuits that were thrown out of court. But the cruise lines still had to pay big legal fees to defend themselves until the charges were thrown out. At one point, the cruise line I worked for had over $500 Million in frivolous lawsuits to defend.

 

The US Courts ruled that they would be more willing to dismiss the bulk of these charges if the cruise lines could demonstrate that we had a relatively tight control of alcohol consumption on our vessels.

 

By limiting and controlling what is brought onboard, establishing Responsible Service of Alcohol Training for all servers, making regulations for refusing to serve drunks, and keeping prices comparable to those on shore, the cruise lines convinced the courts that we are making a serious effort to control drunkenness on our ships. The courts in turn have been very cooperative in refusing to entertain frivolous lawsuits from those who still manage to get themselves drunk on ships.

 

Unfortunately when you deal with the masses on a mass market ship, the bad behaviour of a few has unfortunate consequences for all of us.

 

The directive to confiscate alcohol did not come from our Revenue Department, but from our Legal Department.

 

Thanks. Good info and explaination.

[Glaciers]

In fact, one time , I left the QE2 in NYC, walked over about 10 blocks to a liquor store, bought three bottles of Kahlua and walked back to the ship with three brown bags.

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Was that January 2006? I think I remember you...

[grand isle joe]

Disney allows all you can carry on with you.;):)

[greatam]

Was that January 2006? I think I remember you...

 

Are you serious???

 

Amazingly, yes it was. TA from Southampton, going to NY, then to Florida, then on to someplace else. It was the start of the World Cruise. We were on till Florida.

 

We stopped in NY for the day-DH never left the cabin (we were in Princess Grill via upgrade).

 

I went to see a couple of my customers down in Chinatown/the Meat Packing area, then worked my way up North. Bought some really nice buttons on 7th Ave as I had lost one off my favorite dress. Got almost back to the ship and thought about the booze. They had VERY little Kahlua onboard and that, Piper Heisdeick champagne and Drambuie are the only things I drink. Turned around and walked about 10 blocks East until I found a liquor store that had Kahlua.

 

All three brown bags-just right on the ship through the scanners. Go upstairs, get my warm coat for SailAway!!!

 

One of my favorite trips. I LOVE NYC!!! Would live in Manhattan if I could afford it.

 

How would I KNOW YOU if you KNOW me???

[Kmkub]

We had fewer drunk people falling overboard.

How many people fell overboard?:eek:

[Glaciers]

Are you serious???

 

No, not serious. I just remember you posted about that trip on the QE2 thread and that you were onboard. We may have met but who knows.

 

We did the NY to LA portion on that trip. Would have loved to experience the Princess Grill. We got a bump to the Caronia and got lucky to be seated at the Captain’s table. The service was excellent. Christopher Rynd and his family are wonderful folks.

 

Wasn’t the sailaway fantastic! It was the evening of my 50th birthday.

[johneeo]

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The cruise lines won't let passengers bring alcohol on board but passengers can bring on bottled water and soft drinks. This is discrimination. They sell all of it on board and apparently to make a profit. If it is about revenue than look at what they are losing.

 

Why should it be any different? People bring their own soda and water because they dont want to pay $3 for that on board.

 

I dont like payin $5 for beer either but I can't briing it on board. :confused:

 

 

What I find amazing is that the written policy of RCI is that no beverage, alcohol or non alcohol, is permitted to be brought on board.

 

Then there are the "water people" that have posted about 1 million posts asking "will I be able to bring my bottled water on board" of which there are 1 million answers, some yes, some no, some maybe.

 

The "water people" drive me crazy. Hello, the free water on board is better than the bottled water, but, the "water people" are allowed to bring their water on board, but, others are not allowed to bring beer or other alcoholic beverages.

 

Ridiculous.:eek:

[paul929207]

What I find amazing is that the written policy of RCI is that no beverage, alcohol or non alcohol, is permitted to be brought on board.

 

Then there are the "water people" that have posted about 1 million posts asking "will I be able to bring my bottled water on board" of which there are 1 million answers, some yes, some no, some maybe.

 

The "water people" drive me crazy. Hello, the free water on board is better than the bottled water, but, the "water people" are allowed to bring their water on board, but, others are not allowed to bring beer or other alcoholic beverages.

 

Ridiculous.:eek:

I figure to each his own. I drink the tap water, but others prefer to waste their money on bottled water. That is their choice.

[johneeo]

I figure to each his own. I drink the tap water, but others prefer to waste their money on bottled water. That is their choice.

 

Right.

 

But, the point is, why should they be permitted to bring cases of water ***** board, but others are not permitted to bring cases of beer?

[paul929207]

Some lines allow both some allow neither. Then there are those in the middle allowing water, but not beer.

[iheartbda]

Right.

 

But, the point is, why should they be permitted to bring cases of water ***** board, but others are not permitted to bring cases of beer?

Did you not read the post by BruceMuzz?

[DizzyDallasDi]

On HAL you are allowed to bring all the water, soft drinks, mixers and wine you want. No corkage charged for the wine if you don't take it to a bar or restaurant. What's crazy about this is that wine costs a gazillion more than mixed drinks on the ship. Actually, HAL charges less for a mixed drink (approx. $5 - $6) than any bar or restaurant on land that I've ever been in.

 

I've always heard that alcohol is one of the major revenue producers on a ship. But, I completely believe what Bruce Muzz says about the Legal Dept. driving the rules. I've worked in the legal field for over 30 years :eek: and understand why their lawyers made those decisions.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

I have managed many ships for several different cruise lines. Occasionally in the past we experimented with confiscating alcohol one crusie and then allowing it onboard the next cruise...The directive to confiscate alcohol did not come from our Revenue Department, but from our Legal Department.

 

Great info, many thanks, Bruce. Fascinating that it's not revenue-driven, but it best answers the OP's question on why water and soda and not alcohol-- I've wondered that myself. Nothing like getting the story straight from the horse's mouth. I'm going to bookmark this post so I have ready reference to it during the myriad booze-smuggling threads when some self-proclaimed expert claims to have the inside dope.

[johneeo]

Did you not read the post by BruceMuzz?

 

Yes I did.