Rum Runners

[NLH Arizona]

To put things about liquor prices into perspective, I just went to the Holland America board and asked if anyone could provide me with current HAL room service prices for a bottle of liquor. The answer made me suck air:

 

HAL Scotch & Soda Package $36.80

One bottle of Cutty Sark, 3 Cans of Soda Water

 

If HAL can sell the same product for less than half the price (setting aside the can of mixed nuts) and sell their cruises at more or less the same price as Celebrity then maybe the term gouging is appropriate when talking about liquor prices..

 

George +

That would be a great question for MR. Bayley!

[ORV]

actually its not against the law to speed up to safely and legally pass .

People are killed everyday by those who speed up to run a red light.

Silly examples.

Sorry you do not get the prize for the silliest

:cj

 

Don't know what state you live in but yes, in our state it is illegal to exceed the speed limit at any time, even when safely overtaking another vehicle that is going below the speed limit. How do I know this? I was stopped for doing it and the State Patrolman explained it to me. I was rather amazed as I've thought all my life it was okay to speed up to overtake then slow back down. He did just give me a warning.

 

Off topic I know, but it doesn't really matter on this thread. Was this thread about smoking or drinking, I forgot?

[Ma Bell]

There are tons of rules in this world. I'm sure that you've never gone 5 MPH over the speed limit to pass another vehicle either, because that's against the rules and subject to penalty. I'm sure you've never punched it and run a red light in your life, because those traffic lights are there to save lives. I'm sure you read and abide by those 496 page contracts/agreements that websites ask you to click off on before joining. I'll bet you never even brought gum to school without bringing some for the whole class. I'm not attacking you here, just pointing out that everyone decides, consciously or not, which rules can be bent or broken in certain situations.

 

Each man must for himself alone decide what is right and what is wrong, which course is patriotic and which isn't. You cannot shirk this and be a man. To decide against your conviction is to be an unqualified and excusable traitor, both to yourself and to your country, let men label you as they may. ~Mark Twain

 

You should read Thoreau, George Bernard Shaw, Camus, Emerson, MLK. Each individual has his or her own moral code which supercedes agenda-driven rule-making. Further, I guarantee the cruise lines don't want anyone who brings a bottle on board to "take their business elsewhere", otherwise they'd actually give their penalties some teeth. It's tacit approval on their part and to suggest otherwise is naive in my opinion.

 

I'm sure all of these writer-philosophers would be so proud that there are people doing their patriotic duty by smuggling liquor on board a cruise ship.:rolleyes: You can't be serious.

[ActingMature]

Oh my, to what depths this thread has reached; but what does one expect when spending time reading threads and posts regarding behavior on a Carnival cruise.

 

I doubt very much conversations like this would appear on a Celebrity thread as those cruisers seem to have more class and - more times than not - would follow rules to which they have agreed.

 

What, this is NOT Carnival??? Oh my...

[Evilgrin72]

actually its not against the law to speed up to safely and legally pass .

People are killed everyday by those who speed up to run a red light.

Silly examples.

Sorry you do not get the prize for the silliest

:cj

 

I'm not sure you're seeing the forest for the trees here.

[Evilgrin72]

I'm sure all of these writer-philosophers would be so proud that there are people doing their patriotic duty by smuggling liquor on board a cruise ship.:rolleyes: You can't be serious.

 

I'm deadly serious, and I'd be willing to bet that by and large, they would be.

[Evilgrin72]

Oh my, to what depths this thread has reached; but what does one expect when spending time reading threads and posts regarding behavior on a Carnival cruise.

 

I doubt very much conversations like this would appear on a Celebrity thread as those cruisers seem to have more class and - more times than not - would follow rules to which they have agreed.

 

What, this is NOT Carnival??? Oh my...

 

Is there something inherently wrong with having an intelligent conversation on the issue, or are we to save valuable web space for "tsk tsk" condemnation and thinly-veiled elitism? I think the latter's been about done to death here, no?

[hughdm]

I am just always amazed that folks who spend thousands of dollars on a cruise will work so hard to smuggle $50 worth of alcohol on board. They WON'T RUN OUT, PEOPLE!!!

[Captain Jake]

I'm deadly serious, and I'd be willing to bet that by and large, they would be.

 

Lousy Gambler,I see

[phoenix_dream]

Ok, couldn't help myself - have to jump back in.

 

It has been quoted as a defense that stealing is taking something that does not belong to you. Agreed. When you smuggle booze onboard you are stealing revenue from the cruiseline, which in turn causes them to make less profit , which in turn causes them to need to raise the prices for everyone in order to make that lost profit. That's the one and only reason why I care. Has nothing to do with a high horse or any claims whatsoever that I myself am perfect and never do anything wrong.

 

If you choose to do it anyway, then you do. Just stop trying to convince everyone that wrong is right. Here's a hint - if you have to sneak around to do something, that might be your first clue that you are doing something wrong.

 

Some of these rationalizations on here of wrong behavior would be amusing if this action didn't cost me money. Let's see - we have it's ok to do it because the prices are too high. It's ok to do it because some people exceed the speed limit. It's ok to do it because if you were at a hotel or resort (which you are not) you would be allowed to do it. And my personal favorite - since the cruiseline is not kicking people off for doing it, they are implicitly condoning it. Good grief. Bottom line, if you smuggle booze onboard you are stealing revenue from the cruiseline. If you choose that route, at least admit it for what it is and move on.

[Evilgrin72]

Lousy Gambler,I see

 

I can only assume you haven't read the authors that this is referencing, otherwise you'd likely be far less sure in this stance.

[Evilgrin72]

Ok, couldn't help myself - have to jump back in.

 

It has been quoted as a defense that stealing is taking something that does not belong to you. Agreed. When you smuggle booze onboard you are stealing revenue from the cruiseline, which in turn causes them to make less profit , which in turn causes them to need to raise the prices for everyone in order to make that lost profit. That's the one and only reason why I care. Has nothing to do with a high horse or any claims whatsoever that I myself am perfect and never do anything wrong.

 

If you choose to do it anyway, then you do. Just stop trying to convince everyone that wrong is right. Here's a hint - if you have to sneak around to do something, that might be your first clue that you are doing something wrong.

 

Some of these rationalizations on here of wrong behavior would be amusing if this action didn't cost me money. Let's see - we have it's ok to do it because the prices are too high. It's ok to do it because some people exceed the speed limit. It's ok to do it because if you were at a hotel or resort (which you are not) you would be allowed to do it. And my personal favorite - since the cruiseline is not kicking people off for doing it, they are implicitly condoning it. Good grief. Bottom line, if you smuggle booze onboard you are stealing revenue from the cruiseline. If you choose that route, at least admit it for what it is and move on.

 

Most others seem to share this view, and I would never condemn anyone for it. However, there are different ways to view the same situation. To steal, by definition, means to appropriate something that does not belong to you. Your money is already in your pocket, the cruise line is trying to get it. Not spending it is by no means stealing it.

 

It's clearly a circumvention of "the rules," no one doubts that. However, to call it stealing is erroneous.

[CRUZBUDS]

Ok, couldn't help myself - have to jump back in.

 

It has been quoted as a defense that stealing is taking something that does not belong to you. Agreed. When you smuggle booze onboard you are stealing revenue from the cruiseline, which in turn causes them to make less profit , which in turn causes them to need to raise the prices for everyone in order to make that lost profit.

 

Using this same logic --- those that bring cameras aboard are also stealing from the cruise line because they aren't buying photos from the ship photographers, :confused:

[boogs]

Using this same logic --- those that bring cameras aboard are also stealing from the cruise line because they aren't buying photos from the ship photographers, :confused:

 

The key here is that the cruise line does not ban taking your own photos. Any intelligent person would understand this. Amazing to what lengths some people will go to rationalize breaking the rules.

[boogs]

Most others seem to share this view, and I would never condemn anyone for it. However, there are different ways to view the same situation. To steal, by definition, means to appropriate something that does not belong to you. Your money is already in your pocket, the cruise line is trying to get it. Not spending it is by no means stealing it.

 

It's clearly a circumvention of "the rules," no one doubts that. However, to call it stealing is erroneous.

 

So, taking your argument one step further, if you drive 100 mph in a 55 mph zone, it should be OK to break the rules since you are not stealing something from anyone? After all, if you don't get caught and fined, the money will still be in your own pocket. :rolleyes:

[fishin' musician]

So, taking your argument one step further, if you drive 100 mph in a 55 mph zone, it should be OK to break the rules since you are not stealing something from anyone? After all, if you don't get caught and fined, the money will still be in your own pocket. :rolleyes:

 

It is more like driving 3 miles over the speed limit... the infraction is simply too paltry to consider enforcement.

 

But if you play with fire there is the potential of getting burned.

 

The stealing angle might hold water if a person was to setup a bar and started selling drinks.

[CRUZBUDS]

[Evilgrin72]

So, taking your argument one step further, if you drive 100 mph in a 55 mph zone, it should be OK to break the rules since you are not stealing something from anyone? After all, if you don't get caught and fined, the money will still be in your own pocket. :rolleyes:

 

Are you putting lives in danger by driving 100 MPH in a 55? Are you putting people's lives in danger by bringing a bottle of your favorite cognac in your suitcase onto a cruise ship?

 

You can choose little tidbits of any post and drop them out of context, but you're either not entirely grasping the point or you're cherry picking in an attempt to prove yourself "right." It's really not a big deal. There are rule breakers in this world and there are rule followers. The former are much more likely to be captains of industry, but are also much more likely to end up in jail. You'll be a lot happier if you just accept that different people have different views on things and abandon your black-and-white, what's wrong is wrong attitude.

[Evilgrin72]

The key here is that the cruise line does not ban taking your own photos. Any intelligent person would understand this. Amazing to what lengths some people will go to rationalize breaking the rules.

 

Here's what I don't think you're getting. Most people here don't feel the need to "rationalize" breaking the rules. I'd wager most "smugglers" are cognizant of the fact that they're breaking the rules and don't feel the need to rationalize it. I'd bet 95% of them feel no guilt in breaking the rules whatsoever because most of them likely deem the cruiselines policies/prices unfair.

 

I'm not even one of these terrible, awful smugglers. However, I do like to keep an open mind to things and I can see a number of ways in which the cruise lines are being somewhat unfair to people that like to drink on vacation. They're using the drinkers to subsidize costs for the non-drinkers and that's really not fair. I'm not trying to rationalize anyone's actions, maybe just open some people's eyes to why someone might engage in such behavior.

[Evilgrin72]

 

 

HAHAHAHAHAHA !! :D

 

Never seen that before - that is funny....

[Ma Bell]

Here's what I don't think you're getting. Most people here don't feel the need to "rationalize" breaking the rules. I'd wager most "smugglers" are cognizant of the fact that they're breaking the rules and don't feel the need to rationalize it. I'd bet 95% of them feel no guilt in breaking the rules whatsoever because most of them likely deem the cruiselines policies/prices unfair.

 

I'm not even one of these terrible, awful smugglers. However, I do like to keep an open mind to things and I can see a number of ways in which the cruise lines are being somewhat unfair to people that like to drink on vacation. They're using the drinkers to subsidize costs for the non-drinkers and that's really not fair. I'm not trying to rationalize anyone's actions, maybe just open some people's eyes to why someone might engage in such behavior.

 

Here's what I think you're not getting. I don't think the cost of the bottle has much to do with it. There are certainly plenty of drink packages now available for those who like to drink but they have to come out of their cabins and get face to face with someone to get the drinks. I could be wrong, but I believe Celebrity's alcohol management has to do with more than just profit margins and may also be a way to encourage a more responsible drinking behavior which fits in with the kind of ambience Celebrity promotes on their ships.

 

Personally, I'm glad they don't promote a free for all atmosphere. There are plenty of choices available for those that appreciate that kind of cruise experience.

[cruisestitch]

"They're using the drinkers to subsidize costs for the non-drinkers and that's really not fair."

 

Fair doesn't really come into it -- nearly all restaurants that serve wine and liquor use the markup on the alcohol to subsidize the cost of food. Same here.

[CRUZBUDS]

Wow , so glad I registered with cruise critic , it has more drama than the soaps on tv , I would jump on the band wagon with some piece of useless information or an opinion that nobody really cares about but I know nothing about rum running :D

 

You shouldn't let that stop you ;)

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic :)

[abnpaul]

Wow , so glad I registered with cruise critic , it has more drama than the soaps on tv , I would jump on the band wagon with some piece of useless information or an opinion that nobody really cares about but I know nothing about rum running :D

[CRUZBUDS]

Wow -- It looks like I time traveled -- I responded to a post that came after mine.

 

Amazing -- I wonder if I can see lottery numbers :rolleyes: