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Lets try to sort out the (complicated) ai drinks issues


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Just had a thought and a question - Island Escape is AI has anyone experience a problem with drunks on the ship?

 

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Hi WBc, as a regular on the IE you do get the odd drunk but no trouble but they are soon dealt with, but have to say everyone is generally well behaved...;)

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yes,just stick with the full price of around £200

 

Yes thats an option too then it really would be a standard price for all which is what is should be, problem sorted, no more discrepancy!! :D

Reason I suggested £99 is due to the high profit margins made and to compensate for the current freebies making a level playing field overall. I would suspect that many facing £200pppw would just payg or buy duty free!

 

Hi WBc, as a regular on the IE you do get the odd drunk but no trouble but they are soon dealt with, but have to say everyone is generally well behaved...;)

 

Thanks Rebel Rouser I didn't think there should be any reason just because of AI for there to be a booze cruise following :D

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yes,just stick with the full price of around £200

 

forgot to say £200 but do away with the stupid elements of the supplements, just have truly premium stuff supped - not things like a 2p dash of cranberry in a cocktail.

Perhaps a few onboard daily special's and the Louis type instant purchase onboard mini packages to stimulate the PAYG brigade

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forgot to say £200 but do away with the stupid elements of the supplements, just have truly premium stuff supped - not things like a 2p dash of cranberry in a cocktail.

Perhaps a few onboard daily special's and the Louis type instant purchase onboard mini packages to stimulate the PAYG brigade

 

Can't argue with that and yes I would definately purchase that at £200. Its simple, staight forward, makes sense and offers good value for all

 

Now if only Thomson would take note! :rolleyes:

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Just had a thought and a question - Island Escape is AI has anyone experience a problem with drunks on the ship?

 

I don't think the IE has sailed as a totally AI cruise yet, has it, although it was announced a long time ago, i believe it is from this March this year that it is totally AI, before now, you had the choice of having it or not.

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dont understand why everyone gets so worked up about AI ,its an option that you buy if it suits you ,if you dont think its any good for you dont buy it, if you arn't happy with its restrictions dont buy it, most of the freebies are only sweetners and its restrictions are pretty much what you would expect on a land based AI holiday

 

Agree but what abut those that purchased AI prior to the new AI drinks list being implimented

 

People are complaining at the moment because they can't have Vodka and Orange - that's classed as 2 drinks. They can't have a brandy with their coffee - 2 drinks.

 

Personally think this spirit along with a soft drink(by the glass)mixer being classed as two drinks is farcical.Previously when ordering a vodka and coke for instance was quite happy for it to come already mixed(no tin)but when it frequently kept on being mixed with flat coke from a tin that had obviously being lying on the bar opened for some time was when I started ordering vodka and a tin of coke.Now thats not an option unless I`m willing to pay over the odds for a tin of coke which was free on AI up till November 2012 and the options left open are back to my vodka being topped up with flat coke or once the waiter delivers my vodka is then to ask for a glass of coke(possibly flat)meaning two trips to the bar for the waiter.:confused: This will be one fit waiter with the soles on his shoes thinning rapidly.Last option is to drink the vodka straight

 

Another thing.When the trolley came along the deck often had the odd soft drink( tin)which was free on AI.Does this new system now mean if I order a glass of juice the waiter will open the tin in front of me,pour the whole tin into the glass and its free but if I ask for the soft drink( tin) I will be charged?

 

Does someone actually get paid to come up with these ideas?

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Wouldn,t it be fairer if the A1 offers were just scrapped, then everyone is in the same position. Perhaps drink packages could be bought on board, they were mentioned on a previous post, so many bottles of wine, pints or shorts, whatever is your tipple. I think if people want to get drunk, they will, with or without A1. :confused:

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Wouldn,t it be fairer if the A1 offers were just scrapped, then everyone is in the same position. Perhaps drink packages could be bought on board, they were mentioned on a previous post, so many bottles of wine, pints or shorts, whatever is your tipple. I think if people want to get drunk, they will, with or without A1. :confused:

 

The trouble is, that's not they way the industry is going. More and more cruise lines are now offering AI packages, so it would appear to be something consumers want.

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Agree with all of that Jim the Scot and Solostar.

 

I very nearly did just add on the AI at the full price at the time of booking so glad I decided not to since I too would've agreed to pay for something I wasn't actually going to get! That would without doubt made me very angry.

 

The AI is now an absolute joke and I do think okavanago has the right idea, £200pppw across the board for all but on offer a decent package like we used to know. That along side the onboard packages would offer up a decent selection, cruisers would know what to expect and be able to purchase what suits them. All of that would surely do Thomsons better business. As it is the drinks packages are drawing a lot of attention and none of it good for the companies reputation or sales of drinks!! The vodka and orange type thing is just ridiculous!!

 

It is the unfairness and random sales pitch of the drinks packages that does my nut in!!

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The trouble is, that's not they way the industry is going. More and more cruise lines are now offering AI packages, so it would appear to be something consumers want.

 

Thats why its even more important that Thomson get it right instead of ripping off some and giving AI free to others. Make it fair with a decent selection of deals on offer. Keep it simple instead of the mad nonsense that we happen to be talking about right now.

 

I'm sure Thomson would prefer we were praising them for their drinks packages which is definately not the case here.

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£200 pppw.:eek: I'd have to drink a helluva lot of coke for that. Even DH would have to go some to consume a few pints to pay that in a week. In over 20 years of cruising our drinks bill for two weeks has never been reached above £250.

 

There are cruisers (including me) who don't drink but will be penalised. I also feel sorry for the families who will be cruising during the summer and may have the AI/Drinks Package thinking their spends are sorted until their kids want fizzy drinks and find there is a supplement.:eek:

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There are cruisers (including me) who don't drink but will be penalised. I also feel sorry for the families who will be cruising during the summer and may have the AI/Drinks Package thinking their spends are sorted until their kids want fizzy drinks and find there is a supplement.:eek:

 

Still available with no supplement but just in a glass not by the tin,although the may have to rebrand it as unfizzy juice ;)

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Still available with no supplement but just in a glass not by the tin,although the may have to rebrand it as unfizzy juice ;)

 

More likely to be "flat".;)

 

Only had AI twice - once many years ago because we had booked before a specific time and didn't even know we had AI. Second time was last year crossing from Cyprus to Newcastle and it was included in the price along with transport back to Glasgow. Yes, it was nice to have it but would definitely not pay for it.

 

Going on Dream for four weeks in April 2014 and have OBC, which we've never had or known about before, and that will pay for our drinks.

 

Not really interested in what I can get for "nothing" - no such thing. Just need to know the final price and if it suits our pocket.:)

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The trouble is, that's not they way the industry is going. More and more cruise lines are now offering AI packages, so it would appear to be something consumers want.

 

This is true, but it should be available to everyone, not just some cruises and for people leaving from certain airports. You can,t book a hotel fully inclusive from say Luton airport but not from Manchester, that is what happens with cruises. :rolleyes:

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Can only get soft drinks by the glass on the AI?

 

consider this

 

I was talking to the barman on spirit when someone came to the bar and ordered 2 cans of coke on the AI. As the barmen got them out of the cooler the customer said don't open them please. Apparently the were getting lots of customers ordering cans of soft drinks on the AI and taking them away. Thomsons were not happy as lots of those unopened cans were going ashore with passengers, or being used to top up drinks the passengers had brought on board to drink not only in their cabin but also all over the ship.

 

So what do we prefer, drinks by the glass or a ban on bringing booze aboard ?

 

The answer for passengers is to buy a small bottle of water, get your drinks by the glass and top up the bottle in your cabin. Take the glass back to the bar though.

 

as for orange not being classed as a mixer, got to think about that one:confused:

 

The reason why we can only buy one drink per card is to stop people getting drinks for those not on the AI. On destiny last year I was sitting at the clipper bar and a woman from a party of 4 (the worse for drink) came up to me and asked if I would get them free drinks from my AI. I was mighty glad that i could tell her it was not allowed.

 

Why do people want to put booze in their specaility coffee? Are they alchos:eek: they can get lates etc etc on the AI.

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First time for me and my party to go on a cruise, we did alot of homework

we looked at sites like this and others for peoples opinions.

yes there was alot of people complaining, but the majority where positive.

the AI package was given as part of the cruise.

last year on Thomson Website it said from March 2013 AI was going to be a standard, but that seems to have gone off site.

:)

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davecttr

 

Not sure what they are classing as "soft drinks", presume they mean squash.

 

You've obviously never tried decanting fizzy drinks into a bottle. Once it has been opened then decanted it is virtually flat.:eek: Take it from one who has drunk fizzy drinks for over 50 years - and I still have all my own teeth (contrary to myth) and am not overweight.

 

Have been known to take an unopened can back to the cabin, albeit not very often, rather than a glass - saves spillages over the "lovely" carpets.

 

Also, don't drink non-alcoholic cocktails or specialty coffees - only instant black.:)

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So what do we prefer, drinks by the glass or a ban on bringing booze aboard ?

 

Something I`ve never done is bring booze aboard outwith to take home

 

Never really understood this policy of being allowed to bring booze aboard for personal consumption.Surely Thomson would want punters to spend at their bars so why allow booze aboard which can then be consumed in your cabin or in and around the ship resulting in less being spent aboard

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Ah. Now I see what they mean by soft drinks. Half a can of someone else's fizzy drink that has been sitting going flat being as a can will have been opened and poured over half a glass of ice thus leaving the remainder for the next customer.:eek::)

 

Just to throw something else into the mix. Why the heck is there a charge for soda water? It is just water with a blast of CO2 - I used to have a soda stream many years ago that converted my tap water to soda water.:D

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There are cruisers (including me) who don't drink but will be penalised. I also feel sorry for the families who will be cruising during the summer and may have the AI/Drinks Package thinking their spends are sorted until their kids want fizzy drinks and find there is a supplement.:eek:

 

We're going to have to watch that - our youngsters often go to the bar to get their own soft drinks - I can just see the bar staff taking advantage, giving them a can & getting them to sign for it & we end up paying 95p per can! I always check my receipts to ensure it shows as "nil" before I sign

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First time for me and my party to go on a cruise, we did alot of homework

we looked at sites like this and others for peoples opinions.

yes there was alot of people complaining, but the majority where positive.

the AI package was given as part of the cruise.

last year on Thomson Website it said from March 2013 AI was going to be a standard, but that seems to have gone off site.

:)

 

It's still there, but it was only for the Island Escape, not all Thomson ships.

 

http://www.thomson.co.uk/cruise/all-inclusive-cruises.html

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Something I`ve never done is bring booze aboard outwith to take home

 

Never really understood this policy of being allowed to bring booze aboard for personal consumption.Surely Thomson would want punters to spend at their bars so why allow booze aboard which can then be consumed in your cabin or in and around the ship resulting in less being spent aboard

 

Very strange, they allow booze to be brought on board, so lose out on sales of alcohol, so then charge extra for Cans to compensate, as that is what will be used in the self bought booze - simple answer, ban the booze and put cans back to how they were :D

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