Thomson confiscating your Duty Free

[campolady]

We do Bed + Breakfast and encourage guests to have their own booze in their rooms. Because they can relax and enjoy a drink or two at local shop prices we find they are far more likely to book a meal here later in the evening so, in the long run, spend more money with us.

 

Thomsons allowing people to drink their own alcohol in their cabins encouraged people to book with them instead of with another cruise line - suddenly not allowing it will make potential clients look elsewhere. False economy in my opinion.

[whistlerbc]

tbo it makes sense that they would trail it....I'm guessing that thoms will want to see what the repercussions are? most notably for their onboard shops (which are concessions)....lets face it, if i owned that concession and my customers were effectively being diverted away....i wouldn’t be best pleased?

 

lets say if only 10% of pax routinely buy a bottle from the duty free shop to drink in their cabin...per week, over 4 ships....that is a significant sum!....that, I would guess thoms are hoping will simply be diverted to the onboard bars instead?

 

will people buy more drinks from the bars? or maybe be more inclined to take up the ai?...not me! I will enjoy a nice cup of tea in my cabin instead (that thoms kindly provide)

 

would be very interested to see the data at the end of this trial??

 

and I suspect so would carnival/princess/other lines etc be very interested to see the data...I have always thought they were missing a trick by not allowing boooze purchased in their onboard shops in cabins

 

From observation I would say you are absolutely right Geomagot. Speaking with lots of passengers many who previously went AI had abstained on this occasion due to a) the cost of the package and b) the changes. By the end of the holiday lots of comments about payg for the odd drink onboard while having alcohol onshore working out to be better value and quality.

 

Its fair to say I enjoyed many evenings drinking tea and coffee with new friends. But, next question - how long until the tea and coffee stations are removed so there is no choice but to purchase at the bar?? :eek:

[whistlerbc]

We do Bed + Breakfast and encourage guests to have their own booze in their rooms. Because they can relax and enjoy a drink or two at local shop prices we find they are far more likely to book a meal here later in the evening so, in the long run, spend more money with us.

 

Thomsons allowing people to drink their own alcohol in their cabins encouraged people to book with them instead of with another cruise line - suddenly not allowing it will make potential clients look elsewhere. False economy in my opinion.

 

Totally agree and in my opinion a move driven purely by greed which will only backfire.

[Jim The Scot]

In the minority but must say I was surprised we were allowed to bring alcohol on board or keep what we bought from the shop the first time we sailed with Thomson

[Rebel Rouser]

In the minority but must say I was surprised we were allowed to bring alcohol on board or keep what we bought from the shop the first time we sailed with Thomson

 

 

Did it reach the room Jim :D

 

 

Been watching this thread with Interest :eek: I can see the arguments from both sides ;)

 

Question for Jim & Kalos ... Your running a pub called the "happy Jockster" in Scotland...would you let me bring my own drinks in :p

 

 

Kalos, now that you have met the woman of your dreams on a cruise and want a quiet drink would you want to drink in the Cabin :D

 

 

RR complete Tea Total since last night :rolleyes:

[kalos]

Did it reach the room Jim

 

 

Been watching this thread with Interest ..I can see the arguments from both sides

 

Question for Jim & Kalos ... Your running a pub called the "happy Jockster" in Scotland...would you let me bring my own drinks in :p

 

I think I would charge £15 per bottle and seeing it was you I'd let you have them half price seeing you would buy me a drink anyway ;)

Then I would get on here and tell everyone on this site that you were buying drinks and to get to the Cyber pub sharpish . :cool:

 

 

Kalos, now that you have met the woman of your dreams on a cruise and want a quiet drink would you want to drink in the Cabin :D

 

MMMm ??? Just asked the Mrs and she says ...the cabin thank you ;):D

 

 

RR complete Tea Total since last night

 

I'm sure the Tea Total phase will soon pass RR !

[kalos]

In the minority but must say I was surprised we were allowed to bring alcohol on board or keep what we bought from the shop the first time we sailed with Thomson

 

We thought the same Jim and up to date we have never had AI or used the onboard shops to buy a drink.

[stevedeccaman]

Stevie:rolleyes:

[Jim The Scot]

Did it reach the room Jim :D

 

:D

 

 

Been watching this thread with Interest I can see the arguments from both sides ;)

 

Stalker

 

Question for Jim & Kalos ... Your running a pub called the "happy Jockster" in Scotland...would you let me bring my own drinks in :p

 

Of course but its £25 entry fee :p

 

 

 

 

We thought the same Jim and up to date we have never had AI or used the onboard shops to buy a drink.

 

kalos,i`m surprised its actually taken them so long to implement it...Had AI all bar one cruise and then like you never used onboard ship to buy drink.I bought a drink at the bar and took it back to my cabin.Only thing was, by the time I got back to the cabin it was virtually finished and had to go back to the bar for another :D

[sodafountain]

Question for Jim & Kalos ... Your running a pub called the "happy Jockster" in Scotland...would you let me bring my own drinks in :p

 

if your pub was a hotel though, would you stop people drinking in their room?

[kalos]

if your pub was a hotel though, would you stop people drinking in their room?

 

No I would not , most hotels I use around the UK are classed as budget .. The prems and holly inns ;)

and its fair to say they will point me in the direction of the nearest off licence or even if we felt peckish the reception

would give me copys of the local Take-aways:cool:

This is despite them having a bar / restaurant or a chain pub built on next door .

 

The only thing thats a No-No is consuming it outside your own room .

[Vitalsign]

Do you know this statement to be fact?

 

As far as i was aware, the law states that any duty free alcohol bought had to be for your own consumption, not fo resale, and you are only allowed so much per person.

 

I presume, as a company, they have to buy it properly, and pay the relevant taxes, etc, depending on where it is from.

__________________

 

Thanks to Grez and JoeHoliday2 for their responses to my posting and on the above reply from Sodafountain.

 

I do not believe for one minute that Thomson are paying UK duty on their drinks and believe they are overcharging for what you actually get.(I did say that this was on the Dream 2013 and not the Celebration 2012). I wouldn't mind so much if the measures were doubles but they were very weak. Half the cocktails were more like fruit juice and the other half mostly contained coke and if you check online a Black Russian is only Vodka and Kahlua. They took off the list our favourite Toasted Almond - Amaretto, Kahlua, light cream (and can add Vodka) presumably because they couldn't add coke to it!! If I was on A1 at a reasonable price I wouldn't mind. I can buy a single Vodka and Tonic in UK for £2.80 the same price as a pint of beer - but then I live in the North of England.

 

Thomson Spirit Repo Palma to Sharm el Sheikh Oct 2005

Thomson Celebration Red Sea Magic Jan 2007

Ocean Village Caribbean & Central America Feb 2008

Ocean Village Eastern Med August 2008

Ocean Village 2 Caribbean Feb 2009

Ocean Village Caribbean Mar 2010

Thomson Dream Cuba & Caribbean Feb 2011

Thomson Celebration Eastern Med August 2011

Thomson Celebration Red Sea Magic April 2012

Thomson Celebration Repo Red Sea to Med April/May 2012

Thomson Dream Caribbean Feb 2013

[gillhalfpint]

kalos,i`m surprised its actually taken them so long to implement it...Had AI all bar one cruise and then like you never used onboard ship to buy drink.I bought a drink at the bar and took it back to my cabin.Only thing was, by the time I got back to the cabin it was virtually finished and had to go back to the bar for another :D

 

I see someone else has fun on the lifts in the Dream then!!

[Jim The Scot]

if your pub was a hotel though, would you stop people drinking in their room?

 

Hi sodafountain

 

Difficult to implement but no.As I said previously I suspect Thomsons have/had no qualms with passengers having a wee snifter in their cabins,but reckon its being abused by a minority to where onshore or onboard shop purchases are being consumed in and around the ship during the day and in bars at night

 

I see someone else has fun on the lifts in the Dream then!!

 

:D

 

gill

 

Strangely enough never had much fun/problem getting a lift/s,theres a knack to them but once in them its a different story.Have been known after getting in them to visit deck 11,then down to deck 3,up to deck 10,down to deck 4 before reaching deck 6 where my cabin is.Now whether thats due to AI or the lifts is anyones guess ;)

[sodafountain]

Hi sodafountain

 

Difficult to implement but no.As I said previously I suspect Thomsons have/had no qualms with passengers having a wee snifter in their cabins,but reckon its being abused by a minority to where onshore or onboard shop purchases are being consumed in and around the ship during the day and in bars at night

 

Probably, but then again, hotels (especially 5 star that hold weddings) have the same problem, what do they do, they don't confiscate everyone's drinks as they enter!

 

Also, how do they know it's being done? If they are seeing people, then why are these people not being dealt with, rather than a blanket ban?

 

Also, should they really be worried about a minority, after all, if its 10 people on a cruise, chances are, those 10 people won't buy a drink anyway, if the current low prices are too steap for them already!!

[Little Nell]

I have been very critical of Thomson over this because of the way they did it. They did it with no advance warning and in the middle of people's holiday. I think that is a poor way to treat your customers.

 

We have paid for AI on our next cruise on the Dream, so I don't have a personal axe to grind here. I cannot understand why people would want to sit and drink duty free in their cabin, have a snifter while getting ready or a nightcap yes. If people are drinking their own booze around the ship they should be stopped. Simple as. If people cannot afford the bar prices then they shouldn't be going.

 

If people want a guid drink they should do what we did and buy the AI.

 

I really hope Thomson do not bring this in permanently but do bring in measures (excuse the pun) to deal with people who are drinking their own booze outside their cabin.

 

I am sure a wee drink in their cabin out of their duty free bottle adds to the atmosphere of friendliness and bonhomie that we see on Thomson's ships.

[WeeCountyMan]

In the minority but must say I was surprised we were allowed to bring alcohol on board or keep what we bought from the shop the first time we sailed with Thomson

 

We were astonished.

[whistlerbc]

Agree sodafountain.

 

I wonder if the duty free consumption issue is only a problem only on caribbean cruises? Does anyone know what is current situation is on other ships?

 

If Thomson want to ensure people purchase from their bars then they need to as I repeatedly say need to sort out a standard range of packages across the fleet with standard promotions. Its all about choice, people will happily purchase packages that suit their needs but at the moment this is not the case and I don't get why Thomson can't see that!

[Little Nell]

Agree sodafountain.

 

I wonder if the duty free consumption issue is only a problem only on caribbean cruises? Does anyone know what is current situation is on other ships?

 

If Thomson want to ensure people purchase from their bars then they need to as I repeatedly say need to sort out a standard range of packages across the fleet with standard promotions. Its all about choice, people will happily purchase packages that suit their needs but at the moment this is not the case and I don't get why Thomson can't see that!

 

Good shout, Whistler. The packages on the Majesty and Spirit are more flexible.

[geomagot]

tbh...I too was surprised the 1st time I sailed on thoms, they didn’t allow it even on the island star (at that time) who I had previously been sailing with

 

and we all have gotton used to cruise ships doing this and accept it

 

but

 

(and i am not just talking about Thoms here)

 

I do feel/have always felt that if cruise lines are going to not allow people to keep their legally acquired lawful possessions/purchases in their cabins then this could (in principal) apply to any of peoples legally acquired bona fide possessions

 

there’s a principle at stake here....no-one is doing anything wrong or dangerous....just going about their law abiding business the same as they would do at home

 

I'm not talking about swigging your own alcohol in the bars/restaurants or any bar/restaurant for that matter…or even getting drunk and making a nuisance of themselves....most people would realize that would be wrong....but enjoying your own lawful possessions in the comfort and privacy of your cabin that you have paid a fare to be in and that should be treated as your home from home....if I was at home I wouldn’t nip out to the pub and buy myself a pint to take home, I would go to tescos....i would expect to be able to go about my usual lawful business at home unhindered....why can i not expect the same while in a cruise ship cabin

 

they are effectively telling people they cannot enjoy a fully legal and happy pastime while on board their ships unless they do it in their bars at inflated prices and because you are kettled on the ship you have no choice but to agree...and that! imo...is a breach of any free persons rights!

 

we all know why cruise ships have this rule....what i have never understood is why people accept this as reasonable

 

if this rule applied to toiletries or any other possessions there would be a huge backlash....but I fail to see what the difference is?

[Jim The Scot]

Probably, but then again, hotels (especially 5 star that hold weddings) have the same problem, what do they do, they don't confiscate everyone's drinks as they enter!

 

True but if its concealed as expected how are they to know.The cant scan or search you.I`ve spoken to a manager of a 5* hotel who said you`d be shocked at how many empty bottles are found under tables after functions

 

 

Also, how do they know it's being done? If they are seeing people, then why are these people not being dealt with, rather than a blanket ban?

 

I dont know if they know its being done if at all

 

Also, should they really be worried about a minority, after all, if its 10 people on a cruise, chances are, those 10 people won't buy a drink anyway, if the current low prices are too steap for them already!!

 

The minority always spoil it for the majority but dont see it that if its only 10 people that they wouldn`t buy a drink anyway,i think they would and thats the way Thomson look at it probably.Dont think current low prices are too steep for them its the fact the can drink for even cheaper

[whistlerbc]

tbh...I too was surprised the 1st time I sailed on thoms, they didn’t allow it even on the island star (at that time) who I had previously been sailing with

 

and we all have gotton used to cruise ships doing this and accept it

 

but

 

(and i am not just talking about Thoms here)

 

I do feel/have always felt that if cruise lines are going to not allow people to keep their legally acquired lawful possessions/purchases in their cabins then this could (in principal) apply to any of peoples legally acquired bona fide possessions

 

there’s a principle at stake here....no-one is doing anything wrong or dangerous....just going about their law abiding business the same as they would do at home

 

I'm not talking about swigging your own alcohol in the bars/restaurants or any bar/restaurant for that matter…or even getting drunk and making a nuisance of themselves....most people would realize that would be wrong....but enjoying your own lawful possessions in the comfort and privacy of your cabin that you have paid a fare to be in and that should be treated as your home from home....if I was at home I wouldn’t nip out to the pub and buy myself a pint to take home, I would go to tescos....i would expect to be able to go about my usual lawful business at home unhindered....why can i not expect the same while in a cruise ship cabin

 

they are effectively telling people they cannot enjoy a fully legal and happy pastime while on board their ships unless they do it in their bars at inflated prices and because you are kettled on the ship you have no choice but to agree...and that! imo...is a breach of any free persons rights!

 

we all know why cruise ships have this rule....what i have never understood is why people accept this as reasonable

 

if this rule applied to toiletries or any other possessions there would be a huge backlash....but I fail to see what the difference is?

 

Well said and this is exactly why I felt held to ransom!!!

 

The whole arguement is based around alcohol!!

 

If I buy soft drinks onshore for consumption in my cabin would that be wrong? Thomson don't think so, thats perfectly acceptable. I did buy coca cola onshore for £1 per 2 litre bottle against £1.80 per 330ml can onboard! Cheapskate? Maybe but my choice! We enjoyed sitting in our cabin for an hour on return from a busy day, relaxing and have a big glass of icy cold coke chilled in the cabin fridge with lots of ice supplied by our cabin steward in the ice bucket also supplied in our cabin!!

 

Even if we had bought the drinks package we would still have done this as its how we wanted to spend our time and use the accomodation we had paid for. Now just suppose I would like to add a dash of rum or vodka to that, its a pretty safe bet I would've purchased from the onboard duty free shop. Oh well Thomson obviously don't want my money but thats OK I'm happy to keep it in my pocket or spend it elsewhere.

[Jakanne1]

I agree with everything you said Little Nell.

 

Thomson must make a good profit on a number of things, e.g. Bottles of Water and cappuccino like coffees. Wonder if at some time they stop people bringing their own bottles of water and cappuccino sachets on board. Maybe I should not have written this on here...if Thomson are reading these posts it may give them ideas!!!! :eek:

[trinitytrees]

on our cruise a couple of weeks ago on majesty, we did not buy the A/I package because the cost of £400 was far far more than we would use. my hubby bought the beer package £96 ish and we bought a bottle of bacardi to drink in the cabin, had a tipple whilst getting ready for dinner. we like to dance and dance and drink dont mix we usually drink just water, so hence a drink before dinner is absorbed with the food. so the suggestion that people should buy A/I if they want a drink is unfair in my opinon. we stay in hotels a lot and you are allowed to take and consumme your own alcohol in the room.

 

I agree with other post there would be uproar if you had to buy and use Thomsons Toiletries and not bring your own. your cabin is your home for the period of the cruise, it is not a public room.

[infoqueen]

I would fight a anyone that wanted to take my conditioner and. Moroccan hair oil off me yes although not a huge drinker I can see that this could get really stupid or greedy don't know which one leave the product alone Thomson it works and your customers like it the way it was.