Pick up alcohol on the last day

[babs125]

Just got off the Breeze yesterday. I went to designated area at 6 am and there wasn't any line at all for my deck. Walked right up and picked up all 8 bottles that we bought in port. First time flying out after a cruise though and didn't like having to repack them in our checked luggage. It took a few minutes curbside--just a minor PIA.

[tkportersat]

We used to buy stuff every cruise but won't be now. Getting off the ship can already be frustrating, last thing I want to do is stand in line for alcohol. Especially in Galveston where you then also have to pay the tax.

[firemanbobswife]

All they did was let the cruise line read this and figure out how to stop it. I don't try and get booze on board. I don't care if people smuggle booze on board but if you tell everyone your sneaky ways of doing it on here they will find away to stop it.

 

 

Exactly. And as I recall immediately after a certain review was written flaunting the fact that they walked right past security at POM with a water bottle filled with alcohol in plain sight they instituted the ban on bottled beverages.

 

I don't smuggle alcohol as I hardly drink and I follow the rules whether I agree with them or not as they are the rules. But common sense dictates that if you're going to do something that you shouldn't be, then keep it to yourself. You may think you're being helpful, but it can and will backfire eventually.

[JennN]

We were really mad about the change in this policy (a few bad apples spoil the bunch) as it was inconveniencing us (have to repack bags at airport) but my wife went down to get her bottles earlier this month and was back within 15 minutes.

[Djonemore]

I just don't understand why they changed a policy that worked perfectly in the past

CCL becoming cheap and lazy.

[texast518]

Can anyone answer the B2B question?

 

You get your booze @ the END of the second leg. Your last day debark AM.

[texast518]

I believe if you do bb they hold it until the last day of the second leg. Only way around that is to make a friend and have them buy it for you.

I like your thinking, especially if you have the same room for both legs.

[tkportersat]

Yeah, this one I don't understand either....If they don't want to deliver it then at least let us pick it up the night before. I'm sure they did it to prevent people from drinking it the last night but honestly with all the people saying they won't buy liquor now because of the change I am sure they are losing money on purchases.

 

I just don't understand why they changed a policy that worked perfectly in the past

CCL becoming cheap and lazy.

[cruiseonthebrain]

Yeah, this one I don't understand either....If they don't want to deliver it then at least let us pick it up the night before. I'm sure they did it to prevent people from drinking it the last night but honestly with all the people saying they won't buy liquor now because of the change I am sure they are losing money on purchases.

 

Do you think they changed the policy because people were drinking a ton from their onboard beverage purchases the last night of the cruise? Or do you think it was because folks were packing the bottles and not declaring the purchases to Customs?

 

In either case, it would surprise me that there was that big of a problem with people picking up the bottles the last night of the cruise.

[mmckm]

Why would Carnival care if you didn't claim your alcohol purchase to customs. Its nothing to do with them.

[linbobky]

Do you think they changed the policy because people were drinking a ton from their onboard beverage purchases the last night of the cruise? Or do you think it was because folks were packing the bottles and not declaring the purchases to Customs?

 

In either case, it would surprise me that there was that big of a problem with people picking up the bottles the last night of the cruise.

 

2 weeks ago on ncl, they still delivered your booze the day before! ours came around 5 pm.:) if we wanted to, we could have had a heck of a party.:D

 

I don't think customs has anything to do with it!

[cruiseonthebrain]

Why would Carnival care if you didn't claim your alcohol purchase to customs. Its nothing to do with them.

 

Just a thought...

 

I don't know- because if there was a major issue with things not being declared Customs could really hold up the debarkation process and make headaches for the cruiseline.

[tkportersat]

I honestly have no idea really. The change just isn't worth the time and aggravation for us personally. While some state it is no big deal there are many factors at play....ship, personnel, purchases, etc. It is just not something I want to deal with before getting off the ship. This is just one of those changes that has me scratching my head as I can't figure out why Carnival would want to deal with this at the same time they are trying to get thousands of people off a ship.

 

Maybe if more folks stop buying and they see all the money they are losing they will change it to something more reasonable.

 

Do you think they changed the policy because people were drinking a ton from their onboard beverage purchases the last night of the cruise? Or do you think it was because folks were packing the bottles and not declaring the purchases to Customs?

 

In either case, it would surprise me that there was that big of a problem with people picking up the bottles the last night of the cruise.

[cruiseonthebrain]

I honestly have no idea really. The change just isn't worth the time and aggravation for us personally. While some state it is no big deal there are many factors at play....ship, personnel, purchases, etc. It is just not something I want to deal with before getting off the ship. This is just one of those changes that has me scratching my head as I can't figure out why Carnival would want to deal with this at the same time they are trying to get thousands of people off a ship.

 

Maybe if more folks stop buying and they see all the money they are losing they will change it to something more reasonable.

 

I completely agree with you. Debarkation is already my least favorite part of the cruise. Add more lines and head-aches with potential mix ups to it. Not worth it to me. But to each his or her own.

[tkportersat]

We are cruising out of New Orleans for our current trip but normally we cruise out of Texas, so add to this there is a place you are supposed to stop at after you go through customs in Galveston to pay taxes. That is initially what got us to stop buying on board but the pick up day of debark just kind of sealed the deal. :rolleyes:

 

I completely agree with you. Debarkation is already my least favorite part of the cruise. Add more lines and head-aches with potential mix ups to it. Not worth it to me. But to each his or her own.

[frangran]

No more bottles for us! Don't want to waste time standing in line to pick up bottles, just before getting to the debarkation lines. (Last time, they had enhanced security which meant an extra 2 hours in line before leaving the customs area.) Plus the Galveston extra tax. Then the repacking of bottles & rush to the airport. Not worth it to me. It's a lot less stressful just buying alcohol in town -- and probably not that much more expensive.

 

If you don't mind, more power to you -- I'm just not that patient! :D

[PAPERBKWRITER]

Possibly people were stealing bottles set outside a room the night before. Saw a lot of bottles in the hall the night before... AND I don't think it was because to many folks were getting blasted the night before on purchased liquor. Who'd want to have a giant hangover that morning?

[ddloml]

I just got off of Carnival Dream yesterday, and the alcohol pickup wasn't as bad as I feared. They advertised availability in a deck 4 lounge from 6:00 AM - 8:30 AM. I showed up a little early at 5:50 AM, because I learned throughout the week that there are lines for everything on this ship. Thankfully, they had already started the process when I arrived, so there was not any long wait at all. I also bought liquor both on the ship and in a port, and there were two lines. I went to the 'port' line first, and mentioned that I had an onboard purchase as well. The crew member retrieving my purchases went over to the other room and brought back my onboard purchase too. So I was done with the process in less than 5 minutes, but I did have the early morning inconvenience.

 

Later on, at about 6:40 I had another conversation in the elevator with a passenger who had just waited 20-25 minutes to pick up his liquor purchases.

 

We did the self-debark for the first time as a result. Once I brought back the liquor, we packed it on our suitcases. Fortunately we were in a deck 2 cove balcony and only had to climb up one flight of stairs with our luggage to deck 3 to leave the ship at 7:20 or so. I noticed many fewer suitcases in the hall for pickup the night before, probably because of the alcohol pickup policy.

 

Stewards have less work because they don't have to deliver purchases the evening prior to debark. The porters don't have to schlep as much of the luggage. More people leave on their own and the ship empties faster. I don't see Carnival changing the policy any time soon; there are too many advantages for them in it.

[tkportersat]

They don't have to get the room stewards to deliver it, they could have passengers pick it up on the last night. I know on one of my cruises that is how they did it and that worked great - and you can get it packed away before sitting your luggage out.

 

I just got off of Carnival Dream yesterday, and the alcohol pickup wasn't as bad as I feared. They advertised availability in a deck 4 lounge from 6:00 AM - 8:30 AM. I showed up a little early at 5:50 AM, because I learned throughout the week that there are lines for everything on this ship. Thankfully, they had already started the process when I arrived, so there was not any long wait at all. I also bought liquor both on the ship and in a port, and there were two lines. I went to the 'port' line first, and mentioned that I had an onboard purchase as well. The crew member retrieving my purchases went over to the other room and brought back my onboard purchase too. So I was done with the process in less than 5 minutes, but I did have the early morning inconvenience.

 

Later on, at about 6:40 I had another conversation in the elevator with a passenger who had just waited 20-25 minutes to pick up his liquor purchases.

 

We did the self-debark for the first time as a result. Once I brought back the liquor, we packed it on our suitcases. Fortunately we were in a deck 2 cove balcony and only had to climb up one flight of stairs with our luggage to deck 3 to leave the ship at 7:20 or so. I noticed many fewer suitcases in the hall for pickup the night before, probably because of the alcohol pickup policy.

 

Stewards have less work because they don't have to deliver purchases the evening prior to debark. The porters don't have to schlep as much of the luggage. More people leave on their own and the ship empties faster. I don't see Carnival changing the policy any time soon; there are too many advantages for them in it.

[Shipbound]

I think the alcohol policy started with the last couple of years before that you could pick up your booze the night before debarkation but people were drinking the booze and not buying drinks from the bar that is the reason I believe CCL started the day of policy pick up. It is all about $$$$.

 

Gary