Cruising as a non-drinker

[GrooveInWhichWeMove]

In this case I didn't mean peer pressure so much as pressure to spend more money by buying alcohol.

 

The pressure is not really different than the pressure to buy photographs, or spa services, or bingo tickets. It'll be easy to resist, in my opinion!

[SuiteTraveler]

Except for wine tasting or scotch tasting, I really cannot think of many cruise ship activities that involve drinking alcohol. You can drink or not drink and no one is going to care at all.

 

luvtoteach: Was this on an RCCL ship? I remember they had a program where they were selling shots of mixed liquors from a tray in the dining room during dinner back in the early 2000's in a souvenir glass. (Some of the combinations sounded totally gross to me.) We just said no, but they did come around each evening, however by the third night we said no the bar waiter kind of gave up on us and left us alone thereafter.

[Nebr.cruiser]

My husband doesn't drink at all and I have a glass of wine less than once a month-mostly at holiday meals We have a great time on cruises and have never felt pressured/different because of it. We are not even pop drinkers, so a soda package doesn't make sense.

 

We sometimes get a free bottle of wine, which we usually give away, either to our room steward or sometimes to people we are dining with.

[lovevacadays]

Seriously???? Cruising doesn't revolve around drinking. There is so, so, so much more to cruising than what you are drinking. You should be just fine without drinking.:eek::eek::eek:

[WupperAV]

I agree with lovevacadays. since when do people have to drink to have fun. We have a friend who goes on a cruise to drink. Most people can't be social without alcohol for some reason, then they're just obnoxious and stink like a wino in the morning.

[iancal]

What pressure??????

 

The server arrives. He or she asks you what you would like. You can say nothing for the movement or you can order anything from a soft drink to champagne. Absolutely no pressure whatsoever. It is your imagination at play.

Edited August 13, 2016 by iancal

[RecoveryDude]

LOVE this thread :) I am sober and in recovery from drugs and alcohol. I have not drank/used since August 5, 2008 .... however, I am now "addicted" to cruising, LOL!

 

I have four cruises booked and will book #5 in 62 days when I board the Conquest. Lucky for me a get a lot of vacation time (5 weeks a year) and buy those Carnival gift cards for 10% OFF so it's easier to cruise often.

 

I have never felt "pressured" to drink by anyone on a cruise ship. I also find plenty to do in order to have fun without drinking ... I love the non-alcoholic drinks ... but typically I bring a dozen energy drinks and enjoy those for most of the cruise cause it saves a ton of money ...

 

In all my cruises, I have never found anyone else in recovery to have a "friends of Bill W" meeting ... even tho they list them every day, no one ever shows up, lol --- guess they are too busy finding "non alcoholic" things to do!

...but I would welcome a meeting sometime - Although my solution is to cruise with my friends from recovery anyway, so we turn the whole cruise into a "meeting"

 

It certainly does not bother me what other people are doing ... and contrary to what some people say, I don't see "everyone" as being "always hammered" on Carnival cruises, and reading all the comments here before mine solidifies that ...

 

So don't worry, you will have a GRAND time on Carnival and find PLENTY to do without any need to drink alcohol :)

 

Cheers!

 

Jeff aka Recovery Dude

[cb at sea]

A cruise is no different from any other activity where drinking is available. If you don't drink..don't! No one cares! Really!

[Club Disney Chandler]

LOVE this thread :) I am sober and in recovery from drugs and alcohol. I have not drank/used since August 5, 2008 .... however, I am now "addicted" to cruising, LOL!

 

 

 

I have four cruises booked and will book #5 in 62 days when I board the Conquest. Lucky for me a get a lot of vacation time (5 weeks a year) and buy those Carnival gift cards for 10% OFF so it's easier to cruise often.

 

 

 

I have never felt "pressured" to drink by anyone on a cruise ship. I also find plenty to do in order to have fun without drinking ... I love the non-alcoholic drinks ... but typically I bring a dozen energy drinks and enjoy those for most of the cruise cause it saves a ton of money ...

 

 

 

In all my cruises, I have never found anyone else in recovery to have a "friends of Bill W" meeting ... even tho they list them every day, no one ever shows up, lol --- guess they are too busy finding "non alcoholic" things to do!

 

...but I would welcome a meeting sometime - Although my solution is to cruise with my friends from recovery anyway, so we turn the whole cruise into a "meeting"

 

 

 

It certainly does not bother me what other people are doing ... and contrary to what some people say, I don't see "everyone" as being "always hammered" on Carnival cruises, and reading all the comments here before mine solidifies that ...

 

 

 

So don't worry, you will have a GRAND time on Carnival and find PLENTY to do without any need to drink alcohol :)

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

Jeff aka Recovery Dude

 

 

Happy Birthday! I've been lucky and have always been able to have 1 other person show up for a meeting on the ship. I'll be on the Vista for the 6/3/17 and 6/11/17 sailings, join me for a meeting! Take care and God Bless.

 

 

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[tip]

I grew up in a family of alcoholics and experienced way too much verbal and physical abuse. I made the decision close to 50 years ago when I was in college not to drink. I have never regretted it. I have no hang ups with those who choose to drink as long as it does not impact me.

 

When cruising, me darling wife has one fruity drink a day or maybe a glass of wine with dinner. No big deal. We have always enjoyed our cruises. Maybe it is because we have not sailed Carnival for over 20 years, but we have never felt pressured to buy drinks.

 

Now for the photographers...don't get me going on that!:rolleyes:

[GUT2407]

I grew up in a family of alcoholics and experienced way too much verbal and physical abuse. I made the decision close to 50 years ago when I was in college not to drink. I have never regretted it. I have no hang ups with those who choose to drink as long as it does not impact me.

 

When cruising, me darling wife has one fruity drink a day or maybe a glass of wine with dinner. No big deal. We have always enjoyed our cruises. Maybe it is because we have not sailed Carnival for over 20 years, but we have never felt pressured to buy drinks.

 

Now for the photographers...don't get me going on that!:rolleyes:

 

Me too.

 

But never had a problem with photographers either, just firm no thanks.

[h_blond2]

I'm not a huge drinker. I usually only have 1 or 2 drinks the entire cruise and I have a blast. I've never felt pressure to buy a drink from any of the crew. If they ask you, a simple "No, thank you" always works.

[iancal]

DW does not drink alcohol. Never has. Closest she comes is adding wine or liquers to her cooking.

 

It has never been an issue-on a cruise or otherwise.

 

I actually appreciate it. I kid her that she is a DD (designated driver) and a cheap date.

[WupperAV]

GOSH! If you have to drink to have fun I've missed 50 years worth. My only complaint against people who drink, are the ones who insist you drink with them. WAIT! there are 2. The one who meets you head on on the freeway. If you feel pressured to drink, do what I do, start crying. They'll go away.

Edited September 27, 2016 by WupperAV

[Tomcruiser48]

But NCL will not let you book B2B in the same cabin without paying for FREE drinks, the only option to to book without FREE drinks is to do BX.

Why do I care?, I hate to pack and unpack and on big ships I may not be able to walk from where my cabin may be to an elevator, there are no rest stops in long hallways.

Yes I should use a walker or scooter, but I feel walking is best for me.

We have been on 30+ cruises, I just got off the phone trying to book two 14 day cruises B2B, It would cost me 1300.00 extra to get the same room.

I may have been on my last cruise.

Any way to get around FREE drinks?

Thanks for any help or thoughts.

Tom

[Sea Hag]

We're both non-drinkers, and it frankly had never occurred to me that this was - or even could be - a problem.

[CaveDiving]

On the contrary, I am actually wondering what we are going to do with our free bottle of wine from making a reservation at the steakhouse on day 1...I kind of don't want to make a fuss by asking for something else (if that's even an option), but I'd also like to have something I will actually be able to use. Maybe I can give it as a gift?

 

Have you considered bringing it to your table in the MDR for a dinner. I have found most folks are appreciative of being able to share a complementary bottle of wine with dinner.

 

Scott & Karen

[WupperAV]

The IRS has done it. The letter says "Hi, How much did you make last year? Send it in!" How do you pay for FREE stuff?? Seems like the Reduntant Office of Redundancy!

[GUT2407]

We're both non-drinkers, and it frankly had never occurred to me that this was - or even could be - a problem.

 

Same for us.

[GUT2407]

Have you considered bringing it to your table in the MDR for a dinner. I have found most folks are appreciative of being able to share a complementary bottle of wine with dinner.

 

Scott & Karen

 

That's what we normally do, or give it to people we've become friends with, or take it home and pass it on to family/friends that drink.

[SmoothFlying]

My I do not drink alcohol at all and my boyfriend hardly ever, he's planning on having only one alcoholic drink on the cruises. I know we will still have a ton of fun on our upcoming trip—his first ever and my first since I was 13, but I'd love to here from more teetotalers out there enjoy cruising. Do you find enough adult activities that don't revolve around alcohol to keep you entertained? Are you able to enjoy cruising without feeling pressured to purchase alcohol?

 

My wife and I have cruised since 2008 (10 Carnival, 3 RCCL) and I was diagnosed with Type 2 in 2013 (and never really was a big drinker before that) so it really wasn't difficult for me to quit completely. My wife's a social drinker and she gets free drinks in the casino and even out aboard the ship she knows if she wants to order something she knows it doesn't make me envious. I just want her to have anything to drink if she wants one. Just because I can't I don't want her to feel uneasy ordering one while I won't. The same goes at the steakhouse if she wants a bottle of wine with dinner. I always have a wonderful time on all of our cruises even after 2013. We've booked the CC Magic next March and really are looking forward to it ! My motto is 'Cruise as long as you CAN !!!'

 

Mac

[pris993]

My I do not drink alcohol at all and my boyfriend hardly ever, he's planning on having only one alcoholic drink on the cruises. I know we will still have a ton of fun on our upcoming trip—his first ever and my first since I was 13, but I'd love to here from more teetotalers out there enjoy cruising. Do you find enough adult activities that don't revolve around alcohol to keep you entertained? Are you able to enjoy cruising without feeling pressured to purchase alcohol?

 

We drink- wine, may be a cocktail, have been cruising for 30 years... over 50 cruises on 9 different cruise lines... I can tell you no needs to drink and there is plenty to do that does not involve alcohol. Servers will ask you if you want something to drink but you do not need buy anything alochol or not. Go enjoy enjoy yourself.

[Sparkysausage]

My wife and I don't drink much,but received a free drinks package with

Royal Caribbean.In eleven days we only had twenty two drinks,

which had we paid for them, would have come to approx.$150.

Unless you drink alot,or are an alcoholic, drinks packages are a

waste of money.Its not the drink, but the company you keep that

makes you happy. Happy cruising!

[CA-Cruzers]

In all my cruises, I have never found anyone... to have a "friends of Bill W" meeting ... even tho they list them every day.

Ouch! Sorry to hear that. My guess is it's just been a fluke that you haven't run into any of Bill's friends on your cruises. Sometimes there are more than six or eight people who show up, sometimes only a couple.

 

It may have something to do with else is scheduled for that hour, I suppose.

[donaldsc]

My I do not drink alcohol at all and my boyfriend hardly ever, he's planning on having only one alcoholic drink on the cruises. I know we will still have a ton of fun on our upcoming trip—his first ever and my first since I was 13, but I'd love to here from more teetotalers out there enjoy cruising. Do you find enough adult activities that don't revolve around alcohol to keep you entertained? Are you able to enjoy cruising without feeling pressured to purchase alcohol?

 

I enjoy wine but I do not need it. If we have a free drink package, I might have wine w dinner plus a couple of drinks a day. If I have to pay for it, my bar bill is normally zero. You do not have to drink to enjoy yourself on a cruise.

 

DON