Mini-bar- Is it time to finally go?

[hurwitz5]

Our son and daughter-in-law were on the Anthem of the Seas in February 2016. The ship hit very rough seas between Bayonne, NJ and Florida. At 3:30 pm, the passengers were sent back to their cabins; they could not leave their cabins until the following morning. The captain made an announcement telling everyone they could consume whatever was in the minibar for free, since no meals were served for about 18 hours.

My husband and I sail mostly on Celebrity. We like having a refrigerator in our cabin, but have the minibar stuff emptied shortly after we arrive. We use the refrigerator for keeping bottles of water and soda cool.

[jelayne]

We would vote to leave the mini bar. Some need it for meds, we use it for the wine we bring on board or to keep the OJ I bring to DH each sea day cold till he wakes up :D.

[gcorgain]

I vote to leave it. I often have plenty of OBC and will have a drink on the balcony. Rarely have the food items, but sodas and even mixed drinks get used most cruises -- and we typically have the premium package. Now I would really love it if the Eclipse trial of included mini bar went fleet wide. There are just some times when it is convenient for a "getting ready" beverage or nightcap. And with the OBC they are usually free.

[Mr&MrsCookie]

I never use anything in a mini bar - anywhere. Apart from the crazy costs, you never know how long they have been sitting there and the drinks have been in and out of fridges that many times, the taste is pretty awful, especially beer. Give me an empty fridge so I can put my own stuff in it.

[chemmo]

We cruise in RS or PH which now have personalised mini bars (you let the conceirge know pre cruise what you want and it is ready when you board) which is great. We have it stocked with what we actually want to drink. No miniature spirits in there but two large bottles provided.

 

Before this was a suite perk we also had the minibar emptied....nothing to do with the cost of the items (although they would probably make more money if items were cheaper!) but simply to do with convenience....I don't want most of the variety of items in it I just want the items I know I will want when I am in my room.

 

It would be great if at the start of the cruise everyone had a free 'starter' fridge with water, a couple of sodas and beers....Then people could decide what they wanted to do....have their fridge restocked and pay or request no restock and use as you like....perhaps miniatures could be on request for those who want them.

 

I do think the 'age of the minibar' as it is has gone! Lots of hotels don't have them but provide you with a fridge, AI hotels provide sodas and beers restocked daily, high end suite hotels provide a full minibar replenished daily.....

 

For those with drinks packages I can understand that providing miniatures is probably not financially viable but sodas and beers could be restocked daily at no additional cost to Celebrity...

 

I hope the recent trial on Eclipse is Celebrity having a think how the minibar can enhance 'modern luxury'. We enjoy our bar as a suite perk and it would be so nice if others could too.

[gold1953]

Last cruise we found a bowl of very mouldy strawberries in our mini bar. The room attendant was quite embarrassed . They had to have been there for a couple of cruises.

[Gishua_]

Having worked in the hospitality business for many hotels in many parts of the world you would be surprised on how many people use the mini bar. You would also be surprised at how many people lie about using the mini bar but claim they have not. It got so bad at one 5 star hotel I worked at the housekeeping manager would inspect every mini bar before check-in and would take a picture of the contents with a time stamp an would do that same every day after the room was cleaned by staff. We made about 500-1500 a day during high season on mini bar sales and that was a small hotel with only 88 rooms.

[CruisingChick]

In our 28 cruises we have only used the mini bar once. They NY Yankees were in a playoff game and they were only showing the game on the TV's in the staterooms so we stayed in the room and made drinks from the mini-bar. This was long before drink packages were even offered.

 

So if they get rid of them it's fine by me.

[CruisingChick]

Last cruise we found a bowl of very mouldy strawberries in our mini bar. The room attendant was quite embarrassed . They had to have been there for a couple of cruises.

 

What ship/stateroom? That's sounds like something I did once on a cruise - they were chocolate covered strawberries.

[cocobakerchica]

We always have the mini bar emptied, because we usually fill it with our own water and beverages, and my DM has prescription medications that need to stay cool. The very first cruise we went on(on the Zenith)was the only time it wasn't emptied, and we were charged for taken items(it does happen)and going through the motions of disputing and having the charges removed was enough to request emptying it ever since.

[DrivesLikeMario]

We like to pick up bottles of water or Diet Coke (with our drink package) and bring them back to the cabin and keep them in the fridge for when we need/want them. ;)

[Mynki]

 

So if they get rid of them it's fine by me.

 

I'm alright Jack! :rolleyes:

 

And the tens of thousands of cruisers who benefit from using them every year? Thankfully they won't get rid of them.

[Saab4444]

The prize for soda and water from the mini bar is the same as if you buy it at any bar.

 

If you don't have a drink package, and we will never buy one, the minibar is convenient and reasonable e.g. for a coke.

 

I also do not recall seeing any high prized alcoholic drinks in the mini bar like you find it in hotels.

 

 

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[simon stingray]

We sometimes use the minibar.

 

If I wake up thirsty at 2 or 3am (which I often do) and there is no juice or sodas in the room then I will raid the minibar.

 

I realise the markup on the minibar contents is high but Celebrity are a business and we're talking about few dollars extra-not hundreds.

 

We usually do pickup a couple of unopened cans of Coke Zero from one of the bars at the end of each evening but sometimes we do forget (or we're very thirsty and need more).

 

If I can spend thousands taking "Luxury"Cruises then I am not about to start loosing sleep over a couple of dollars extra that Coke Zero from the minibar just cost me:rolleyes:

[Pavovsky]

Well that makes a lot more sense then having emptied. It;s not as though anyone is going to use the space for their underwear.....or maybe they are:eek:

 

 

 

Good for drying swim shorts

[Pavovsky]

Many of the big hotel brands are getting rid of mini bars. Costly to fill and to check usage compared to the gain on use. Instead they offer to fill them if you wish. Perhaps a better approach.

[jagoffee]

We would like to see the frig stay, but the contents removed except upon request. We always have ours emptied and stock it with our own usually water, beer, and Sosa purchased using the drink package or brought on board.

 

I would hate to see the actually frig removed.

[Peteymil]

Unless you have small children or use the fridge to keep your own drinks, then why would you have it emptied? Doesn't anyone have any self control? I like having the option if I have a real craving. I admit...we had the coke and ate the pringles and the m&ms over the course of the trip. In the grand scheme of things...I dont really care that it was overpriced.

 

It has nothing to do with self-control. I want it emptied so that I can put my own snacks and drinks in there. I put my bottles of wine that I brought on the ship and they are to keep them cool, and I always put some waters and a couple sodas in there too.

[cachouonacruise]

From my perspective, the mini-bar represents an option. I can use it or leave it. Overpriced: yes. Like other options on cruises such as some Specialty Restaurants, Photos, art work, shore excursions, etc. This said, my objective when cruising is not focused on saving money, but rather to enjoy a fun yet different experience from my everyday life. I enjoy having options offered to me. Some I use, and some I don't. In four cruises, I don't remember having used the mini-bar yet ( I have done so occasionally in hotels), this said, I would be disappointed in the mini-bar option was removed. Only concern: billing issues. It would be nice, if the mini-bar came with a breakable plastic lock ( like in some hotels) where if you don't use it; the seal remains untouched, reducing the risk of a billing concern for uninterested parties. (nobody mentioned anything regarding a seal or a lock so far, so I don't know how X mini-bars are set up.)

 

 

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[KikisDad]

Just off the Eclipse. With our premium package, we had access to our mini bar. We only used it a couple of times since the World Class, Martini, and Passport bars only a few steps away. Still nice to have the option.

[Relaxinginthesun]

I vote for keeping the mini bar.

 

Sometimes it is late at night and I am an hour into a good movie and I want something to drink and/or a small snack. I for one don't want to turn off the movie, get dressed and spend 20-25 minutes to go back out to get it to save a few dollars.

 

Sometimes I just want life to be easy and enjoy the movie while I sip a cold drink and munch on some M&M's. Which is the reason I am on vacation to begin with.

Edited September 22, 2016 by Relaxinginthesun

[WEGL81]

Unless you have small children or use the fridge to keep your own drinks, then why would you have it emptied? Doesn't anyone have any self control? I like having the option if I have a real craving. I admit...we had the coke and ate the pringles and the m&ms over the course of the trip. In the grand scheme of things...I dont really care that it was overpriced.

 

 

For us, it's a matter of we need the space for water bottles and soft drinks we bring back to the room, or the occasional bottle of white wine we bring onboard. So if they had this like a regular hotel room with a mini-fridge, that would be cool. I understand others need for convenience.

 

 

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[WEGL81]

We would vote to leave the mini bar. Some need it for meds, we use it for the wine we bring on board or to keep the OJ I bring to DH each sea day cold till he wakes up :D.

 

 

Maybe I should have clarified. I would like to keep the fridge for the same reasons, just not the stuff inside it when I arrive. I understand those who want that stuff as well.

 

 

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[WEGL81]

Our son and daughter-in-law were on the Anthem of the Seas in February 2016. The ship hit very rough seas between Bayonne, NJ and Florida. At 3:30 pm, the passengers were sent back to their cabins; they could not leave their cabins until the following morning. The captain made an announcement telling everyone they could consume whatever was in the minibar for free, since no meals were served for about 18 hours.

 

My husband and I sail mostly on Celebrity. We like having a refrigerator in our cabin, but have the minibar stuff emptied shortly after we arrive. We use the refrigerator for keeping bottles of water and soda cool.

 

 

That was definitely a great time to have those items.

 

 

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[WEGL81]

Having worked in the hospitality business for many hotels in many parts of the world you would be surprised on how many people use the mini bar. You would also be surprised at how many people lie about using the mini bar but claim they have not. It got so bad at one 5 star hotel I worked at the housekeeping manager would inspect every mini bar before check-in and would take a picture of the contents with a time stamp an would do that same every day after the room was cleaned by staff. We made about 500-1500 a day during high season on mini bar sales and that was a small hotel with only 88 rooms.

 

 

We all know making money is the prime reason for keeping the mini-bar contents, so your statistics don't surprise me.

 

 

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