Mini Bars in Csnin

[Seagnome]

Just seen on another thread about stocked mini bars now included. is this true?

 

We are on Azura in a couple of weeks in a suite - would be great to have a mini bar but is it complimentary or do we hsve to pay?

[Nikkipink]

Apparently this is being rolled out throughout the fleet, starting with Azura, but you pay for what you use.

[Scorpio41]

Personally I think this isn't needed. Temptation for some and what about young teenagers in the cabin?

[the english lady]

My take on this is that at some stage in the future Pando would stop you taking drink on board at embarkation and stops along the way.

I asked and was told this wasn't the grand plan, but we know the bean counters say what happens onboard.

Maybe all those who take a lot onboard have opened Pandos eyes to the fact that they are losing out there.

You cannot buy a ltr bottle now to drink in your cabin via the room steward. It is all the mini bar.

Once its rolled out across the fleet I think there will be subtle changes..ie no bringing more on in ports...then in a few months..no bringing on in Southampton....I have consulted my tealeaves on this.

[Pink-belle]

My take on this is that at some stage in the future Pando would stop you taking drink on board at embarkation and stops along the way.

I asked and was told this wasn't the grand plan, but we know the bean counters say what happens onboard.

Maybe all those who take a lot onboard have opened Pandos eyes to the fact that they are losing out there.

You cannot buy a ltr bottle now to drink in your cabin via the room steward. It is all the mini bar.

Once its rolled out across the fleet I think there will be subtle changes..ie no bringing more on in ports...then in a few months..no bringing on in Southampton....I have consulted my tealeaves on this.

 

I think your tea leaves are right English Lady :)

 

P&O are the only line to have kept such a generous policy to be able to carry on whatever you like for incabin consumption, for so long.

 

I have read so many posts on here, from those who think, and have advocated, that it's perfectly acceptable to carry these drinks up on deck and into restaurants. When it isn't and never has been. So it was only a matter of time until P&O decided to take steps to protect and increase its own bar sales.

[PRINCESSTHE BEST]

My take on this is that at some stage in the future Pando would stop you taking drink on board at embarkation and stops along the way.

I asked and was told this wasn't the grand plan, but we know the bean counters say what happens onboard.

Maybe all those who take a lot onboard have opened Pandos eyes to the fact that they are losing out there.

You cannot buy a ltr bottle now to drink in your cabin via the room steward. It is all the mini bar.

Once its rolled out across the fleet I think there will be subtle changes..ie no bringing more on in ports...then in a few months..no bringing on in Southampton....I have consulted my tealeaves on this.

 

I think the fact that you can take alcohol on board and other little perks are the things that keep P&O customers coming back. If they decide that they are going to alter the rules to fall in line with the big boys, then they will have t get new ships of the same standard to compete. BTW that may be the reason they have ordered their new mega ship? Food for thought, is the traditional P&O disappearing? Less formal nights, no informal nights, more casual nights!

[Cruise Puss]

Having read numerous threads on this my husband and I are very concerned that P&O are going the wrong way - ie. like everyone else! :(

 

We never take drink on board, except when we have bought it on a shore excursion, and that we always take home unopened, so we won't suffer like an awful lot of people. However, we think it is great shame that they seem to be changing to not allowing drink to be brought on board. It seems that the people who will not adhere to the rules have, yet again, spoilt it for the many.

 

We may well write to P&O about this, and if more people actually did write maybe, just maybe :rolleyes:, they would listen.

[the english lady]

Having read numerous threads on this my husband and I are very concerned that P&O are going the wrong way - ie. like everyone else! :(

 

We never take drink on board, except when we have bought it on a shore excursion, and that we always take home unopened, so we won't suffer like an awful lot of people. However, we think it is great shame that they seem to be changing to not allowing drink to be brought on board. It seems that the people who will not adhere to the rules have, yet again, spoilt it for the many.

 

We may well write to P&O about this, and if more people actually did write maybe, just maybe :rolleyes:, they would listen.

 

Besides consulting my tealeaves on this I did speak to head of housekeeping on our last cruise. He said they would not be stopping people taking drinks on board..however I think the signs are there.

Is it people taking bottles and bottles on board, is it those who think its ok to take their drinks elsewhere than the cabin, maybe a combination of both.

I do think they may lose some cruisers if they go down that path though. Having said that if they brought in an all inclusive drinks package instead..maybe free with select, pay for with saver fares, it would encourage early bookings and I don't think people will drink more, just do it in bars, rather than their cabin.

I would also hope if they brought that in it would be easier than some lines..reading Princess boards not all inclusive packages are the same and you can only have drinks up to a certain price under it, or you pay for the whole drink if over (according to the boards) .

We will see

[balf]

I think your tea leaves are right English Lady :)

 

P&O are the only line to have kept such a generous policy to be able to carry on whatever you like for incabin consumption, for so long.

 

I have read so many posts on here, from those who think, and have advocated, that it's perfectly acceptable to carry these drinks up on deck and into restaurants. When it isn't and never has been. So it was only a matter of time until P&O decided to take steps to protect and increase its own bar sales.

 

It's not correct that P&O are the only line that has such a liberal policy. Cunard has the same and has had for years.

 

I wonder if the passengers who take their own drink into the bars have ever tried the same at home in their local pub? Don't see why any business would allow this in the way Pando do.

 

Golden eggs are fragile things and can easily be broken.

 

David

[h3rjp]

I don't think that just because they are turning a fridge that generates zero revenue into something that might generate some, is a slippery slope to a bring your own drinks ban.

 

Princess for years had mini bars, you just had to ask the steward to clear it out or if you couldn't be bothered you just stack the contents behind the tv and filled the fridge with your own stuff.

 

This only changed their alcohol policy a few years ago and the mini bars predated that decision by at least a decade!

 

Changing the alcohol policy would be a game changer for p&o. In the same way that people regard the onboard bar costs as fairly reasonable, the fact that prices are in sterling and you can bring on your own cabin drinks and 3 three things in their favour that were the deciding factor in booking with them. I didn't want to go with any other line for those three reasons.

 

So I'm fine with the fact that you can no longer order large bottles from room service but you can use the new purchasing opportunity right there in my cabin. I won't use it and continue to enjoy my own booze, but hopefully the extra money they make will keep the prices reasonable and allow the liberal policy to continue.

 

 

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[the english lady]

It's not correct that P&O are the only line that has such a liberal policy. Cunard has the same and has had for years.

 

I wonder if the passengers who take their own drink into the bars have ever tried the same at home in their local pub? Don't see why any business would allow this in the way Pando do.

 

Golden eggs are fragile things and can easily be broken.

 

David

 

Pando do not allow you to take your own drinks anywhere else than your cabin. However some people think they are very very clever and the rules obviously do not apply to them.

[PRINCESSTHE BEST]

Pando do not allow you to take your own drinks anywhere else than your cabin. However some people think they are very very clever and the rules obviously do not apply to them.

 

Human nature being what it is, whatever the system, some people will want to try and get round it. When drinks packages were first introduced on American lines, people were buying a drinks package for one passenger then getting drinks for all other room occupants. The end result is some lines now insist that if one passenger in a stateroom has a drinks package , everyone else in that stateroom has to have one too.:(

[CCFC]

Human nature being what it is, whatever the system, some people will want to try and get round it. When drinks packages were first introduced on American lines, people were buying a drinks package for one passenger then getting drinks for all other room occupants. The end result is some lines now insist that if one passenger in a stateroom has a drinks package , everyone else in that stateroom has to have one too.:(

 

Princess no longer has that rule.

[jeanlyon]

If they change it, they will probably do what Fred O does. You can bring drink on board from a port stop, but they take it off you until you get to Southampton. We bought our booze in Gib and then got it back.

[Sanjam cruisers]

EnglishLady

You and I have already had this discussion, on our original P&O Cruises we purchased our in cabin drinks requirement aboard ship at duty free prices,when this changed we purchased one bottle from room service and purchased one bottle from duty free at Barbados/First Port of call theses drinks were for InCabin Use ONLY and all mixers were ordered from our steward .

We would never dream of taking our own alcohol on deck or any other area of the ship but we have witnessed other passengers doing so, on this forum and others we have seen passengers asking how much alcohol they can take onboard an people answering "As Much As you Can Carry" which is totally wrong if they read P&Os T&Cs it is "A reasonable Amount", if this is causing a problem for the Company rather than an outright ban why don't they seize all alcohol outwith "A reasonable Amount" and be very visible in doing so rather than punish their more reasonable guests.

Just me submission.

[Marmaliser]

EnglishLady

You and I have already had this discussion, on our original P&O Cruises we purchased our in cabin drinks requirement aboard ship at duty free prices,when this changed we purchased one bottle from room service and purchased one bottle from duty free at Barbados/First Port of call theses drinks were for InCabin Use ONLY and all mixers were ordered from our steward .

We would never dream of taking our own alcohol on deck or any other area of the ship but we have witnessed other passengers doing so, on this forum and others we have seen passengers asking how much alcohol they can take onboard an people answering "As Much As you Can Carry" which is totally wrong if they read P&Os T&Cs it is "A reasonable Amount", if this is causing a problem for the Company rather than an outright ban why don't they seize all alcohol outwith "A reasonable Amount" and be very visible in doing so rather than punish their more reasonable guests.

Just me submission.

Agree entirely, after all cruise ships are floating hotels and I don't know of any hotel that stops guests having their own drinks as long as they are consumed in the room and not where the hotel is selling drinks themselves albeit a bar, restaurant, poolside or elsewhere.....unfortunately as in all aspects of life there will always be someone who spoils it for others.

[Clodia]

I also agree; part of the civilised thing about having a balcony is the ability to have a drink out there and If I were prevented from doing that I might save the money and not bother with a balcony which would mean I had more to spend in the bars! Anyway, most of us who take drink onboard do so for specific purposes, like a pre dinner aperitif while you get ready for dinner, and we still buy wine in the restaurant and cocktails or a beer in the bars.

P and O behave like a hotel in this way. Their reasonable attitude and the decent drink prices in bars are what keeps me sailing with them.

I also appreciated the ability to buy a bottle from room service and don't see why we still can't. I noticed that there were no price lists on Arcadia last month but just rang up Room service and asked for what I wanted; delivered in 5 minutes.

[Sanjam cruisers]

I have always though P&Os alcohol policy to be very reasonable to their guests and therefore why I liked to purchase at least one if my Incabin spirts from the ship, after all if I can afford two weeks in the sunny Caribbean I can afford a litre of Gin.

Happy cruising to you all and "Cheers" or should that be "Chin-Chin", or "Bottoms Up.