Is pre-mixed drinks a new thing this year?

[Sotermarler]

On my recent Jade cruise I noticed when I asked for certain drinks, (pain killer, Mai Tai, Rebellious Fish, the drink of the day) many of the bars had these drinks already premixed in a container behind the bar. These premixed drinks just didn't taste that good.

 

I don't remember this on my last couple of cruises. Not all bars had the same premixed drinks so you could walk to another bar and get fresh drinks. It made a huge difference in taste.

 

At the Spinnaker one night I ordered the drink of the day Mai Tai, it was so bad I had to dump it out. Later I found out my friend had the same thing and she also dummies hers. The mix probably sat around all day going bad.

 

Is this something new in response to the UBP? Or did I just not notice it in the past?

 

 

 

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[hawkeyetlse]

They've been doing it for a long time, but it was definitely more noticeable on the Jade than on our previous cruises. At some bars it was kind of hidden, but for example in the Spinnaker Lounge they had these huge glass dispensers to proudly showcase all the pre-mixed cocktails.

 

I had a few of them, and they tasted normal to me. I never ordered a freshly made one to compare it side by side with the pre-mixed one, so I don't know if there would really be a difference. I think it's fine for some recipes, and in most cases I don't see why the mixture would "go bad" any more than the individual ingredients would go bad sitting out all day in their separate bottles.

 

If it bothers you, make it clear when you order that you want to see them mix it up fresh.

[sid_9169]

A few weeks ago, on the Getaway, I tried several times to get the bartender at the Sunset Bar to make me a Grass Clippings. He said the only way to get it was from the giant jug on the bar. I asked again, and laid some cash on the bar, "please make me a Grass Clippings" ... Still would not make one, so I went to another bar and got something else.

 

I believe it does have something do with the UBP and staffing issues...

[hokies111]

It works for some drinks, but their premade mohjitos are terrible . ( trick is to go to bar that doesn't have them ). Moderno bar worked great on breakaway . They were especially bad at GSC ( bicardi bar ).

 

Also pre made drinks tend to be weaker . This works if you have a UBP but I would be annoyed if I was paying $10 for them .

[punkincc]

Didn't we all know this was eventually going to happen after they started giving virtually everyone a beverage package with their booking?

 

And there are still some passengers who buy their drinks one at a time, many of them at least $15, and a few I hear, like the Jalepeno Cucumber Mojito, are $17 something. And this is what they are expected to pay for "jug" drinks?

 

It's a little like finding out the Cake Boss makes his cakes out of Betty Crocker Cake mixes after you've paid the premium prices. It's all the same ingredients, right?

 

And if FDR truly wants to raise the bar at NCL, this won't do anything to bring it up to a Celebrity level.

[TonyFred]

I thought the Painkillers were good on the Escape even though they were premade.

[Sotermarler]

I thought the Painkillers were good on the Escape even though they were premade.

 

 

They were just ok. They were always my favorite drink, but I startled not liking them and then I realized it was because they were premixed.

 

 

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[BirdTravels]

They have been doing this for a long time. Especially with the "specials of the day". For those who say that the drinks are not the same, I have sat watching the bar tenders do the pre-mixes, and they use regular alcohol in the right proportions with normal mixers.

[Jldevlin]

On the Spirit I was getting hand made Mojitos for the first few days ... really good .. then on day 4 they started using the awful premade mix ....I would not drink them ..but certain bars would make them the usual way if I asked ...

[Sotermarler]

They have been doing this for a long time. Especially with the "specials of the day". For those who say that the drinks are not the same, I have sat watching the bar tenders do the pre-mixes, and they use regular alcohol in the right proportions with normal mixers.

 

 

It's not the alcohol that's the problem, it's the mixers. Some of them taste bad.

 

 

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[Dei3Nascar8]

Drank many a pre-made mixed drink on the cruise and didn't notice a problem. I was on the Epic and assumed that due to the amount of people on the ship this reduced the wait time on drinks. Seemed find to me though.

[zqvol]

The same thing happens to some degree in every shore facilities too. Popular fruity drinks are created with remade components. Simple syrup is pre-made, Sweet and sour mix is pre-made, al of the fruity frozen drinks are made with a mix, I could go on and on, but you get thee idea. The only difference on the ship is that the alcohol is put in at the beginning.

 

If you don't want a pre-made alcoholic drink, simply get a shot, or a shot with only one ingredient.

[Moby0215]

This happens at many a land based bar that has high throughput. It is standard operating procedure. This just shows that people will complain about anything. I guess I should be glad that I drink beer or rum and coke or vodka and tonic.

 

 

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[GUEST080219]

Yes they do it to reduce wait time when the bar is packed which I am fine with for example at the pool bar. What I don't like at all is to go to a martini or mojito bar and then get some premixed stuff poured into my glass. I am not there to just get drunk and that kind of standard operating procedure does not fit to the ambience at those bars.

 

Even though I can understand their trouble with such a high volume of guests with the UBP, they started the whole problem with including it in most bookings so it would be easy to resolve again.

 

And from a couple of conversations the bartenders are not very happy about it as well. So if you don't like it on board talk to the assistant beverage manager or above. From my conversations with them, the problem is most guests either don't notice or don't care so there is not much reason for them to chance it as long as those who care about well crafted drinks and atmosphere don't speak up.

[StolidCruiser]

Yes they do it to reduce wait time when the bar is packed which I am fine with for example at the pool bar. What I don't like at all is to go to a martini or mojito bar and then get some premixed stuff poured into my glass. I am not there to just get drunk and that kind of standard operating procedure does not fit to the ambience at those bars.

 

Even though I can understand their trouble with such a high volume of guests with the UBP, they started the whole problem with including it in most bookings so it would be easy to resolve again.

 

And from a couple of conversations the bartenders are not very happy about it as well. So if you don't like it on board talk to the assistant beverage manager or above. From my conversations with them, the problem is most guests either don't notice or don't care so there is not much reason for them to chance it as long as those who care about well crafted drinks and atmosphere don't speak up.

 

Excellent observation. You don't need to speak with anyone to theorize and predict consumption trends with the offering of liberal beverage packages. Assuming there wouldn't be some time and cost control measures to accommodate that imbalance would be myopic.

 

The old expression "You get what you pay for" fits this situation well.

[punkincc]

Excellent observation. You don't need to speak with anyone to theorize and predict consumption trends with the offering of liberal beverage packages. Assuming there wouldn't be some time and cost control measures to accommodate that imbalance would be myopic.

 

The old expression "You get what you pay for" fits this situation well.

 

Well, yes, we are a captive audience after all, and most really paid next to nothing for those drinks, so I guess NCL feels we will not complain about crappy premade drinks. And there are many who would think a pitcher of Kool Aid with vodka was quite tasty, so they could not care less.

 

The real losers in this scenario are those who pay by the drink, so it's $15 and up per drink for those jug drinks when they are expecting ( and paying for ) a hand crafted Mojito or martini. I would expect Carnival to operate like this, but not NCL.

[TheDougOut]

My first glimpse of these was at Margaritaville on the Escape in January 2016, where two of the margaritas were premixed...

 

 

And then on the Dawn in November 2016, they seemed to be popping up everywhere. Here they are at O'Sheehan's...

 

 

I gotta say - they look rather unappealing. If this is the route they're going, maybe find some dispensers that are lit & constantly circulating.

 

 

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[punkincc]

Nothing says "Upscale" like having a drink poured from a big Tastee Freeze dispenser:rolleyes:. This is Norwegian Next, or whatever they are calling it these days?

 

I will be refusing any drink made from one of these on my next cruise.

 

They don't even need to go to the expense of hiring or training actual bartenders. All they need is someone who knows how to operate a dispenser.

[GUEST080219]

They don't even need to go to the expense of hiring or training actual bartenders. All they need is someone who knows how to operate a dispenser.

 

 

That is what will happen next. I talked to a couple of experienced bartenders who love their job but won't do another contract due to this and other changes affecting them.

[miataman19]

Just want to add my 2 cents. I've been in the hospitality industry for 45 years. I am currently a beverage manager for a very, very high volume group of restaurants at EPCOT. Utilizing the "pre-made" mixes is, for a high volume situation, the only way to go for speed of service. Just imagine if at the International Food & Wine Festival at EPCOT you had to wait for your drink to be hand made. You'd still be there waiting for it. If those mixes are made and stored properly, those large glass storage containers are nice. The one thing is those have to be stirred or mixed occasionally or the ingredients WILL separate, NOT GOOD. Certain drinks this process if fine but some need to be made at time of purchase. If a pre-made bulk cocktail is made utilizing the proper recipe and maintained throughout the day there is no way, using a blind taste test, you can tell the difference from a drink made individually (same recipe ). It's all in your head or your mouth...lol

[TheDougOut]

If a pre-made bulk cocktail is made utilizing the proper recipe and maintained throughout the day there is no way, using a blind taste test, you can tell the difference from a drink made individually (same recipe ). It's all in your head or your mouth...lol

 

 

I agree completely.

 

Although I do think there's a possible presentation issue going on. The current containers look rather stagnant.

 

 

 

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[punkincc]

Just want to add my 2 cents. I've been in the hospitality industry for 45 years. I am currently a beverage manager for a very, very high volume group of restaurants at EPCOT. Utilizing the "pre-made" mixes is, for a high volume situation, the only way to go for speed of service. Just imagine if at the International Food & Wine Festival at EPCOT you had to wait for your drink to be hand made. You'd still be there waiting for it. If those mixes are made and stored properly, those large glass storage containers are nice. The one thing is those have to be stirred or mixed occasionally or the ingredients WILL separate, NOT GOOD. Certain drinks this process if fine but some need to be made at time of purchase. If a pre-made bulk cocktail is made utilizing the proper recipe and maintained throughout the day there is no way, using a blind taste test, you can tell the difference from a drink made individually (same recipe ). It's all in your head or your mouth...lol

 

Can you name one of these "certain drinks" where one cannot tell the difference between premixed and freshly made? The "all in your head" excuse is one usually made by beverage managers and bean counters I would think, and by those who are either not real drinkers, or who are but would never touch the stuff they sell with a ten foot pole.

 

Some people just don't get it. It's a little like a gourmand trying to explain to me why the Chefs Dinner at $100+ pp is so much better than the buffet or MDR food, because I just don't get it.

 

I guess what I would say to NCL is that I get cost management when you are giving away unlimited drinks to most of your customers, ( and maybe you need to rethink this ). But, if you are going to go the premixed route, then you really need to reprice the drinks to reflect what the customer is getting because it is really unfair to those who actually buy their drinks at $15 and up a pop. I guess if I was paying $5, which is really what these premixes should go for, then I might not complain.

Edited December 27, 2016 by punkincc

[Sissaaaaaa]

You can absolutely tell the difference. It's absurd to suggest otherwise.

[LMaxwell]

I don't know if it is new, but with UBP on the Escape a couple of weeks ago many, many cocktails were pre-made mixes in those big jugs and I guess they'd splash it with some alcohol. Many were terrible, some undrinkable. After 2 or 3 days I switched to ordering either straight liquor or cocktails that I knew would not be premade. It definitely makes things speedier for commonly ordered cocktails, but the quality was just not good. It was one thing when it was at the pool, I expected that. But another thing at the Mojito Bar or at the Wine Bar (They have some wine cocktails on the menu). The premade was very sweet and sickly.

Edited December 27, 2016 by LMaxwell

[punkincc]

That is what will happen next. I talked to a couple of experienced bartenders who love their job but won't do another contract due to this and other changes affecting them.

 

Yes, after observing Cruise Critic's unofficial Favorite Bartender Bong in the Mojito Bar on the Escape, after getting to know him on at least two other ships, including the Getaway only a few months before, I wonder how long it will be before he jumps ship to another cruiseline where his skills could be better utilized.

 

The contrast between the Mojito Bars on these two ships could not be more striking, although Bong transferred to the Escape from the Getaway, and no reason why it should be different. It was the fun place to be on the Getaway, and we had many Mojitos there, not free, but at the going rate, and happy to pay it because of the quality of the drinks and the fun of having them made for you by Bong.

 

On the Escape, he was subdued, and the atmosphere was just not the same. I think we had two drinks there. Now if NCL were trying to "sell" drinks, they might care about this. But in fact, because of the UBP, it is in their best interest when you drink "less" not "more".

Edited December 27, 2016 by punkincc