Clear something up for me because I'm not a drinker?

[perditax]

Really? How?

 

Thought it was an interesting question so I googled.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3035442.stm

 

Old article but there seems to be more new research supporting it.

[karena1]

We always get the package, yet to be falling down drunk. People think just because you have the package, you are a drunk

 

Do we drink enough? Sure, but we drink throughout the day and never have been so bad no one will serve us

 

Honestly, if you get 5-7 drinks a day, plus soda/water/coffee, the package pays for itself.

 

I personally get tired of the people that think getting the package thinks the ships are full of drunks. Just not so.

[perditax]

(I can't drink, basically at all. Wish to heck I could. Seem to have an intolerance. It's just not worth how crappy I feel. So yeah, the amount of drinks people report in their trip reports seems staggering, as someone who gets really goofy (and then sick) with one drink. Even Gambee's reports, although he usually admits when he's made himself hungover the next day.)

[time4u2go]

I got into a discussion today about cruises with a few people today and the conversation turned to "drink packages". I have no experience with them because I am not a drinker even though I had the free unlimited package from NCL last year as a perk. The one guys said those packages suck because they limited you to 12 drinks per day. I never heard that but never looked into it because I have no need to, NO WAY I come close to 12 drinks a day, may 12 by the end of a 7 day cruise. So what is the answer, limited to an amount or not?

 

I didn't buy a drink package, I got it free on NCL and even though I'm not a drinker it was nice to get whatever few drinks I did have free plus soda and everything else. I would choose a different package next time though.

To everyone else, thank you for the replies. Interesting information.

I'm confused...you're not a drinker but you had drinks?

[chape19714]

Really? How?

 

Thought it was an interesting question so I googled.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3035442.stm

 

Old article but there seems to be more new research supporting it.

 

It's one of the things you learn as part of Responsible Vendor training for bartenders. The link above does a good job at explaining it. Basically if a guest thinks they are becoming intoxicated, they behave that way.

 

Alcohol is a depressant by nature. It's also heavily used as "liquid courage" in a bar environment by many, but your brain is able to replicate these effects on it's own, especially if you are convinced you are drinking alcohol.

 

Bottom line is a bartender should not be serving non-alcoholic drinks stating that they are. It can further impair the drinker's state of mind, even if the BAH does not change. The proper response is to serve water with the drink as the guest approaches any state of intoxication, and ensuring it's kept full. Amazing thing about water at a bar, 9 out of 10 patrons will drink it if you place it in front of them, but very few will ask for it.

[George C]

We always get the package, yet to be falling down drunk. People think just because you have the package, you are a drunk

 

Do we drink enough? Sure, but we drink throughout the day and never have been so bad no one will serve us

 

Honestly, if you get 5-7 drinks a day, plus soda/water/coffee, the package pays for itself.

 

I personally get tired of the people that think getting the package thinks the ships are full of drunks. Just not so.

 

I disagree on the break even point , if there is a sale I think its 4 and if not 5, we are similar and always get package even though we are diamond and in a suite, again also agree we have seen a few drunks but that is really rare. Also think a few of the ones that can not handle the drinks just drink on vacation, we normally drink daily and on cruise on any other vacation can have 10 drinks or more and have no problems since this is over a 12 hour period,

[perditax]

I'm confused...you're not a drinker but you had drinks?

 

Not sure why people are picking this particular nit, and it's not that confusing.

 

All you have to do is read some detailed trip reports to see that some cruisers hit the booze hard from the moment they step aboard to the last night. The people who want to know how much wine they can bring on board, what specific brands are available in the drinks packages, how hard it is to get a bartender, etc.

 

And then there's the rest of us. As per my post above, I don't consider myself a drinker. That doesn't mean I haven't had a drink the last 12 months--I have. I just feel so crappy afterwards that it's not worth ruining my vacation with it.

 

I think people are also conflating this with the definition of "alcoholic" where you either are or aren't one, period.

 

ADDED DISCLAIMER: I am *jealous* of those of you who can drink all day on a cruise and still feel fine the next day. Not judgemental. Jealous.

[DISFANS3]

Thanks for info...