P & O Alcohol Policy

[pennib]

For anyone travelling to Dubai to join the Oceana for its gulf cruise, don't worry about the alcohol bit.  Be aware that there is a duty free shop in the airport arrivals hall (yes, the arrivals hall!!). There is a generous personal allowance to take into the country. 

[wowzz]

Makes no difference how much alcohol you buy. You can only take one litre per person aboard !

[ZZRLAD]

14 hours ago, pennib said:

For anyone travelling to Dubai to join the Oceana for its gulf cruise, don't worry about the alcohol bit.  Be aware that there is a duty free shop in the airport arrivals hall (yes, the arrivals hall!!). There is a generous personal allowance to take into the country. 

That's good to know. How do the prices compare with on board Oceana though ?

[pennib]

Not been on Oceana (yet) but we have bought spirits on other P&O ships and found their prices not too bad.  However we think Dubai DF is very competitive (for wine anyway and they usually have offers on certain wines) so I think their prices would be competitive with Oceana. We have family living in Dubai and so have visited there at least a dozen times, always buying the booze at the Dubai DF on arrival. We also get our coming home booze in the Dubai DF in the departures lounge. They know how to please the punter in Dubai!!  If you are there on a Friday try to fit in a brunch at one of the big hotels (Burj excluded) and you will see what I mean.

[petenlynn]

On 5/13/2018 at 8:14 AM, Eveglos said:

Playing devil's advocate here,and I don't mean to be rude,but it amazes me why so many people get wound up about this.If you can afford to pay a lot of money to go on a cruise,why is it so important to take your own alcohol on board? You surely wouldn't expect to fly on holiday with a load of alcohol in your suitcase?

As I say,I'm not being rude just curious as to why this particular issue attracts so much attention.

Eve

Completely agree with this. Just can't get my head around the idea of wanting to take my own alcohol into a hotel/on a plane/on a cruise.

[wowzz]

Our last cruise was 24 days. This was prior to the new alcohol policy, and we sailed from Southampton.  We took aboard various wine boxes/ bottles and topped up in the various ports. We probably saved £500  by so doing. Our bar bill was still £800 so P&O did not exactly   suffer,  but  the £500 we saved was very welcome. 

Edited October 20, 2018 by wowzz
Typo

[Harry Peterson]

On 5/13/2018 at 8:14 AM, Eveglos said:

Playing devil's advocate here,and I don't mean to be rude,but it amazes me why so many people get wound up about this.If you can afford to pay a lot of money to go on a cruise,why is it so important to take your own alcohol on board? You surely wouldn't expect to fly on holiday with a load of alcohol in your suitcase?

As I say,I'm not being rude just curious as to why this particular issue attracts so much attention.

Eve

 

We don't drink very much, so it's not an issue for us, but if someone's saved very hard to afford a cruise and doesn't have a lot of spare cash left as a result it's understandable that they might want not to waste that spare cash on overpriced alcohol if they can take their own for so much less.  Taking it onboard a plane's impractical, but not a ship.

 

Pubs in the UK are closing across the country because of the high prices they charge, as against supermarket prices.  They can't control things in the way that P&O can but the principle's the same - if there are large savings to be made, people will take them, and it's entirely understandable.  If you're wealthy, you're not going to bother.  If you're not so wealthy, you will.

[the english lady]

If people are saying its a means of saving money to take their own drink onboard (and one assumes in some cases not just drink it in the cabin but around the ship) why not go on a cheaper holiday where you can take all the drink you want into your room with you. We did not start cruising until quite late ,basically because we could not afford it. Now it seems to be a case of there is some right in having a holiday you cannot really afford, but to enable you to do this, you have to smuggle drink on in various means. have I got this wrong?

For those who say they have taken away your liberty to do as you wish. It their house and they set the house rules. Sound familiar? if you do not like the house rules you know what the answer is.

just my thoughts as this thread seems to be running and running and running

[Harry Peterson]

23 minutes ago, the english lady said:

.........why not go on a cheaper holiday where you can take all the drink you want into your room with you.

 

Maybe they don't want to go on a cheaper holiday and just prefer to cruise?  Can't see that this is anything to do with us, anyway - it's entirely a matter between individual customers, their consciences and P&O.

[the english lady]

8 minutes ago, docco said:

 

Maybe they don't want to go on a cheaper holiday and just prefer to cruise?  Can't see that this is anything to do with us, anyway - it's entirely a matter between individual customers, their consciences and P&O.

I have never seen people around the ship drinking their own drinks..but I have read so many posts about it..that it obviously does go on. If it was just between them and Pando etc then all well and good..however there is every chance that with the trial of the drinks package the line may go down that path, and stop you taking any onboard. The majority who just have a drink before going out for the night would then be effected.

 

[wowzz]

No one said anything about smuggling. We like to drink out own wine on our balcony, and when we cruised there was no restriction . If we cruise again we will abide by the new alcohol policy. 

[ZZRLAD]

It could also be argued that the drink prices charged by cruise lines (some are massively inflated over actual cost to the cruise line), which generates considerable profit, offsets some of the costs of the cruises base fare. As do the excursions.

 

This would therefore lead to the argument that those who drink are contributing to the lower fares paid by everyone, including those who either don't drink or drink very little.

 

So I tend not to judge others too much.

 

By the way my last 14 night cruise, resulted in a bar bill of over £1200 for two of us. This was in addition to the 8 bottles of wine we took on board at Southampton. ALL consumed in our cabin when relaxing on the balcony or dressing for dinner. 

[Harry Peterson]

10 minutes ago, the english lady said:

I have never seen people around the ship drinking their own drinks..but I have read so many posts about it..that it obviously does go on. If it was just between them and Pando etc then all well and good..however there is every chance that with the trial of the drinks package the line may go down that path, and stop you taking any onboard. The majority who just have a drink before going out for the night would then be effected.

 

P&O may well take that route, but I doubt the small number of people 'smuggling' drink aboard will make any difference to that decision.  They'll do what they'll do, and the one bottle rule may just be a halfway house before a full ban.  As I said, it won't make any difference to us either way, and I suppose in a sense high drink prices subsidise the likes of us, but it would hack off quite a number of people I should think - and that's probably why it hasn't been done.

 

I imagine P&O keep an eye on threads like this just to gauge opinion.  If they can find a way of screwing more money out of passengers to boost shareholder profits, though, you can be very sure they'll take it - unless it loses them customers.

[Harry Peterson]

8 minutes ago, ZZRLAD said:

.......By the way my last 14 night cruise, resulted in a bar bill of over £1200 for two of us.........

 

A heartfelt thank you to you from the wife and me!  You're subsidising the cost of my cruising - my bar bill was nil!

[ZZRLAD]

2 minutes ago, docco said:

 

A heartfelt thank you to you from the wife and me!  You're subsidising the cost of my cruising - my bar bill was nil!

It was an absolute pleasure to help you out sir....😉

[kalos]

 

I'll drink to that

Edited October 21, 2018 by kalos

[jh1809]

I got back from a Mediterranean cruise on Arcadia on Saturday. When we arrived at the final port of call - Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in north Africa which is apparently like Gibraltar in being duty-free - it was announced that any alcohol that passengers brought back on board would be treated as souvenirs and wouldn't be impounded till the end of the cruise. So it seems that P&O are prepared to show a little flexibility.

[FiftyOnePlus]

On 5/13/2018 at 8:14 AM, Eveglos said:

Playing devil's advocate here,and I don't mean to be rude,but it amazes me why so many people get wound up about this.If you can afford to pay a lot of money to go on a cruise,why is it so important to take your own alcohol on board? You surely wouldn't expect to fly on holiday with a load of alcohol in your suitcase?

As I say,I'm not being rude just curious as to why this particular issue attracts so much attention.

Eve

When you fly to a destination, and stay in a hotel, if the prices are too high, or they dont sell what you like, you can leave and wander around until you do find the bar you like with the prices you like.  Anyone who has had a land based holiday can tell you that prices vary considerably from bar to bar, hotel to hotel.

The last hotel I was at, for example, wanted the equivalent of £9 per glass  (small) of wine which I found to be totally unacceptable.  The bar next door was selling a large glass for £2.

 

On  a cruise ship that option does not exist. We are reliant upon their prices and their choices. These prices on P&O may well be near the same as English pub prices but still arent as cheap as some people might want to pay on a holiday.

 

Now there isnt a hotel that I have ever stayed in that has forbidden me from taking my own alcohol to have a nightcap. I have never had my bag searched in entering a hotel. 

The only reason why a cruise line does any of this is money........they want our money.   They have reduced prices so much, that they cant now allow passengers the freedom of chosing how and what they drink. 

They used to allow it......but not anymore. Not now they rely on that revenue.

 

And for some people, it kind of spoils it a little.  Stopping me from taking my own nightcap doesnt make me want to buy it from the cruiseline. It doesnt make me drink more in an evening. All it does it stop me from having that one drink a night that is satisfying for me on my holiday.

 

 I refuse to pay £5 a shot when I can get it here for free.

 

 

 

 

 

[Brayman]

15 hours ago, jh1809 said:

I got back from a Mediterranean cruise on Arcadia on Saturday. When we arrived at the final port of call - Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in north Africa which is apparently like Gibraltar in being duty-free - it was announced that any alcohol that passengers brought back on board would be treated as souvenirs and wouldn't be impounded till the end of the cruise. So it seems that P&O are prepared to show a little flexibility.

Considering you were just two days from home it suggests they were being eminently sensible, as any previous impounded items would be returned the following day anyway.

[ONT-CA]

On 6/3/2018 at 3:02 AM, FraserK said:

My husband works for the customs and his reply is yes and no. Depending where the ship is, depending if you are cruising within the EU or not.

 

Kat

Very true.  But when we are cruising out to sea in no man's land there are no taxes, there are no duties.  I previously worked for a distillery and if people only knew how little a bottle of alcohol beverage is sold for before these additions.  The ships that docked in port placed their orders and as long as the sailing course and itinerary met the conditions  a twelve bottle case could be loaded as ship's stores for as little as £30 in todays currency.  Knowing this and watching the drink prices continue to rise allows me to understand and concur with finding a way of bringing ones own alcohol aboard.  There is a difference between profit and gouging 

[the english lady]

On ‎10‎/‎21‎/‎2018 at 10:12 PM, FiftyOnePlus said:

When you fly to a destination, and stay in a hotel, if the prices are too high, or they dont sell what you like, you can leave and wander around until you do find the bar you like with the prices you like.  Anyone who has had a land based holiday can tell you that prices vary considerably from bar to bar, hotel to hotel.

The last hotel I was at, for example, wanted the equivalent of £9 per glass  (small) of wine which I found to be totally unacceptable.  The bar next door was selling a large glass for £2.

 

On  a cruise ship that option does not exist. We are reliant upon their prices and their choices. These prices on P&O may well be near the same as English pub prices but still arent as cheap as some people might want to pay on a holiday.

 

Now there isnt a hotel that I have ever stayed in that has forbidden me from taking my own alcohol to have a nightcap. I have never had my bag searched in entering a hotel. 

The only reason why a cruise line does any of this is money........they want our money.   They have reduced prices so much, that they cant now allow passengers the freedom of chosing how and what they drink. 

They used to allow it......but not anymore. Not now they rely on that revenue.

 

And for some people, it kind of spoils it a little.  Stopping me from taking my own nightcap doesnt make me want to buy it from the cruiseline. It doesnt make me drink more in an evening. All it does it stop me from having that one drink a night that is satisfying for me on my holiday.

 

 I refuse to pay £5 a shot when I can get it here for free.

 

 

 

 

 

Is pando not a business, rather than a charity. So is it there to make money or not. Would it make you happier if they raised the base price of the cruise upwards, by at least the cost of what the people with the largest bar bill pay,(so a 1 week cruise multi hundreds) as they DO have to make a profit , and revert back to bring onboard what you like. They would not need to make so much money from the bars as they would already have had the money via the increased base price cost. It goes back to my original question, if a holiday is too expensive for a person...should that person be allowed to bend the rules to suit themselves ) or not. I would love to be able to stay in 6 or 7 * hotels all the time. Wouldn't be able to afford their drink prices ofcourse...so Im sure they will not mind if I take in all the drink I may want during the course of my stay. As it is I cannot afford 6 or 7* hotels, so we do not stay in them..

[Underwatr]

Just now, the english lady said:

Is pando not a business, rather than a charity. So is it there to make money or not. Would it make you happier if they raised the base price of the cruise upwards, by at least the cost of what the people with the largest bar bill pay,(so a 1 week cruise multi hundreds) as they DO have to make a profit , and revert back to bring onboard what you like. They would not need to make so much money from the bars as they would already have had the money via the increased base price cost. It goes back to my original question, if a holiday is too expensive for a person...should that person be allowed to bend the rules to suit themselves ) or not. I would love to be able to stay in 6 or 7 * hotels all the time. Wouldn't be able to afford their drink prices ofcourse...so Im sure they will not mind if I take in all the drink I may want during the course of my stay. As it is I cannot afford 6 or 7* hotels, so we do not stay in them..

Cunard seems not to have an issue with the concept...

[the english lady]

No they don't. I think the perception is that they are very expensive along with their drinks..so people do not book with them with the expectation  of having a cheap holiday

[ZZRLAD]

14 minutes ago, the english lady said:

No they don't. I think the perception is that they are very expensive along with their drinks..so people do not book with them with the expectation  of having a cheap holiday

 

In not sure I would consider them to be very expensive. They are certainly more expensive than P&O though. 

However, their drinks are damned expensive and for UK clientele there aren’t  really any packages. Although their target customer is somewhat different. 

Mind you, you can take as much alcohol onboard as you wish (in reality).

But to experience Cunard you really have to partake in what the ships offer. 

 

 I have to admit that, generally the bars are quiet most of the time and that has been attributed  to the level of alcoholic drink prices. 

[darknightsdespiser]

Seems a lot of fuss over very little; if you really can't afford pub prices should you be going on a cruise?  I have found P & O very reasonable compared to other lines I have sailed with.  If you really need to drink to excess (and I like a drink!) try going onshore and giving business to the local bars - great fun!