Alabama bar menu

[cruiser8607]

Hi all.  We are heading on the carnival fantasy in April with the cheers package.  Do you know what is available off the Alabama bar menu?  How long until the ship clears international waters and the full menu is available?  Thanks for the help

[coevan]

I didn't even know Carnival sailed from Alabama. I went to the CCL website and do not see it in departures

[bigdog1958]

3 minutes ago, coevan said:

I didn't even know Carnival sailed from Alabama. I went to the CCL website and do not see it in departures

mobile al

[coevan]

I know now, however I have only heard of drinking restrictions in N.Y. and Texas

[amyotravel]

I searched around to see if I could get more info. Have never cruised out of Mobile. Info was sparse, but it sounds like it's about 4 hours. And, though nobody stated this specifically, from comments here and there it sounds like only single-shot, one alcohol drinks like a vodka tonic or a Jack and ginger ale, etc. No martinis, etc. Limited beer menu with only the basic domestic macros and Thirsty Frog Red. Limited wine list at dinner as well.

 

Sorry I found no exact menu! But hopefully someone will.

 

Oh, and also, like a 10% tax during this time.

Edited January 27, 2020 by amyotravel

[VentureMan_2000]

Here's three replies from CC boards in 2017 that I found:

 

As said above, while in Mobile and until you reach international waters, the ship has to use the "Alabama Bar Menu" which is a reduced list of beer, wine, liquor. It's the same as Carnival ships that sail from Texas in that they are only allowed to sell alcohol purchased from the state liquor control board so they keep it to a small list in order to not have to buy as much of it. Once in open seas, they actually do a short shutdown at the bars and take away the Alabama bottles and put up the duty free booze bottles and beers.

------------------------

 

They do have the dreaded "Alabama Menu" in the bars like they did years ago along with a pretty hefty additional tax added per drink. I don't know that many people would find the reduced types of liquor a problem, but I could not get a Cosmopolitan. I could get a vodka and tonic. The thing that bothered me the most was that it was at least 4 hours after sail away until we reached international waters....a long time in my book.

 

We did not purchase cheers, but did buy a couple of bottles of liquor and water from bon voyage to be delivered to the cabin at embarkation. When we got to our cabin the water was there, but no liquor. After a while we called about it and they said that they couldn't deliver until after we got into international waters. I think that should have been annotated on the bon voyage website.

------------------------

 

The casino isn't open until international waters, also.

------------------------

 

 

 

[wesorbeth]

We cruised out of Mobile a 2 or 3 years ago and had Cheers, from what I remember it wasn't a disappointment.  I got beer and mojitos for sure and wine with dinner.  Mobile is a decent port and the service on the Fantasy was stellar.  We talked to quite a few crew members and they truly enjoy being on the smaller ships.  We were disappointed that they don't have an Alchemy bar but the Lobby bar was fantastic!

[coevan]

This is why we like sailing from Florida, always warm and no restrictions

[cruiser8607]

Thanks everyone.  We were debating on switching to Valor over the same timeframe with these being such an old ship and the issues with cheers on day 1 but we will make the best of it.  

[deanaw72]

Not sure of the rules in Alabama, as we haven't sailed from there. But, in Texas, you are not allowed to use the Cheers package on the first day of the cruise. We're doing a 5 night for Spring Break...out of NOLA.

[wesorbeth]

Cruiser 8607 you can use Cheers the first day out of Mobile.

[ray98]

It isn't that bad and its only for a few hours.