Strange Bar Closings on Equinox Today in Grand Cayman

[helen haywood]

We've sailed X and other lines countless times to Grand Cayman.  Yesterday's Daily Program had this announcement:  Bar Service In Grand Cayman  Please be advised that due to local regulations our onboard bars would be operating under limited capacity while at anchor.  In today's Daily Program it noted:  Please be advised that due to local laws and customs regulations our onboard bars would be operating under limited capacity while at anchor.  Pool Bar, Deck 12 will remain availible (sic) for alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks.  All onboard bars will reopen upon our departure.  The program in fact listed Cafe al Bacio as only opening at 4 pm (our departure time.)

 

As it turned out, the Oceanview Bar inside the OV was open at regular morning hours but only served nonalcoholic drinks.  Ditto Cafe al Bacio.  But the Pool Bar was the only bar on the whole ship (I cannot speak to the Retreat) that was open for alcoholic drinks.  While they did staff the Pool Bar with extra bartenders it still resulted in quite long lines as one can imagine.

 

Can someone point me to where I could find these "local laws and customs regulations" that state a cruise ship many only have ONE bar serving alcoholic beverages while at Grand Cayman?

[jwlane]

Try using Google. 

[jean87510]

I just googled and couldn't find an answer.  This is really strange.

[Georgia_Peaches]

I wonder if this is new.  Our last cruise with Celebrity stopped in Grand Cayman back in 2019.  I have no interest in GC so we remained on the ship and as I recall, DH and I got plenty of use out of our drinks package that day.  Hmmm...maybe future cruises (for us) will avoid GC altogether.

Edited January 14, 2023 by Georgia_Peaches

[FlorenceItaly]

We stopped in GC in November on HAL.  We stayed onboard.  There was no restriction of alcohol as we had the drink package, lol.

[helen haywood]

As I said, been here countless times, never encountered this on Carnival, MSC, NCL, Royal or Celebrity.  When I Googled it all I could find were covid restrictions from the past.  Or curfews for residents at the same time.

[jwlane]

This was September 1 in Victoria, BC. Who knows the rhyme or reason about local laws?

Edited January 14, 2023 by jwlane

[cw2go]

6 minutes ago, helen haywood said:

As I said, been here countless times, never encountered this on Carnival, MSC, NCL, Royal or Celebrity.  When I Googled it all I could find were covid restrictions from the past.  Or curfews for residents at the same time.

I also did a search and can't find anything. This is quite the mystery! 🤔

 

Celebrity sells Beverage Packages and shut downs the bars in an anchored port?

 

We sail to GC next month and plan to spend our day on board, hope this is temporary. 

 

Patty 

[jwlane]

7 minutes ago, cw2go said:

Celebrity ... shut downs the bars 

In compliance with local laws and customs regulations---not of their own volition.  Plus, it's not ALL the bars.

Edited January 14, 2023 by jwlane

[cw2go]

Just now, jwlane said:

In compliance with local laws and customs regulations---not of their own volition.  Plus, it's not ALL the bars.

Gotcha, I saw your Victoria post above mine, after mine loaded.

I knew it wasn't ALL the bars, just never heard of this till now so I am as surprised as the OP. 

 

Patty 

[Georgia_Peaches]

3 minutes ago, jwlane said:

In compliance with local laws and customs regulations---not of their own volition.  Plus, it's not ALL the bars.

But the rub lies in the fact that people haven't experienced this local law or custom in the past...so it leaves people wondering what gives.  Hopefully @helen haywood will encounter someone on board who might know the answer.

[terrydtx]

We will be in GC in June on the Equinox. Hopefully the Retreat Lounge will be open. I wonder if the restrictions have to do with GC requiring collection of taxes on drinks served while in their waters? I know while in a Spanish port we had to pay a VAT tax for drinks and any items bought in the ship's stores. That happened to us in Barcelona and it showed up on our sail pass account.

[Stem to Stern]

Extraordinary.  This is definitely a new one for me.

[BeachTunes]

Pure speculation but I'm wondering if this is a new regulation by Grand Cayman to attempt to lure passengers off the ship to spend money ashore?

 

Like many other islands that rely on tourism, they were hit really hard by the pandemic and I believe it was one of the last Caribbean ports to reopen in 2022. On top of that, before the pandemic Seven Mile Beach suffered a period of severe erosion diminishing its picture-perfect appeal. The handful of charming beach bars (like Calico Jack's) and some of the beach clubs formerly available to cruisers have since closed. 

 

Again, just guessing. 🤷‍♀️

 

Side Note/Grand Cayman Lunch Ideas: We were looking at an Apex itinerary that visited GC and were sad to see that beach lounger options seemed limited. We since chose a different itinerary on the Millennium but when we do return to Grand Cayman we plan to go for lunch at this cute new restaurant: Ms Piper's Kitchen and Garden. It has fun retro Floridian decor with a great Caribbean/fusion menu. Not on the beach but has a gorgeous little pool. Apparently a delight for foodies and Instagrammers! 🙂 We were last on Grand Cayman in 2016 and had lunch at the casual beach restaurant at The Kimpton Hotel. It was brand new and beautiful. The menu was Mexican-inspired at the time. Highly recommended for the views alone! (No chair/lounge rentals there though as they're for hotel guests only.)

Edited January 14, 2023 by BeachTunes

[Stem to Stern]

2 minutes ago, BeachTunes said:

We since chose a different itinerary on the Millennium

Sorry for the hijack.  So good to see you BeachTunes.  I understand Millennium has been spruced up a lot like Summit was.  We were on Summit in 2021 and had a great time.  Stateroom was totally redone.  Hope you are keeping warm up there.

Paul and Tim

[jwlane]

Who knows?  The local Liquor Licensing Law (from Google!) states "(7) Sea-going vessels used for the entertainment of the public shall be deemed to be premises for the purposes of this section and the Board may grant a retail licence in respect thereof subject to such conditions as the Board may impose under paragraph (f) of subsection (1). (8) The bar of a sea-going vessel, in respect of which a licence has been issued under subsection (7), shall be locked off from the rest of the vessel and no intoxicating liquor may be disposed of, exposed for sale, offered for sale or consumed on such vessel while it is at or within half a mile of any land."  This implies required licensing, which Celebrity provides in limited venues.

[jwlane]

Also (not Celebrity related), cruises sailing from Texas are restricted in the number of bars and selection of beverages until 12 miles out.  When in Rome....

[BeachTunes]

12 minutes ago, Stem to Stern said:

Sorry for the hijack.  So good to see you BeachTunes.  I understand Millennium has been spruced up a lot like Summit was.  We were on Summit in 2021 and had a great time.  Stateroom was totally redone.  Hope you are keeping warm up there.

Paul and Tim

Nice to "see" you two as well! We really wanted to try out the E-class experience but the price and itinerary to the ABCs on Millie won us over. We were on the Summit in 2015 and loved its size. I've been obsessively watching post-revolution ship tours on YouTube - LOL - and think she looks beautiful! Hopefully we will cross paths at sea again! (Will send a Facebook note later this week! XO)

 

*And now, back to regularly scheduled Grand Cayman programming... 😉*

Edited January 14, 2023 by BeachTunes

[miched]

They should also close down all dining venues so the passengers have to dine there.   
 

When we have that place a port we rarely go anymore.   I don’t like the long tender ride and there is nothing there

 

If they ever do shut everything down on board I still won’t go there.  It will be my protest.  I will stock  up on food and beverages 

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[miched]

12 minutes ago, jwlane said:

Who knows?  The local Liquor Licensing Law (from Google!) states "(7) Sea-going vessels used for the entertainment of the public shall be deemed to be premises for the purposes of this section and the Board may grant a retail licence in respect thereof subject to such conditions as the Board may impose under paragraph (f) of subsection (1). (8) The bar of a sea-going vessel, in respect of which a licence has been issued under subsection (7), shall be locked off from the rest of the vessel and no intoxicating liquor may be disposed of, exposed for sale, offered for sale or consumed on such vessel while it is at or within half a mile of any land."  This implies required licensing, which Celebrity provides in limited venues.

 

If I am reading it correctly Celebrity should dock a little further out than 1/2 mile and not have that issue.     It looks like an excuse to cut more into products that were paid for without producing.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[cruisestitch]

I have had a similar situation in France.  There only interior bars could serve liquor….no pool bar or sunset bar could

[jwlane]

3 minutes ago, miched said:

 1/2 mile and not have that issue.    

And have a pukefest on the tenders.

[Northern Aurora]

33 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

We will be in GC in June on the Equinox. Hopefully the Retreat Lounge will be open. I wonder if the restrictions have to do with GC requiring collection of taxes on drinks served while in their waters? I know while in a Spanish port we had to pay a VAT tax for drinks and any items bought in the ship's stores. That happened to us in Barcelona and it showed up on our sail pass account.

 

 

Canadian authorities also limit the number of bars which can be open while in port.  At least in Canada the Retreat Lounge/Michale's Club was considered private, and was exempt from the number count.  It operated normally.

[terrydtx]

One other cause may be with the shortage of staffing, the bartenders and servers are given a day ashore with no relief help available.

Edited January 14, 2023 by terrydtx

[markeb]

So maybe, this is the first sailing since the start of 2023 and it's a new law or regulation from the Cayman Islands? Which would mean experiences before January 1st wouldn't really matter?

Edited January 14, 2023 by markeb