Strange Bar Closings on Equinox Today in Grand Cayman

[C4HCG]

7 minutes ago, Accessor said:

 

Allegedly, the Cayman government is now imposing duties for alcohol consumed onboard when ship is anchored in Cayman Islands. No evidence of this new law exists, beyond hearsay.

 

In return, the very expensive drink package I paid for has become difficult to use onboard, as X closed ALL bars except pool bar. Why? You tell me...but I can make a guess it's about saving money that X would pay in duties...why reduce my ability to drink anywhere on the ship for something I prepaid for?

Still confused, in one sentence you doubt the law exists that states the Cayman government is imposing duties, then you suggest Celebrity is only opening one bar to save money paying duties that you just said you doubt exist.  Doesn’t matter to me as we have no cruises planned that stop there, but doubt I would get wound up about this but we’re all different. From what people are saying you can still get drinks if you need them, we always have a good few stored in the cabin fridge for emergencies 

[chamima]

I don't think anyone on here is worried about not being able to find a drink for the hours the ship is in GC.

I think (at least for me) it's two things.

One is that it's one more change on top of quite a few in the last two weeks and the second is the feeling of being manipulated.

I, for one, am upset with GC more than Celebrity as I see it as a ploy to get passengers off the ship and onto the island to spend money or to recoup that spending by charging the cruiseline to keep bars open.

[horseymike]

Just now, chamima said:

I don't think anyone on here is worried about not being able to find a drink for the hours the ship is in GC.

I think (at least for me) it's two things.

One is that it's one more change on top of quite a few in the last two weeks and the second is the feeling of being manipulated.

I, for one, am upset with GC more than Celebrity as I see it as a ploy to get passengers off the ship and onto the island to spend money or to recoup that spending by charging the cruiseline to keep bars open.

It is called biting the hand that feeds you.

[Accessor]

4 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

Still confused, in one sentence you doubt the law exists that states the Cayman government is imposing duties, then you suggest Celebrity is only opening one bar to save money paying duties that you just said you doubt exist.  Doesn’t matter to me as we have no cruises planned that stop there, but doubt I would get wound up about this but we’re all different. From what people are saying you can still get drinks if you need them, we always have a good few stored in the cabin fridge for emergencies 

 

1. X has one bar open the pool bar, why?

2. Allegedly, a new law actively started Jan 1st 2023 which nobody has been able to confirm or deny it's existence

3. This law, allegedly, requires cruise ships to pay duties/taxes on alcohol served on board while at anchor in Cayman islands

 

CLEAR? All of this is undocumented thus far...and only hearsay.

 

Problem: I am eating a delicious bratwurst for lunch in OV cafe and want a good cold beer to wash it down from a server....

[Jim_Iain]

3 hours ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

It did apply to Michael's Club. If I drank beer, I could have helped myself.

When I read the sky is falling posts on this thread,  all I can do is scratch my head.  Seems logical if I need a specific drink or item to consume I would pick it up the night before unopened can or bottle and stick it in the room refrigerator.

 

 

[C4HCG]

22 minutes ago, Accessor said:

 

1. X has one bar open the pool bar, why?

2. Allegedly, a new law actively started Jan 1st 2023 which nobody has been able to confirm or deny it's existence

3. This law, allegedly, requires cruise ships to pay duties/taxes on alcohol served on board while at anchor in Cayman islands

 

CLEAR? All of this is undocumented thus far...and only hearsay.

 

Problem: I am eating a delicious bratwurst for lunch in OV cafe and want a good cold beer to wash it down from a server....

If you are in the OVC couldn’t you have a stroll and ask at Guest Relations why only one bar open?

Edited January 24, 2023 by C4HCG

[TeeRick]

Very few people on the ship today in GC mostly everybody ashore.  So if you stay on the ship just walk to one of the open bars Geeez.  Burn a few calories.  Your drink package is not devalued or cut back.  No evil plot.   Make due for a few hours.  Most ports won’t allow casinos to open on the ship until it departs.  So I do my gambling a bit later that’s all.  Grand Cayman has no taxes and charges tourism based fees on everything.  

[Jim_Iain]

Instead of sitting around whining on CC why not unleash some of the energy and anger on the Cymen Island  Social media sites.    It may be a good location to obtain information on the law.

 

By the way on one of their tourism sites they are indicating bars on the island are bustling.

 

[Jim_Iain]

Instead of sitting around whining on CC why not unleash some of the energy and anger on the Cymen Island  Social media sites.    It may be a good location to obtain information on the law.

 

By the way on one of their tourism sites they are indicating bars on the island are bustling.

 

[jwlane]

1 hour ago, C4HCG said:

 ask at Guest Relations why only one bar open?

Or read the Celebrity Today?

[Bo1953]

1 hour ago, Accessor said:

 

1. X has one bar open the pool bar, why?

2. Allegedly, a new law actively started Jan 1st 2023 which nobody has been able to confirm or deny it's existence

3. This law, allegedly, requires cruise ships to pay duties/taxes on alcohol served on board while at anchor in Cayman islands

 

CLEAR? All of this is undocumented thus far...and only hearsay.

 

Problem: I am eating a delicious bratwurst for lunch in OV cafe and want a good cold beer to wash it down from a server....

I guess you had water, juice, coffee, tea (iced or hot)....

 

Cheers and bon voyage

[Bo1953]

On 1/22/2023 at 3:49 PM, jwlane said:

In the last 3 weeks?  Did you read the entire thread---there are identical reports from other ships (posts 32, 67, 122).

Nahhh,

 

2 hours ago, Accessor said:

 

Allegedly, the Cayman government is now imposing duties for alcohol consumed onboard when ship is anchored in Cayman Islands. No evidence of this new law exists, beyond hearsay.

 

In return, the very expensive drink package I paid for has become difficult to use onboard, as X closed ALL bars except pool bar. Why? You tell me...but I can make a guess it's about saving money that X would pay in duties...why reduce my ability to drink anywhere on the ship for something I prepaid for?

I do not think you were forced to purchase OR prepay for the very expensive drink package.

 

If you thought it was very expensive, what is the reason you purchased it????

 

You can make up for it once the ship enters international waters, I Am sure...

 

Cheers and bon voyage

[Bo1953]

A response I have to those of us upset over the closing of bars while in Grand Cayman, I did a quick search of X's C of C and no where does it state that we are entitled to have 'cocktails' even with a package... whenever we want them.

 

If it is in there, please point it out to me.

 

Would those upset by this, agree to pay a surcharge to cover the taxes and duties on alcohol while in port? If so, what would that limit be, $1, $3, $5, $15+ per drink???

 

As a drinker, I would be taken aback by this, but only for about 10 minutes while I figure out where the closest AA meeting on the island is were I so upset about the law, at least the Government does not force ships to go dry while in port... LOL

 

Cheers and bon voyage

[rmalbers]

I can't help but wonder if this won't spread to all the islands in the Caribbean.   I wonder how the mega ships are handling this in GC.  This might really be the start of a real change in Caribbean cruising, especially for Carnival. 

[prmssk]

8 minutes ago, rmalbers said:

I can't help but wonder if this won't spread to all the islands in the Caribbean.   I wonder how the mega ships are handling this in GC.  This might really be the start of a real change in Caribbean cruising, especially for Carnival. 

I have no fear this will spread to other Caribbean islands.  Grand Cayman has often been an outlier in more strict rules for cruise ships (just look at the restart when they were one of the last islands to let ships back in).  They are far more willing to enact policies that affect their cruise ship tourism revenue than other islands.  Maybe because they don't depend on revenue from cruise ship passengers as much.

[dlh015]

If statistics in future years show a significant increase in revenue for GC due to this change, you can bet your pippy that other islands will make a similar change. Why wouldn't they??

 

So let's hope it loses revenue for GC. 

[Cdncruisecpl]

Just now, dlh015 said:

If statistics in future years show a significant increase in revenue for GC due to this change, you can bet your pippy that other islands will make a similar change. Why wouldn't they??

 

So let's hope it loses revenue for GC. 

What will make it lose revenue is if the big lines pull the stop and they lose the tourism associated with a cruise line stop.  It may see a short-term gain for now, but long term may be an entirely different story if cruise lines pull the stop entirely.

[visagrunt]

The key issue is likely licensing rather than a pre-determined limit on the number.

If local government requires it, the cruise line needs to obtain liquor licenses for every venue that will sell alcohol.  In addition to the need for licenses, the municipalities where terminals are located may also have jurisdiction over the number and density of licenses for temporary licenses (which is why practice in Victoria can differ from practice in Vancouver, for example).

Furthermore, the line must balance the potential revenue against the cost of the license.  How many people are remaining on board?  How much will they be drinking?  Do the food venues have to be licensed as well?  Even if you can license every bar on board, will each of them earn enough money to offset the cost of the license?

Every port will have slightly different answers to these questions and F&B managers need clear guidance on what is and is not legal and what licenses can be acquired and how.  One bar, or one bar per deck provides some of that clarity.

 

[Cdncruisecpl]

49 minutes ago, visagrunt said:

The key issue is likely licensing rather than a pre-determined limit on the number.

If local government requires it, the cruise line needs to obtain liquor licenses for every venue that will sell alcohol.  In addition to the need for licenses, the municipalities where terminals are located may also have jurisdiction over the number and density of licenses for temporary licenses (which is why practice in Victoria can differ from practice in Vancouver, for example).

Furthermore, the line must balance the potential revenue against the cost of the license.  How many people are remaining on board?  How much will they be drinking?  Do the food venues have to be licensed as well?  Even if you can license every bar on board, will each of them earn enough money to offset the cost of the license?

Every port will have slightly different answers to these questions and F&B managers need clear guidance on what is and is not legal and what licenses can be acquired and how.  One bar, or one bar per deck provides some of that clarity.

 

But ME ME ME

I'M going to be at that port and I'M going to want to drink at whatever bar is most convenient for ME and X needs to take MY needs into consideration and if if I am the only one that will be drinking, that is should be enough because I'M that only one that matters.  

Anything else is just X nickel and diming ME and being cheap and that is unacceptable. I don't care about their costs or the logistics involved in it.  I want MY drinks where I want them, when I want them.  

 

And until someone shows ME the appilicable law (because I'M too lazy to look up anything MYself, when it is just easier to make stuff up), I'M going to jump to the conclusion  that X is out to get ME personally because I'M paranoid like that.

Edited January 25, 2023 by Cdncruisecpl

[Jeremiah1212]

1 hour ago, rmalbers said:

I can't help but wonder if this won't spread to all the islands in the Caribbean.   I wonder how the mega ships are handling this in GC.  This might really be the start of a real change in Caribbean cruising, especially for Carnival. 

 

Very few mega ships call on Grand Cayman due to the required tendering. MSC Seascape is probably the largest this season and it's only 2-3 times. 

 

Many places charge VAT, Texas blue laws on Galveston departures (although Celebrity has no plans for Texas), etc. People will eventually adjust or the cruise lines will come up with a more workable solution. 

[horseymike]

2 hours ago, Cdncruisecpl said:

What will make it lose revenue is if the big lines pull the stop and they lose the tourism associated with a cruise line stop.  It may see a short-term gain for now, but long term may be an entirely different story if cruise lines pull the stop entirely.

I saw a documentary a few years ago about cruise ships arriving in Roatan Honduras, the man in charge of the cruise dock said “ Every time a cruise ship arrives here , it is like Christmas “ that said GC while trying to recover from the financial loss of the pandemic is literally biting the hand that feeds them. Almost everyone suffered from the pandemic in some way , including Cruise Lines and their passengers.

[Dar & Bob]

22 hours ago, chamima said:

I don't think anyone on here is worried about not being able to find a drink for the hours the ship is in GC.

I think (at least for me) it's two things.

One is that it's one more change on top of quite a few in the last two weeks and the second is the feeling of being manipulated.

I, for one, am upset with GC more than Celebrity as I see it as a ploy to get passengers off the ship and onto the island to spend money or to recoup that spending by charging the cruiseline to keep bars open.

If it's true, we really don't know what the law is. I found a Cayman Port email and sent an email this morning asking if they could clarify.  We'll see if we get a response.  With number of posts saying they will avoid GC it should concern them if isn't completely true.

 

[phoenix_dream]

3 minutes ago, Dar & Bob said:

If it's true, we really don't know what the law is. I found a Cayman Port email and sent an email this morning asking if they could clarify.  We'll see if we get a response.  With number of posts saying they will avoid GC it should concern them if isn't completely true.

 

It will be interesting to see what they say.  Personally I wonder who would actually avoid a GC cruise, which often stops also at the amazing ABC Islands because only one bar is open for a few hours. You rarely hit the ABCs without stopping in GC. Talk is cheap.  I'm sure there are some, but I certainly wouldn't be one of them. 

[Texed]

We called on Cayman January 12th.  We were on the ship most of the day.  There were no restrictions as far as we know.  😎

[Bo1953]

4 hours ago, Texed said:

We called on Cayman January 12th.  We were on the ship most of the day.  There were no restrictions as far as we know.  😎

t do you not get the Zero Proof Package??? LOL

 

Or you were at the Pool Bar???

 

Cheers and bon voyage