elite mini bar

[homedepot124]

We were just on Regal last week and swapped out the entire mini bar for Diet Coke and Sprint Zero.

[KreinKrunker]

2 hours ago, Thrak said:

 There will be no top shelf liquor included. 🙄

We used to get Bombay Sapphire Gin, now it's Beefeater.

Edited December 21, 2023 by KreinKrunker

[Thrak]

9 minutes ago, KreinKrunker said:

We used to get Bombay Sapphire Gin, now it's Beefeater.

 

We got Gordon's, Gilbey's, and New Amsterdam. When I order G&T I usually ask for Tanqueray and Tonic. (I also like G&T with Hendrick's but Tanqueray is what I normally specify.)

[Hlitner]

On 12/18/2023 at 4:42 PM, getaway101 said:

Can you request a specific item or only what is included.  I always swap out the others for vodka.  But I just saw pictures of New Amsterdam Vodka.  IMO it's like the worse vodka.

When you call room service to swap, you can ask what they have available.  The stock can vary week by week, ship by ship, etc.  On our recent 14 day Sky things varied from the first week to the 2nd.  For example, the first week our stash included Inver House Scotch and the 2nd week is was Dewars.  The vodka brands also varried.  Just like the other poster said, we got the 2nd week automatically on embarkation day.  

[KreinKrunker]

On 12/20/2023 at 8:23 PM, Thrak said:

I also like G&T with Hendrick's

Try it garnished with a cucumber.

[NSWP]

On 12/21/2023 at 9:59 AM, Thrak said:

The only Whiskey I've ever received has been Scotch. Usually Dewar's White Label (bleh) but the last time I got Chivas Regal 12 Year Old. Never gotten Jim Beam Bourbon like I see in the picture above. I also see Van Gogh Vodka in that pic. We got that the last time too but have never had it before. I'm not a big fan of Courvoisier Cognac either. My wife doesn't drink Cognac and doesn't like any type of Whiskey (or Whisky either) as she says it's all nasty. One thing you can count on with the mini bar: There will be no top shelf liquor included. 🙄

They used to have the VSOP cognac in the mini bar set up, that was a good sipper. But for a few years now it has been the inferior VS.  OK with dry ginger ale. Cut backs. As for whisky, last year on Coral they put an awful Aussie whisky in, Starwards I think it was. But I forced it down with dry ginger ale for medicinal purposes, lol.

Edited December 22, 2023 by NSWP

[Shirt-man]

Wish they would let you trade the whole setup for an on board credit.

[nasa1974]

I'll be elite for the first time this April. I like the idea of free beer and soda in my cabin. I hate the idea that I have to go back to my cabin to get a drink. Why can't Princess do it like Royal Caribbean diamond and diamond + where you have a drink credit each day. I don't go on a cruise to sit in my cabin and drink. Am I missing something? 🙂

[pootsien2]

6 minutes ago, nasa1974 said:

I'll be elite for the first time this April. I like the idea of free beer and soda in my cabin. I hate the idea that I have to go back to my cabin to get a drink. Why can't Princess do it like Royal Caribbean diamond and diamond + where you have a drink credit each day. I don't go on a cruise to sit in my cabin and drink. Am I missing something? 🙂

I'm agreeing with you nasa1974! I will be doing my first elite level cruise as a solo in January. I want to be social on my cruise, not be drinking alone on my balcony! I understand change doesn't come easy. I think having the option of the mini bar set up OR the drink credits would be great!

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, nasa1974 said:

I'll be elite for the first time this April. I like the idea of free beer and soda in my cabin. I hate the idea that I have to go back to my cabin to get a drink. Why can't Princess do it like Royal Caribbean diamond and diamond + where you have a drink credit each day. I don't go on a cruise to sit in my cabin and drink. Am I missing something? 🙂

 

If you don't want to purchase Plus or pay for drinks in the bar you can always mix drinks in your cabin and then take them with you. People often do that with bottles of wine they take onboard. They pour the wine in their cabin and then take the glass to dinner or elsewhere.

[Ombud]

Recently off the Enchanted Princess & was told I couldn't trade for Rose only white or red wine. Anyone else run into this?

[PacnGoNow]

3 hours ago, Ombud said:

Recently off the Enchanted Princess & was told I couldn't trade for Rose only white or red wine. Anyone else run into this?

Just that person in RS. I was just on the Sapphire and RS had a list of wines we could swap, there was a Rose included.

 I would have asked the Food and Beverage Mgr, that’s ridiculous. 

[1965]

9 hours ago, nasa1974 said:

I'll be elite for the first time this April. I like the idea of free beer and soda in my cabin. I hate the idea that I have to go back to my cabin to get a drink. Why can't Princess do it like Royal Caribbean diamond and diamond + where you have a drink credit each day. I don't go on a cruise to sit in my cabin and drink. Am I missing something? 🙂

I mixed my drinks in cabin & took with me. If you like beer with pizza, burger, dogs, take a bottle from fridge with you. I never sat in our cabin to drink my minibar beverages. Like you, I wouldn't enjoy that.

[PacnGoNow]

We love having drinks on our balcony or cocktails before dinner.  Nice to not have to order a drink or go to a bar all the time.

 

So, we appreciate the convenience.

[warthog2608]

Just got back from our first cruise as elite. (Discovery, 12/19- 12/23)  I'm sure I read here on Cruise Critic that the minibar could be exchanged for 2 bottles of wine. But when I called room service they were adamant that they would only give me 1 bottle of wine. I tried arguing to no avail. We had plus on this cruise and were traveling with another party who didn't have plus so our gifting them with the mini bottles was like manna from heaven.  

Did it used to be a 2 bottle swap, or have I been hitting the plus package too much?

[PacnGoNow]

11 minutes ago, warthog2608 said:

Just got back from our first cruise as elite. (Discovery, 12/19- 12/23)  I'm sure I read here on Cruise Critic that the minibar could be exchanged for 2 bottles of wine. But when I called room service they were adamant that they would only give me 1 bottle of wine. I tried arguing to no avail. We had plus on this cruise and were traveling with another party who didn't have plus so our gifting them with the mini bottles was like manna from heaven.  

Did it used to be a 2 bottle swap, or have I been hitting the plus package too much?

No, sorry..

It is only 1 bottle of wine swap for the whole mini bar.  

[Barry H]

My biggest complaint is that you can't select your bar set up mix from home. I add this to every review but no response. It would save the staff a lot of work as they have to put your changeout together anyways. Last cruise on the Sky the changeout did not arrive until the evening of the second day meaning I could not enjoy it for two days.

[Thrak]

12 minutes ago, Barry H said:

My biggest complaint is that you can't select your bar set up mix from home. I add this to every review but no response. It would save the staff a lot of work as they have to put your changeout together anyways. Last cruise on the Sky the changeout did not arrive until the evening of the second day meaning I could not enjoy it for two days.

 

It would be totally screwed up anyway and, in my opinion, it would cause extra work. Many (most?) people don't bother to swap anything out (I would guess that many have no idea a swap is even possible) and it's much easier to simply leave the "regular" selection in each cabin and then deal with the swaps when and if they are requested. It likely wouldn't work anyway as sometimes items are not in stock on a ship. I had one where there was no Cognac available and the beer selection seems to vary from cruise to cruise.

Edited December 26, 2023 by Thrak

[kywildcatfanone]

23 minutes ago, Barry H said:

My biggest complaint is that you can't select your bar set up mix from home.

I agree.  You should be able to choose from options, and if you are swapping choose your swap.  We can't get our changed out until day 2 of the cruise normally because of how busy they are on day one with requests.  

[Thrak]

5 hours ago, kywildcatfanone said:

I agree.  You should be able to choose from options, and if you are swapping choose your swap.  We can't get our changed out until day 2 of the cruise normally because of how busy they are on day one with requests.  

 

What do you swap it for? I don't want all water or all soda or all beer. (The beer they offer is not good.) I've yet to swap my mini bar because I never see anything worth swapping for.

[kywildcatfanone]

8 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

What do you swap it for? I don't want all water or all soda or all beer. (The beer they offer is not good.) I've yet to swap my mini bar because I never see anything worth swapping for.

Soda and water now that the coffee benefit has been removed.  I think you also opt for different alcohol and beer selections if you just don't like the default ones included.

[kstaffen]

11 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

What do you swap it for? I don't want all water or all soda or all beer. (The beer they offer is not good.) I've yet to swap my mini bar because I never see anything worth swapping for.

I agree that's there's not really a reason to swap it out. I used to exchange the mini bottles for just vodka and bring it home for Bloody Mary's, where you don't really taste the alcohol if it is not real good. I just left everything else. Now, I go to the gift shop and get a bag, and use that to deliver it all to one of the bars, and ask them to either keep or hand to crew who likes that. Crew gest a discount on alcohol, but free is always good 😉 We also give away the wine we get in Reserve Collection.

 

[marden1970]

On 12/22/2023 at 8:13 PM, Ombud said:

Recently off the Enchanted Princess & was told I couldn't trade for Rose only white or red wine. Anyone else run into this?

Yes, currently on the Crown. In a suite and only option for second setup was red or white.  Took the white, sorry l don't remember what it was but I didn't care for it.  I took the wine because we had enough water and we really don't drink much soda.

 

[Ombud]

14 minutes ago, marden1970 said:

Yes, currently on the Crown. In a suite and only option for second setup was red or white.  Took the white, sorry l don't remember what it was but I didn't care for it.  I took the wine because we had enough water and we really don't drink much soda.

 

If it was the Chardonnay,  I poured it out. Fortunately 1 bottle lasts me a week, can often board with 2 bottles when there's 2 embarkation points (next one Sydney & Brisbane). So maybe buying a glass. 

[getaway101]

On 12/23/2023 at 8:57 AM, PacnGoNow said:

We love having drinks on our balcony or cocktails before dinner.  Nice to not have to order a drink or go to a bar all the time.

 

So, we appreciate the convenience.

Especially now that the cruise-lines are all cutting back on bar services since they have instituted the beverage packages.  On the Regal in Oct.  it could take 20 minutes just to get a drink.  They work the servers to death not to mention the bartenders.