Disappointed with one RCI Rule!

[storfie]

We have returned from our first RCI cruise. We are many-time cruisers but had not yet tried RCI. We did the TA on the Independence. The ship is beautiful, service and My Time Dining were excellent, food was o.k.

However, the out-of-date rule that does not permit pax. to bring on a bottle of wine from a port of call for personal use in cabin is most disappointing.

We purchase a bottle of wine every evening at dinner, but enjoy a glass in our cabin in the afternoon. Most of the major lines, including Celebrity, allow wine as long as its not too many bottles. As we are not interested in having to "smuggle" in our suitcases, we will not cruise again with RCI unless this rule is changed. Unfortunate!

[Alexis]

We have returned from our first RCI cruise. We are many-time cruisers but had not yet tried RCI. We did the TA on the Independence. The ship is beautiful, service and My Time Dining were excellent, food was o.k.

However, the out-of-date rule that does not permit pax. to bring on a bottle of wine from a port of call for personal use in cabin is most disappointing.

We purchase a bottle of wine every evening at dinner, but enjoy a glass in our cabin in the afternoon. Most of the major lines, including Celebrity, allow wine as long as its not too many bottles. As we are not interested in having to "smuggle" in our suitcases, we will not cruise again with RCI unless this rule is changed. Unfortunate!

 

You give up sailing RCCL again over a glass of wine?

You could have bought a glass at any of the bars and taken it back to your cabin to drink. ;)

[tgjr]

Yes and you could order it from room service....

 

I think poster is right. Somtimes it is very interesting to buy a bottle of local wine. Somtimes you find "just the bottle" in a store. This is very nice to have in the afternoon.

 

I do think that this bringing onboard has to be controlled, but a bottle of wine shold not be any problem.

[dutchess43]

RCI should stop the ban on wine especially when you are in a port & want to have a glass or two on your balcony or cabin. Their rule is ridiculous!

[ancldaca]

You give up sailing RCCL again over a glass of wine?

You could have bought a glass at any of the bars and taken it back to your cabin to drink. ;)

 

It takes far less for one to switch companies... That is the catch-22 of being a mass market line. You can't please all people all the time. As a company, your aim is not to disappoint most people most of the time and then you'll do fine.

[senrab]

It takes far less for one to switch companies... That is the catch-22 of being a mass market line. You can't please all people all the time. As a company, your aim is not to disappoint most people most of the time and then you'll do fine.

 

True, but how many people would be disappointed if they made a rule stating something like, "One bottle of wine (no hard liquor) per adult per port"?

 

I think this rule does nothing but disappoint.

[crusinmama06]

You give up sailing RCCL again over a glass of wine?

You could have bought a glass at any of the bars and taken it back to your cabin to drink. ;)

 

Exactly what I was thinking. So the ship was Fab. The service was Fab. MTD was Fab.

 

A glass of wine in the cabin - deal breaker? :confused:

[cb at sea]

We just stop by a bar (and there are PLENTY of them on the ship) and bring back whatever we want to the cabin! It's not a big deal! (and, if you order a bottle at dinner, don't drink it all--you can take it with you!)

[negc]

I somehow find it unlikely that this one rule, agree with it or not, would be sufficient to cause many people to cease cruising with a line that they find, in all other respects, provides them with a great cruise experience. If RCI thought that it were causing significant desertions, you can be assured that they would change it.:rolleyes:

[skyking]

We just got off the QM2 and I was stunned when people were looking for some place to turn in the alcohol they purchased on shore, and NO one was there to take it. Security simply stated you are free to take it to your cabin.

[cruiserbryce]

while I would also appreciate being able to bring back and drink a bottle in the cabin it has always been prohibited since we began cruising and we arent going to change our plans over it

[critterchick]

Ok, but what if you don't drink any that they have in stock? Or you bought a bottle of wine in port (particularly the Med) that you've never tried before and it's not available on the ship. Your 'solution' leaves out those cruisers.

 

btw - I don't even like wine, but do understand why the wine lovers hate this rule

 

I hate that rule with a passion, and I totally agree with you about purchasing wines in foreign ports to try onboard. It's not enough to keep me from cruising RCI again, but for Italy we're trying Azamara - although their stated rule is that wine may be brought onboard at embarkation only, the practical rule seems to be that one or two bottles purchased in ports would be overlooked.

 

I also don't see why RCI is the only line in the RCCL family that won't let you bring a couple of bottles onboard. Ridiculous IMHO.

[cruiseguy1016]

True, but how many people would be disappointed if they made a rule stating something like, "One bottle of wine (no hard liquor) per adult per port"?

 

I think this rule does nothing but disappoint.

 

So you discriminate against people that don't drink wine? The rule is you are not allowed to bring alcohol of any kind on board the ship with you. I don't drink wine but I sure would like to have a bottle of gin or whiskey in my room to enjoy once in a while at my leisure. I don't agree with the rule either but I think if you change it for one, you have to change it for all.

[PH8]

You give up sailing RCCL again over a glass of wine?

You could have bought a glass at any of the bars and taken it back to your cabin to drink. ;)

Heck,I have read threads on here about people who wont cruise RCCL cuz of something like the butter was too hard:eek:

 

We just got off the QM2 and I was stunned when people were looking for some place to turn in the alcohol they purchased on shore, and NO one was there to take it. Security simply stated you are free to take it to your cabin.

Interesting fact.......thanks..............Ill be on her in July...

[Bruinboy]

I am a wine person, and I hate the rule about bringing alcohol onboard. What is the rationale? I assume it's $$$$$, and not worrying about people's alcohol consumption.

[crusinmama06]

What is the rationale? I assume it's $$$$$, and not worrying about people's alcohol consumption.

 

Oh no doubt it's $$$$$$$

 

But to play devil's advocate and if I had to give a PR answer, I would say it's also to prevent those that are Under 21 from stepping off in port, loading up on bottles, then bringing those onboard and serving it to their Under 21 friends.

 

I am betting that Azmara or Cunard doesn't have alot of Under 21s looking to do the same. ;)

[Mickg]

Hi,

We were on the same cruise as the OP and this was our first with RCI which we enjoyed. We have previously cruised with Disney who do allow passengers to bring their alcohol on board and as far as we could tell the bars were still busy. As it happens we drink very little alcohol but if we did I think we would find it very frustrating not being allowed our favourite "tipple" in our stateroom if it was something that RCI did not stock.

 

Mick.

[critterchick]

So you discriminate against people that don't drink wine? The rule is you are not allowed to bring alcohol of any kind on board the ship with you. I don't drink wine but I sure would like to have a bottle of gin or whiskey in my room to enjoy once in a while at my leisure. I don't agree with the rule either but I think if you change it for one, you have to change it for all.

 

No, you don't. This isn't a governmental agency that would be discriminating against a protected class of people.:rolleyes:

 

As far as I know, RCI is the only one of the major cruise lines not to allow passengers to bring wine onboard. Plenty of the other majors limit what passengers can bring to wine and champagne.

[Onessa]

I somehow find it unlikely that this one rule, agree with it or not, would be sufficient to cause many people to cease cruising with a line that they find, in all other respects, provides them with a great cruise experience. If RCI thought that it were causing significant desertions, you can be assured that they would change it.:rolleyes:

 

There really is not all that much to differenciate among cruise lines. It may be as little as one rule that does change the mind of someone who is somewhat "on the fence".

 

Like all companies, RCCI works very hard to maintain the loyalty of their cruisers -- oddly the liquor rule is not "old fashioned" but actually relatively recent. It has more to do with 1) making money <$6.75 for a beer?> and 2) keeping liability insurance low. Right now RCCI must have numbers that show them that this policy is costing them less <in lost customer loyalty> than it is making them in bar revenue and/or saving them in reduced liability insurance premiums.

[worldsbestcandles]

Ok, but what if you don't drink any that they have in stock? Or you bought a bottle of wine in port (particularly the Med) that you've never tried before and it's not available on the ship. Your 'solution' leaves out those cruisers.

 

btw - I don't even like wine, but do understand why the wine lovers hate this rule

 

 

Exactly.

 

I can't tell you how disappointing it is to be touring hte countryside of Tuscany (on a RCCL excursion for a wine tasting) and then to have the wine we bought (1 bottle) taken from us, no receipt given- no tag or anything and then to go to dinner and have the special wine of the night be Beringer.... it is almost insulting.

 

I don't think it would be too much to ask that they bring some inventory at the beginning of the season (all itins include Italy for the summer) that are some Chiantis, Sangiovese, etc.... they cost about as much as Beringer and would offer a more authentic appearance to the guests. Heck, they would probably sell more just for that reason alone.

[hawt1]

Exactly what I was thinking. So the ship was Fab. The service was Fab. MTD was Fab.

 

A glass of wine in the cabin - deal breaker? :confused:

 

Given that the OP is an experienced cruiser but first time on RCI, I am guessing taht on many of their cruises with other cruiselines they have said:

 

The ship was Fab. The service was Fab. MTD or other dining experience was Fab. AND sitting on our balcony drinking the bottle of wine we bought in port was Fab.

 

All else being equal, many would choose the conveneince and excitement of trying wines that they will never agin have the chance to try.

 

Come on, this is RCi we are talking about. Their house wine is La Terre. Translated that means (roughly) The Earth...and it lives up to its name as it really does taste like dirt!

[Leejnd4]

This is a topic of frequent discussion on these boards…discussions that are all too often deleted because of the hostility that is often directed at those of us who choose to bring our own beverages into our cabins for consumption, by people who (for reasons I cannot comprehend) find this practice to be objectionable.

 

You can count me as another cruiser who has written RCI off my list, solely because of their booze rules. I realize that many of you cannot comprehend why this is so important – so I will try to explain.

 

I am a wine lover…in fact, I’m a grower: I own 5 acres of Syrah grapes in California’s Temecula Wine Valley. I have an extensive wine cellar, and have been wine-tasting all over the world. Most of my cruises are in renowned wine regions, and for me, one of the highlights of traveling to these areas is getting to sample the unique local wines. I often buy numerous bottles, some of which I will bring home with me, others I will drink during the trip. Certainly, I cannot find these regional wines onboard cruise ships – so I buy them, and expect to be able to enjoy them while I am on my vacation. We usually drink them in our cabin, but if we wish to enjoy them with dinner we’ll bring them to the dining room and pay the corkage fee, just as we would in a fine restaurant on land.

 

I find it to be overbearing and absurd that RCI’s policies deny me this pleasure. While it’s been debated ad infinitum in this forum as to the motivation behind these policies, I firmly believe that it is primarily profit-motivated: they believe that by disallowing bringing alcohol onboard that you purchased elsewhere, you will be forced to buy your drinks from them. I find this to be an unfair and unreasonable monopoly. I do not wish to purchase my alcoholic beverages from RCI – they don’t sell what I want to drink. They do not have a right to insist that I spend my drink dollars with them – these dollars do not belong to them, they belong to me, and I have every right to purchase my beverages of choice from anywhere I want. As an adult of legal drinking age (many decades over), I consider it an unreasonable imposition on me to deny me the right to drink my legally purchased beverages (that I bought elsewhere) in the privacy of my cabin. I certainly would never stay at a hotel that rifled through my luggage and confiscated my personal belongings! Nor will I cruise a cruise line that will do that.

 

There are plenty of other options for cruising that do not inflict these unreasonable policies on me. So I have no problems avoiding RCI. They have lost my considerable business, due to this silly attempt to squeeze extra profits out of me.

 

My last few cruises were on lines that have no restrictions: Regent, and Windstar. My next cruise is on a line that, unfortunately, DOES have some restrictions – Celebrity – but fortunately they do allow wine to be brought on at embarkation – only two per cabin, but they don’t check your bags against each other, so you can put two bottles in each bag. And numerous reports indicate that it is relatively easy to get past security with wine in the ports. So I will be cheerfully “smuggling” my wine purchases.

 

While I am primarily a wine drinker, I also enjoy the occasional nightcap of a good, old, peaty single malt Scotch on my balcony. Once again, they don’t sell what I drink onboard cruise ships. So I will smuggle a small amount (probably 1/3 of a bottle) in a Rum Runner flask.

 

For those of you who find RCI’s rules to be as abhorrent as I do, but do not wish to abandon the line, there are options. I know that the whole concept of “smuggling” is distasteful – I certainly find it so – but it’s a sad necessity if you want to be able to enjoy your own beverages in the privacy of your cabin. Your best option is to use Rum Runner Flasks. These are sturdy, flexible plastic containers that have been designed strictly for this purpose, and are virtually undetectable by the bag scanners used by ships. You can purchase them here: http://www.rumrunnerflasks.com. They have been used successfully by hundreds, if not thousands, of cruisers…and in all the years I’ve been on Cruise Critic I have not heard of one single verified report of passengers getting caught with them. And on the remote chance that you DO get caught with them, the worst that will happen is that they will confiscate your booze. (Do not believe the usual alarmists in here who might tell you that you could be “denied boarding” for smuggling alcohol. It’s never happened.)

 

Rum runners are best for smuggling liquor, as opposed to wine – but they actually are great for wine as well. As wine lovers know, the enemy of wine is air – but if you decant your wine into a rum runner right before you board, and then squeeze all the air out of it before you seal it, it will preserve your wine for several days at least. I recently did a series of experiments using rum runners to preserve wine, and they truly work great! I use them at home to save bottles of wine that I’ve opened but didn’t finish.

[vickiw0318]

So far as I know (and I am fully aware that there is MUCH I do not), Royal Caribbean is the only line to have been sued because of an alcohol related death stemming from consumption of alcohol brought on board. That could have a great deal to do with why the line has a rule that others do not.

[RBOrrell]

I disappear from the board for a few months and when I return, the same crap posts about alcohol in the cabins from off the ship.

 

It's quite simple. RCCL wants you to buy their alcohol. If you are that attached to the bottle and are too cheap to pay for it at the bar, perhaps RCCL is not for you. If that is your only complaint for the cruise, it's a sad commentary on your trip.

[abitaturbodog]

I know that for Carnival and Costa you are allowed to bring a bottle of wine per adult during embarkation to drink in your cabin, but you can't at each port. Well, you can bring on as many as you choose at the ports but you have to turn them over to the security officer and get them back on the last night.

 

I don't see what the big deal is. If you enjoy sampling different wines then buy them and let security give them back to you on the last night so you can have them at home. Heck, buy a couple bottles!