DCL carry-on alcohol policy changing Sept. 30 2015

[littleblackegg]

Better way than this, make your own non alcoholic cocktails!

In your room? Is there a room class that has a blender? That would be great!

 

[wombat_5606]

Better way than this, make your own non alcoholic cocktails!

My way will still give the CM's some tip money. I prefer not to penalize the bartenders for a decision corporate made. But, hey, you could just hand the bartender some cash every time you go by too.

 

[littleblackegg]

My way will still give the CM's some tip money. I prefer not to penalize the bartenders for a decision corporate made. But, hey, you could just hand the bartender some cash every time you go by too.

I'm all excited about the glasses and the blenders in the room that will allow me to make my own fruity non alcoholic cocktails! Which room class?

 

[Berger]

I dont think dcl sells beer in less than 16oz cans/bottles. Now if they see someone walking around the pool with a 12 oz beer they will know their breaking the policy.

That is true, you should report that to the nearest cm. please don't bend any rules on the boat or off the boat( for rules are rules) , I mean any.

 

[Berger]

For anyone not happy with the policy, this cruise looks like a good cruise for people to try And you wouldn't even need to carry drinks on, you'd have enough drinks for 3 nights if you booked now and on top of that O.A.R http://lebrewskicruise.com/oar-special-offer/

What a well thought out post, well no it wasn't. I know your type for sure and your self serving attitude and swipes/ sad attempts at barbs , are humorous. So stop rolling your eyes at people who feel this new policy change is troubling. Yes I can afford to buy drinks on the boat for the week.so what and am I upset with the added cost, yes. For other folks , this is an added cost they didn't expect. Do you have kids? What if the started to charge for soda, clubs fitness center, aqua duct rides. Would you be ok to suddenly suck up the added expense?
I do like making a drink or two to share with the wife on the verandah. It has little to do with money but a lot to do with the chipping away of the magic. So for someone who posted that they thought about spending $15 at shop rite, yikes.

It's about the new attitude of the new management at Disney.

 

[tinkerone]

What a well thought out post, well no it wasn't. I know your type for sure and your self serving attitude and swipes/ sad attempts at barbs , are humorous. So stop rolling your eyes at people who feel this new policy change is troubling. Yes I can afford to buy drinks on the boat for the week.so what and am I upset with the added cost, yes. For other folks , this is an added cost they didn't expect. Do you have kids? What if the started to charge for soda, clubs fitness center, aqua duct rides. Would you be ok to suddenly suck up the added expense?
I do like making a drink or two to share with the wife on the verandah. It has little to do with money but a lot to do with the chipping away of the magic. So for someone who posted that they thought about spending $15 at shop rite, yikes.

It's about the new attitude of the new management at Disney.

oh, I don't think marla was trying to be snide with her post. she's a very nice person and I really feel that she was trying to put out an option for those of us who are thinking about cutting our ties with dcl. i'm pretty sure it was not meant to be mean, I would be amazed if it was.

 

[Berger]

Tink, if I read that wrong, sorry and I apologize to you and especially Marla, I have been known to Do that on occasion. If not ,then the post stands.

 

[tinkerone]

Tink, if I read that wrong, sorry and I apologize to you and especially Maria. I have been known to Do that on occasion. If not ,then the post stands.

fair enough.

 

[littleblackegg]

Oh, man. Have we sucked this one dry?

 

[closetmickey]

While I'll still be sailing this October on a quick 2 night (just wasn't fair to the kids to cancel) I'm emailing my TA today to cancel my future onboard booking. I just feel blah about the whole experience now and don't even mind canceling.

 

[summerskye]

I'm sure DCL will reveal a drink package program soon enough.

I sure hope you are correct. This would make things and planning so much better...

 

[JimmyV]

I'm sure DCL will reveal a drink package program soon enough.

I sure hope you are correct. This would make things and planning so much better...

Except.....just like the Disney Dining Plan, any drink package that they introduce will be designed to be a profit center for the ship and not a savings mechanism for the guest. Another cruise line recently introduced a drink package, and a poster on Cruise Critic put together a helpful "calculator" to assist people in deciding whether it would be worthwhile to purchase the plan. Very, very few people are reporting their ability to come out ahead by using the plan. And it is fair to say that the amount that people would have to drink to come out ahead would cause many of the judgmental people here to say that they do not want to encourage or see that level of drinking on DCL. So while a drinking plan might make planning easier, one should not be looking forward to it as a substitute to bringing their own bottles on board.

 

[perditax]

Interesting report of someone's attempt to reach out to DCL about this issue:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=47694739&postcount=195

Small snip:

Disney's arrogance astounds me. I addressed specific concerns and was told I could order a bottle of Prosecco to have delivered to my room when I complained about the lack of inroom liquor options. He just kept apologizing and reciting their policy, without addressing any of my specific points, except to make fun of me when choosing the word "pedestrian" to describe their wine list.

I wanted to cancel a future concierge cruise deposit. He sounded disgusted that I would actually want to cancel over this policy. He said I was in the minority and that people sailed Disney for the Disney Charm (seriously). I said it wasn't just the policy, it's the way it was rolled out without any consideration for the length of cruise, the way it was communicated, your condescending attitude towards folks who are rightfully upset, your lack of offering better, more sophisticated options onboard.... I said, at this point I'm not even sure why you'd even want me on one your ships. He said I was welcome to cancel, but they'd be keeping my 1600$ deposit.

 

[summerskye]

Except.....just like the Disney Dining Plan, any drink package that they introduce will be designed to be a profit center for the ship and not a savings mechanism for the guest. Another cruise line recently introduced a drink package, and a poster on Cruise Critic put together a helpful "calculator" to assist people in deciding whether it would be worthwhile to purchase the plan. Very, very few people are reporting their ability to come out ahead by using the plan. And it is fair to say that the amount that people would have to drink to come out ahead would cause many of the judgmental people here to say that they do not want to encourage or see that level of drinking on DCL. So while a drinking plan might make planning easier, one should not be looking forward to it as a substitute to bringing their own bottles on board.

You comments may be true. But, you keep taking away my hope. I want my beer and freedom to enjoy it too... Actually, I want my beer and freedom and not have to take out a loan to enjoy it.

 

[summerskye]

Hey JimmyV, what do you think it's gonna cost to fill this one up with beer?

 

[JimmyV]

Probably less than it would cost to fill this...

And of course, when I do secretly pour my wine into a plastic cup to carry it around to public areas, I always use one of these:

 

[summerskye]

Probably less than it would cost to fill this...

And of course, when I do secretly pour my wine into a plastic cup to carry it around to public areas, I always use one of these:

I'm getting dizzy...

 

[JimmyV]

I'm getting dizzy...

Replaced it with a static image...

 

[littleblackegg]

Except.....just like the Disney Dining Plan, any drink package that they introduce will be designed to be a profit center for the ship and not a savings mechanism for the guest. Another cruise line recently introduced a drink package, and a poster on Cruise Critic put together a helpful "calculator" to assist people in deciding whether it would be worthwhile to purchase the plan. Very, very few people are reporting their ability to come out ahead by using the plan. And it is fair to say that the amount that people would have to drink to come out ahead would cause many of the judgmental people here to say that they do not want to encourage or see that level of drinking on DCL. So while a drinking plan might make planning easier, one should not be looking forward to it as a substitute to bringing their own bottles on board.

Because I am not an alien from a far away planet, I always assume corporations look to profit, and perhaps profit obscenely, from their products and services. I never personalize this or think it has something to do with something naughty I might have done once in lobby of fancy hotel (they can prove nothing). I does not offend me. I never plan on coming out ahead on anything on vacation. They waste savings by definition. I look for ease of the process and a decent deal. It does not have to be perfect. I could never, at 5' 3" and 125lbs, eat enough to make a buffet worth it financially either. I leave that up to my husband. If I can put on a little bracelet for $80 a day and get cocktails and the house barn wine and a little cognac after dinner, I am OK. So, if Disney can offer me something not OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive, I will feel better about the whole thing. We'll see what they offer.

 

[JimmyV]

I look for ease of the process and a decent deal.

While I agree with everything you have said, it is the "ease of process" that makes the drink plans so...unappealing.

Scenario #1. You are paying a la carte. Your are sitting in a lounge or by the pool. In order to consume two drinks, a server has to come to you, take your order and deliver your drinks. The first time he does so, you show him your cruise card and a tab gets started and charged to your room.

Scenario #2. You have pre-paid for a drink plan. Your are sitting in a lounge or by the pool. In order to consume two drinks, a server has to come to you, take your order and deliver your drinks. The first time he does so, you show him your bracelet, or a sticker on your cruise card, or some other identifying Scarlet Letter to let him know that you are an unrepentant lush, and the only thing that appears on your room charge is the 15% automatic gratuity. (Or perhaps that is pre-paid too, but rest assured, you will be given some slip of paper encouraging you to add more.)

In both scenarios, your ease of process is identical. Only in one scenario, you pay more. If a drink plan somehow made it easier to get a drink, (such as allowing you "hop over the bar for self-service" access to the bottles, then we would be on to something.