Carnival Cruise Lines bans liquids, extorts passengers
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See update below
Those crazy spring breakers, bringing their cases of mineral water and Coca-Cola on board the cruise ships! They’ve simply gone too far! …huh?
Carnival Cruise Lines is clamping down on passengers who bring beverages on board. Their new policy prohibits passengers from bringing beverages onto the ship. That means alcoholic AND non-alcoholic beverages.
Is it because of the seemingly monthly reports of passengers who fall off a ship in an apparently drunken stupor? No.
Is it terrorism fears, the 3-ounce bottle-makers’ lobby, and the TSA-ification of the seas? Nope.
The reason is economics, pure and simple. The cruise ships weren’t selling as many drinks on board as they wanted.
Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen said guests had been bringing on too many nonalcoholic beverages. “There had been some abuse of the previous policy which is why the new policy is more restrictive,” he said.
Nonalcoholic beverages? I’m sure people are bringing in cases and cases of Evian.
Maybe they’re trying to play down the fact that their margins on umbrella drinks are astronomical. And by banning non-alcoholic beverages, they can be sure to milk some more money from alcohol-free cruises too, like the Christian cruises they book wholesale.
Rum runners will undoubtedly be upset: Duty free purchases of liquor from dockside shops will be taken and held by the cruise line until you leave the ship. Other beverages brought on board “will be confiscated and discarded without compensation.”
One sole exception remains: “guests (21 years and older only) may bring one bottle of wine or champagne per person on board only during embarkation at the beginning of the cruise. A $10 corkage fee per bottle will be charged should you wish to consume this wine in the dining room or a $14 corkage fee per bottle in the Supper Club.” How generous.
Extortion, thy name is Carnival!
Update: After taking heat, Carnival has backed off their non-alcoholic beverage ban, but the ban on alcohol stays. Here’s the revised policy on beverages:
Guests are prohibited from bringing alcoholic beverages onboard. However, guests (21 years and older only) may bring one bottle of wine or champagne per person on board only during embarkation at the beginning of the cruise. A $10 corkage fee per bottle will be charged should you wish to consume this wine in the dining room or a $14 corkage fee per bottle in the Supper Club. Guests may bring a small quantity of non-alcoholic beverages.All alcohol, additional quantities of wine/champagne or excessive quantities of non-alcoholic beverages will be confiscated and discarded without compensation. Guests may purchase a variety of beverages on board the ship. Alcoholic beverages will not be sold or served to anyone under the age of 21. We reserve the right to refuse the sale of alcoholic beverages to anyone. Alcoholic beverages purchased in the ship’s gift shops or in ports of call will be retained by Carnival until the end of the voyage.
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March 29th, 2007 at 9:35 am |
Yikes. That kind of small-mindedness would really alienate me from taking a cruise. But then again, I’ve never wanted to take one anyway…
Just imagine the line to retrieve all that Caribbean rum at the final disembarkation!
March 30th, 2007 at 6:28 am |
I am amazed they didn’t try to claim this as an anti-terrorism measure. A week in a cabin might actually be long enough to mix some of those explosives safely.
March 30th, 2007 at 7:01 am |
[…] Carnival Cruise Lines bans liquids, extorts passengers [Upgrade: Travel Better] (Photo: Hank Leclair) […]
March 30th, 2007 at 5:22 pm |
we took a carnival cruise in feb and had no problem bringing several bottles of wine (4) and a bottle of vodka aboard.
they do, however, very carefully check you when you return from ports of call, so if you want to bring alcohol, your best bet is to do so in moderate quantities during your embarkation.
April 2nd, 2007 at 6:32 pm |
Well, doesn’t that just frost your flakes. certainly leaves those of us who are limited by dietary requirements and personal taste to nothing with sugar and/or caffeine to consume only water! Hope we find out something different before we cruise with them this coming Fall leaving from Rome, Italy.
April 23rd, 2007 at 8:12 am |
[…] for visiting!Upgraded: Carnival’s beverage policy Carnival Cruise Lines has revised its recently-changed policy prohibiting passengers from bringing beverages onto the ship. “Guests may bring a small […]
June 4th, 2007 at 11:56 am |
[…] current issue of Wine Business Monthly. Mmm, captive audience. Monopoly provider. And a new policy not allowing any beverages on board. If you’re thinking what I’m thinking, then your cruise will have a poor selection of […]
June 11th, 2007 at 12:10 pm |
How many cases of alcohol is sold on cruises weekly?
June 13th, 2007 at 8:22 am |
After 25 Carnival cruises I can see why they must restrict the drinkers. They are usually unruly, rude and destroy the ship any way they want to. We have seen numerous amounts of vomit, trash and destruction by these so called adults. And any booze bought in any port is taken upon reboarding by ALL CRUISE LINES. This is a US Customs issue not cruise line. Travel a few times and see why they must have rules. The biggest problem is they don’t enforce them in fear of insulting the drunks. Please know your facts before yiking and belly aching.
June 13th, 2007 at 10:41 pm |
The original beef was with Carnival’s ban on ALL liquids, not just alcohol.
But really, you don’t make a Carnival cruise sound very appealing. All these drunks vomiting around you, and you still took 25 trips with them? Wow. Suit yourself!
July 3rd, 2007 at 10:53 am |
[…] a recent issue of Wine Business Monthly. Mmm, captive audience. Monopoly provider. And a new policy not allowing any alcoholic beverages on board. If you’re thinking what I’m thinking, then your cruise will have a poor selection of […]
July 13th, 2007 at 10:52 am |
Did you pack the vodka, or just carry it on? I am traveling with a family of 5 (3teens) and was thinking of packing or takeing a case of water? Would that be a moderat amount? Laurah
July 19th, 2007 at 12:24 pm |
I going on a cruise late this year and will have two teens - They drink lots of water - how much did you take with you?
August 14th, 2007 at 6:14 pm |
K… so what if you bring aboard “screw cap” wine or champagne? How much do they charge to unscrew it? An exorbitant amount, I am sure. So in other words, they are gonna screw you, to unskrew you.
August 14th, 2007 at 6:15 pm |
oh by the way. Im going on a carnival. I have been told and read that they don;t charge for water or tea.. only alcohol and sodas.. ???
September 23rd, 2008 at 10:39 am |
I’ve been on 2 Carnival cruise, 5 day and 7 day, and have never seen these so called unruly and rude drunks. The Captain must be hiding them somewhere. And perhaps the vomit was from sea sickness, ya think? And the booze you buy at ports is delivered to your room the last night of the cruise, no lines to stand in (where did THAT come from?). People, research!!
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:23 pm |
We have an infant we are bringing on the cruise and her pediatrician recommended bottled water for her to drink and for her formula. This amounts to her drinking 3-4 16 oz bottles a day. We are on a 5 day cruise and want to bring a case of water with us but Carnival rep said he believes that is excessive….that we can PURCHASE water on board the ship so we know now why the policy is there. He said we might have it confiscated but I guess we will see in a few weeks.