Alcohol Policy

[Leigh]

Thanks Dave. But will you play your clarinet even if it is only the JS.

[Leigh]

Schmed, did your alcohol taste like shampoo? Were your drinks bubbly? Its a thought but I just can't imagine drinking anything out of a soap container, but who knows maybe I am missing out

[schmed]

Leigh,

Acutally..they were larger size travel shampoo bottles that you can buy at stores like Target (the clear ones). We thought about using regular ones and emptying the shampoo...but like you mentioned..I was afraid of it tasting like shampoo Happy it worked...prices for vodka are high on the ship!

[Mark O'C]

I am not a scientist but I don't think there is a machine that can detect alcohol with an XRay. I think they look for bottle shapes or do random searches. If there is such a machine I don't think RCCl would invest in them just to cut down on alcohol brought aboard.
I saw last week many people going to their rooms to fill up their RCCL mugs all week. I even saw a girl with a full bottle of tequila on the sun deck. One of the bar waiters told her she could not have that upstairs and she needed to take it down to her room. They did not take it from her. I do not bring booze but I do bring wine for dinner. I can understand people doing it though it does get expensive. The price for a mixed drink is $5.95 plus a 15% tip is $6.84 each. 25 drinks = $171. Minus $25 for the bottle is $146 in savings. That's alot of money to many people. I think if someone does this they need to throw some extra money to the bar tenders and waiters, I am not crying for the cuise line but would not like to see the staff get hurt, thats their living.

[Leigh]

Yes Mark I do agree with the trowing extra cash to the wait staff, they work so hard, I will tip them on top of their 15% many times, where else can you go and have your drinks delivered to you pool side and in a matter of minutes. Just love being pampered and have no problems in paying for it. Although it is nice to have a bottle in your room for personal uses, don't think it would be a deal breaker, pretty rude I would say about the tequila bottle on deck though.
Schmed I will let my girlfriend know about the shampoo bottles as she refuses to leave her baileys behind. I think for alot of people it is just the challenge of it all getting it through, guaranteed most people probably end up leaving it behind...who wants to keep going up to your room for a drink when the bar is so close. I did find out though you can brink wine on board as long as they don't carry that particular type and they will take it upon boarding and have it delivered to your table at dinner with a $12 corking fee.
Chow
Leigh

[Dave]

My mother slaved for many years as a waitress at a diner, where probably 90% of her income was in tips. So I am also one who tends to tip generously since I know how hard it is to make a living on tips. People who complain about their waiter over some little perceived slight need to spend a night or two in that waiter's shoes.

[Mark O'C]

I'm an ex bartender, the biggest tippers are waitstaff, bartenders and such. I think about the people I tip that really don't deserve it, I tip any way because it's the right thing. Now think of the quailty service on the ships. If you had that service in a TGIF you would fall off your chair. (No offense TGIF, just an example)

[SailorJack]

I don't think it is anybody's intention to stiff the wait staff. It is just nice to come back from a day ashore, or come back from dinner, and sit out on the balcony and enjoy a nice libation as the sun sets over the horizon. Sometimes it not about saving money, but simply a matter of convenience - better than looking for a bar, buying a couple of drinks and having to carry two glasses up/down the evevator, through the hall and banging on the door (because your hands are full)and arriving without having spilt half the drinks on the hallway carpet.

I don't know if you could order room service, but then you would have to wait (and stay dressed) for service to arrive.

There needs to be a reasonable balance between the ship needing to make a profit and cutomer satisfaction.

[wise2u]

a liter has 33 shots...shots=1 fl oz.

I have a problem with them adding a tip automatically to all drinks, soda cards, barware and other stuff....call it what it is... a service charge and print the total price on the friggin menu for a honest change. a $5 captain morgan is 5.75 whether it comes from a waiter or you stand in line at the bar for it. that souvineer glass and soda card get nailed for extra too... and the head bartender and purser said that it is against RCCL company policy to remove it.....unlike carnival which was a little higher on thier drinks but cheerfully refunded the tip off of the soda card package and the beers i went to the bar for...sorry but it's not worth a 75 cent tip to open a beer for me after i come to get it.

I am going to write a letter to RCCL about this as it also is printed in thier own final checklist info and i quote "TIPPING- Royal Caribbean recognizes that giving tips is a reflection of personal choice and satisfaction. We provide the guidelines to assist you with your tipping choice." they then list thier suggested tips for different personel....So to tell me that i have no choice but to pay the 15% on all bar related stuff and still call it a "tip" and not a service charge is CRAP!!....after dealing with carnival with no problem in this kind of matter, i was surprised they (RCCL) had no flexibilty... i explained that i tipped waiters and bartenders who made me a good drink with cash, or wrote in a tip extra but a few times the waiters were slack and I would have to wait in line at a bar to get a drink (why should i give 15% to get my own drink?) one bartender was clueless and should have been scrubbing toilets, she asked for help on all drinks and rarely made them right, my 15% goes to her too?...Royal Caribbean can kiss my if they think I will sail them again...(thats the general theme of my letter)...the purser did credit me $30 for the items i disputed, like he said.. i spent over $300 in the bar and over $2000 during my cruise so he didnt want me to leave mad over $30. The people who deserved tips got them and i didnt pay a $7+ tip on top of $66 for my soda card. my experience ended well but how bout all the other suckers who get flim-flammed by the mandatory tip policy....i say everyone should bring thier own alchahol and cokes...then maybe they will stop tring to fool you with a low price on the drink menu and a mandatory tip on top....i thought the only place you needed a calculator to figure your real price on a purchace was a jewelry store or a car dealership. I wonder if i can sue for false advertising?...then they can tell the judge, it's mandatory ,but its a tip...thats about as clear as genuine, imitation leather...

what if nobody would accept the computer generated bill?, i was told by a purser agent (another clueless trainee) that once i signed the ticket it was a contract and that i should have asked it to be deducted before i signed it. then the bartender would say "sorry it comes that way from the computer", and the head bartender would say "sorry it's against company policy"
lets see if a class action suit can change company policy!!...who's with me?....
grumble a little a least...

[Dave]

For the record, the only thing I deleted in the message from wise2u was profanity in one sentence.

wise2u - you of course are entitled to think whatever you wish of RCI. Personally I think you are a little bit overwrought about the tip deal. What RCI does is not any different than what is offered on the other lines, all things considered. You seem to be obsessed with it. Why?