Normal
WELL DONE HENRY!!Things have really changed in the past 20 years of cruising. Carnival Cruises literally built their fleet on the empty beer cans and bottles they sold to the pax. Prices for alcohol are at an obnoxious level and this detracts from the total cruise experience. Remember that most alcohol is imported and the shipping lines do not pay any import duty. Their booze is bought in bulk directly from the distillers and vinyards at below wholesale rates and duty free to boot. The premium wines from foreign countries are even less costly to the lines. Years ago you could buy drinks and bottles of wines at very reasonable prices onboard a ship...so much so that you would never bother to bring your own stock onboard. The lines will probably start upping the corkage fee...again. Seems to be a case of "FULL GREED AHEAD"!!!I am currently looking into having our state port authority force these shipping companies to accept legal alcohol (alcohol that has been purchased in that particular state with all the proper duties and taxes paid) onboard for private consumption in a passengers cabin. In other words, if a ship wants to call at Boston then the ship has to abide by the local law which would enable a passenger to bring legal alcohol onboard for in-cabin consumption only. This has been done in the past...about 12 years ago you could purchase liquor and wine at the pier in FLL and it would be sent onboard to your cabin. This was discontinued because of political pressure by the lines. It will be interesting to see what happens when we coantact the local liquor lobby and start applying political pressure from the other direction.ROSSROSS
WELL DONE HENRY!!
Things have really changed in the past 20 years of cruising. Carnival Cruises literally built their fleet on the empty beer cans and bottles they sold to the pax. Prices for alcohol are at an obnoxious level and this detracts from the total cruise experience.
Remember that most alcohol is imported and the shipping lines do not pay any import duty. Their booze is bought in bulk directly from the distillers and vinyards at below wholesale rates and duty free to boot. The premium wines from foreign countries are even less costly to the lines.
Years ago you could buy drinks and bottles of wines at very reasonable prices onboard a ship...so much so that you would never bother to bring your own stock onboard. The lines will probably start upping the corkage fee...again. Seems to be a case of
"FULL GREED AHEAD"!!!
I am currently looking into having our state port authority force these shipping companies to accept legal alcohol (alcohol that has been purchased in that particular state with all the proper duties and taxes paid) onboard for private consumption in a passengers cabin. In other words, if a ship wants to call at Boston then the ship has to abide by the local law which would enable a passenger to bring legal alcohol onboard for in-cabin consumption only. This has been done in the past...about 12 years ago you could purchase liquor and wine at the pier in FLL and it would be sent onboard to your cabin. This was discontinued because of political pressure by the lines. It will be interesting to see what happens when we coantact the local liquor lobby and start applying political pressure from the other direction.
ROSS
