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[Article updated Aug 18 10:22 a.m. to correct description of Fireball whisky.]
The four ships of the Disney Cruise Line, packed as they are with families, have less of a reputation for inebriated passengers than do other lines catering to the "booze cruise" market - despite Disney's fairly liberal alcohol policy, which until now allowed passengers to carry wine, beer, and hard liquor onboard with their luggage.
Now Disney is setting limits on the amount of wine and beer passengers can bring onboard, and prohibiting passengers from bringing on board any hard liquor. Disney did not disclose a reason for this change, but told the Orlando Sentinel that the policy was consistent with other cruise lines.
Here is the new policy, provided to MousePlanet by Small World Vacations:
New Disney Cruise Line Guest Alcohol Policy
We regularly evaluate our policies and procedures and have recently changed our alcohol beverage policy. In addition, we have made an adjustment in the corkage fee charged to Guests who bring their own wine or champagne into restaurants onboard. The following changes will go into effect on sailings commencing on or after Sept. 30, 2015:
- Each Guest 21 years and older may bring two bottles of unopened wine or champagne (no larger than 750 ml) or six beers (no larger than 12 oz) onboard in carry-on luggage at the beginning of the voyage and at each port-of-call.
- All alcoholic beverages packed in checked luggage will be removed and stored until the completion of the cruise.
- Wine or champagne in excess of the two allowable bottles or beer in excess of the six beers will be stored and Guests may retrieve them at the end of the voyage.
- All liquors and spirits (including powdered alcohol) are prohibited and will be stored until the completion of the cruise.
- Guests must retrieve any stored alcohol at the end of the cruise. Uncollected alcohol will be destroyed and no compensation will be offered.
- Alcohol brought on board may not be consumed in any lounge or public area.
- Effective Sept. 30, 2015, the corkage fee charged to Guests who bring their own wine or champagne into one of our restaurants will be $25 per bottle
John T. Garcia, a MousePlanet reader who has sailed nearly 100 nights with Disney Cruise Line, feels Disney provided passengers with relatively little notice about this change. Disney requires payment in full 90 days before departure for most itineraries, and Garcia notes this means passengers who booked and paid for their trip expecting one policy to be in place are now subject to a new policy, but cannot change plans or obtain a refund. He said, "It's not so much the change as when the change is coming based on [paid in full] dates and the precedent it sets."
Garcia points out that the cost of alcohol on Disney's ships may not be the reason many people opt to BYOB. "Disney wants to be like the others, but its offerings are nowhere near the others, whether it is beer, wine or the hard stuff. Fireball [cinnamon-flavored, whisky-based liqueur produced by the Sazerac Company.] is very popular, and it is not on any of the ships," he notes.
Even with these changes, Disney's alcohol policy is still more permissive than many cruise lines. In comparison:
| Cruise Line | Alcohol policy |
|---|---|
| Carnival Cruise Line | Has one of the most restrictive beverage policies, Carnival allows adult passengers to bring aboard one 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne per person, but only when boarding the ship on embarkation day. Beer is prohibited, as are non-alcoholic beverages like water and soft drinks. |
| Celebrity Cruise Line | Allows adult passengers to bring aboard two 750 ml bottles of wine or champagne per person. A $25 corkage fee is charged if the wine or champagne is consumed outside the guest's stateroom. Beer is prohibited. |
| Holland America Cruise Line | Allows adult passengers to bring unlimited wine or champagne on board. The first bottle per adult passenger is not subject to a corkage fee if consumed in the stateroom. Each additional bottle, and any bottle consumed in a public area, is subject to an $18 corkage fee. Beer is prohibited. |
| Norwegian Cruise Line | Allows passengers to bring unlimited wine or champagne on board. A corkage fee of $15 to $30 is charged per bottle, depending on size. Beer is prohibited. |
| Princess Cruise Line | Allows adult passengers to bring unlimited wine or champagne on board. The first bottle per adult passenger is not subject to a corkage fee if consumed in the stateroom. Each additional bottle, and any bottle consumed in a public area, is subject to a $15 corkage fee. Beer is prohibited. |
| Royal Caribbean | Allows adult passengers to bring aboard two 750 ml bottles of wine or champagne per person, but only when boarding the ship on embarkation day. Beer is prohibited. |
Comments
https://help.carnival.com/app/answer...everage-policy
You need to recheck your facts about Carnival. It states: Guests are prohibited from bringing water, sodas and other non-alcoholic beverages onboard that are packaged in bottles.
A small quantity of non-alcoholic beverages (i.e., sparkling water, sodas, juice, and milk) packaged in cans or cartons may be brought onboard on embarkation day and must be in the guest's carry-on luggage. A small quantity is considered a maximum of 12 sealed, unopened cans/cartons of 12 ounces each or less per person."
They also changed their bottled water policy to something actually very reasonable:
We know some of our guests are accustomed to bringing on their own supply of bottled water so as part of this new policy we have significantly reduced the pricing for (purified) bottled water which will be conveniently delivered directly to your stateroom. Once onboard, the purchase is non-refundable; guests may take home any unopened bottles.
Pricing is as follows:
$2.99 USD for a 12-pack of bottled water (16.9 fluid ounce per bottle) for pre-cruise purchase. Please visit The Fun Shops at www.carnival.com/FunShops/beverages/water to place your order before your cruise to ensure we have an ample supply onboard.
$2.99 USD (plus gratuity) for a 12-pack of bottled water (16.9 fluid ounce per bottle) for purchase onboard by contacting Room Service.