Anyone else encountered bar drinks that are suspiciously weak tasting?

[Tim in Colorado]

On 10/25/2021 at 10:40 AM, nissin said:

Not much of a drinker or a bar person outside of holidays, so I wasn't sure if it was just me, but I received a suspiciously weak ice-blended Mojito from the Sky Bar (outdoor main pool) of Quantum. 
To be fair, the bartender did agree to replace the drink, even though I had already drunk like 60% of it, I asked him not to blend the ice this time, I tasted it immediately but it still tasted distinctly weak, I told him, and he said ah that's just the soda on top and stirred the drink with a spoon.  It didn't taste any stronger after the stirring, and I sort of let him know, but left with the replaced drink.

I described the incident in my post-cruise online survey.

Anyone else ever encounter this?  Was it just me?

Wouldn't it be a serious violation of bartender code of ethics or something?
 

Absolutely.  We are on odyssey of the seas right now and it definitely tastes like the drinks are watered down.  I normally drink Manhattans and they all have tasted really watery so far. 

 

I wish they just charged more rather than water down the drinks, but I guess this cruise is for the Pina colada, cheap beer crowd. (If they had one beer on this ship that wasn't a light lager, it would be nice.) 

 

We have done a lot of cruising on NCL and Celebrity before. This is our first and last time on Royal Caribbean 

[AshleyDillo]

1 hour ago, Tim in Colorado said:

cheap beer crowd. (If they had one beer on this ship that wasn't a light lager, it would be nice.) 

Check out Playmakers or the Pub. Usually those have a better beer selection. 

[tonyfsu21]

I did come across an issue on Odyssey over Thanksgiving week at Lime & Coconut. I ordered a couple Pina Coladas for my brother and I while hanging by the pool and they had no alcohol in them. I went back after we finished them and mentioned this to the bartender and she replied “you didn’t mention you wanted alcohol in them”…….. Odd. I learned my lesson and now opt for the Kraken Coladas so you can physically see the rum in the drink. I feel like the Lime & Coconut owes me 2 diamond drinks! 

[littlejack]

We were on Oasis in November and also experience weak drinks. Our thoughts were since we are Diamond Plus and get 5 free ones they make them really weak. I bought several at full price and they were a lot stronger. Will send the weak free ones back in the future. It's really sad RCCL plays such childish games with their loyal guest. Everyone who gets a weak drink should send it back and maybe sooner or later RCCL will understand they can't s** t us anymore.

[JBC]

2 hours ago, tonyfsu21 said:

I did come across an issue on Odyssey over Thanksgiving week at Lime & Coconut. I ordered a couple Pina Coladas for my brother and I while hanging by the pool and they had no alcohol in them. I went back after we finished them and mentioned this to the bartender and she replied “you didn’t mention you wanted alcohol in them”…….. Odd. I learned my lesson and now opt for the Kraken Coladas so you can physically see the rum in the drink. I feel like the Lime & Coconut owes me 2 diamond drinks! 

I order pina coladas with a Myers or Kraken floater (extra shot on top).  Kraken is pretty common and is a good choice because it's 94 proof.  Usually it's not an issue, and I typically hand them a buck or two in advance with my card and most of the time they get the idea.  If they don't, I will find another bartender for the next drink.  Any bartender that doesn't over-pour the jigger also won't get a return order from me, that's ridiculous.  You are on vacation and the drinks (whether paying per drink or with a package) are expensive!  A seasoned bartender doesn't need a jigger to make a proper drink anyways.  

[tonyfsu21]

28 minutes ago, JBC said:

I order pina coladas with a Myers or Kraken floater (extra shot on top).  Kraken is pretty common and is a good choice because it's 94 proof.  Usually it's not an issue, and I typically hand them a buck or two in advance with my card and most of the time they get the idea.  If they don't, I will find another bartender for the next drink.  Any bartender that doesn't over-pour the jigger also won't get a return order from me, that's ridiculous.  You are on vacation and the drinks (whether paying per drink or with a package) are expensive!  A seasoned bartender doesn't need a jigger to make a proper drink anyways.  

I’ve run through every iteration of the Pina Colada on Odyssey and perhaps it was just the bartender that didn’t know what was going on. I’ve ordered a Kraken floater and they skip the rum in the mix and just pour the floater which is not standard operating procedure. This must be another issue related to newer employees still learning their job roles. 

[Riley]

There are a lot of newer bartenders who are measuring carefully and still learning the non-measured (ice, mixers) side of things. I want to reiterate there is NO WAY anyone is watering down bottles of booze but there is a difference in proof that - when combined with a carefully measure pour - can create a weak-tasting drink.

[bretts173]

7 hours ago, Tim in Colorado said:

Absolutely.  We are on odyssey of the seas right now and it definitely tastes like the drinks are watered down.  I normally drink Manhattans and they all have tasted really watery so far. 

 

I wish they just charged more rather than water down the drinks, but I guess this cruise is for the Pina colada, cheap beer crowd. (If they had one beer on this ship that wasn't a light lager, it would be nice.) 

 

We have done a lot of cruising on NCL and Celebrity before. This is our first and last time on Royal Caribbean 

How do you water down a Manhattan?

[Floski]

On 4/30/2022 at 1:40 PM, JC Pats said:

I would think so, at least I haven't had problems ordering a drink and a shot at the same time. 

Yeah, but your reputation precedes you!!!   

They know better!

[Floski]

What I did on Harmony this spring was to find a convenient bar with a good vibe.  I ended up choosing

Bolero's.  Once I decided this was my bar, I gave them a $10 or $20 (hard to recollect!) and they took 

fabulous care of us throughout the cruise.  We had so much fun - I continually busted on them for the

lack of Zacapa (I know they have nothing to do with it, and I'm not holding out hope that there will be

any on Wonder in 3 weeks) and we all had a great time!  I'd tip 'em every night because they were just

awesome dudes and I was very happy there.

[RCLblue10]

so one vote for Bolero's (harmony) as best bar for strong drinks and fun.  I am going on Harmony in Jan.  any other bar/bartender comments to help me make a decision where to drink on Harmony?  I tend to spend most of my time in casino.  I wish it was a video poker bar.  thanks

[memebag]

I had the DBP on Adventure two weeks ago. I thought a lot of the mixed drinks were on the weak side, not due to watered liquor, just a lot of mixer. That was OK. I needed the hydration and nutrition a mixer can provide, and was able to order as many as I liked.

The one drink that seemed perfect was a Kraken and soda. I started ordering those as soon as the Solarium bar opened on a port day. Soon everyone else in the Solarium was ordering them.

[mom2mybugs]

1 hour ago, memebag said:

I had the DBP on Adventure two weeks ago. I thought a lot of the mixed drinks were on the weak side, not due to watered liquor, just a lot of mixer. That was OK. I needed the hydration and nutrition a mixer can provide, and was able to order as many as I liked.

The one drink that seemed perfect was a Kraken and soda. I started ordering those as soon as the Solarium bar opened on a port day. Soon everyone else in the Solarium was ordering them.

I love kraken and that sounds like a good break from sweet!  Jane

[Snowchaser]

My last two cruises all the drinks tasted fine but did seem week.  Instead of "feelin good" its more of a bloated feeling from all the fillers.  Towards the end of our last cruise I started only getting strait shots of whatever,(Kraken, Buffalo Trace),on the rocks to get straight to the good stuff.

[GatorCruiser]

I will say this, when I sailed Odyssey in december 2021, I felt my martinis were watered down for sure. Sailed symphony this past March, still some but less so. I will sail Wonder in 2 weeks, I will report back my findings after thorough and extensive research!

[tonyfsu21]

10 hours ago, RCLblue10 said:

so one vote for Bolero's (harmony) as best bar for strong drinks and fun.  I am going on Harmony in Jan.  any other bar/bartender comments to help me make a decision where to drink on Harmony?  I tend to spend most of my time in casino.  I wish it was a video poker bar.  thanks

If you have prime casino level or above I would just stick with the casino bar. That seemed to be one place on the ship where I was getting (at a minimum) correct drink I requested and on top of that it was a generous pour. 

[memebag]

11 hours ago, mom2mybugs said:

I love kraken and that sounds like a good break from sweet!  Jane

Kraken is already kind of sweet. Mixed with soda it tastes a bit like root beer.

The bartender kept making my glass taller, and increasing the amount of soda, as the day went on.

[AlmondFarmer]

My advice is to not “nurse” drinks.

Letting the ice melt will cause the drink to taste watered down.

Remember, ice is at least 90% water. 

[twangster]

1 hour ago, AlmondFarmer said:

My advice is to not “nurse” drinks.

Letting the ice melt will cause the drink to taste watered down.

Remember, ice is at least 90% water. 

You mean they watered down the ice too?  

[teddy]

I learned before I got out of my teens that ice just gets in the way of a good drink. 
 

I also learned “quantity over quality”, so ymmv. 

[Floski]

On 11/30/2022 at 10:33 PM, RCLblue10 said:

so one vote for Bolero's (harmony) as best bar for strong drinks and fun.  I am going on Harmony in Jan.  any other bar/bartender comments to help me make a decision where to drink on Harmony?  I tend to spend most of my time in casino.  I wish it was a video poker bar.  thanks

There are two issues that kind of make bar recommendations tough - 

Crewmembers usually stay on for what, 6 months?  So there is a constant turnover of bartenders.

Relatedly - the bartenders only stay at one bar for two weeks and then move to another.

Today's Bolero's staff could be tomorrow's Wonderland guys/gals.

[Mariedoug]

This. On a cruise right now and have had more drinks each night than any single night before in my life and BARELY have been catching a buzz. 6 shots in I should be feeling something, right? I’m only 140 pounds 5’ 9

[Smokey79]

In the past, I ran into the issue of normally self pouring drinks vs measured so I understand where the earlier poster is coming from. 


I try hard the first day to find “my guy” for the cruise. Shout out to Fernando on IOS in 17. He set a high standard to follow. Now once I find him/her, I feel like I’m weird for doing so but I still use tip envelopes onboard. One is for the selected bartender. He’ll get $40 or $50 when selected. Nothing the next day to see how he’s going to be if he thinks the money is gone. Double tip the next day and then $40/50 each day for the remainder. I’ll only go to him regardless of where or what I’m doing. Started doing it five cruises ago and it’s not failed yet. Now getting the same results with a room steward has been harder to come by.  I was ruined by mints on the pillow, towel animals, and the friendliness of the crew growing up I guess. It just doesn’t seem the same anymore. As you can probably tell I’m not a fan of the current gratuity system but I understand why it might have been implemented.  

On a related note, we’re doing our first Star class cruise next year and have no idea what’s reasonable to tip the genie. I’m leaning towards $50/person/day? if they’re awesome and working down from there. In our case, that gives them $250 a day to make it memorable and most likely that’s what they’ll get as long as they don’t mess something up. It’s a double anniversary (in-laws 50th and our 20th) cruise and my kids first cruise so I’m hoping for special. 

 

[Kathleen]

1 hour ago, Smokey79 said:

leaning towards $50/person/day? if they’re awesome and working down from there. In our case, that gives them $250 a day to make it memorable and most likely that’s what they’ll get as long as they don’t mess something up. It’s a double anniversary (in-laws 50th and our 20th) cruise and my kids first cruise so I’m hoping for special. 

I’d say that’s right on point for your Star class Genie.

[brdjnr]

I am not nearly as experienced a cruiser as many here but I have found many more 'poorly made' cocktails than 'weak' ones. And it seems to vary from cruise to cruise in my experience. 

And this is coming from someone that knows his way around a bottle of liquor.

[DDaley]

Completely agreed on the weak drinks. I only drink vodka while on board and can have 10+ a day and never feel drunk in the slightest. At home I can pour 1 cocktail with about 2 shots in it and not need to make a second drink.  

We have found that ordering a shot and a drink at the same time is the best recourse so you can add it in and sortaaaa taste the liquor.  

[CruizIan]

I just think that people dont realize how much food they are eating when they cruise and it takes people a lot longer to "feel" the drinks that they are having. Because if you look around the ship you can see plenty of people that are "feeling it" and I cant imagine that just those people have found the right bartenders. Additionally they add full ice to most of the drink as they are supposed to and that type of ice tends to melt a lot faster so you are drinking a lot more of the drink that is not alcohol as well each time. I would usually recommend folks go with Martinis if you are trying to get your fix.

[Biaggio]

Like a rum punch. I ask the bar tender to put a rum floater after he makes the drink at no extra charge 

[Snowchaser]

I always told myself that "its just that I'm eating more food" as the reason for not getting an alchohol buzz.  But on my last cruise I had some sort of import beer (not a beer drinker) just to try it out and I had an instant buzz......from beer of all things??  Now I have noticed the people around the pool who were really feeling it seemed to all be drinking beer so now I'm more leaning towards that the pours are weak or the liquor is of lower alcohol content.  In all honesty I didn't get a drink package on next months cruise partly because of this.

[Xaa]

I think if you believe it to be an issue @Snowchaser, wouldn't a drink package be to your advantage?  Your move then would be to ask for a double or a shot on the side and add it yourself.  That would be 2 drinks a la carte, but all included with the package.

Not trying to get you soused, but if you're looking for a little extra kick, that's the way.