Craft Beer

[Meyers0621]

We are Cruising on the Navigator March 3rd.  Are there any craft beer selections?  If so, can we purchase them with our drink package?

[Daze]

The beer menus I've seen have a VERY limited craft beer selection, one or two maybe, but there is some decent beer on board.  As long as they are under $12 per you should be fine with the drink package, if they're over you'll just have to pay the difference +18% tip. 

[Matt]

The only place I have seen any craft beers is Michael's Genuine Pub on Quantum class ships.

[KLA]

It depends on the style of beer you are looking for, but as others have said selections are very limited. 

 

I've found Dogfish 90 minute in limited quantities on ships that have a "pub", and have also been pretty satisfied with drinking Hoegaarden and La Fin du Monde. Goose Island IPA is also seen on some ships, and selection can vary based on the bar you are at. 

 

I'd really love for Royal to hop on the Craft Beer train. 

[Matt]

I'd really love for Royal to hop on the Craft Beer train. 

I agree. It would be a big upgrade

[DocLC]

I agree. It would be a big upgrade

I'll jump on this band wagon. If that other cruise line can have a micro brewery at see, Royal could do it to our at least have a craft beer pub.

[KLA]

I'll jump on this band wagon. If that other cruise line can have a micro brewery at see, Royal could do it to our at least have a craft beer pub.

 

Or at least, expand their craft beer options at their existing ships with pubs. 

[Matt]

Knowing how companies work, obviously there is a distributor they have to deal with, but I don't see why they couldn't have at least a limited stock of craft beet available at one bar for those that are interested to enjoy.  

[KLA]

Knowing how companies work, obviously there is a distributor they have to deal with, but I don't see why they couldn't have at least a limited stock of craft beet available at one bar for those that are interested to enjoy.  

 

Every once in a while the Pub will have a small supply of something a little higher-end, but I had to admit I found it hilarious when one of the selections for the Beer Tasting in the Pub on Brilliance was ... Stella. *eyeroll* 

 

Especially with so many mega-breweries such as Anheuser-Bush and Heiniken acquiring smaller breweries, it seems like the distribution issue shouldn't be present. Even having a consistent option like Lagunitas (now partially owned by Heiniken) would be a really welcome sight. It seems like Michael's Genuine Pub is headed in the right direction, but I'd love to see this change made within existing pubs. 

[Matt]

Especially with so many mega-breweries such as Anheuser-Bush and Heiniken acquiring smaller breweries, it seems like the distribution issue shouldn't be present. 

That was my thinking too.  I get we may not see uber-small brews offered, but we can at least get the fake stuff!

[DunkelBierJay]

Every once in a while the Pub will have a small supply of something a little higher-end, but I had to admit I found it hilarious when one of the selections for the Beer Tasting in the Pub on Brilliance was ... Stella. *eyeroll* 

 

Especially with so many mega-breweries such as Anheuser-Bush and Heiniken acquiring smaller breweries, it seems like the distribution issue shouldn't be present. Even having a consistent option like Lagunitas (now partially owned by Heiniken) would be a really welcome sight. It seems like Michael's Genuine Pub is headed in the right direction, but I'd love to see this change made within existing pubs. 

 

I'm "more-or-less" in the business, and what you will find is that distributors offer discounts to operators based on the amount of tonnage of a brand and have limited space on their trucks for multiple brands on their deliveries. It's always a balancing act. That's why I think RC might be better served putting micro-breweries on their ships for those hopheads who like that kind of thing. 

 

Me? I like many traditional European beers and almost any Mexican beer, so customers like me add to Royal's dilemma of satisfying the most amount of people possible while they maximize profits.

 

If only people would wise up and quit drinking Bud and Miller Light!

[Floski]

Man, I would love to have some Lagunitas Sucks on my cruise!!!!!!   :)

 

What's funny to me, is that there is a huge brewery less than a mile from the Port Canaveral terminal - Florida Brewing Co.  

How hard would it be to slip a few pallets on there (for me, the rest of you are on your own!)??

 

But I agree - the craft selection is practically nil on Freedom.  La Fin du Monde was my go-to.

[KLA]

I'm "more-or-less" in the business, and what you will find is that distributors offer discounts to operators based on the amount of tonnage of a brand and have limited space on their trucks for multiple brands on their deliveries. It's always a balancing act. That's why I think RC might be better served putting micro-breweries on their ships for those hopheads who like that kind of thing. 

 

Me? I like many traditional European beers and almost any Mexican beer, so customers like me add to Royal's dilemma of satisfying the most amount of people possible while they maximize profits.

 

If only people would wise up and quit drinking Bud and Miller Light!

 

No kidding - life is too short for fizzy yellow beer! Super interesting perspective on that, though. So do something similar to what Carnival is doing with the Vista and it's brewery?

Definitely agree

 

Man, I would love to have some Lagunitas Sucks on my cruise!!!!!!   :)

 

What's funny to me, is that there is a huge brewery less than a mile from the Port Canaveral terminal - Florida Brewing Co.  

How hard would it be to slip a few pallets on there (for me, the rest of you are on your own!)??

 

But I agree - the craft selection is practically nil on Freedom.  La Fin du Monde was my go-to.

 

<3 Lagunitas Sucks, but I'd even settle for the standard Lagunitas IPA or Pale Ale. Even some of the larger non-acquired breweries would be great to see (Stone, Founder's, etc). I drink a lot of La Fin du Monde as well when the ships have it... but that ABV will definitely kick your butt after a bit! Haha! :) I did once find Dogfish Head 90 Minute on Indy but I think I drank their whole supply the first day. :| At the very least... can they have an IPA that isn't a pine-tastic Red Hook?! Gimme Citrus, I'm in the Caribbean! 

 

Does Florida Brewing Co. have a tap room? Going in to Port Canaveral the evening before my Majesty cruise and that could be fun to check out. I do enjoy Florida Lager! ... Probably because if I'm drinking that, it means I'm in Florida awaiting embarkation.

[Floski]

No kidding - life is too short for fizzy yellow beer! Super interesting perspective on that, though. So do something similar to what Carnival is doing with the Vista and it's brewery?

Definitely agree

 

 

<3 Lagunitas Sucks, but I'd even settle for the standard Lagunitas IPA or Pale Ale. Even some of the larger non-acquired breweries would be great to see (Stone, Founder's, etc). I drink a lot of La Fin du Monde as well when the ships have it... but that ABV will definitely kick your butt after a bit! Haha! :) I did once find Dogfish Head 90 Minute on Indy but I think I drank their whole supply the first day. :| At the very least... can they have an IPA that isn't a pine-tastic Red Hook?! Gimme Citrus, I'm in the Caribbean! 

 

Does Florida Brewing Co. have a tap room? Going in to Port Canaveral the evening before my Majesty cruise and that could be fun to check out. I do enjoy Florida Lager! ... Probably because if I'm drinking that, it means I'm in Florida awaiting embarkation.

 

Yes, they do.  It's super easy to find, very close to the McDonald's by the terminal.  It's a really nice taproom, as well.

 

 

 

Bad thing is that, unless you're sticking around when you return, you won't be able to have any to take home, as they 

won't be open that early in the morning.

 

I'd be ecstatic if they had some Florida beers, be it Jai Alai or something from Funky Buddha!   I know - dream on, son.

[KLA]

I'd be ecstatic if they had some Florida beers, be it Jai Alai or something from Funky Buddha!   I know - dream on, son.

 

I get unreasonably excited for Jai Alai when I'm in Florida. We found cans of White Oak Jai Alai that we enjoyed poolside the day before our cruise on Brilliance back in November and it made for a great afternoon! 

[JLMoran]

OK, I have to chime in and throw a vote for those of us whose tastes run less to IPAs and other super-hoppy / bitter beers and more towards unfiltered wheat ales, stouts (just discovered a really good "west coast style" that gives Guinness a run for its money), or a good vanilla porter (never thought there could be a "dessert beer", but there you go ;) ).

 

I've found some photos and other examples of the pub beer menus here, and for whatever reason these "pubs" all list mixers and cocktails and hardly any beer, which to me is what a pub is supposed to be all about!

[DunkelBierJay]

Does Florida Brewing Co. have a tap room? Going in to Port Canaveral the evening before my Majesty cruise and that could be fun to check out. I do enjoy Florida Lager! ... Probably because if I'm drinking that, it means I'm in Florida awaiting embarkation.

 

I don't know if any micro breweries have tap rooms nearby, but there's a World of Beer just off I-95 and south of the port in Melbourne...maybe 10-15 minutes away...they would have to have all the local brews

[bcarney]

 I did once find Dogfish Head 90 Minute on Indy but I think I drank their whole supply the first day. :|

 

On Adventure in November I had a very nice server in the Duck and Dog (Julia Tomas) that located DFH 90 Minute for me when I expressed an interest in craft IPAs.  And she brought me one every evening as I entered the pub, without me even having to ask for it.  

[KLA]

On Adventure in November I had a very nice server in the Duck and Dog (Julia Tomas) that located DFH 90 Minute for me when I expressed an interest in craft IPAs.  And she brought me one every evening as I entered the pub, without me even having to ask for it.  

 

Now THAT is awesome! Fingers crossed I find something with decent hop character on Majesty in a couple weeks! 

[bcarney]

I get unreasonably excited for Jai Alai when I'm in Florida. We found cans of White Oak Jai Alai that we enjoyed poolside the day before our cruise on Brilliance back in November and it made for a great afternoon! 

Perrin Brewing here in Michigan has a collaboration with Cigar City and will be serving Jai Lai in Michigan starting Jan 28  http://www.perrinbrewing.com/events/  I don't know if it's a permanent thing or not.  I hope it is!

 

 

[KLA]

Perrin Brewing here in Michigan has a collaboration with Cigar City and will be serving Jai Lai in Michigan starting Jan 28  http://www.perrinbrewing.com/events/  I don't know if it's a permanent thing or not.  I hope it is!

 

 

 

*Googles how far away Perrin Brewing is from Cincinnati, OH* 

 

I truly hope it is.. that means it's that much closer to my neighborhood, too! 

[bcarney]

*Googles how far away Perrin Brewing is from Cincinnati, OH* 

 

I truly hope it is.. that means it's that much closer to my neighborhood, too! 

Just north of Grand Rapids so you can stop at Founders....and all the other Grand Rapids area breweries.  Make it a weekend! 

 

Bill Carney

Unofficial Beer Ambassador (and Official Beer Consumer) of Michigan

[KLA]

Just north of Grand Rapids so you can stop at Founders....and all the other Grand Rapids area breweries.  Make it a weekend! 

 

Bill Carney

Unofficial Beer Ambassador (and Official Beer Consumer) of Michigan

 

Not a bad idea... I bet I could make that happen! Looks like about a six hour drive. 

[Matt]

It occurred to me that RC does not stock the whiskey Billy likes, so he contacts the F&B director and/or hotel director and arranges each cruise for them to carry it onboard when he sails. Why can't we do the same for craft beer?

[WAAAYTOOO]

Whaaaat ?

 

Billy gets a call-ahead on his whiskey ?  Does that actually mean Scotch ??

 

Here's something new I did NOT know about.  Please provide details...

 

:blink:  :blink:

[KLA]

Feature Request: Ability to summon members to a post. 

 

Ex: @monorailmedic

[jopibaconpants]

OK, I have to chime in and throw a vote for those of us whose tastes run less to IPAs and other super-hoppy / bitter beers and more towards unfiltered wheat ales, stouts (just discovered a really good "west coast style" that gives Guinness a run for its money), or a good vanilla porter (never thought there could be a "dessert beer", but there you go ;) ).

 

I've found some photos and other examples of the pub beer menus here, and for whatever reason these "pubs" all list mixers and cocktails and hardly any beer, which to me is what a pub is supposed to be all about!

 

I love me some porters and stouts. I hope you've tried Breckenridge Vanilla Porter, it is amazing. If only they have my New Holland Dragon's Milk Stout, I would be set for the cruise.  :lol:

[DocLC]

These arguments suggest Royal should sail from California as they could locally sourced the craft beers. ;)

[jopibaconpants]

These arguments suggest Royal should sail from California as they could locally sourced the craft beers. ;)

You make me miss living in San Diego and spending time at Ballast Point.

[KLA]

You make me miss living in San Diego and spending time at Ballast Point.

 

I was just in San Diego recently and had dinner at Ballast Point one night (it was awesome!) and just happened to be there shortly after "Victory at Sea" day when they had all of their variants out... I'm so sad I live so far away. I love San Diego so much. 

[monorailmedic]

Someone put up the bat-signal?

 

Yes, I do request certain types of scotch ahead of time.  That in mind, I'm not as confident that this would work as well for beer.

 

For one, the scotches I request are sometimes (just not usually) found on RCI ships already, and are standard options on Celebrity.  This means there is already a sku somewhere, a known supplier, an ability to simply transfer inventory off another RCI or X ship, etc.  This might be the case with some beers, but certainly not all, in the same way it wouldn't be the same with all whisky.

 

Next, a bottle or two of whisky is plenty of stock for a week long cruise if just one or two parties is requesting.  In terms of volume, to accomodate a beer request they'd probably need to move much more volume, which could mean greater expense or just additional effort.

 

That in mind - you may totally get what you want, I just don't want to give the impression that anything you can find at Total Wine is just an email away from being on your cruise, as this is probably quite far from the truth.

 

BH

[monorailmedic]

Feature Request: Ability to summon members to a post. 

 

Ex: @monorailmedic

I was thinking this.  Slack user.

[KLA]

I was thinking this.  Slack user.

 

Yep! Nailed it. 

[KLA]

Yes, I do request certain types of scotch ahead of time.  That in mind, I'm not as confident that this would work as well for beer.

 

 

"I'd like a keg of a decent IPA please."

[bcarney]

It occurred to me that RC does not stock the whiskey Billy likes, so he contacts the F&B director and/or hotel director and arranges each cruise for them to carry it onboard when he sails. Why can't we do the same for craft beer?

So how, pray tell, can we locate the Food and Beverage director for specific ships?  Specifically Rhapsody, April 1 sailing.  I'm recent Facebook friends with the wife of the Bev. director for Adventure (she's a star bartender onboard) so I'm all set there, LOL.

[JLMoran]

I love me some porters and stouts. I hope you've tried Breckenridge Vanilla Porter, it is amazing. If only they have my New Holland Dragon's Milk Stout, I would be set for the cruise.  :lol:

 

I have tried Breckenridge Vanilla Porter! And it is indeed amazing!

 

And thank you for posting this, because after I finished off the six-pack I'd bought, I forgot to write down the name of it so I could buy more! By the time I was able to go back to my local store, they'd already stopped carrying it and there went any chance to remember it by way of the label.

[jopibaconpants]

I have tried Breckenridge Vanilla Porter! And it is indeed amazing!

 

And thank you for posting this, because after I finished off the six-pack I'd bought, I forgot to write down the name of it so I could buy more! By the time I was able to go back to my local store, they'd already stopped carrying it and there went any chance to remember it by way of the label.

 

Ofcourse! And if you enjoy similar types of beer, I do suggest Belching Beaver's Viva La Beaver. It's a Mexican chocolate milk stout. It's like an adult version of chocolate milk, and who doesn't enjoy a nice cold glass of choccy milk? lol.

[Floski]

Instead of an 80s cruise, or a biker cruise, we should have a craft beer cruise, featuring the best offerings of craft breweries from across the country!!!

 

Bring on your hoppy, your dark, your sours and your barrel-aged!!!

 

B)

[CVO 7 Million Miles]

Hello

Will be first time RC cruiser next year because I want to sail on one of the world's largest cruise ships as a bucket list item.

Anyway, I found this thread when searching for: Royal Caribbean Craft Beer

The craft beer situation didn't sound promising on RC but I also found this link:

https://www.glacier-design.com/royal-caribbean-sails-into-beer-sales/
and was wondering if the article is true, RC is now a better craft beer destination that it was in Jan 2017 (date of this thread).

Thanks

Dan

[twangster]

46 minutes ago, CVO 7 Million Miles said:

Hello

Will be first time RC cruiser next year because I want to sail on one of the world's largest cruise ships as a bucket list item.

Anyway, I found this thread when searching for: Royal Caribbean Craft Beer

The craft beer situation didn't sound promising on RC but I also found this link:

https://www.glacier-design.com/royal-caribbean-sails-into-beer-sales/
and was wondering if the article is true, RC is now a better craft beer destination that it was in Jan 2017 (date of this thread).

Thanks

Dan

Welcome to the message boards!

The article doesn't give the year it was written but references 22 ships in the fleet, so that dates it to back a couple years ago,  possibly before this thread.

Today Royal does have a small collection of craft beers but it varies by ship.  Trying to maintain a consistent beer selection across 26 ships around the world has it's challenges.

Bottom line, here is a typical list of beers on a Royal ship. 

 

Not all bars stock all beers.  When a ship has a pub that tends to be the best beer bar on the ship.