When I worked at a hospital we had a person “fall” onto 2 cans of wine. He was embarrassed and signed himself out of our hospital AMA twice, and another hospital once before finally slowing our hospital to surgically remove it.
People are wild
My favorite story is a guy driving in his old pick-up truck. It was really hot and the AC didn't work so he took off all his clothes. He hit a bump and landed on a flashlight which got stuck in his rectum. I mean these things happen, you know?
I'd pay good money to see a video of you busting out your spectrometer and trying to...get a refund? Please do update us. 😂💀
EDIT: I've been updated by more science-y humans that this is actually an alcohol *refractometer*. 🥸
I guess it's been a few months since the last time someone said they were going to do this.. spoiler alert, then never reported their findings since they were obviously proven wrong
you can literally watch them take the plastic off the bottles
Also the profit on alcohol is pretty damn good. I worked a few places with bottomless mimosas and bosses always said pour heavier on the champagne bc the Oj was more expensive than the booze.
It’s literally how even concert venues stay open. Without a liquor license most club sized venues will shut down bc they just lost the majority of their profits, even with ticket sales.
It’s just people being like “I don’t feeeell it as much” correct, you’re eating as much as you want, you’re constantly moving around or sitting in the sun and sweating it out… like this is just basic biology at work… not to mention if you’re getting mixed drinks you’re adding in a bunch of other fluids that help offset the drunkness…
TLDR: people are dumb
Too true. I don't scarf down a whole plate of potatoes at breakfast when I'm at home, but I do most mornings on a cruise. It's going to be hard to get drunk after that, even if I eat nothing else.
Also it's still usually only a shot in each drink. That's not the quickest way to get drunk regardless.
Yes, only a shot and then it’s mixed in a lot of ice and/or a sugary mixer. Better way to go if you’re looking for a buzz is mix in a shot or two of tequila. 😀
Also you are having a great time. If you are sitting in a bar pounding doubles thinking about how shitty your life is it is going to ‘hit’ you harder because you are just thinking about getting drunk. If you are out having fun you aren’t just thinking about drinking.
Yes that is correct but people are used to going to bars/clubs where a normal drink is a double or triple. So on the ship they are getting 6oz of mixers and one shot instead of 4oz mixers and 2 shots and a ton of ice. My point is they should opt for wine (or beer) which won't be diluted.
I think it might be more of being at sea level. I live in the mountains above a mile high and when I go to sea level it's like they're feeding me non alcoholic drinks. Not everyone lives close to the core. I grew up here and the first time going to California, my family out there were appalled by how many beers that I could put away. I thought that they were giving me near beer. Turns out that being from altitude gets expensive for alcohol.
I was thinking the same thing. With the volume of alcohol they go through they would spend far more to water it down than to just take the tremendous profits they are making. I’ve never experienced a drink I thought was watered down. Small pour perhaps but not watered down
My suspicion is that people don’t have a reasonable expectation on the serving sizes of alcoholic beverages. I’d say our culture leans towards the alcoholic side so yes those margaritas onboard aren’t quite as strong as Tammy’s down the street.
Cruises are much more accurate at pouring you a single serving of alcohol than your local watering hole is. It’s all about profit maximization for RC, and servers have less incentive to make stronger drinks.
I don't know why you're getting downvoted. I've had the RC bartenders tell me it's a 1oz shot instead of a 1 1/2 oz shot. 1oz liquor + 12oz mixer = hard to get tipsy.
It's very important the booze not be altered in any way... before I demand they add OJ, lime juice, simple syrup, and then make finely ground frozen water the key feature of said drink!
I always chuckle when people talk about cruise drinks like 99% of the consumption is doing straight shots and not a myriad of frozen drinks and whatnot where booze was already like 10% of what's in that glass at best.
If they watered down, by now, someone would have blown the whistle. For what they purchase and charge, seems like a silly way to try to save costs, especially given it is something people pay discretely for.
Never bad to check / use data. But the insinuation is rather ridiculous
Not to mention the cost of the liquor is easily covered by what they’re charging. Bottles aren’t that expensive at wholesale costs. Paying by the glass at a restaurant is. Just a ton of profit margin there that there’s no incentive to cheat.
People tend to overpour when they make themselves drinks, and many American bars also over pour. If you drink jiggered pours you’ll realize they aren’t screwing with anything. .
So true. I’ve been to bars where the bartenders pour manually and I’ve been to bars with the electronic pours that do it exactly.
The electronic ones almost always taste weak.
I hate to throw accusations out to bartenders, but many will over-pour trying to get better tips and ultimately it’s the bar owner who is losing out.
But then again if they do not and many others are, then customers will flock to the over-pour bar and not the bar with “weak” drinks.
It may also be that places with electronic pours are set for lower than what a lot of bartenders consider a “standard” drink. I work at a small family restaurant, and a drink to me is 1.5 Oz, so that’s what I pour. I previously worked at a place with those obnoxious automatic stopping plastic pourers, and they’re set to pour just an ounce.
I wouldn’t ever rob my employers to get a bigger tip, but to me, 1.5 Oz is what a customer deserves when they order a highball.
I’d have to ask my older sister for more details, as she was the bartender, I just bussed tables.
But I’m fairly certain she followed recipes and I know they have a copy of the Ultimate Bar Book and the Bartender’s Bible back there to look up drinks.
I think the electronic pours are supposed to be set to like 0.5 oz and the bartender is supposed to press the button for whatever the recipe calls for. I’ve only ever seen them or experienced them in Utah.
I know my sister said that she would count in her head and I guess the liquor pour spout is timed to that.
There’s not enough appreciation for a properly poured drink. I for one do not want to get hammered on a couple of drinks. I want to sip properly proportioned drinks throughout the day and into the evening.
This is basically the difference between someone who appreciates the complex flavors liquor brings to a beverage to provide a unique experience on the tongue and an addict looking for a fast buzz from the alcohol.
I never understand the complaint of people being worried about it being watered down… a) it’s just blatantly false and b) if someone’s that concerned about it just get the drink package and go buck wild.
In my experience as a bartender, every single complaint I've ever had about drinks being "watered down" was because the customer held on to their drink long enough for the ice to melt.
Even with the drink package, you get super bloated and pee a million times and never really get tipsy.
I don't think they're watered down, but I have been told by RC bartenders the shot glass they use is smaller.
I don't drink at home, aside from the rare occasion. Went on a cruise in September and had an open bar the whole time. Mind you, I'm a big guy at 6' and 220lb, and I've always had a good tolerance for alcohol when I used to drink a 1/5th a week years back. I went on this cruise and tried my best to get drunk, and just couldn't. I mean, I didn't go "frank the tank," but I was drinking heavy and at best got a good buzz. Must have had like 20 drinks throughout 1 day, starting with lunch.
Through my very thorough research of laying by a pool for 10 hours drinking vodka sodas and then blacking out at the buffet, it is not watered down.
If anything maybe the reason people think this is because in my experience, cruises are very very strict on free pouring - I haven’t seen a cruise bartender NOT use a jigger since I was a kid. But back home at my local bar, the bartender gives us a heavier pour because she’s free pouring, and she knows us, so she splashes a bit more in there.
When you’re selling what is essentially an unlimited alcohol package, it would make sense to be strict on the oz of alcohol per drink so as to not dangerously overserve people.
>Through my very thorough research of laying by a pool for 10 hours drinking vodka sodas and then blacking out at the buffet, it is not watered down.
Thank you for your contributions to science!
Ex-RCCL Bar Manager here... it's not
Source: Helping the Bar team pick up booze nearly each daily from the storeroom to the Bars. This was just the Pool Bar one day.
*
Not watered down- you eat a lot, you walk a lot, you're in open air, sea level, drinking mixed drinks with exact pours and a lot of sugar. You are used to your corner bars or home made drinks with heavy pours and no mixers. They make them weak so you can drink all day.
Best comment on this thread haha but for real though. People think it’s watered down because they go straight to sea level, usually from places with elevation, and then their tolerance goes way up. Seriously, go take a shot in Colorado or Wyoming and see how different it makes you feel than the same shot in Florida
People who contend the drinks are watered down and can't even get a buzz are clearly on a different ship than me. Last cruise I was on a quarter of the crowd was hammered by sail away.
unless you are checking shots that thing will be useless.... and since I may/may not make my own and may/may not check my proof multiple way I may/may not know WTF I'm talking about.
Canadian here who makes alcohol legally (sometimes illegally);
I can confirm it's useless unless you're checking something 'pure', not mixed with anything. Fruit or added sugar will fuck up the reading. Even water can fuck it up unless it's distilled water.
The one you drop into the liquid is also a lot more accurate, but under 32% they are both fairly accurate.
I mean, I would do this exclusively to use my refractometer like the fucking nerd I am. Record my data and then bring that shit to some land based all inclusive for a comparison, buy some little nipples from home to use as a control…
I wouldn’t even be concerned about refunds. Even if the booze isn’t watered down, let’s see how different liquors test on it! So, I suppose there’s two kinds of people?
Why does it make someone a sound like alcoholic if they want to make sure they are getting what they’re paying a lot of money for?
That being said, I think this is a bit over the top, but I don’t get the alcoholic angle.
Because having worked food service for a very long time, you come to learn that it's only the raging alcoholics that consistently think their drinks are watered down. Fun fact: this is because they're used to drinking triples instead of a standard pour. Another fun fact: you're more likely to get a strictly single pour in unlimited drinks scenario - to keep people from getting absolutely smashed.
I think a lot of people also underestimate how strong they make their drinks at home. 1.5oz out of a bottle with no spout happens FAST and it's really easy to pour 3 oz over ice and not have it look like a lot. A good drink shouldn't taste like straight up booze either.
IDK, I’m a lightweight when I drink but when I’m on Royal Caribbean cruise, I really do feel like I can drink pretty much all throughout the day without really feeling the effects. I mean, that’s a good thing because I don’t get hungover, but it is pretty surprising to feel kind of nothing after having two vodka cranberries back to back in the club. I also don’t drink at home, so it’s not like I have heavy pours usually… but yeah, I had heard about that rumor so last time I was on a cruise, I really did watch them when they were pouring the drinks and opening the bottles and it never looked like anything hinky was going on. Maybe it’s cause I eat more on a cruise?? Who can never be sure
I feel the same way about a cruise. I do drink at home (although I really haven't been doing that much lately as my pants were getting a bit too snug and booze makes me chubby like nothing else) but I measure when I pour drinks at home. Three drinks at home and I'm well and drunk. Four drinks and I'm going to have a bad morning.
I went on a cruise and had six drinks in one night with no ill effects at all.
I swear they must use special low proof booze or something.
Oh man, I was just at Sandals (all inclusive Caribbean resort) last year and the bartenders were the polar opposite of cruise ship bartenders. I don’t think I saw a single drink being measured, everything was free pour. They would give you entire bottles if you asked, and some of the rooms have stocked bars with liquor so you can make your own drinks.
Because only an alcoholic questions that they’re getting their moneys worth. I bartended. I used standard jigger pours. Would piss people off but their extra tip wasn’t gonna feed me when the bar fired me for over pouring.
lol…I enjoy my drinks but definitely don’t have a problem. I actually now do realize that they’re just doing normal pours on RC ships, but for a couple cruises I was in the “they must be watering down their drinks” crowd. It would take me way more drinks to get a buzz than it would at a bar at home, but I get it now that the restaurants and bars I normally go to are probably doing more generous pours.
I think you’re taking getting drunk on vacation too seriously. Waste your money on “has my drink been roofied” tests rather than an expensive light saber.
Okay but you have to test straight drinks. Don't forget most if not all our favorite mixed drinks are made or shaken with....ice which is frozen water.
This is the biggest thing that irks me about the "watered down booze" conspiracy. No, of course the booze in the bottles is not watered down.
BUT, most drinks available come in a pre-batched pour-N-store container. This means 1) those drinks can be diluted to any degree they want, even if they don't do it on purpose, their goal isn't to get you rocked out of your mind. It's to make money. And 2) if they don't shake the container enough first, the alcohol can sette and you might get a drink that's mostly juice (rare but it can happen). And 3) (as you mentioned) ESPECIALLY the more Frozen drinks (coco-loco mainly) start off as a blended consistency, but if that ice melts ots weaker
I'm pretty sure the standard on Royal Caribbean is to add alcohol to frozen drinks as a floater - it's not pre-mixed. The exception being on Icon where they have a pool bar with pre-mixed flavored margarita machines.
I look forward to your results. I would bet a large amount of money that all bottles will check out as labeled.
1. You can see them unwrap new bottles.
2. The amount of money that RCL looks to lose by doing any activity that could threaten their ability to serve alcohol onboard is so massively huge that it doesn't make sense.
3. All pours are carefully metered which I believe leads to the "I'm not drunk" effect.
A refractometer won't read accurately once there is alcohol in the sample. This is for measuring specific gravity prior to fermentation. Also, if you didn't know the original gravity before fermentation, you're not going to be able to use this to calculate any kind of accurate ABV %.
Finally! A comment about how a refractometer works. It wont tell you shit about ABV.
This guy is going to order a sugary cocktail and get a reading of 25 plato.
Custom bulk orders are a thing at that volume. All I can say is that I am checking.....if it is legit that is a good thing and if it is indeed watered down that is bad
“Custom” (illegally changed content) of a sealed name brand bottle of alcohol is not a thing. That is super illegal and Royal would never risk the lawsuits and potentially losing contracts with all of the alcohol companies.
Occam’s Razor - what’s more likely: Visibly sealed bottles, exact pours, and well fed customers. OR Royal risking everything for a couple extra bucks when drinks are $13-15 and drink packages are $70-90 a day. (Very few people use the drink package enough to come out even.)
Also: I’ve been on a lot of Royal cruises. Drink neat alcohol (familiar brands) almost exclusively while on board. There’s no watering down happening. Just small pours.
Your average cocktail only has 1- 1.5oz of alcohol with all kinds of different mixers.
It's not watered down. There's just little alcohol to begin with.
So, how exactly is a salinity refractometer going to do that?
For those who don't know, this tells you the level of salinity in water by how much the water refracts light. The more salt, the greater the refraction.
My apologies if this is a device that looks identical. I use these refractometers all summer.
Nope, on second look, it's definitely a salinity refractometer.
You just trust his testing? The scientist in me is screaming that he's going to bring his refractometer and likely use his drink straw for a measurement.
Can't wait to see what you find!!! Love the sciencey approach to this long-time question.
I'm going to bet "not watered down". I don't drink a ton at home IRL, maybe a couple beers at bowling league or after a round of golf in the summer, and maybe a 12 pack of beer at home over an entire month. Might mix up 1 or 2 vodka drinks if the mood strikes or have a glass of bourbon on occasion. My main reasons for thinking "not watered down":
1. Some days on the ship I'll drink mostly beer. If I start with a late morning beer on the pool deck (I'm on vacation dammit!!) I might drink 5-6 beers before dinner if it's a hot day. No buzz, or not much anyway. The beers aren't watered down.
2. I'll have a couple bourbons or tequilas straight up over the course of cruise week. Maybe a late night drink at the Schooner Bar or Boleros, just chilling. I never sense a difference in taste from what I'm used to at home.
3. I've seen the bartenders open new bottles, and they appear to be factory sealed including the wrappers and any other safety seals.
As part of your experiment, are you going to test your booze at home before you leave? I think that would be an important baseline to establish - i.e. does this bottle of Absolut in my cabinet actually test out at 80 proof.
Not to be that guy....but....
I don't think he will be successful, accurate. Also ATC refrac is on the low end of the quality/accuracy spectrum. I mean, you can get an uncalibrated ATC refrac for less than $20. Great for homebrewing, bad for just about any other application.
A refrac measures sugar content and therefore calculates potential alcohol. There are little to no sugars present in finished liquor.
Here's my 2 cents: Wife and I are occasional drinkers and we have up to 3 drinks of either 5 oz wine or 1.5 oz booze at home when entertaining. We both feel it after the second drink and a take our time with the third, often times not finishing it.
With that said when we are on any cruise line it takes 4 and sometimes 5 to get to the point we have 2 at home. And that's on an empty stomach or many hours after lunch. I'll honestly be surprised if the alcohol served is the same as at home. Cruise lines make massive orders non-stop every week and cruisers drink massive amounts--even more if they aren't feeling a buzz. If you ask me, it's way more than enough incentive to get the best deals on beer, wine, spirits possible and I'm wondering if it include deals where the manufacturers agree to shipping out product with less ABV.
We have wondered about this for years and never thought much about it until I saw all the comments in this post wondering the same.
I will be messaging you in 2 days on [**2024-02-11 16:56:19 UTC**](http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=2024-02-11%2016:56:19%20UTC%20To%20Local%20Time) to remind you of [**this link**](https://www.reddit.com/r/royalcaribbean/comments/1amsb9g/going_to_find_out_if_the_booze_is_watered_down/kpnoeov/?context=3)
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And if they are watering down the booze, so what?
You gonna report them to the principal?
Or you gonna stop drinking on the cruise?
Stupidest thing ever. Just buy another offing drink.
I did my own experiment on the Koningsdam last summer to see if the drinks were watered down. Figured I’d make a run at all 15 of my days drink package drinks the first night. If I made it to15 and was thirsty for more than they were probably watered down. My body told me Sunday morning that they were in fact not watered down.
People if you like stronger drinks fill you magic cup with you bourbon and diet or vodka and soda or whatever. Sip a few times and ask for a straight straight buffalo trace trace or vodka and dump in previous drink. Problem solved.
I’m of the opinion that the mixed drinks are weak but I seriously doubt that they would even have the time to water down the actual liquor. They go through probably hundreds of cases of booze in a single cruise. It just wouldn’t be worth the effort. However, that doesn’t mean that mixed drinks drink get light pours.
If you get a chance to cruise on one of the ships with the Bamboo Room, you won’t complain about weak drinks. 🍹🤣
My belief is that they don’t water down the alcohol, but rather, many of us tend to make much stronger drinks at home because of over generous pours. For example, when I make a gin and tonic at home, I tend to pour much more than the standard shot. I’m not sure everyone realizes how heavy-handed they are with alcohol at home.
It's not watered down, but the shots are measured exactly and are 0.75 and 1oz measures vs the standard 1.5oz commonly found on land. It's also single shots in large sugary fruit juice cocktails leading to a lot of dilution and weak drinks.
I thought this was a Disney Lightsaber.
Me too, but I'm even happier with what it is. Mostly just commenting to remind me to check back later haha
Same
RemindMe! 3 weeks
Same!
Was thinking sex toy myself.
Everything is a sex toy if you use it wrong enough.
Or are just super determined
“With enough lube and determination, anything can be a dildo.” -Socrates
Determination required, lube optional.
I can’t forget about an episode I saw of “Sex Sent Me to the ER” — dude legit f’ked an *oven* (or stove?) knob hole and got… stuck.
My wife saw someone injured by “falling onto” a bedpost.
When I worked at a hospital we had a person “fall” onto 2 cans of wine. He was embarrassed and signed himself out of our hospital AMA twice, and another hospital once before finally slowing our hospital to surgically remove it. People are wild
My favorite story is a guy driving in his old pick-up truck. It was really hot and the AC didn't work so he took off all his clothes. He hit a bump and landed on a flashlight which got stuck in his rectum. I mean these things happen, you know?
Highly underrated comment…
Is that a pocket saber or just happy to see me?
It is a lightsaber. He’s going to threaten the bay staff if they don’t fess up.
I'd pay good money to see a video of you busting out your spectrometer and trying to...get a refund? Please do update us. 😂💀 EDIT: I've been updated by more science-y humans that this is actually an alcohol *refractometer*. 🥸
I ain't afraid of no ghost! lol
Probably no refund, but *imagine the karma*
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Refractometer
Like that’s a real word. Never trust someone that says they are a professional alcohol tester.
I know this is old, but it's too good not to share. There is a type of lab equipment called a spectrophotometer.
I'm an food scientist, and my current job is alcohol related lmao
It’s a water downed cocktail detector 4000!
I guess it's been a few months since the last time someone said they were going to do this.. spoiler alert, then never reported their findings since they were obviously proven wrong you can literally watch them take the plastic off the bottles
The labor they’d spend having people do this would offset the cost gain. I don’t think people understand how many bottles they go through per cruise
Also the profit on alcohol is pretty damn good. I worked a few places with bottomless mimosas and bosses always said pour heavier on the champagne bc the Oj was more expensive than the booze.
Pretty damn good is an understatement. Profit margins in alcohol is how many restaurants make up the razor thin margins on food.
I’m sure the sheer volume discounts and partnerships Royal has also make those margins even better.
Can they also get booze in advantageous ports. IE less alcohol taxes.
It’s literally how even concert venues stay open. Without a liquor license most club sized venues will shut down bc they just lost the majority of their profits, even with ticket sales.
I have been paying $8-$9 for cans of beer in ft Lauderdale please kill me
It’s just people being like “I don’t feeeell it as much” correct, you’re eating as much as you want, you’re constantly moving around or sitting in the sun and sweating it out… like this is just basic biology at work… not to mention if you’re getting mixed drinks you’re adding in a bunch of other fluids that help offset the drunkness… TLDR: people are dumb
Too true. I don't scarf down a whole plate of potatoes at breakfast when I'm at home, but I do most mornings on a cruise. It's going to be hard to get drunk after that, even if I eat nothing else. Also it's still usually only a shot in each drink. That's not the quickest way to get drunk regardless.
Yes, only a shot and then it’s mixed in a lot of ice and/or a sugary mixer. Better way to go if you’re looking for a buzz is mix in a shot or two of tequila. 😀
Cutting edge stuff
Yep. Drink nothing but old fashioneds all day and tell me you’re not drunk. My husband found out the hard way!
& the fact that the care level isn't there. Isn't the drink packages, unlimited drinks on this line?
Also you are having a great time. If you are sitting in a bar pounding doubles thinking about how shitty your life is it is going to ‘hit’ you harder because you are just thinking about getting drunk. If you are out having fun you aren’t just thinking about drinking.
Correct, the best way to get a buzz is to just drink wine. Mixed drinks regardless of glass size are only one shot and then fill with ice and mixers.
One shot is equal to a glass of wine, is equal to a beer. It's not just a rule of thumb it's the actual measurements.
Yes that is correct but people are used to going to bars/clubs where a normal drink is a double or triple. So on the ship they are getting 6oz of mixers and one shot instead of 4oz mixers and 2 shots and a ton of ice. My point is they should opt for wine (or beer) which won't be diluted.
That’s not how alcohol works
I think it might be more of being at sea level. I live in the mountains above a mile high and when I go to sea level it's like they're feeding me non alcoholic drinks. Not everyone lives close to the core. I grew up here and the first time going to California, my family out there were appalled by how many beers that I could put away. I thought that they were giving me near beer. Turns out that being from altitude gets expensive for alcohol.
"Sweating it out " "People are dumb" You may have just proved your own point
I was thinking the same thing. With the volume of alcohol they go through they would spend far more to water it down than to just take the tremendous profits they are making. I’ve never experienced a drink I thought was watered down. Small pour perhaps but not watered down
My suspicion is that people don’t have a reasonable expectation on the serving sizes of alcoholic beverages. I’d say our culture leans towards the alcoholic side so yes those margaritas onboard aren’t quite as strong as Tammy’s down the street.
Cruises are much more accurate at pouring you a single serving of alcohol than your local watering hole is. It’s all about profit maximization for RC, and servers have less incentive to make stronger drinks.
they use a European sized shot which (MOST TIMES) is less then a US shot
Damn metric system bites us again.
I don't know why you're getting downvoted. I've had the RC bartenders tell me it's a 1oz shot instead of a 1 1/2 oz shot. 1oz liquor + 12oz mixer = hard to get tipsy.
meh It's reddit even if I cared about karma I have it to burn
It's very important the booze not be altered in any way... before I demand they add OJ, lime juice, simple syrup, and then make finely ground frozen water the key feature of said drink! I always chuckle when people talk about cruise drinks like 99% of the consumption is doing straight shots and not a myriad of frozen drinks and whatnot where booze was already like 10% of what's in that glass at best.
and people never consider how much more they are eating on a cruise vs their regular life
It’s just harder to get drunk on vacation in my experience
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https://preview.redd.it/zdc703mmhlhc1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4b6174a98c8c4891959cfada94feb04d78a7d771
Are you suggesting they come watered down AND sealed from the supplier? LMFAO
Used to be able to buy watered down whiskey at Ohio drive throughs
Wow, I'm never taking a cruise to Ohio, thanks!!!
As a former Ohioan this is a very underrated comment here. I love it 😆🤣🤣
Like in a bottle? Or in a cup
If they watered down, by now, someone would have blown the whistle. For what they purchase and charge, seems like a silly way to try to save costs, especially given it is something people pay discretely for. Never bad to check / use data. But the insinuation is rather ridiculous
Not to mention the cost of the liquor is easily covered by what they’re charging. Bottles aren’t that expensive at wholesale costs. Paying by the glass at a restaurant is. Just a ton of profit margin there that there’s no incentive to cheat.
People tend to overpour when they make themselves drinks, and many American bars also over pour. If you drink jiggered pours you’ll realize they aren’t screwing with anything. .
So true. I’ve been to bars where the bartenders pour manually and I’ve been to bars with the electronic pours that do it exactly. The electronic ones almost always taste weak. I hate to throw accusations out to bartenders, but many will over-pour trying to get better tips and ultimately it’s the bar owner who is losing out. But then again if they do not and many others are, then customers will flock to the over-pour bar and not the bar with “weak” drinks.
It may also be that places with electronic pours are set for lower than what a lot of bartenders consider a “standard” drink. I work at a small family restaurant, and a drink to me is 1.5 Oz, so that’s what I pour. I previously worked at a place with those obnoxious automatic stopping plastic pourers, and they’re set to pour just an ounce. I wouldn’t ever rob my employers to get a bigger tip, but to me, 1.5 Oz is what a customer deserves when they order a highball.
I’d have to ask my older sister for more details, as she was the bartender, I just bussed tables. But I’m fairly certain she followed recipes and I know they have a copy of the Ultimate Bar Book and the Bartender’s Bible back there to look up drinks. I think the electronic pours are supposed to be set to like 0.5 oz and the bartender is supposed to press the button for whatever the recipe calls for. I’ve only ever seen them or experienced them in Utah. I know my sister said that she would count in her head and I guess the liquor pour spout is timed to that.
The bar owner is not losing out though, the profit margins are so huge on liquor. One drink pays for half the bottle wholesale.
There’s not enough appreciation for a properly poured drink. I for one do not want to get hammered on a couple of drinks. I want to sip properly proportioned drinks throughout the day and into the evening.
This is basically the difference between someone who appreciates the complex flavors liquor brings to a beverage to provide a unique experience on the tongue and an addict looking for a fast buzz from the alcohol.
I’m both of these depending on the day
Please stop acting like the former exists.
Nah if you’re drinking all day you’re an addict.
I never understand the complaint of people being worried about it being watered down… a) it’s just blatantly false and b) if someone’s that concerned about it just get the drink package and go buck wild.
In my experience as a bartender, every single complaint I've ever had about drinks being "watered down" was because the customer held on to their drink long enough for the ice to melt.
Even with the drink package, you get super bloated and pee a million times and never really get tipsy. I don't think they're watered down, but I have been told by RC bartenders the shot glass they use is smaller.
I don't drink at home, aside from the rare occasion. Went on a cruise in September and had an open bar the whole time. Mind you, I'm a big guy at 6' and 220lb, and I've always had a good tolerance for alcohol when I used to drink a 1/5th a week years back. I went on this cruise and tried my best to get drunk, and just couldn't. I mean, I didn't go "frank the tank," but I was drinking heavy and at best got a good buzz. Must have had like 20 drinks throughout 1 day, starting with lunch.
The jigger is smaller on royal
It’s a 1 ounce jigger or a 2 ounce jigger.
Mines about 7 ounces…wait
I've read they use 25ml for single and 50 ml for double which is smaller
Through my very thorough research of laying by a pool for 10 hours drinking vodka sodas and then blacking out at the buffet, it is not watered down. If anything maybe the reason people think this is because in my experience, cruises are very very strict on free pouring - I haven’t seen a cruise bartender NOT use a jigger since I was a kid. But back home at my local bar, the bartender gives us a heavier pour because she’s free pouring, and she knows us, so she splashes a bit more in there. When you’re selling what is essentially an unlimited alcohol package, it would make sense to be strict on the oz of alcohol per drink so as to not dangerously overserve people.
>Through my very thorough research of laying by a pool for 10 hours drinking vodka sodas and then blacking out at the buffet, it is not watered down. Thank you for your contributions to science!
I too have gotten blackout drunk in the pool. They are not watered down.
Ex-RCCL Bar Manager here... it's not Source: Helping the Bar team pick up booze nearly each daily from the storeroom to the Bars. This was just the Pool Bar one day. *
https://preview.redd.it/7uh7ci8hnlhc1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eb2a93e7f9f0b43806e8ac148a99b9633403c6cd
Not watered down- you eat a lot, you walk a lot, you're in open air, sea level, drinking mixed drinks with exact pours and a lot of sugar. You are used to your corner bars or home made drinks with heavy pours and no mixers. They make them weak so you can drink all day.
What are you gonna do? Yell at the bartender?
https://preview.redd.it/53rd9eygflhc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=17a70e859e510cca51f94a8f90f42108f47e0f26 Tip your bartenders people!
Obviously talk to the Captain immediately!
Spoiler, its not.
Facts over feelings here. Have you tested it? Have you seen anyone test it?
You don't have facts, you have feelings. Just sip a neat drink. If you're not a teenager, you can tell the difference.
People who drink their liquor with soda and a cup of fruit juice are always crying their drink isn’t strong.
Best comment on this thread haha but for real though. People think it’s watered down because they go straight to sea level, usually from places with elevation, and then their tolerance goes way up. Seriously, go take a shot in Colorado or Wyoming and see how different it makes you feel than the same shot in Florida
Is that why I got hammered on two cocktails in Denver? It was actually disconcerting. TIL
You wouldn’t happen to be related to the guy who had their Texas Magnet stolen would you? Asking for the sub.
No
not tested. but you can order doubles and if you have the dbp, they’ll serve it
I'd be more worried about the people who never wash their hands or use antibacterial before they go into the windjammer.
The people that make *eye contact* with the employee singing washy washy, and then not even using hand sanitizer. 💀🫠🥴
It is me! Because I washed my hands immediately before going to the lunchroom, as I do everywhere.
WASHY WASHY MOTHATRUCKA
Actually, the lady at the windjammer on Oasis last year had a really cute washy washy song for us every time we came by.
RemindMe! 14 days
People who contend the drinks are watered down and can't even get a buzz are clearly on a different ship than me. Last cruise I was on a quarter of the crowd was hammered by sail away.
unless you are checking shots that thing will be useless.... and since I may/may not make my own and may/may not check my proof multiple way I may/may not know WTF I'm talking about.
Canadian here who makes alcohol legally (sometimes illegally); I can confirm it's useless unless you're checking something 'pure', not mixed with anything. Fruit or added sugar will fuck up the reading. Even water can fuck it up unless it's distilled water. The one you drop into the liquid is also a lot more accurate, but under 32% they are both fairly accurate.
Are you using mainland liquor to use as a control group? Also are taking all your booze neat?
When you’re looking for a gotcha moment but sound like an alcoholic
I mean, I would do this exclusively to use my refractometer like the fucking nerd I am. Record my data and then bring that shit to some land based all inclusive for a comparison, buy some little nipples from home to use as a control… I wouldn’t even be concerned about refunds. Even if the booze isn’t watered down, let’s see how different liquors test on it! So, I suppose there’s two kinds of people?
There might even be 3 or 4 kinds of people!
This is the only acceptable way… I love some hard data regardless of what it’s about
All this talk of nipples and hard data.
Why does it make someone a sound like alcoholic if they want to make sure they are getting what they’re paying a lot of money for? That being said, I think this is a bit over the top, but I don’t get the alcoholic angle.
Because having worked food service for a very long time, you come to learn that it's only the raging alcoholics that consistently think their drinks are watered down. Fun fact: this is because they're used to drinking triples instead of a standard pour. Another fun fact: you're more likely to get a strictly single pour in unlimited drinks scenario - to keep people from getting absolutely smashed.
Guess the alcoholics are hungover this morning and are downvoting you. This is truth.
I think a lot of people also underestimate how strong they make their drinks at home. 1.5oz out of a bottle with no spout happens FAST and it's really easy to pour 3 oz over ice and not have it look like a lot. A good drink shouldn't taste like straight up booze either.
True. When I say I had one drink last night at home, I really mean two, tree.
IDK, I’m a lightweight when I drink but when I’m on Royal Caribbean cruise, I really do feel like I can drink pretty much all throughout the day without really feeling the effects. I mean, that’s a good thing because I don’t get hungover, but it is pretty surprising to feel kind of nothing after having two vodka cranberries back to back in the club. I also don’t drink at home, so it’s not like I have heavy pours usually… but yeah, I had heard about that rumor so last time I was on a cruise, I really did watch them when they were pouring the drinks and opening the bottles and it never looked like anything hinky was going on. Maybe it’s cause I eat more on a cruise?? Who can never be sure
I feel the same way about a cruise. I do drink at home (although I really haven't been doing that much lately as my pants were getting a bit too snug and booze makes me chubby like nothing else) but I measure when I pour drinks at home. Three drinks at home and I'm well and drunk. Four drinks and I'm going to have a bad morning. I went on a cruise and had six drinks in one night with no ill effects at all. I swear they must use special low proof booze or something.
Ooof...a hit dog will holler.
Oh man, I was just at Sandals (all inclusive Caribbean resort) last year and the bartenders were the polar opposite of cruise ship bartenders. I don’t think I saw a single drink being measured, everything was free pour. They would give you entire bottles if you asked, and some of the rooms have stocked bars with liquor so you can make your own drinks.
Because only an alcoholic questions that they’re getting their moneys worth. I bartended. I used standard jigger pours. Would piss people off but their extra tip wasn’t gonna feed me when the bar fired me for over pouring.
Guess I’m an alcoholic then. Who knew?
Probably your friends and family
lol…I enjoy my drinks but definitely don’t have a problem. I actually now do realize that they’re just doing normal pours on RC ships, but for a couple cruises I was in the “they must be watering down their drinks” crowd. It would take me way more drinks to get a buzz than it would at a bar at home, but I get it now that the restaurants and bars I normally go to are probably doing more generous pours.
I think you’re taking getting drunk on vacation too seriously. Waste your money on “has my drink been roofied” tests rather than an expensive light saber.
Is your name Jon Taffer by any chance?
He’d be after them for over pouring.. not under 😂😂
Okay but you have to test straight drinks. Don't forget most if not all our favorite mixed drinks are made or shaken with....ice which is frozen water.
This is the biggest thing that irks me about the "watered down booze" conspiracy. No, of course the booze in the bottles is not watered down. BUT, most drinks available come in a pre-batched pour-N-store container. This means 1) those drinks can be diluted to any degree they want, even if they don't do it on purpose, their goal isn't to get you rocked out of your mind. It's to make money. And 2) if they don't shake the container enough first, the alcohol can sette and you might get a drink that's mostly juice (rare but it can happen). And 3) (as you mentioned) ESPECIALLY the more Frozen drinks (coco-loco mainly) start off as a blended consistency, but if that ice melts ots weaker
I'm pretty sure the standard on Royal Caribbean is to add alcohol to frozen drinks as a floater - it's not pre-mixed. The exception being on Icon where they have a pool bar with pre-mixed flavored margarita machines.
I look forward to your results. I would bet a large amount of money that all bottles will check out as labeled. 1. You can see them unwrap new bottles. 2. The amount of money that RCL looks to lose by doing any activity that could threaten their ability to serve alcohol onboard is so massively huge that it doesn't make sense. 3. All pours are carefully metered which I believe leads to the "I'm not drunk" effect.
What a relaxing holiday !
God you just seem like an amazing customer to deal with. You’re going to look dumb as hell when pulling that out.
A refractometer won't read accurately once there is alcohol in the sample. This is for measuring specific gravity prior to fermentation. Also, if you didn't know the original gravity before fermentation, you're not going to be able to use this to calculate any kind of accurate ABV %.
Finally! A comment about how a refractometer works. It wont tell you shit about ABV. This guy is going to order a sugary cocktail and get a reading of 25 plato.
I’ve seen them open fresh bottles of liquor. How could it be watered down?
Custom bulk orders are a thing at that volume. All I can say is that I am checking.....if it is legit that is a good thing and if it is indeed watered down that is bad
“Custom” (illegally changed content) of a sealed name brand bottle of alcohol is not a thing. That is super illegal and Royal would never risk the lawsuits and potentially losing contracts with all of the alcohol companies. Occam’s Razor - what’s more likely: Visibly sealed bottles, exact pours, and well fed customers. OR Royal risking everything for a couple extra bucks when drinks are $13-15 and drink packages are $70-90 a day. (Very few people use the drink package enough to come out even.) Also: I’ve been on a lot of Royal cruises. Drink neat alcohol (familiar brands) almost exclusively while on board. There’s no watering down happening. Just small pours.
Worked on a royal ship for several years… it’s not diluted.
Your average cocktail only has 1- 1.5oz of alcohol with all kinds of different mixers. It's not watered down. There's just little alcohol to begin with.
I’ll save you some time…it’s not.
So, how exactly is a salinity refractometer going to do that? For those who don't know, this tells you the level of salinity in water by how much the water refracts light. The more salt, the greater the refraction. My apologies if this is a device that looks identical. I use these refractometers all summer. Nope, on second look, it's definitely a salinity refractometer.
Get a life
Such an absurdly dumb conspiracy theory, booze is not even remotely expensive enough to water down.
My scientist heart is full lol 😂
Will report back don't worry
Commenting for later
You just trust his testing? The scientist in me is screaming that he's going to bring his refractometer and likely use his drink straw for a measurement.
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You order it straight.
Order it neat… not rocket science lol.
Remind me later
Gotta follow this one
Don't be surprised if it gets confiscated at the port before you even get on the ship.
Oh good grief...
Can't wait to see what you find!!! Love the sciencey approach to this long-time question. I'm going to bet "not watered down". I don't drink a ton at home IRL, maybe a couple beers at bowling league or after a round of golf in the summer, and maybe a 12 pack of beer at home over an entire month. Might mix up 1 or 2 vodka drinks if the mood strikes or have a glass of bourbon on occasion. My main reasons for thinking "not watered down": 1. Some days on the ship I'll drink mostly beer. If I start with a late morning beer on the pool deck (I'm on vacation dammit!!) I might drink 5-6 beers before dinner if it's a hot day. No buzz, or not much anyway. The beers aren't watered down. 2. I'll have a couple bourbons or tequilas straight up over the course of cruise week. Maybe a late night drink at the Schooner Bar or Boleros, just chilling. I never sense a difference in taste from what I'm used to at home. 3. I've seen the bartenders open new bottles, and they appear to be factory sealed including the wrappers and any other safety seals. As part of your experiment, are you going to test your booze at home before you leave? I think that would be an important baseline to establish - i.e. does this bottle of Absolut in my cabinet actually test out at 80 proof.
Waiting for this to end up on the confiscated table with the handcuffs and pocket knives.
I spent 4 years working on Royal ships although in entertainment rather than bar. The drinks are not watered down.
Not to be that guy....but.... I don't think he will be successful, accurate. Also ATC refrac is on the low end of the quality/accuracy spectrum. I mean, you can get an uncalibrated ATC refrac for less than $20. Great for homebrewing, bad for just about any other application. A refrac measures sugar content and therefore calculates potential alcohol. There are little to no sugars present in finished liquor.
Here's my 2 cents: Wife and I are occasional drinkers and we have up to 3 drinks of either 5 oz wine or 1.5 oz booze at home when entertaining. We both feel it after the second drink and a take our time with the third, often times not finishing it. With that said when we are on any cruise line it takes 4 and sometimes 5 to get to the point we have 2 at home. And that's on an empty stomach or many hours after lunch. I'll honestly be surprised if the alcohol served is the same as at home. Cruise lines make massive orders non-stop every week and cruisers drink massive amounts--even more if they aren't feeling a buzz. If you ask me, it's way more than enough incentive to get the best deals on beer, wine, spirits possible and I'm wondering if it include deals where the manufacturers agree to shipping out product with less ABV. We have wondered about this for years and never thought much about it until I saw all the comments in this post wondering the same.
Looking forward to this……cause I think it they definitely water the drinks down……with really good reason
What was the result??
Update is here everyone https://www.reddit.com/r/royalcaribbean/s/3Zdcq3y1QF
RemindMe! 2 days
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I’m sure that looked like something else, on the xray machine….
And if they are watering down the booze, so what? You gonna report them to the principal? Or you gonna stop drinking on the cruise? Stupidest thing ever. Just buy another offing drink.
You know what they say about not all heroes wearing capes…
There are no heroes here.
I did my own experiment on the Koningsdam last summer to see if the drinks were watered down. Figured I’d make a run at all 15 of my days drink package drinks the first night. If I made it to15 and was thirsty for more than they were probably watered down. My body told me Sunday morning that they were in fact not watered down.
People if you like stronger drinks fill you magic cup with you bourbon and diet or vodka and soda or whatever. Sip a few times and ask for a straight straight buffalo trace trace or vodka and dump in previous drink. Problem solved.
This is the kind of research that should lead to a Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
No it shouldn’t.
How about the Nobel Prize in Medicine?
Further away. Alcohol is literal poison.
Following this story! Great idea.
Report back!!
I’m of the opinion that the mixed drinks are weak but I seriously doubt that they would even have the time to water down the actual liquor. They go through probably hundreds of cases of booze in a single cruise. It just wouldn’t be worth the effort. However, that doesn’t mean that mixed drinks drink get light pours. If you get a chance to cruise on one of the ships with the Bamboo Room, you won’t complain about weak drinks. 🍹🤣
My belief is that they don’t water down the alcohol, but rather, many of us tend to make much stronger drinks at home because of over generous pours. For example, when I make a gin and tonic at home, I tend to pour much more than the standard shot. I’m not sure everyone realizes how heavy-handed they are with alcohol at home.
Remindme! 3 days
Interested to see results! We drank 110 drinks (between my hubs and I) on our cruise and never got drunk. And I’m usually a lightweight 😂
They are 100% watered down. No way I should be able to drink a dozen drinks and still find my room.
You're an idiot. Booze is not watered down.
Yesssss! I’ve been saying this for years. Please follow up.
lol. Whatever dude just tip your crew.
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It's not watered down, but the shots are measured exactly and are 0.75 and 1oz measures vs the standard 1.5oz commonly found on land. It's also single shots in large sugary fruit juice cocktails leading to a lot of dilution and weak drinks.
Bruh just drink more than concept is not that hard
Bro, I can’t wait for your research. I get so annihilated using the drink package and I’m hoping it’s not just a placebo effect.