Drink Shortages Raise Questions About Cunard’s Premium Packages
An advisor aboard Queen Elizabeth reported limited availability of signature gins, craft beers, and cocktails during an Alaska sailing.
Photo: Courtesy of Cunard
A travel advisor aboard Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth has raised concerns about the value of the cruise line’s premium drinks package after encountering widespread shortages during a round-trip Alaska sailing from Seattle.
In a post on the r/Cruise subreddit, the advisor reported that the Garden Lounge could prepare only two cocktails from its menu, and that many drinks at the Commodore Club were also unavailable. The ship had reportedly run out of Cunard’s proprietary all four of its 4 Queens gins and all three of its craft beers, along with other cocktail ingredients.
The advisor, who paid for the trip and package rather than traveling as a guest of the cruise line, said unavailable selections generally remained on the menus and that passengers received no advance warning. After raising the issue on board, the advisor was offered a martini tasting but was not offered a refund or discount. In the Reddit thread, another traveler reported encountering similar shortages aboard Queen Elizabeth in July. The accounts have not been independently verified.
The shortages are particularly notable because Cunard lists its 4 Queens gins and craft beers among the products included in its Premium Signature Package. According to the original post, a bar supervisor attributed the limited selection to difficulties obtaining certain British products while the ship operates in North America.
Patrick Meyer, global vice president of marine, cruise and renewables at Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, which manages ship provisioning, said the alcohol market is not facing a broader supply crunch. “We are currently not observing any widespread shortages in the global supply of alcoholic beverages, nor are there any specific supply bottlenecks in the United States,” he told Luxury Travel Report.
The challenge is delivering specific products to a moving ship: “Cruise lines must navigate varying import regulations, customs requirements, local restrictions, and logistical considerations across numerous countries and ports of call,” says Meyer. “These factors can complicate restocking, even if the products themselves remain readily available.”
Ships have several options when supplies run low. “In many cases, supplies can be procured through local distributors at the nearest ports of call,” Meyer said. Products may also be delivered by air freight when possible or replaced with suitable substitutes, depending on availability, regulations, cost, and the time remaining before the ship’s next port call.
While Meyer didn’t comment on Cunard specifically, his assessment suggests that the reported shortages may be a ship-level procurement or distribution problem rather than part of an industrywide shortage. For advisors, the larger concern may be communication. When signature products help sell a premium package, failing to update menus or notify passengers about limited availability can create a gap between the product sold and the experience received.
“We can confirm that a small number of Queen Elizabeth voyages were unable to offer Cunard’s 4 Queens Gin. While other gin brands were available, we would like to apologize to those guests looking forward to experiencing those specialty cocktails on board,” a Cunard spokesperson told LTR. “We are pleased to confirm that the ship is now fully stocked and able to offer these drinks to guests joining us on all upcoming voyages.”
