I'm afraid I'd have my Czech passport taken from me if I ever quit drinking (jokes, going sober is a trend here as well) but I love hearing stories from people who did! At the same time however - surely alcohol isn't being forced down anyone's throat on regular cruises?
Haha, Czechia has some wonderful beer, to be sure. I have some great memories visiting in the summer and enjoying some on tables by the Vltava. I would assume that your breweries are also making some non-alcoholic options, though, too?
I think some cruises vary; there are some of these, like American-operated cruise lines, that are all-inclusive on alcohol except the premium label, so people are just drunk and partying the entire time. Forced down the throats, no, but there is a cruise/party culture like this that does exist.
Yes, that is fortunate. Also, not mentioned here but touched on in your other recent pieces/chats, albeit not directly, is the price. I can only imagine what the prices are these days to have some with your dinner or a night out at the bars!
One trend I've noticed a fair bit over on the old Instagram are the hip, young Ukrainians proudly flashing their non-alcoholic brews, I wasn't sure if this was a Ukrainian thing or more global but I've certainly about the trend towards not drinking.
One of these days I might share a post about booze - as I've got older, the hangovers do get worse but the reason I haven't given up drinking is that I have hangovers almost every day - stay with me here, I don't drink every day (!), but for years I've been a horrible sleeper and feel rough most days, drinking or not. I gave up drinking for a few months a few years ago and if anything, I felt worse over that time. These days I might have 1 beer and feel like hell the next morning, or it could be like Sunday, where I had a couple of stiff martinis and felt as fresh as daisies on Monday. No rhyme or reason to it anymore (Disclosure: I drink 2-3 times a week, tops, usually 1-2 drinks, haven't been drunk in years)
There are some very good Ukrainian non-alcoholic beers! There is a Ukrainian restaurant right near me that opened in the past year or so, which has a few that they import. Posts about booze, I think, are good. I mean, you do have Drinkglish, so it would be a natural tie-in for you to share more! I obviously had some apprehension about tying myself into this piece on the trend, but I hope it makes people understand it more, rather than just sharing what I am seeing/reading in the travel industry.
Absolutely great post. I didn’t realize that cruises were going non-alcohol too. My longest time w/o drinking was 7 years. And I was often the only sober person at a party and always, of course, the designated driver. At bars back then in San Francisco that qualified me for a free club soda or non of choice. I can’t really recall when I tiptoed back into the ‘world with alcohol.’ I’m more tempered now, the occasional drink, but don’t know if I’ll take that whole plunge again. The odd thing was that for so many years it just seemed normal, easy. And I wish I could recall the moment I decided to dive back in. Maybe I was just shooting for a more temperate ground. Which I found. Kudos to you!!
Thank you, Jeanine. I didn't realize they were either initially, although it really does make sense. I feel like a lot of that cruise behavior (all-inclusive drinks with how people get) makes them very unattractive to sober people or people who just really don't want to day drink non-stop. I appreciate you sharing your story as well. I think I am thankful that there are more options, and it's becoming more accepted in the club soda only time, it would be tougher. I am glad you have found what works best for you, too!
I'm afraid I'd have my Czech passport taken from me if I ever quit drinking (jokes, going sober is a trend here as well) but I love hearing stories from people who did! At the same time however - surely alcohol isn't being forced down anyone's throat on regular cruises?
Haha, Czechia has some wonderful beer, to be sure. I have some great memories visiting in the summer and enjoying some on tables by the Vltava. I would assume that your breweries are also making some non-alcoholic options, though, too?
I think some cruises vary; there are some of these, like American-operated cruise lines, that are all-inclusive on alcohol except the premium label, so people are just drunk and partying the entire time. Forced down the throats, no, but there is a cruise/party culture like this that does exist.
I'm lucky that alcohol has never held much appeal for me...
Yes, that is fortunate. Also, not mentioned here but touched on in your other recent pieces/chats, albeit not directly, is the price. I can only imagine what the prices are these days to have some with your dinner or a night out at the bars!
One trend I've noticed a fair bit over on the old Instagram are the hip, young Ukrainians proudly flashing their non-alcoholic brews, I wasn't sure if this was a Ukrainian thing or more global but I've certainly about the trend towards not drinking.
One of these days I might share a post about booze - as I've got older, the hangovers do get worse but the reason I haven't given up drinking is that I have hangovers almost every day - stay with me here, I don't drink every day (!), but for years I've been a horrible sleeper and feel rough most days, drinking or not. I gave up drinking for a few months a few years ago and if anything, I felt worse over that time. These days I might have 1 beer and feel like hell the next morning, or it could be like Sunday, where I had a couple of stiff martinis and felt as fresh as daisies on Monday. No rhyme or reason to it anymore (Disclosure: I drink 2-3 times a week, tops, usually 1-2 drinks, haven't been drunk in years)
There are some very good Ukrainian non-alcoholic beers! There is a Ukrainian restaurant right near me that opened in the past year or so, which has a few that they import. Posts about booze, I think, are good. I mean, you do have Drinkglish, so it would be a natural tie-in for you to share more! I obviously had some apprehension about tying myself into this piece on the trend, but I hope it makes people understand it more, rather than just sharing what I am seeing/reading in the travel industry.
Absolutely great post. I didn’t realize that cruises were going non-alcohol too. My longest time w/o drinking was 7 years. And I was often the only sober person at a party and always, of course, the designated driver. At bars back then in San Francisco that qualified me for a free club soda or non of choice. I can’t really recall when I tiptoed back into the ‘world with alcohol.’ I’m more tempered now, the occasional drink, but don’t know if I’ll take that whole plunge again. The odd thing was that for so many years it just seemed normal, easy. And I wish I could recall the moment I decided to dive back in. Maybe I was just shooting for a more temperate ground. Which I found. Kudos to you!!
Thank you, Jeanine. I didn't realize they were either initially, although it really does make sense. I feel like a lot of that cruise behavior (all-inclusive drinks with how people get) makes them very unattractive to sober people or people who just really don't want to day drink non-stop. I appreciate you sharing your story as well. I think I am thankful that there are more options, and it's becoming more accepted in the club soda only time, it would be tougher. I am glad you have found what works best for you, too!