Nothing matters when you are on vacation. And that goes double, perhaps triple, when you are on a cruise.
Relaxation and indulgence are basically the whole point of cruise ships. When you’re on the high seas, far from polite society, you can do whatever you want (within reason), and eat and drink far more than your doctor would recommend. You can always diet and exercise when you get back.
As The Street’s cruise scholar Dan Kline recently opined “family-friendly cruise lines embrace the idea that you're going to do some things on your cruise that you might not do at home,” he said, “that might be as simple as over-indulging on meals and snacks. You can eat a five-course dinner at 7 p.m., have some wings at 11 p.m. then cap your night with a pizza at 2 a.m.”
But one of the primary rules of business, a rule that is especially important for the tourism industry, is that you always have to be innovating. People crave the new and novel, and the breakthrough from two years ago is now something the consumer has become accustomed to, and expects if not demands.
So therefore the cruise industry is always on the lookout for a new indulgence to offer. While the increasingly popular cannabis is still off limits to most ships, there are always ways to offer the customer something new, and recently, the cruise ship industry has found an entirely new way to keep it chill.
As is often the case, a blender is involved.
Everybody On The Ship Getting Tipsy
Singer-songwriter and Parrothead-in-chief Jimmy Buffett seemingly never met an indulgence he would not partake in, nor a business opportunity he wouldn’t explore.
Following the lead of Virgin Voyages and Royal Caribbean, Buffett’s 1,308-passenger Margaritaville at Sea Paradise will now offer alcohol-injected ice cream concoctions. You do have to be 21 or older, of course, as the law is the law, and Buffet doesn’t need to be hassled by the man.
Tipsy Scoop
The drinks will include the “Blue Margarita, a tequila-infused sorbet, and Bahama Mama, a coconut rum-infused ice cream,” as noted by The Points Guy. The cocktails were designed exclusively for the ship and will be made using Margaritaville Spirits brand liquors and the New York boutique brand Tipsy Scoop flavors.
The Blue Margarita is made with tequila, obviously, as well as blue curacao, fresh lime juice and salt. The Bahama Mama ice cream is a swirl of coconut rum, oranges, pineapple juice and grenadine.
Or maybe you want one of those boozy milkshakes that you can find at America’s more adventurous diners? Well, you are in luck, as you can get one of those, served in a Margaritaville blender cup, as well as an alcohol kissed sundae, which induces Blue Margarita sorbet or Bahama Mama ice cream as well as regular ice cream, a single serving of liquor and toppings.
These concoctions top out at 5% alcohol, and can be ordered in the vessel's main dining room (Fins), at the ship's Margaritaville Coffee Shop or from a roaming Tipsy Scoop pushcart.
Prices range from $5 for a single scoop of either the sorbet or the ice cream (or $8 for two scoops) to $15 for a full-blown frozen sorbet or ice cream "cocktail."
What will be worse, one wonders, the hangover or the brain freeze headache?
So What Is Tipsy, Anyway?
Tipsy is a New York-based ice cream company, in case you were wondering, that was created by Melissa Tavss, as a way to pay tribute to her “great, great, great grandfather, Achille,” who sold ice cream for a pushcart on the streets of Glasgow. Ice cream runs in her blood, it would seem. Though not literally, one hopes.
There are Tipsy locations (called “Barlours”) all throughout New York City, or you can get it delivered, and flavors range from Sugar Cookie Martini to Mint Spiked Hot Chocolate.
Those of us who are doing a Dry January, and dieting on top of that, might find Tipsy’s website a bit much to take at the current moment.
But if you already stressing about Valentine’s Day (it’s only a month away, people, and if you screw this up, then you deserve to be alone forever), well, perhaps the Love Drunk Ice Cream Cake will be of interest?
