smokinmike

Thanks for explaining this. I for the longest time, thought it was hoity toity wine drinkers that couldn't find their special blend. Turns out it's just two buck chuck swillers who don't want to pay inflated prices.

 

May I ask about your preferred wine?

It's not anywhere close but you can't beat the Hotel del!

I'll never not want to wade ashore at the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke.

HAL is one of the items in our vacation "toolbox" - we're on the Royal Clipper out of Civitavecchia on 24 August bound for Venice, a 12 day adventure. The Clippers' alcohol policy more restrictive than the new HAL policy. Their wine list, for the size ship, is good. We enjoy the ship, the sails, the itineraries and our fellow passengers. All these points mitigate any inconvenience of not being able to have "our" wine - and like I said, their wine list isn't bad.

In August of '14 we're on a Bordeaux river cruise - a cruise which will encompass both the Left and Right sides. This cruise is wine-centric and bringing wine aboard is encouraged - just the same as with other river cruise itineraries.

We do have a 14 day HAL cruise booked for 6 December aboard Maasdam - I hope HAL will revisit this policy change but should they not, I'm sure we will enjoy ourselves nonetheless. Our future cruising aboard HAL though will have to be rethought because HAL is not the only line that does "big ship" cruises and this could be an opportunity to explore other lines.

My point in this post is that a lot of folks aren't wedded to HAL but cruise HAL for a variety of factors. HAL works for us because it's a big ship line and has some amenities but those characteristics can also be found elsewhere.

. . . the old wine policy worked for us and was one of the reasons we liked HAL.

Don

One can only hope that the cheap wines presently available in the HAL wine packages will be replaced with selections that are a little more desirable - and drinkable.

On occasion the Clippers tie up in Antiqua - not often but it happens if the harbor has a lot of traffic. Happened to us last year.

 

Have a great cruise!

Nancy and I are on Viking's new Bordeaux itinerary next year in September. This will be our first river cruise experience and we are both excited about visiting such a wonderful area of France.

 

. . . and I've heard there might be wine involved . . .

 

 

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Still hoping to hear from someone who will be on the September 13 sailing . . .

 

 

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Nancy and I are booked on the September 13th sailing and we'll be celebrating her birthday on the Bordeaux cruise. We're doing the pre- and post-cruise extensions as well.

 

. . . someone said there may be an opportunity for tasting wine . . .