New Limits for Beverages Brought Onboard?

[kyriecat]

I was reading another board and saw that someone had posted that HAL was going to start limiting beverages brought onboard to 3 bottles of wine/champagne and 6 bottles/cans of soft drinks per person. I questioned it and got a reply that she was told that two weeks ago on Zuiderdam. I didn't see anything on the HAL website about limits but thought I'd check here if any recent cruisers had heard anything about new limits.

[George C]

see the subject Wine on page 2 of this board, there still seems to be no limit

[Krazy Kruizers]

I haven't heard of any changes.

[pms4104]

Tho I haven't heard of any change to HAL's policy, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if they were to reassess the policy and make some adjustments. Just think about all the various comments here on the board about bringing onboard cases of wine and/or soda and/or water ... I have felt for a long time that HAL would become a bit more restrictive.

[kazu]

Hal has posted no new such policy. I would hope not. It's one of the things that separates them from the other cruise lines. :D:D hopefully these are just rumours??:confused: We certainly don't load cases, but appreciate the flexibilty. Happy cruising and happy holidays to all :):)

[iriemon]

I was reading another board and saw that someone had posted that HAL was going to start limiting beverages brought onboard to 3 bottles of wine/champagne and 6 bottles/cans of soft drinks per person. I questioned it and got a reply that she was told that two weeks ago on Zuiderdam. I didn't see anything on the HAL website about limits but thought I'd check here if any recent cruisers had heard anything about new limits.

 

I just got off the Zuidy and brought 2 12 packs of soda and had no problems at all

[hrhdhd]

We're packed for the Westerdam tomorrow and are taking two 12-packs of soda. I'll report whether we have any problems when we return.

[jcrandle]

I was reading another board and saw that someone had posted that HAL was going to start limiting beverages brought onboard to 3 bottles of wine/champagne and 6 bottles/cans of soft drinks per person. I questioned it and got a reply that she was told that two weeks ago on Zuiderdam. I didn't see anything on the HAL website about limits but thought I'd check here if any recent cruisers had heard anything about new limits.

There is a good reason that hearsay evidence is rarely admissible in a US court of law.

[kyriecat]

I was hoping that future limits are just a rumor. I decided to ask since there seem to be more frequent HAL cruisers here than some of the other cruise related sites.

 

She didn't say when the limits would go into effect - only that the maitre d' told her that limits were coming. It sounded a little strange to me since cruises vary in length. I could almost understand limiting wine to 3 bottles for a 7-night cruise but not for a 14+ night. That would make some very unhappy cruisers. Plus, how would they keep track of who brought how much onboard. If you only brought 1 bottle onboard at embarkation, does that mean you can bring two more onboard later from a port? It seems too complicated to bother tracking passenger beverages.

 

I don't sail until April but was planning to bring a 12-pk of diet DP with me. I'm addicted to a can a day so a 12-pk would tide me over for a 10-nt cruise. Being allowed only 6 cans wouldn't be enough. My husband drinks Coke Zero, which I heard was available on Zuiderdam so he's getting a soda card.

[CHOPPERTESTER]

Just got off the Noordam.

 

Rolled on with 6 x large water bottles, 12 cans ginger ale, 24 small cans of clamato (1 liter bottle of vodka bought on board room service $24 plus 15%), and 10 bottles of wine.

 

Will sail with HAL again because of their policy compared to other cruise lines.

 

Still bought drinks on board and paid corkage.

[tcook052]

There is a good reason that hearsay evidence is rarely admissible in a US court of law.

 

These "I heard..." threads are starting to pop-up about once a week.

[Boytjie]

How many (or few) of the rumors posted on Cruise Critic ever turn out to be true? :rolleyes:

 

Any time I see 'I heard from someone...' or 'I read someone posted...' my skeptic-dar goes off.

[Cruisin Suzin]

Just got off the Noordam.

 

Rolled on with 6 x large water bottles, 12 cans ginger ale, 24 small cans of clamato (1 liter bottle of vodka bought on board room service $24 plus 15%), and 10 bottles of wine.

 

Will sail with HAL again because of their policy compared to other cruise lines.

 

Still bought drinks on board and paid corkage.

 

This generous policy is one of the Main reasons I chose HAL..

[GeriatricNurse]

How many (or few) of the rumors posted on Cruise Critic ever turn out to be true? :rolleyes:

 

Any time I see 'I heard from someone...' or 'I read someone posted...' my skeptic-dar goes off.

 

 

Well, beverage cards, for one!;)

[Oceanwench]

How many (or few) of the rumors posted on Cruise Critic ever turn out to be true? :rolleyes:

 

Any time I see 'I heard from someone...' or 'I read someone posted...' my skeptic-dar goes off.

 

Yeah, isn't that the truth?!!!

 

Too much misinformation on the board as of late.

 

I belong to a message board [not cruise-related] on which there is no tolerance for rumors. Whenever one is posted, the mods delete it!

[kyriecat]

I'm sorry that some of you think that I started this thread to spread rumors. That was not my intent. I read on another cruise message board (there are others besides this one, just not as many posters) where someone posted that she was told by the beverage manager on Zuiderdam that limits were coming. She said he didn't say when, only that HAL was going to start limiting the bringing of beverages onboard.

 

As far as I'm concerned, when one person posts something like that it is a rumor until confirmed, which is why I asked if anyone else had heard the same thing. Aren't we still allowed to ask questions on this board? If two or more people, especially people sailing on different ships, had replied that they heard the same thing last week on fill-in-the-blank-dam, then I would inclined to believe it. So far, no one else has posted about it, so beverage limits are probably just rumors.

[AZNative2000]

As far as I'm concerned, when one person posts something like that it is a rumor until confirmed, which is why I asked if anyone else had heard the same thing. Aren't we still allowed to ask questions on this board? If two or more people, especially people sailing on different ships, had replied that they heard the same thing last week on fill-in-the-blank-dam, then I would inclined to believe it. So far, no one else has posted about it, so beverage limits are probably just rumors.

 

kyriecat ... Ask all the questions you want. I like the information available here and without questions there wouldn't be as much.

 

Have a great time aboard Zuiderdam! We just did. The Panama Canal is awesome.:)

[bigtony777]

If they were to ever place limits on the number of bottles like Celebrity there are ways to bend the rules. Celebrity allows 2 bottles per stateroom. On my last Celebrity cruise I put 2 bottles in my wife's carry on and 2 bottles in my carry on as well as another 2 in a checked bag. Then split to different scanners if possible or simply allow many people to get in between you.

[m steve]

we had wine, water , mixers and 3 bottles of liquor in checked bags and everything arrived safely in the cabin. That's why we love HAL for treating us like adults.

[canadarocks]

The problem with posting to a rumor thread like this one (no disrespect to the OP because I know you just wanted to clarify HAL's great policy), is that it kind of perpetuates the false rumor. :rolleyes:

 

When someone sees the thread for the first time, they are concerned..... and every time it gets "bumped" by a comment, some of us check it AGAIN to see if HAL's policy has very recently changed.

 

I realize that by my posting this comment, I have unfortunately done just what I wish wouldn't happen... ! :o

[hrhdhd]

We're packed for the Westerdam tomorrow and are taking two 12-packs of soda. I'll report whether we have any problems when we return.

 

No problems with taking our soda in our carry on. No one said a word.

[kyriecat]

hrhdhd,

 

Did you ask any of the staff onboard about limits coming in the future? The woman who posted said that the beverage manager on Zuiderdam told her that beverage limits were coming. She said he didn't know when they would go into affect.

[hrhdhd]

No, sorry, we didn't ask about any possible upcoming limits. I hope they don't set such limits, though. It's so nice to have some sodas in the room, especially the kinds they don't sell onboard. (I had Diet Dr Pepper with me.)

[Hawaiidan]

One needs to consider that bringing unlimited extra wine, soda, and mixers seems like a great idea it is in the long-run going to produce I feel an very negative sitution.

While some just bring a few items or a 6 pack.....others flaunt case lots.

In a economic world Holland America is sooner or later going to calculate the fiscal impact to their operations as they recently did in the end of the wine card.

 

Second, I read threads about fare slashing and selling down rather than promoting a more "up scale" marketing.

 

It may be just me, but it dosent sound very upscale or classy for what appears a lower class of cheap skates interested in penny pinching. Comes across like something Jeff Foxworthy might do.... You might be a redneck sortt of thing? I hardly think as someone suggested, this an adult activity...sounds more like a bunch of college or high schooler booze bingers...

Since beverage sales account for a large portion of the Holland America profit margin it seems very counter-productive to push this issue at all.

 

Look at this as though it were your business... and your trying to keep prices down and still support your family... Would you look kindly at people who tried at every turn to short-change or cheat you? I dont think your would like that very much

 

I would highly suggest that if you cant afford buying drinks or wine on the cruise...that you might need to reconsider taking the cruise.

I recently on a 2 week cruise bought all my liquor on the ship...except for a 6 pack of pepsi.... really is it really necessary at all?

[LAFFNVEGAS]

One needs to consider that bringing unlimited extra wine, soda, and mixers seems like a great idea it is in the long-run going to produce I feel an very negative sitution.

While some just bring a few items or a 6 pack.....others flaunt case lots.

In a economic world Holland America is sooner or later going to calculate the fiscal impact to their operations as they recently did in the end of the wine card.

 

Second, I read threads about fare slashing and selling down rather than promoting a more "up scale" marketing.

 

It may be just me, but it dosent sound very upscale or classy for what appears a lower class of cheap skates interested in penny pinching. Comes across like something Jeff Foxworthy might do.... You might be a redneck sortt of thing? I hardly think as someone suggested, this an adult activity...sounds more like a bunch of college or high schooler booze bingers...

Since beverage sales account for a large portion of the Holland America profit margin it seems very counter-productive to push this issue at all.

 

Look at this as though it were your business... and your trying to keep prices down and still support your family... Would you look kindly at people who tried at every turn to short-change or cheat you? I dont think your would like that very much

 

I would highly suggest that if you cant afford buying drinks or wine on the cruise...that you might need to reconsider taking the cruise.

I recently on a 2 week cruise bought all my liquor on the ship...except for a 6 pack of pepsi.... really is it really necessary at all?

 

Very Well Said :) It has been quite a few cruises since I have even considered bringing on my own beverages and when I have it has only been Champagne/sparkling wine because there was a particular one we liked and HAL's lower priced sparkling wine has not always been to our liking. I would never considering bringing on sodas and bottled water when HAL already has it.

I personally think HAL needs to change their rules and have a limit of 1 to 2 bottles per person of wine/sparkling wine and be done with it. Why should they be any different than the other cruise lines and lose profits.

Besides the more you spend the more days you get toward your next level ;) Unless you are already 4 Star :o