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Bringing Unlimited Wine Policy Officially Change Yesterday


LAFFNVEGAS
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Can't someone please stop this sniping of each other.. You are driving some of us away as it's not fun to be on CC any more..

 

Betty

 

Amen to that!

 

....and to get back on topic, given that several members of CC would like a shift in the proposed new policy and assuming that it is unrealistic to go back to the existing policy, what would be an acceptable compromise?

For me, it would be something like this:

One bottle per person (over 21) on embarkation would be free. All other bottles would incur a corkage fee of $15.

Additional bottles could be brought on board at ports of call, but all would be subject to the corkage fee.

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Are either of these on the current HAL MDR wine list? We've recently started enjoying them a lot and would like them on our next cruise

 

Graffigna Centenario Malbec 2011 Reserve (Argentinia)

 

Castillo de Almansa Reserva 2009 (Spain)

 

Can't buy them at home and carry them, and I suspect they may not be available in our embark city.

 

There is a Malbec, which we have enjoyed - I don't think it is the one you mentioned. Where do you embark? You might find something if you can check on line beforehand?

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Amen to that!

 

....and to get back on topic, given that several members of CC would like a shift in the proposed new policy and assuming that it is unrealistic to go back to the existing policy, what would be an acceptable compromise?

For me, it would be something like this:

One bottle per person (over 21) on embarkation would be free. All other bottles would incur a corkage fee of $15.

Additional bottles could be brought on board at ports of call, but all would be subject to the corkage fee.

 

Personally, I'm fine with that.:D The only thing I would like to see is that for longer cruises additional free bottles be permitted. Doesn't make sense that the entitlement is the same for a 7 day cruise and a World Cruise but that's just my opinion of course.

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Are either of these on the current HAL MDR wine list? We've recently started enjoying them a lot and would like them on our next cruise

 

Graffigna Centenario Malbec 2011 Reserve (Argentinia)

 

Castillo de Almansa Reserva 2009 (Spain)

 

Can't buy them at home and carry them, and I suspect they may not be available in our embark city.

 

Have copies of recent Noordam and Maasdam wine lists. On both there are only one Spain red and one Argentinean red, neither of which are ones you mentioned. On the Maasdam menu, there is also a $799 bottle of Spanish on the reserve list.

 

Luigi Bosca Malbec and Marques de Caceres Rioja were the ones available on both ships and both were priced at $34. We had the Rioja last cruise and it was a nice dinner wine and priced well for the quality. Have not had the Malbec as we are not overly fond of the grape but it gets good reviews for the price point.

 

One of our chief complaints (and one we have reported to HAL on numerous occasions) is the West Coast centric nature of their wine lists. 20 out of 37 (54%) red wines listed on Noordam are West Coast wines, mostly California. Maasdam is a bit better with 14 out of 34 (41%) being West Coast reds. I am hoping Maasdam is the trend in that it's wine list was more varied, so cheers to that and fingers crossed.

 

Also, it has been noted by restaurant industry professionals that expanding by the glass options tends to increase wine revenue over all. I mean, it is common for someone to "try" a glass. Trying a bottle is a bit more risky. If it's stinky wine... you are out $40+ as opposed to $10.

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Amen to that!

 

....and to get back on topic, given that several members of CC would like a shift in the proposed new policy and assuming that it is unrealistic to go back to the existing policy, what would be an acceptable compromise?

For me, it would be something like this:

One bottle per person (over 21) on embarkation would be free. All other bottles would incur a corkage fee of $15.

Additional bottles could be brought on board at ports of call, but all would be subject to the corkage fee.

 

This has always been an acceptable compromise to us.*

 

They make a flat $15 (or w/e the fee will be) on every bottle of wine past the first regardless of where it is consumed and this fee is charged at embarkation and at ports. PLUS it alleviates the issue of charging corkage at table or in bars. Also, if someone opens a bottle of their preferred wine in their room and decides to take a glass of that wine to the theatre or a lounge, no issue. Corkage has been paid. The drink is "legal" anywhere on ship.

 

*Maybe with the caveat that wine, most especially that bought on wine tours or in wine regions, can be stored in the same manner as liquor/beer without incurring the fee but that it will not be available for drinking onboard at any time should you choose that option.

 

Personally, I'm fine with that. The only thing I would like to see is that for longer cruises additional free bottles be permitted. Doesn't make sense that the entitlement is the same for a 7 day cruise and a World Cruise but that's just my opinion of course.

 

Good point. This sounds reasonable.

Edited by fatcat04
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Amen to that!

 

....and to get back on topic, given that several members of CC would like a shift in the proposed new policy and assuming that it is unrealistic to go back to the existing policy, what would be an acceptable compromise?

For me, it would be something like this:

One bottle per person (over 21) on embarkation would be free. All other bottles would incur a corkage fee of $15.

Additional bottles could be brought on board at ports of call, but all would be subject to the corkage fee.

 

That's what most of us have been advocating, but with the addition of being able to bring more bottles for longer cruises. Say a bottle per passenger per 7 days. I think that sounds very adult and reasonable.

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I thought we already had a Dr. Dog---who also hasn't been heard from---something is strange here! If you are not one and the same, what is with the "dog" aspect???

 

Thanks for asking. I wish I was a vet - I would be rich - instead I make them rich - I have a lot of dogs - so I thought the name suited when I signed up. I didn't see anyone else with my name so I thought it was ok?

 

NW person asked for my opinon - Corkage fee seems like a fair compromise. Think it was suggested earlier? Seems fair to everyone. People who don't want to bring wine on need to worry and people who want to bring wine can.

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Good Morning Linda M.

 

Thanks for following me so closely. I can't speak for Mr. Dog, but I can assure you that I have been around a while here. If you read back a few postings you might be enlightened as to what is up with the dog aspect.

 

So - back to the topic please. Do you want HAL to change back their wine policy? Do you bring wine on board? Do you drink wine only in the dinning room and pay a corkage fee? Or, maybe you consume the wine in your cabin?

 

Please share with all of us your comments regarding the topic at hand....

 

Cheers!

 

If you were around here in July until present, you already know my feelings. I've had many, many posts here. I've made my feelings known over and over---which is why I've laid low and I do not have as many recent posts as some of those you mentioned. However, if I wanted to change my identity.... I would certainly act like I didn't know...sorry for being suspicious, but this is too weird. You can keep having fun with us----just try not to ruffle any feathers!! You can have just as much entertainment here, in a nice way. Get my drift???

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I thought we already had a Dr. Dog---who also hasn't been heard from---something is strange here! If you are not one and the same, what is with the "dog" aspect???

 

Thanks for asking. I wish I was a vet - I would be rich - instead I make them rich - I have a lot of dogs - so I thought the name suited when I signed up. I didn't see anyone else with my name so I thought it was ok?

 

.......

Sorry you have been welcomed in such an unfriendly manner, Mr. Dog. No one else has your name. CC doesn't allow 2 posters to register with the same name and it wouldn't have been approved for you if there was. There is a Dr. 'Dawg' who posts here with the spelling for his username that is used by Univ of Georgia fans for their bulldog mascot. They call their sports teams "Dawgs" with cheers like "Go Dawgs". Some posters are losing their sanity and not checking if their facts are correct before making accusations against other posters, even after the explanation about Dr. Dawg is given in the same thread. Sorry you got caught up in this nonsense of unfounded conspiracy theories currently afflicting some posters with way too much time on their hands.

Edited by peaches from georgia
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Sorry you have been welcomed in such an unfriendly manner, Mr. Dog. No one else has your name. CC doesn't allow 2 posters to register with the same name and it wouldn't have been approved for you if there was. There is a Dr. 'Dawg' who posts here with the spelling for his username that is used by Univ of Georgia fans for their bulldog mascot. They call their sports teams "Dawgs" with cheers like "Go Dawgs". Some posters are losing their sanity and not checking if their facts are correct before making accusations against other posters, even after the explanation about Dr. Dawg is given in the same thread. Sorry you got caught up in this nonsense of unfounded conspiracy theories currently afflicting some posters with way too much time on their hands.

Dr. Dawg posted that he will no longer sail on HAL's "prison ships", and hasn't posted since Sept 13.

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I will say again my vote is for a corkage fee at the Pier or gangway ala Princess. Wine can be consumed anywhere on the ship with no issues. No "sneaking" a glass into any restaurant or bar. Slap a sticker on the bottle that shows corkage has been paid. Re-evaluate the on board wine list selection and pricing. Does a $12 bottle of California wine really need to be $60 on board? I think Walmart has proven that you sell many more products with lower prices.

In the long run I bet they would sell much more wine on board and see people carrying less on especially at embarkation.

Just doesn't seem like rocket science.

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So from that it is okay to accuse Mr. Dog, who joined a month earlier in August, to really being Dr. Dawg? Not sure if that is what you are saying or not. :confused:

Whoa! I didn't say anything of the kind! I have never accused this person of anything. I have never implied anything. I simply pointed out when Dr. Dawg left the board.

 

Back off!

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I will say again my vote is for a corkage fee at the Pier or gangway ala Princess. Wine can be consumed anywhere on the ship with no issues. No "sneaking" a glass into any restaurant or bar. Slap a sticker on the bottle that shows corkage has been paid. Re-evaluate the on board wine list selection and pricing. Does a $12 bottle of California wine really need to be $60 on board? I think Walmart has proven that you sell many more products with lower prices.

In the long run I bet they would sell much more wine on board and see people carrying less on especially at embarkation.

Just doesn't seem like rocket science.

 

Very logical - everything you say makes sense, which is why it probably won't be implemented;)

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Amen to that!

 

....and to get back on topic, given that several members of CC would like a shift in the proposed new policy and assuming that it is unrealistic to go back to the existing policy, what would be an acceptable compromise?

For me, it would be something like this:

One bottle per person (over 21) on embarkation would be free. All other bottles would incur a corkage fee of $15.

Additional bottles could be brought on board at ports of call, but all would be subject to the corkage fee.

 

Personally, I'm fine with that.:D The only thing I would like to see is that for longer cruises additional free bottles be permitted. Doesn't make sense that the entitlement is the same for a 7 day cruise and a World Cruise but that's just my opinion of course.

 

IMO these two suggestions are perfect..I believe that they should permit more bottles on longer cruises & charge a corkage fee for anything over & above the free allowance whether it's consumed in the cabin or anywhere else on the ship..

Betty

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Whoa! I didn't say anything of the kind! I have never accused this person of anything. I have never implied anything. I simply pointed out when Dr. Dawg left the board.

 

Back off!

Which is why I asked, to be sure what you meant or didn't mean. When someone posts critical of HAL some posters, not meaning you, attribute all kinds of bad things about them from then on. Heck, my only involvement in this thread has been simply explaining where the Dawg name came from and that it had nothing to do to with Mr Dog's use of the name.

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Which is why I asked, to be sure what you meant or didn't mean. When someone posts critical of HAL some posters, not meaning you, attribute all kinds of bad things about them from then on. Heck, my only involvement in this thread has been simply explaining where the Dawg name came from and that it had nothing to do to with Mr Dog's use of the name.

I saw your post as an accusation, and I didn't appreciate it.

 

However, this is mostly a miscommunication and misunderstanding - so, I offer a sincere e-hug, and no hard feelings.

 

Are we good?

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[quote=frankc98376;40149192

... I think Walmart has proven that you sell many more products with lower prices. ...

 

I've often thought this about the photo prices. Probably twice as many would sell at $10 than the current $20 per pic.

 

But hey, I've strayed from the topic. :rolleyes:

 

Mumsy.

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There is a Malbec, which we have enjoyed - I don't think it is the one you mentioned. Where do you embark? You might find something if you can check on line beforehand?

 

San Diego -- I've been looking, and have found a couple of wine shops that MAY carry them.

 

Have copies of recent Noordam and Maasdam wine lists. On both there are only one Spain red and one Argentinean red, neither of which are ones you mentioned. On the Maasdam menu, there is also a $799 bottle of Spanish on the reserve list.

 

Luigi Bosca Malbec and Marques de Caceres Rioja were the ones available on both ships and both were priced at $34. We had the Rioja last cruise and it was a nice dinner wine and priced well for the quality. Have not had the Malbec as we are not overly fond of the grape but it gets good reviews for the price point.

 

One of our chief complaints (and one we have reported to HAL on numerous occasions) is the West Coast centric nature of their wine lists. 20 out of 37 (54%) red wines listed on Noordam are West Coast wines, mostly California. Maasdam is a bit better with 14 out of 34 (41%) being West Coast reds. I am hoping Maasdam is the trend in that it's wine list was more varied, so cheers to that and fingers crossed.

 

Also, it has been noted by restaurant industry professionals that expanding by the glass options tends to increase wine revenue over all. I mean, it is common for someone to "try" a glass. Trying a bottle is a bit more risky. If it's stinky wine... you are out $40+ as opposed to $10.

 

These two seem to retail around $10/bottle in the US, so I expect IF they were on the wine list they'd be around $45ish. That's the problem we have -- so many of the wines that HAL has onboard are not ones we know. I've said before, if we drop $50 on a bottle we don't like, it won't ruin our cruise BUT we'd prefer to be able to drink wines we know we like. We are really enjoying Chilean, Spanish and Argentinian reds, and would like to be able to enjoy them onboard, too.

 

The other one I'm looking for is Oyster Bay Brut Rose, and that seems to be impossible to find..... sigh..... I rather doubt DH is willing to spend all one day schlepping from wine store to wine store in a strange city looking for it ;)

 

A couple of people on the West Coast Departures board have given me ssome wine store suggestions, near our hotel, so I may just phone them....

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San Diego -- I've been looking, and have found a couple of wine shops that MAY carry them.

 

 

 

These two seem to retail around $10/bottle in the US, so I expect IF they were on the wine list they'd be around $45ish. That's the problem we have -- so many of the wines that HAL has onboard are not ones we know. I've said before, if we drop $50 on a bottle we don't like, it won't ruin our cruise BUT we'd prefer to be able to drink wines we know we like. We are really enjoying Chilean, Spanish and Argentinian reds, and would like to be able to enjoy them onboard, too.

 

The other one I'm looking for is Oyster Bay Brut Rose, and that seems to be impossible to find..... sigh..... I rather doubt DH is willing to spend all one day schlepping from wine store to wine store in a strange city looking for it ;)

 

A couple of people on the West Coast Departures board have given me ssome wine store suggestions, near our hotel, so I may just phone them....

 

If you are staying in a hotel over night before your cruise, you could consider ordering online from a large retailer that will ship to your hotels location. I would definitely check with the hotel staff and the online company prior to ordering but I have heard of people doing this at WDW resorts, say a week ahead of time. With package tracking available, you would know exactly when it had arrived. Just a thought. :)

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Thanks for asking. I wish I was a vet - I would be rich - instead I make them rich - I have a lot of dogs - so I thought the name suited when I signed up. I didn't see anyone else with my name so I thought it was ok?

 

NW person asked for my opinon - Corkage fee seems like a fair compromise. Think it was suggested earlier? Seems fair to everyone. People who don't want to bring wine on need to worry and people who want to bring wine can.

Thanks, and I do appreciate your input.

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If you were around here in July until present, you already know my feelings. I've had many, many posts here. I've made my feelings known over and over---which is why I've laid low and I do not have as many recent posts as some of those you mentioned. However, if I wanted to change my identity.... I would certainly act like I didn't know...sorry for being suspicious, but this is too weird. You can keep having fun with us----just try not to ruffle any feathers!! You can have just as much entertainment here, in a nice way. Get my drift???

Thanks for the reply.

 

Sorry, but I am not really that interested to go back to July's postings.

 

Welcome back.

 

Cheers!

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