Hak finally answered rearding policy change

[kamac56]

Thank you to all for sharing opinions, experiences and suggestions with us with regard to our new Alcoholic Beverage Policy. To help clarify, this policy will be effective as of all sailings departing on or after January 31, 2014. We’re sorry for any confusion this has caused. We invite you to share your feedback with us on this and any other topic of interest by emailing our Guest Relations team at guestrelations@hollandamerica.com. We hope that our valued Mariners continue to enjoy the many aspects of their cruise experience with us and thank you for sailing with Holland America Line.

[Windsailer]

they haven't changed the Know Before You Go brochure - it still says one bottle. I just checked when I looked at the Express Docs for my cruise.

[startwin]

I got the notice on facebook, too. I think this was a very hasty re-think! Now to continue the campaign about bringing a bottle of wine on in ports.:)

[lovetocruise2020]

That was not what they were singing this AM and def not what ship services was telling me 2 hours ago.

 

Just off the phone with rep at HAL,

 

Said there was a major mess at embarkation this weekend, and since then "the powers that be" had a big meeting, and are postponing it until Jan 31.

 

I laughed and said, you know that is not what they were telling me today at ships services right? He said, yes I know.

 

Hopefully this covers everyone past final payment...

 

And HOPEFULLY they will figure out how to do special orders that are less than a case, so people who love HAL can still choose them and be able to enjoy the wine they prefer, if HAL does not carry it.

[Linda&Vern]

Thank you to all for sharing opinions, experiences and suggestions with us with regard to our new Alcoholic Beverage Policy. To help clarify, this policy will be effective as of all sailings departing on or after January 31, 2014. We’re sorry for any confusion this has caused. We invite you to share your feedback with us on this and any other topic of interest by emailing our Guest Relations team at guestrelations@hollandamerica.com. We hope that our valued Mariners continue to enjoy the many aspects of their cruise experience with us and thank you for sailing with Holland America Line.

I think this will make many cruisers happy. At last, the six months notice many thought would have been fair.

[lovetocruise2020]

I got the notice on facebook, too. I think this was a very hasty re-think! Now to continue the campaign about bringing a bottle of wine on in ports.:)

 

And B2B, and special orders, then they will be all set.

 

Shame on them for trying to do that to people when they had the $$$ already...

[aliaschief]

It's is posted under their alcohol policy when I logged into our Hal account.

 

Now we have the opportunity to give our views before Jan 2014 implementation .

[CowPrincess]

I got the notice on facebook, too. I think this was a very hasty re-think! Now to continue the campaign about bringing a bottle of wine on in ports.:)

 

.... and continue to request the option of bringing on additional wine with a corkage fee, regardless of whether it is at an embarkation or an itinerary port.

[startwin]

.... and continue to request the option of bringing on additional wine with a corkage fee, regardless of whether it is at an embarkation or an itinerary port.

 

Yes of course!

[Linda&Vern]

<snip>

And HOPEFULLY they will figure out how to do special orders that are less than a case, so people who love HAL can still choose them and be able to enjoy the wine they prefer, if HAL does not carry it.

Surfergirle - I have extensive experience in planning executive meetings at five-star resorts. I can tell you that a special order of wine has always been by the case. (If it was a wine the resort did not carry.) No wine distributor is going to show up at a cruise dock and drop off a couple bottles of your favorite drink. Would HAL order a case and sell you one or two bottles from that case? That would be the question.

[kamac56]

Of course I meant Hal and not Hak but I think Hak fit them for a short time. :D:D

[Windsailer]

And the Cruise Contract (I just checked) still refers to the one bottle of wine per person.

 

HAL needs to do a little more work here.

[Laminator]

And the Cruise Contract (I just checked) still refers to the one bottle of wine per person.

 

HAL needs to do a little more work here.

 

 

You can't just change your website at the blink of an eye. It is too risky. It's better to do it late night so if there are problems you can correct them during non-peak hours.

[Windsailer]

to see if the "clarification" made it into the Cruise Contract. So I can take a hard copy to the port and show it to HAL when they try to take my wine!

[PunkiC]

Well at least we now won't have to cancel our October crossing, which I was ready to do, but this policy will certainly not encourage me to book any future HAL cruises.

 

They either modify the policy to allow wine to be brought on board with a $15 corkage fee, or we are done with HAL after this cruise.

 

It was hard enough for us to consider HAL in the first place, given all of the amazing perks we get from Princess, but the new wine policy is a definite deal-breaker for us.

[whogo]

And the Cruise Contract (I just checked) still refers to the one bottle of wine per person.

 

HAL needs to do a little more work here.

 

It is indeed still restrictive, dated 7/9/13:

Holland America Line Cruises and Cruisetours only: You agree not to bring alcoholic beverages of any kind on board for consumption except one bottle of wine or champagne per person of drinking age (no larger than 750 ml) per voyage only in your carry-on luggage. A corkage fee of U.S. $20.00 per bottle (which is subject to change without notice) will be applied to wine and champagne brought aboard by you and consumed in the ship’s restaurants and/or bars. At embarkation, all luggage will be scanned for suspected alcohol in excess of the one bottle policy as provided herein. Your luggage will undergo a secondary inspection by a security team operating under CCTV (closed circuit surveillance) or in the event your luggage is locked, you will be notified and are required to attend the secondary inspection where any alcohol found in violation of this policy will be removed and returned to you on the last night of the voyage. You agree to surrender alcoholic beverages that are purchased duty free from the ship’s gift shop, or at ports of call, to Carrier, which will be delivered to your stateroom on the last night of the voyage. Any guest who violates the alcohol policy, including refusal of a luggage search or screening, or any guest traveling with such items, may be denied boarding or disembarked and no refund of the cruise fare will be issued. You will be solely responsible for any and all damage and/or loss caused by your violation of this policy.

 

And "Know Before You Go" says this:

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES BROUGHT ON BOARD

Each guest 21 years and older may bring one bottle of wine or

champagne (no larger than 750ml) onboard in their

carry-on luggage

at the beginning of the voyage

. Guests

are not allowed to bring beer, boxed wine, or other liquors

and spirits onboard.

Holland America Line reserves the

right to remove all alcoholic beverages from guest luggage

that violates this policy.

Any alcoholic beverage found

will be removed and returned on the last evening of the

voyage.

Guests will not receive any monetary compensation

for alcoholic beverages that were removed from luggage.

Alcoholic beverages that are purchased in ports of calls or

from onboard shops will be stored and returned on the last

evening of the voyage. A corkage fee of US$20.00 (subject

to change) applies to wine and champagne brought to the

restaurants or bars for consumption. In-Room Dining offers

reduced-price stateroom beverage packages for in-stateroom

consumption of alcoholic beverages (a 15% Service Charge

on all beverage items and packages with beverages will be

added).

Guests who violate any of our alcohol policies

(e.g., attempt

to conceal alcoholic items at security and or luggage check

points or any other time, provide alcohol to guests under age

21, over consume, or demonstrate irresponsible behavior),

may be denied boarding or may be disembarked at their

own expense.

[lovetocruise2020]

Surfergirle - I have extensive experience in planning executive meetings at five-star resorts. I can tell you that a special order of wine has always been by the case. (If it was a wine the resort did not carry.) No wine distributor is going to show up at a cruise dock and drop off a couple bottles of your favorite drink. Would HAL order a case and sell you one or two bottles from that case? That would be the question.

 

HAL says " don't worry, you can get whatever you want through a special order" and then ships services says "you have to buy a case".,.

 

 

Head not talking to hand again? Yes. HAL is not a resort, and i have ordered single bottles BEFORE. I do it every year, Now its, "you have to buy a case"...

 

I too have extensive (16 years) of planning events at high end resorts. It is what i do for a living.

[ptsaint]

new rules on wine ~ one bottle per person

 

keep the pressure on

maybe that is why it changed until Jan ?

 

same message for me on facebook - Thank you to all for sharing opinions, experiences and suggestions with us with regard to our new Alcoholic Beverage Policy. To help clarify, this policy will be effective as of all sailings departing on or after January 31, 2014. We’re sorry for any confusion this has caused. We invite you to share your feedback with us on this and any other topic of interest by emailing our Guest Relations team at guestrelations@hollandamerica.com. We hope that our valued Mariners continue to enjoy the many aspects of their cruise experience with us and thank you for sailing with Holland America Line.

 

keep writing them and expressing concern

 

please write to

guestrelations@hollandamerica.com

Officeofthepresident@HollandAmerica.com

 

Patrice