Now the dust has settled - what alternatives to wine

[sail7seas]

Geez, not surprised to see the usual "Cheerleader" mentality but you need to understand that the world is full of Oenophiles that take their wine very seriously! HA does indeed have a few decent wines on their wine list (which may or may not actually be in stock) at the usual huge mark-ups. But many of us who take cruises to places where they have wonderful wine (i.e. France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and even Korcula) and like to purchase local and regional wines (not on any cruise ship wine list) and bring them back to be enjoyed with dinner. For wine lovers this is just an important part of travel. In fact, we often have shared our wine discoveries with the wine staff onboard the ship. In fact, HA even has their own excursions that visit various wineries (who hope that the visitors will purchase some of their wine).

 

We do hope that HA carefully reconsiders their new policy in light of the many wine areas visited by their ships. While limiting the amount of wine brought aboard might be a reasonable policy, a total prohibition on allowing passengers to take advantage of the local wine offerings does not make a lot of sense.

 

Hank

P.S. When HA decides to start charging for all the food served in their dining rooms we will look forward to you defending this decision too :)

 

 

Actually, Hank, I resent the cheerleader label.

I am likely one of the most fair and honest posters here. I am honest to a fault, I state when I don't like something, I have firmly criticised HAL's new dinner menus, I have lamented the understaffing and am critical where I find deficiencies.

 

I request you kindly refrain from the name calling as it is not particularly accurate as pertains to me.

I definitely am loyal but not blindly so. I see where HAL has made cutbacks and I say so. I see where some of those cutbacks are severe and I say so.

 

I do not have rose colored glasses and I most assuredly do not rave where it isn't earned.

 

Oh, by the way, we have sailed to Spain, Italy, France, Italy,

Greece, Great Britain, Denmark, Holland blah blah blah....... we are no less 'worldly' than those who find it necessary to imply they are somehow superior to those of us who now sail closer to home for variety of reasons I feel no need to explain here. We tasted, we bought, we drank, we enjoyed a great many bottles of wonderful wines both on our dozens of land trips to Europe as well as our fewer cruises. Most of our European travel permitted us to spend weeks in locations rather than hours.

 

Thanks...... really wanted to mention this for a while. ;)

I almost never respond to attac posts but this one seems to call for me to defend a misrepresentation you have written.

 

 

Oh ya, I forgot the last part of your post.

<snip>

Hank

P.S. When HA decides to start charging for all the food served in their dining rooms we will look forward to you defending this decision too

 

 

 

I've been the one who started no fewer than two or three threads here and on another CC forum saying just that..... I expect sooner rather than later HAL will start serving food a la carte but for maybe Lido being the only exception.

 

I know you've read those threads so possibly you might remember them. :)

 

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

It amazes me that wine drinkers/wine lovers cannot find a single wine, not one, they can order off HAL's wine list.

 

DH and I have had some very good wines on HAL ships. It is quite remarkable to me there is not a single red or white wine that is acceptable or adequate for so many on this forum. :eek:

 

For a white, have you tried Cloudy Bay or Villa Maria sauvignon blanc? There is always a decent pinot grigio offered, as well.

Have you tried the Silverados? L'ecole? Really...... read the list and you may surprise yourself you can enjoy something other than your usual 'preferred'. Broaden your horizons. Isn't that some of what we gain from travel?

 

 

Amen, I agree.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

If everyone was spending as much as they say in the lounges, paying the corkage fee or drinking their wine in the cabins/verandahs, not bringing their glasses/bottles of wine out and about and drinking in the dining room but not paying corkage, not bringing cases as some have reported seeing being loaded aboard,,,,,

 

I wonder why HAL would have changed the policy at all? Sounds like it was responsible guests acting in a reasonable way and not doing anything to excess?

 

Any idea why they would 'shake the boat' and change the policy if everyone was

behaving in the way described in these multiple posts on the subject of wine policy?

 

I agree with you, but HAL's bean counters must have figured out some way that they can make more money by changing the rules, rather than keeping the status quo.

[LSEA]

Do you really not see that you are saying exactly the same thing as those who "know good wine" and pass on what HAL offers?

 

Excellent point cruisemom42. I hear the sound of crickets....

[sail7seas]

Excellent point cruisemom42. I hear the sound of crickets....

 

 

:D I actually googled to see the meaning of the expression "I hear the sound of crickets".

I've heard it before but never knew its meaning. :eek:

 

[OlsSalt]

:D I actually googled to see the meaning of the expression "I hear the sound of crickets".

I've heard it before but never knew its meaning. :eek:

 

 

Another way of saying The silence is deafening. :cool:

[LSEA]

:D I actually googled to see the meaning of the expression "I hear the sound of crickets".

I've heard it before but never knew its meaning. :eek:

 

 

Well?... Do you not agree that it was a good point? BTW, your post about the spa made me chuckle. We can agree on that one. Zero appeal for me at this point.

[sail7seas]

Well?... Do you not agree that it was a good point? BTW, your post about the spa made me chuckle. We can agree on that one. Zero appeal for me at this point.

 

 

This is what I found: :D

 

 

Crickets can't hear there own stupid noise .....

 

 

 

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

Let's just agree to disagree - after 30 days - limited selections are somewhat frustrating;) people on shorter cruises are just fine. Longer cruises - different story

 

 

This is a very valid point. I believe that the situation presented during short cruises (14 days or less) is very different from longer cruises. The longer cruises deserve different options and policies.

[arewethereyet]

This is what I found: :D

 

 

Crickets can't hear there own stupid noise .....

 

 

 

 

Really? I've always taken it to mean that you hear crickets because there is no other sound to be heard (like a reply, for instance).

[Typhoon1]

Six months left. Enjoy it while you can. HAL wine prices aren't that different from wine brought aboard.

[sail7seas]

Really? I've always taken it to mean that you hear crickets because there is no other sound to be heard (like a reply, for instance).

 

 

It was the first that came up on my google search. :)

 

[kazu]

Geez, not surprised to see the usual "Cheerleader" mentality but you need to understand that the world is full of Oenophiles that take their wine very seriously! HA does indeed have a few decent wines on their wine list (which may or may not actually be in stock) at the usual huge mark-ups. But many of us who take cruises to places where they have wonderful wine (i.e. France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and even Korcula) and like to purchase local and regional wines (not on any cruise ship wine list) and bring them back to be enjoyed with dinner. For wine lovers this is just an important part of travel. In fact, we often have shared our wine discoveries with the wine staff onboard the ship. In fact, HA even has their own excursions that visit various wineries (who hope that the visitors will purchase some of their wine).

 

We do hope that HA carefully reconsiders their new policy in light of the many wine areas visited by their ships. While limiting the amount of wine brought aboard might be a reasonable policy, a total prohibition on allowing passengers to take advantage of the local wine offerings does not make a lot of sense.

 

Hank

P.S. When HA decides to start charging for all the food served in their dining rooms we will look forward to you defending this decision too :)

 

You raised points here more eloquently than I did Hank -especially about Europe.

 

well said

[erewhon]

We also like the Silverado Cabernet and have been drinking that for years.

L'ecole....... I don't recall if it is the cabernet or merlot we order.

We also had a Rioja we enjoyed on our last cruise.

 

 

Thanks to you and OlsSalt for your replies.