Questions...can you help?

[rumple]

Hello, everyone! I have some things I was pondering for my next cruise, and would love to hear what all of you think on the following subjects:

 

1) can you bring water and fruit juice along? I have seen yes and no answers to this, and I am confused! I would like to bring my own.

 

2) if you bring wine with you, are you charged a corkage fee even if you drink it in your cabin?

 

3) do they allow you to bring beer on board? (I've seen answers to wine and liquor but not beer)

 

4) Are there plenty of lounge chairs available on HMC? Do you have to pay to use them?

 

5) anyone have any comments on shore excursions for Gatun Lake in the Panama Canal? We want to take one, but we are not sure which one would be best...

 

Thanks in advance...

 

Karen

aka Rumpleteaser

[Grumpy1]

1. yes

 

2. Corkage fee in dining room. No fee in cabin (bring your own corkscrew)

 

3. No beer

 

4. lots of lounge chairs, no charge, unless you want the covered ones(clamshells)

5. someone else will have to answer

[JimVrhovac]

1. We bring our own bottled water on the cruise but don't know the answer to fruit juices. The baggage is not searched prior to boarding....

 

2. We usually pack 1 or 2 bottles of wine and put them in the frig. Have never been charged a corkage fee.

 

3. Beer is a no no. Could probably consume it in your room but not allowed in public areas. Ship makes a lot of its profits from alcohol sales.

 

4. Not many lounge chairs at HMC. Lot of beach area to put a towel down and they provide the towels. Have used chairs occasionally and never had a problem finding one.

 

5. Have been to Panama Canal 4 times and have never gotten off the ship. I refuse to pay a fee to go into a town. You are charged a fee just to get off the ship.

 

Hopes this helps with some of your questions. In the future put some insight into your heading to give an idea what your questions are about. It may help you get a better response.

 

My spelling really sucks.....

 

Jim & Ruth

[Krazy Kruizers]

I am assuming that you are only doing a partial transit where the tours begin in Gtum Lake and end in Colon.

 

We did the train trip - lots of cc'ers have done it.

 

Loved it. We had the dome car.

[sail7seas]

You can bring fruit juice aboard but you may not be aware that HAL serves an amazing variety at breakfast in Lido every morning. I am not a juice drinker (I prefer to eat the fruit and get the fiber than to drink the juice) and I cannot list all the juices they have but it is a large selection.

You cannot bring beer aboard. Wine is fine. As stated, corkage fee if you drink it outside of your cabin.

 

[rumple]

Thanks one & all, I appreciate the help.

 

JimVrhovac: I am confused by your statement:

 

5. Have been to Panama Canal 4 times and have never gotten off the ship. I refuse to pay a fee to go into a town. You are charged a fee just to get off the ship.

 

Charged to get off the ship? I have never heard of that. Can you clarify?

 

Thanks much,

 

Karen

[Southbound]

We also did the Panama Canal Railroad trip this past Dec. in the domed car. So glad we followed the recommendation of several cc'ers; it was a wonderful excursion. By the way, the train has only one domed car and it sells out quickly.

[ryansmemom]

Thanks one & all, I appreciate the help.

 

 

Charged to get off the ship? I have never heard of that. Can you clarify?

 

Thanks much,

 

Karen

 

Due to regulations you can only get off the ship when transiting the canal if you are booked on a shore excursion. There is a shore excursion that you may purchase that allows you to go onshore. Onshore there is are several activities included in the excursion. I do not remember what they are because I havee always stayed on the ship. If you do not purchase an excursion, you may not get on a tender and must stay onboard the ship.

 

Linda

[KathleenMB]

My sister and I took bookend Panama Canal cruises in December 2002. My late DH and I got off the Rotterdam VI as she and her DH got on. We both took the train trip. It was the highlight of my cruise. We were not in the domed car. Do sit on the side with the bigger tables.

My sister hated it. There was a long delay getting on the train due to another ship's passangers tardy return from a transit before hers, so she had a very boring tour of the countryside prior to boarding the train. She was in the domed car and felt parboiled. Due to the time element factor, that is, the fact that the previous transit took so long to complete, her trip was shorter. They were not able to get off the train and take the bus ride to the Pacific. They just about stopped in the station, then rode back to Colon.

So, a lot depends on factors over which we have no control

 

Pacific...bus<rail station...canal...locks...gorgeous views...>rail station...lake

[LVSue]

On my Volendam Alaska cruise, I was charged the $15 corkage fee both times I brought (an already open) bottle of wine to the dining room. Not worth it to me 'cuz my favorite Beaujolais was only $24 (-10% if preordered during the day).

[rumple]

Due to regulations you can only get off the ship when transiting the canal if you are booked on a shore excursion. There is a shore excursion that you may purchase that allows you to go onshore. Onshore there is are several activities included in the excursion. I do not remember what they are because I havee always stayed on the ship. If you do not purchase an excursion, you may not get on a tender and must stay onboard the ship.

 

Linda

 

Thanks for the clarification, Linda! I am finding out more and more every day. I do like to be prepared!!!

 

Karen

aka Rumpleteaser

[mr green]

With all that weight, plus a couple of chairs:rolleyes: , if you were going to fly, you would never get on the 'plane. We take a few bottles of wine, in our 'carry on', to be replaced with 'duty free', from the ship, on our return. john

[HeatherInFlorida]

You have never seen as many lounge chairs as you will see on Half Moon Cay. So don't bother bringing your own ... they'll just weigh you down and they're so darned bulky.:D

 

(I'm going to get to 5000 posts this weekend if it kills me;) )