New GALLERY cruiser

[buchsco]

My wife and I are experienced cruisers but this will be our first cruise on Holland America. I have read the cruise lines policy regarding bringing wine on board and at ports of call. Other cruise lines have similar policies but often turn a blind eye to bringing wine on board at ports of call. Does Holland America adhere to its own policy or are the more lenient in practice?

[DaveOKC]

My wife and I are experienced cruisers but this will be our first cruise on Holland America. I have read the cruise lines policy regarding bringing wine on board and at ports of call. Other cruise lines have similar policies but often turn a blind eye to bringing wine on board at ports of call. Does Holland America adhere to its own policy or are the more lenient in practice?

 

About a year or two ago changed its quite liberal policy (bring on as much wine as you want at any port) to a much more restrictive one (one bottle free per person over age 21 at embarkation port only). You can bring more onboard then or at any port, but you pay a corkage fee of $18 per bottle - and then none later in the dining room).

 

There have been reports that some HAL excursions also allow you to bring wine onboard, but this is very limited I would think.

 

Since we just follow the program, I have never tested how strict HAL is on this, so I cannot say firsthand.

[kazu]

there seem to be varying reports on this.

 

The wine policy is what it is and you should be prepared to pay corkage.

 

I have read of people not being checked and just going through.

 

Since the wine policy came out that you are referring to we have done several lengthy cruises on HAL and in each port, our bottles were charged.

 

No biggie to us as we knew those were the rules.

 

Plan on being charged and if you happen to "escape" in a port, consider yourselves lucky is the attitude I would take.

[SilvertoGold]

Four embarkations in Vancouver since the new policy, four times no one at all around to even look at what you are bringing on.

[Scrapnana]

Four embarkations in Vancouver since the new policy, four times no one at all around to even look at what you are bringing on.

 

They didn't xray your carry on items?

[DaveOKC]

They didn't xray your carry on items?

 

Good point. I had this happen to me on a cruise once out of Fort Lauderdale on a different cruiseline. They saw what they thought was a bottle of wine and questioned me on it.

[Krazy Kruizers]

In Ft Lauderdale, on the cruises we have been on, they had a table set up right at the x-ray machine and they were checking the carry-ons.

Wine was being taken care -- people getting charged corkage fee for extra bottles.

On one cruise we had to go to the front desk and there was a long line of people waiting to open their luggage as it was brought to the "naughty" room so that alcohol and wine packed in their luggage could be removed and held until the end of their cruise.

[DaveOKC]

In Ft Lauderdale, on the cruises we have been on, they had a table set up right at the x-ray machine and they were checking the carry-ons.

Wine was being taken care -- people getting charged corkage fee for extra bottles.

On one cruise we had to go to the front desk and there was a long line of people waiting to open their luggatro as it was brought to the "naughty" room so that alcohol and wine packed in their luggage could be removed and held until the end of their cruise.

 

Been to the "naughty room" once, but not for wine or liquor (they thought I had a knife - WRONG). Anyway, it was a bit embarrassing and not worth the trouble of sneaking something onboad IMO. I can attest that they do scan and view your checked luggage.

[SilvertoGold]

They didn't xray your carry on items?

 

Customs did, of course. Not their business, but HAL's rules.