New Alcohol Policy on HAL Questions

[rucrazy]

44 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said:

I’m not sure if I have seen those.

not a fan to me they have a metallic taste...but maybe that is just me

[Vict0riann]

18 minutes ago, SLC1954 said:

I usually use a single plastic water bottle that I refill when I fly/sail. I guess I will have to look for an alternative.

I do the same, with a very small bottle that fits in my bag.  I wonder what they will be selling water in on the ships - boxes?  I don't much like the metal water bottles either.   And I don't think glass is a good option.  

[Crazy For Cats]

47 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said:

That’s interesting. I’m not sure if I have seen those.

I don’t remember the brand but it looked like this.

[kazu]

42 minutes ago, rucrazy said:

not a fan to me they have a metallic taste...but maybe that is just me

 

You are not alone 😉

[kazu]

1 hour ago, rucrazy said:

I look at it a bit differently even with the corkage fee the bottles I take take on board far exceed what I can get onboard and I am spending much less than half their price.

 

I don’t look at the price so much but at the opportunity. If I am in any area with good wines we’ll certainly be bringing them onboard and paying the corkage, happily 😉

[cruisin'mama]

1 hour ago, kazu said:

 

You can still bring a 12 pack on in cartons or cans - just not plastic bottles.

 What I read was that soda, energy drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages were not allowed onboard in ANY form. I hope that changes and cans are allowed to be brought on with us!

[StLouisCruisers]

3 minutes ago, cruisin'mama said:

 What I read was that soda, energy drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages were not allowed onboard in ANY form. I hope that changes and cans are allowed to be brought on with us!

 

That's what I read, too.

[kazu]

 

10 minutes ago, cruisin'mama said:

 What I read was that soda, energy drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages were not allowed onboard in ANY form. I hope that changes and cans are allowed to be brought on with us!

 

 

6 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

That's what I read, too.

 

Go to the second paragraph 

 

 

I believe 6 cans/cartons of water are permitted and up to a case (12) of soda.  I suspect you have to choose between one or the other 😉 

 

 

[VMax1700]

9 minutes ago, cruisin'mama said:

 What I read was that soda, energy drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages were not allowed onboard in ANY form. I hope that changes and cans are allowed to be brought on with us!

Items such as sodas, energy drinks or other non-alcoholic items are not allowed on board in any form.

 

Sodas etc not permitted.  Water in metal bottles or tetra packs??

I really had not seen anything except plastic bottles of water, but checked in the supermarket today and found these 'packs' of water!

 

[VMax1700]

I also remember reading somewhere about an allowance for 2 bottles of wine.  It also mentioned about segments on longer cruises and mentioned that 2 bottles per segment could be brought on board and Security would hold the excess bottles and deliver them at the commencement of the next segment.

[SilvertoGold]

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

I have got to believe that is badly written and they mean water bought in a plastic bottle, not a personal refillable water bottle.  I am a hiker and always carry one.  I will let the dust settle and the staff be trained in the new policy then send a message to HAL. 

 

I hope you are correct!  This is what we do and would like to continue to.

[rkacruiser]

Attempting to eliminate plastic bottles on board will benefit those crew members below decks who work in the trash/garbage/recycling department.  Less work; more environmentally friendly, I suppose.

 

But, for the new policy itself:  another attempt to increase the bottom line for the Company.  The previous beverage policy is another victim of Covid-19.  

[ottahand7]

We always haul wine aboard.    I guess we have been early and lucky but we have been able to bring on 10+ bottles without getting dinged with the former $18 fee.  We have gotten to port early and it seems that the wine steward is never set up when we pass through.  Security at both Tampa and FL have just let us carry on with unstickered wines since no one is ready for us.   Our sommelier in the Pinnacle Grill has never made us cough up.   We will be trying to repeat again on our next cruise in February.  

[kazu]

28 minutes ago, ottahand7 said:

We always haul wine aboard.    I guess we have been early and lucky but we have been able to bring on 10+ bottles without getting dinged with the former $18 fee.  We have gotten to port early and it seems that the wine steward is never set up when we pass through.  Security at both Tampa and FL have just let us carry on with unstickered wines since no one is ready for us.   Our sommelier in the Pinnacle Grill has never made us cough up.   We will be trying to repeat again on our next cruise in February.  

 

Wow - lucky you 

We’ve always paid corkage and honestly have never begrudged it. We knew  it was owed and paid it and happily enjoyed wines from Europe that weren’t offered on the ship.

when we went to Australia it was even better - great wines but it was pre-corkage so no charge 😉 

[kazu]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

Attempting to eliminate plastic bottles on board will benefit those crew members below decks who work in the trash/garbage/recycling department.  Less work; more environmentally friendly, I suppose.

 

Pardon me for my ignorance but how are cans less work than plastic bottles?

[Roz]

4 hours ago, kazu said:

 

It’s a $2 increase in the corkage fee after a few years.  I don’t think that’s a yikes.  It as $18 before - $20 now - no biggie IMO.

 

I know there 's a corkage fee, but the way I read it we can no longer bring on 1 or 2 bottles gratis and not pay the corkage fee.  But as I said, it was very difficult to read what was posted.  Agree with you that $18 to $20 isn't a big increase, but $0 to $20 is. 😁

[PigsCanFly]

We are not wine drinkers, so the corkage fee does not affect us.  Not bringing soda on board does affect me though.  My caffeine intake is mainly from Pepsi Zero.  I will suffer through Coke products onboard, but I will really miss my morning Pepsi Zero.  Maybe HAL will add Pepsi to their Soda menu but I doubt it.

[Brewgirl1]

If you go to Seth Wayne Holland America on Facebook , he just had the owner of the water company as a guest. She explained why aluminum is far superior to plastic. I am glad H.A. is taking a stand against plastic.

[cruisemom42]

12 minutes ago, Roz said:

 

I know there 's a corkage fee, but the way I read it we can no longer bring on 1 or 2 bottles gratis and not pay the corkage fee.  But as I said, it was very difficult to read what was posted.  Agree with you that $18 to $20 isn't a big increase, but $0 to $20 is. 😁

 

Yes, that's what I was thinking -- no more allowing even 1 bottle per person without the corkage fee? 

[kazu]

11 minutes ago, Roz said:

 

I know there 's a corkage fee, but the way I read it we can no longer bring on 1 or 2 bottles gratis and not pay the corkage fee.  But as I said, it was very difficult to read what was posted.  Agree with you that $18 to $20 isn't a big increase, but $0 to $20 is. 😁

 The Know Before you Go is not complete IMO.  Nothing new for HAL’s IT department.

 

They really need to get their act together.

Free bottles are still permitted as per the email a Cc member receive.  Here is the post:

 

Note the first couple of paragraphs which I have bolded 🙂 

 

 

“On 5/31/2021 at 9:32 PM,  rajkr74 said: 

   9 hours ago,  rajkr74 said:

We received a copy of the new HAL CruiseContract from our TA and there are some changes concerning what and how much Non Alcoholic beverages you can bring on board.  Corkage fee is now $20 USD per bottle.  This is  the paragraph dealing with this.

 

Guests agree not to bring alcoholic or non-alcoholicbeverages on board for consumption or for any other use except as follows:

• For Guests of legal drinking age, an allowance of two (2) bottles of wine or champagne (750 mL in volume or less) per stateroom may be presented to security during embarkation.

• For world cruises, or cruises with consecutive voyages, this allowance can be multiplied by the number of segments that comprise the complete sailing. Items forfuturesegments/voyages will be held by the vessel and delivered on the first day of each segment. Guests should present theirdocumentation for any consecutive sailings to securityonboarding day.

• A US $20.00 corkage fee (which is subject to changewithout notice) will apply to each additional bottle (750 ml in volume or less) beyond the two (2) bottle allowance. Limitations apply. Wine brought inquantities deemed to be excessive by the vessel orsecurity will be refused.

• Guests are also prohibited from bringing water,sodas and other non-alcoholic beverages on board that are packaged in bottles. Asmall quantity of non-alcoholic beverages (i.e., sparkling water,sodas, juice, milk) packaged in cans or cartons may bebrought on board on embarkation day, only if carried on in Guests’ hand luggage (not in checkedluggage). A small quantity is considered a maximum of 12 sealed, unopened cans/cartons of 12 ounces eachor less per person. Guests will be asked to discard open beverages in plastic containers prior to boarding.“

 

 

[Roz]

@kazu, thanks for the clarification.  They sure make things confusing, don't they?  Looks like the lady who wants to bring on 12 cans of diet Dr. Pepper can do so.

[kazu]

4 minutes ago, Roz said:

@kazu, thanks for the clarification.  They sure make things confusing, don't they?  Looks like the lady who wants to bring on 12 cans of diet Dr. Pepper can do so.

 

I think the cans were in the Know before your go Roz.

 

It’s such small print - if you can’t expand it, no one can read it.  WTH?

Rick is pretty trustworthy as a poster and he posted that at the end of May.  

Hopefully HAL goes their ducks in a roll.

[cruisemom42]

Thanks @kazu that makes a bit more sense anyway...!

 

And I am heartened that they actually say "bottles per cabin" rather than "per person" -- a nice boon to us solos, lol. 

[NCTribeFan]

10 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

Thanks @kazu that makes a bit more sense anyway...!

 

And I am heartened that they actually say "bottles per cabin" rather than "per person" -- a nice boon to us solos, lol. 

Has that always been the case?  I'm used to Carnival and it has always been one bottle per person.  When I've sailed HAL, that's what I took.  Don't know if I assumed it was the same, I hadn't paid attention, or if the "per cabin" is new.

 

I've tended to fly in the morning of lately as there's a flight that gets into FLL at 9:30, so I haven't even bothered with 1 bottle the past few cruises.  It's not worth stopping at a store on the way to the port.

 

Guess I'll just wait and see what the final version of the policy turns out to be.

 

Canned water?  Don't like any beverage from a can.  My DD got me a expandable/collapsible water bottle recently that I'd planned on bringing.  In the past, I've always just taken an empty 8 oz plastic bottle and reused it.

[Himself]

17 hours ago, Roz said:

Could they make the font any smaller or lighter? ☹️ I can barely read it even with bifocals.  From what I can discern, it's a $20 corkage fee per bottle.  Yikes!

 

On my next HAL cruise we a beverage pkg. so it's hardly worth it to bother with bringing wine onboard.

It sounds like more "Carnivalization" of the line.