Bringing wine on Noordam - what's the real deal?

[MySmoochy]

I know this question seems redundent but I just keep reading conflicting answers. Can someone who has been on the Noordam and knows first hand about bringing wine onboard please let me know if I can can carry on 2-3 bottles when I board in Seattle (not by smuggling it on, just by carrying it on with the rest of my stuff)?

 

In lieu of carrying on my own, does anyone know if HAL offers Prosecco for purchase? I much prefer that to champagne.

 

Thanks!

[jtl513]

I know this question seems redundent but I just keep reading conflicting answers. Can someone who has been on the Noordam and knows first hand about bringing wine onboard please let me know if I can can carry on 2-3 bottles when I board in Seattle (not by smuggling it on, just by carrying it on with the rest of my stuff)?

 

In lieu of carrying on my own, does anyone know if HAL offers Prosecco for purchase? I much prefer that to champagne.

 

Thanks!

You can bring as much wine/champagne as you can carry ... or pack in your luggage if you prefer. I don't know if they sell Prosecco.

[pms4104]

Indeed, the HAL alcohol policy is stated clearly in the "Know Before You Go" booklet and, I think, on the website: no alcohol, except for wine and champagne, may be brought on board. We bring along a couple to several bottles of wine in our carryon ... no limit that I know of and no problems/issues.

[MySmoochy]

I read that as well but a co-worker insisted that they would confiscate it (they were on a different HAL cruise last year). And I've read so many conflicting statements on this website and others. I would hate to go through the effort of finding a liquor store in Seattle if it's not allowed.

[FATJACK]

Your co-worker is wrong. I've carried wine on several Holland American Cruises with no problems.

[RSGS315]

We sailed on the Noordam on January 6, 2007 and had no problem bringing 2 bottles of wine onboard. I had put them in my carry on bag and nobody raised any objections.

Ginnie

[dividedsky319]

You can definitely bring on as much wine as you'd like.

 

In fact, I could have brought on any alcohol on our cruise last week... I had a suitcase full of wine and it was never even inspected.

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/mveino/Honeymoon/photo#5055998060329998546 Our wine supply!

[SakeDad]

MySmoochy,

Go here to see HAL wine list.....

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=537825&highlight=wine+list

[MySmoochy]

Thanks to the 2 cruisers who have actually been on Noordam and confirmed they carried wine onboard. I won't keep asking questions about it. I like to be thorough, particularly when I receive and read conflicting information (even some of our HAL documentation is not 100% accurate so it was worth confirming).

 

And a wine list, SakeDad - how did I miss that in my search? My husband will be thrilled. Thanks for the post! If we don't make it to a store in Seattle, at least I know there are a couple of champagne options I like on the ship (celebrating a wedding anniversary a bit early).

[caviargal]

We bring a case when we cruise HAL and will be doing so again next month on the Noordam.

[Gsel]

We have also brought as much as a case onboard with no problems. Don't worry, have fun!

[island lady]

I have already emailed the closest wine shop near the ship to have our selection waiting for us. We will pick it up via taxi on the way to the ship from the airport before we board that morning.

 

I am bringing an empty cushioned carry on for the wine, that will slip over my wheeled carry on, and away we go! :D

 

Cheers! :)

[mamaofami]

We were on the Noordam in February and after "speaking" to people on this board, we had a carry on suitcase filled with wine. Other people have had cases of wine brought on board. There is no problem bringing wine on a HAL ship and it will not be confiscated. Enjoy your cruise.

[bankerbabe]

We were on the Noordam April 11-21, and brought 12 bottles of wine with us. The only problem we had was that we couldn't drink all of our wine in ten days - wound up giving half of it to our table mates who were staying on for a back to back. Hope they are enjoying it as much as we did!

[Rahi]

I know this question seems redundent but I just keep reading conflicting answers. Can someone who has been on the Noordam and knows first hand about bringing wine onboard please let me know if I can can carry on 2-3 bottles when I board in Seattle (not by smuggling it on, just by carrying it on with the rest of my stuff)?

 

In lieu of carrying on my own, does anyone know if HAL offers Prosecco for purchase? I much prefer that to champagne.

 

Thanks!

In March we brought on two boxes of wine, no problems at all.

[jtl513]

Not only can you bring on as much wine as you can carry, you can very often bring on hard liquor without it being taken and held. In Naples we carried two bottles of Limoncello onto the Noordam, with no attempt to hide it, and nothing was said. Ditto with tequila onto the Veendam in Costa Maya Mexico. Both were the last ports before disembarkation, so that may have made a difference.

[dividedsky319]

Both were the last ports before disembarkation, so that may have made a difference.

 

I kinda doubt it... last week on the Noordam I bought a bottle of Guavaberry Rum and a bottle of Absinthe... had it in the bag that went through the x-ray machine, they never said anything, so we just took it back to the room.

 

A day later in St Thomas there was one bottle I didn't have sent back to the ship, so I had it in my bag... send it through the x-ray machine, the guy says "Bottle of wine?" and I say yes, heh... in reality it was tequila... but I took that back to the room too. (Didn't actually end up opening any of the bottles though)

[Fatfish]

In March we brought on two boxes of wine, no problems at all.

 

Not box wine! Did you pay corkage :D ?

[GrammaZ]

On the Noordam in January we brought a bottle with a screwcap to dinner one evening and joked with our wine steward about how we shouldn't have to pay corkage as there was no cork. He totally agreed and didn't charge us.

[Fatfish]

On the Noordam in January we brought a bottle with a screwcap to dinner one evening and joked with our wine steward about how we shouldn't have to pay corkage as there was no cork. He totally agreed and didn't charge us.

 

Good one!

[appletx]

I kinda doubt it... last week on the Noordam I bought a bottle of Guavaberry Rum and a bottle of Absinthe... had it in the bag that went through the x-ray machine, they never said anything, so we just took it back to the room.

 

A day later in St Thomas there was one bottle I didn't have sent back to the ship, so I had it in my bag... send it through the x-ray machine, the guy says "Bottle of wine?" and I say yes, heh... in reality it was tequila... but I took that back to the room too. (Didn't actually end up opening any of the bottles though)

Dividedsky, I notice two bottles of tonic amongst your wine. Did you carry those on as well - and the gin to go with them?

[dividedsky319]

We brought on 3 liters of tonic to go with a gift of a bottle of Absolut my aunt and uncle bought for us that they had sent to our room...

 

You can bring on soda, but you can't bring on liquor.

[dazee8]

What is the corkage fee onboard HAL?

 

:)

[mamaofami]

The corkage fee is $15 in the dining room.

[PrincessYoga]

We didn't bring wine with us at the beginning our Noordam cruise in June 2006 (Med Enchantment). However, we brought a fair few bottles in Florence and Malta. We drank some during the rest of the cruise and brought the rest home.