Bring wine by case on embarkation?

[zoncom]

New to HAL. Thinking of Transatlantic from FLL. May I bring wine on by case? Probably Osterdam. Thanks.

[cruiserfromohio]

No problem! I've done it! It is best if you carry it through security and the X-ray machine with you rather than letting it come on with your luggage. Total Wine near the port entrance has an excellent selection and you can order online, they will pull it for you and have it ready for pickup on your way to the ship. Have fun!

[Gsel]

We have done this also, no problem. Best to take it on with you as previous poster said, don't trust others to do it. Have fun!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Hal hasn't any limit on the amount of wine and champange that you can take onto their ships.

I certainly would not let the porters put the case of wine on the ship.

[cruznon]

Yes, we have also done this. Last time we got a rolling, collapsible cooler and packed wine inside. It was so easy to transport through check in, security and then rolled it onto the ship.

On board you can use the cooler (if you need for soda/water), pack it with "extras" you bring back or simply collapse and pack. We found it to be very handy!

[larsenbiz]

My husband and I just carried on a case of wine on Oosterdam. We used the cardboard carriers with handles. It was a bit heavy, but oh well. People in line kept staring at us, though!

 

FYI - the corkage fee is now $18.

[niborHS]

We bring a case of wine on board, and use the stryfoam wine shipping cartons. With those, we have no problem sending it with the porters at the pier. The funny thing is that as we watch the luggage sometimes being brought to the cabin one by one, we joke, "Well, at least 'the box' is here!" We bring wine from home because we choose things from our own cellar, rather than buying new before the cruise. If I were doing that, I am not so sure I would bother.

[peabody99]

total wine-what a great resourse. I could not find a selection online-we are taking a cab from the airport and would love to swing in and pick up a few bottles. can you call and ask them to pick out 3 or 4 styles in a certain price range and be good to go for pick up?

[sail7seas]

If people bring whole cases of wine aboard, I wonder how long it will be before HAL bans us from bringing any.

 

Just thinking out loud, I guess........

 

 

A bottle or two is one thing, but I wonder if they look kindly on cases?

 

 

[cccole]

sail7seas - I'm really not trying to cause trouble here but couldn't the same thing be said about those that order 2 items in each category on the menu and then send half back to the kitchen uneaten? Will they take away the option of ordering as much as you want? HAL seems to think their wine policy works to their benefit. Truly.....I am not trying to say you are wrong.....I just think that people do not seem to abuse the policy....just enjoy it!!! This of course is just my opinion!!! Cherie

[sail7seas]

sail7seas - I'm really not trying to cause trouble here but couldn't the same thing be said about those that order 2 items in each category on the menu and then send half back to the kitchen uneaten? Will they take away the option of ordering as much as you want? HAL seems to think their wine policy works to their benefit. Truly.....I am not trying to say you are wrong.....I just think that people do not seem to abuse the policy....just enjoy it!!! This of course is just my opinion!!! Cherie

 

 

? I don't know. Maybe food service will change. Given the economy and having to keep costs down, who knows?

(Though I don't see it as the same thing. I honestly do not see a parallel between how much food a person orders and lugging cases of wine. I just see it as possibly taking advantage of a privilege HAL offers that most other lines do not. )

 

Perhaps they are fine with it. I was just speculating, out loud. :)

[peabody99]

sail7seas - I'm really not trying to cause trouble here but couldn't the same thing be said about those that order 2 items in each category on the menu and then send half back to the kitchen uneaten? Will they take away the option of ordering as much as you want? HAL seems to think their wine policy works to their benefit. Truly.....I am not trying to say you are wrong.....I just think that people do not seem to abuse the policy....just enjoy it!!! This of course is just my opinion!!! Cherie

I agree. I think the sensible wine policy will get MORE people on board. When I sailed MSC in the s Mediterranean, we were able to bring a wonderful local bottle in from every port. We never abused it, just one, but it was very special to enjoy it on decl as we left port. On another cruise, Oceania, people stocked up (I am talking CASES) on fine french wines in St. Barths. Hardly a cheapo crowd on this line, they just enjoy quality. So no problem on either line. Same with Celeb. If I am going to be treated like a frat girl and have things confiscated on HAL, I will write it off like other bush league lines that shall remain nameless. Overwhelmingly, Hal passengers are respectful and sensible with regard to this policy, so if it changes, I will go elsewhere.

[chiapet]

Never been on HAL before ... but I assume that everyone had to pay a corkage fee PER BOTTLE ... is that correct?

[cccole]

? I don't know. Maybe food service will change. Given the economy and having to keep costs down, who knows?

(Though I don't see it as the same thing. I honestly do not see a parallel between how much food a person orders and lugging cases of wine. I just see it as possibly taking advantage of a privilege HAL offers that most other lines do not. )

 

Perhaps they are fine with it. I was just speculating, out loud. :)

 

I understand and respect your view. It just seems that when passengers bring wine onboard, no matter how much, it does not impact the cost of the cruise for other passengers. However, the fact that many passengers waste an incredible amount of food on a cruise, does impact the cost for everyone booking a cruise. I think that ordering more than you even anticipate eating is taking advantage of one of the privileges offered on a cruise. Cherie

[peabody99]

Never been on HAL before ... but I assume that everyone had to pay a corkage fee PER BOTTLE ... is that correct?

yes, in the dining room. $15 I think. What happens in the cabin stays in the cabin. Pack a wine key, and if you are drinking white, slip your hard working steward a little something extra for the ice you will need. All will be fine...

[RuthC]

A trans-At is a longish cruise. And at least for the first several days a personal wine supply can't be supplemented by a quick trip to the store. One or two bottles isn't going to make it.

In this instance I don't find a case to be an excessive amount.

[Hal&Rob]

There are some wonderful boxed wines (3 ltrs) out there. Easier to pack and no bottle weight. Have done this many times on different cruise lines.

[pipedreams62]

Passengers will be allowed to use the cranes at the pier to load their wine.

 

 

[the_dylaness]

I agree. I think the sensible wine policy will get MORE people on board. When I sailed MSC in the s Mediterranean, we were able to bring a wonderful local bottle in from every port. We never abused it, just one, but it was very special to enjoy it on decl as we left port. On another cruise, Oceania, people stocked up (I am talking CASES) on fine french wines in St. Barths. Hardly a cheapo crowd on this line, they just enjoy quality. So no problem on either line. Same with Celeb. If I am going to be treated like a frat girl and have things confiscated on HAL, I will write it off like other bush league lines that shall remain nameless. Overwhelmingly, Hal passengers are respectful and sensible with regard to this policy, so if it changes, I will go elsewhere.

 

Ditto!

 

I have sailed RCCL in the past (once), but I very much dislike their new draconian alcohol policy. Not because I simply MUST smuggle on gobs of booze, but because I'm an adult woman paying for my vacation and I think it's a bit insane of a cruise line to care if I'm bringing on a couple bottles of wine for enjoyment in my stateroom (or at dinner with a corkage fee.) If I wanted to be treated like I was 8 years old...

 

One of the reasons I've chosen HAL for my next sailing IS their reasonable policy. So, bravo, HAL!

[niborHS]

Seeing as someone thinks that I am going to force HAL to change their policy, I will give you more details. If we are going on a 10 day cruise, and we pay a corkage fee of $18 each night to open a bottle of wine that is worth $50 or more, no one is going to have a problem with that. We sometimes like to bring an extra bottle incase one is corked, or we just decide that we don't want a particular bottle, or maybe we even share it with our table mates. We also never take more than the allocated amount of luggage, so I am not asking them to do anything for me in terms of bringing my luggage to the cabin. There are people who purchase a $25-$30 bottle of wine and have the dining room staff keep it for 2 or 3 nights, each time serving them another glass of wine, and never paying another corkage. In addition, all they would have to do is look at our cruise tab for the week and they can clearly see that we are not trying to do this to be cheap, but to enjoy our dining experience more. Not to mention the fact that we are paying a lot more than many people do because we book a Deluxe Suite. If they are going to stop anything to make more money, I can't imagine they make that much on 4 people in an inside cabin who waste food by loading up plates at the buffet and leaving them all over the place.

[larsenbiz]

HAL's alcohol policy is one of the reasons my husband and I love HAL. We always bring our own wine onboard. Some we bring to the dining room for dinner ($18 corkage fee now) and some we drink privately in our cabin. We carry it on ourselves. We both think that there is more value this way, and we are able to bring on really nice bottles from our own cellar as well.

[innlady1]

Never been on HAL before ... but I assume that everyone had to pay a corkage fee PER BOTTLE ... is that correct?

 

Yes. I brought three bottles of my favorite wine last year, and the corkage fee in the dining room was $10 per bottle. I'm picky about wine. And I was glad to be able to bring it on board to have my favorite!

 

In fact, one night when we went to the Pinnacle, the wine steward retrieved my wine from the dining room!

 

Now, this year, we're leaving from FFL and I plan to go to Total Wine. I'm just trying to figure out how to bring it on board.

 

Looking for a light weight collapsible cooler or hand truck to wheel it aboard!

 

Any ideas?

[hylasgirl]

If people bring whole cases of wine aboard, I wonder how long it will be before HAL bans us from bringing any.

 

Just thinking out loud, I guess........

 

 

A bottle or two is one thing, but I wonder if they look kindly on cases?

 

 

 

 

Nobody gave us a second look for bringing a case onboard. HAL has allowed this FOREVER!

 

DO NOT feel bad about bringing a case (or two) on board. The world cruisers bring cases and cases and cases onboard. No problem. They are told it is ok.

[hylasgirl]

Yes. I brought three bottles of my favorite wine last year, and the corkage fee in the dining room was $10 per bottle. I'm picky about wine. And I was glad to be able to bring it on board to have my favorite!

 

In fact, one night when we went to the Pinnacle, the wine steward retrieved my wine from the dining room!

 

Now, this year, we're leaving from FFL and I plan to go to Total Wine. I'm just trying to figure out how to bring it on board.

 

Looking for a light weight collapsible cooler or hand truck to wheel it aboard!

 

Any ideas?

 

I bought a great, collapsable hand truck type thing at Wal-Mart on line. Look online at Wal-Mart for "luggage cart". It was amazing and VERY well made. I was impressed for the $40.

 

We took a taxi to Total Wine and did not allow ourselves enough time to shop. The store is incredible. The selection is amazing and the staff is so helpful. They will do this in advance for you over the phone or online, but the online selection is nothing compared to the store. They packaged it up for us and then we loaded it on our new cart. We had a few people ask us about it while we were in line... Quite a few people do not know of Holland's wine policy. It's the best one out there.

 

The cart isn't light, but it worked great!

[J Alex's Mom]

We have left a case of wine at the pier on both of our cruises out of FLL, and each time it has made it to our room timely and in perfect shape. Perhaps we are lucky (it also might help that we leave a nice tip when dropping it off). We stock up at Total Wine the night before, and I even remembered to bring packing tape from home to seal the box and affix our luggage tag to the box this time. The last time I had to beg from the front desk at the Embassy Suites!