corkpopr

we drink 35-60 dollar bottles retail and I am more than willing to pay the corkage. of course that is on vacation or special events out. 300 days a year I have iced tea or a diet soda.

I agree, enough about lanyards. how about baseball caps in the dining room, and that crocs and birkenstocks need to be banned altogether!

The big deal is that I like certain brands and I want to make the martini the way we like it. we actually use vermouth. the olives on board all ships are the size of a peanut. if we are getting ready for dinner I can't run up to the bar in my skivvies and waiting for room service and then a second room service is a pain. also, the cruise lines only serve cognac not brandy. to me cognac tastes like ronson lighter fluid! If they wanted to charge me 50 dollars to make up for lost revenue that would be fine with me. we spend plenty when out around the ship and wine every night in the dining room.

 

also, have never had breakage of any type. wrap it in a pullover and pack it in the center of the suitcase.

after 31 cruises we have packed liquor on everyone and never had a problem. always at least two bottles and sometimes 3 for the TA's. We also bring vermouth and a jar of olives stuffed with onions. we like a martini before dinner (sometimes even two!) while still in our cabin getting ready. seven different lines and as I mentioned never had a problem.

31 cruises, never ever

chateau de cardboard is not wine! If HAL had a great selection like Celebrity I would not bother bringing on wine. NCL charges corkage when you come aboard and puts a sticker on the bottles so when you bring it to the dining room you do not get charged again. In over 30 cruises I bring my vodka, brandy, & wine on in my checked luggage only and have never had it removed.

as long as HAL allows smoking on the balcony I will continue to book with them. if they ban it, they will become my fourth choice.

Our next cruise has 10 sea days. I would do a 14 day cruise with no stops. No planned activity is the best day for me!

22% of Americans smoke. if you factor in children then it is about 45 million people. the numbers have dropped on a steady basis for the past 40 years. probably by 2030 it will be down to 10-12%. Of course that would still be the largest minority group in the United States. Carnival tried the paradise as 100 percent smoke free and it was the worst revenue producing ship in the fleet.

Just saying!

No sandals, flip flops, crocs, or birkenstocks ever ever ever!

Smoking a cigar on the balcony is one of the great pleasures of life. I have been doing it for thirty years and will continue to do so.

I couldn't agree more. We are on HAL for the first time in years this November. Coming from Los Angeles I cannot bring 6 bottles because of the weight and possible ruining bottles from my collection on the way. I was in a restaurant in Pasadena last week with my doctor and we went to a French/Japanese bistro. They only had a 28 bottle list (not expensive) well thought out. A simple problem for HAL to solve but alas.

 

No merlot, no white zin EVER!

we never board before 3:30-4 and never have a problem finding something to eat

atm cards with 5 digit pins no problem throughout Europe as recently as two months ago. I work in Canada and comute monthly and still use my U.S. swipe type cards as well

Yes they all have roulette and craps. That's my game and I am there every night of a cruise.

I will be on my balcony for 30 minutes a day having a cigar. The rest of it or a second one will be at the stern on the upper deck. In thirty plus cruises i have never had a complaint but then again I always try to make sure nobody is around me.

I will probably only bring 4 bottles but I will also have my vodka, vermouth, olives, & brandy for the pre dinner cocktails in our cabin and the balcony nite caps!

Vodka tonic for me! Also, only two bottles of wine?

You are absolutely correct. Some of the banks are now reporting 5,000 and over to cover themselves. The report is used for money laundering, drug trafficking, terrorist activities, and unreported income to avoid taxes.

Have not carried a wallet dor almost forty years. Cash in front right & credit cards and id in the front left.

the last poster is correct, on an even money game like blackjack if you bet 5000 and win 5000 there is no W-2g. However if you cash in over 10,000 in chips at the end of the cruise they will report to the IRS the large currency transaction report.

 

most people on cruise ships however do not have that problem LOL

Wonderfully review full of great info. We never go to shows so it is fine with us that you found that to be the only weak area. I am in the casino every nite & since you didn't comment on it I presume you never went there. Thanks for taking the time to write.

Tap water only for us. However we actually prefer wine, champagne, & martini's!

We always use atm's in Portugal, Spain, France, & Italy. We have five digit pins and have never had a problem. Also, you can walk into a bank and exchange u.s. dollars for euro's for a flat five euro fee. You get actual rates & no markup like from a u.s. bank. Do not exchange at your hotel desk that can cost 20 % .

Hey hank, I remember when you were under ten thousand posts. Your sage advice for all is always appreciated. We haven't been on holland since spring of 09. Doing a TA Rome to Ft Lauderdale in Nov. We will be back in time at all stops on this one!