HAL Wine Cost/Rules

[SabreSailor]

On a recent cruise, we ordered a bottle of Rosemount Estate Shiraz as a result of a recommendation from our wine steward. It was $44 plus the 15% ($6.60) and we thought it was very good, although it seemed a bit pricey.

 

When we returned to the States, we found the identical bottle - same vintage - in a local supermarket for $7.99!

 

Is this kind of any upcharge typical on HAL and, for that matter, other cruise lines? I see a normal upcharge in local restaurants of about 3-4 times....

 

Secondly, I know you can bring your own wine aboard and are charged a corkage charge ($25) if your bring the bottle to the dining room. Is there any charge to bring a glass of wine from your stateroom to the dining room?

[2mnycats]

I would also like to tag on a question here--I understand the corkage fee of $25. I havea stupid question--Will they charge this each time they open the bottle, or just the first time? Am also wondering about bringing a glass from the cabin to dinner as the above poster mentioned.

[jtl513]

First of all, you shouldn't compare ship prices to a land supermarket. What would that same bottle have cost in an upscale land restaurant?

 

The wine you are allowed to bring on board is for in-cabin consumption. No one will charge you or say anything if you take a glassful into the MDR, but it really shouldn't be done.

 

I would also like to tag on a question here--I understand the corkage fee of $25. I havea stupid question--Will they charge this each time they open the bottle, or just the first time?

It's $18 per bottle, one time per bottle. Any size bottle.

[SabreSailor]

I have a stupid question.

 

The only questions that are stupid are ones to which you already know the answer :).

[SabreSailor]

First of all, you shouldn't compare ship prices to a land supermarket. What would that same bottle have cost in an upscale land restaurant?

 

As I said, I was trying to see why the normal upcharge added by a good local restaurant of 3-4 times isn't used by HAL, whose upcharge appears to be about 6 times.... Is it that they have a captive audience?

[sail7seas]

Cruise lines are for profit companies.

Guests cannot expect to pay very low fares, book their own shore excursions, buy no photos, don't spend any money on board and expect bargain prices on wine.

They have to make money somewhere. Wine is an optional extra. Buy it or don't. Bring it with you or don't.

 

HAL is in business to make money somewhere.

 

We get to choose where to spend our money.

[jtl513]

As I said, I was trying to see why the normal upcharge added by a good local restaurant of 3-4 times isn't used by HAL, whose upcharge appears to be about 6 times.... Is it that they have a captive audience?

Sorry, I missed that. :o

 

Yes, all cruise lines have a higher markup than land restaurants ... I think some higher than HAL. I don't think it's the "captive" factor, because in reality you are "captive" for a couple hours at least in a land restaurant too. Some of the markup may be helping pay for fuel and entertainment expenses that land establishments don't have.

[VallyD]

Everyone is going to jump on me for this but, whatever, I always carried a glass from the stateroom (of my own wine) to the Dining Room. I also had bought 6 bottles of wine on board so tut tut big deal no one ever said a word anyway!

 

Ok so one or two glasses may have also found their way into the piano bar....

[arewethereyet]

On a recent cruise, we ordered a bottle of Rosemount Estate Shiraz as a result of a recommendation from our wine steward. It was $44 plus the 15% ($6.60) and we thought it was very good, although it seemed a bit pricey.

 

When we returned to the States, we found the identical bottle - same vintage - in a local supermarket for $7.99!

 

Is this kind of any upcharge typical on HAL and, for that matter, other cruise lines? I see a normal upcharge in local restaurants of about 3-4 times....

 

Secondly, I know you can bring your own wine aboard and are charged a corkage charge ($25) if your bring the bottle to the dining room. Is there any charge to bring a glass of wine from your stateroom to the dining room?

HAL's corkage fee is $18. The markup on lower cost wines is a higher multiple than on higher cost wines. Find a $30 bottle locally then price it onboard. The % markup is nowhere near the same.

 

HAL pairs their "bring as much aboard as you want to" and the $18 corkage fee (reasonable, IMO) with higher markups on board than some other lines. That's just how they do it. They are encouraging you to bring your own - again, my opinion. OTOH, RCI has a $25 corkage fee, 2 bottle bring aboard limit, and lower markup on onboard purchased wines. That encourages me to buy wine on board. Both HAL and RCI know what they are doing. It's one of the many difference to consider when choosing a cruise line.

[jtl513]

Everyone is going to jump on me for this but,

If enough people do this often enough, HAL will stop allowing us to bring as much wine on board. Why not play by the rules you agreed to?

[VallyD]

If enough people do this often enough, HAL will stop allowing us to bring as much wine on board. Why not play by the rules you agreed to?

 

Oh simmer down I bought two Navigator's packages and ordered my fair share of drinks, a few glasses of my own didn't kill the dang cruise line.

[startwin]

Everyone is going to jump on me for this but, whatever, I always carried a glass from the stateroom (of my own wine) to the Dining Room. I also had bought 6 bottles of wine on board so tut tut big deal no one ever said a word anyway!

 

Ok so one or two glasses may have also found their way into the piano bar....

 

 

You're not alone! I recall our cabin neighbours on one cruise always wandered around with glasses of wine from the stock in their cabin. No-one batted an eye.

[arewethereyet]

Everyone is going to jump on me for this but, whatever, I always carried a glass from the stateroom (of my own wine) to the Dining Room. I also had bought 6 bottles of wine on board so tut tut big deal no one ever said a word anyway!

 

Ok so one or two glasses may have also found their way into the piano bar....

 

That's what will eventually lead to HAL changing their very liberal bring aboard policy. Bringing a lot of wine aboard is not a problem, as they state that you can do that. Dodging the corkage fee in venues where you should pay it, is an abuse of their policy.

 

I guess you can consider yourself jumped on. ;)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Everyone is going to jump on me for this but, whatever, I always carried a glass from the stateroom (of my own wine) to the Dining Room. I also had bought 6 bottles of wine on board so tut tut big deal no one ever said a word anyway!

 

Ok so one or two glasses may have also found their way into the piano bar....

 

HAL really needs to enforce their own rules:

 

 

"Can I Bring Alcoholic Beverages Onboard?

 

 

Except for wine and champagne, guests cannot bring hard alcohol on board for private consumption. Hard alcohol purchased on board in the duty free shops or in port will be collected, stored for safekeeping and delivered to your stateroom on the last day of the voyage.

 

Guests can bring as much wine and/or champagne as they choose on board at embarkation or purchased in port. A corkage fee of US$18.00 applies to wine and champagne brought to the shipboard restaurants or bars for consumption. Wine and/or champagne brought on board cannot be consumed in any public venue. If a guest is drinking a beverage carried on board and in a public venue they will be asked to return it to their stateroom.

 

Room Service offers reduced-price stateroom beverage packages for in-stateroom consumption of alcoholic beverages. A 15% Service Charge on all beverage items and packages with beverages will be added."

[jtl513]

Oh simmer down I bought two Navigator's packages and ordered my fair share of drinks,

So this allows you to choose which rules you can ignore? I didn't know that! :rolleyes:

[VallyD]

That's what will eventually lead to HAL changing their very liberal bring aboard policy. Bringing a lot of wine aboard is not a problem, as they state that you can do that. Dodging the corkage fee in venues where you should pay it, is an abuse of their policy.

 

I guess you can consider yourself jumped on. ;)

 

Hey I knew it was coming!!! I didn't bring my own, I bought two bottles in San Juan, so for everyone else bringing cases on and consuming them in the room and ordering a glass of wine at dinner is actually hurting them more than me because I atleast purchased six bottles for a MUCH HIGHER PRICE than I can get at total wine from HAL anyway! Geeeeeeeeez

 

 

HAL really needs to enforce their own rules:

 

 

"Can I Bring Alcoholic Beverages Onboard?

 

 

Except for wine and champagne, guests cannot bring hard alcohol on board for private consumption. Hard alcohol purchased on board in the duty free shops or in port will be collected, stored for safekeeping and delivered to your stateroom on the last day of the voyage.

 

Guests can bring as much wine and/or champagne as they choose on board at embarkation or purchased in port. A corkage fee of US$18.00 applies to wine and champagne brought to the shipboard restaurants or bars for consumption. Wine and/or champagne brought on board cannot be consumed in any public venue. If a guest is drinking a beverage carried on board and in a public venue they will be asked to return it to their stateroom.

 

Room Service offers reduced-price stateroom beverage packages for in-stateroom consumption of alcoholic beverages. A 15% Service Charge on all beverage items and packages with beverages will be added."

 

Thank you for putting the rules up :)

[VallyD]

So this allows you to choose which rules you can ignore? I didn't know that! :rolleyes:

 

I reiterate...

 

I brought no wine on board. I ordered two packages for quite a price. I bought two bottles in San Juan. I had a few out in public, how is that worse than people who bring on case(s) and consume in their room then don't buy packages and buy a glass at dinner every night. Shoot! I bought glasses of wine atleast every day, a few liquer drinks, and husband and I shared a BUCKET YES OH MY A BUCKET of beer :eek::cool::D Did you know one of the bottles they have in the 100 dollar package is 10 at Total wine? .... hey you might win Trivia next time!

[fatcat04]

Oh simmer down I bought two Navigator's packages and ordered my fair share of drinks, a few glasses of my own didn't kill the dang cruise line.

 

I don't think they were "simmered up" in the slightest. They were however pointing out logically and calmly the fact that should enough people decide to NOT abide by the rules in the cruise contract we all agree to prior to boarding the ship, HAL will change the policy and that will be to the detriment of everyone, even those who have followed the rules to the letter. That is not jumping on you, simply making a rational and on point observation.

 

I reiterate...

 

I brought no wine on board. I ordered two packages for quite a price. I bought two bottles in San Juan. I had a few out in public, how is that worse than people who bring on case(s) and consume in their room then don't buy packages and buy a glass at dinner every night. Shoot! I bought glasses of wine atleast every day, a few liquer drinks, and husband and I shared a BUCKET YES OH MY A BUCKET of beer :eek::cool::D Did you know one of the bottles they have in the 100 dollar package is 10 at Total wine? .... hey you might win Trivia next time!

 

We have never assumed a large bar bill, which we have never avoided :p, exempts us from following the rules.

[sail7seas]

Everyone is going to jump on me for this but, whatever, I always carried a glass from the stateroom (of my own wine) to the Dining Room. I also had bought 6 bottles of wine on board so tut tut big deal no one ever said a word anyway!

 

Ok so one or two glasses may have also found their way into the piano bar....

 

 

Maybe no one said anything because they are too polite to embarrass you in that way but they knew. Everything you do on a ship is on the computer. Had you bought that wine in a bar before dinner and carried it so you could finish it at dinner, the charge would have shown on your account. Just because no one said anything, do not think they did not have an opinion about it.

 

 

 

 

 

If enough people do this often enough, HAL will stop allowing us to bring as much wine on board. Why not play by the rules you agreed to?

 

 

You're right.

[VallyD]

I made a logical retort and I expect no further logic to follow :)

 

startwin, When are we cruising together?

 

And Lord help me if someone comes in here asking me to go to Friends of Bill please think before you post because that surely will put quite a dent in the profit HAL gets from me and my love of alcohol. :D

[arewethereyet]

I reiterate...

 

I brought no wine on board. I ordered two packages for quite a price. I bought two bottles in San Juan. I had a few out in public, how is that worse than people who bring on case(s) and consume in their room then don't buy packages and buy a glass at dinner every night. Shoot! I bought glasses of wine atleast every day, a few liquer drinks, and husband and I shared a BUCKET YES OH MY A BUCKET of beer :eek::cool::D Did you know one of the bottles they have in the 100 dollar package is 10 at Total wine? .... hey you might win Trivia next time!

I'm officially confused. You said you brought no wine on board. Then you said you bought 2 bottles in San Juan. Did you not bring them on board? I understand that you purchased wine onboard, but your original post made it sound like you took wine that you brought onboard to the MDR and piano bar.

 

I'm not attempting to berate you. I'm trying to understand what I misinterpreted from your original post.

[VallyD]

Oh look it's the high road....

 

 

I'll see myself out :)

 

I think you got your official rules OP ;)

[VallyD]

I'm officially confused. You said you brought no wine on board. Then you said you bought 2 bottles in San Juan. Did you not bring them on board? I understand that you purchased wine onboard, but your original post made it sound like you took wine that you brought onboard to the MDR and piano bar.

 

I'm not attempting to berate you. I'm trying to understand what I misinterpreted from your original post.

 

OH upon embarkation I brought no wine on. I simply bought two bottles in San Juan which I did bring back on board, three glasses found their way into a public place :) Tis all :)

 

Hey at least I'm honest :P When asked ;)

 

That post was worded very wrong actually. I always brought my own wine (Purchased on navigators packages -2- of them ) to dinner except one night. 3 glasses of the San Juan Send-Her-To-The-Brig wine made it's way out the cabin in total.

[Aruba]

Oh dear, I won't get involved in this debate. I'll just say that in my experience HAL's markup on bottles of wine averages 4.5 times retail. It's a much higher mark-up than on Princess but I just accept that going in.

 

Fortunately for 4- and 5-star Mariners, there is a 50% discount (25% for 3-star Mariners) on Navigator and Admiral wine packages. Personally I find the choices on those packages to be somewhat limited but that is a matter of taste. If a wine is marked up 4 times then discounted 50%, it becomes a 2x markup -- very reasonable indeed.

[sail7seas]

Everyone is going to jump on me for this but, whatever, I always carried a glass from the stateroom (of my own wine) to the Dining Room. I also had bought 6 bottles of wine on board so tut tut big deal no one ever said a word anyway!

 

Ok so one or two glasses may have also found their way into the piano bar....

 

 

VallyD

OH upon embarkation I brought no wine on. I simply bought two bottles in San Juan which I did bring back on board, three glasses found their way into a public place :) Tis all :)

 

Hey at least I'm honest :P When asked ;)

 

That post was worded very wrong actually. I always brought my own wine (Purchased on navigators packages -2- of them ) to dinner except one night. 3 glasses of the San Juan Send-Her-To-The-Brig wine made it's way out the cabin in total.

 

 

 

I am officially :confused: