Update on Wine Petition Status

[startwin]

I actually sort of enjoyed pushing Seattle on the new wine policy; it was a challenge I felt I had a small voice in.

We had to cancel our Eurodam cruise for this past August at the last possible minute when my husband became quite ill. So, while he was busy with all that, there really wasn't all that much that I could do besides the obvious supportive stuff. And the whole health issue was out of my hands entirely.

So this wine policy became a pleasant distraction for me; who knows it may due some good. And it looks like my sweetie is out of the woods too:D!

 

Thank you for doing this and I'm glad it helped you to get through a rough time, and that your DH is doing better now.:)

Edited November 16, 2013 by startwin

[Hlitner]

Had to laugh after reading the OP's post. Bottom line is that HA has done nothing regarding the lousy policy. All that other talk about upgrades, upsells, etc. are just window dressing and have nothing to do with the policy. HA has staff who are quite capable of writing nice letters (its always good PR to stroke the customers) but this does not change the bad policy. To put the typical HA response in perspective it can usually be paraphrased to say "thank you for sharing your thoughts, you are important to us, we have forwarded your complaint to the appropriate party, and nothing will change!" Or course they usually leave-out that last part :)

 

Hank

[Cruising-along]

Just how many bottles of wine did people usually bring before the policy change?

 

That would depend on the person, but also on the length of the cruise. We have never brought on more than 6 bottles at embarkation, and maybe a bottle or two in ports. But we don't take 1-week cruises either.

[Drico]

That depended on the person/couple/family...I have seen ppl arrive with a bag of six and I've seen them arrive with 3 cases. To each his own:)

 

 

Three cases!!?? Well no wonder HAL is making restrictions. Especially if those bringing that much expects the crew to deliver it all that to their room for them. Even six bottles seems extreme when all I'd like is to bring ONE bottle of my favorite Bourbon. That said, I can see when in port (especially Mediterranean itineraries) where bringing a couple bottles of the local wine to enjoy would be nice, but bringing as many as 6 bottles to 3 cases at embarkation does seem extreme.

[CruiseWhere]

Three cases!!?? Well no wonder HAL is making restrictions. Especially if those bringing that much expects the crew to deliver it all that to their room for them. Even six bottles seems extreme when all I'd like is to bring ONE bottle of my favorite Bourbon. That said, I can see when in port (especially Mediterranean itineraries) where bringing a couple bottles of the local wine to enjoy would be nice, but bringing as many as 6 bottles to 3 cases at embarkation does seem extreme.

 

Whoa!!! First off "they" carried the three cases on themselves. Secondly who's to say or judge how long their cruise was or how many family members they might have been entertaining! Sometimes we can't nor should we be so quick to judge....

[Drico]

Whoa!!! First off "they" carried the three cases on themselves. Secondly who's to say or judge how long their cruise was or how many family members they might have been entertaining! Sometimes we can't nor should we be so quick to judge....

 

Even so, carrying on bags full of or multiple cases of wine (how many bottles of wine would be in three cases anyway?!) at embarkation is simply tacky and being cheap. HAL is not an RV resort. Allow two bottles per person at embarkation and two bottles per person brought on from ports sounds reasonable. I'd be happy if I could just bring on ONE bottle of my favorite Bourbon for the entire cruise at embarkation and leave it at that. Maybe I should start my own petition, but I have better things to do.

[PunkiC]

Thank you, ekkc10753.

 

We just returned from Italy, around Spain, with the stop in the Azores, prior to a crossing on the Noordam--wonderful trip.

 

It was great fun shopping for wine in Italy, Spain and Portugal. The Portuguese wines were amazing. I am not interested in cruise line that wants to rob me of that fun.

[Wakepatrol]

Even so, carrying on bags full of or multiple cases of wine (how many bottles of wine would be in three cases anyway?!) at embarkation is simply tacky and being cheap. HAL is not an RV resort. Allow two bottles per person at embarkation and two bottles per person brought on from ports sounds reasonable. I'd be happy if I could just bring on ONE bottle of my favorite Bourbon for the entire cruise at embarkation and leave it at that. Maybe I should start my own petition, but I have better things to do.

 

With all the cases of beverages hauled aboard, coupled with styrofoam coolers,coolers on wheels and people leaving balcony doors open.

 

Hal has a great idea. It's called "Camping On The Promenade"

 

For $399 Hal will sell camping spaces on the promenade deck. Bring your coolers, cases of wine and gaze at the stars.

 

You will also be assigned a deck chair for the duration of the cruise.

[taxmantoo]

Even so, carrying on bags full of or multiple cases of wine (how many bottles of wine would be in three cases anyway?!) at embarkation is simply tacky and being cheap. HAL is not an RV resort...

 

Some people should learn to not comment on something they obviously know nothing about :rolleyes: Bringing on cases of wine is not necessarily a cost-saving exercise! On our last 12-day Mediterranean cruise, we were booked into an SS Signature Suite and brought on one case of wine (12 bottles, btw) and supplemented a few times with bottles bought in ports. I don't think you can consider us "cheap and tacky" when the total value of the wine brought on board was higher than the cost of the Signature Suite for one person!

[LindaM]

Even so, carrying on bags full of or multiple cases of wine (how many bottles of wine would be in three cases anyway?!) at embarkation is simply tacky and being cheap. HAL is not an RV resort. Allow two bottles per person at embarkation and two bottles per person brought on from ports sounds reasonable. I'd be happy if I could just bring on ONE bottle of my favorite Bourbon for the entire cruise at embarkation and leave it at that. Maybe I should start my own petition, but I have better things to do.

 

According to a HAL hotel manager, the above is the reason for HAL tightening the policy. And, his opinion of those folks is similar to yours!! Why would someone go on a cruise to entertain in their cabin, thus needing cases of wine??? I guess people do......a family from S. Africa invited the CC rollcall members to their huge aft cabin where we enjoyed wine from their country. If you have a huge cabin, it would be a waste to not be able to show it off! However, they purchased the wine for their party from the ship, as Celebrity allows only 2 bottle pp.

[Lauranne]

Even so, carrying on bags full of or multiple cases of wine (how many bottles of wine would be in three cases anyway?!) at embarkation is simply tacky and being cheap. HAL is not an RV resort. Allow two bottles per person at embarkation and two bottles per person brought on from ports sounds reasonable. I'd be happy if I could just bring on ONE bottle of my favorite Bourbon for the entire cruise at embarkation and leave it at that. Maybe I should start my own petition, but I have better things to do.

 

Your one bottle of Bourbon (depending on the bottle size and shot size) is the equivalent in numbers of drinks to approx. 5 bottles of wine. :rolleyes:

[Cruising-along]

Even so, carrying on bags full of or multiple cases of wine (how many bottles of wine would be in three cases anyway?!) at embarkation is simply tacky and being cheap. HAL is not an RV resort. Allow two bottles per person at embarkation and two bottles per person brought on from ports sounds reasonable. I'd be happy if I could just bring on ONE bottle of my favorite Bourbon for the entire cruise at embarkation and leave it at that. Maybe I should start my own petition, but I have better things to do.

 

Many of us would be thrilled to be able to continue bringing on a few bottles from port, especially in Europe. After January 31 we won't have that option. I would be happy with your "reasonable" suggestion. :D

 

Your one bottle of Bourbon (depending on the bottle size and shot size) is the equivalent in numbers of drinks to approx. 5 bottles of wine. :rolleyes:

 

Exactly. ;)

[sickatsea]

On October 31, I sent Mr Kruse and Ms Ferris the Wine Petition along with all the comments. I wrote a cover letter and included the URL's for the 3 most vigorous CC threads to show how much discussion the new policy had generated along with a brief summary of the reasons given by CC members for modifying the new policy (and managed to keep the whole thing to one page!)

 

 

I received a very pleasant letter in return from Ms Ferris saying that Mr Kruse had reviewed the correspondence and had forwarded it to "appropriate senior management for their information and review"

 

 

All of which is fine and to be expected.

 

 

But I closed my letter (this is the second one) saying that all my "suggestions" and fussing had probably pretty much crushed our chances of ever seeing the elusive Upgrade Fairy again.

 

And now I know these letters are actually being read in Seattle because someone went to the trouble of looking up my booking and informing me that I have a "Do Not Upgrade" notation on our booking (what?!!! ack!! that's the last straw for our TA:() and that my letters would in no way affect any further upgrades and I may receive a substanially discounted upsell just before sailing.

 

 

I'm very impressed with the level of attention being given to the Wine Policy concerns, but I'm even more pleased with the attention to detail being given to our correspondence. I still think the new wine policy is a bad idea for a dozen reasons but my fondness for HAL has increased greatly in the last few days

 

 

(and I had the "Do Not Upgrade" removed from our booking too, just in case:p)

Had my TA check into wine policy with HAL. Latest policy (this week) allows one bottle of wine per person to be brought aboard at initial departure, and one bottle pp at ports of call. To bring it into public areas they will charge a corkage fee of $20/bottle, but no fee if consumed in a stateroom.

Do you have the same info?

 

Sickatsea neberens@yahoo.com

[innlady1]

Had my TA check into wine policy with HAL. Latest policy (this week) allows one bottle of wine per person to be brought aboard at initial departure, and one bottle pp at ports of call. To bring it into public areas they will charge a corkage fee of $20/bottle, but no fee if consumed in a stateroom.

Do you have the same info?

 

Sickatsea neberens@yahoo.com

 

If that's true, hooray! But this is the first that I've heard of it...did your TA get the name of the person she spoke with? Please share that so the rest of us can have our travel agents verify.

Great news if it's true. But I'm not doing a "shout out" yet ! ;)

[esimon]

glad cheep wine doesn't bother me at all -- no need to carry it on and no need to pissed at the wine change.

[SeaBands]

but they will allow more if you pay the corkage up front when you board. That's not much different from the old policy if you just drink wine in the dining room.

I will be bringing a case for our 7 day cruise as 4 of our group prefer wine before dinner in the cabin and there will be a few bottles for dinner.

[Windsailer]

Don't get your hopes up yet. I just checked the alcohol policy for my May, 2014 cruise..and the policy hasn't changed.

[LindaM]

Had my TA check into wine policy with HAL. Latest policy (this week) allows one bottle of wine per person to be brought aboard at initial departure, and one bottle pp at ports of call. To bring it into public areas they will charge a corkage fee of $20/bottle, but no fee if consumed in a stateroom.

Do you have the same info?

 

Sickatsea neberens@yahoo.com

 

Isn't the corkage $18 until Jan. 31? Saying that it's now $20 gives me some hope that this could be the new policy, and not the current one. But, it still sounds too good to be true!!

[innlady1]

Had my TA check into wine policy with HAL. Latest policy (this week) allows one bottle of wine per person to be brought aboard at initial departure, and one bottle pp at ports of call. To bring it into public areas they will charge a corkage fee of $20/bottle, but no fee if consumed in a stateroom.

Do you have the same info?

 

Sickatsea neberens@yahoo.com

 

I see that you're on the Amsterdam's World Cruise. Perhaps that's the reason...

[kennicott]

I see that you're on the Amsterdam's World Cruise. Perhaps that's the reason...

 

HAL hasn't changed their "Know Before You Go" rules yet, with respect to the impending wine carry on restrictions. If they did change their wine policy for the Grand World Voyages only, I wonder how they are ever going to manage that.

 

We have been on the Grand Voyages before, one time for three months, and found during the course of the voyage that many of the passengers came and went depending upon the segment of it booked. It seems to me it would be terribly awkward to allow half the passenger contingent to be able to bring wine on board, at no corkage fee cost for stateroom consumption, while the other half is relegated to bring zip aboard, at any given port. If so, I can almost hear the screeching now.

[Hlitner]

I am starting to wonder about the policy and whether HA will reconsider. But if they do we can make an assumption that the cruisers will be the last to know :)

 

Hank

[LindaM]

I was told the World Cruise would not be affected by the new policy. That's the reason. Oh well....got my hopes up for no reason!

[innlady1]

I was told the World Cruise would not be affected by the new policy. That's the reason. Oh well....got my hopes up for no reason!

 

Isn't that the truth....:rolleyes:

[startwin]

I was told the World Cruise would not be affected by the new policy. That's the reason. Oh well....got my hopes up for no reason!

 

I heard that too. It wouldn't do for HAL to upset the World Cruisers, some of whom do that trip every year.

[Wakepatrol]

It seems to me it would be terribly awkward to allow half the passenger contingent to be able to bring wine on board, at no corkage fee cost for stateroom consumption, while the other half is relegated to bring zip aboard, at any given port. If so, I can almost hear the screeching now.

 

Isn't this the same as having one guy bring 4 cases of wine aboard but the next guy can't bring 1 bottle of scotch/whiskey?