New Wine Policy - no more whining about wine

[cruz chic]

I am always weighing all of the options.

 

Had HAL not modified their wine policy, they would have been off my list of cruise lines to consider. Now they are back on, but they still start off with a $500 handicap compared to Princess or Cunard which offer DH and me $250 OBC each for our military service.

 

So, if they have a deal with decent OBC and good pricing, they are in the running, but certainly not our first choice.

 

Moreover they have that ridiculous "Dancing With the Stars" program which is truly a joke. It is taught by people who don't understand the dances they are teaching and the whole program basically boils down to a bunch of running back and forth and arm flailing. Pretty sad. It is better to just present basic classes that really help people learn to enjoy ballroom dance.

 

We'll see how things shake down.

 

 

Their pizza sucks, but I do like the poached egg station! :p

Princess seems to be such a good fit for you so why change. For the life of me I don't understand why people insist on making every cruise line into one size fits all. You are so negative about so many things on Hal. Why bother with them?

[PunkiC]

WOW - having another bad day - I see

 

Me ???? I am having a great day, I always do. I just weigh all of the cruise options--both the good and the bad--before I make a decision. :p I am surprised that that is not SOP for all cruisers.

 

There are some really good things about HAL that make it worthy of consideration. The ships are gorgeous and I love the accommodations. I really like having a priest on board and DH likes the food. I am not much of a foodie, except for pizza, so I guess the fact that HAL has dreadful pizza is probably a good thing because I am not in the least tempted to eat it. ;) I also really like the fact that HAL makes a major effort to support Catholic Seamen throughout the world, but especially here in Seattle.

 

Moreover, they sometimes have smoking deals on great itineraries which must be taken into consideration.

 

In the end it comes down to a combination of itinerary and price and the lines I am usually considering are Princess, HAL and Cunard. If HAL is substantially less expensive than Princess (which it sometimes is) and is offering an attractive OBC, it is worth it to forego the Military Credit we would get with Princess or Cunard.

 

Trust me, if you were a dancer, you would laugh your head off at that silly Dancing With the Stars nonsense. That is not being negative, just realistic. It does, however, me a little sad. Learning basic dance moves on a cruise ship just might be the thing that prompts someone to learn to dance and that is a very good thing--it is an amazing, fun way to get more exercise. Unfortunately the current HAL dance program just isn't working.

 

The lines I never consider are Carnival, because I don't like the sound of their activities, NCL because we tried it and really didn't like it, and RCCL, but I have absolutely no idea why we don't consider RCCL. Maybe someday we will have a chance to give it a try.

 

Maybe after we have run out of HAL, Princess and Cunard cruises, we will even look at P&O or Costa. We probably won't consider the high-end lines because we like to take at least 4 cruises a year and couldn't afford that at $200 to $300+ a night pp. It's all a balancing act.

[sapper1]

I am always weighing all of the options.

 

Had HAL not modified their wine policy, they would have been off my list of cruise lines to consider. Now they are back on, but they still start off with a $500 handicap compared to Princess or Cunard which offer DH and me $250 OBC each for our military service.

 

So, if they have a deal with decent OBC and good pricing, they are in the running, but certainly not our first choice.

 

Moreover they have that ridiculous "Dancing With the Stars" program which is truly a joke. It is taught by people who don't understand the dances they are teaching and the whole program basically boils down to a bunch of running back and forth and arm flailing. Pretty sad. It is better to just present basic classes that really help people learn to enjoy ballroom dance.

 

We'll see how things shake down.

 

 

Their pizza sucks, but I do like the poached egg station! :p

I have only experienced DWTS once and that was on the Prinsendam. One of our Meet and Greet members was the final winner for that cruise and she was enthusiastically cheered on. Every performance was SRO in the showroom and people were having too much fun to worry about whether the dancing was technically correct. I'm not a person to shout and cheer but I was hoarse at the end of the Grand Finale.

Edited February 8, 2014 by sapper1

[kazu]

I have only experienced DWTS once and that was on the Prinsendam. One of our Meet and Greet members was the final winner for that cruise and she was enthusiastically cheered on. Every performance was SRO in the showroom and people were having too much fun to worry about whether the dancing was technically correct. I'm not a person to shout and cheer but I was hoarse at the end of the Grand Finale.

 

Wasn't that something :D We have fond memories of that DWTS. The performances were quite good especially by the man (who I am sure was a professional) and our own roll call member. I was pretty hoarse at the end too:D

 

I didn't think I would like Dancing with the Stars - but it was surely enjoyable on the Prinsendam :D

[PunkiC]

Wasn't that something :D We have fond memories of that DWTS. The performances were quite good especially by the man (who I am sure was a professional) and our own roll call member. I was pretty hoarse at the end too:D

 

I didn't think I would like Dancing with the Stars - but it was surely enjoyable on the Prinsendam :D

 

Sounds like you were fortunate enough to have a teacher who really understood the classes and could teach, and that your Meet & Greet companion got him as her partner. Our teachers were just staff members attempting to follow a video which was way beyond their skills and/or the skills of the passengers. It was a fiasco.

 

It would have been pretty easy to win on our ship because, after the first couple of classes, everybody but two or three people quit. It was a huge disappointment as we and our friends had all really been looking forward to the classes.

 

We'll try it again if they are still sponsoring the program the next time we sail on HAL.

[startwin]

Sounds like you were fortunate enough to have a teacher who really understood the classes and could teach, and that your Meet & Greet companion got him as her partner. Our teachers were just staff members attempting to follow a video which was way beyond their skills and/or the skills of the passengers. It was a fiasco.

 

It would have been pretty easy to win on our ship because, after the first couple of classes, everybody but two or three people quit. It was a huge disappointment as we and our friends had all really been looking forward to the classes.

 

We'll try it again if they are still sponsoring the program the next time we sail on HAL.

 

I am puzzled that anyone would expect to learn to dance with all the technical skills, on a cruise. It's about having fun, and you have limited time, anyway. There are many dance schools shore-side.

[PunkiC]

I am puzzled that anyone would expect to learn to dance with all the technical skills, on a cruise. It's about having fun, and you have limited time, anyway. There are many dance schools shore-side.

 

Lots of people get their basic introduction to ballroom dancing on cruise ships, then practice what they have learned in the evenings in the dance venues, and subsequently decide to take lessons when they return home.

 

Even though we are fairly accomplished dancers, we often take the basic classes and work with novices, both in the classes and in the dance venues, to help them learn the basic patterns. Once people figure out how much fun it is, they often get hooked for life. It is such an amazing way to get additional exercise, and really enhances one's social life. Almost all of the life-long relationships that we have developed on cruise ships were with other dancers, some of whom were highly skilled and other who were just beginning.

[Wakepatrol]

Has anyone heard from the bridge teacher?

Or is he still on a bender:eek:

[SeaBands]

but tasting the Nobilio on 2 separate cruises (free to 4 star) I would never buy it. Villa Maria is so much better and about the same price at home. Not the rediculous mark up HAL puts on it.

[sapper1]

Lots of people get their basic introduction to ballroom dancing on cruise ships, then practice what they have learned in the evenings in the dance venues, and subsequently decide to take lessons when they return home.

 

Even though we are fairly accomplished dancers, we often take the basic classes and work with novices, both in the classes and in the dance venues, to help them learn the basic patterns. Once people figure out how much fun it is, they often get hooked for life. It is such an amazing way to get additional exercise, and really enhances one's social life. Almost all of the life-long relationships that we have developed on cruise ships were with other dancers, some of whom were highly skilled and other who were just beginning.

 

That certainly sounds like a way to exercise that would be much more fun than doing squats.

[CowPrincess]

That certainly sounds like a way to exercise that would be much more fun than doing squats.

 

:D :D :D

 

Good one :D

[Wakepatrol]

Eating too much HAL pizza...may cause excessive squatting.

[kazu]

Eating too much HAL pizza...may cause excessive squatting.

 

I'm the OP, the thread is about the wine policy being fixed, not about HAL pizza, squatting, whatever. Could we stay on topic please?

 

I'm happy with the new policy - I still need to convince DH but he will come around ;)

[Wakepatrol]

I'm the OP, the thread is about the wine policy being fixed, not about HAL pizza, squatting, whatever. Could we stay on topic please?

 

I'm happy with the new policy - I still need to convince DH but he will come around ;)

 

Sorry, I'm not the only one who didn't stay on topic. Please reel the others in as well (that way I don't feel like I'm being singled out)

 

The policy has changed what's left

to talk about?

[richard1s]

Of course, the subject of wine tastes are subjective. Our favorite variety is NZ Marlborough - Sauvignon Blanc and a few brands from California. We were fortunate to sail on Holland America a few days before their new policy went into effect. We were able to buy 6 bottles of our favorites at Total Wine in FLL.

 

We are not as concerned about the economy of bringing our own wine onboard (but it no doubt certainly helps) as we are finding something that we like for a fair price. We tried a few wines offered by the glass on board and bought another bottle that we could barely finish.

 

We thought they were awful and it was really the only thing we were displeased about on our recent sailing; everything else was almost perfect.

[pris993]

Of course, the subject of wine tastes are subjective. Our favorite variety is NZ Marlborough - Sauvignon Blanc and a few brands from California. We were fortunate to sail on Holland America a few days before their new policy went into effect. We were able to buy 6 bottles of our favorites at Total Wine in FLL.

 

We are not as concerned about the economy of bringing our own wine onboard (but it no doubt certainly helps) as we are finding something that we like for a fair price. We tried a few wines offered by the glass on board and bought another bottle that we could barely finish.

 

We thought they were awful and it was really the only thing we were displeased about on our recent sailing; everything else was almost perfect.

 

We leave on the NA in April for a TA, very happy about the wine policy change. Passover starts during the cruise, so we will be able to take Kosher wines now. In general we have not been pleased with the wine on cruise lines we cruise (Princess, HAL, Celebrity and Cunard), so being able to take what we like on board makes a difference. The change will keep us cruising HAL, along with the other lines.

[PunkiC]

kazu, I apologize for getting off track and talking about dancing. We are passionate about dancing, which is one of the primary reasons we love to cruise.

 

I promise that, hereafter, I will stick to discussions of wine. :)

 

We are now actively seeking great deals on Alaska cruises out of Seattle for the summer as we have lots of friends and relative who would like to go. Of course, we would join them. ;)

 

Whether the great deal turns out to be HAL or Princess, we will definitely load up our "Wine Check" and either check it if we are on Princess, or schlepp it along with us if we are on HAL.

Edited February 10, 2014 by PunkiC

[kazu]

kazu, I apologize for getting off track and talking about dancing. We are passionate about dancing, which is one of the primary reasons we love to cruise.

 

I promise that, hereafter, I will stick to discussions of wine. :)

 

We are now actively seeking great deals on Alaska cruises out of Seattle for the summer as we have lots of friends and relative who would like to go. Of course, we would join them. ;)

 

Whether the great deal turns out to be HAL or Princess, we will definitely load up our wine check and either check it if we are on Princess, or schlepp it along with us if we are on HAL.

 

good attitude:D I am just happy that we can bring wine onboard again:)

[innlady1]

I have only experienced DWTS once and that was on the Prinsendam. One of our Meet and Greet members was the final winner for that cruise and she was enthusiastically cheered on. Every performance was SRO in the showroom and people were having too much fun to worry about whether the dancing was technically correct. I'm not a person to shout and cheer but I was hoarse at the end of the Grand Finale.

 

I didn't think we'd like it either so didn't even bother on NA... but did go last week on Maasdam. We thought it was fun and thoroughly enjoyed it. The finalist was a young woman in her 40's who did the samba. She was incredible. The other two ladies were good, too...the 3 men, not so much.

I think it's all in great fun...it's not something to be taken as a serious endeavor, for heaven sake.

[PunkiC]

OK, innlady1, you are tempting me to get off topic, but I will hold firm to my resolve. :p

 

I will report that I called HAL again today to ask why we couldn't put wine in our carry-on and was again advised that passengers are now only allowed to bring one bottle of wine on board each. No point in arguing with an agent who is that confident that they are right, even when they are wrong, so I asked for a supervisor.

 

The supervisor also advised me that passengers were only allowed to bring one bottle per person on board. He went on to say that he was very "astute" and clearly understood the new policy. I invited him to read the policy on the HAL website and he came back and told me we could take as much on board as we desired as long as we paid the corkage fee on all bottles over two. I asked him then if it mattered if we carried it on board or put it in our checked bags and he said it didn't matter.

 

I then asked him if he was absolutely sure that was the policy. "Yes" he replied and then proceeded to read the policy to me word for word. At the end he said, "Well I guess you do have to carry it on".

 

People really should be required to read Cruise Critic before they sail. :)

[kazu]

OK, innlady1, you are tempting me to get off topic, but I will hold firm to my resolve. :p

 

I will report that I called HAL again today to ask why we couldn't put wine in our carry-on and was again advised that passengers are now only allowed to bring one bottle of wine on board each. No point in arguing with an agent who is that confident that they are right, even when they are wrong, so I asked for a supervisor.

 

The supervisor also advised me that passengers were only allowed to bring one bottle per person on board. He went on to say that he was very "astute" and clearly understood the new policy. I invited him to read the policy on the HAL website and he came back and told me we could take as much on board as we desired as long as we paid the corkage fee on all bottles over two. I asked him then if it mattered if we carried it on board or put it in our checked bags and he said it didn't matter.

 

I then asked him if he was absolutely sure that was the policy. "Yes" he replied and then proceeded to read the policy to me word for word. At the end he said, "Well I guess you do have to carry it on".

 

People really should be required to read Cruise Critic before they sail. :)

 

Misinformation from Seattle is infamous unfortunately.

 

I have learned so much from Cruise Critic over the years and have been so appreciative.

[POA1]

OK, innlady1, you are tempting me to get off topic, but I will hold firm to my resolve. :p

 

I will report that I called HAL again today to ask why we couldn't put wine in our carry-on and was again advised that passengers are now only allowed to bring one bottle of wine on board each. No point in arguing with an agent who is that confident that they are right, even when they are wrong, so I asked for a supervisor.

 

The supervisor also advised me that passengers were only allowed to bring one bottle per person on board. He went on to say that he was very "astute" and clearly understood the new policy. I invited him to read the policy on the HAL website and he came back....

 

I wouldn't put a lot of trust in that guy, just sayin'. :p

[startwin]

Misinformation from Seattle is infamous unfortunately.

 

I have learned so much from Cruise Critic over the years and have been so appreciative.

 

My experience is that people on Cruise Critic know more that Seattle does.:eek: Reference my latest fiasco in getting info on the Suite Amenities package. Four difference lots of info from Seattle, and I prefer to believe those who posted on CC.:rolleyes:

[Wakepatrol]

With all this misinformation calling HAL why bother calling?:eek:

 

Who's got time in their day to talk to 3 workers and a supervisor about a wine policy?

 

Then again I reported in live a few years back that I had a beautiful lunch in the dining room the day I boarded.

 

One CC poster chimed in,please confirm you had lunch in the dining room the day I boarded the ship. What do I stutter?

[kazu]

With all this misinformation calling HAL why bother calling?:eek:

 

Who's got time in their day to talk to 3 workers and a supervisor about a wine policy?

 

Then again I reported in live a few years back that I had a beautiful lunch in the dining room the day I boarded.

 

One CC poster chimed in,please confirm you had lunch in the dining room the day I boarded the ship. What do I stutter?

 

We have all faced this on the boards. Some even ask for pictures:rolleyes:

 

what will be, will be.

 

now back to our regularly scheduled thread.