New Wine Policy - no more whining about wine

[boards]

I may have missed the post, but has anyone since the new policy went into effect, reported that they have had been told they will have to pay a corkage fee on the bottle wine they are bringing on the ship at embarkation? It was my impression we could bring one 750ml each on embarkation for wine to be consumed in your stateroom. Am I wrong?

[POA1]

I may have missed the post, but has anyone since the new policy went into effect, reported that they have had been told they will have to pay a corkage fee on the bottle wine they are bringing on the ship at embarkation? It was my impression we could bring one 750ml each on embarkation for wine to be consumed in your stateroom. Am I wrong?

 

Scroll back in this post, but you get 1 bottle, 750ml free of corkage as a carry on for in room consumption. Every bottle beyond that is assessed $18 corkage regardless of where you decide to drink it.

[boards]

Scroll back in this post, but you get 1 bottle, 750ml free of corkage as a carry on for in room consumption. Every bottle beyond that is assessed $18 corkage regardless of where you decide to drink it.

 

OKay - thank you

[jpver]

Question. Wine in your checked and closed luggage. Somebody experienced it??

[kazu]

Question. Wine in your checked and closed luggage. Somebody experienced it??

 

Wine is not supposed to be in your luggage anymore. It needs to be carried on as per then new policy;)

[POA1]

Question. Wine in your checked and closed luggage. Somebody experienced it??

 

They put stickers on your wine to indicate whether it's your "free" bottle or if corkage has been paid.

 

Your bottles have to be accessible, so you should probably keep them in something like a wine tote bag or near the top of your carry on.

 

IMO, a regular wine box would be unwieldy to carry on with you. It's got no handles.

[larn796]

Anything in the policy regarding a box wine.

[kazu]

Anything in the policy regarding a box wine.

 

boxed wine is not permitted from the way I read the policy - I posted the policy on the first post of the thread;)

[POA1]

Anything in the policy regarding a box wine.

 

It's bottles only and they're limited to 750ml. Boxes are forbidden according to their policy.

[alwaysfrantic]

We have placed our order with Total Wine and will pick it up via taxi stop on the way to the hotel. We even have the wine bags packed for easy carry-on.

 

I'm satisfied with the policy. We will happily pay the fee for all but 2 of the bottles. I guess they charge that to the onboard account?

[kazu]

We have placed our order with Total Wine and will pick it up via taxi stop on the way to the hotel. We even have the wine bags packed for easy carry-on.

 

I'm satisfied with the policy. We will happily pay the fee for all but 2 of the bottles. I guess they charge that to the onboard account?

 

Definitely will be charged to the onboard account;) I'm with you - I will pay the fee too ;):D

[jpver]

We have placed our order with Total Wine and will pick it up via taxi stop on the way to the hotel. We even have the wine bags packed for easy carry-on.

 

I'm satisfied with the policy. We will happily pay the fee for all but 2 of the bottles. I guess they charge that to the onboard account?

 

Hope for you that they will make trouble for the wine bags.

I stay with my opinion that the new wine policy in NOT reasonable and NOT fair. US$ 18 charge in simply out of proportion.

In fact as it is a corkage fee, everybody should ask and order the staff to come to the cabin and open the bottle for you! Don't think they will like it but the people pay for it! :mad::mad::mad::mad:

Edited February 16, 2014 by jpver

[kazu]

Hope for you that they will make trouble for the wine bags.

I stay with my opinion that the new wine policy in NOT reasonable and NOT fair. US$ 18 charge in simply out of proportion.

In fact as it is a corkage fee, everybody should ask and order the staff to come to the cabin and open the bottle for you! Don't think they will like it but the people pay for it! :mad::mad::mad::mad:

 

Wine bags are carry on and will not be an issue.

 

I totally understand you are upset about the new corkage fee BUT in all fairness, it is pretty much in line with the other mass market lines now. It certainly beats the alternative which was not being able to bring any other wine on board other than that single bottle. :D

 

I look upon it as a fee to bring other bottles on - the only corkage I expect done is in the MDR and, there we usually drink HAL's wine.

Edited February 16, 2014 by kazu

[alwaysfrantic]

Hope for you that they will make trouble for the wine bags.for you! mad::mad::mad::mad:

 

They are not bags of wine; but reusable grocery store type of bags that hold 6 bottles in individual compartments.

[Tredebo]

I am mildly consoled by the newest version of the policy but can't help but wonder why HAL continue to serve such sub standard wines on board. A helpful exercise might be for them to monitor the labels that guests bring on board to get a real idea of what we actually like to drink, and modify their stock accordingly.

[Hlitner]

We live in Puerto Vallarta in the winter, and there is a local bar/café owner (who is actually a pretty savvy American) who sells good beer and lousy margaritas for $1. That is $1...all day long. Most of his competitors think he is nutz as they sell the same beer for $2- 4 and their Margaritas often are sold for about $5. But the man (his name is Troy) who sells that $1 stuff has his two places packed all day (and evening) with folks drinking lots of inexpensive booze...and even buying his inexpensive food. While he is make a good profit on volume, many of his competitors that thought he was nutz have already gone out of business for lack of sales.

 

So here is a message for cruise lines. Instead of marking-up some wines over 1000% it might be nice to settle on a simple formula of marking up lower cost wines (say less then $40 retail) by $10 a bottle. And higher cost wines could be marked-up by $20 a bottle. Wine sales would quickly go through the roof, passengers would be happy, they would be willing to try to better wines, and all would be good! Instead, the cruise lines have these ridiculous mark-ups....many passengers settle for a free glass of water...wine sales are not very good...and everyone is sad.

 

We know one local restaurant in the states that marks-up all their wines by only $10 a bottle. Just about every customer in that restaurant buys a bottle of wine..and what the restaurant loses on their low mark-up they more then make-up on very high wine sales and a restaurant that is always full. Folks eat their mediocre food, because they are attracted by the wine. The place next door that marks up his wine by over 300% has lots of empty tables, and not much wine is sold at the full tables.

 

And this idea makes even more sense in alternative restaurants. If the Pinnacle would sell excellent wines at a small mark-up...passengers would be lining up around the block (I guess there are no blocks on ships) to eat at the Pinnacle....even with the new higher prices charged in that restaurant. We often cruise on another line where they get up to $45 a person for some of their restaurants, and they are often not full. So the line quietly discounts that $45 fee to attract more diners. But if they offered good wines at low mark-ups they would not have to discount that $45 fee. If I could buy an excellent $60 wine for $75....I would have no problem paying the $45 restaurant fee. But that $60 wine would now cost me over $250 so there is no way I would buy that bottle...and most of the time we will not even pay the $45 restaurant fee.

 

Hank

Edited February 20, 2014 by Hlitner

[Northshorecruisers]

Very happy with the new policy. Although I preferred the option of taking as many bottles on board for free, this policy is fair. If I have more than 1 "special" bottle of wine, I would be willing to pay the $18. If I bring bottles on board at a port, I'm most likely taking them home so storing them for free isn't an issue.

[jebhoward3]

Has anyone purchased a wine package, had a bottle opened at one of the bars and then kept at that bar to be poured a glass at a time?

[POA1]

Has anyone purchased a wine package, had a bottle opened at one of the bars and then kept at that bar to be poured a glass at a time?

 

My DSIL has taken a bottle to a bar with her on occasion. They usually keep it chilled if it's a white and she drinks from it throughout the evening. I'm pretty sure she takes it with her if there is still wine left at the end of the night.

[jpver]

Well with the new wine policy only one bottle allowed

Not so bad, only choose the right bottle!

[Tampa Girl]

My DSIL has taken a bottle to a bar with her on occasion. They usually keep it chilled if it's a white and she drinks from it throughout the evening. I'm pretty sure she takes it with her if there is still wine left at the end of the night.

 

 

Yes, they will store the bottle somewhere and bring it up when you are either at the bar or in the dining room. I've done it in the Lido bar and, of course, in the MDR.

[Tampa Girl]

Well with the new wine policy only one bottle allowed

Not so bad, only choose the right bottle!

 

 

Are you talking about the new wine policy? If so, you are allowed to bring more than one bottle aboard but will have to pay corkage for the additional bottles.

[boards]

Are you talking about the new wine policy? If so, you are allowed to bring more than one bottle aboard but will have to pay corkage for the additional bottles.

 

Yes that is true for initial embarkation, but after that Hal will hold the bottle (s) and return them to you at the end of your cruise.

[kazu]

Yes that is true for initial embarkation, but after that Hal will hold the bottle (s) and return them to you at the end of your cruise.

 

I beg to differ - the new policy is at embarkation or at port as long as you are willing to pay the corkage fee.

 

You have the option to pay the corkage fee or to have the bottles stored at no charge - your choice.

 

From the new policy : Wine and champagne bottles (no larger than 750ml) purchased in ports of call are welcome to be brought onboard subject to a US$18.00 (subject to change) corkage fee each, irrespective of where they are intended to be consumed. Alternatively guests can choose to have these bottles stored and returned on the last evening of the voyage at no charge

 

A big thumbs up :D

[nutensteve]

Well with the new wine policy only one bottle allowed

Not so bad, only choose the right bottle!

 

Now that's what I call a bottle of wine ....:p