Oh no....it's that wine poicy again!

[richardukcruise]

Hi. I KNOW HAL's policy changed end Jan this year, however, we always used to take boxed wine in our checked luggage. We also used to bring some local wine aboard at some ports of call in the Med.

 

I have to state that before I ask these questions, I know I am discussing "breaking the rules", but it's a rule that I'm ok to take a chance with. After all, it's only wine:D

 

So, my questions:

 

Has anyone BROKEN THE RULES and taken either wine aboard in baggage at embarkation (apart from the allowed one bottle or whatever amount it is) or from ports of call. Have you been stopped??

Edited July 9, 2014 by richardukcruise

[sue1898]

When we embarked in Seward, our 2 bottles were logged with a brief description. I purchased one additional bottle of wine in Juneau and put it and my other miscellaneous purchases on the security belt. I did not call attention to it and nobody said a word to me about it. There was not a crowd at the security point; it wasn't hectic so I have no explanation for why it went un-noticed but I did not volunteer to pay the corkage fee and took it to my cabin where it was enjoyed.

Edited July 9, 2014 by sue1898

[eandj]

I think it really varies from ship, itinerary, timing etc. As I have read here ( and on other lines too ) that some cruisers are able to carry on without a security check. Some not. Not sure if your chances are as good as 50/50. If you know the consequences and don't feel like arguing with staff, go for it. ;) You can either tell them to keep the stuff or pay the $18 to take it along. Remember one bottle per person is "no charge".

 

You don't mention which port/s you are referring to.

[kazu]

Boxed wine is not allowed so unless you do something with it, I doubt it will be allowed.

 

Bringing it on at port is subject to corkage fee. If they don't ask, then i guess you can slip by. Just don't count on it.

 

We declared last time, but that was our choice;)

[YubaSutter]

Hi. I KNOW HAL's policy changed end Jan this year, however, we always used to take boxed wine in our checked luggage. We also used to bring some local wine aboard at some ports of call in the Med.

 

I have to state that before I ask these questions, I know I am discussing "breaking the rules", but it's a rule that I'm ok to take a chance with. After all, it's only wine:D

 

So, my questions:

 

Has anyone BROKEN THE RULES and taken either wine aboard in baggage at embarkation (apart from the allowed one bottle or whatever amount it is) or from ports of call. Have you been stopped??

 

On our last cruise on HAL, we brought 8 bottles on without any additional fees. It was easy.

[Surreyman]

What is the worst that can happen? I guess that you are asked to pay corkage if it's over your allowance or it counts against your allowance if you haven't used it all.

 

I wouldn't put a wine box in my luggage but that's because I don't like wine from a box :-)

[sail7seas]

Wine from a box is not allowed even if you are willing to pay corkage fee.

Isn't it easier to just follow the rules?

 

[Davidson Duo]

This reminded me of one of our cruises, and put a big smile on my face when I remembered the incident.

 

I often hear "what's the worst that can happen, they confiscate it until the final day." Well ..........

 

We had a really good giggle once with a couple we shared our dinner table with. They had purchased a few large bottles of alcohol to bring on board with them at a port, and they were taken at the security check when they boarded to be held for them until the last night.

 

Their dilemma (fortunately taken with good humour) was trying to figure out what to do with them when they got them back at the end of the trip. They were flying directly home, and were only allowed a medium bottle each when returning to their home country! Let's just say there were plans being made for a bit of a party that last night. :)

[Surreyman]

This reminded me of one of our cruises, and put a big smile on my face when I remembered the incident.

 

I often hear "what's the worst that can happen, they confiscate it until the final day." Well ..........

 

We had a really good giggle once with a couple we shared our dinner table with. They had purchased a few large bottles of alcohol to bring on board with them at a port, and they were taken at the security check when they boarded to be held for them until the last night.

 

Their dilemma (fortunately taken with good humour) was trying to figure out what to do with them when they got them back at the end of the trip. They were flying directly home, and were only allowed a medium bottle each when returning to their home country! Let's just say there were plans being made for a bit of a party that last night. :)

Yes that is another issue to consider, as is the limits for,say, Americans bringing alcohol into the EU. So unless you are going to buy the Alcohol somewhere between disembarking the plane and embarking the ship you may find an inquisitive customs official may take an interest in what is in your suitcase. Something we in the EU, largely, don't have to worry about.

[cruz chic]

Wine from a box is not allowed even if you are willing to pay corkage fee.

Isn't it easier to just follow the rules?

 

 

No, rules are only for others:D;).

[sail7seas]

When HAL first announced their new wine policy, this board erupted.

HAL relented and they revised it. Everyone said they thought it more fair and they seemed to accept HAL's now policy as reasonable.

 

So, what do people do?

They plan how to sneak around the revised policy.

I really don't mind saying I don't like that.

Of course, no one cares what I like or not and certainly it will influence no one but

it just isn't right. Everyone suffers for the lack of responsibility of some, IMO.

 

I would not blame HAL were they to revert to their originally announced policy and

ban people bringing any wine aboard in ports along the way.

So many things have changed on the ship that impacts all of us though it was only

some of us who caused the changes.

 

Is there no honor, morality, sense of what is right and wrong in society anymore?

Are none/few of us to be trusted?

Can you expect anyone to be honest anymore?

Just thinkin'

 

 

Edited July 9, 2014 by sail7seas

[Typhoon1]

I really think it depends on how ambitious the security guards choose to be on an given occasion. Some play by the book, others seem to let things slide.

[POA1]

Some recent promotions featured free fare for a 3rd or 4th passenger in the same stateroom. Check the cruise line website or ask your travel agent. If you are eligible for the free 3rd passenger, add one to your booking.

 

• Buy a dozen boxes of your favorite bulk, vacation-quality, bag-in-box wine.
  
• Using duct tape or heavy duty packing tape, fasten the 12 cartons of vacation vino into a 4x3 cube.
  
• Buy (or steal - I'm not sure if it's "only thievery" when it's "only wine" in your particular moral code) a large trench coat, a mannequin head, a gray short-haired wig, and a fedora.
  
• Rent a wheelchair.
  
• Wrap the coat around your boxed wine cube.
  
• Place the coat-wrapped wine cube on the wheelchair's seat.
  
• Fasten the mannequin head to the top of the wine cube, taking care to secure the coat collar around the mannequin head's neck.
  
• Place the short-haired gray wig on the head.
  
• Place the fedora over the wig. Tilt the hat forward. (This is important! You're going for a "sleeping grandpa" look.)
  
• Practice. Practice. Practice wheeling "Grandpa Vinny" around so that you look completely realistic and above suspicion.
  

Notes:

 

1. "Grandpa Vinny" has no legs at this point. You can either add a pair of pants stuffed with newspaper to your project. Or, if you are a total genius, try stuffing the pants legs with liquor bottles.
   
2. This design calls for 3 liter wine boxes. If you're taste runs toward the 5 liter boxes, modify your plans because "Grandpa Vinny" will need a big & tall coat.
   

Edited July 9, 2014 by POA1

[kazu]

Some recent promotions featured free fare for a 3rd or 4th passenger in the same stateroom. Check the cruise line website or ask your travel agent. If you are eligible for the free 3rd passenger, add one to your booking.

 

• Buy a dozen boxes of your favorite bulk, vacation-quality, bag-in-box wine.
  
• Using duct tape or heavy duty packing tape, fasten the 12 cartons of vacation vino into a 4x3 cube.
  
• Buy (or steal - I'm not sure if it's "only thievery" when it's "only wine" in your particular moral code) a large trench coat, a mannequin head, a gray short-haired wig, and a fedora.
  
• Rent a wheelchair.
  
• Wrap the coat around your boxed wine cube.
  
• Place the coat-wrapped wine cube on the wheelchair's seat.
  
• Fasten the mannequin head to the top of the wine cube, taking care to secure the coat collar around the mannequin head's neck.
  
• Place the short-haired gray wig on the head.
  
• Place the fedora over the wig. Tilt the hat forward. (This is important! You're going for a "sleeping grandpa" look.)
  
• Practice. Practice. Practice wheeling "Grandpa Vinny" around so that you look completely realistic and above suspicion.
  

Notes:

 

1. "Grandpa Vinny" has no legs at this point. You can either add a pair of pants stuffed with newspaper to your project. Or, if you are a total genius, try stuffing the pants legs with liquor bottles.
   
2. This design calls for 3 liter wine boxes. If you're taste runs toward the 5 liter boxes, modify your plans because "Grandpa Vinny" will need a big & tall coat.
   

 

:D or just pay the corkage fee:D

 

Still laughing - how do you come up with this stuff?

 

Bravo:D

[cruz chic]

Some recent promotions featured free fare for a 3rd or 4th passenger in the same stateroom. Check the cruise line website or ask your travel agent. If you are eligible for the free 3rd passenger, add one to your booking.

 

• Buy a dozen boxes of your favorite bulk, vacation-quality, bag-in-box wine.
  
• Using duct tape or heavy duty packing tape, fasten the 12 cartons of vacation vino into a 4x3 cube.
  
• Buy (or steal - I'm not sure if it's "only thievery" when it's "only wine" in your particular moral code) a large trench coat, a mannequin head, a gray short-haired wig, and a fedora.
  
• Rent a wheelchair.
  
• Wrap the coat around your boxed wine cube.
  
• Place the coat-wrapped wine cube on the wheelchair's seat.
  
• Fasten the mannequin head to the top of the wine cube, taking care to secure the coat collar around the mannequin head's neck.
  
• Place the short-haired gray wig on the head.
  
• Place the fedora over the wig. Tilt the hat forward. (This is important! You're going for a "sleeping grandpa" look.)
  
• Practice. Practice. Practice wheeling "Grandpa Vinny" around so that you look completely realistic and above suspicion.
  

Notes:

 

1. "Grandpa Vinny" has no legs at this point. You can either add a pair of pants stuffed with newspaper to your project. Or, if you are a total genius, try stuffing the pants legs with liquor bottles.
   
2. This design calls for 3 liter wine boxes. If you're taste runs toward the 5 liter boxes, modify your plans because "Grandpa Vinny" will need a big & tall coat.
   

 

Hilarious!

[POA1]

Still laughing - how do you come up with this stuff?

 

You know how some adults throw little children up in the air to entertain them? (Or at least they used to in the 1960s.)

 

Our house had low ceilings.

[Barrheadlass]

You know how some adults throw little children up in the air to entertain them? (Or at least they used to in the 1960s.)

 

Our house had low ceilings.

 

That is very funny!

[cruz chic]

You know how some adults throw little children up in the air to entertain them? (Or at least they used to in the 1960s.)

 

Our house had low ceilings.

 

I remember that. I'm sorry about your accident:D.

[DeeniEncinitas]

:D

Some recent promotions featured free fare for a 3rd or 4th passenger in the same stateroom. Check the cruise line website or ask your travel agent. If you are eligible for the free 3rd passenger, add one to your booking.

 

• Buy a dozen boxes of your favorite bulk, vacation-quality, bag-in-box wine.
  
• Using duct tape or heavy duty packing tape, fasten the 12 cartons of vacation vino into a 4x3 cube.
  
• Buy (or steal - I'm not sure if it's "only thievery" when it's "only wine" in your particular moral code) a large trench coat, a mannequin head, a gray short-haired wig, and a fedora.
  
• Rent a wheelchair.
  
• Wrap the coat around your boxed wine cube.
  
• Place the coat-wrapped wine cube on the wheelchair's seat.
  
• Fasten the mannequin head to the top of the wine cube, taking care to secure the coat collar around the mannequin head's neck.
  
• Place the short-haired gray wig on the head.
  
• Place the fedora over the wig. Tilt the hat forward. (This is important! You're going for a "sleeping grandpa" look.)
  
• Practice. Practice. Practice wheeling "Grandpa Vinny" around so that you look completely realistic and above suspicion.
  

Notes:

 

1. "Grandpa Vinny" has no legs at this point. You can either add a pair of pants stuffed with newspaper to your project. Or, if you are a total genius, try stuffing the pants legs with liquor bottles.
   
2. This design calls for 3 liter wine boxes. If you're taste runs toward the 5 liter boxes, modify your plans because "Grandpa Vinny" will need a big & tall coat.
   

My husband and are are in tears from you!!!! How about you be the next act on our Nieuw Amsterdam!!! My side is hurting!!!

[Cruzin Terri]

Some recent promotions featured free fare for a 3rd or 4th passenger in the same stateroom. Check the cruise line website or ask your travel agent. If you are eligible for the free 3rd passenger, add one to your booking.

 

• Buy a dozen boxes of your favorite bulk, vacation-quality, bag-in-box wine.
  
• Using duct tape or heavy duty packing tape, fasten the 12 cartons of vacation vino into a 4x3 cube.
  
• Buy (or steal - I'm not sure if it's "only thievery" when it's "only wine" in your particular moral code) a large trench coat, a mannequin head, a gray short-haired wig, and a fedora.
  
• Rent a wheelchair.
  
• Wrap the coat around your boxed wine cube.
  
• Place the coat-wrapped wine cube on the wheelchair's seat.
  
• Fasten the mannequin head to the top of the wine cube, taking care to secure the coat collar around the mannequin head's neck.
  
• Place the short-haired gray wig on the head.
  
• Place the fedora over the wig. Tilt the hat forward. (This is important! You're going for a "sleeping grandpa" look.)
  
• Practice. Practice. Practice wheeling "Grandpa Vinny" around so that you look completely realistic and above suspicion.
  

Notes:

 

1. "Grandpa Vinny" has no legs at this point. You can either add a pair of pants stuffed with newspaper to your project. Or, if you are a total genius, try stuffing the pants legs with liquor bottles.
   
2. This design calls for 3 liter wine boxes. If you're taste runs toward the 5 liter boxes, modify your plans because "Grandpa Vinny" will need a big & tall coat.
   

 

Thanks for a good laugh

Terri

[erewhon]

Some recent promotions featured free fare for a 3rd or 4th passenger in the same stateroom. Check the cruise line website or ask your travel agent. If you are eligible for the free 3rd passenger, add one to your booking.

 

• Buy a dozen boxes of your favorite bulk, vacation-quality, bag-in-box wine.
  
• Using duct tape or heavy duty packing tape, fasten the 12 cartons of vacation vino into a 4x3 cube.
  
• Buy (or steal - I'm not sure if it's "only thievery" when it's "only wine" in your particular moral code) a large trench coat, a mannequin head, a gray short-haired wig, and a fedora.
  
• Rent a wheelchair.
  
• Wrap the coat around your boxed wine cube.
  
• Place the coat-wrapped wine cube on the wheelchair's seat.
  
• Fasten the mannequin head to the top of the wine cube, taking care to secure the coat collar around the mannequin head's neck.
  
• Place the short-haired gray wig on the head.
  
• Place the fedora over the wig. Tilt the hat forward. (This is important! You're going for a "sleeping grandpa" look.)
  
• Practice. Practice. Practice wheeling "Grandpa Vinny" around so that you look completely realistic and above suspicion.
  

Notes:

 

1. "Grandpa Vinny" has no legs at this point. You can either add a pair of pants stuffed with newspaper to your project. Or, if you are a total genius, try stuffing the pants legs with liquor bottles.
   
2. This design calls for 3 liter wine boxes. If you're taste runs toward the 5 liter boxes, modify your plans because "Grandpa Vinny" will need a big & tall coat.
   

 

Absolutely fabulous.

 

Of course, "Grandpa Vinny" could be a double amputee.

 

Thanks for the laugh.

[richardukcruise]

With all due respect to the OP, we all have different views and I appreciate that, however, I personally fail to see what bringing more than a recently imposed allowance onboard has to do with trust, integrity, morality etc.

 

The bottom line is that we all know this policy was only amended in order to bring in more revenue.

 

There is no way I will ever be willingly happy for a cruise line to want to charge me $18 (or whatever it is) for corkage, when I open it myself for in-stateroom consumption.

 

If we’re going to mention morality, maybe we should look at HAL first before the very very naughty policy breakers.

 

I don’t feel in any way bad about taking wine (boxed or not) on board either at embarkation or in ports of call. It does not affect any other passenger in any way. I’m not breaking rules for the sake of it. I just like the wines I like, still like HAL as a line, just not this amended policy.

 

My questions were posed because I was simply wondering how many other people feel the same as me and also how many people do something about it on a practical level.

 

The fact that people appear to be able to get bottles onboard via security checks at ports of call and at embarkation seems to indicate that some staff at the onboard security point don’t appear to be bothered at all, which is because (at least I think) it’s just not that important. It’s merely some wine!

 

I certainly don’t believe that everyone was happy with HAL’s original amended policy, or their measly compromise. I certainly was not and remain so. HAL was perfectly happy to allow this practice before, so what’s changed?

 

 

 

 

 

*

When HAL first announced their new wine policy, this board erupted.

HAL relented and they revised it. Everyone said they thought it more fair and they seemed to accept HAL's now policy as reasonable.

 

So, what do people do?

They plan how to sneak around the revised policy.

I really don't mind saying I don't like that.

Of course, no one cares what I like or not and certainly it will influence no one but

it just isn't right. Everyone suffers for the lack of responsibility of some, IMO.

 

I would not blame HAL were they to revert to their originally announced policy and

ban people bringing any wine aboard in ports along the way.

So many things have changed on the ship that impacts all of us though it was only

some of us who caused the changes.

 

Is there no honor, morality, sense of what is right and wrong in society anymore?

Are none/few of us to be trusted?

Can you expect anyone to be honest anymore?

Just thinkin'

 

 

Edited July 10, 2014 by richardukcruise

[jtl513]

Your smuggling may very well affect other passengers.

 

On one cruise when our bags arrived at our room the guide rails for the pull-up handle on mine were so badly bent from other luggage piled on it that the handle no longer functioned. I am certain if a box of wine had been next to those rails it would have been punctured sufficiently to ruin not only my belongings but possibly also those of other innocent parties. PLEASE do not take that chance for the sake of a few measly GBP.

 

BTW, you are the OP, which on this board means Original Poster.

.

Edited July 10, 2014 by jtl513

[puppycanducruise]

Oh my, I usually gain weight on a cruise, but Uncle Vinny seems to have slimmed down! :p

[hawkeye3d]

I think that if HAL offered some reasonably priced wined ($25-$30) then there would be fewer hue and cries.

 

Like some others I enjoy buying a bottle in port and have found some pretty drinkable reds around 5 euros, add the corkage and you are still below $25. On a recent Zaandam Alaska cruise there was a crew member standing at a desk near the gangway with a bag of bottles on a table, contents unknown.

 

Other cruise lines have a similar policy to HAL but ignore them and it seems that it’s hit or miss with HAL. So you get caught with your wine, the pay the corkage and be done with it you’re still better off than what HAL sells.

 

Bob