Jump to content

How does HAL deal with your wine after passing thru Security?


cruzin4us
 Share

Recommended Posts

On our last HAL cruise they took our wine from us just AFTER we went thru Security.   The gal asked our room #, tagged the bottles and they delivered them to our room (we paid the corkage on all but 2 bottles as expected).   However, my folks just paid the corkage, they put stickers on the bottles and then they told my parents to take the bottles with them.   My parents boarded at a different time.

 

I just wondered what the correct way, as I'm trying to decide how many bottles of wine I want to lug around if they make us take the bottles with us on board.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’ve done both. In San Diego they noted my 1 bottle and took it to my cabin. In BsAs I paid corkage at check in (because it was going to go to the MDR) and it accidentally went to the confiscated stash for a few days.😮

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We've never taken more than the 2 corkage-free bottles and have always been allowed to take them to the room ourselves.  Maybe the difference in handling was how many bottles you were bringing vs how many your parents had?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

56 minutes ago, cruzin4us said:

On our last HAL cruise they took our wine from us just AFTER we went thru Security.   The gal asked our room #, tagged the bottles and they delivered them to our room (we paid the corkage on all but 2 bottles as expected).   However, my folks just paid the corkage, they put stickers on the bottles and then they told my parents to take the bottles with them.   My parents boarded at a different time.

 

I just wondered what the correct way, as I'm trying to decide how many bottles of wine I want to lug around if they make us take the bottles with us on board.

Once the port personnel (HAL hadn't manned the wine desk yet), told me they would have to confiscate my  wine over two bottles.

Then, they told me they would keep them until HAL arrived.

Then, they told me I could just leave a note with the number of bottles and my cabin number.

Unless, the personnel are truly HAL and not Port personnel, I would be most reluctant to leave my wine with them.  They're not going to be responsible if it's 'lost'.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We usually take on a case or two and bring it on ourselves in rolling carry-on bags.  There is no way anybody is separating me from our wine 😉  The one time they did try, I stayed there and would not move until they called a supervisor.  After waiting a while, they applied the stickers for corkage paid and sent us on our way.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, taxmantoo said:

We usually take on a case or two and bring it on ourselves in rolling carry-on bags.  There is no way anybody is separating me from our wine 😉  The one time they did try, I stayed there and would not move until they called a supervisor.  After waiting a while, they applied the stickers for corkage paid and sent us on our way.  

Not my wine either.  I was just about ready to demand a ship's officer when they finally told me to leave the note.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, taxmantoo said:

We usually take on a case or two and bring it on ourselves in rolling carry-on bags.  There is no way anybody is separating me from our wine 😉  The one time they did try, I stayed there and would not move until they called a supervisor.  After waiting a while, they applied the stickers for corkage paid and sent us on our way.  

 

As always, a man after my own heart.  I had a tough time once in FLL (normally we just pay and continue on).  It wasn’t HAL staff and they were adamant it would be stored and I was equally adamant it would not be and demanded a supervisor.

 

They arrived and agreed if I would pay the corkage I could take it (I actually have a copy of what goes on the luggage tag this time “in case” - I’ve never boarded in Lisbon).  But, then they changed their mind and said no, they had to deliver it.

 

hmm????  They wrote out a proper receipt though - all the wines identified, ship and cabin number so I let them do it.  The wines showed up in our cabin about an hour later but it seems to defeat the purpose of carry on to save work for the stewards IMO.

 

Corkage charge showed up a few days later.

 

Other than that one incident, we have always carried it on board.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

59 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

They wrote out a proper receipt though - all the wines identified, ship and cabin number so I let them do it.  The wines showed up in our cabin about an hour later but it seems to defeat the purpose of carry on to save work for the stewards IMO.

 

 

This is what happened to us.  I kept thinking it was a waste of work for the room steward, but I was happy not to lug around 12 bottles.    

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Never have brought excess bottles on board.  Question, isn't it awkward to bring the bottles to the dining room. I would feel embarrassed to face the wine stewards.  Maybe I'm  being too sensitive.  We have some excellent wines and it would be nice to have them served.  Can't get over the stigma.  Any thoughts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, woody14h said:

Never have brought excess bottles on board.  Question, isn't it awkward to bring the bottles to the dining room. I would feel embarrassed to face the wine stewards.  Maybe I'm  being too sensitive.  We have some excellent wines and it would be nice to have them served.  Can't get over the stigma.  Any thoughts.

No reason to be embarrassed.  You've paid $18 for each bottle.  Not certain but the wine stewards I've asked confirmed that they get a piece of that.  I've never received any adverse comments from the wine stewards.  In fact, a few were very interested in talking about the wines we brought aboard.  We did offer to share a taste or two.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, woody14h said:

Never have brought excess bottles on board.  Question, isn't it awkward to bring the bottles to the dining room. I would feel embarrassed to face the wine stewards.  Maybe I'm  being too sensitive.  We have some excellent wines and it would be nice to have them served.  Can't get over the stigma.  Any thoughts.

We always discretely bring it to the MDR in a nice wine bag, take it out of the bag and place it on the table the minute we sit down.  As suggested by RocketMan275, offering a taste also goes a long way towards in building a good rapport with your wine server if you sense they are interested in wine (some of the servers couldn't care less about wine, so we don't offer to them).  The good servers also bring out the proper glasses if you are bringing interesting wines.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's done both ways after the HAL Beverage staff attendant, assigned to the "liquor table" inside the terminal, goes through the "registration" process; the bottles are then given to you to take onboard or they are brought on the ship and delivered to your stateroom by staff. If you prefer to personally take your wine onboard post-registration, inform the attendant and/or request to speak to a Bev supervisor

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/6/2019 at 5:18 PM, taxmantoo said:

We usually take on a case or two and bring it on ourselves in rolling carry-on bags.  There is no way anybody is separating me from our wine 😉  The one time they did try, I stayed there and would not move until they called a supervisor.  After waiting a while, they applied the stickers for corkage paid and sent us on our way.  

Your are my role model.  I plan to bring around six bottles in my Whole foods wine carrier.  I will pay the corkage fee.😁

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 hours ago, woody14h said:

Never have brought excess bottles on board.  Question, isn't it awkward to bring the bottles to the dining room. I would feel embarrassed to face the wine stewards.  Maybe I'm  being too sensitive.  We have some excellent wines and it would be nice to have them served.  Can't get over the stigma.  Any thoughts.

No need to worry about this.

 

Simply put your bottle on your table and the wine steward will serve you very graciously and often with a compliment about your wine choice. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How does HAL deal with wine brought on board? In our experience, not very well.  On boarding the Rotterdam a few years ago in Fort Lauderdale, the woman at the security scanner said to us, “You have wine.”  I said “Yes, we are three and entitled to three free bottles and will pay for the rest.  She then proceeded to put two fingers in her mouth and whistle to the wine person across the room and yelled “They have wine,” and had someone walk us over to him.  Every head turned on the security lines.  Even the wine person was embarrassed for us.

That was the beginning of one of the worst cruises we ever experienced on HAL. It all went downhill from that moment on.  Check in was a nightmare, the food and service were below par and it sent us running.  

We are four star Mariners and we really expected better from HAL. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

35 minutes ago, Cruzin Terri said:

How does HAL deal with wine brought on board? In our experience, not very well.  On boarding the Rotterdam a few years ago in Fort Lauderdale, the woman at the security scanner said to us, “You have wine.”  I said “Yes, we are three and entitled to three free bottles and will pay for the rest.  She then proceeded to put two fingers in her mouth and whistle to the wine person across the room and yelled “They have wine,” and had someone walk us over to him.  Every head turned on the security lines.  Even the wine person was embarrassed for us.

That was the beginning of one of the worst cruises we ever experienced on HAL. It all went downhill from that moment on.  Check in was a nightmare, the food and service were below par and it sent us running.  

We are four star Mariners and we really expected better from HAL. 

That woman was probably not a HAL employee but was a port worker.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

48 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

That woman was probably not a HAL employee but was a port worker.

 

Actually, a private security guard employed for a company named American Guard Services who provide the pax screening inside the various terminals at Port Everglades. She should have been reprimanded and put on notice by a supervisor for her unprofessional actions

Edited by Copper10-8
  • Like 1
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

That woman was probably not a HAL employee but was a port worker.

 

8 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Actually, a private security guard employed for a company named American Guard Services who provide the pax screening inside the various terminals at Port Everglades. She should have been reprimanded and put on notice by a supervisor for her unprofessional actions

Regardless, it was a terrible experience.  Combined with everything else that went wrong on that cruise (we were in the Pinnacle Suite) left us feeling like we could spend our money elsewhere and do better.  We have been sailing on Oceania for the last few cruises and a few river cruises with Tauck and it is like night and day.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, Cruzin Terri said:

 

Regardless, it was a terrible experience.  Combined with everything else that went wrong on that cruise (we were in the Pinnacle Suite) left us feeling like we could spend our money elsewhere and do better.  We have been sailing on Oceania for the last few cruises and a few river cruises with Tauck and it is like night and day.

 

 

Good to hear you found a better experience!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...