HAL San Diego - NOT Rite Aid for bring aboard wine

[fann1sh]

The reason I mention Holland America Line in the title?  I bring aboard more than a bottle or 2, and pay the corkage.  For me, this location near the pier and the Wyndham Bay Front was a bad choice. 

 

The prices are very high.  The choices are limited, and skewed to high end California wines.  There are few to no under $10 choices here.  I couldn't find anything from Chile, Spain...in fact, the only non-US wine I grabbed was Yellow Tail Merlot, IIRC it was  *on sale* for $10. 

 

I got the recommendation for this store here on this forum, and I may be a lone voice in the wilderness, but....if I had it to do over, I would take a taxi to BevMo. 

 

Or, even rent a car and drive to LA to find a Total Wine.  I spent $230 on 9 bottles of wine.  I expect $100 would have covered it at Total Wine - for  much better wine, especially sparkling wines. 

 

Just one opinion. 

 

 

[slvrdlphn8]

Someone recommended Rite Aid? Its a pharmacy drug store... that you pay higher prices for other items out of convienence.  I would suggest an Uber to Wine Bank downtown next time. I'm not sure about pricing, but you will have quality and a wide variety. Or even the Ralphs or Jimbos in Downtown would have a better selection. but I guess Rite Aid for walking distance.

 

http://sdwinebank.com/

 

Edited April 11, 2019 by slvrdlphn8
correction

[fann1sh]

Thanks!  But I don't Uber or Lyft - trust issues with unlicensed drivers.  

 

Would taxi or use a hotel shuttle. 

Edited April 11, 2019 by fann1sh

[CruiserBruce]

Right next to the Rite Aid you went to is a Petrinis. Grocery Store.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

Ralph's (Krogger's) is possibly walkable (depending on the person). Rite Aid is convenient, but a place like it is always going to cost more. There is also an Albertson's (Safeway) in Downtown and as mentioned, the Wine Bank.

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

Are you staying night prior?  There are plenty of places in downtown SD to purchase wine at a decent price.  Personally, I don't like Rite Aid as they don't turn over enough to keep it fresh.  The big grocery stores have better turn over and selections.  We do long weekends to SD often and usually stay around downtown.  The "G Street" deli is walking distance to pier, has a great selection and is reasonable.  But for a quick taxi stop I would do Ralph's.  

[AuroraRose]

17 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Right next to the Rite Aid you went to is a Petrinis. Grocery Store.

 

Petrini's is a restaurant, and does not have groceries. Do you mean Market by Buon Appetito or Fillipi's up the road a little? Mona Lisa's also has a small market attached. 

 

Ralph's and the small Italian market/restaurants I just mentioned are probably a long walk depending on where you stay, but the trolleys all have stops within a few blocks. 

 

Also, check out Karl Strauss, Ballast Point, Bencotto, Queenstown Public House, and Extraordinary Desserts pre- or post- cruise for some amazing restaurants and breweries. I used to live in Little Italy when I lived in San Diego and am happy to recommend other things as well. 

[frankc98376]

Ralph's is at 2nd and G I believe. From Wyndham walk south  to Broadway, turn left walk about 3 blocks to 2nd head south on 2nd to G street- you will see Ralph's. Maybe a 10 minute walk.

[Splinter]

You could also cab or Uber to the Trader Joe's in Liberty Station for a much better selection of wines, and reasonable prices. Cost Plus is also a good place to pick up wines,  but sadly the location in the Gaslamp Quarter has closed, and the closest one would be in Loma Portal.

[Langley Cruisers]

For future cruisers, we are just back from San Diego and that Rite Aid is pretty sketchy in a questionable area - 😕 many homeless people and the area stinks of urine. Hey, just telling it like it is (we did have a blast there, loved San Diego). They had wine and beer in coolers against the back wall but didn't see the prices. Also walked to Ralph's (about 20 minutes' walk, IMO) and that was a nice big grocery store. 🙂

[DaveOKC]

1 hour ago, Langley Cruisers said:

For future cruisers, we are just back from San Diego and that Rite Aid is pretty sketchy in a questionable area - 😕 many homeless people and the area stinks of urine. Hey, just telling it like it is (we did have a blast there, loved San Diego). They had wine and beer in coolers against the back wall but didn't see the prices. Also walked to Ralph's (about 20 minutes' walk, IMO) and that was a nice big grocery store. 🙂

 

We were just in Rite Aid 2 weeks ago and generally visit it every time we sail out of SD, as it is very convenient to the pier (about 3-4 blocks) and Little Italy.  As such, we are there during daylight hours (6-7 PM at the latest) and have never felt uncomfortable.  

 

I agree that it is not the BEST place to get your wine, but it is very convenient plus we also pick up a few other items while there. Ralphs is a better option to be sure, but it is further than I care to walk.

[frankc98376]

4 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

 

We were just in Rite Aid 2 weeks ago and generally visit it every time we sail out of SD, as it is very convenient to the pier (about 3-4 blocks) and Little Italy.  As such, we are there during daylight hours (6-7 PM at the latest) and have never felt uncomfortable.  

 

I agree that it is not the BEST place to get your wine, but it is very convenient plus we also pick up a few other items while there. Ralphs is a better option to be sure, but it is further than I care to walk.

From any of the downtown or waterfront hotels you can use FRED to get anywhere downtown or out to Little Italy.  It's FREE electric vehicles (they expect you to tip the driver).  Google FRED San Diego- they have an app you can download. They will take you to Ralphs or a wine shop

[fann1sh]

frankc98376

-  as the OP, that was what I needed to know. 

 

I want cheap Spanish wines, like Freixenet cava.  Aside from everything else, Rite Aid didn't have any. 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

6 hours ago, Langley Cruisers said:

For future cruisers, we are just back from San Diego and that Rite Aid is pretty sketchy in a questionable area - 😕 many homeless people and the area stinks of urine. Hey, just telling it like it is (we did have a blast there, loved San Diego). They had wine and beer in coolers against the back wall but didn't see the prices. Also walked to Ralph's (about 20 minutes' walk, IMO) and that was a nice big grocery store. 🙂

 

The area where the Rite Aid isn't sketchy at all. It is in Little Italy in the base of an apartment complex where apartments go from about $2000 a month up to $4500 a month. It is a high rent area all around and moderate to expensive restaurants.

[Langley Cruisers]

1 hour ago, scottca075 said:

 

The area where the Rite Aid isn't sketchy at all. It is in Little Italy in the base of an apartment complex where apartments go from about $2000 a month up to $4500 a month. It is a high rent area all around and moderate to expensive restaurants.

I'm just telling you our experience. I looked it up to make sure it was the same one OP is talking about. Many homeless around, smelled bad. ~shrug~

It was OK, though - we went there twice for things we needed pre-cruise. Good that it is so close to the pier.

[AuroraRose]

21 hours ago, Langley Cruisers said:

I'm just telling you our experience. I looked it up to make sure it was the same one OP is talking about. Many homeless around, smelled bad. ~shrug~

It was OK, though - we went there twice for things we needed pre-cruise. Good that it is so close to the pier.

 

Both you and @scottca075 are correct. The area is comprised of moderate to high-end apartments (I used to live in one of those in Little Italy), and there is a large homeless population in that area, and you will notice smells while walking. However, usually the homeless people in the area will not bother you.  I don't think anyone ever bothered me walking through that area (unlike closer to the Ralph's and in the Gaslamp area), and I frequently took the train to work and walked through there to the train station, passing many sleeping people on the street on the way. 

 

In general there is a large population of homeless people in downtown San Diego, but that does not necessarily make the area unsafe (which is what I assume you meant by "sketchy"). Granted, this was in 2014-2015, so things could be different now, but my husband and I were in the area again a year ago and not much had changed from what I saw.  

[scottbee]

Try the Wine Bank in San Diego.  Good specialty wine shop.  Downtown is pretty small, can't imagine it would cost more than $10 from the port

[KeepCalmBearOn]

13 hours ago, AuroraRose said:

 

Both you and @scottca075 are correct. The area is comprised of moderate to high-end apartments (I used to live in one of those in Little Italy), and there is a large homeless population in that area, and you will notice smells while walking. However, usually the homeless people in the area will not bother you.  I don't think anyone ever bothered me walking through that area (unlike closer to the Ralph's and in the Gaslamp area), and I frequently took the train to work and walked through there to the train station, passing many sleeping people on the street on the way. 

 

In general there is a large population of homeless people in downtown San Diego, but that does not necessarily make the area unsafe (which is what I assume you meant by "sketchy"). Granted, this was in 2014-2015, so things could be different now, but my husband and I were in the area again a year ago and not much had changed from what I saw.  

 

No, it's the same.

 

Sketchy means "unsafe" to me too and I've never felt unsafe.