Bringing Alcohol on Board

[mamaofami]

It was my understanding that HAL allows wine and champagne to be brought on board.

[coffee39]

Ok so I know that hubby has to buy his drinks on board which is fine. Is there someplace on board that I can buy cans or bottles of coke to have on the balcony. I can't drink alcohol so I enjoy a coke while he is having his cocktail. I know that I can bring my own on but would rather buy onboard than have to carry more as we are doing a land tour before we get on the cruise.

[bUU]

It was my understanding that HAL allows wine and champagne to be brought on board.

That is my understanding as well:

 

Except for wine and champagne, alcoholic beverages purchased in the vessel's shops or otherwise brought on the ship cannot be consumed on the ship.

[terrydtx]

HAL allows you to aboard at any port including your embarkation any amount of wine and champagne. Since we usually fly in the day before departure, we buy our wine at or near the port. There are several good wine stores near Port Everglades including a Publix Grocery store that has great wine selections.

 

We bought at Costco a 2 wheeled fold up cooler with a handle that will hold about 10 bottles of wine and take the wine aboard as carry on luggage. The cooler is nylon mesh and folds up easily and we check it on the plane to take with us. It cost about $30 at Costco. HAL has one of the best policies about bring wine aboard compared to other Cruise Lines. Celebrity allows 2 bottles per cabin of wine brought aboard. HAL will charge a $15 corkage fee for a bottle you bring to the dinning room for diner, but I have had some waiters in the past waive the corkage fee. Your room steward will also provide your cabin with wine glasses like the ones the bars use and you can pour wine in your room and walk around the ship if you choose.

 

My parents just got back from a RCCL cruise in Europe and RCCL told them it was against maritime law to bring aboard any alcohol including wine for consumption on the ship, which is an out and out lie to scare their passengers and make more revenue for their bars. Guess what, they will never go on RCCL again. My Dad was so disappointed that they couldn’t bring aboard any of the great local wines they found ashore like they had done before on Celebrity.

[Copper10-8]

Ok so I know that hubby has to buy his drinks on board which is fine. Is there someplace on board that I can buy cans or bottles of coke to have on the balcony. I can't drink alcohol so I enjoy a coke while he is having his cocktail. I know that I can bring my own on but would rather buy onboard than have to carry more as we are doing a land tour before we get on the cruise.

 

Yes and no! Yes, you'll find cans of coke, diet coke, seven-up, and ohers in your mini bar/fridge. You'll be charged when you open and drink one or more. Nope, even though the bars have lots of cans of coke on board, they won't sell them to you "in the can"- they dump the contents in a glass and are more than happy to sell those to you. They'll even throw in some ice cubes

Feel free to bring your own cans or bottles of coke onboard with you. If you do however and use your fridge, make sure the bar steward who comes in regularly and checks on the contents of your little fridge does not mistake your cans with his cans!;)

[LouisV]

Ok so I know that hubby has to buy his drinks on board which is fine. Is there someplace on board that I can buy cans or bottles of coke to have on the balcony. I can't drink alcohol so I enjoy a coke while he is having his cocktail. I know that I can bring my own on but would rather buy onboard than have to carry more as we are doing a land tour before we get on the cruise.

 

Coffee39,

 

This is off topic but I notice you're from Saskatchewan. We just got back from a road trip from your neck of the woods...so to speak! We visited the Cypress Hills and stayed at the historical Reesor Ranch. It was fantastic!

 

Maureen

[RustaRoo]

... make sure the bar steward who comes in regularly and checks on the contents of your little fridge does not mistake your cans with his cans!;)

All to true! I left my OWN empty Coke can on the counter one day and lo and behold there was a bar charge slip placed beneath it, charging me for a can of coke even though the mini-fridge had not been opened!

[jtl513]

Sooner or later HAL is going to get fed up with all the liquor smuggling and clamp down entirely, banning wine, soda, and water as well. Who did that recently - Carnival, or RCCL?

 

Anyone has a barlist for cocktails and other drinks? We´ll be on the Noordam Feb 16. And does "wine" include sherry and port, or are we breaking the rules if we take a few bottles in our checked luggage?

 

I realize what the wine card is, but can we bring bottles of sherrey and port omboard, or is considered "hard alcohol"?

Port and Sherry are wine. Just carry it up the gangway with you ... on a little cart if there's too much to carry!

[prescottbob]

Ahoy!

 

One of our embarkation day 'chores' is to have the icebox totally cleaned out by the beverage steward. Then we fill with wine, pop, gatorade, etc. that we've brought onboard. We also use it for left over beers from the 'buckets of beer' package that I purchase on the Lido (although they will store them in the Lido bar for you with your name on them also) plus leftover unopenned cans of fruit/tomatoe juices, etc. from A.M. room service/ Lido (if applicable). I'd also request an an extra ice bucket.

HAVE A GREAT CRUISE!

 

Bon Voyage and Good Health!

Bob:)

[coffee39]

Coffee39,

 

This is off topic but I notice you're from Saskatchewan. We just got back from a road trip from your neck of the woods...so to speak! We visited the Cypress Hills and stayed at the historical Reesor Ranch. It was fantastic!

 

Maureen

 

Hi Maureen,

Nice to hear you enjoyed your vacation in Saskatchewan. All too often we get missed, people tend to know of Alberta and Manitoba but forget that Saskatchewan is in between.:)

[themoon]

Someone double check me on this:

 

If you purchase the 20 glasses of wine on the package, it comes out to be about $3.88 per glass, including the s/c.

 

If I were to bring a 1.5L bottle of wine ( which is what I ususally do) and let's say I purchase it for $15.00 plus $15.00 corkage fee, I think you can get about 6 glasses out of this size and that would run about $5.00 per glass.

 

So why would I want to travel with the heavy bottles of wine?

 

Joannie

 

Because I don't think your idea of a glass of wine and their idea of a glass is the same. :D (but I like yours better)

 

The cruise line will pour 3.5 or 4 ounce servings, so from a 1.5L bottle they will get 12 to 14 glasses...not 6.

[Joanniebop]

Because I don't think your idea of a glass of wine and their idea of a glass is the same. :D (but I like yours better)

 

The cruise line will pour 3.5 or 4 ounce servings, so from a 1.5L bottle they will get 12 to 14 glasses...not 6.

 

Wow! That is a big difference, about half of what I had calculated, so instead of $5.00 a glass for your own it would be less than $2.50 per glass.

 

I still think that for the difference I would rather not lug the bottles and go for the card.

 

Thanks themoon for checking my calculations and clearing up the difference.

Thought that there had to be something to the low cost.

[m steve]

Bicker- Please be the first to know that I have recommended you for sainthood. The Madonna of Ships Rules.

[bUU]

I don't believe in "sainthood".

[ekerr19]

Yes and no! Yes, you'll find cans of coke, diet coke, seven-up, and ohers in your mini bar/fridge. You'll be charged when you open and drink one or more. Nope, even though the bars have lots of cans of coke on board, they won't sell them to you "in the can"- they dump the contents in a glass and are more than happy to sell those to you. !;)

 

John -

 

Our experience with this varies from ship to ship. Some will give you the whole can... it's usually with a soda card purchase they won't - but if they charge for a can ($2.00, I think) they will give you the whole can...

[jtl513]

.. it's usually with a soda card purchase they won't - but if they charge for a can ($2.00, I think) they will give you the whole can...

I think I read someplace on this board that you can get the full can for two card punches ... which works out to just about the same $2 per can.

[ekerr19]

I think I read someplace on this board that you can get the full can for two card punches ... which works out to just about the same $2 per can.

 

John -

 

That could very well be true... we haven't bought soda cards in a few years, so I'm not too certain anymore. DH buys his bucket(s) of beer and stashes them in the mini fridge, so we have to be careful we don't get charged for them again. :)

[xpcdoojk]

Do you "believe" in anything?:confused:

 

jc

[cruisebum50]

We just order a bottle for our cabin through ship services. Or you can wait until you are on the ship and order through room service - there is a 15% gratuity added on.

 

 

Do you have an email address for the ship services on the Oosterdam?

[Copper10-8]

Do you have an email address for the ship services on the Oosterdam?

 

Try this: (800) 541-1576

[cruisebum50]

Thanks! I will try that if no one else comes up with an email address. I have a year to plan this trip to Alaska, just booked it this morning.

[sandythegoodgirl]

Are wine coolers okay to bring on-board? Would they be considered wine?...

[jtl513]

Are wine coolers okay to bring on-board? Would they be considered wine?...

Yes. Anything but hard liquor and beer is allowed.

Thanks! I will try that if no one else comes up with an email address.

If you just want to pre-order liquor, just go to For Guests and click Order Onboard Gifts (for yourself).

 

Other email can be sent to Contact Us.

[Fatfish]

You can try this link for Liquor prices etc for room....This is from our upcoming Noordam cruise but I beleive it's the same for all?

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/giftOrder/chooseGifts.do?method=chooseGifts&fromPage=other

[cruisebum50]

I had seen that link on the HAL website and looked at it. It shows wine, but no other alcohol. On other lines I have been given (high end suite) or purchased bottles of vodka, tequila, etc. to have in my cabin. I have sent an email to HAL to find out if this is an option.