while cruising last year with Princess we were happy to find we could buy liquor at the shop on board to consume in our cabin at a very reasonable price.
What experiences have people had aboard HAL?
On a long cruise buying wine and coctails in the bars would become very expensive.
We have sailed HAL before. If you purchase Liquor on board, they will hold it until you disembark; however, if you bring liquor on board in you carry on - either in Ft Lauderdale or at one of the islands - they seem to look the other way.
Hope this helps.
RichardT
"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. Bottles and other containers will be collected for safekeeping and delivered to your stateroom on the last day of the voyage.
The ship's stores sell liquor for take-home only at reduced tax-free prices. These purchases will be delivered to your stateroom on the last day of the voyage. A corkage fee applies to wine and champagne brought to the dining room or bars for consumption.
Room Service offers reduced-price stateroom beverage packages for in-stateroom consumption of alcoholic beverages".
Have sailed with H.A.L. on two occasions and bottles of liquor in my "checked" luggage have made it through both times. Taking my third H.A.L. cruise in one week and will be bringing liquor on board the same way. As long as H.A.L. continues to return confiscated liquor at the end of the cruise, what does one have to lose?
IMO, the cruiselines' policy is ridiculous. I have never heard of any resort/hotel checking luggage to make sure their guests didn't have any liquor for in-room consumption. I wonder how many passengers sit in their stateroom all day drinking their personal beverages because they don't want to pay a reasonable price for cocktails in one of the ship's bars. It's nice to have a cocktail or two in your stateroom before dinner, without having to order room service!
If you can afford the cruise ....you can't afford the drink prices?....come on.
Hidding bottles in your suitcase....thats just crazy or you have a booze problem or both.
If you can afford the cruise ....you can't afford the drink prices?....come on.
Hidding bottles in your suitcase....thats just crazy or you have a booze problem or both.
Maybe I don't like bars or someone else making my drink. Maybe I like to have a drink on my Balcony that I made. Maybe you have a problem sticking your nose in other peoples business!
Amen to you on your comment about making a drink in my room.As for affording the cruise I can promise the former comment that after 30 plus cruises this is not my problem and any of the others writing on this subject.The cruise line will continue to get my drink orders and i would still like to have a coktail made in my room the way I want it.We are paying good money for these cruises and should not be dictated as to bringing a bottle to my room for consumption there and we are not bringing the bottle outside of our room and making anyone upset as we would not do at any hotel.
If you can afford the cruise ....you can't afford the drink prices?....come on.
Hidding bottles in your suitcase....thats just crazy or you have a booze problem or both.
It's not a matter of affording it ... rather, it's one of principle. Why should you be FORCED to buy your liquor onboard ... at whatever the cruiseline wishes to charge you ... when you are going to consume it in your stateroom? I can certainly understand the corkage fees for wine or liquor you bring to the dining room ... but if you're serving yourself ... in your stateroom ... there should be nothing wrong with that. It's the same as buying a bottle in a convenience store to consume in your hotel room while on a business trip. Nothing wrong with that.
I just think it's sad that one has to "smuggle" their booze onboard. That shows that the cruiselines are just trying to milk every possible dime out of the guests onboard their ships.
Don't flame me here ... I don't even drink very often and certainly don't waste time buying bottles of booze to lug onboard.
HAL must have changed their policy, because two years ago we took a 30 day+ cruise around South America and to Antartica on Ryndam and it was just like what Granny described on Princess in the opening post. We could buy liquor in the duty free shop and by paying a relativly small "consuption fee" take it to our stateroom. (I think it was $5 or $7/bottle) We got a bottle of tequila, and would order a carafe of orange juice from room service every day and have a tequila sunrise in our stateroom or on the verandah before dinner most evenings. We are taking another 30 dayer this coming April on the Statendam from Hong Kong to Vancouver and I'm hoping the same will apply. If not, I guess I'll smuggle. I don't need HAL dictating to me who fixes my drinks and charging me for them. I pay enough for the cruise to earn the privilege of mixing my own if I choose to do it!
__________________
RichStacy
Landlocked in Denver, but cruisin every chance we get.
Polynesia, Carib. '86
Cr. Odyssey, Scandinavia, '91, 30 Day S Pac. 2002
Crystal Harm, Aust., N.Z., '94
Royal Odyssey, AK,'96
Old Cr. Pr. Canal, '97
RCCL, Carib, 1998
Volendam, Car, 2000
Ryndam, 35 day S. Am., Antarctica, '03
Is. Pr., Canal, 2004
Statendam, 34 day China, Japan, AK '06
Cr.Pr., Carib. 08
Eurodam, Atlantic, Med. '10 Golden Princess
You can order liquor through room service at a pretty reasonable price. You can also order yourself a sail away gift of liquor from the cruise line, and it will be in your cabin when you arrive. Just call HA customer service and request an order. I have done this in the past. Enjoy your cruise.
I beleive the '' bon voyage '' ### is what you use. Send a gift to your cabin from '' somebody'', bottles of wine, liquor, etc...I find their retail price not all that much higher than land-based retail stores, and you ''save'' the 15% auto-tip....And,since it is THEIR liquor after all as THEY sold it to your '' gift-giver'', the wine bottles can be taken down to the dining room and used then, or later, without a cork fee.
Happy sailings, hic.
CG
__________________
Past waves and happy memories: SUMMIT, MERCURY,DAWN PRINCESS, ISLAND PRINCESS X 2, REGAL PRINCESS.
Nest up: CENTURY June'08....B2B Norwegian Fjords/Artic/NorthCape & Scandinavia/Russia
Maybe I don't like bars or someone else making my drink. Maybe I like to have a drink on my Balcony that I made. Maybe you have a problem sticking your nose in other peoples business!
i hear ya jim. For some reason this hits ppl emotions. The moderator Kuki argued to me that doing it was THE SAME THING as robbing a bank. Now that IS kuki.
On the 4/04 cruise on the Zuiderdam, we ordered a bottle of liquor to be in our suite. Also brought on board 2 bottles of wine in my carryon. After scanning my two carryons at the dock, I was asked to open my luggage and unwrap the bubble wrap so they could see that it was wine and not liquor. Then I was able to proceed with my wine.
On HAL ships you don't have to 'send gifts to yourself' - if you're booked and have paid your balance,
just call 1-800-541-1576.
You may order Liquor (with mixes) Wine and beer packages for delivery to your in your cabin on sailing date.
Hors d'oeuvres and flowers too if you like.
Prepayment is required so have your CC handy.
Buying on board for cabin consumption has been discontinued - purchases are held until you are leaving the ship.
Thanks for the advice and the 1-800 number! We'll try it. Can't for the life of me imagine why they would allow that but not sell for on board consumption in the suty free shop for an extra fee, like they used to.
__________________
RichStacy
Landlocked in Denver, but cruisin every chance we get.
Polynesia, Carib. '86
Cr. Odyssey, Scandinavia, '91, 30 Day S Pac. 2002
Crystal Harm, Aust., N.Z., '94
Royal Odyssey, AK,'96
Old Cr. Pr. Canal, '97
RCCL, Carib, 1998
Volendam, Car, 2000
Ryndam, 35 day S. Am., Antarctica, '03
Is. Pr., Canal, 2004
Statendam, 34 day China, Japan, AK '06
Cr.Pr., Carib. 08
Eurodam, Atlantic, Med. '10 Golden Princess
I still believe you can order bottles of liquor from room service, I did on our last cruise with HAL. This is not what you might buy at the duty free shop. When on board call room service and request a bottle of your choice, I have not heard anyone state that this is not possible.
I still believe you can order bottles of liquor from room service, I did on our last cruise with HAL. This is not what you might buy at the duty free shop. When on board call room service and request a bottle of your choice, I have not heard anyone state that this is not possible.
dands - Of course it's possible! All you have to do is call Room Service. That said, it is for some people, nice to have it all there awaiting your arrival. To my knowledge the prices are the same for pre-ordering or 'upon arrival ordering'
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In cabin cocktails
I don't need HAL dictating to me who fixes my drinks and charging me for them. I pay enough for the cruise to earn the privilege of mixing my own if I choose to do it!
Hi,
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