Booze legally on HAL

[jst]

This was my question to HAL-Message: Is it possible for a person to purchase bottles of liquor
(not duty free) by paying an extra fee (approx $9.95 per bottle), as on
other cruise lines for use in ones cabin?
The answer was - Thank you for your inquiry. I have attached the liquor lists for you. When
you're ready to place your order, please give us a call at 800.541.1576.
You can also purchase them onboard by calling Room Service. We look forward
to having you onboard and thank you for choosing Holland America Line.
Attached was the following -
ITEM DESCRIPTION PRICE
GINS
687 GIN: BEEFEATER $29.00
688 GIN: TANQUERAY $37.00
686 GIN: BOMBAY SAPPHIRE $38.00

LIQUEURS
316 LIQUEURS: AMARETTO $52.00
317 LIQUEURS: BAILEYS IRISH CREAM $45.00
320 LIQUEURS: COINTREAU $59.00
321 LIQUEURS: DRAMBUIE $58.00
318 LIQUEURS: FRANGELLICO $42.00
323 LIQUEURS: GRAND MARNIER $80.00
324 LIQUEURS: KAHLUA $36.00
330 LIQUEURS: SAMBUCA - OPAL NERA $42.00
325 LIQUEURS: SOUTHERN COMFORT $47.00
326 LIQUEURS: TIA MARIA $52.00

RUM
693 RUM: BACARDI GOLD $37.00
694 RUM: BACARDI WHITE $29.00
695 RUM: BACARDI LIMON $29.00
692 RUM: MYERS $29.00

SCOTCH/WHISKEY/BRANDY
707 SCOTCH: BALLENTINES $37.00
714 SCOTCH: CHIVAS REGAL - 12 Y.O. $69.00
706 SCOTCH: DEWAR'S White Label $35.00
334 SCOTCH: HENNESSY VS $82.00
708 SCOTCH: J & B RARE $37.00
716 SCOTCH: J. WALKER BLACK LABEL $86.00
710 SCOTCH: J. WALKER RED LABEL $37.00
728 BOURBON: JACK DANIELS BLACK $54.00
722 BOURBON: JIM BEAM $29.00
732 WHISKEY: CANADIAN CLUB $35.00
736 WHISKEY: CROWN ROYAL $40.00
738 WHISKEY: SEAGRAMS 7 $25900
734 WHISKEY: SEAGRAMS V.O. $29.00
337 BRANDY: REMY MARTIN XO $263.00
336 BRANDY: REMY MARTIN VSOP $110.00

SHERRY
656 SHERRY: HARVEY'S MEDIUM $38.00
657 SHERRY: TIO PEPE $36.00

TEQUILA:
697 TEQUILA: JOSE QUERVO GOLD $37.00
696 TEQUILA: JOSE QUERVO 1800 $55.00

VODKA:
698A VODKA: ABSOLUT $29.00
698 VODKA: ABSOLUT - CITRON $29.00
691 VODKA: STOLICHNAYA $29.00
691S VODKA: SKYY $29.00
691F VODKA: FINLANDIA $29.00
690 VODKA: SMIRNOFF $29.00
691C VODKA: CHOPAN $69.00
699 VODKA: GREY GOOSE $61.00
691T VODKA: TANGUERAY STERLING $32.00
691B VODKA: BELVEDERE $76.00


All items have a 15% service charge included.

Hope this helps everyone that has asked about this, I figured this way we get the correct answer:-)

[Host Walt]

Assuming these are for 750 ml or larger bottles, these prices are not that bad considering that the tip is already rolled into the price.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

On the Maasdam this past May we ordered a bottle of Absolut. The cost was $25 for a liter (prices keep going up each month).

We also had to pay the 15% gratuity.

:)

[WindyCity]

Ships Services will also try to special order liquor that is not on the list. My husband likes B&B, so I emailed them and asked if it can be ordered. They emailed back that they have to check with the ship to see about it being special ordered for us. At least they tried. I don't know yet if they were able to get it, but it does not hurt to ask.:rolleyes:

[Host Walt]

:)

On the Maasdam this past May we ordered a bottle of Absolut. The cost was $25 for a liter (prices keep going up each month).

We also had to pay the 15% gratuity.

:)$25 + 15% is about $29, the price in the posted price list.

Our local discount liquor store here in LA gets $24.99 for a liter of basic Absolut Vodka (80 proof) plus 8-1/4% sales tax.

That demonstrates to me that the prices quoted by HAL are very reasonable.

[elmorejj]

It seems as though every time I see a list the prices have gone up. I drink J&B scotch and here in Central Ohio its about $30 a liter. I guess I`ll wait and see when I`m on board and decide if I`m going to buy something for the cabin....jean

[Leslieswiger]

I love my G&T and it has to be nothing else but BOMBAY SAPPHIRE.:rolleyes:
Duty Free on board Air Canada I can get a 1L for $18.00cdn. I am sure you know what I am going to buy on the flight to Buenos Aires.:D

[divinggirl]

I guess reasonable all depends on where you live...here in MD a 1.75 L of Bacardi Gold is $17.99, and a liter on HAL is $37. But liquor is about the only thing cheap here.. :cool:
These bottles ordered from HAL, are they left in your stateroom for you? Or do you have to pick them up somewhere?

[gizmo]

$25 + 15% is about $29, the price in the posted price list.

Our local discount liquor store here in LA gets $24.99 for a liter of basic Absolut Vodka (80 proof) plus 8-1/4% sales tax.

That demonstrates to me that the prices quoted by HAL are very reasonable.
When Hal is getting it duty free do you really think the prices are reasonable?

Think about what it used to go for in Hal's store and they were still making money on it.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

When we ordered our bottle of Absolut on the Oosterdam in Oct (placed order before we left home), the bottle wasn't in our cabin. We asked our concierge about it - she didn't have any record of it. I pulled out the charge card bill and showed that it had been ordered and paid for. We got the bottle the next morning.

In May on the Maasdam, we got the bottle of Absolut within 15 minutes of calling Ship Services. We waited until we were out in the Ocean far from Florida so that we wouldn't have to pay the extra 7% Florida tax on top of the 15% gratuity.

:)

[divinggirl]

:)

When we ordered our bottle of Absolut on the Oosterdam in Oct (placed order before we left home), the bottle wasn't in our cabin. We asked our concierge about it - she didn't have any record of it. I pulled out the charge card bill and showed that it had been ordered and paid for. We got the bottle the next morning.


:)

I'm glad you said that. It's good to know to bring any credit card statements, just in case. I assume they don't email you a receipt after ordering something online or via fax? Maybe I could ask for one to be sent?

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

No HAL didn't send us any confirmation via e-mail or fax.

If you wait till the last couple of weeks before youir cruise, you may not even have your credit card statement in to take along as proof.

:)

[stillfrantic]

I ordered already for the 9/4 cruise and never received a reply. I sent an email and they had no record. I faxed the order a second time with a note, and again, nothing. Another email said no record of the order. I called and they said they would have to look in the file since it was so far away. She came back and did say she had the order, but they are just set aside so far in advance. When do they actually charge the purchase?

[Tatka]

On RCI Splendour in May we bought 2 bottles of Absolute for 18 total and paid 1st day special $9.95 for 2 bottles.(to drink it in the cabin) Same for Kahlua.

I've never been on Voyager class but heard that sometimes they have specials one tme fee of $9.95 for 4 bottles.

On Celebrity you can't buy anything in tax free to drink in cabin.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

We ordered in January for our cruise the end of February and it was on our statement that we got the first part of February.

:)

[divinggirl]

On RCI Splendour in May we bought 2 bottles of Absolute for 18 total and paid 1st day special $9.95 for 2 bottles.(to drink it in the cabin) Same for Kahlua.

I've never been on Voyager class but heard that sometimes they have specials one tme fee of $9.95 for 4 bottles.

On Celebrity you can't buy anything in tax free to drink in cabin.

That is a hell of a deal you got on RCI! I don't think HAL offers anything close to that, which is unfortunate. Still think it's pseudo-extortion but that's for another thread...
:D

[trubey]

Can you byob?

[elmorejj]

Only if you pack it in your checked luggage. If its in your hand luggage it will be "confiscated" until the last night of the cruise....jean

[anniecat]

ALthough it is a risk (breakage-wise), is there a problem with bring a sealed bottle in one's checked luggage? Some posts have indicated a problem ("held captive until disembarcation") and this last one indicates it's ok. Has anyone very recently experienced this? BTW, I'm talking about a single liter size bottle of hard to find bourbon for pre-dinner cabin drinks.

[superstein61]

ALthough it is a risk (breakage-wise), is there a problem with bring a sealed bottle in one's checked luggage? Some posts have indicated a problem ("held captive until disembarcation") and this last one indicates it's ok. Has anyone very recently experienced this? BTW, I'm talking about a single liter size bottle of hard to find bourbon for pre-dinner cabin drinks.

Annie - your only risk is breakage /spillage from the bottle in your checked luggage. And if you pack it well - you should not have anything to worry about. (Place bottle in a plastic bag or two - sealing each one well with tape . Then have the bottle wrapped between something fluffy - like a sweatshirt - and you should be fine.

Of course - I typically fly in the night before - and keep my rum in my carry-on for the plane rather than risking it to the airlines. So it never goes in my checked luggage til the morning of the cruise.

[jst]

Thanks everyone for all the extra info - we will be sailing on Zuiderdam in Oct...we had read so many different pieces of info on this, so wanted to really find out what we could or couldn't do. We had also sailed recently on Splendour of the Seas and been able to purchase liquor for on board use at the great rate, and the last time we sailed HAL on the
Westerdam (old one) it was a lot cheaper, and I thought at the time we had purchased it from the liquor store and been able to take it to the cabin.

[CockyGoffin]

Jst - Thanks for posting this. It has cleared up a lot of confusion for me. I had planned originally to give gift bottles to friends traveling with me and was under the impression I could no longer do this.

I think the prices are very fair and am very happy about this.

[jollycruiser]

For the record I just called and ordered several bottles of wine for $14 each. To be served at dinner for no additional cost. This is a very inexpensive way to preorder if you are not real particular about your wine. Works great for us and probably getting it for half of the menu price.

[divinggirl]

No corkage fee for that wine? How about taxes for preordering? Decent deal, if there are no add'l fees...


Superstein, I notice you are a fellow BYO, and you seem quite confident that your checked luggage is that way to go. I was under the (possibly incorrect) impression that they are now X-raying all checked luggage, for security reasons? Is this accurate?

[Cauvet]

We were just on the O and were very disappointed to learn that we could not buy liquor in the liquor shop, pay the duty to have in our room. We ordered a "Gin and Tonic" room service deal for $32 which included a liter of Beefeater and three cans of tonic water. We did,however, buy liquor in Alaska and had no problem bringing it on board. Afterall there is no duty there so no one batted an eyelash and we didn't try to hide it. But the liquor in Alaska was nearly as expensive--about $28 for a fifth! Last time we were on RCI (January) you could buy liquor in the shop, even the bargain ones, pay the duty and enjoy your liquor in your cabin. I don't know what the big deal is with HAL.

[mickey]

I had read on the board before our 34 day Rotterdam cruise that someone ordered the gift wine for themselves at $14 a bottle. They said the wine steward offered them a great selection every night of either reds of whites. We ordered 16 bottles for the trip. There is no corkage fee........but the wine was mostly awful. We're not wine snobs,just enjoy a decent glass of wine with dinner. We were offered only two labels. One was Ariana, a Chilian wine and the other a California. Both were the kinds of wine you'd buy for $5 in the grocery store.Now there are some great $5 wines, but not these. We asked for a different selection, but were told that was it. There were 4 of us sharing it and most nights we didn't even finish the first glass. Not a great bargain!

[superstein61]

No corkage fee for that wine? How about taxes for preordering? Decent deal, if there are no add'l fees...


Superstein, I notice you are a fellow BYO, and you seem quite confident that your checked luggage is that way to go. I was under the (possibly incorrect) impression that they are now X-raying all checked luggage, for security reasons? Is this accurate?

Divinggirl - from everything I read - there still should be no problem bringing your liquor on in a checked bag. Even if they x-ray it - they really aren't looking for liquor. Now carry-ons are a different story

[divinggirl]

OK I'm going to split hairs here, all the while gaining valuable info...Do you have to give your luggage to the HAL people to be delivered to your stateroom, or can you keep it and take it to your room yourself? We are not using HAL's transfer to Port Everglades...and if we keep it, do they go through that luggage like they would a carry on?

[ekerr19]

That is a hell of a deal you got on RCI! I don't think HAL offers anything close to that, which is unfortunate. Still think it's pseudo-extortion but that's for another thread...
:D

You CAN buy the liquor specials - on the Maasdam 4/3/04, they had two bottles of Absolut for $18 - the difference now is you can no longer take it back to the cabin and drink it. They hold it til the last day and you have to take it off the ship. We'd rather not have to carry liquor on the plane - no matter how great the price.

We pre-ordered 1-liter Absolut and 1-liter Bacardi (with sodas/mixers) before we left, the total charged to our credit card was about $45, which we thought was a good deal.

[ekerr19]

I had read on the board before our 34 day Rotterdam cruise that someone ordered the gift wine for themselves at $14 a bottle. They said the wine steward offered them a great selection every night of either reds of whites. We ordered 16 bottles for the trip. There is no corkage fee........but the wine was mostly awful. We're not wine snobs,just enjoy a decent glass of wine with dinner. We were offered only two labels. One was Ariana, a Chilian wine and the other a California. Both were the kinds of wine you'd buy for $5 in the grocery store.Now there are some great $5 wines, but not these. We asked for a different selection, but were told that was it. There were 4 of us sharing it and most nights we didn't even finish the first glass. Not a great bargain!

This has been our experience as well - the list contained wines like Sutter Home White Zinfandel and Walnut Crest Merlot - and a couple other very inexpensive wines of less than average quality. Not a decent Chardonnay in the bunch - I think only one Chardonnay, which I tried and didn't like. When you think of it, at $14 a bottle, it's almost a 300% mark-up.

This is why some cruisers like to bring their own wine - I think HAL's regular wine list is OK and we usually order from it - it was better on the Maasdam than it was on the Zuiderdam, for some reason.

[elmorejj]

If you decide to walk your own luggage on the ship, it will have to fit through the scanner that hand luggage goes through. I`m sure that if they spot a bottle of liquor it will be pulled aside. However, if you let the longshoremen handle your luggage, they don`t have the time or the manpower to be looking for bottles of liquor and you luggage will be brought to your cabin as usual......jean

[divinggirl]

We pre-ordered 1-liter Absolut and 1-liter Bacardi (with sodas/mixers) before we left, the total charged to our credit card was about $45, which we thought was a good deal.
Did you get some sort of discount for ordering multiple bottles ahead of time? The going rate for two "mixer" packages is $32 a package, minimum, and just a bottle of those is $29...you must know someone!! :D

[ekerr19]

Did you get some sort of discount for ordering multiple bottles ahead of time? The going rate for two "mixer" packages is $32 a package, minimum, and just a bottle of those is $29...you must know someone!! :D

I don't think it was because we knew anyone special :D

We paid $19.95 for the Bacardi with sodas and $24.95 for the Absolut and tonic... this was in April. I think the price has gone up due to it's popularity. It is a shame HAL can't just leave the price alone. I think it may have been cheaper initially because they had just implemented the new liquor rules and used this as a bit of a pacifier for cruisers already booked.

We were also not subject to the auto-tip, so no 15% was added... why they add gratuity to a bottle they place in your room is beyond me. Because we left from Norfolk, the liquor was in our room when we boarded.

[divinggirl]

Jeez, that's a 33% increase on the Bacardi since April!! Really ridiculous, I would have paid the $20 for the bottle...they tell you on the liquor doc they emailed me that a 15% "service charge" is included...interesting that they don't call it a gratuity here, but a service charge. Why, for walking to my cabin? I feel you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. You can't bring it on, you can't buy it onboard and take it to your cabin, so if you do the only permissible thing, they find a way to tack on more $$ anyway...:mad: They don't include a 15% "service charge" for room service, right? Maybe I can ask them to hold off on delivering the bottle until my first room service order...:confused: :eek: :cool:

[raydon]

I am an HAL fan so no flames but we purchaseda liter of Bombay delivered to our cabin in May on the Grand Princess and the cost was 28 plus tip. HAL sounds a little high but we will still pay it rather than go to the trouble of smuggling.

[divinggirl]

To each his own...A liter of Bombay on HAL now is $38, so I'd agree that HAL is definitely high!!

[divinggirl]

I think the price has gone up due to it's popularity.
You must mean because pax have no choice but to pay their extortive rates...it will only go up higher as pax continue to pay it. :(

[superstein61]

OK I'm going to split hairs here, all the while gaining valuable info...Do you have to give your luggage to the HAL people to be delivered to your stateroom, or can you keep it and take it to your room yourself? We are not using HAL's transfer to Port Everglades...and if we keep it, do they go through that luggage like they would a carry on?

If you don't check your luggage - then it has to go thru HAL's scanner they use for carryons. I would not risk that if you want to carry on liquor

[ekerr19]

If you don't check your luggage - then it has to go thru HAL's scanner they use for carryons. I would not risk that if you want to carry on liquor

I think if you want to pack in your checked bag, it should be ok. We've watched the bags handlers many times in the past - some are much better than others. On some ships (in FLL is where we've seen this) they use a crane to load the metal containers holding the luggage (much like cages - but I don't know the name for them) onto the deck of the ship - once we saw the crane operator drop a cage from high in the air and all the bags went tumbling...

The Norfolk handlers didn't even load our bags, DH put them onto the cage, all at the very top. We had our bags right away - also if you find a steward who is working the luggage sort on your cabin deck - tip him $10 and your bags will be delivered right away. This also may help further "mis-handling" of your bags.

I alsways double seal (in big zip lock bags - the kind with the actual pink zipper) anything I do not want to leak. We do this with our shampoo, conditioner, sunscrenn, aloe, perfume/colognes, hair spray - everything) just in case. We have never had anything actually leak - but we've had shampoo open once. Also, we come from high altitude - so our containers always shrink and contract when we travel.

Good luck - let us know how this turns out. We will probably still pay the higher prices for the liquor on the ship. I don't want to bring it from home - my bags are already close to the weight limit - and I don't ever seem to have time to purchase it when we get to the port city.

[jascruise]

I think that the prices discussed here are for alcohol purchased in advance through the ships service department.

Can you buy a bottle through room service, and if so, is it for the same price as pre-ordered through ships service?

[elmorejj]

On our April/May repo cruise on the Zaandam, there was a list in the cabin of available liquor that could be purchased through room service. The prices were so low that everyone was doing it. We would watch in the Ocean bar as the calls came in and the servers would take them down to the cabins. Because of this the bars were empty most evenings. I`m sure HAL re thought this plan and now the prices have tripled from what they were then.......jean

[HeatherInFlorida]

It's funny the areas we get sticky about costs. We spend thousands on a cruise and worry about a few dollars extra to buy the liquor from HAL. I have to admit I just don't get it. Isn't it ever so much easier to just order it and have it waiting for you in your cabin than the hassle of packing it in your luggage? After all, it's heavy, it can break....it's a pain in the neck!

Unless you're planning to consume gallons in your cabin, it's not going to add a heck of a lot of $$ to your expense. Or is it all about the principal of the thing ... that you feel you're being taken advantage of? I'm not trying to be difficult; I would honestly like to know.

[gizmo]

It is pure principle with me. In the past, sometimes we would purchase a bottle of Bailey's in the ship's store or the duty free store at the dock (which disappeared after 911). Now they are charging you double or more for it. It is a RIP OFF.

On our last cruise we picked up some champagne on the way to the port to bring on board with us. Funny, but we never did this before, we always ordered some from the ship.

[divinggirl]

Agreed it's a rip-off! If it were even remotely reasonable I would do it, but it just isn't. As I said in an earlier post, they'll just keep raising the prices until people stop paying them, look at what's happened between April and now--33% increase. But I look at it this way, I have extra room in my suitcase for all the duty free I can bring back. :D Plus, they don't carry my brand.

[superstein61]

I think if you want to pack in your checked bag, it should be ok.

Agreed. I just make sure to pack it well.

I alsways double seal (in big zip lock bags - the kind with the actual pink zipper) anything I do not want to leak. We do this with our shampoo, conditioner, sunscrenn, aloe, perfume/colognes, hair spray - everything) just in case. We have never had anything actually leak - but we've had shampoo open once. Also, we come from high altitude - so our containers always shrink and contract when we travel.



Good advice - I do the same after one trip a bottle of after sun lotion popped open. Luckily didn't do much damage -but I wrapp everything now in zip lock bags.

Thanks !!!

[superstein61]

Or is it all about the principal of the thing ...


For me - choice and principal.

And as to lugging things - I never pick up my Mountain Dew until I am in FLL. So no lugging of that on the plane.

BTW Heather - I couldn't answer on the other thread because Walt locked it for some unknown reason - but no, the Mountain Dew is not to mix with my rum :).

I just happen to like Mountain Dew as a soft drink (actually Diet Mt Dew) - and its impossible to find onboard.

The rums gets mixed with other things :)

[ekerr19]

For me - choice and principal.

And as to lugging things - I never pick up my Mountain Dew until I am in FLL. So no lugging of that on the plane.

BTW Heather - I couldn't answer on the other thread because Walt locked it for some unknown reason - but no, the Mountain Dew is not to mix with my rum :).

I just happen to like Mountain Dew as a soft drink (actually Diet Mt Dew) - and its impossible to find onboard.

The rums gets mixed with other things :)

I was wondering about this also... my DH will drink rum with just about anything, but Mountain & rum didn't sound so appealing to me ;)

[gizmo]

Good advice - I do the same after one trip a bottle of after sun lotion popped open. Luckily didn't do much damage -but I wrapp everything now in zip lock bags.
Thanks !!!
I double zip lock bag things. Had one leak through one time so now I double a lot of things.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

For years we have packed all clothing, etc., in plastic bags. Began this pratice back in the 60's when we were leaving from Pittsburgh on a very snowy day to go to Ft Lauderdale. While looking out the window of the plane, I saw a luggage cart slide in the snow and luggage went spilling everywhere. A couple of the suitcases opened up and clothes went into the dirty snow. The man just pushed all those dirty clothes into the suitcases, shut them, and put them on the plane.

At least now if a suitcase accidently opens on the ground, all clothes are in plastic bags to help protect them.

:)