Limits to wine brought aboard?

[allen.crawford]

We like to bring our own wine aboard the ships for a variety of reasons, including, we know we will always have wine we like, and we also like to enjoy wine in our stateroom.

We know that HAL allows people to bring wine aboard, but we don't know if there is a limit to the number of bottles we can bring aboard at one time. For example, if we were to carry aboard a case of wine, would there be any problems? Does anyone know what the limits are? How many bottles have you brought aboard at once?

Thanks to all who respond.

[Gsel]

No limit! As long as it is wine, no hard liquor, you can bring on as much as you can carry. Have fun and enjoy your wine, we do!

[innlady1]

No limit...bring as much as you can carry.

Another question on wine: We will be stopping in Grand Turk, Tortola, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and San Juan. I didn't look for wine last year while in port, but do the stores have a decent selection of California wines? How are the prices?

We're leaving from Boston by bus and, I won't have room for much more than one or two bottles. So, I'm thinking it would be easier to buy it in port.

[bevo44]

We just returned from our HAL cruise yesterday, and dealt with some of the same wine questions.

My first advice (assuming you are leaving out of Ft. lauderdale) would be to go to www.totalwine.com (http://www.totalwine.com). We were able to pre-order wine online, and then stop at their Lauderdale store to pick it up as we traveled by cab from the airport to the cruise terminal. The location is perfect, and it couldn't have been easier. A huge selection at great prices (all shown online), and they had our order ready and waiting. I used a little canvas six-bottle carrier and walked right on board.

As for the ports:
Grand Turk - we did not see any great wine-buying locations near the cruise port. And in general, the places that had steep discounts on liquor, didn't have any real discounts on wine. For example 1L of Absolut vodka for $10 ($30+ at home), but a $12 bottle of wine at home was still $12.

Tortola - never got off the pier, so I don't know

St. Thomas - the shops in downtown were the same as Grand Turk, but the liquor shop right near the ship (docked in Crown Bay) did seem to have some better deals.

Half Moon Cay - no place to buy wine or liquor.

Hope this helps.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Exactly where is the liguor store located at Crown Bay?

[sail7seas]

KK...... I think I noticed one on the right side of the road (when headed from the ship to downtown). DH and I could probably walk there and back but it is a little distance. Certainly if carrying heavy bottles of wine, it might be too hot for walking with more than a bottle or two.

I keep waiting for HAL to say, That's It....... No more wine permitted to be carried. I have always thought they stopped permitting hard liquor and beer being carried on because some folks went too far. If everyone had stayed wtih a moderate quantity, I think they would still be permitting it.

It is only my private opinion but I believe that if people lug cases and cases of wine aboard, they will stop permitting anyone from bringing even one bottle.

Moderation seems to be a good word in most things in life.

A few bottles seems to work well....you get to bring a few to enjoy in your cabin and HAL doesn't see people lugging huge quantities with them.

If you use up your few bottles, you can always buy another few along the way.

The abuses by some may lead to denial to all.

JMHO........ (and it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong - nor probably not the last. ) ;)

[dakrewser]

HAL won't limit the amount of wine you wish to bring aboard, but if you're flying in then the airline will have a lot to say about it.

As long as you aren't selling glasses/bottles out of your cabin, or wandering the ship with open bottle in hand, it shouldn't lead to any change in the rules.

Outside of places like Pennsylvania (and Ohio. And Canada) most wine prices are within a small range from place to place. It makes sense to buy them near their origin where you can pick up scarcer items, but we've never found wine to be a "bargain" in any port that doesn't have its own local, well known, wineries.

[NoNoNanette]

We brought a case of wine/bubbly and Port last month on the Amsterdam. Consider picking up a cheapo ($20) collapsible cooler on wheels. That way, you can just roll it onboard.

BTW: They didn't even OPEN it and take a peak in Port Everglades. It could have been hard liquor, but I won't take that chance.

After the cruise, you can roll the cooler back out with souvenirs, or collapse it and pack it away. :)

[Sprocket]

KK...... I think I noticed one on the right side of the road (when headed from the ship to downtown). DH and I could probably walk there and back but it is a little distance. Certainly if carrying heavy bottles of wine, it might be too hot for walking with more than a bottle or two.

I keep waiting for HAL to say, That's It....... No more wine permitted to be carried. I have always thought they stopped permitting hard liquor and beer being carried on because some folks went too far. If everyone had stayed wtih a moderate quantity, I think they would still be permitting it.

It is only my private opinion but I believe that if people lug cases and cases of wine aboard, they will stop permitting anyone from bringing even one bottle.

Moderation seems to be a good word in most things in life.

A few bottles seems to work well....you get to bring a few to enjoy in your cabin and HAL doesn't see people lugging huge quantities with them.

If you use up your few bottles, you can always buy another few along the way.

The abuses by some may lead to denial to all.

JMHO........ (and it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong - nor probably not the last. ) ;)





I have only sailed Hal 3 times, so I am certainly not an expert on this subject. But I have yet to see anyone lugging cases and cases of wine onboard. Perhaps for very long cruises, but for 7 days?? Did I miss something in the OP's post?:confused:

["Wandering Wino's"]

We like to bring our own wine aboard the ships for a variety of reasons, including, we know we will always have wine we like, and we also like to enjoy wine in our stateroom.

We know that HAL allows people to bring wine aboard, but we don't know if there is a limit to the number of bottles we can bring aboard at one time. For example, if we were to carry aboard a case of wine, would there be any problems? Does anyone know what the limits are? How many bottles have you brought aboard at once?

Thanks to all who respond.




A couple years ago we were on the Oosterdam along with 4 other couples cruising the Mexican Rivera. Each couple brought at least one case of wine aboard. Each evening one couple would host the wine for the table at dinner, one evening we had a wine tasting at dinner with each couple bringing one of their favorite bottles to share. Each evening we hosted cocktail parties before dinner again taking advanage of the wine we brought with us. There is of course a corkage fee when you bring the wine to the dinning room, but that is well worth the charge. The wines that we bring are wines that are not found on any of the wine lists aboard. Needless to say we didn't take any wine home with us!
Because we live in So. Calif. there was no flying involved which of course made this very simple for us to do.
In October we will again be sailing aboard the O to Mexico and will again fill a case with unique wines that we purchase on the several wine country trips that we take yearly.
Hope this helps.

[helenp2]

We always take a case of mixed wines with us. We usually call Crown Liquors ahead of time and tell them what we want. Give them a credit card no. and a date and time for pick up. When we take a cab to the port we have the driver take us there and ask that he wait until we get our wine. It is always packed and ready to go. We tape one of our luggage tags to the box and write our name and cabin no. on it and off we go. When we get to the pier we give our bags and the case of wine to the baggage handler along with a nice tip and we have never had any problem whatsoever. When your luggage arrives to your cabin the case of wine will be delivered at the same time. Happy sailing.

PS Just remembered that the last time we were in St Martin we bought some really great French Champagne and carried it back on board with us for dinner that evening. So, if you are in the caribbean check it out.

[bevo44]

KK - In Crown Bay we bought wine at a shop right there in the cruise center, just a few yards from the pier. The selection wasn't huge, but it was diverse, and we're not too picky. It was definitely a bit cheaper than other places and very convenient.

Hope you have a great trip.