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Holland America changes carry on wine policy

quist100

By quist100,
in Holland America Line

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cruz chic

cruz chic

Posted
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We had great wine service on Prinsendam in September. We bought a wine package, so that probably helped.

I bought a 7 bottle package on my last cruise. I generally do. I didn't help. I think the Prinsendam can't be compared to other ships. The service seems to be stellar on it.

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LindaM

LindaM

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I bought a 7 bottle package on my last cruise. I generally do. I didn't help. I think the Prinsendam can't be compared to other ships. The service seems to be stellar on it.

 

I think you are quite right about Prinsendam. I know I am prejudiced, but sailing her is the main reason I'm overly critical of Regent. I hate that I am paying more for sailing a luxury line, and not really seeing much of a difference. Howeverk, the prices for the verandahs and suites on Prinsendam are pretty expensive compared to the other HAL ships.

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cruz chic

cruz chic

Posted
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I think you are quite right about Prinsendam. I know I am prejudiced, but sailing her is the main reason I'm overly critical of Regent. I hate that I am paying more for sailing a luxury line, and not really seeing much of a difference. Howeverk, the prices for the verandahs and suites on Prinsendam are pretty expensive compared to the other HAL ships.

 

No doubt about it. There is a premium for that ship. I think that's why everything is top notch.

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NoWhiners

NoWhiners

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No doubt about it. There is a premium for that ship. I think that's why everything is top notch.

 

Hi Lorene

 

Sorry to hear about the blizzard and no cruise planned--what were you thinking!!:) I agree about the P. When we were just on her, no problem getting wine at dinner. it was really nice.

 

I think I agree with you about how many people will actually leave HAL as a result of the wine policy. I am not happy about it but there are so many other things we like, we will most likely just stick with them. We like the beds, the bathrooms, the room service breakfast, the smaller ships, the people we meet on HAL, the helpful and pleasant staff and the itineraries.

 

So, we will suck it up and drink their crappy wine!!:D

 

Good luck with the blizzard--will the flood damage make this harder?

 

Mary Lynn

 

PS: The rug we bought in Istanbul should be delivered later this week!! It has been so long, we almost forgot what it looks like!!

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cruz chic

cruz chic

Posted
Posted
Hi Lorene

 

Sorry to hear about the blizzard and no cruise planned--what were you thinking!!:) I agree about the P. When we were just on her, no problem getting wine at dinner. it was really nice.

 

I think I agree with you about how many people will actually leave HAL as a result of the wine policy. I am not happy about it but there are so many other things we like, we will most likely just stick with them. We like the beds, the bathrooms, the room service breakfast, the smaller ships, the people we meet on HAL, the helpful and pleasant staff and the itineraries.

 

So, we will suck it up and drink their crappy wine!!:D

 

Good luck with the blizzard--will the flood damage make this harder?

 

Mary Lynn

 

PS: The rug we bought in Istanbul should be delivered later this week!! It has been so long, we almost forgot what it looks like!!

We still have some issues resulting from the flood. This week has been just brutal. The city is doing a lousy job of removing snow and to say the commute has been brutal is making it sound better then it is.

 

Glad the rug has made it's journey over:D.

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kennicott

kennicott

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I think you are quite right about Prinsendam. I know I am prejudiced, but sailing her is the main reason I'm overly critical of Regent. I hate that I am paying more for sailing a luxury line, and not really seeing much of a difference. Howeverk, the prices for the verandahs and suites on Prinsendam are pretty expensive compared to the other HAL ships.

 

We've had pretty good luck on Regent, so far. Trouble is, with only three ships their itineraries are limited. Been looking at Oceanic but haven't been enamored with some aspects of their model. They certainly get some good reviews though.

 

We were on the Prinsendam for almost three months straight in 2008 and loved it. Next time on HAL was the Ryndam in 2011. We are on the Statendam for 30 days beginning Feb. 30th. I guess I should have been paying more attention to what's going on with HAL since 2011 before I booked that one. Like so many, we are concerned, hope it turns out for the best.

 

Since getting off the Prinsendam we have accumulated about 100 sea days on Regent. Costing our voyages out and comparing them to HAL, dollar wise, we actually saved on the Regent trips. Except for the MDR on the Voyager in August, I will say I haven't seen much difference in the meals between the two lines. The crew on the Mariner outdid themselves in the MDR this last voyage, best service and food we ever had in a MDR. I prefer the HAL Pinnacle to either the Prime 7 or the Signature on Regent though. Other than that, Regent for us has blown HAL away in all other categories, particularly shore excursions, large staterooms, as well as providing many other quality amenities. The absence of all the congestion and pushing and shoving at the muster station for shore excursions on Regent is certainly a relief over Princess and HAL, plus, most of the excursions are superior in quality and the coaches much less crammed.

 

Now I'm trying to figure out what Carnival Corp. is up to with this "HAL Group" initiative.

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NoWhiners

NoWhiners

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We still have some issues resulting from the flood. This week has been just brutal. The city is doing a lousy job of removing snow and to say the commute has been brutal is making it sound better then it is.

 

Glad the rug has made it's journey over:D.

 

ahh, now it all makes sense!! thanks for the email note. Rug is supposed to be delivered on Friday--it left Phoenix a little while ago. I'll send you a pix.

 

ML

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Gerko

Gerko

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My wife book seniors on cruises and they all book early dining because they have to take their pills around 6pm and they have to be taken with food. You see them standing at the entry to the MDR fifteen minutes before it opens every night just to make sure they don't miss getting a table, even though the MDR is never going to open early and they have a guarantted table for the entire cruise. Gotta love the old dears. I'm too close to becoming one of them myself.

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cruisin'girl

cruisin'girl

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My wife book seniors on cruises and they all book early dining because they have to take their pills around 6pm and they have to be taken with food. You see them standing at the entry to the MDR fifteen minutes before it opens every night just to make sure they don't miss getting a table, even though the MDR is never going to open early and they have a guarantted table for the entire cruise. Gotta love the old dears. I'm too close to becoming one of them myself.

Being condescending to fellow cruisers is such an attractive trait. I'm a senior, take plenty of pills and always have late seating so as not to miss the cocktail hour. We never eat earlier than 7:30 at home either. You must be down at the MDR early yourself to see a line.

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Gerko

Gerko

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Being condescending to fellow cruisers is such an attractive trait. I'm a senior' date=' take plenty of pills and always have late seating so as not to miss the cocktail hour. We never eat earlier than 7:30 at home either. You must be down at the MDR early yourself to see a line.[/quote']

 

Hey, lighten up. I said I'm very close to all that myself. I take four pills a day (if I remember them) and I do eat at first sitting because I'm too hungry to wait for the second and I turn up five minutes after the doors open. It was a light hearted comment on a group of people that everyone who has ever been on a cruise will have seen. My 91yo mum is probably there leading the pack.

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cruisin'girl

cruisin'girl

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Hey, lighten up. I said I'm very close to all that myself. I take four pills a day (if I remember them) and I do eat at first sitting because I'm too hungry to wait for the second and I turn up five minutes after the doors open. It was a light hearted comment on a group of people that everyone who has ever been on a cruise will have seen. My 91yo mum is probably there leading the pack.

You're right and I apologize. I had a lousy day yesterday and was in a grouchy mood. No excuse, I know. We've seen it many times and have been pushed and shoved by the "must be first in line" group just walking anywhere near the MDR area before dinnertime, especially around early seating time. My comment to you was uncalled for.

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  • 2 weeks later...
frankc98376

frankc98376

Posted
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Posted this question in another thread but thinking it really belonged in a wine thread:

 

Is it true that we can use any on board wine list in say- The Pinnacle? I've heard that Canaletto list isn't bad and somewhat reasonable. Will they have the lists in the Pinnacle or should we buy it at Canaletto and carry it to Pinnacle?

 

Pinnacle wine list on Oosterdam really didn't thrill either one of us- ended up drinking St Michelle Cab and paying WAY too much. We aren't "wine snobs" and we know what we like. We usually prefer a nice Shiraz or Chianti Classico (and yes we like "Two Buck Chuck"). We don't mind paying for a wine we like but paying 50 or 60 dollars for a 12 dollar bottle at Pinnacle didn't thrill us. We gladly paid corkage for the wine we brought on but with that ability going need to look at options.

 

I guess we could just drink 6.95 Captain and Coke and use our Explore 4 beverage package but really like wine with dinner.

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nana51

nana51

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No worries at all. Its been a long year and I definitely need a cruise to recover. In 15 days I'll be front of the queue on Oosterdam, knocking everyone asunder in the race for the first bread roll.

 

Not if I knock you down first!:D

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serendipity1499

serendipity1499

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Hey that's a smart idea :) We're on a collectors' cruise too! So, the nice wines will be primarily in the 1st 1/2 of the cruise. I might try that as well.

 

The worst that can happen is that they don't do it. We can drink some the last night and since we are staying overnight we can always take some with us for the hotel and leave the rest behind.

 

Brilliant idea - thank you :):)

 

They return all bottles at the end of each cruise. They'll never start separating collectors.

Hopefully they will be collecting so much wine they will have no room for it and they'll let us keep it.

Terri

 

Guess what! We just disembarked a collectors cruise..HAL has caught on to this on the Ryndam & did separate the Collectors cruise liquor..I thought as you ,that they would give us our liquor at the end of the first segment, but they did not..

 

Two weeks to the Southern Carib & back to Tampa & then one week to the Western Carib & back to Tampa..They looked at our boarding cards when they took our liquor ..The first embark date of Nov. 17 was on it & the final disembark date of Dec. 8 was on it..We did not get new boarding cards for the second segment..They put Dec 8 on our receipts & .HAL did not return our liquor purchased in San Juan until the final night before disembarkation. (Dec. 7)..

 

So if you want to enjoy your wine during the second half of your cruise, you might be out of luck..

 

Cheers...Betty

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