New Wine Policy - no more whining about wine

[sail7seas]

Your voices were heard. :)

Well done.

I'm happy for those who were distressed about what was to become the new policy.

Enjoy your wine.

[LindaM]

Well, we did it. Thanks to all who wrote HAL and participated in our petition!! I am especially excited about the $18 corkage. I know $2 between 18 and 20 is no big deal. I just (and others) felt we were being ripped off, when Princess was charging $15.

 

I had totally given up hope because nothing was announced before Jan. 31.

 

Thanks Jacqui for this wonderful announcement. I think it's only fitting you were the one to do it!! I would put a bunch of smiley faces, but I am computer illiterate and don't know how!

[cruz chic]

Great news! Thanks for posting it, kazu.

 

Guess all the threads, hundreds of posts here, messages to Seattle, a petition, and various other protests WERE heard, after all. See what the power of a group with a reasonable message can accomplish! Good work, CC posters! :)

All those naysayers were wrong. :D

 

Now the questions are why didn't HAL come up with this reasonable policy in the first place, and why did it take HAL so long to make the announcement the policy was finally made acceptable. Just had to wait until the last minute. :rolleyes:

 

I'm pretty sure this was the policy they intended to go with but came out with the restrictive one first so this one would be accepted.

[sail7seas]

I hope someone reaches Sheila and lets her know they can make a quick run to Total Wine before she boards Maasdam. I'd feel badly for her if she didn't 'get the word' until too late.

[0bnxshs]

How will they know the bottle you take into the dining room is already "paid for?" Do other lines stamp the bottle so everyone knows it is allowed in the dining room?

 

Assuming they handle it the way Princess does, there will be a table just after the security check where identified bottles of wine will be logged and stamped or marked in such a way as to make them "legal". You should have your boarding pass available to present to the officers at the table. The corkage fee on each bottle over 1 then shows up on your room account within a couple of days as they enter the information collected. This is what we've experienced in the past. Same thing for ports.

[sail7seas]

<snip>

 

 

Thanks Jacqui for this wonderful announcement. I think it's only fitting you were the one to do it!! I would put a bunch of smiley faces, but I am computer illiterate and don't know how!

 

 

 

To make a smiley face, type:

 

: ) with no space between the two characters :)

 

OR, if you have brought up the message box by clicking "Post Reply" on the left side of the screen vs the quick reply box on the right side of the screen, you will see the selection of emoticons on the right side of the message box. Click whichever one you want to use. ;)

 

 

 

Edited February 2, 2014 by sail7seas

[cruz chic]

I hope someone reaches Sheila and lets her know they can make a quick run to Total Wine before she boards Maasdam. I'd feel badly for her if she didn't 'get the word' until too late.

 

I believe someone said on another thread that they sent her an email. I think she brought extra wine on to her first cruise to take on the maasdam.

[Cruising-along]

What great news to wake up to! :):) Thank you Kazu. this is wonderful. I'm very happy with the amendment. :D

(I had to stop and wonder if it was April Fool's Day for just a second)

[sail7seas]

I believe someone said on another thread that they sent her an email. I think she brought extra wine on to her first cruise to take on the maasdam.

 

 

She also now has the choice to buy some in a port if she doesn't get any in FLL.

 

[startwin]

How will they know the bottle you take into the dining room is already "paid for?" Do other lines stamp the bottle so everyone knows it is allowed in the dining room?

 

There was another post about this last night.... the bottles will have a sticker showing the corkage has been paid. Your "free" bottle sticker is one colour, the "paid" ones are another. Simple and effective.

Edited February 2, 2014 by startwin

[RJ2002]

Great news! Too bad they waited until right before the other policy was to go in effect before changing their minds.

 

We don't bring much wine on board, maybe just a bottle here and there. However, I'm really glad HAL revised the policy because I know there are so many that like to bring more wine than we do.

 

Very happy for everyone, and kudos to HAL for listening to its customers.

[CowPrincess]

That's great news glad you're happy

 

$2 for two buck chuck plus $18 corkage =$20;)

 

The comments about two-buck chuck are getting stale. It might be time to go to Amateur Night at the comedy club and get some new material.

Edited February 2, 2014 by CowPrincess

[CowPrincess]

The change is certainly an improvement. I'm very pleased we will still be able to take wine onboard. No worries on the $18 corkage fee (currently $20 Cdn ;) )

[DaveOKC]

Glad to hear HAL woke up on this one.

 

Nice thing is that the $18 fee goes to your onboard account, which can then be used by your O.B. credits (if you have any).

 

DaveOKC

[Wakepatrol]

The comments about two-buck chuck are getting stale. It might be time to go to Amateur Night at the comedy club and get some new material.

 

 

I've got 30 minutes on you alone:)

[startwin]

The comments about two-buck chuck are getting stale. It might be time to go to Amateur Night at the comedy club and get some new material.

 

LOL. My thinking was that no one else ever mentions two buck chuck, so this must be the only person who ever buys it and drinks it.:D

[Wakepatrol]

LOL. My thinking was that no one else ever mentions two buck chuck, so this must be the only person who ever buys it and drinks it.:D

 

 

Not me.. The wine I bring aboard costs more than my cabin. I also book two cabins, one for me and one for my wine. I then sit out on my veranda and light my cigars with $100 bills. If you're not impressed,I'll just keep posting this over and over:)

[sail7seas]

Glad to hear HAL woke up on this one.

 

Nice thing is that the $18 fee goes to your onboard account, which can then be used by your O.B. credits (if you have any).

 

DaveOKC

 

 

 

...... AND those dollars will count toward your on board spending and will get you closer to the next Star Level and associated benefits faster. :)

 

 

[startwin]

Not me.. The wine I bring aboard costs more than my cabin. I also book two cabins, one for me and one for my wine. I then sit out on my veranda and light my cigars with $100 bills. If you're not impressed,I'll just keep posting this over and over:)

 

 

No, I'm not impressed........

[Wakepatrol]

No, I'm not impressed........

 

I know the feeling

[CowPrincess]

...... AND those dollars will count toward your on board spending and will get you closer to the next Star Level and associated benefits faster. :)

 

 

 

That's always been the way -- the corkage fee has always contributed to our onboard spending :eek: -- often in a BIG way ;)

[startwin]

Given all the online activity when they introduced the "new policy", can anyone now doubt the power of social media? I'm sure that in the "olden days" there would have been no amendment.

[POA1]

How will they know the bottle you take into the dining room is already "paid for?" Do other lines stamp the bottle so everyone knows it is allowed in the dining room?

 

A poster who boarded in Sydney said that they record the wine (producer, type, etc.) when you board. Your free allotment gets one color sticker. Your paid gets another color. If you take your free wine to the dining room, you have to pay corkage on it - because you haven't yet. If you drink your free wine en suite, no corkage.

[sppunk]

A win-win. Kudos to,HAL and everyone who protested for this reasonable change.

[smoothsailors]

That's a totally acceptable moderation to the policy...and will definitely communicate back to Christine Ferris that we are pleased!:):):)

 

Not being able to bring a bottle of wine back onboard during port calls was what we objected to the most...now will happily pay the fair corkage fee.

 

YAY! And many thanks to all the CC members who called and wrote as it was obviously effective.:rolleyes: