Naughty Room on HAL

[sail7seas]

I know this post is a year old, but thought I'd reply anyway since I'm in the same boat <pun intended>.

 

What I have done in the past for vermouth is too go to one of the bars and plead my case: I have pre-ordered a botte of X from the ship, but I was not able to purchase a small amount of vermouth for my martini, etc. Sometimes the bartender will simply give me 4-5 oz of vermouth which all I need for about 7 dry martinis. Sometimes I have to pay $8 or so for a glass of vermouth, but it's generally quite generous. <Hint: it's smart to drop by the bar when it's nearly empty> I bring an MT Run Runner or other small contain on board <in my carry on bags> just for that purpose. So, I'd recommend folks try that as opposed to paying for a huge bottle of vermouth which will not be used.

 

 

I was in a dollar store yesterday looking for a particular style c onttainer that could be opened and closed at will and found a huge collection in every imaginab;e size and shape. They had a pile o fthem in 5-6- ounce sizes with screw or snap on/off tops. Buy one for $1 and you are all set.

[puddles'n splashes]

Not everyone in line for the Naughty Room is doing something illegal!

We were in a Neptune Suite. my luggage had not arrived before boat drill. The Concierge had asked the cabin steward to track it down. He came to our cabin and escorted me down. The issue was that I had to ID my bag as the tag had been torn off😱

[kevingastreich]

OK, before the morality police jump me, this thread is for a newbe to cruising that feels he can out smart the system. He asked about bringing alcohol onboard. I hope I can forward some thoughts to him to convince him it's not worth it. It's ben along time since I've been on a HAL ship, so any tales might enlighten him.

Mahalo, Tim

 

Coming back from a shore excursion in Mexico one time, I had a bottle of tequila in my backpack. It made it through the security scan no problem. I kept it in my cabin for the rest of the cruise. It was a gift for my brother back home so I never drank it!

[KroozNut]

Coming back from a shore excursion in Mexico one time, I had a bottle of tequila in my backpack. It made it through the security scan no problem. I kept it in my cabin for the rest of the cruise. It was a gift for my brother back home so I never drank it!

 

You're lucky you made it through security. Personally, I would have finished that bottle before we made it back home! ;):D

[PaperSniper4]

People's reports of the long lines at the naughty room on embarkation day are enough to convince me not to smuggle.

 

Talk about putting a damper on one's embarkation day festivities... definitely don't need that!

 

Me too, that's why as I've gotten older and my priorities have shifted I DON'T smuggle anymore! :cool: But more power to ya', I can understand why others, like myself a few years ago, were not willing to pay 2-4 times the going rate for a bottle of hooch.

 

 

I just wish the cruise lines would get reasonable with what they charge for a bottle, and also provide more variety, especially with bottle sizes. We are taking a short four day cruise (rare for us) out of SEA next year, and all I can order from HAL is a liter bottle.....Heck, I could get by easily on a 375ml bottle of scotch for such a short cruise; it's just me who'd be drinking it. But instead, the cruise line only sells their limited variety and only by the liter. In the past couple of cruises I've taken the remaining liquor home in a Rum Runner, but that's often not convenient, especially if we are flying.

 

 

Doug

[debcruising]

I had to go to the Naughty room once while sailing on the Nieuw Amsterdam -- As I waited in line, I noticed I was the only one not called-in for NOT trying to smuggle liquor. My sister-in-law convinced me that they would let us have our iron. Wrong! And I tried to tell her we were in the Neptune Suites, we wouldn't need an iron, but I gave in. Live and learn. We did get the iron back at the end of the cruise along with a big red face of embarrassment when I went to retrieve it.

[Cruzin Terri]

On our last cruise (December 2016) on the Rotterdam we were three. We brought on six bottles of wine. My husband and I each had three bottles. My BIL, who was in a wheelchair did not have any.

At security I was questioned about my three bottles and I told her I had three and my husband had three and that we were three people and allowed three free bottles. I also mentioned that we knew we had to pay the corkage on the other three.

 

This person went into a full panic. She put two fingers in her mouth and whistled to the wine person at the other end of the security room. (There were three security lines) Then she yelled. “THEY HAVE WINE!” She then instructed us that we had to go over to the wine steward to have the bottles marked and pay the corkage fee. At this point everyone in the room was looking at us and we felt like common criminals.

 

There has to be a better way.

Terri

[KroozNut]

On our last cruise (December 2016) on the Rotterdam we were three. We brought on six bottles of wine. My husband and I each had three bottles. My BIL, who was in a wheelchair did not have any.

At security I was questioned about my three bottles and I told her I had three and my husband had three and that we were three people and allowed three free bottles. I also mentioned that we knew we had to pay the corkage on the other three.

 

This person went into a full panic. She put two fingers in her mouth and whistled to the wine person at the other end of the security room. (There were three security lines) Then she yelled. “THEY HAVE WINE!” She then instructed us that we had to go over to the wine steward to have the bottles marked and pay the corkage fee. At this point everyone in the room was looking at us and we felt like common criminals.

 

There has to be a better way.

Terri

How embarassing! :o You're right, the reaction by HAL staff was way over the top and totally uncalled for.

[RocketMan275]

On our last cruise (December 2016) on the Rotterdam we were three. We brought on six bottles of wine. My husband and I each had three bottles. My BIL, who was in a wheelchair did not have any.

At security I was questioned about my three bottles and I told her I had three and my husband had three and that we were three people and allowed three free bottles. I also mentioned that we knew we had to pay the corkage on the other three.

 

This person went into a full panic. She put two fingers in her mouth and whistled to the wine person at the other end of the security room. (There were three security lines) Then she yelled. “THEY HAVE WINE!” She then instructed us that we had to go over to the wine steward to have the bottles marked and pay the corkage fee. At this point everyone in the room was looking at us and we felt like common criminals.

 

There has to be a better way.

Terri

I was bringing six bottles on board Westerdam about a year ago. The screener called her supervisor. Then went through this drill.

1. First, I was told I could only bring two bottles and I would have to discard the other four.

2. When I protested that, I was told there was no one manning the wine table so there was no way I could pay the corkage.

3. When I explained that wasn't my fault, I was told I would have to leave the four bottles to be delivered to my stateroom.

4. When I protested that, I was told to leave my room number and the number of bottles and I would be charged later and would receive the four stickers for the bottles on board.

 

By the afternoon of the second day, I still did not have the stickers so I visited the front desk and explained what happened. I was given the four stickers but never was charged corkage.

[sail7seas]

I don't want to lug, carry , deal with the weight and fear ofbvreakage all over someone or someones' things, that I never carry any wine. DH and I preferred to b oard without dragging wine a and then order what we wanted at dinner.

[Cruzin Terri]

I was bringing six bottles on board Westerdam about a year ago. The screener called her supervisor. Then went through this drill.

1. First, I was told I could only bring two bottles and I would have to discard the other four.

2. When I protested that, I was told there was no one manning the wine table so there was no way I could pay the corkage.

3. When I explained that wasn't my fault, I was told I would have to leave the four bottles to be delivered to my stateroom.

4. When I protested that, I was told to leave my room number and the number of bottles and I would be charged later and would receive the four stickers for the bottles on board.

 

By the afternoon of the second day, I still did not have the stickers so I visited the front desk and explained what happened. I was given the four stickers but never was charged corkage.

 

Well you fared better than we did. I never thought that HAL would stoop so low as to have the security person put two fingers in her mouth and whistle across the room and make everyone stop and stare. You can't make these things up. To say the least, I was furious. Great way to start a cruise.

[LMaxwell]

Well you fared better than we did. I never thought that HAL would stoop so low as to have the security person put two fingers in her mouth and whistle across the room and make everyone stop and stare. You can't make these things up. To say the least, I was furious. Great way to start a cruise.

 

To be fair, security personnel work for the port and not for the cruise line. I have seen so much unprofessional action and attitude from various port workers across all cruise lines. I am sure management must wince knowing that for many guests that is their first interaction to start a vacation and wish they had some say over that personnel.

[VennDiagram]

Well you fared better than we did. I never thought that HAL would stoop so low as to have the security person put two fingers in her mouth and whistle across the room and make everyone stop and stare. You can't make these things up. To say the least, I was furious. Great way to start a cruise.

 

I thought our experience was bad, but yours was worse. The security guy yelled at us, as my carry-on came out of the scanner "YOU'VE GOT WINE"! We got the stares, too. Then he yelled at the steward at the wine table "THEY'VE GOT WINE" and pointed at us.... we felt a bit like we had been discovered by pod people :(

 

 

Yours was worse imho

[VennDiagram]

I don't want to lug, carry , deal with the weight and fear ofbvreakage all over someone or someones' things, that I never carry any wine. DH and I preferred to b oard without dragging wine a and then order what we wanted at dinner.

 

Since wine now needs to be carried on, breaking and ruining someone else's things is no longer a concern when one plays by the rules.

[sail7seas]

Since wine now needs to be carried on, breaking and ruining someone else's things is no longer a concern when one plays by the rules.

Unless someone like me drops it on the security belt. A big puddle of red wine would be a mess. :eek::eek:

Juggling, my pocedtbook, my ttote with wine in it and a roll aboard is an accident waiting to happen.

Too much weight an too many items for me to handle.

[innlady1]

Well you fared better than we did. I never thought that HAL would stoop so low as to have the security person put two fingers in her mouth and whistle across the room and make everyone stop and stare. You can't make these things up. To say the least, I was furious. Great way to start a cruise.

 

 

That is so embarrassing, Terri. How rude and tacky. HAL has stooped to new levels.

 

 

 

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[DaveOKC]

Unless someone like me drops it on the security belt. A big puddle of red wine would be a mess. :eek::eek:

Juggling, my pocedtbook, my ttote with wine in it and a roll aboard is an accident waiting to happen.

Too much weight an too many items for me to handle.

 

Very true - can happen to anyone. A couple of years ago I was waiting in the lobby of a FLL hotel and at the same time someone had just gotten off a cruise and was checking in. They had two cases of liquor/wine on a hand cart and somehow it tipped over and broke 4-5 bottles. What a mess! Needless to say, the person was not very happy about the loss plus the effort in lugging all that liquor/wine around, just to have it get broken.

[sail7seas]

Very true - can happen to anyone. A couple of years ago I was waiting in the lobby of a FLL hotel and at the same time someone had just gotten off a cruise and was checking in. They had two cases of liquor/wine on a hand cart and somehow it tipped over and broke 4-5 bottles. What a mess! Needless to say, the person was not very happy about the loss plus the effort in lugging all that liquor/wine around, just to have it get broken.

 

Whew, the best way to b e sure I don't do something awful like that is to not lug wine on or off the ship. :)

[kevingastreich]

You're lucky you made it through security. Personally, I would have finished that bottle before we made it back home! ;):D

Worst case I figured they would just hold it for me until the end of the cruise. I didn't want the potential hassle of having to get it back so I just stuck it in my back pack hoping for the best. Not even a second glance by the scanner team.

[USN59-79]

I have noticed that Princess is much more relaxed than HAL at the security point if you bring aboard something with alcohol in it. Last month on the Diamond Princess I brought aboard a few bottles of wine in some the ports, fully expecting to pay the $15. corkage fee. They never raised an eyebrow as it went thru the scanner. The one thing that got their attention was a kitchen knife we bought in Japan. They kept that until we disembarked. Even had a shopping bag with half a dozen Taiwan beers that my BIL handed me as I left his car in Keelung: no problem. I am starting to appreciate that the security people on Princess are primarily concerned with security. Those on HAL, not so much.

[kazu]

I thought our experience was bad, but yours was worse. The security guy yelled at us, as my carry-on came out of the scanner "YOU'VE GOT WINE"! We got the stares, too. Then he yelled at the steward at the wine table "THEY'VE GOT WINE" and pointed at us.... we felt a bit like we had been discovered by pod people :(

 

 

Yours was worse imho

 

Yup, I've heard the infamous "WINE" cry. Heck it wouldn't have mattered if we just had the two bottles permitted - it would have still happened :(

 

And it wasn't just at embarkation also ports of call.

[innlady1]

Yup, I've heard the infamous "WINE" cry. Heck it wouldn't have mattered if we just had the two bottles permitted - it would have still happened :(

 

 

 

And it wasn't just at embarkation also ports of call.

 

 

How cheesy! [emoji13]

 

 

 

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[GE Mom]

Compared to RCCL's draconian policies HAL is great. I would see no need at all to smuggle. RCCL won't allow buying a bottle onboard for cabin consumption. When I had our Rum Runners I used one for having a Brandy nightcap in the cabin. Room service was way too slow. HAL's policy completely fixes that. The bottle rates are only a little more than liquor store prices in the Seattle area and even without the Explore 4 drink package the drink prices are reasonable - same or lower than Seattle restaurants or bars.

 

Having vacationed in Washington state last summer, I was SHOCKED (Shocked!) at the liquor prices in Sequim. It's a LOT more expensive than in Illinois. So I think the prices onboard HAL ships are high, but not so high to make it worthwhile to smuggle. Too much trouble. But, of course, some people have the sort of personality that, if you tell them they can't do something, that makes them want to do it.