Sorry, don"t flame me but........

[coffeeclutch1]

I am a retired lady of 60, we live on a fixed income and will be taking our second cruise to Alaska in September.

 

We will be in a budget cabin, and we will not take high price excursions, but my thoughts are.........If I want a soda I will buy one, if I want a coctail or a glass of wine, I will buy one. In my opinion it is part of the trip and part of being on vacation!:)

 

Doesn't anyone else feel that sneaking alcohol on board in your lugguge, or taking cases of soda (from Cosco) duct taped together, is just a little "tacky"?

 

Just because you can, should you? How much do you save? A few bucks?

 

When I go on a cruise I want to just sit back and enjoy, drag my suitcase in, set it down and forget everything else!

 

OK everyone. LET ME HAVE IT!:eek:

[suse]

I never read here about sneaky people dragging alcohol on board. You seem to be a nice person. Have a great time!:)

[jtl513]

Many people who can't get their favorite brand or variety of soda or wine on board elect to bring their own. If it makes that much difference to their enjoyment of the cruise I don't think it's so bad. But people that bring on the same Coke products that can be gotten on board I don't empathize with! That, I think, is being cheap. :D

 

Yes, I agree that sneaking beer or hard liquor on board is cheap and tacky! But here again, some people will "only drink" certain kinds that are not available on board, so I can understand somewhat if that's their motivation rather than just being cheap. :)

[kryos]

Doesn't anyone else feel that sneaking alcohol on board in your lugguge, or taking cases of soda (from Cosco) duct taped together, is just a little "tacky"?

 

Just because you can, should you? How much do you save? A few bucks?

Personally, I think HAL will eventually go the way of many other cruise lines and one day not allow anything to be brought onboard -- soda, wine, beer or liquor. That's because while most people may bring a bottle of wine onboard with them, there are others who abuse the privilege and bring entire cases. Somehow I don't think that's what HAL meant when they said guests could bring their own wine onboard.

 

Right now HAL permits guests to cart their own soda and wine onto the ship with them, so you can't fault those who opt to do this. But I'm with you. I couldn't be bothered to lug all that crap to my cruise. I would sooner order a bottle or two of wine for my stateroom from Ship's Services, and know that it's HAL's problem to deal with it and have it waiting in my stateroom when I embark.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[JimVrhovac]

There is nothing wrong with recognizing that you have bugitary constraints and then are living by them. That only makes good sense.

 

Soda and wine can be brought on board without a problem as can bottled water. Beer and hard liquor are not allowed. Many people do bring hard liquor on the ship but if they find it they will take it and give it back to you at the end of the cruise.

 

Ruth and I frequently take a bottle of Jack Daniels Single Barrel with us as you cannot get it on the ship and then we give it away to one of the officers at the end of the cruise...

 

Have a nice cruise....

 

Ruth and Jim

[jtl513]

.. there are others who abuse the privilege and bring entire cases. Somehow I don't think that's what HAL meant when they said guests could bring their own wine onboard.

If that's not what HAL "meant" they would have set a limit, either initially or later on when they saw people bringing on cases. Maybe some people bringing on cases are hosting a party and don't want to pay HAL's mark-up for a large quantity.

[hrhdhd]

Doesn't anyone else feel that sneaking alcohol on board in your lugguge, or taking cases of soda (from Cosco) duct taped together, is just a little "tacky"?

 

Just because you can, should you? How much do you save? A few bucks?

 

Well, DH and I usually bring 2 12-packs of soda. (And there's no duct tape involved.) I can get them for $2 a piece, for a total of $4. If we paid $1.85 for 24 sodas (guesstimating), that would be $44.40. You do the math.

 

We also like to have sodas in the cabin without having to run to a bar and get a fountain drink.

 

As long as we don't ask you to schlep the soda on board, why do you care? :confused:

[woodworker&knitter]

How about the people that bring 2 cases of bottled water. What's wrong with the ships'water.?

[babyher]

If that's not what HAL "meant" they would have set a limit, either initially or later on when they saw people bringing on cases. Maybe some people bringing on cases are hosting a party and don't want to pay HAL's mark-up for a large quantity.

 

So if people bring their own Coke products aboard instead of paying HAL's higher prices they are cheap.

 

But if they bring their own cases of wine and mixers because they are having a party and don't want to pay "HAL's markup" on a large quantity , that isn't being cheap.

[kakalina]

I do schelp my Tab onboard. The ship doesn't offer it and it is very hard to find. I am totally addicted to my Tab.

[scottjeanne]

We brought a case of wine on board when we did the 19 day panama transit. It was excellent super Tuscan. We had the ships doctor and his wife join us for dinner one formal night and they suppply the wine. When the sommelier saw our wine selection, he changed what he was originally going to serve. He said they do not have wines of such a high caliber on board.LOL

 

We do not ususally drink such expensive wine at home, but this was a vacation. We were more than willing to pay the corkage charge in the dining room.

 

PS We bougth the case at the Total Wine store just outside the port and gave it to the porters at the curb. It was delivered to our cabin with our luggage. No schlepping involved.

[Jade13]

I am a retired lady of 60, we live on a fixed income and will be taking our second cruise to Alaska in September.

 

We will be in a budget cabin, and we will not take high price excursions, but my thoughts are.........If I want a soda I will buy one, if I want a coctail or a glass of wine, I will buy one. In my opinion it is part of the trip and part of being on vacation!:)

 

Doesn't anyone else feel that sneaking alcohol on board in your lugguge, or taking cases of soda (from Cosco) duct taped together, is just a little "tacky"?

 

Just because you can, should you? How much do you save? A few bucks?

 

When I go on a cruise I want to just sit back and enjoy, drag my suitcase in, set it down and forget everything else!

 

OK everyone. LET ME HAVE IT!:eek:

 

HAL allows you to take onboard as much wine or soda as you wish. There is no need to hide it.

[Dr. Cocktail]

I am a retired lady of 60, we live on a fixed income and will be taking our second cruise to Alaska in September.

 

We will be in a budget cabin, and we will not take high price excursions, but my thoughts are.........If I want a soda I will buy one, if I want a coctail or a glass of wine, I will buy one. In my opinion it is part of the trip and part of being on vacation!:)

 

Doesn't anyone else feel that sneaking alcohol on board in your lugguge, or taking cases of soda (from Cosco) duct taped together, is just a little "tacky"?

 

Just because you can, should you? How much do you save? A few bucks?

 

When I go on a cruise I want to just sit back and enjoy, drag my suitcase in, set it down and forget everything else!

 

OK everyone. LET ME HAVE IT!:eek:

 

 

Ooooh. My first HAL post! (I figure I'm allowed as I will be returning to HAL after a 14 year absence this year)

 

I do take "stuff" on board for precisely the reason that you don't!

 

I too "want to just sit back and enjoy" and that is why I always book the category with the largest available veranda and sit outside reading all day, leaving only to have my meals. That way, I can have my non-watered-down martinis and scotches and let life go by. It's lovely that I save a lot of money but when I was on NCL, they had fairly priced bottles available in your cabin so I took advantage - again for convenience.

 

As for wine .... one of the main reasons I'm returning to HAL is that I can buy some really interesting California vintages that aren't available in Canada and take them onboard to enjoy with my meals. After corkage fee, it will still be more expensive than what I would pay by buying onboard but there will be absolutely no comparison in quality.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I am a retired lady of 60, we live on a fixed income and will be taking our second cruise to Alaska in September.

 

We will be in a budget cabin, and we will not take high price excursions, but my thoughts are.........If I want a soda I will buy one, if I want a coctail or a glass of wine, I will buy one. In my opinion it is part of the trip and part of being on vacation!:)

 

Doesn't anyone else feel that sneaking alcohol on board in your lugguge, or taking cases of soda (from Cosco) duct taped together, is just a little "tacky"?

 

Just because you can, should you? How much do you save? A few bucks?

 

When I go on a cruise I want to just sit back and enjoy, drag my suitcase in, set it down and forget everything else!

 

OK everyone. LET ME HAVE IT!:eek:

 

I also think that it is tacky for people smuggle booze onto the ships, lug cases of wine on board as well as cases of soda and bottled water.

We pre-order through ship services alcohol for our cabin. And we still go to the lounges and have cocktails and order wine at dinner -- via the wine card.

[mrsltg]

I don't think its tacky. Do what you want. No one is sneaking water, soda, or wine on board. I think it's ridiculous you can't bring your own beer or liquor. But I think the HAL beer selection is ridiculous and really needs to be stepped up... Oh well. If someone wants to carry a case of water on the ship I say go for it! I They're not asking me to carry it, so what do I care?

 

Oh, and OP... a little pet peeve. Most everyone is on a fixed income. I only know one person who has a career of which there is such a wild fluctuation they don't know what is coming from one year to the next.

[rjsams]

If HAL allows you to bring wine or soda on board, I don't see anything wrong with that. I won't bring beer or hard liquor on board, because that's against the rules. To be fair, though, it doesn't bother me since I don't drink much beer or hard liquor.

 

But if I was travelling a different cruise line with different rules, then I'd abide by them. You know what the rules are before you sign up--if you don't like them, don't sign up. If the cruise line permits it, then go for it if you like.

[mszula]

My opinion is that you should do exactly what you believe is correct.

 

I should also have that right.

[jtl513]

So if people bring their own Coke products aboard instead of paying HAL's higher prices they are cheap.

 

But if they bring their own cases of wine and mixers because they are having a party and don't want to pay "HAL's markup" on a large quantity , that isn't being cheap.

Yes, basically, that's what I'm saying! :cool: I can't say exactly what my "cheap" threshhold is, but it lies above saving $20 to $40 total on soda, and below saving $20 to $40 per bottle on 8 or more bottles of wine. :D

[dandro]

We brought (not snuck) a bottle of wine and a few sodas in our luggage for consumption in our stateroom, and still purchased beverages on board. I saw nothing wrong with it. We weren't about to bother room service every time we wanted a soda, nor did we want to order a bottle of wine for our stateroom when we could bring our favorite onboard with us.

 

Different strokes for different folks.

Live and let live

etc. etc. etc.

[suse]

Why would someone being on a fixed income be a pet peeve of yours?

Just curious. I'm another one of those wildly fluctuating incomes.

[san diego sue]

We always buy a soda card. However,never can use it in the evening since they don't have diet caffene free coke. Their sodas on the card are not for cans and are very limited.Next San Diego port cruise will bring my own soft drinks. Not being cheap.

Also we love the fact that we can bring wine on board. We bring really interesting wines and share with our fellow cruise critic passengers .That adds so much to our trip. Yes, in the evenings we do purchase drinks from the ship as well.

[rbyrd2531]

I don't see anything wrong with someone wanting to bring wine onboard. Mainly because I know what an extreme price difference there is for one provided by a restaurant to one you buy yourself. (I see from the onboard gift section that HAL is probably the same when it comes to bottles of wine)

 

I recently saw a bottle of wine at a local restaurant for $40 and have seen and purchased that exact wine at the grocery store for $10. I realize a restaurant has to open it for you and serve it, etc, but I have seen nothing else in food service that compares to the mark up on the price of wine. Refusing to pay such a mark up is not being cheap. Think what you could use that extra $30 for on your trip.

 

If you can buy a better vintage and take it with you on a cruise for less money than you can buy a cheaper vintage onboard, why shouldn't you?

 

I will consider the wine card because it doesn't sound like a bad deal if the wine is decent.

[mrsltg]

Why would someone being on a fixed income be a pet peeve of yours?

Just curious. I'm another one of those wildly fluctuating incomes.

 

The people aren't. Stating, "I'm on a fixed income," as though it's some sort of magic trick is because simply put, so is most everybody else! You know what you're income is and it's a pretty fixed amount. That's my pet peeve.

[Susie51]

IMO, if people want to carry bottled water, soda, and wine on board that is their choice, because HAL allows it.

 

Golfers pack their clubs which are cumbersome, also. It's their choice.

[happy cruzer]

Why do you care? What is your point? I'm guessing we all get to see things that might be considered tacky. If you don't want to, then stay home. Travel is a great way to open minds.