Tired of hairy chest contests? Might I suggest...

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In Vancouver we are currently in the midst of a insane heat wave. It's about 5,000 degrees out right now and if I didn't think I'd be electrocuted, I'd be writing this from the comfort of my bathtub. One thing that does help, though, is the glass of cold, local chenin blanc I have at my side. I love wine and I love cruising.

No surprise, then, that one of my favourite things to do on cruises is to go to the wine tastings or seminars. They're fun: you get to drink some wine, maybe learn something new and meet other people. It's a great way to break up a sea day and come in from the sun for a spell.

If you've wondered about going to one but thought it might be too stuffy, I can tell you from my experience they're anything but. There's a bit of swirling and a whole lot of swilling but no spitting - no worries about dribbling red wine down your white shirt. They are informative if you choose to listen rather than quickly work your way through the wine in front of you. But the information is delivered in a fun, relaxed way. I've been to several and I almost always learn something new each time.

The wine samplings are decent - whites, reds and maybe a dessert wine. Princess has two wine tastings: one is a basic one and another features more higher end wines and champagne. You pay a bit more but probably the only time I'll ever be able to try Opus One!

A cynic would say they're just trying to sell more dinner table wine but so be it. It's fun, informative, and a good way to waste away an hour or so, all for the price of a couple of glasses of wine. If you're tired of the usual poolside shenanigans, try one on your next cruise. Maybe we'll be table mates.

Roll out the barrel: bringing wine onboard

Like many, I like to bring wine on board when I cruise: some for cabin use, some with dinner in the dining room. Different lines have different policies, though, as to what you are officially allowed to bring on. Unless consumed in your cabin, they will all officially charge a corkage fee for drinking it in the dining room. Officially being the operative word in both cases and oftentimes randomly applied.

Below is a link to my list outlining each major line's policy. It is in scroll mode so you'll have to use your mouse to scroll down to read it in its entirety. Please keep in mind this is taken from their websites as of July 26, 2009. In some cases your actual ticket or contract may say something different. I'm no expert but if push came to shove over a disagreement while boarding I would imagine the ticket I carry - the official contract between myself and the cruise line - would be the final word.

As different as every line's policy is is the way in which these policies are applied. Some people talk of bringing more than the official amount on board, either in carry-on or in checked luggage. Others talk of having wine confiscated and held until the last night of the voyage if they're over the official limit. Some successfully bring wine on board at ports of call while others have it held until the end of the voyage. I've witnessed both happen, sometimes on the same ship but in different ports. Sometimes corkage will be applied every night, sometimes it's more hit and miss.

Please remember the attached is taken directly off their websites. I would welcome comments from all as to what your experience has been. Just click on "comments" below to post. I think this would be very valuable for everyone and help guide others in their decision.

Salut!

How much wine for which line?

When wine gets in the way...

Things get overlooked. Like, say, blogs for instance. I am just back from a long weekend away with friends which involved some golf, a lot of sun, and a lot more wineries and bottles of wine. We were in B.C.'s wine country and I have the as yet unpacked boxes of wine and a staggering credit card bill to prove it.

But this has nothing to do about cruises and everything to do with my absence.

And now I must really unpack all that wine, shake the cobwebs out of my brain and think about my next post.

Kinda still here....

First, thank you all who have submitted wine store suggestions. I hope to start getting something concrete together within a week or so.

Unfortunately, my time today has been spent comforting and pampering my kitty who is unlikely to see Sunday. Any of you who have been there know how hard it is. I'm afraid I just don't have much focus right now to write anything worthwhile.

In the meantime, if I hear anything newsy I will post it.

And please keep your ideas coming if you know of any good wine stores near embarkation ports.

Calling all wine drinkers!

Is it just me? I have Googled, Yahooed and MSNed and cannot seem to find a site that lists places close to embarkation ports - preferably worldwide - where you can pick up some wine before boarding. I know it's something I'd find useful and judging from the posts of others on Cruise Critic, I'm not alone.

I can do a lot of the research myself but would love to get input from those with first-hand knowledge of places that are close to embarkation ports and whose hours are convenient. Any other comments regarding selection, pricing, store websites, etc. would be very useful, too. I will be happy to compile all the information and post it somewhere for posterity. You can either contact me directly using the form at the very bottom of this page (scroll down - way down) or leave a comment at the bottom of this post.

And if such a site already does exist, please let me know because I can't find it!