Corkage Fee Question

[Karynanne]

We plan to bring some of our favorite wines onboard, and realize there is a $l5.00 corkage fee. On one of our cruises, we also added an additional tip on top of that fee, only to find out later on that the corkage fee is actually the tip!

 

True or false? Thanks in advance for some info on this...

 

Karyn

[Kirsten T]

It's my understanding that part of the fee is tip and part is Celebrity profit. We usually bring around 6 bottles with us and purchase a few as well; when the sommelier's service has warranted it, we've taken care of him on the last night. The 2 times we've been unimpressed, we let the corkage and 15% fees suffice.

Cheers,

Kirsten

[Char]

The $15 was broken down on our billing statement. $5 tip the rest for Celebrity.

[katiel53]

I think that it depends on if the sommelier pours the wine for each glass. (We have had some that pour the first glass then we are left to pour the others from that bottle.) If we have wine every night, whether our own with corkage, or from the wine list, if the person pouring the wine takes care of us, we tip more the last night. We have also had wine sent by our TA or friends. In that case who knows who got the 15% gratuity, so we definitely tip the sommelier at the end of the cruise. Use your own judgement and you will probably come to the right conclusion.

 

Katie

[canderson]

We plan to bring some of our favorite wines onboard, and realize there is a $l5.00 corkage fee. On one of our cruises, we also added an additional tip on top of that fee, only to find out later on that the corkage fee is actually the tip!

 

True or false? Thanks in advance for some info on this...

 

Karyn

$5 to your server, $10 to X. That puts your server's tip at something they'd normally get on about a $35 bottle of wine.

 

We've had some truly OUTSTANDING service on Summit in this regard (I hope Vesta reads this!) for wines we'd brought along -- better glasses from the specialty restaurant, special attention to serving temperatures, decanting of older vintage cabernets, etc. For that, I added a substantial additional tip a the end of the cruise.

[Karynanne]

Thank you all for the information...

 

Karyn