Bringing wine on board

[edenrayne]

Only place we have ever heard that it was enforced was on Australia Princess - Dawn Princess for example.

Any know if this is the case with all ship sailing to or from Australia?

[Loonbeam]

It's a cut an paste I use on many threads about this, because it comes up so often (for a while it was 3-4 times a week...) :)

 

But to clarify, legally speaking Princess does not have to set a limit in the contract to, well, set a limit.

 

Under the current contract language, the only thing they cannot do is ban wine and champagne. But, since the contract does not specify any amount, anything else falls under the section of the contract where the passenger agrees to comply with all policies set by the Captain and cruiseline, unless the contract expressly conflicts. So if Princess decides the new 'policy' is one bottle per person, its still valid under the contract. Have had this vetted by several attorneys included a contract law specialist. In short, when not specified a contract is legally assumed to have the most restrictive interpretation.

 

Of course, Princess can also change the contract terms at any time for all cruises purchased after (technically they could do it for all cruises not paid in full, but that would generate a ton of issues so I don't think they would.)

 

 

I also have to note this only applies to passengers sailing under a US contract.

 

I think you must be confusing this thread for a similar one because I don't see where you posted your initial "friendly reminder". :D

 

At any rate, I haven't found anywhere else in the contract where they talk about being able to limit the amount of wine brought on board. I'd like to understand how they could arbitrarily allow some people to bring on multiple bottles of wine and refuse others the same privilege. I can assure you that there will be folks coming on board with a case(s) of wine and they will not go gentle into that good night if their wine is confiscated and held until the cruise is over. :eek: Princess will need to include limits in the passage contract in order to eliminate this practice.

[Crusin6]

A simple matter of drinking preference. Picking up wine upon arrival means that you will be buying and drinking current vintage wine. Taking wine from your cellar at home means that you will presumably be drinking wine that is already paid for, and has been cellared for the proper length of time and ready to drink. Checking wine below the plane is no big deal as long as you have the right packaging or carrier. My bags fly free on AA, but even if they didn't, I'd rather pay $25 to check wine that is bought and paid for than pay hundreds (or thousands) of dollars to to buy wine upon arrival. But if your drinking preference lies in current vintage, easy to obtain wines, (which is perfectly fine...not making any judgments here), then you are correct that it makes little sense to go through the effort. As for us, it isn't that the bottles have "sentimental" value, per se. Rather, we enjoy drinking some of our finer wines while enjoying life's best moments, and often times that is while on vacation, cruise or otherwise.

 

 

 

I just get suspicious anytime my luggage is tossed around by a fork lift!:cool:

My wine stays with me at all times, for all the reasons I said above. Too valuable to take chances.

 

Wine cellar? Hundreds or thousands? Oh geez. That's about right for the majority of cruisers i would guess! Lol

[JimmyVWine]

Lol

Not sure what you find so funny. Re-read the first sentence. Simple matter of drinking preference. If your tastes lean towards sub-$20 bottles, then frankly, you should probably buy your wine on board because the selections will likely be just fine for you and the markups aren't bad. If you buy similar wines on shore, bring them on board and pay the corkage, you are probably losing money. So bringing wine on board shouldn't be a high priority. And if this is the case, then this entire discussion is irrelevant. But if you are a collector who likes to travel with wines from your collection, then the strategies for bringing wine on board are germane. I don't think it is a stretch to think that the folks who are most interested in this topic are bringing on wines that are a cut or two above what the ship offers. That isn't something that seems "lol" funny to me.

[flooded01]

I find the mark up on board is about 5 times for what I drink and pay in our local store. Bring my own cork screw and have no corkage fee. Get first glass from them and keep and clean for the rest of the trip. They request this is for in your room only. In Europe a few years ago, would buy wine on shore at every port to avoid corkage fee.

[jdvmd]

The corkage fee is only charged if you bring your bottle of wine into the main dining rooms or specialty restaurants.

[1 HappyCruiser]

I find the mark up on board is about 5 times for what I drink and pay in our local store. Bring my own cork screw and have no corkage fee. Get first glass from them and keep and clean for the rest of the trip. They request this is for in your room only. In Europe a few years ago, would buy wine on shore at every port to avoid corkage fee.

 

I used to do that also but it's really unnecessary since the room steward should replace the glasses as needed each day.

[Softball20]

Not sure what you find so funny. Re-read the first sentence. Simple matter of drinking preference. If your tastes lean towards sub-$20 bottles, then frankly, you should probably buy your wine on board because the selections will likely be just fine for you and the markups aren't bad. If you buy similar wines on shore, bring them on board and pay the corkage, you are probably losing money. So bringing wine on board shouldn't be a high priority. And if this is the case, then this entire discussion is irrelevant. But if you are a collector who likes to travel with wines from your collection, then the strategies for bringing wine on board are germane. I don't think it is a stretch to think that the folks who are most interested in this topic are bringing on wines that are a cut or two above what the ship offers. That isn't something that seems "lol" funny to me.

 

Actually, we've found that we can pick up some very nice and very reasonably priced bottles in Italy and France, and even with the corkage fee, we've still come out at least even and in some cases ahead of what we would pay on board for even the least expensive wines on the wine lists -- and drink better wine. As pointed out earlier, when we buy on the spot, we're talking about mostly current vintage stuff. I've always found the ships' lists limited and expensive, and this gives us the opportunity to try new things.

[JimmyVWine]

Actually, we've found that we can pick up some very nice and very reasonably priced bottles in Italy and France, and even with the corkage fee, we've still come out at least even and in some cases ahead of what we would pay on board for even the least expensive wines on the wine lists -- and drink better wine. As pointed out earlier, when we buy on the spot, we're talking about mostly current vintage stuff. I've always found the ships' lists limited and expensive, and this gives us the opportunity to try new things.

 

I agree that the whole dynamic changes for European cruises. The opportunity to try new and exciting wines, even at current vintage, warrants the process of getting them on board. If you can't find good wines on shore in Europe for a fair price, you just aren't looking.:)

 

Much of what I have said applies most for cruises out of FLL. That is where people are likely to try to get full cases on board (which seems to be where this thread headed...i.e., "can I get more than one bottle per person on board?") If you buy wine in Europe a bottle or two at a time, the rules don't come into play, as you would be well within them. But the strategy for bringing on wine in bulk seems to be employed mostly in FLL, and to a lesser extent, Vancouver. It is here where we find people wrestling with the conflicting and vague Princess policy, knowing that they cannot re-supply en route due to poor selections. So the question then becomes, do I:

 

a) Bring wine from my house that is already bought and paid for, raising the cost of my cruise by only the corkage fee;

 

b) Stop off at Total and buy wine to bring on board, raising the cost of my cruise by the purchase price of the wine plus the corkage fee; or

 

c) Just buy on the ship off the list (or from Vines)?

 

Choice (a) is the cheapest, but requires that you have a nice selection of wines already in your possession. A fair number of cruisers who care deeply about wine already do. Choice © makes perfect sense if you aren't all that particular about wine. And choice (b) can make sense if you have a real fondness for a particular wine or wines that cannot be replicated on board. But it isn't really a good strategy simply to save money. By way of example, Largin posted the wine list a little while ago. I cut and pasted some of the more popular and some of the better wines from the list and compared Princess' price (first number) with the price if purchased at Total (today's price plus tax), (second number) and the total price if purchased at Total, and then had a corkage fee added to it (third number in parentheses). As you will see, buying on shore and paying corkage saves you money at the low end, but not the high end. (And with apologies to flooded, there are no 5x markups on this list.)

 

____________________________________________________

WHITE WINE

 

Chateau ste. Michelle Riesling .. $26…$8.50…($23.50)

Sancerre, Michel Redde, “Les Tuilleres”.. $46…$28.75…($43.75)

Kendall-Jackson Vinters Reserve Chardonnay.. $32…$12.75…($27.75)

Rosemount Diamond Label Chardonnay.. $29…$8.50…($23.50)

Simi Chardonnay.. $32…$13.85…($28.85)

Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay.. $25…$11.72…($26.72)

 

 

RED WINE

 

La Crema Pinot Noir.. $36… $20.25…($35.25)

Lincourt Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir.. $38…$23.45…($38.45)

Tenuta Dell’Ornellaia Ornellia.. $140…$149.10…($164.10)

Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot.. $31…$8.50…($23.50)

Ferrari Carano Merlot.. $40….$24.50….($39.50)

Casa Lapostolle Cabernet.. $29…$13.85…($28.85)

Caymus Cabernet.. $85…$63.90…($$78.90)

Caymus Special Selection Cabernet.. $155…$106.50…($121.50)

Chateau ste. Michelle Cabernet.. $35…$11.72…($26.72)

Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet.. $135…$117.15…($132.15)

Silverado Cabernet.. $58…$35.15…($50.15)

Duckhorn Paraduxx.. $79…$46.85…($61.85)

Franciscan Magnificant.. $58…$46.85…($61.85)

Opus One.. $169…$202.35…($217.35)

Spellbound Petite Syrah.. $34…$12.75…($27.75)

Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel.. $28…$7.45…($22.45)

Seghesio Zinfandel.. $38…$20.25…($35.25)

 

CHAMPAGNE/SPARKLING/DESSERT

 

Veuve Clicquot Brut.. $74…$42.60…($57.60)

Dom Perignon.. $179…$149.10…($164.10)

Domaine Chandon Brut.. $35…$13.85…($28.85)

 

[Softball20]

Good points - much different from FL than in Europe. This will be our first time on Princess in Europe, and I'm still not entirely clear on the policy -- just one, or unlimited as the contract states. Also, as won't be hitting Italy or France, I'm not sure what we'll be doing for wine! I'm sure I can pick some up in London pre-cruise, but as I'm partial to Italian reds, I have no clue as to what I'll find in terms or supply or price.

[Loonbeam]

The policy is whatever the ship sets that particular day. If you get a security person who is a stickler for the rules, they may enforce the one bottle as specified in the CAB. More likely, you will get an employee who couldn't care less unless you get ridiculous, which is the current state in most ports.

 

Good points - much different from FL than in Europe. This will be our first time on Princess in Europe, and I'm still not entirely clear on the policy -- just one, or unlimited as the contract states. Also, as won't be hitting Italy or France, I'm not sure what we'll be doing for wine! I'm sure I can pick some up in London pre-cruise, but as I'm partial to Italian reds, I have no clue as to what I'll find in terms or supply or price.

[JimmyVWine]

...More likely, you will get an employee who couldn't care less unless you get ridiculous, which is the current state in most ports.

 

And keep in mind that if you "get ridiculous", you may have problems on the back end. You don't really want to end a European cruise with leftovers, as getting large volumes of wine through customs and then back home can be way more trouble than its worth.

 

You should have no trouble finding Italian Reds in London, or any other major European city.

[oskidunker]

But we brought Magnums, which changes the equation and makes it a better value to pay the corkage fee.

 

I have always brought wine in the past, up to a case. Generally some old vintages, some new. Mostly High end stuff.If I have to pay $50.00 to check my wine carried both ways on an airline flight, it becomes much less desirable. Recent cruise from SF to Hawaii was great since we live in the SF area and did not have to deal with airlines.Also great in ensenada when we bought a case at a local winery.

[Softball20]

And keep in mind that if you "get ridiculous", you may have problems on the back end. You don't really want to end a European cruise with leftovers, as getting large volumes of wine through customs and then back home can be way more trouble than its worth.

 

You should have no trouble finding Italian Reds in London, or any other major European city.

 

I figure finding it won't be too much of a issue, but I am real curious about pricing in pounds rather than euros.

 

Leftover wine????? I'm not sure I understand this concept

[JimmyVWine]

Leftover wine????? I'm not sure I understand this concept

 

Leftover Wine (Left-ō-vәr Wīn) Noun

That portion or your third bottle of the day that you just don't want to finish because you have to assemble for your next day's excursion at 7:45 a.m.

I hear ya! Just wanted to point out that people need to plan ahead when they see a wine they love at their last port of call and think that they should buy a case. Even if you can get it on the ship, it may not be the wisest choice.

[Softball20]

Leftover Wine (Left-ō-vәr Wīn) Noun

That portion or your third bottle of the day that you just don't want to finish because you have to assemble for your next day's excursion at 7:45 a.m.

I hear ya! Just wanted to point out that people need to plan ahead when they see a wine they love at their last port of call and think that they should buy a case. Even if you can get it on the ship, it may not be the wisest choice.

 

So true! If we visit a vineyard, we'll buy a couple bottles, but that's about all (and my olive oil) that I'll bring home. I always travel with bubble wrap and extra large zip locks just for that purpose.

[Loonbeam]

They sell bottle armor on the ship now at a very reasonable price ($2 each I think?)

 

So true! If we visit a vineyard, we'll buy a couple bottles, but that's about all (and my olive oil) that I'll bring home. I always travel with bubble wrap and extra large zip locks just for that purpose.

[Lostincruisin]

Living in northern CA, I'd much rather buy wines from the Napa or Sonoma regions and take with me rather than buy some wine from FLL. Yuck!:eek:

 

 

we can buy wine from California in Ft. Lauderdale too. It's not wine FROM Ft.Lauderdale.. :)

[oskidunker]

Was more expensive and some not stored properly. Also selection at total Wines was very limited. they did not even Have Chandon Brut. Would not use them again.