Champagne In your Stateroom on Embark?

[GreenEyedKat]

Not long to our first Oceania cruise now and I was just wondering if there is any free Champagne/Sparkling Wine in the B1 Veranda Staterooms on Embark?

 

If it's not the done thing then I will buy some in the Bon Voyage gifts available on the Oceania website. I do like a drink on our balcony as we depart for our cruise. :)

[LHT28]

Not in The B Cat

 

I believe just in Concierge & above

[Rickey 88]

Not long to our first Oceania cruise now and I was just wondering if there is any free Champagne/Sparkling Wine in the B1 Veranda Staterooms on Embark?

 

If it's not the done thing then I will buy some in the Bon Voyage gifts available on the Oceania website. I do like a drink on our balcony as we depart for our cruise. :)

 

A complimentary bottle of Champagne is only provided in the Concierge class and above accomodations.

 

However, I would respectively suggest that you purchase wine before you embark, as there will be no difficulty in bringing a limited number of bottles with you. The wine prices on the Bon Voyage packages are rather stiff...

[cscream13]

A complimentary bottle of Champagne is only provided in the Concierge class and above accomodations.

 

However, I would respectively suggest that you purchase wine before you embark, as there will be no difficulty in bringing a limited number of bottles with you. The wine prices on the Bon Voyage packages are rather stiff...

 

This is our first time with Oceania, so I'm not familiar with their policies in this regard. Is there a surcharge at embarkation for bringing bottles on board, and/or a corkage fee for bringing them into the restaurants?

[azevedan]

From the FAQ on the website:

 

"Can I purchase bottles of wine at ports of call and bring them onboard? Guests wishing to purchase wine in a port of call and bring it onboard with them may do so, limited to three (3) bottles per stateroom. Guests are welcome to enjoy their wine in the comfort and privacy of their stateroom or suite, or, if they prefer, may enjoy their wine in one of the ship's dining rooms. Any wine consumed in the dining room or a public area will be subject to a corkage fee of $20.00 per bottle."

 

We're new to Oceania, too. I think we will take advantage of this to have some wine in the room. Wine to go with room service wouldn't have the corkage fee, I assume!

[Rickey 88]

This is our first time with Oceania, so I'm not familiar with their policies in this regard. Is there a surcharge at embarkation for bringing bottles on board, and/or a corkage fee for bringing them into the restaurants?

 

No - Oceania does not levy any sort of a surcharge for bringing your own wines on board.

 

However, if you wish to bring one of these with you to dinner, a corkage charge of $20 will be made, and if you wish, the bottle can be kept after dinner identified with your cabin number. Later, simply tell the waiter you have a bottle of wine under the number of your cabin - and it will appear in short order!

[cscream13]

Thanks for the quick feedback! I've never tried bringing wine on board for a cruise embarking out of the U.S., but its good to know its possible!

[LaCroisiereS'amuse]

I think the 3 bottle rule is one of those guidelines that is rarely (if ever) enforced....I normally bring on a litre of gin or two on board & then wine or beer in most ports for use on the balcony/in stateroom.

 

A bottle or two of sail away fizz will be no problem :)

[azevedan]

I normally bring on a litre of gin or two on board & then wine or beer in most ports for use on the balcony/in stateroom.

 

Oh - so it's not just wine! We'll have to bring a bottle of Jack and a bottle of rum. I know they have coke, but do they also stock the fridges with fruit juices (for hurricanes :D)?

[LHT28]

You may bring wine, beer & alcohol for in cabin use, if you take the wine to a dining venue I beleive the corkage fee is now $25 contrary to their website

 

They also have Beverage packages that may suit your needs

 

Not sure on juice in the cabin fridges but you could always ask for some

[GreenEyedKat]

Thanks for the replies. I will certainly buy some Highland Park in Orkney for our stateroom and take a bottle of Champagne for our sailaway.

 

Not long to wait now! Very excited! :)

[Mura]

I have read too many comments from people who bring wine on board by the case (and not just one) so I am suspicious of the three bottle limit.

 

Now, if you are obviously inebriated when you board and have more than three bottles, THEN it might be enforced!

 

I hadn't heard that the corkage fee is now $25 -- thanks, Lyn. It IS a long time since it was increased to $20, so a further increase isn't exactly unjustified. (We haven't had to pay a corkage fee in quite a while. We usually just buy a bottle in the restaurant and nurse it for as long as possible! This is relatively easy to do since I'm the only one who drinks from it, other than DH's occasional taking a sip of my wine.)

 

Mura

[LHT28]

I hadn't heard that the corkage fee is now $25 -- thanks, Lyn.

 

Mura

 

someone had posted last year that it went up ...maybe not

We do not take our wine to the dining venues

[LHT28]

Thanks for the replies. I will certainly buy some Highland Park

 

DH likes the 18 yr old one ;)

Enjoy

 

Lyn

[Relaxing Rita]

We are in Concierge Class on an upcoming cruise, however I am severely allergic to champagne (& it used to be my favourite drink!) will they substitute anthing else if we advise this? Love the idea of sitting on our balcony and sipping while we cruise away!

[RetiredFL]

You can exchange it for a bottle of house red or white wine in the dining room.

Not sure you can exchange it for a bottle for the room but I don't see why not. Perhaps someone had done this and can advise. If not, enjoy it in the dining room.

[Relaxing Rita]

Many thanks, Ed & Frank I will certainly do just that! Happy cruising to you.

[azevedan]

They also have Beverage packages that may suit your needs

Yes, I've looked at those. They wouldn't be worthwhile for us. We'd maybe have one drink before dinner and then one glass (maybe two) of wine at dinner only. We will probably order wine by the bottle and have them bring it out to us again the next night.

[msn123]

You can easily exchange your champagne for a bottle of wine. Ask at the reception desk and they will arrange the substitution.

[hondorner]

We just had a conversation with Ivo, a very experienced sommelier in the Grand Dining Room, about wine by the bottle versus the wine at dinner package for around $30 per person,per day. This was not about the premium $50 per day all-included package; we don't drink enough for that.

 

The $30 package, which comes to $60 per day for a couple, is currently limited to 6 wines, 3 red and 3 white. You would have to be satisfied with those choices every night, and you would have to drink a LOT of wine to justify $60. If you tend to drink both a white and a red, and consume a full bottle of each at a meal, it might be worthwhile. But, if you are average wine drinkers like us, there are many good choices on the wine list for $35 to $40 per bottle, not limited to the 6 choices in the wine package.

 

We didn't get into the identification of the 6 choices as it just makes more economical sense for us to purchase by the bottle.

 

The three bottle "limit" is indeed there to be enforced only if necessary, as is a disclaimer elsewhere in the "rules" that alcoholic beverages may be confiscated. To the best of my knolwedge, it has never been enforced, although, knowing Oceania as I do, it would have been enforced very discreetly if ever.

 

As foir paying the corkage fee, I ould think that it would be worthwhille only if you have some very special wine, perhaps unobtainable elsewhere. Otherwise, I find the wine pricing on board to be fairly close to the cost of a wine in a good wine store plus the corkage fee. In other words, I found wines with which I'm familiar at home that sell in the $15 to $20 range on board for $40 to $45, making it less appealing to schlep wine. You will pay an 188% gratuity in addition to the price of the wine purchased aboard, and there is no gratuity charged on the corkage fee, so if a few dollars on a multi-thousand dollar cruise are important to you, you might want to bring your own wine to the table.

 

That said, I have carried wine on board, for consumption in our cabin, when traveling from Miami, because we drive to the port. We do sometimes bring liquor and cordials aboard, and Betsy generally tried to find a local beer at every port to bring aboard. There has never been any question.

 

Oceania treats you as an adult.

[LHT28]

Don

Could you ask what the current corkage fee is ?

I says $20 butI read someone said it was $25

 

Thanks

Lyn

[LaCroisiereS'amuse]

We are in Concierge Class on an upcoming cruise, however I am severely allergic to champagne (& it used to be my favourite drink!) will they substitute anthing else if we advise this? Love the idea of sitting on our balcony and sipping while we cruise away!

 

Rita...if it's the sulphites that you are allergic to then you may want to look into Deutz champagne - several members of the Deutz family who run this smallchampagne house are sulphite intolerant & make their wines without them. You might have to hunt around a little, but prices are comparable to other mid range labels.

[Relaxing Rita]

Rita...if it's the sulphites that you are allergic to then you may want to look into Deutz champagne - several members of the Deutz family who run this smallchampagne house are sulphite intolerant & make their wines without them. You might have to hunt around a little' date=' but prices are comparable to other mid range labels.[/quote']

Well, how nice of you to mention that... food for thought, will follow that up! Thank you

[azevedan]

The $30 package, which comes to $60 per day for a couple, is currently limited to 6 wines, 3 red and 3 white. You would have to be satisfied with those choices every night...

 

Thanks - this is good information to know and it reinforces my decision not to get a package.