Corkage with drink package

[ronrick1943]

It's just wrong for Oceania to charge you a corkage if you bring a bottle of "really good" wine to a dining room when your on a the premium drink package. If it cost you about $11.00 a glass, a bottle holds 4 glass that's $44.00 less $25.00 corkage, that's a $19.00 savings to Oceania for not drinking their wine. So why charge someone on the drink package. Doesn't make a sense to me, you'd think they would tickle pink. Why FDR?

[orchestrapal]

It's just wrong for Oceania to charge you a corkage if you bring a bottle of "really good" wine to a dining room when your on a the premium drink package. If it cost you about $11.00 a glass, a bottle holds 4 glass that's $44.00 less $25.00 corkage, that's a $19.00 savings to Oceania for not drinking their wine. So why charge someone on the drink package. Doesn't make a sense to me, you'd think they would tickle pink. Why FDR?

 

No fee if you drink your own wine in your cabin.... So, now you can enjoy your wine on the drink package for dinner. :rolleyes:

[ronrick1943]

I know in your cabin/suite, but I said dining room.

[YoHoHo]

On Azamara where they include glasses wine with meals (similar to O's 'Select Beverage package' ) the have a corkage charge of $10. The rationale is that someone bringing on a special bottle of wine would otherwise purchase wines from their store and this makes up for the lack of revenue. They also state that the corkage fee is not to make up for additional work opening extra bottles etc. though to me that is a very acceptable rationale. It's a lot simpler if they do not have to take care of a bottle for you both that your table and perhaps store it for you as well as they do on O.

 

Assuming O is using the same rationale perhaps they have not fully considered the corkage charge issue being as their beverage package offerings are still fairly new.

 

I've noticed on other boards that there are cruise lines with beverage packages that have a discount for on ship purchased bottles of wine.

 

Both of those alternates might encourage someone who would be inclined to buy bottles of wine in addition to what is offered by the glass within the package or want to bring a few bottles on for special occasions to still order the Premium Beverage package and not treat that purchase as an either/or.

[ronrick1943]

Good answer, thanks---hope FDR reads this.

Rick

[wripro]

Ten dollars is a much more reasonable corkage fee than twenty-five dollars.

[JimandStan]

Ten dollars is a much more reasonable corkage fee than twenty-five dollars.

 

Sure it is, but would $10 be enough to discourage the "case of rotgut crowd"?

Many a Cruise line has gone bankrupt overestimating their lowest common denominator.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Why not just waive the corkage fee for those with a drinks package?

[ronrick1943]

That's what I think, "O" is making money by someone on the package not drinking their wine.

Rick

[LHT28]

Maybe they could limit the number of drinks on the package to 6-7 per day on average then give you a punch card like the coffee cards on some of the mainstream lines

You can then have 60 -70 drinks over the course of a 10 day cruise when you want

So if one day you only have 3 drinks another day you can have 10 & it will all even out in the end :D

 

I am sure O loses money on some people & makes it up on others with the packages

 

Lyn

[Mura]

Maybe I'm crazy and I am not one to take advantage of the drink package because it doesn't make sense for us.

 

But if I DID take the package and then brought in my own bottle for dinner, I would expect to pay the corkage fee if the line charges a corkage fee.

 

I would appreciate the line waiving the fee since I had the package, but I would not expect it.

 

 

Now a question: I've noticed the discounted sales people have talked about if you buy several bottles from Oceania at the beginning of the cruise. I have been assuming these bottles would NOT be subject to the corkage fee (since bought from Oceania) but saw some comments today that made me think my assumption could be wrong.

 

They don't charge a corkage fee for the free gifts in the room so it doesn't make sense that they would charge a fee for wines you buy from them. But I thought I should check!

 

And as I write this, I can't believe they would charge a corkage fee in this case ...

 

Mura

[TERRIER1]

Maybe I'm crazy and I am not one to take advantage of the drink package because it doesn't make sense for us.

 

But if I DID take the package and then brought in my own bottle for dinner, I would expect to pay the corkage fee if the line charges a corkage fee.

 

I would appreciate the line waiving the fee since I had the package, but I would not expect it.

 

 

Now a question: I've noticed the discounted sales people have talked about if you buy several bottles from Oceania at the beginning of the cruise. I have been assuming these bottles would NOT be subject to the corkage fee (since bought from Oceania) but saw some comments today that made me think my assumption could be wrong.

 

 

They don't charge a corkage fee for the free gifts in the room so it doesn't make sense that they would charge a fee for wines you buy from them. But I thought I should check!

 

And as I write this, I can't believe they would charge a corkage fee in this case ...

 

Mura

 

When I asked they said they do not charge the corkage fee for the bottled wines brought on the ship. I never purchased them so I don't know. I would assume they would know the wines were theirs and would not charge the fee.

[JimandStan]

I have been assuming these bottles would NOT be subject to the corkage fee

 

Wines purchased from Oceania are NEVER subject to the corkage fee. Any bottles that are purchased at the Discount Table, are registered to that Passengers' cabin number on the spot, and are thus discernible as Oceania products.

[Mura]

Thanks, Jim. I figured as much after much circumlocation!

 

Mura

[LHT28]

 

Now a question: I've noticed the discounted sales people have talked about if you buy several bottles from Oceania at the beginning of the cruise. I have been assuming these bottles would NOT be subject to the corkage fee (since bought from Oceania) but saw some comments today that made me think my assumption could be wrong.

 

Mura

I am just guessing but I think if you purchase bottles of wine from the sale table or just from O they charge the 18% tax/Grat but not the corkage fee

 

I have never bought any bottles of wine on the ship so I may be guessing wrongly also ;)

 

Lyn

[ronrick1943]

It's really 18% Grat, I was told. But if you drink it in the cabin why a 18% Grat, all they did was sale it to you.

 

And LHT28, a punch card would never work and we aren't cruising a low end line.

[golfnut64]

Are you allowed to bring wine on the ship from port? I know some cruise lines allow 1 bottle per person. We are taking the Italian Escapade cruise Oct 19-29 and were wondering about the wine.

[Mura]

You sure are. It's for consumption in your room or in a dining room if you pay the corkage fee we've been talking about.

 

Technically there is a limit as to the amount you can bring on from a port but generally that's not enforced ... assuming you don't abuse the privilege.

 

Some people have said here at CC how they bring on cases of wine. So one bottle is certainly okay.

 

Mura

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Maybe they could limit the number of drinks on the package to 6-7 per day on average then give you a punch card like the coffee cards on some of the mainstream lines

You can then have 60 -70 drinks over the course of a 10 day cruise when you want

So if one day you only have 3 drinks another day you can have 10 & it will all even out in the end :D

 

I am sure O loses money on some people & makes it up on others with the packages

 

Lyn

 

Really hope this was tongue-in-cheek, Lyn! A punch card would be a huge turnoff for us.

[LHT28]

Really hope this was tongue-in-cheek, Lyn! A punch card would be a huge turnoff for us.

:D:D

I will let you decide for yourself

[wripro]

Rotgut crowd or not I think $20 was more than adequate for a corkage fee. Raising it to $25 was excessive.

[TERRIER1]

I am just guessing but I think if you purchase bottles of wine from the sale table or just from O they charge the 18% tax/Grat but not the corkage fee

 

I have never bought any bottles of wine on the ship so I may be guessing wrongly also ;)

 

Lyn

 

If they charge the 18% it is not noted in the price and it does not get added to the bottle at the meal. I asked.

[LHT28]

If they charge the 18% it is not noted in the price and it does not get added to the bottle at the meal. I asked.

Maybe it is included in the price shown that is why the prices for bottles seem to be higher than shore side ..Like I said I am just guessing

[babysteps]

imo $25 corkage isn't awful. Not a bargain, but not terrible. Would I be happier if it were $10? Sure :) O's liberal byo policy, especially for in-room use, helps soften my attitude!

 

 

$25 per bottle is well within the range for white tablecloth establishments in the US - and is toward the low end in terms of # of establishments in urban areas (there is always some restaurant with free or $10 corkage, but less than 10% in our experience).

 

Never fun to see it rise, but corkage isn't a fee for nothing - O has to spend more time on me, supply glasses, wash said glasses, store/track/deliver my bottle etc. if I byo vs. no incremental effort if I don't byo (and those costs are built into the bottle list pricing).

 

Disclaimer: maybe I'm being too literal-minded, but seems fair to me that if wine by the bottle is not included in the drink packages, corkage need not be included either.