Corkage Fee Procedure

[cxc362]

How does the corkage fee work on excess bottles of wine? Is it charged when the excess bottles are brought onto the ship or is it charged when the bottles are actually consumed (of course the latter would be much harder to track than the former)?

[Vict0riann]

It's charged to your room key card when you board the ship. Then stickers are placed on the bottles you have paid the corkage for. So, if there are specific wines that you wish to consume in your room and others that you want to take out of your room, say to a special dinner, remember to make sure the stickers go on the right bottles!

[jaspersmycat]

One bottle (per person) can be brought on without a sticker. If you bring the non-stickered bottle to be drunk outside your cabin, they will request your keycard to charge the corkage fee.

[cxc362]

Thanks so much!

[jwh]

One bottle (per person) can be brought on without a sticker. If you bring the non-stickered bottle to be drunk outside your cabin, they will request your keycard to charge the corkage fee.

 

This means just one bottle at embarkation doesn't it? ...........or can we bring one bottle on at each port without a corkage fee and any more over the one will have a corkage sticker put on it?? The last time I was on HAL was one of the last cruises they allowed unlimited... South America/Antarctica - it was so much easier and a great deal back then especially as we boarded in Valparaiso after making a winery visit. :)

[RuthC]

This means just one bottle at embarkation doesn't it?

Yes.

One (up to) 750 ml bottle per adult at initial embarkation only is corkage free. If it is brought to a public area, such as the dining room or a lounge, the corkage fee is applied then.

[SeaBands]

corkage is actually paid by HAL OBCs.

[cxc362]

corkage is actually paid by HAL OBCs.

 

That assumes that one has OBC.

[3rdGenCunarder]

When we boarded Veendam last month, I had two bottles in a tote bag. When we got to the security scan (after checking in, but before boarding), I asked the x-ray guys to be careful with that bag because it had wine in it. The bag was whisked off the belt BEFORE it even got to the x-ray and was taken over the the alcohol table. As soon as I was through the security check, I went to the table, showed the HAL employee the two bottles, and he wrote down our cabin number. Since there were only two bottles, there were no stickers or corkage fees. By the way the security guy (who I would think is a port employee not a HAL employee) grabbed that bag, I could see that HAL is SERIOUS about the alcohol policy.

 

BTW, has anyone else noticed that when you print out your luggage tags, there is a notice about the alcohol policy? You can't say you weren't warned. ;)

[Harry1954]

When we boarded Veendam last month, I had two bottles in a tote bag. When we got to the security scan (after checking in, but before boarding), I asked the x-ray guys to be careful with that bag because it had wine in it. The bag was whisked off the belt BEFORE it even got to the x-ray and was taken over the the alcohol table. As soon as I was through the security check, I went to the table, showed the HAL employee the two bottles, and he wrote down our cabin number. Since there were only two bottles, there were no stickers or corkage fees. By the way the security guy (who I would think is a port employee not a HAL employee) grabbed that bag, I could see that HAL is SERIOUS about the alcohol policy.

 

BTW, has anyone else noticed that when you print out your luggage tags, there is a notice about the alcohol policy? You can't say you weren't warned. ;)

What they are doing is speeding up the process by screening before you get on ship. At our last two embarkations this summer, both of them had us go to the table before scan where we declared the wine we were bringing onboard. Much more efficient than clogging up the gangway area IMHO.

 

harry

[3rdGenCunarder]

What they are doing is speeding up the process by screening before you get on ship. At our last two embarkations this summer, both of them had us go to the table before scan where we declared the wine we were bringing onboard. Much more efficient than clogging up the gangway area IMHO.

 

harry

 

I don't disagree that it's better than trying to handle this process at the gangway. It's the instant attention it got that surprised me. He moved so fast, you'd think he'd found a weapon! We did continue through the screening and then I went to the table while DH collected our carryons.

 

Positioning the table before the screening is a good idea. In this case, it was just after the x-ray and metal detector. If you had a lot of people going through the checkpoint, it might have backed up awkwardly, but we were early so there was no line at the x-ray or at the table.

[DaveOKC]

This means just one bottle at embarkation doesn't it? ...........or can we bring one bottle on at each port without a corkage fee and any more over the one will have a corkage sticker put on it??

 

Only one free bottle per person at the EMBARKATION port only. Any brought on at any other port will be charged the $18 per bottle fee.

[Sue from Canada]

We're bringing two bottles on board with us this December. Do we bring both bottles to the main dining room the first night for drinking later in the cruise?

[DaveOKC]

We're bringing two bottles on board with us this December. Do we bring both bottles to the main dining room the first night for drinking later in the cruise?

 

While the two bottles are "free", this only applies if you consume them in your cabin. If you take your "free" bottles to the dining room, you will be charged a corkage fee of $18 per bottle. You do not have to take your wine the first day, just bring them whenever you intend to consume all or part of them.

[Sue from Canada]

While the two bottles are "free", this only applies if you consume them in your cabin. If you take your "free" bottles to the dining room, you will be charged a corkage fee of $18 per bottle. You do not have to take your wine the first day, just bring them whenever you intend to consume all or part of them.

 

Thanks Dave. I don't mind the corkage fee. I'll bring the white one to the dining room day 1 so it can be chilled for day 2. Second bottle is a Merlot so no chilling required. I'm also going to get the wine package (50% for 4 star mariners).

[POA1]

I don't disagree that it's better than trying to handle this process at the gangway. It's the instant attention it got that surprised me. He moved so fast, you'd think he'd found a weapon! We did continue through the screening and then I went to the table while DH collected our carryons.

 

Positioning the table before the screening is a good idea. In this case, it was just after the x-ray and metal detector. If you had a lot of people going through the checkpoint, it might have backed up awkwardly, but we were early so there was no line at the x-ray or at the table.

I think that this is because there were issues with the old procedure. They used to hand your bag to you and tell you to report to the wine check in table. We saw several people ignore that and simply walk past, effectively smuggling wine onto the ship. One of these passengers even had the audacity to tell the Pinnacle Grill wine steward that the sticker came off. (We remembered her from the check in line because she was obnoxious - and had a hair color not found in nature.)

[3rdGenCunarder]

I think that this is because there were issues with the old procedure. They used to hand your bag to you and tell you to report to the wine check in table. We saw several people ignore that and simply walk past, effectively smuggling wine onto the ship. One of these passengers even had the audacity to tell the Pinnacle Grill wine steward that the sticker came off. (We remembered her from the check in line because she was obnoxious - and had a hair color not found in nature.)

 

Geez, some people will do anything.

 

I expected to be asked about wine at some point, but I hadn't thought about where that might be, so I was surprised when port security took it, rather than a HAL employee.

 

I don't blame HAL for doing this. There's good money to be made on the markup on wines, and they lose this on every bottle that is taken aboard.

[fann1sh]

I'm delighted we can bring wines of our choice, and only pay $18 a bottle. Spanish cava is my "fun" drink, and none is available on HAL.

 

Thanks to the OP for asking, so I also know what to expect - my first cruise since the change.

[cxc362]

I'm delighted we can bring wines of our choice, and only pay $18 a bottle. Spanish cava is my "fun" drink, and none is available on HAL.

 

Thanks to the OP for asking, so I also know what to expect - my first cruise since the change.

 

My pleasure! I think we may have to take some Freixenet on board with us.

[TAD2005]

Our TA has gifted us 2 bottles of wine, purchased through HAL's website, and delivered onboard in our cabin on embarkation day. I would assume these 2 bottles are OK for bringing to the MDR for dinner. They would have to be tagged or stickered in some way that proves to the waiter that they were purchased on the ship as a gift.

Am I correct in my assumption that we will not have to pay a corkage fee for wines delivered by HAL to our cabin, but consumed in the MDR.

[taxmantoo]

Our TA has gifted us 2 bottles of wine, purchased through HAL's website, and delivered onboard in our cabin on embarkation day. I would assume these 2 bottles are OK for bringing to the MDR for dinner. They would have to be tagged or stickered in some way that proves to the waiter that they were purchased on the ship as a gift.

Am I correct in my assumption that we will not have to pay a corkage fee for wines delivered by HAL to our cabin, but consumed in the MDR.

 

You are correct.