Princess liquor/wine policies?

[kennicott]

We usually try for at least two hotel nights before embarkation. 1. Too much chance of getting delayed en route then missing the boat. 2. We like to be fresh and ready for sailing upon embarkation, not dragging our tails, so the two hotel nights gives us ample time to acclimatize. However, we live at 61 degrees north and have to travel a considerable distance whereas many guest's embarkation port is close to their homes.

 

Maybe the reason we have never been called to the "naughty" room is that we never lock our bags. There are two main groups with access to TSA locks, airport security types and every thief on earth.

 

On one of our recent Princess cruises though we had a similar experience to that of Astro Flyer where our bags got delivered unexpectedly. Except we were on a cruise tour, one week on a coach and two on the ship. We mistakenly thought we would be reunited with our check luggage before getting in line at the pier. Instead that luggage went directly to the ship via another vehicle. We had three bags. In them I had five bottles of wine, the two we meant to take as our free ones and three more I bought to take home as hockey sovereigns of the Wayne Gretzky #99 vineyards plus over half of a bottle of Jack which I had intended to give to our excellent tour guide for that week. Well, they found the Jack in one bag and gave it the heave-ho and left a note saying no hard booze in luggage allowed. In the other bags they found the wine, but also left a note but this one said all was okay, didn't even charge us the $15.00 per. No calls to a so called naughty room and the bags arrived maybe a tad late but not by much.

[Thrak]

I caved in and just purchased the All Inclusive Drink package for my upcoming Royal Princess Cruise. At first I purchased the Soda and More package, but since the All Inclusive package includes soda and water as well as drinks I figured what the heck. If I was to deduct the cost for the Soda Package from the All Inclusive package it comes down to about 5 drinks a day to break even. Estimating drinks are $10/drink. On sea days I don't see any problem having 5 drinks. But days at Port and your time on ship is less you might have to make sure you meet your goal of 5 drinks a day :p Does that make me an alcoholic? LOL Those Pina Coloda's are very tasty

 

Heck, I don't have a problem with 5 drinks per day. It's the calories in 5 Pina Coladas that would kill me! :eek:

[j3000]

Need some clarification please.... Soooo ... you can bring on a bottle of wine each @ no charge; thereafter they charge $15/bottle - Correct? Is there a LIMIT on the number of bottles you can bring on?...hic! :)

And, is it also correct that you can bring one of your own bottles to the MDR, with no charge (corkage?) or anything? Do people do that- or is it considered 'tacky'?:) (I don't mind being 'tacky'!)

Also, anyone have any info. on the prices of wines in the MDR if you order one with a meal? Any copies of wine lists from a menu floating around ?

Edited January 23, 2016 by jargey3000

[Astro Flyer]

Need some clarification please.... Soooo ... you can bring on a bottle of wine each @ no charge; thereafter they charge $15/bottle - Correct? Yes

 

Is there a LIMIT on the number of bottles you can bring on?...hic! :) No

 

And, is it also correct that you can bring one of your own bottles to the MDR, with no charge (corkage?) or anything? If you take the fee free bottle to a dining room you pay the $15 corkage fee; any additional bottles that are charged the $15/bottle fee when brought onboard have no other fee to have in the dining room.

 

Do people do that- or is it considered 'tacky'?:) (I don't mind being 'tacky'!)

 

Also, anyone have any info. on the prices of wines in the MDR if you order one with a meal? Any copies of wine lists from a menu floating around ?

I'm searching for a wine list with price comparisons & will post the link after finding it.

 

Here's a link to a great Excel spreadsheet created by 'Steelers36' which includes the wine list with onboard prices compared to the total cost at Total Wine & the net savings for wine we bring on the ship.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=372485&d=1451797733

 

A link to the thread that includes his spreadsheet:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=48676018#post48676018

Edited January 23, 2016 by Astro Flyer

[j3000]

hey thanks astro!

re the corkage fee in the MDR: not to nit-pick here, but how do they keep track of that? I'm guessing the first time we go & bring my"free" bottle they charge us $15 corkage (& note it somehow?). Then next time we bring da wife's "free" bottle & they charge $15 corkage for hers (& note it). After that we can continue to bring one of the additional bottles that we might have brought on with us (& that they already charged us $15), and not be charged anything else? Is that right?

Edited January 23, 2016 by jargey3000

[Astro Flyer]

hey thanks astro!

re the corkage fee in the MDR: not to nit-pick here, but how do they keep track of that? I'm guessing the first time we go & bring my"free" bottle they charge us $15 corkage (& note it somehow?). Then next time we bring da wife's "free" bottle & they charge $15 corkage for hers (& note it). After that we can continue to bring one of the additional bottles that we might have brought on with us (& that they already charged us $15), and not be charged anything else? Is that right?

 

Your 1 fee free bottle each of you bring can be consumed in your cabin without a fee. Those bottles are "not marked" (have seen it stamped but it's also been posted that some got a label) so when brought to a dining room they know to charge corkage.

 

Additional bottles that are charged the $15/bottle fee when brought onboard will be "marked" so dining staff know the fee was charged & no other fee is charged.

 

In the dining room they don't take note of your wine & only whether it's marked or not. Any wine you purchase onboard adds a 15% tip. Unfinished bottles will be stored (at the appropriate temperature) to have another night.

 

If bottles beyond the 1 fee free bottle per person are not charged the $15 fee when brought onboard those bottles are not marked & thus a $15 corkage fee will be charged in the dining room.

[j3000]

OK ... Thanks ... I think !:)

[Cruise Raider]

OK ... Thanks ... I think !:)

 

Just a couple more answers....no, it is not tacky to take your wine into the dining room or even elsewhere on the ship ... you have paid the corkage so you should enjoy it wherever you want it.

 

Not sure I saw this mentioned but they do have specials where you can buy 4 beers and get a bucket of 5...5th one is free. What is nice is you can take the bucket back to your room with you and the room steward will fill it with ice for you daily if you ask .... so you can keep your bottles / can colder than the mini fridge will do.

 

Definitely take advantage of the buy one, get one for $1, which I did see mentioned in this thread....best deal going!! This applies to any drink for under $10 and you will get two of the identical drinks. So, if you order a glass of chardonnay and a cabernet, you will end up with 4 glasses of wine....so order accordingly. You can take them back to your room or out to other seating areas if you choose. The room can get quite packed at 3 PM and stay that way until 4 PM. There is also one at 10 or 11 PM ... we just never went to it.

 

The wine packages are really a good deal. There is hardly a restaurant around here that offers you a decent bottle of wine for around $30 a bottle. You can always take a bottle or two back to your room (from the dining room) as well if you choose. For example, I think in the more expensive package, you can order a bottle of Kendall Jackson Chardonnay. Here at home, it is about $10 a bottle, with the corkage, it is $25 a bottle. In the gold package, it is anywhere from $28 - $31 a bottle so not bad considering you don't have to lug any extra weight around. But as others have said, it is only available on longer cruises and subject to availability.

 

Up in the buffet area, I have seen sales of small bottles of wine at a pretty decent price ... don't remember the make or price but remember thinking it was decent for a cheaper wine.

 

I think the prices on Princess for their drinks is somewhat reasonable ... hope they stay that way.

[j3000]

thanks for the info. raider! gettin' thirsty already!

BTW ...any ice machines on board (like in hotels), or anywhere to go get your own ice, without having to ask someone (steward) to get it for you...?

Edited January 23, 2016 by jargey3000

[Astro Flyer]

BTW ...any ice machines on board (like in hotels), or anywhere to go get your own ice, without having to ask someone (steward) to get it for you...?

There are no ice machines like in a hotel & your cabin steward will refill an icebucket in your mini-fridge daily. There are self serve ice machines in the Horizon Court buffet to get a cup of ice & I've also got a glass of ice at a Lido deck bar.

Edited January 23, 2016 by Astro Flyer

[Colo Cruiser]

There are no ice machines like in a hotel & your cabin steward will refill an icebucket in your mini-fridge daily. There are self serve ice machines in the Horizon Court buffet to get a cup of ice & I've also got a glass of ice at a Lido deck bar.

 

 

ooops misread that one! :eek:

[Astro Flyer]

ooops misread that one! :eek:

A 'Colo Cruiser' ooops...it's a very rare occurrence! :p

Edited January 23, 2016 by Astro Flyer

[kennicott]

Here's a link to a wine package discussion which is not available on 7 day or shorter cruises (and sometimes not on longer cruises if there's insufficient inventory): http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2303152

 

We embark next Sunday at Ft Lauderdale on the 14 day "Caribbean Adventurer" (Regal Princess). As far as I can determine there are no "Gold" or "Silver" wine packages to be had. I wish there were. Only thing I can find is their list of wines including prices delivered to your cabin in advance, no discount but the prices do include the auto gratuity. I have ordered a stock of wine accordingly, however, it is not too late to change. If anyone has further info on the possibility of wine packages please enlighten.

https://book.princess.com/cruisepersonalizer/onboard/viewservicelisting.page?service=cellars&items=2410,2001,2411,2002,2015,2154,2014,2011,0527,2160,2158,2155,2156,2412,2149,2150,2413,2111,2414,2163,2162,2159,2415,2157,2153,2151,2152,2345,2335,2333,2334,2341,2340,2353,2352,2359,2360,2367,2366

[Astro Flyer]

We embark next Sunday at Ft Lauderdale on the 14 day "Caribbean Adventurer" (Regal Princess). As far as I can determine there are no "Gold" or "Silver" wine packages to be had. I wish there were. Only thing I can find is their list of wines including prices delivered to your cabin in advance, no discount but the prices do include the auto gratuity. I have ordered a stock of wine accordingly, however, it is not too late to change. If anyone has further info on the possibility of wine packages please enlighten.

 

https://book.princess.com/cruisepersonalizer/onboard/viewservicelisting.page?service=cellars&items=2410,2001,2411,2002,2015,2154,2014,2011,0527,2160,2158,2155,2156,2412,2149,2150,2413,2111,2414,2163,2162,2159,2415,2157,2153,2151,2152,2345,2335,2333,2334,2341,2340,2353,2352,2359,2360,2367,2366

 

Is your cruise a true 14 day cruise only or can it be booked as two b2b cruises?

 

If it's a true 14 day cruise the wine package should be available however there's no way to be 100% certain before sailing. If they don't have sufficient wine inventory then it would not be offered.

 

I've also been told that the wine package was unavailable on an 18 day cruise but they'd gladly sell me the AIBP at about $55/day/person. Thankfully our dining room waiters were happy to sell us the wine package which has always worked well for us when we didn't want to bring our wine onboard.

Edited January 24, 2016 by Astro Flyer

[satxdiver]

There are no ice machines like in a hotel & your cabin steward will refill an icebucket in your mini-fridge daily. There are self serve ice machines in the Horizon Court buffet to get a cup of ice & I've also got a glass of ice at a Lido deck bar.

 

You can call room service and get more ice delivered as well.

[j3000]

...not a big fan of room $ervice...much prefer self-service....

[paul929207]

Except for pizza, room service is free on Princess. Most do give a tip to the person delivering.

[kennicott]

Is your cruise a true 14 day cruise only or can it be booked as two b2b cruises?

 

If it's a true 14 day cruise the wine package should be available however there's no way to be 100% certain before sailing. If they don't have sufficient wine inventory then it would not be offered.

 

I've also been told that the wine package was unavailable on an 18 day cruise but they'd gladly sell me the AIBP at about $55/day/person. Thankfully our dining room waiters were happy to sell us the wine package which has always worked well for us when we didn't want to bring our wine onboard.

 

Yea, it is a true 14 dayer, at least by their brochure, that is why they call it the "Caribbean Adventurer" no mention of a B to B. But you are no doubt correct, in that it can be booked as a B to B as well, so that is probably the reason for no wine packages. I didn't even realize that until after we booked and saw half way through we were porting back in Ft. Lauderdale. Hope this doesn't turn out to be two booze cruises back to back. The cruise lines get real coy anymore with their sales pitches. I've got to start paying more attention, last fall on Princess I missed out on four extra days in the Baltic for the same price because of that.

 

Well, if it is a B to B maybe they give me my free internet time by the week instead of the entire cruise, that way I get more. You have to watch them though, sometimes they give you some benefits based on segments and other benefits based on the entire cruise. One thing to watch out for is the dates on the cruise card. One time I was getting ready to get off in a port and was talking to another guy who mentioned they couldn't get back on the ship once due their card was only good for the first segment and they had voided it when he got off. I looked at my card only to find that was just about to happen to me.

 

Anyway, a couple of months ago I ordered the wine stock for our cabin, that should be good enough and keep me happy. We have been sailing quite a bit lately with Princess, in a little over a year, counting this one, we will have been on 5 cruises for almost 80 days. I can only recall being made aware of this sliver and gold wine package thing once. If I remember right, the reason I didn't take advantage of it then was because the wines available weren't so good, rather, I ordered from their list, same as I'm doing now.

 

Bit off topic, but all this wine concern seems so irrelevant as about eight hours ago, at 1:30 AM, I woke up as we were undergoing a huge earthquake. It felt like the house was taking on severe structural damage. The first thing that crossed my mind was, "there goes our Caribbean cruise". Turned out no damage, but it was the largest one I can recall since the big one hit in 1964. http://www.adn.com/article/20160124/no-injuries-reported-some-damage-71-earthquake-rocks-southcentral-alaska

[beachnut2011]

We just came back from a cruise aboard the CB out of houston and there are ways to keep your booze costs relatively cheap. We brought on one bottle of wine each of us for no cost, attended the daily happy hours from 3-4 in Club Fusion and got buy one get one for $1 - basically $5 per drink, then we purchased some bourbon 375's through room service so we could pour a drink in our own room and that keeps the price per drink low. Doing it this way kept us way under the total for AIBP for both of us and we drank as much as we wanted. We did purchase 3 bottles of wine in the dining room and I got a few specialty shots in the MDR as well.

 

Please explain better about buying bourbon thru room service? The cost, limit, etc.

 

thanks,

[Astro Flyer]

Please explain better about buying bourbon thru room service? The cost, limit, etc.

 

thanks,

 

I've read posts saying there is no limit on purchasing the 375ml bottles from room service & the Princess Cellars on their website list those available to preorder & as I recall they begin at about $17.50/375ml bottle & think that includes the 15% tip.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Astro Flyer