A tip from a Wino...

[keithm]

We just made our first trip with Princess (The Regal). After finally figuring out their wine policy at embarkation in F.L. we boarded with 5 bottles (2 @n/c, and 3 got "stickered" @ $15), no problem. What I WASN'T aware of was: when you get off at ports (in this case St. Thomas & St. Maarten, you can ALSO bring back on board 2 bottles - for room consumption, at no charge.) I happen to ask the guards about this after we had seen a store selling (very-low-priced!) wine in ST, and were getting back on board. He assured me this was OK - even tho' I told him we had already brought 2 N/C bottles on board when we left FL. So I ran back off the ship, bought a couple bottles & came back on board. No problemo. Same thing in St. Maarten. (Note: this must just apply to WINE as I saw lots of (presumably) liquor being held at the boarding). Just mentioning it here in case others are not aware ....Hic!...

Personally, I'd list myself as a "Wine Connoisseur", rather than "wino". That just make you sound..well you know!

[j3000]

Oh Man! Blue Nun & Piat D'or! Blasts from the past -or what? (FYI - I think you can still but Piat D'or here in Canada), The other one I remember from that era was "Casal Mendes"(red) m-m-m-m-m--m......HIC!

Later on in life, when we became big shots, we moved up to Mouton Cadet (pron. "mootin KA-det) hahah..

[RNRcruisers]

Has anyone tried this in Alaska? And if so, where are there some good shops? :D

[Northern Bob]

OMG, Ripple!!! :p:p Back in the day...

 

There we were at the movies watching 2001 A Space Odyssey passing the bottle back and forth filling paper cups and oooops it dropped and noisily rolled down about 15 rows of seats as the ushers tried to find it.... We silently laughed our keisters off!

[Bemidji Ty]

In my much younger days, I worked in the lab at the winery that made Red Mtn, Boone's Farm, Ripple, Spanada, Thunderbird, Tyrolia and more. If it was wine from Modesto, it was from this winery. They also made some very good wines.

 

Because of the success of the "soda pop" wines, they made but eventually decided against marketing several similar beverages including a Root Beer wine.

[j3000]

anybody ever try dogberry ... or blueberry wine???

[Dorkscruising]

we are doing a med cruise in August, we r not big drinkers so dont want to purchase the alcohol package but do like the odd glass of wine.will emerald princess allow you to take on a bottle of wine per adult in every port or just at embarkation in Southampton?

[sajlm045]

I really enjoy a good bottle or two of wine but then again I'm just a common sewer.

[Mary Ann 2]

we are doing a med cruise in August, we r not big drinkers so dont want to purchase the alcohol package but do like the odd glass of wine.will emerald princess allow you to take on a bottle of wine per adult in every port or just at embarkation in Southampton?

 

Personally, I think it is very ship-dependent. Last summer, returning from an excursion to French wine country with multiple bottles, they acted like they were going to take them from us (or charge us). I convinced them since it was the last day and we had already paid for wine at embarkation to let us take them onboard as we couldn't drink them all in one night and still had a bottle left from embarkation.

 

I would not assume anything until you hear from that ship sailing that summer and see what their policy is this year and ship.

Edited April 26, 2016 by Mary Ann 2

[mycruisey]

Beware!!

 

After many cruises to Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa where we brought unlimited bottles of wine on board without charge, we just returned from our cruise around Cape Horn and there was a wine table at EVERY port to check each purchase over the allowed 2 bottle limit and charge the $15!!

We have also been on Caribbean cruises where the limits were enforced. I believe it varies ship to ship.

[Astro Flyer]

We just made our first trip with Princess (The Regal). After finally figuring out their wine policy at embarkation in F.L. we boarded with 5 bottles (2 @n/c, and 3 got "stickered" @ $15), no problem. What I WASN'T aware of was: when you get off at ports (in this case St. Thomas & St. Maarten, you can ALSO bring back on board 2 bottles - for room consumption, at no charge.) I happen to ask the guards about this after we had seen a store selling (very-low-priced!) wine in ST, and were getting back on board. He assured me this was OK - even tho' I told him we had already brought 2 N/C bottles on board when we left FL. So I ran back off the ship, bought a couple bottles & came back on board. No problemo. Same thing in St. Maarten. (Note: this must just apply to WINE as I saw lots of (presumably) liquor being held at the boarding). Just mentioning it here in case others are not aware ....Hic!...

 

Beware!!

 

After many cruises to Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa where we brought unlimited bottles of wine on board without charge, we just returned from our cruise around Cape Horn and there was a wine table at EVERY port to check each purchase over the allowed 2 bottle limit and charge the $15!!

We have also been on Caribbean cruises where the limits were enforced. I believe it varies ship to ship.

There's a BIG difference between how a policy is enforced and the actual clearly stated Princess policy.

 

To depend upon the word of a couple of security guards in the Caribbean could end up costing passengers additional corkage fees which is clearly stated in the official Princess policy.

 

"Thank you for observing our carry-on alcohol policy. As a reminder,

adult passengers are permitted to bring one 750 ml bottle of wine or

champagne onboard per voyage, which will not be subject to a corkage

fee if consumed in the stateroom. Additional wine or champagne

bottles are welcome, but will incur a $15 corkage fee each, irrespective

of where they are intended to be consumed. Liquor, spirits or beers are

not permitted. Please remember that luggage will be scanned and

alcohol outside of our policy will be removed and discarded".

 

This statement was on my boarding pass & luggage tags for our cruise last week on the Crown Princess & the guards are wrong about the Princess wine policy. Since the more restrictive wine policy was implemented several years ago, enforcement at ports of call has been very lax but that doesn't make it a Princess policy. I never attempt to conceal wine brought on from ports of call (in the US, SA & Europe) and the only comment was once saying "nice bottle of wine". ;)

 

It may be unlikely that additional corkage fees will be assessed for wine brought onboard from ports of call, however the statements by security guards is not the Princess policy. Good luck to anyone being charged corkage fees explaining that I read on CC that a guard in the Caribbean said it was okay when the clearly stated Princess policy states otherwise...one 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne onboard per voyage.

Edited April 26, 2016 by Astro Flyer

[Astro Flyer]

In my much younger days, I worked in the lab at the winery that made Red Mtn, Boone's Farm, Ripple, Spanada, Thunderbird, Tyrolia and more. If it was wine from Modesto, it was from this winery. They also made some very good wines.

 

Because of the success of the "soda pop" wines, they made but eventually decided against marketing several similar beverages including a Root Beer wine.

In college the rumor was that Red Mountain wine was actually alcohol with a color additive to look like wine...LOL! :p

 

I see that E & J Gallo Winery is headquartered in Modesto...do you know if they produced Red Mountain wine?

 

Was the name changed to Carlo Rossi in an effort to make it more upscale?? Gallo also produced Andre sparkling wine which was all we could afford to have at our wedding. ;)

[2pbears]

Personally, I think it is very ship-dependent. Last summer, returning from an excursion to French wine country with multiple bottles, they acted like they were going to take them from us (or charge us). I convinced them since it was the last day and we had already paid for wine at embarkation to let us take them onboard as we couldn't drink them all in one night and still had a bottle left from embarkation.

 

I would not assume anything until you hear from that ship sailing that summer and see what their policy is this year and ship.

 

 

 

I agree with this. We have done the Ensenada winery tour twice now (excellent day by the way). The first time was on the Star. We walked back on with the two bottles that L.A. Cetto had given us with no problem. The second time on the Grand we had the two free bottles plus two additional bottles that we had purchased. There was a table set up just after the security scanners and if you had wine with you they directed (actually took you by the arm) to the wine check table. We were told that we could take two bottles on board and that the other two would be checked and delivered to our stateroom at the end of the cruise (which was fine with us). It seemed like a wasted effort though, since the wine was delivered to our stateroom early the next morning (the day before disembarkation). I think it just depends on the ship.:confused: