Corkage Fee - Has it returned?

[teddybear231]

Oh wow I'm glad we missed that! We just got off Anthem yesterday.

[Don Pedro]

Isn't free better than $15. Don't forget people have already paid for their bottle of wine.

 

Of course free is better for the consumer.. Typically restaurants use a 3 to 3.5 multiple to determine what they will charge for a bottle. So a $20 bottle of wine will go for about $60, although free would be better there is still some savings..

[Missusdubbya]

We call that "two-fisting" it. :D

 

Excellent work :D

 

My husband and I will both be two-fisting....

[bUU]

Have you BEEN on a cruise lately?

 

Looking tacky does not seem to be much of a problem for a heck of a lot of people. :halo:

Precisely. So passengers have a choice. What's the problem?

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

[CP3o]

I haven't seen a group byob in Schooner bar either but it wouldn't bother me.

 

Last time on MOS it was understaffed and slow service, I'd have liked there being a group that didn't require bar staff. And I can see if a group is traveling together and have the drink package, they might each bring some wine for sharing and tasting.

 

Free in room and $15 at a restaurant doesn't really bother me unless it's a baby step to $15 to bring onboard and additional $10 to drink in a restuarant.

 

The irony is in that case I'd just stick with mixed drinks on drink package (like I do on NCL) and consume more product and require more staff time without spending any more.

[KelJ]

I was looking for a wine list because I was trying to figure out whether it is now cheaper to just buy the wine bottles onboard instead of bringing my own and paying a corkage fee on them. Prior to this $15 corkage fee being instituted, I would take a bottle to dinner every night which I brought from home.

I can buy my preferred wine here in PA for $11 to $13 per bottle, depending on sales. Onboard, they charge $29/bottle for my wine (at least according the wine list I found here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=49238603&postcount=13). With DH's drink package, he can get 40 percent off wines that are priced under $100, so we'd pay $17.40/bottle (plus gratuity I assume of 18 percent), so we'd pay $20.53/bottle. To take my own bottle to the dining room, I'd end up paying $13/bottle plus the $15 corkage fee, so $28/bottle.

Maybe I will stop carrying bottles onboard, except for the bottles I plan to drink in my cabin.

Edited June 5, 2017 by KelJ
typo

[bUU]

And somebody reading this in Florida just exclaimed, "mission accomplished!"

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

[Wine-O]

I was looking for a wine list because I was trying to figure out whether it is now cheaper to just buy the wine bottles onboard instead of bringing my own and paying a corkage fee on them. Prior to this $15 corkage fee being instituted, I would take a bottle to dinner every night which I brought from home.

 

 

How could you take a bottle to dinner every night which you brought from home if you are only allowed 2 bottles per stateroom to bring on board? :rolleyes:

[LeesSummitCruiser1]

I would be happy to pay a $15 corkage fee if I could bring on a case of my own wine. I have heard that many years ago you could bring on your own wine and pay a corkage with unlimited bottles. I have no way to confirm that unless someone here knows. On our 2006 Adventure sailing a couple at our table told us this is what they did, but that was before we really cared about wine.

 

The last few cruises, I have had to pour my own wine and had to beg for a different glass when switching between white and red and would get strange looks when asking for a new glass for a different bottle of red. If I am paying a corkage fee I better get this level of service.

[CruiseKeeper]

I would be happy to pay a $15 corkage fee if I could bring on a case of my own wine. I have heard that many years ago you could bring on your own wine and pay a corkage with unlimited bottles. I have no way to confirm that unless someone here knows. On our 2006 Adventure sailing a couple at our table told us this is what they did, but that was before we really cared about wine.

 

The last few cruises, I have had to pour my own wine and had to beg for a different glass when switching between white and red and would get strange looks when asking for a new glass for a different bottle of red. If I am paying a corkage fee I better get this level of service.

 

I agree about the level of service has to be there. Anyone notice how hard it is to get a red wine glass out of RCI?

[johnjen]

With the two bottle allowance, and I now know about the corkage fee, we just won't bring any wine on board in three weeks on the next cruise. Now, I know $30 isn't going to harm me, it's the principle behind it where I have to watch some cat open a wine bottle for me when I can do it myself.

 

What a rip-off. If this is the nickel and diming coming back, our days of cruising is finished; we'll vacation via other methods.

[cruisegirl1]

I would rather pay in the DR or specialty restaurant rather than pay upfront when I bring my bottles on board. A few times, we've decided not to open a particular bottle we brought on and we will bring it back home.

 

We bring good wines that are not on the list or if they are, they are very pricy. The cost of our bottle and a small ($15) corkage is not an issue.

 

M

[johnjen]

I called RCL and confirmed, the corkage fee is in effect as of June 1 and, like everything else, "fees subject to change."

 

She encouraged me (and everyone else in here) to voice complaints about this newly added corkage fee to:

 

mycruise@rccl.com

 

Make sure you include your name, cabin number, and reservation ID.

 

From me, best try and be tactful.....you may get lemonade from lemons if you add sugar to it.

[Kmangel]

I assume there is the option of walking in to the dining room with a glass of wine in hand brought from ones stateroom. I did that myself on my last Celebrity cruise. I am tempted to fill up my insulated coffee tumbler and bringing it in with me to the MDR on my upcoming cruise! Walking in with a glass of wine was tricky!

[Clarea]

I assume there is the option of walking in to the dining room with a glass of wine in hand brought from ones stateroom ...

Yes, we do this all the time. They don't know if the glass of wine is from the Diamond/Concierge/Suite Lounge, a bar, or your stateroom.

[davekathy]

I assume there is the option of walking in to the dining room with a glass of wine in hand brought from ones stateroom. I did that myself on my last Celebrity cruise. I am tempted to fill up my insulated coffee tumbler and bringing it in with me to the MDR on my upcoming cruise! Walking in with a glass of wine was tricky!

 

We do it all the time. Before diner we head to the DL for a couple of drinks. Then on our way to the MDR we stop at the Schooner Bar and get a glass of wine each using our diamond vouchers. I've even left the MDR to bring back a couple more glasses of wine.

[Biker19]

I've even left the MDR to bring back a couple more glasses of wine.

Right, the bars are not very busy during that time and fairly close to the MDR.

[AFLCruiser]

Quick question - will your room steward bring you wine glasses if you want to open and consume your wine in your stateroom?

[cruisegirl1]

If you believe RCCL phone reps - I was just told that the fee applies only to wine brought onto the ship and not C&A wine. I did not ask about gifted wine (from TA or others).

 

Years ago when there was a corkage, there was a story about the top cruiser bringing the "top cruiser champagne" bottle into the dining room and being told there was a corkage. Rumor has it, the passenger told the staff to return it to the sender, the captain.

 

Cheers

M

[BEENSAILING]

Quick question - will your room steward bring you wine glasses if you want to open and consume your wine in your stateroom?

 

Yes. And even a bucket with ice if you bring white wine.

(Bring your own corkscrew...)

[Biker19]

Yes. And even a bucket with ice if you bring white wine.

(Bring your own corkscrew...)

He/she can also get you one of those if needed.;)

[BEENSAILING]

He/she can also get you one of those if needed.;)

 

I am corkscrew challenged so I bring with one I know I can use...

[KelJ]

How could you take a bottle to dinner every night which you brought from home if you are only allowed 2 bottles per stateroom to bring on board? :rolleyes:

 

We pay for our adult children to cruise. The ones who drink buy their own drink packages. We take 2 bottles per cabin. For our December cruise, we have 5 cabins booked. None of them are wine drinkers. We will have 10 bottles for eight nights.

[cruisegirl1]

Quick question - will your room steward bring you wine glasses if you want to open and consume your wine in your stateroom?

 

As noted - yes. However any bartender will give you glasses. We pick a few up the first afternoon. And, our dining room, wait staff always gives us clean glasses if we decide to take our wine bottle back to the cabin. In the past - we have been least successful getting glasses from the cabin attendant.

 

cheers.

M

[uksimonusa]

On Oasis now

Our C&A bottle of wine had a sticker on it asking us to enjoy the gift in any venue without a corkage fee. So they are not charging $15 on the free $10 wine they give you 😁

 

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