How does the corkage work?

[ParrotRob]

#17: You're missing the point. The previous poster spoke about the fact that when they brought wine on board, they took it to dinner and were charged the corkage fee, but then Carnival refused to store the wine, while they had no issue storing wine purchased by them onboard. In other words, they took the fee but didn't provide the requested service. Personally, I have no issue paying the fee, but would want to make sure I got the service I was paying for.

 

Now Carnival can sometimes be pretty inconsistent, so it could be just a once off experience with bar staff who didn't know the rules.....per #18, it can be done right.

 

"Corkage" does not mean they store the wine for you, Corkage is the fee a restaurant charges for you to bring your own wine. It has nothing to do with storage or the type of top it has. So yes, simply bringing your own wine may incur a corkage fee, regardless of whether they store it or not.

[CruiseGal999]

I’m confused. People open a bottle of wine for dinner and don’t finish it? Is that legal?

 

 

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Not legal in my world!

[BlerkOne]

I’m confused. People open a bottle of wine for dinner and don’t finish it? Is that legal?

 

 

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Leftover wine is an oxymoron.

[maryred]

I haven't cruised on Carnival in decades. Do they allow the same as other CL? You are allowed to bring 1 bottle each adult on board FREE (no corkage fee), but ONLY charge the $15 fee if you have it open & poured in the MDR?

 

Otherwise, the keeping it in your room and pouring it in a glass and taking that glass with you ... anywhere on board, is all on the up & up? Correct?

 

IF doing that is acceptable, that's what I would do. Actually, on a different CL, I plan on doing exactly that. And I don't consider myself cheap, at all.

 

Yes it is acceptable by the standards of many cruise lines but not all. NCL will charge you the corkage as you are checking-in at the terminal (at least they do in NYC). To them it seems it doesn't matter if you never take the bottle to one of their restaurants, just taking it on board triggers the charge.

[simplelife]

I carry on wine every cruise. I have handled it various way depending on circumstances. I like a glass of wine with dinner and sometimes one after dinner. Last cruise I simply filled a glass in my cabin and carried it to dinner, a club, etc. Worked fine for me.

Other posters are correct that "corkage" has nothing to do with whether the wine has a cork - it is the established term in the restaurant industry for the privilege of an establishment serving wine that was not bought there. You are offsetting lost profits.

On some cruises, I have won or been gifted free bottles on the ship - sometimes I ask he MDR staff to serve it at our table. They bring a bucket to chill it is necessary and serve it. They have not charged me a fee in those cases (I suppose since it came from the ship)

[elcuchio24]

We always bring wine, some on carry one and a few El Cheapo bottles in the checked luggage. That way if they find/take them, who cares. On the flip side, we typically just drink those bottles in our room, and will just buy a bottle or by the glass in the MDR.