Process of bringing wine on board

[cnspots2]

So I am bringing my own wine on board the Dawn in a few weeks.  Can someone who has done this tell me the process?  
Do I bring it with me when I am checking in as a carry on? 
Can I put it in my suitcase, with a note on it (I'm not trying to sneak it), that says wine inside, please charge corkage fee?

thanks!

[kfnesq]

Put it in your carry on.  There's a table after you go through security, etc. where you pay the corkage fee - super quick and easy.  I wouldn't put it in your suitcase, they will then quarantine your whole suitcase (note or not) and it will take forever to get it. 

[MeHeartCruising]

Agree with kfnesq.  The preferred method is to bring it in your carry on.  Security will likely see it as it goes thru the scanner and they will ask you to take your carry on bag(s) over to a staffed table where the person will write up the paperwork for you.  Sometimes, you get lucky and the staffed table isn't currently staffed.  If that's the case, just keep going, you lucked out.  The person at the table is supposed to examine the bottles to make sure it's a valid wine and they ask for your name and room number and they write it up and give you a copy of a receipt.   They then usually put a sticker on the bottle indicating it has been approved for use on board.  The staff may or may not look for this sticker if you bring the bottle into a public restaurant/location.  The corkage charge will appear on your on-board account a day or two later, often showing up as a charge from a specific bar or restaurant.  It may not specifically indicate it as a corkage charge.  If you place the wine in your checked luggage and the security process "sees" it, they will hold your bag in a secure area and notify you that you must come and get it.  This will hold up the delivery of your baggage contents into the evening of your first day on the ship.  If you have to go get the bag, you will still have to go thru the paperwork to pay for the corkage fee.  

 

I suppose if you're not able to carry it in your carry on, you could do the checked bag approach, but it's usually considered more of a hassle and it runs the risk of bottle breakage due to your bag being tossed around during checkin and loading.

[cnspots2]

THANK YOU!!

[Zippeedee]

Does anyone know if small one serving bottles of champagne are also charged $15? I can't drink a whole bottle in a night (well, shouldn't anyway) and would rather have the small bottles but not at $15 each. Thanks!

[kfnesq]

14 minutes ago, Zippeedee said:

Does anyone know if small one serving bottles of champagne are also charged $15? I can't drink a whole bottle in a night (well, shouldn't anyway) and would rather have the small bottles but not at $15 each. Thanks!

I don't know the answer to that, BUT my recommendation is bring full bottles if you're going to pay anyway and invest $5 in a champagne corker.  It will last several days in the fridge and stay NICE and bubbly (I bring one on every cruise). Search "champagne corker" on Amazon.

 

[Zippeedee]

9 minutes ago, kfnesq said:

I don't know the answer to that, BUT my recommendation is bring full bottles if you're going to pay anyway and invest $5 in a champagne corker.  It will last several days in the fridge and stay NICE and bubbly (I bring one on every cruise). Search "champagne corker" on Amazon.

 

I am so "all or nothing" I never even thought of that. Thanks!!