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Is there a corkage fee when bringing your wine into the MDR?


jasm8449
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We are cruising with our adult children in a couple of months.  They are interested in bringing on board the 2 wine bottle allowance.  My husband and I have never done that.  Are there rules about where the wine must be consumed?   Is there a corkage fee in the MDR?  

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6 minutes ago, jasm8449 said:

We are cruising with our adult children in a couple of months.  They are interested in bringing on board the 2 wine bottle allowance.  My husband and I have never done that.  Are there rules about where the wine must be consumed?   Is there a corkage fee in the MDR?  

Yes there is ..$25 at any bar or MDR ...but you can open it in your room and take a glass with you to dining room etc 

EDIT ...just read above post and if it is now $35 then I apologise ...Last I heard it was still $25

Edited by kasijab
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32 minutes ago, BobbyD said:

Technically yes, but we have never been charged.  You might have different results!

We brought a few bottles over the course of an RCCL Cruise last year into the MDR and were never charged corkage. We had traditional dining but also bought bottles and that may have helped as perhaps they figure you’re more likely to tip extra (and they were getting gratuities on the purchase). I suppose it could be a YMMV situation. 

Edited by gordiej
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15 minutes ago, gordiej said:

We brought a few bottles over the course of an RCCL Cruise last year into the MDR and were never charged corkage. We had traditional dining but also bought bottles and that may have helped as perhaps they figure you’re more likely to tip extra (and they were getting gratuities on the purchase). I suppose it could be a YMMV situation. 

What's your experience on Celebrity? 

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18 hours ago, jasm8449 said:

We are cruising with our adult children in a couple of months.  They are interested in bringing on board the 2 wine bottle allowance.  My husband and I have never done that.  Are there rules about where the wine must be consumed?   Is there a corkage fee in the MDR?  

 

Why not help the kids out and bring your 2 bottle wine allowance aboard for them? That way they'll have 4 to enjoy!🍷

18 hours ago, Gonzo70 said:

Thanks for the correction; I was a Liddle' off; it is $25.

 

$10 seems more than a -liddle-, Gonzo....😇  On HAL the corkage fee was just $18 per bottle. We carried 2 bottles of Emmolo Merlot that was on sale from the EDGE inaugural over to the Nieuw Statendam- worth the schlep especially when the HAL sommelier asked to sample some and gave it high praise!

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13 hours ago, TMLAalum said:

 

Why not help the kids out and bring your 2 bottle wine allowance aboard for them? That way they'll have 4 to enjoy!🍷

 

$10 seems more than a -liddle-, Gonzo....😇  On HAL the corkage fee was just $18 per bottle. We carried 2 bottles of Emmolo Merlot that was on sale from the EDGE inaugural over to the Nieuw Statendam- worth the schlep especially when the HAL sommelier asked to sample some and gave it high praise!

Oh I’m sure that’s the plan!  Between the 3 of them and DH and I that’s 10 bottles! 

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On 9/27/2019 at 9:15 PM, davekathy said:

What's your experience on Celebrity? 

None, though I’m sure it could vary as much between different servers on the same ship, different ships on the same line, and different lines in the same company. Or it could be the same. 

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  • 2 months later...
On 9/27/2019 at 9:15 PM, davekathy said:

What's your experience on Celebrity? 

 

On 9/29/2019 at 11:26 PM, gordiej said:

None, though I’m sure it could vary as much between different servers on the same ship, different ships on the same line, and different lines in the same company. Or it could be the same. 

 

Figured I'd just update my experience with corkage on Celebrity (Equinox, November). We bought two bottles on board (the allowed amount). One night in the MDR the sommelier notified us of the corkage fee, but never charged us.  On our last night in Tuscan, they also notified us of the fee, but we asked them to waive it since we both had beverage packages and could otherwise order "free" wine anyway. She said she'd have to check with the Maitre d'. A few minutes later she comes back and opens/serves the wine. At the end of the meal, we get the bill for the corkage fee. 🤦‍♂️

I should have addressed it there, but didn't want it to be awkward, so figure I'd just go to guest services and have them deal with it. Well, they ended up making the sommelier come down to chat again, so much for avoiding the awkwardness! After insisting it was Celebrity's policy, she got the Maitre d' (who she had to call again) to agree to waive the fee, and they credited it back on the account.

 

After the cruise, I wrote in to Celebrity to complain about the policy. I understand the corkage fee in general, but if we have the beverage package, it doesn't make any sense to charge us $35 to drink our own wine, but $0 to drink the cruise line's wine. 🤷‍♂️ Got a call a few days later, and had a follow-up discussion with a representative who said I made a good point, and while she passed it on to the operational team, there was "some pushback" and she couldn't guarantee the policy would change, certainly not in the immediate future. Fine. If only the airlines would at least pretend they are listening and consider passenger feedback! Lol.

 

Anyone else think it's stupid to charge corkage to passengers on a beverage package? 

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4 hours ago, gordiej said:

 

 

Figured I'd just update my experience with corkage on Celebrity (Equinox, November). We bought two bottles on board (the allowed amount). One night in the MDR the sommelier notified us of the corkage fee, but never charged us.  On our last night in Tuscan, they also notified us of the fee, but we asked them to waive it since we both had beverage packages and could otherwise order "free" wine anyway. She said she'd have to check with the Maitre d'. A few minutes later she comes back and opens/serves the wine. At the end of the meal, we get the bill for the corkage fee. 🤦‍♂️

I should have addressed it there, but didn't want it to be awkward, so figure I'd just go to guest services and have them deal with it. Well, they ended up making the sommelier come down to chat again, so much for avoiding the awkwardness! After insisting it was Celebrity's policy, she got the Maitre d' (who she had to call again) to agree to waive the fee, and they credited it back on the account.

 

After the cruise, I wrote in to Celebrity to complain about the policy. I understand the corkage fee in general, but if we have the beverage package, it doesn't make any sense to charge us $35 to drink our own wine, but $0 to drink the cruise line's wine. 🤷‍♂️ Got a call a few days later, and had a follow-up discussion with a representative who said I made a good point, and while she passed it on to the operational team, there was "some pushback" and she couldn't guarantee the policy would change, certainly not in the immediate future. Fine. If only the airlines would at least pretend they are listening and consider passenger feedback! Lol.

 

Anyone else think it's stupid to charge corkage to passengers on a beverage package? 

 

 

Just some thoughts about potential conflicts....

 

- Did you have classic or premium? If classic, then Celebrity may perceive "lost upgrade" risk

- What if you shared a table with someone without the drink package? Variables might make it difficult to manage.

- I believe there are a fair amount of wine connoisseurs, that do pay Celebrity prices for wine by the bottle (discount offered if on plan) and they would lose this revenue with changed policy

 

 

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1 minute ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

Or if you're going to have a beverage package, why bother taking your own aboard anyway?

Sometimes there are 'vintages' which the ship does not offer which one may want to have for a special dinner or just have in your cabin..

 

I often take a few bottles of wines which I know I will love aboard... either in the MDR, SD or the cabin.

 

Cheers and bon voyage

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6 hours ago, gordiej said:

Anyone else think it's stupid to charge corkage to passengers on a beverage package? 

Not if disclosed, and it is disclosed, so I have the option of accepting the charge or drinking it in my cabin...

 

Cheers and bon voyage

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4 minutes ago, Bo1953 said:

Sometimes there are 'vintages' which the ship does not offer which one may want to have for a special dinner or just have in your cabin..

 

I often take a few bottles of wines which I know I will love aboard... either in the MDR, SD or the cabin.

 

Cheers and bon voyage

 

Thanks for the explanation. I'm not picky enough about wine (other than only reds, please) to worry about it. I only carry my own when I either don't have a package or am on a line that doesn't offer them.

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I bring wine on every cruise. If I take the bottle to the dining room I expect to be charged the $25 corkage fee. I normally just ask my room steward for 2 red wine glasses & consume the wine on our balcony. Our room steward has always brought clean glasses every day. We always get the Bev package, but sometimes I don’t want to leave the cabin (& drinks delivered by room service are not included)

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7 hours ago, gordiej said:

 

 

Figured I'd just update my experience with corkage on Celebrity (Equinox, November). We bought two bottles on board (the allowed amount). One night in the MDR the sommelier notified us of the corkage fee, but never charged us.  On our last night in Tuscan, they also notified us of the fee, but we asked them to waive it since we both had beverage packages and could otherwise order "free" wine anyway. She said she'd have to check with the Maitre d'. A few minutes later she comes back and opens/serves the wine. At the end of the meal, we get the bill for the corkage fee. 🤦‍♂️

I should have addressed it there, but didn't want it to be awkward, so figure I'd just go to guest services and have them deal with it. Well, they ended up making the sommelier come down to chat again, so much for avoiding the awkwardness! After insisting it was Celebrity's policy, she got the Maitre d' (who she had to call again) to agree to waive the fee, and they credited it back on the account.

 

After the cruise, I wrote in to Celebrity to complain about the policy. I understand the corkage fee in general, but if we have the beverage package, it doesn't make any sense to charge us $35 to drink our own wine, but $0 to drink the cruise line's wine. 🤷‍♂️ Got a call a few days later, and had a follow-up discussion with a representative who said I made a good point, and while she passed it on to the operational team, there was "some pushback" and she couldn't guarantee the policy would change, certainly not in the immediate future. Fine. If only the airlines would at least pretend they are listening and consider passenger feedback! Lol.

 

Anyone else think it's stupid to charge corkage to passengers on a beverage package? 

 

While I understand the point you are making. You could also say does anyone else think it's stupid to bring your own wine on when you have a beverage package. I assume you brought it on because you preferred that wine to the options available with the beverage package... and Celebrity knows that. If you prefer other wines to the wines available on your package; then there is still lost revenue by them not having you pay extra for a bottle of wine or an upgraded glass. And that lost revenue is what the corkage fee is meant to capture. IMO, if you knew the policy, not quite sure why you were so stubborn about it. Either keep the wine in your room and bring a glass to dinner with you or be willing to pay the corkage fee.

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