Taking wine on board Princess.

[Aus Traveller]

3 hours ago, NSWP said:

I would like to take a dozen bottles of vino on board Majestic Princess on Feb 12, to Singapore.  I will think about it. 

The price of wine on the new wine list on Princess, makes taking your own a more attractive prospect. Someone posted the current price list. Bottles start at $42, but of course they may not have any of that one in stock or it might not be the variety that appeals. The next cheapest is $45.😒 At least P&O have wine at a reasonable price, starting at $30 for quite drinkable wine.

[MicCanberra]

2 hours ago, modernmind said:

Yes, Bainbridge Island is just 35 minutes to Seattle via car ferry.

Nice,

[MicCanberra]

1 hour ago, Aus Traveller said:

The price of wine on the new wine list on Princess, makes taking your own a more attractive prospect. Someone posted the current price list. Bottles start at $42, but of course they may not have any of that one in stock or it might not be the variety that appeals. The next cheapest is $45.😒 At least P&O have wine at a reasonable price, starting at $30 for quite drinkable wine.

Agreed, I think that comparing the lines is fruitless as Princess is a better line than P&O and the prices reflect that. Personally, I don't mind P&O for what it is and what it offers, for me is a fun, and cheaper cruise.

[Aus Traveller]

59 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Agreed, I think that comparing the lines is fruitless as Princess is a better line than P&O and the prices reflect that. Personally, I don't mind P&O for what it is and what it offers, for me is a fun, and cheaper cruise.

I agree with your comments.

 

You went on the Pacific Aria cruise to New Guinea, so you can make up-to-date comments. My Pacific Dawn cruise was a few weeks later.

[Russell21]

13 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Agreed, I think that comparing the lines is fruitless as Princess is a better line than P&O and the prices reflect that. Personally, I don't mind P&O for what it is and what it offers, for me is a fun, and cheaper cruise.

 

12 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

I agree with your comments.

 

 

Contrary to the opinion I had formed prior to actually taking a P&O cruise, having taken a cruise with them I also agree with your comments.

[GUT2407]

16 hours ago, NSWP said:

Real mean, one trip on P&O Straya was enough for this little black duck and I am no cruise snob.

I won’t say never again, but it would take a bit to get me to sail with them again, just not my cup of tea at all.

[lyndarra]

While on the topic of taking wine on board, has anyone here have experience, or knowledge, of taking wine on board MSC? I think I read somewhere it is different in Europe, Mediterranean in particular.

[Rassa]

20 hours ago, NSWP said:

I would like to take a dozen bottles of vino on board Majestic Princess on Feb 12, to Singapore.  I will think about it.  Before they clamped down, we took a few 2 litre wine casks for medicinal purposes, very handy.  A 750ml bottle each is a bit mean.  On P&O UK you can take on a litre of spirits each, no corkage.

 

So can they see the wine casks in your luggage when they scan you bag and the bag ends up in the naughty room?  So no wine cask for husband on our transatlantic.

 

What about buying a couple of bottles in ports along the way?   People have said they got away with paying the corkage, even at the table.   I am fine with paying corkage at the table but husband was hoping to take a cask to drink in the cabin.

[NSWP]

5 hours ago, Rassa said:

 

So can they see the wine casks in your luggage when they scan you bag and the bag ends up in the naughty room?  So no wine cask for husband on our transatlantic.

 

What about buying a couple of bottles in ports along the way?   People have said they got away with paying the corkage, even at the table.   I am fine with paying corkage at the table but husband was hoping to take a cask to drink in the cabin.

The level of enforcement varies from ship to ship.  I have heard of pax 'tipping' their table waters for them to turn a blind eye to wine coming into the Dining Room with no corkage label on them.  That in my view is just plain bribery and encouraging unethical conduct by crew.   As for X rays, they sure can pick up wine casks, bottles etc in your baggage.  Again bringing on bottles of wine and not paying corkage at ports along the way, level of enforcement varies.  We do most of our cruising away from Australia and the Alcohol Police seem a little more tolerant than those in Australian based ships.  I trust I have explained it ok.

Edited October 16, 2019 by NSWP

[GUT2407]

21 minutes ago, NSWP said:

The level of enforcement varies from ship to ship.  I have heard of pax 'tipping' their table waters for them to turn a blind eye to wine coming into the Dining Room with no corkage label on them.  That in my view is just plain bribery and encouraging unethical conduct by crew.   As for X rays, they sure can pick up wine casks, bottles etc in your baggage.  Again bringing on bottles of wine and not paying corkage at ports along the way, level of enforcement varies.  We do most of our cruising away from Australia and the Alcohol Police seem a little more tolerant than those in Australian based ships.  I trust I have explained it ok.

The only consistency is the inconsistency 

[Rassa]

Thank you Les and Gut and my husband has decided on reading your answers that he will take a chance in overseas waters and take the cask.....and I was trying to talk him out of it.   I guess I can let you know after the event whether the cask returns home or not!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MicCanberra]

Good luck.

[NSWP]

On 10/16/2019 at 3:42 PM, Rassa said:

Thank you Les and Gut and my husband has decided on reading your answers that he will take a chance in overseas waters and take the cask.....and I was trying to talk him out of it.   I guess I can let you know after the event whether the cask returns home or not!!!!!!!!!!!!

No worries, pleased to help. Good luck and enjoy your cruise !!

[Calabazar]

On 10/15/2019 at 12:06 PM, Aus Traveller said:

I am planning on doing this on our next couple of cruises where we don't have to fly to the embarkation port. I will split our wine stock between our two wheel-along hand luggage cases, even if I have to put a few lighter items (medications etc) in a large shoulder bag.

This is exactly what we do. Six bottles each in our cabin bag, even when we are flying to the port. Too easy 😉

[temani]

Hi everyone

Sorry to be a bit late to this topic but I would welcome any advice.

We are cruising Sapphire Princess Singapore-Singapore next January, which is fifteen nights. We have not sailed with Princess previously, only Celebrity, where we were lucky to have had the included Classic drink package. When we looked at the Premium package price on our Princess Personaliser today it was AUD99.11 each per day!  We have decided that it's too expensive and we'll just buy our wine by the glass onboard. We don't know where to find a current list of drink prices on this ship and would appreciate a link from someone if there is one posted on CC.

We are also thinking of taking an extra two bottles of wine onboard at Singapore (having read about that idea here) and paying the corkage, although at the moment we have no idea of bottled wine prices there. We might have to stick with our two carry-on bottles from Oz.

Many thanks

Tessa

[Aus Traveller]

6 minutes ago, temani said:

Hi everyone

Sorry to be a bit late to this topic but I would welcome any advice.

We are cruising Sapphire Princess Singapore-Singapore next January, which is fifteen nights. We have not sailed with Princess previously, only Celebrity, where we were lucky to have had the included Classic drink package. When we looked at the Premium package price on our Princess Personaliser today it was AUD99.11 each per day!  We have decided that it's too expensive and we'll just buy our wine by the glass onboard. We don't know where to find a current list of drink prices on this ship and would appreciate a link from someone if there is one posted on CC.

We are also thinking of taking an extra two bottles of wine onboard at Singapore (having read about that idea here) and paying the corkage, although at the moment we have no idea of bottled wine prices there. We might have to stick with our two carry-on bottles from Oz.

Many thanks

Tessa

As you will be on an international flight to Singapore, you would have to pack any wine (very carefully) in your check-in luggage. There is a limit on how much wine you can take into Singapore duty free. You can each have 2 litres. You can buy wine duty free at the airport. It would be included in your duty free allowance. 

 

There are wine shops in Singapore, but don't expect prices like Dan Murphy's.😊 Even if you pay SGD20 - 30 (plus US$15 corkage) it would still be cheaper than on the ship. I have seen the US drinks list. From memory, bottles start at US$32 + 18% gratuity (US$37.76 = AUD$53 approx).

[bvm49]

On 10/16/2019 at 2:42 PM, Rassa said:

Thank you Les and Gut and my husband has decided on reading your answers that he will take a chance in overseas waters and take the cask.....and I was trying to talk him out of it.   I guess I can let you know after the event whether the cask returns home or not!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've never had any problem taking cask wine in my checked luggage - they're told to look for bottles. On my last cruise the person delivering our suitcase to our cabin commented on how heavy it was - I didn't tell him there was a 5 litre cask in it!

[bvm49]

1 hour ago, temani said:

Hi everyone

Sorry to be a bit late to this topic but I would welcome any advice.

We are cruising Sapphire Princess Singapore-Singapore next January, which is fifteen nights. We have not sailed with Princess previously, only Celebrity, where we were lucky to have had the included Classic drink package. When we looked at the Premium package price on our Princess Personaliser today it was AUD99.11 each per day!  We have decided that it's too expensive and we'll just buy our wine by the glass onboard. We don't know where to find a current list of drink prices on this ship and would appreciate a link from someone if there is one posted on CC.

We are also thinking of taking an extra two bottles of wine onboard at Singapore (having read about that idea here) and paying the corkage, although at the moment we have no idea of bottled wine prices there. We might have to stick with our two carry-on bottles from Oz.

Many thanks

Tessa

The cheapest wine we found was about S$15 at NTUC FairPrice Co-Operative which is a supermarket chain in Singapore. Unfortunately you can't get cask wine in Singapore.

[MicCanberra]

Plenty of wine shops in the Singapore, also one in the Central cruise terminal, I am not sure about the Marina Bay terminal though.

There are some drink prices in this thread. - 

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

3 hours ago, temani said:

We have decided that it's too expensive and we'll just buy our wine by the glass onboard. We don't know where to find a current list of drink prices on this ship and would appreciate a link from someone if there is one posted on CC.

This is the USD wine list.There will be an 18% gratuity added to the prices listed. https://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/ships-and-experience/food-and-dining/beverages/Wine-Menu.pdf

 

Buying by the glass is an expensive way to buy wine if you intend having more than one glass. The pours by the glass are 150ml, so 5 glasses to a bottle. So the Mionetto Prosecco at $10 a glass would cost $59 including gratuity for five glasses ($10 x 18% x 5) but would only cost $44.84 including gratuity if you buy it by the bottle. The waiters will store unfinished wines for you until the next night or you can take the bottles back to your cabin. We usually have two bottles on the go each night - one red and one white - and try to choose wines that are flexible as to what foods they match.

[temani]

Aus Traveller,  bvm49, Mic, OzKiwiJJ

 

Thank you so much for your very helpful replies. Bottles only for us now!

 

Tessa

[MicCanberra]

 

Enjoy.

[lolo11]

On 10/14/2019 at 1:18 AM, OzKiwiJJ said:

Once you go through the security screening you'll see a table in front of you where you declare your wine, pay the corkage and get the stickers. You can't miss it.

Does anyone know if this is the same procedure in Auckland on Princess?

[Russell21]

Do you have to put the wine through the security screening process as well?

 

[GUT2407]

2 minutes ago, Russell21 said:

Do you have to put the wine through the security screening process as well?

 

Yes.