Taking wine on board Princess.

[MicCanberra]

2 hours ago, lolo11 said:

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

It is likely to be similar. Security is usually done by the port staff while the wine table is done by cruise staff.

[OzKiwiJJ]

4 hours ago, lolo11 said:

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

I think so. I recall seeing a table just after the security screening area when we stopped in Auckland last month on Sea Princess. It was an embarkation port for some as well as a transit port for the rest of us.

 

At ports that weren't embarkation ports there was a table just past the security screening on the ship where they dealt with wine brought onboard.

[NSWP]

On 10/31/2019 at 3:26 PM, MicCanberra said:

It is likely to be similar. Security is usually done by the port staff while the wine table is done by cruise staff.

Food and Beverage staff do the booze enforcement/confiscation.  All about the ship's F&B mob reaching their sales targets.

[MicCanberra]

1 hour ago, NSWP said:

Food and Beverage staff do the booze enforcement/confiscation.  All about the ship's F&B mob reaching their sales targets.

Yep, they need to hit their targets.

[NeilonBoard]

We are on Majestic Princess from Sydney to Singapore in February and were intending to embark in Sydney with 2 bottles of wine. Does that mean we can bring on another 2 bottles in Hobart, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. I imagine the first 2 bottles in Sydney would be corkage free but I guess I would have to pay the corkage on anything purchased in the later ports after that. Buying a couple at a time in each port seems easier than lugging a carton on in Sydney.

[Aus Traveller]

42 minutes ago, NeilonBoard said:

We are on Majestic Princess from Sydney to Singapore in February and were intending to embark in Sydney with 2 bottles of wine. Does that mean we can bring on another 2 bottles in Hobart, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. I imagine the first 2 bottles in Sydney would be corkage free but I guess I would have to pay the corkage on anything purchased in the later ports after that. Buying a couple at a time in each port seems easier than lugging a carton on in Sydney.

Yes - the two bottles you bring on in Sydney will be corkage free. Additional bottles will have the AUD$15 corkage charge. You can bring wine on at the other ports. The corkage fee should be charged on those bottles, but sometimes it isn't.😊

[NeilonBoard]

27 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Yes - the two bottles you bring on in Sydney will be corkage free. Additional bottles will have the AUD$15 corkage charge. You can bring wine on at the other ports. The corkage fee should be charged on those bottles, but sometimes it isn't.😊

Thank you - I am more than happy to pay the $15 corkage on wines of my choice especially in wine regions like Adelaide and Margaret River. This still works out cheaper than paying upwards of $42 on board for bottles of the usual entry level brands that retail for $10.99 at Dan Murphys.

[MicCanberra]

Sometimes the enforcement of the policy is random, other times not.

[adelaidefc]

On 11/4/2019 at 5:19 PM, Aus Traveller said:

Yes - the two bottles you bring on in Sydney will be corkage free.😊

 

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but seemed easier than starting a new one.

 

Does this mean I can drink my two "corkage free" bottles in the dining room (with the staff keeping any leftover for the next night)? Should I still get them stamped at the alcohol table when boarding then?

Or if I want them outside the room I'll have to pay the $15 each to get them stamped? Thanks!

[GUT2407]

1 hour ago, adelaidefc said:

 

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but seemed easier than starting a new one.

 

Does this mean I can drink my two "corkage free" bottles in the dining room (with the staff keeping any leftover for the next night)? Should I still get them stamped at the alcohol table when boarding then?

Or if I want them outside the room I'll have to pay the $15 each to get them stamped? Thanks!

No the “free” bottles are for consumption in your cabin, though many take a glass full to the MDR

[NSWP]

15 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

No the “free” bottles are for consumption in your cabin, though many take a glass full to the MDR

And I have seen those bringing glasses of wine from their cabin into MDR's getting the evil stare from the head waiters/Maitre'D at the MDR door.  No Uncle Les does not do it, I am thrifty but not super tight.👺🍷

[GUT2407]

6 minutes ago, NSWP said:

And I have seen those bringing glasses of wine from their cabin into MDR's getting the evil stare from the head waiters/Maitre'D at the MDR door.  No Uncle Les does not do it, I am thrifty but not super tight.👺🍷

I don’t either but I know many do. However you would be lucky to see me anywhere on a cruise without a Diet Coke in hand, and some on CC say it is rude for me to walk around with a drink in hand.

[Russell21]

3 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

I don’t either but I know many do. However you would be lucky to see me anywhere on a cruise without a Diet Coke in hand, and some on CC say it is rude for me to walk around with a drink in hand.

I don't know about it being rude but I've occasionally notice people who are having trouble walking around with a drink in their hand, not the Gut I'm sure. 😂

[GUT2407]

18 minutes ago, Russell21 said:

I don't know about it being rude but I've occasionally notice people who are having trouble walking around with a drink in their hand, not the Gut I'm sure. 😂

No gut gas trouble walking around. FULL STOP.

[NeilonBoard]

On 12/2/2019 at 11:58 AM, NSWP said:

And I have seen those bringing glasses of wine from their cabin into MDR's getting the evil stare from the head waiters/Maitre'D at the MDR door.  No Uncle Les does not do it, I am thrifty but not super tight.👺🍷

If you bring a full glass of wine to the MDR how can the waiters/maitre'd know whether it's come from your cabin or purchased from one of the many bars on the way to dinner. 

[patch nine]

20 minutes ago, NeilonBoard said:

If you bring a full glass of wine to the MDR how can the waiters/maitre'd know whether it's come from your cabin or purchased from one of the many bars on the way to dinner. 

Yes on a cruise last year the restaurant ran out of Sauvignon Blanc after about 4 days yet Crooners still had it for sale by the glass so we would buy a glass each just before dinner and carry it in.  Usually the hostess would hold the glasses while we sanitised our hands and then give them to the waiter to carry to our table for us.  

[NSWP]

16 hours ago, NeilonBoard said:

If you bring a full glass of wine to the MDR how can the waiters/maitre'd know whether it's come from your cabin or purchased from one of the many bars on the way to dinner. 

On Princess ships, wine glasses issued to your cabin differ in shape/size to the ones you are served with in MDR and bars.  The staff can tell the difference. Of course the 'Smarties'   just get a couple of glasses from the bars and fill them in their cabin with their byo wine then take them around the ship, into the bars, into the MDR/Buffet etc.

 

Uncle Les knows all this after 22 Princess cruises and a few more on other Lines.  I used to be a detective you know.😁

Edited December 3, 2019 by NSWP

[Russell21]

It all boils down to how much you value your own personal integrity, in my 75 years I've seen many people who don't appear to value it very much.

A classic example was relate to me by my Daughter inlaw, who is a headmaster. Parents called up to school due to son stealing other pupil's pens. Father says he can't understand why as he brings plenty home from where he works.

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, Russell21 said:

It all boils down to how much you value your own personal integrity, in my 75 years I've seen many people who don't appear to value it very much.

A classic example was relate to me by my Daughter inlaw, who is a headmaster. Parents called up to school due to son stealing other pupil's pens. Father says he can't understand why as he brings plenty home from where he works.

A classic case of 'Penophilia.'  at family strength.😮

[adelaidefc]

$15 corkage is pretty reasonable to me given they'll look after the wine between services and I don't have worry about the hassle of carrying my drink around the ship. And of course can then have another glass in the same meal easily!

Can I pay the corkage onboard if I'm not sure if I want to open the bottle in the MDR or in room?

[patch nine]

9 hours ago, adelaidefc said:

$15 corkage is pretty reasonable to me given they'll look after the wine between services and I don't have worry about the hassle of carrying my drink around the ship. And of course can then have another glass in the same meal easily!

Can I pay the corkage onboard if I'm not sure if I want to open the bottle in the MDR or in room?

On our last cruise we each took a bottle on in addition to our "free" one and paid the corkage on embarkation.  We then purchased more at one of our ports and there was no one checking at the gangplank so we just took it on and then when we took the wine to the dining room the waiter charged us for the corkage there.  Had we drank it in our room we wouldnt have been charged.

[Russell21]

1 hour ago, patch nine said:

On our last cruise we each took a bottle on in addition to our "free" one and paid the corkage on embarkation.  We then purchased more at one of our ports and there was no one checking at the gangplank so we just took it on and then when we took the wine to the dining room the waiter charged us for the corkage there.  Had we drank it in our room we wouldnt have been charged.

Obviously there is some flexibility on a ship to ship basis about alcohol purchased on shore during the cruise. The following is extracted copy and paste from the latest Passage Contract with Princess.

 

Bringing Alcohol Onboard On the day of embarkation, guests are permitted to bring one 750ml (no larger) bottle of wine
or champagne onboard per voyage, which will not be subject to a corkage fee if consumed in Your stateroom. Additional wine or champagne bottles are welcome, but will incur a $15 corkage fee each, irrespective of where they are intended to be consumed. Liquor, spirits, or beers are not permitted. Any beverages purchased during the cruise at any port of call will be collected at the gangway for safekeeping and will be delivered to Your stateroom on the last day of the cruise. Princess Cruises is not responsible for any alcoholic beverages confiscated by local security staff. These items are not eligible for monetary refund or replacement.

[patch nine]

Not sure whether it makes a difference but the port where we brought our wine on with no checking was a tender port.  At a later port we did see the alcohol table set up just past the security screening.

[NSWP]

23 hours ago, patch nine said:

Not sure whether it makes a difference but the port where we brought our wine on with no checking was a tender port.  At a later port we did see the alcohol table set up just past the security screening.

As I have said before, no consistency in enforcement, that makes it hard for us wine lovers who don't want to pay a motza for everyday quaffers.

[Rassa]

Arrived back from our Emerald Princess 29 day cruise.   The cask in my husband's case got through and he drank the contents in our cabin.   We also were allowed to take a bottle through that he had bought at the embarkation port but because he brought a package of wine bottles, we didn't need to take it to the dining room and he brought it back home.  He drank the 4 bottles of beer from being elite in the dining room.   He drank a further 4 bottles of beer swapped with another elite member for our fizzy drinks (which we don't drink) therefore he took 8 bottles of beer into the dining room.   At every port, there was a table of drinks that were collected from passengers and which were to be returned at the end of the cruise - so there was no sneaking any wine bottles on. 

 

The cruise was 2 cruises together, but was taken up by us as one cruise.   We turned elite in the first cruise but were given elite benefits in the second cruise,  usually a no no but we were encouraged to ask anyway.

 

Thanks for all the tips.