Wine corking fee

[Bookster99]

Just now, jimbo5544 said:

Bingo. There is your answer.  

I don't have a problem paying the fee. It's fine. 

[Organized Chaos]

7 hours ago, Don Kehote said:

Color me jaded, but I bet that a lot of whether or not they choose to enforce the policy is based on just how much of a hard time the guest with the bottle chooses to give the employee.  For the wage they're paid, we're lucky they smile, let alone take the heaps of abuse some here love to dole out.

 

As we see with user MooNGaTe27's comment at the top of this page, they're willing to put up with a lot of crap and still not charge the corkage fee. Crew are always very eager to please, so behavior like that often is allowed to slide.

 

Regarding your wage comment, cruise ship crew members from places like the Philippines, for example, make a very good wage (even without tips) compared to their home countries. A majority of them will make far more working for a cruise line than they ever could back home. They bust their butts for it, have to be away from home for months at a time, and often do have to put up with unruly passengers, so it is amazing sometimes just how polite and kind they can be.

 

3 hours ago, Bookster99 said:

They charged me for both bottles I brought on board and took to the dining room. They charged me for none of the bottles I won/bought on board.

 

They didn't charge you for the bottles that you bought on board because, well, you bought them on board. The corkage fee helps compensate their "loss" for allowing passengers to drink from a bottle that wasn't purchased from Carnival.

[Bookster99]

Just now, Organized Chaos said:

 

As we see with user MooNGaTe27's comment at the top of this page, they're willing to put up with a lot of crap and still not charge the corkage fee. Crew are always very eager to please, so behavior like that often is allowed to slide.

 

Regarding your wage comment, cruise ship crew members from places like the Philippines, for example, make a very good wage (even without tips) compared to their home countries. A majority of them will make far more working for a cruise line than they ever could back home. They bust their butts for it, have to be away from home for months at a time, and often do have to put up with unruly passengers, so it is amazing sometimes just how polite and kind they can be.

 

 

They didn't charge you for the bottles that you bought on board because, well, you bought them on board. The corkage fee helps compensate their "loss" for allowing passengers to drink from a bottle that wasn't purchased from Carnival.

Of course. Absolutely. And I'm happy to pay the fees.

[coevan]

3 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Or if the grats are in place or if the return guest has a history of pulling tips

 

 

and you really think a server knows who pulls tips or who add tips?

[Organized Chaos]

10 minutes ago, Bookster99 said:

Of course. Absolutely. And I'm happy to pay the fees.

 

I would too, if I drank wine. My wife does, but she just takes a glass to the MDR because she's not going to drink a whole bottle by herself in one sitting.

 

6 minutes ago, coevan said:

and you really think a server knows who pulls tips or who add tips?

 

I was thinking the same thing. We agreed on something, this is uncharted territory.

[coevan]

I was worried when you quoted me, thought, what did I say wrong now 😁

[jimbo5544]

1 hour ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

I would too, if I drank wine. My wife does, but she just takes a glass to the MDR because she's not going to drink a whole bottle by herself in one sitting.

 

 

I was thinking the same thing. We agreed on something, this is uncharted territory.

While certainly not a practice, certainly not uncharted territory.

[Elaine5715]

3 hours ago, coevan said:

 

 

and you really think a server knows who pulls tips or who add tips?

Absolutely...they live with the folks at Guest Services

[jimbo5544]

Ask John Heald if they share who pulls tips down to the server level.

[jdcml]

It would be interesting to see a couple of things that are variables in this equation...

Are the fees charged more regularly to the Your Time guests that don't have an established server?  While it doesn't apply to everyone, a lot of early/late diners will add some extra grat at the end of the trip.  Banking on not noticing the bottle or charging the fee may be offset for those people that you have a regular ongoing appreciative relationship with each night.  A Your Time that may never see you again doesn't have the same vested interest and just follows the rules maybe?

Each ship as a different maitre'd and the rules they apply are likely different from ship to ship.  Some probably have a much tighter policy because it is in fact the company rule and they choose to follow it.  If servers don't follow it and they are noticed there could be some other ramifications or if nothing else the hassle of having to explain why they didn't charge the fee.  For those that are looser and maybe more 'customer service' oriented then the wait staff may not worry that someone is looking over their shoulder to see if they are charging the fees or not.

In the grand scheme (and its all just conjecture), if you have a regular server and they don't charge the $15 there is a chance you'll kick a little more their way as an appreciation.  If someone does charge the rule, because that is what they are supposed to do, who do you take it out on, the messenger.  No, you may not pull $15 off your prepaids, but you won't leave any extra either.  Kinda like the charge for extra blue cheese at a wing place... the server can go grab it from the cooler and everyone is happy, or they can charge you $1.25 for it and that's the last thing you notice before you leave the gratuity. 

[Don Kehote]

19 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

Regarding your wage comment, cruise ship crew members from places like the Philippines, for example, make a very good wage (even without tips) compared to their home countries. A majority of them will make far more working for a cruise line than they ever could back home. They bust their butts for it, have to be away from home for months at a time, and often do have to put up with unruly passengers, so it is amazing sometimes just how polite and kind they can be.

 

There is no question that their pay can be better aboard the ship than it can be at home.  However, I question the validity behind the reasoning that they are as happy to cheerfully serve someone who is hostile as they are to cheerfully serve someone who is kind to them.  Perhaps the facade of a forced smile is enough to convince you that all is well and good?  

[jimbo5544]

38 minutes ago, Don Kehote said:

 

There is no question that their pay can be better aboard the ship than it can be at home.  However, I question the validity behind the reasoning that they are as happy to cheerfully serve someone who is hostile as they are to cheerfully serve someone who is kind to them.  Perhaps the facade of a forced smile is enough to convince you that all is well and good?  

I am at a loss, what does this have to do with wine corkage?

[Saint Greg]

There's no cork in barefoot pink moscato.

[Elaine5715]

28 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

I am at a loss, what does this have to do with wine corkage?

It doesn't, just another way to "stick it" to those who are doing their jobs correctly.  

[Normie22]

On our last cruise we requested for our room steward to supply us with wine glasses (which they did every day) and we just brought our full glasses to the table for dinner. No issues. Two glasses held almost a full bottle of wine 😄

[pacruise804]

On 11/12/2019 at 7:01 PM, coevan said:

what service if they are not opening your wine?  

I also think "service" is a poor choice of word by the previous poster.  The value/benefit provided for the $15 is to have a wine of your choice outside of your cabin.

 

50 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

There's no cork in barefoot pink moscato.

"Corkage" fee is also probably a poor word choice since it has nothing to do with a cork.

 

Here is one definition from a quick google search:

Corkage is the fee that restaurants charge customers who bring their own wine to a restaurant. If you sell wine, you know that it's highly profitable for your restaurant, and it's not unreasonable to charge a corkage fee to make up for lost profits if you're going to allow diners to bring their own.

 

@Bookster99, I don't understand why others are questioning you.  I read your posts as an explanation of policy (and how it applied to you), not you questioning policy.

[Bookster99]

49 minutes ago, pacruise804 said:

I also think "service" is a poor choice of word by the previous poster.  The value/benefit provided for the $15 is to have a wine of your choice outside of your cabin.

 

"Corkage" fee is also probably a poor word choice since it has nothing to do with a cork.

 

Here is one definition from a quick google search:

Corkage is the fee that restaurants charge customers who bring their own wine to a restaurant. If you sell wine, you know that it's highly profitable for your restaurant, and it's not unreasonable to charge a corkage fee to make up for lost profits if you're going to allow diners to bring their own.

 

@Bookster99, I don't understand why others are questioning you.  I read your posts as an explanation of policy (and how it applied to you), not you questioning policy.

I absolutely don't mind. I think I may have been confused with the OP. I just want to have a great cruise. Getting charged a corking fee isn't going to affect me one way or the other.

[Joe817]

52 minutes ago, pacruise804 said:

I also think "service" is a poor choice of word by the previous poster.  The value/benefit provided for the $15 is to have a wine of your choice outside of your cabin.

 

"Corkage" fee is also probably a poor word choice since it has nothing to do with a cork.

 

Here is one definition from a quick google search:

Corkage is the fee that restaurants charge customers who bring their own wine to a restaurant. If you sell wine, you know that it's highly profitable for your restaurant, and it's not unreasonable to charge a corkage fee to make up for lost profits if you're going to allow diners to bring their own.

 

@Bookster99, I don't understand why others are questioning you.  I read your posts as an explanation of policy (and how it applied to you), not you questioning policy.

Ahhhhh, I get it now! Thanks for the explanation pacruise804. It's really a "BYOB for wine" surcharge.

[Organized Chaos]

1 hour ago, pacruise804 said:

I also think "service" is a poor choice of word by the previous poster.  The value/benefit provided for the $15 is to have a wine of your choice outside of your cabin.

 

"Corkage" fee is also probably a poor word choice since it has nothing to do with a cork.

 

Here is one definition from a quick google search:

Corkage is the fee that restaurants charge customers who bring their own wine to a restaurant. If you sell wine, you know that it's highly profitable for your restaurant, and it's not unreasonable to charge a corkage fee to make up for lost profits if you're going to allow diners to bring their own.

 

My guess is that it's a term that got its origins back who knows when and has simply been adopted by businesses and carried on over the years. A bit misleading. But then again, we park on a driveway and drive on a parkway. 😁

 

22 minutes ago, Bookster99 said:

I absolutely don't mind. I think I may have been confused with the OP. I just want to have a great cruise. Getting charged a corking fee isn't going to affect me one way or the other.

 

For the record, I was never questioning you. When you commented that you were charged for the bottles your brought with you, but never for the bottles you bought onboard, I guess in my head, it registered as a question when it really wasn't, so I offered an explanation. I apologize for misunderstanding you.

[Bookster99]

47 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

My guess is that it's a term that got its origins back who knows when and has simply been adopted by businesses and carried on over the years. A bit misleading. But then again, we park on a driveway and drive on a parkway. 😁

 

 

For the record, I was never questioning you. When you commented that you were charged for the bottles your brought with you, but never for the bottles you bought onboard, I guess in my head, it registered as a question when it really wasn't, so I offered an explanation. I apologize for misunderstanding you.

No apology necessary. For someone else considering this issue, your comments were absolutely necessary.

[simplelife]

On 11/12/2019 at 9:08 PM, Bookster99 said:

I haven't had the experience of bringing in the open bottle. I have only been charged a corking fee for wine brought from home, and I just pay it if it's charged. There is no corking fee for wine bought on the ship.

if you get your wine at a good price, even if they charge the $15, you still  save over buying a bottle of wine at ship's prices. AND you get ot drink wine you really like

[jimbo5544]

11 hours ago, simplelife said:

if you get your wine at a good price, even if they charge the $15, you still  save over buying a bottle of wine at ship's prices. AND you get ot drink wine you really like

Of course you are referring to the one bottle per persom]n you are allowed to carryon.

[Bookster99]

17 hours ago, simplelife said:

if you get your wine at a good price, even if they charge the $15, you still  save over buying a bottle of wine at ship's prices. AND you get ot drink wine you really like

Works every time. Great use of Two Buck Chuck!

[Florida Paesano]

On 11/12/2019 at 1:01 PM, Schoifmom said:

Pro Tip:  When carrying on wine, bring a brand that Carnival offers.  If you carry your bottle into the MDR, they don't know if you carried it on or if you purchased it from the Fun Shops.  If it is a brand that Carnival carries = no corkage fee.  

We received a bottle from the Fun Shops that had been sent to us as a gift and were charged the corkage fee.  I explained that it was purchased from the Fun Shops as a gift and even happened to have the gift card that accompanied the bottle but that didn't matter.  FWIW, our status did not matter either as they clearly saw our Sail and Sign card when they took it to charge the fee.  I can understand the corkage fee if I had brought my own bottle. However, I am not in agreement with being charged the corkage fee for a bottle that had been purchased through the Fun Shops.  To me that was just tacky and nothing but corporate greed. Upon returning home, I spread the word no more Fun Shop gifts for me as a sender or recipient.   

[coevan]

9 minutes ago, Florida Paesano said:

However, I am not in agreement with being charged the corkage fee for a bottle that had been purchased through the Fun Shops. 

 

 

They don't charge corkage fees for bottles bought on board. We have never been charged a corkage fee even with wine brought on board.