Corkage?

[lexus man]

I’ve been looking ahead at some ship excursions out of Adelaide and I was rather surprised to see the following information at the end of the description of a wine tour:

Wine purchased on this tour is exempt from the on-board corkage fee (offer limited to one bottle of wine per person).

Can anybody shed any light on what this on-board corkage fee is?

 

[frantic36]

This sounds rather odd. I have brought wine onboard this year, admittedly my last cruise was in July, and there was no corkage fee onboard.

[Emperor Norton]

I’m thinking they copy pasta’d that from a different cruise line as I’ve never heard of/experienced such a thing. I’ll find out later this week as I’m bringing some of my own wine aboard. 

[twodjs]

Sounds like they cut and pasted from a Holland America excursion.

[saminina]

It's not written by a cruise line.  It is written by the tour operator.  

[JPH814]

Look at it logically: why would a cruise line that provides unlimited “free” wine charge you for not consuming that “free” wine?

[alithecat]

We brought our own wine to dinner, purchased on a local winery tour, a number of years ago.  I recall that Seabourn staff told us they would open the bottle for us but if they poured the wine for us or decanted it, they would have to charge us corkage. Strange policy. Hope they changed it.

[markham]

I sincerely doubt a “corkage fee” would have been applied, and I have sailed with Seabourn for 19 years. No recollection whatsoever. There is no mechanism for it to be processed in any case. That’s like charging for caviar, port shuttles or mask/fin/snorkels on beach days.  No “nickel and dimimg” on Seabourn. Period. Are you thinking of the mass-market lines and their concept of what’s included in the ticket price and service they deliver? Maybe that charge comment was meant as a joke.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

 

Edited November 30, 2019 by markham

[Isklaar]

We have never been charged corkage by Seabourn. We bring a couple of our favourite bottles of wine on every cruise, and indeed more than a couple if we're in good wine country and have purchased locally.

[rols]

7 hours ago, alithecat said:

We brought our own wine to dinner, purchased on a local winery tour, a number of years ago.  I recall that Seabourn staff told us they would open the bottle for us but if they poured the wine for us or decanted it, they would have to charge us corkage. Strange policy. Hope they changed it.

Not our experience ever in over 10 years of sailing Seabourn. The staff have always been happy to open any bottle we brought to the table and pour it for us. Never asked for it to be decanted so I have no idea whether they'd charge for that. They will often also provide 'revenue glasses' for us to drink it out of although that's random and depends on who's serving. 

I believe some eagle-eyed cruise critic member did note a year or so ago that the terms and conditions include a provision for corkage however those terms are likely uniform across all the lines under the company umbrella. 

As has been pointed out, on an all-inclusive line there's rather little point charging people not to consume the included selections. 

[kowhairob]

We were on the Encore in Feb 2018 and made multiple purchases of New Zealand wines as we cruised the Country . Ramone our Sommelier was very helpful and would come to our table and taste the wines we bought and the bring out some of the wines he had purchased on behalf of Seabourn and give us a glass or two to taste . Never had any issues with corkage and as Rols points out it , there's little point charging people not to consume the included selections. 

[Mr Luxury]

Corkage is in the small print to cover themselves if ever they wanted to use it.

The likelihood of it ever happening is very slim.

 

[saminina]

Who is them (themselves)?

Edited December 4, 2019 by saminina

[rols]

9 hours ago, saminina said:

Who is them (themselves)?

The cruise line, Seabourn. 

[saminina]

Really?  I have read 600 pages of Seabourn documents/advertising and could not find  mention of corkage.   

[whogo]

1 hour ago, saminina said:

Really?  I have read 600 pages of Seabourn documents/advertising and could not find  mention of corkage.   

The corkage note shows up on a number of shore excursions, e.g. the Adelaide Fine Wines tour: https://www.seabourn.com/en_US/shore-excursions/ADL/ADL013.html

 

The description is identical to the Holland America tour description: https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/shore-excursions/ADL/10322.html

 

[saminina]

Thanks.....that makes sense.   As Seabourn loses its independent identity month by month.