Bringing wine on board vs wine packages

[pmjnh]

I am aware that HAL allows wine to be brought on board and we pay a $20 corkage fee per each bottle. 
Can you bring a bottle of the wine we bring aboard to the dining room for them to keep for you for dinners as well as in your stateroom?

 

i know that the 4 bottle wine package is pricey , however, on an 18 day cruise, when a glass of wine with service charge could be upwards of $15, this makes the wine package much less pricey than buying one or two glasses  each night at dinner. But ultimately buying the wine at a store prior to boarding is the cheapest, but most inconvenient way to do it.

[CruiserBruce]

Yes, if you have paid the $20, you can bring the bottle to the MDR, and they will take care of it.

[rkacruiser]

Wine packages are the way to go as long as at least some of the wines in the package are acceptable for you.  If available, I will sometimes order a bottle of wine outside the package that I particularly enjoy.  That bottle can be stored in the Bar where it is ordered and can then be retrieved when one wants it wherever one is.  (One caveat, however.  If the wine is stored in a Bar that is not open, the wine may not be able to be retrieved until that Bar is open.)  

[DaveOKC]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

Wine packages are the way to go as long as at least some of the wines in the package are acceptable for you.  If available, I will sometimes order a bottle of wine outside the package that I particularly enjoy.  That bottle can be stored in the Bar where it is ordered and can then be retrieved when one wants it wherever one is.  (One caveat, however.  If the wine is stored in a Bar that is not open, the wine may not be able to be retrieved until that Bar is open.)  

You can take full or partial bottles back to your cabin with you (from the package).

[cruzin4us]

I personally don't care for the wines in the wines in the package.   If you look them up online most are $10-12 bottles of wine I can find in the grocery store.     I'd rather add the corkage fee to my $25 bottle of wine because at least I know I'll like it.    (yes, I'm a wine snob). 🙂

 

[Curlyjo]

If you bring a bottle on board and drink it in your cabin do they still charge the $20 corkage fee?

[VMax1700]

15 minutes ago, Curlyjo said:

If you bring a bottle on board and drink it in your cabin do they still charge the $20 corkage fee?

yes,  the charge is to bring it on board.  However, you can drink it anywhere.

[sagavista]

I read recently that the policy of allowing 2 bottles of wine to be brought on board and pay a corkage fee has changed very recently.   A couple on the Nieuw Statendam brought 2 bottles of wine on board and they were confiscated at the gangway to be returned at the end of the voyage.  They were not happy campers.  So you may want to inquire of the policy has changed. 

[ottahand7]

1 hour ago, sagavista said:

I read recently that the policy of allowing 2 bottles of wine to be brought on board and pay a corkage fee has changed very recently.   A couple on the Nieuw Statendam brought 2 bottles of wine on board and they were confiscated at the gangway to be returned at the end of the voyage.  They were not happy campers.  So you may want to inquire of the policy has changed. 

We had a young lady when we boarded the NS in February try to tell us that also.   We asked her to call her manager and it was straightened out.  I have been watching intently because any change in this policy would be a big downer for us.  We drive to Fort Lauderdale and always carry a lot of wine onboard and happily pay corkage.  We were on a cruise in the past and had a pretty badly corked bottle of valuable wine and the wine steward offhandedly commented better than what we have on board.  We are going to have to get used to wine packages on our next cruise.   No beverage package on a 74 day cruise or at least one we could stomach the cost.