New higher onboard drink prices coming

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, suzyed said:

Yes, you will have to pay corkage just as when you take it to the dining rooms and specialty restaurants

 

Not if it is already open and partly consumed.  They don't double dip you.

[DallasGuy75219]

56 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Not if it is already open and partly consumed.  They don't double dip you.

They can still charge you corkage on a partially consumed bottle if it's something they know you couldn't have bought onboard (i.e. they don't carry it onboard) and it doesn't have the sticker showing you already paid corkage (e.g. at embarkation).

[VibeGuy]

A tip and a solemn promise to return the Riedel have always worked wonders for me. 

[SargassoPirate]

Speaking of the quality of wines, we did a blind taste test of wines at Pirate Manor several years ago.  Whites, blush, and reds.  She Who Must Be Obeyed did the pours and was the only one who knew what was what.  

 

Low and behold, the budget wines won out across the board.  Even our wine snob friends were flummoxed and somewhat embarrassed that their palates betrayed them. But it was quite a fun party.

 

I am reminded of the words of our town wino "wine is not wine unless you drink it from a brown paper bag behind the store where you bought it"

[JimmyVWine]

13 hours ago, wowzz said:

If I take a nice bottle of Rioja into Vines, will I get given an empty glass,  no questions asked,  or will the corkage police descend upon me? 

If you are driving to the departure port, why not just bring your own nice glasses and have them available to you 24/7?  Or pick up a pair from a home goods store in Southampton. For 5£ each you can buy stems that are way better than what you can get in the ship. Even the Riedels that I have been provided in Vines are smaller Sauvignon Blanc glasses and not really what you want for a nice Rioja. 

[wowzz]

48 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

If you are driving to the departure port, why not just bring your own nice glasses and have them available to you 24/7?  Or pick up a pair from a home goods store in Southampton. For 5£ each you can buy stems that are way better than what you can get in the ship. Even the Riedels that I have been provided in Vines are smaller Sauvignon Blanc glasses and not really what you want for a nice Rioja. 

Jimmy - good idea.

However,  I know you are a connoisseur,  and my level of wine appreciation falls significantly below yours.

Yes, we might take a couple of IKEA glasses on board, for use in the cabin, but in all honesty I do not think our jaded palates will benefit from carting our own glasses from bar to bar ! 

One day, hooefully our paths will cross,  and you will be able to show me what I have been missing !

[suzyed]

14 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Not if it is already open and partly consumed.  They don't double dip you.

Have no idea. Never brought an open bottle into the dining room.  We may pour two glasses and carry those in but not an open partial bottle.

Edited December 17, 2022 by suzyed

[suzyed]

14 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

That post was by @wowzz.  I have never taken my bottle out of the cabin.

🙁

oops...sorry...posted on wrong person.

[wowzz]

22 minutes ago, suzyed said:

oops...sorry...posted on wrong person.

I did wonder! 

[pppatpc2]

4 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

Speaking of the quality of wines, we did a blind taste test of wines at Pirate Manor several years ago.  Whites, blush, and reds.  She Who Must Be Obeyed did the pours and was the only one who knew what was what.  

 

Low and behold, the budget wines won out across the board.  Even our wine snob friends were flummoxed and somewhat embarrassed that their palates betrayed them. But it was quite a fun party.

 

I am reminded of the words of our town wino "wine is not wine unless you drink it from a brown paper bag behind the store where you bought it"

There are budget wines 😀 and there are budget wines 😝.  The ones Princess is serving are of the 😝 category.  I’d be perfectly happy with 3 buck chuck.  If the wineries can supply the entire Publix chain so that they can sell Petit Petite for $8.50 a bottle on the BOGO, I think wineries like Sterling, Chateau Ste Michelle, or even Bogle could arrange something with Princess. Not my first choices, but better than what the current offerings are.

 

We spoke to one of the Food and Beverage officers who indicated that they are working on it.  Keep filling out those surveys!  (She said naively)

[HaveDogWillTravel]

12 minutes ago, pppatpc2 said:

There are budget wines 😀 and there are budget wines 😝.  The ones Princess is serving are of the 😝 category.  I’d be perfectly happy with 3 buck chuck.  If the wineries can supply the entire Publix chain so that they can sell Petit Petite for $8.50 a bottle on the BOGO, I think wineries like Sterling, Chateau Ste Michelle, or even Bogle could arrange something with Princess. Not my first choices, but better than what the current offerings are.

 

We spoke to one of the Food and Beverage officers who indicated that they are working on it.  Keep filling out those surveys!  (She said naively)

Agreed. Even Parducci and Clines have some lovely (weeelll nice is maybe a better word?) budget wines. There are so many reasonable choices. 

Edited December 17, 2022 by HaveDogWillTravel

[SargassoPirate]

I remember when it was two buck Chuck.  Guess I'm getting old. 

[JimmyVWine]

3 hours ago, wowzz said:

One day, hooefully our paths will cross,  and you will be able to show me what I have been missing !

I hope so too. It pays (literally) to be a more typical wine consumer. I am meeting up with my wine group for our holiday lunch this week where we bring out the big guns and I am stressing (needlessly) over what to pull from my cellar!  The woes of a wine geek. 

[2 cruises a year]

37 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

I remember when it was two buck Chuck.  Guess I'm getting old. 

That's what I remember.

[Sea Hag]

On 12/14/2022 at 12:31 PM, Rick&Jeannie said:

Why would *anybody* be surprised at increases?  That's just the way of life with the US economy these days.  I don't have hard facts to quote...but I would bet that cruise fares in the 1970's were less than half what they are now.  Even groceries are going up.

I go back to our first cruise, on the Carnival Jubilee for the total eclipse. The eclipse may or may not have impacted prices. Since it was our first cruise, we just paid what we were asked. We paid $1500 pp for a midship, main deck ocean view cabin on a 7 day Mexican Riviera sailing. Our next cruise is on the Discovery Princess, Western Caribbean 7 day sailing. We paid $1480 pp for a club class mini. Even our booking for the April 2024 solar eclipse sailing is still a fantastic value, all things considered.

[Rick&Jeannie]

How's this for a blast from the past:

 

From Apr 29, 1999

 

[Rick&Jeannie]

Feb 2, 2003:

 

[Rick&Jeannie]

Aug 1, 2003

 

[Steelers36]

17 hours ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

They can still charge you corkage on a partially consumed bottle if it's something they know you couldn't have bought onboard (i.e. they don't carry it onboard) and it doesn't have the sticker showing you already paid corkage (e.g. at embarkation).

Nope - not happening.  If you take an unopened bottle to the DR and waiter opens it and charges you corkage, there is no sticker.  Where ever you go next with the bottle, it is open with cork half stuck in and no charge will ensue (regardless of whether said label is on their menu or not).  Yes, they used to sticker paid bottles at the wine table near security and check-in.  I have not seen table manned in recent cruises - probably because we arrive early for check-in. 

 

4 hours ago, suzyed said:

Have no idea. Never brought an open bottle into the dining room.  We may pour two glasses and carry those in but not an open partial bottle.

No issues with an opened bottle whether same label as sold on ship or not.

 

 

I have found more often than not, our waiter is not charging us, but I am mostly bringing opened bottles with me.

[DallasGuy75219]

1 hour ago, Steelers36 said:

Nope - not happening.  If you take an unopened bottle to the DR and waiter opens it and charges you corkage, there is no sticker.  Where ever you go next with the bottle, it is open with cork half stuck in and no charge will ensue (regardless of whether said label is on their menu or not).  Yes, they used to sticker paid bottles at the wine table near security and check-in.  I have not seen table manned in recent cruises - probably because we arrive early for check-in. 

 

No issues with an opened bottle whether same label as sold on ship or not.

Speaking from experience, I have had a MDR waiter try to charge me corkage on an already opened bottle.  When I pointed out it had come from the ship and was one of the wines they sold, he backed off.  Had I not have been able to do that (i.e. with a wine I brought on the ship myself) he would have charged me.

 

 

[Steelers36]

39 minutes ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

Speaking from experience, I have had a MDR waiter try to charge me corkage on an already opened bottle.  When I pointed out it had come from the ship and was one of the wines they sold, he backed off.  Had I not have been able to do that (i.e. with a wine I brought on the ship myself) he would have charged me.

 

 

I am one to admit ANYTHING can happen in relatively one-off situations on any ship at any given moment.  Doesn't mean it's right.  Reads like an over-zealous waiter.  Even if it was your own wine, there is no policy to charge corkage every time you bring bottle to dinner until it is empty.  It is a one-time charge.

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

How's this for a blast from the past:

 

From Apr 29, 1999

 

Looks like Dawn Princess - our first Princess cruise back in the late 90s.

As Brits, on a package holiday, we first had a week in a hotel on the DR, and then transferred to the ship  via a tender, including our luggage ! I can remember all the American cruisers looking at us as we jumped aboard, wondering what was going on !

So different to today.

[kywildcatfanone]

With these constant price increases, I'm glad I don't drink, lol.

[c-boy]

4 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Nope - not happening.  If you take an unopened bottle to the DR and waiter opens it and charges you corkage, there is no sticker.  Where ever you go next with the bottle, it is open with cork half stuck in and no charge will ensue (regardless of whether said label is on their menu or not).  Yes, they used to sticker paid bottles at the wine table near security and check-in.  I have not seen table manned in recent cruises - probably because we arrive early for check-in. 

 

No issues with an opened bottle whether same label as sold on ship or not.

 

 

I have found more often than not, our waiter is not charging us, but I am mostly bringing opened bottles with me.

security pulled me and my travel case aside, and I was escorted to a room where I was greeted by the chief of security. After a short discussion and telephone call the food and beverage manger appeared. By this time I was thinking "this ain't gonna work" . He peered into the case, slowly removed a bottle, smiled and said " I've always wanted to try one of these" .  He must of been in a generous mood because he put stickers on over half the case.  

Edited December 18, 2022 by c-boy

[Steelers36]

5 minutes ago, c-boy said:

security pulled me and my travel case aside, and I was escorted to a room where I was greeted by the chief of security. After a short discussion and telephone call the food and beverage manger appeared. By this time I was thinking "this ain't gonna work" . He peered into the case, slowly removed a bottle, smiled and said " I've always wanted to try one of these" .  He must of been in a generous mood because he put stickers on over half the case.  

You should have asked him to join you for dinner one evening when you planned to have that bottle.