NCL corkage fee

[Bunnyhead]

In case anyone is interested, I did pack the wine in my checked bag and had no opportunity to transfer it to my hand luggage before getting onto the cruise ship.  No one asked any questions and I no I didn't volunteer to any frazzled, rushed staff members: "HEY GUYS THERE'S WINE IN MY CHECKED BAG JUST IN CASE YA WANTED TO KNOW!"  Bag was waiting for me when I got to my cabin, wine intact.

Edited October 15, 2023 by Bunnyhead
clarity

[Catchum]

On 10/6/2023 at 4:29 PM, RocketMan275 said:

Because the NCL wine list isn't just bad, it's terrible, many would say it's  undrinkable.  Now why would you not want really good wine on a cruise you've paid thousands for and have looked forward to for months?

My Dad always said that there is no bad wine but some is a lot better than others. The food on a cruise ship is never as good as my DH prepares at home, but I don't bring my own steak!

[RocketMan275]

36 minutes ago, Catchum said:

My Dad always said that there is no bad wine but some is a lot better than others. The food on a cruise ship is never as good as my DH prepares at home, but I don't bring my own steak!

Well, I would disagree with your Dad.  Wife and I do not drink sweet wines.  That's our problem with the wines served on board and in many restaurants who cater to those who do prefer sweeter wines.  

A good friend who owns a wine store once told me that most peoples shop for wines based upon their food.  If it's fish, then they order the cheapest white wine.  If it's red meat, then they order the cheapest red wines.  Too bad they never know what they're missing.

The main reason I won't bring my own steaks is the cruise line won't let me bring a grill for some reason.

Edited October 15, 2023 by RocketMan275

[Smitheroo]

Sure glad I'm not fussy about my wine.  Not talking about the stuff on the lowest shelf but wines $10-$20 a bottle. Taste fine to me.  And after the first glass I dont even notice how it tastes

[RocketMan275]

18 minutes ago, Smitheroo said:

Sure glad I'm not fussy about my wine.  Not talking about the stuff on the lowest shelf but wines $10-$20 a bottle. Taste fine to me.  And after the first glass I dont even notice how it tastes

Those $10-$20 bottles shipboard are about $4-$5 ashore.  

The $20 bottles in your local store are more like $50-$75 shipboard.

[66Olds442]

43 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Those $10-$20 bottles shipboard are about $4-$5 ashore.  

The $20 bottles in your local store are more like $50-$75 shipboard.

100% this. Especially if you're cruising in Europe, since NCL sources all their wine through the US. I'd rather drink many of the 5 Euro Italian, Spanish or French wines versus all but a few of the wines offered onboard. In fact I'm going to be buying my own french champagne and italian wine in port before we board for 10% of what they are charging for upgrading to P+ for exaclty this reason.

[Smitheroo]

4 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

Those $10-$20 bottles shipboard are about $4-$5 ashore.  

The $20 bottles in your local store are more like $50-$75 shipboard.

The wine I had on the Joy was ok.  I usually only get merlot. No complaints. We moved on to Black Russians after a few 

[MaggieNY]

On 10/5/2023 at 9:32 PM, Run14 said:

- I've noticed that staff and especially beverage managers are always happy to prepare and serve wine you bring onboard.  They don't get a lot of training on wines they don't keep aboard, so it's usually fun for them.  If you're into wine, it's lead to many great experiences for us.  

I can definitely confirm this. We don't get the drink package and prefer to bring our own wine onboard. Even with the $15 corkage fee per bottle, it's less expensive than buying a bottle onboard and we know what we're getting. The waitstaff always make comments about what we've brought and will chat with us about the wine. Last December, our maitre d' got a kick out of our bottle of Menage a Trois. He gave us a smile and a knowing wink.

 

Our very first cruise, my husband thought he could get away with stowing a bottle of wine in our luggage. We got the naughty room notice and he had to stand on a long line. He was told he could pay the $15 or collect the wine at the end of the trip. He opted to collect it at the end

 

He's since changed his stance on this and is okay with paying the corkage fee. We usually only bring 2 bottles of wine at embarkation and sometimes buy more when we're at a port. But I don't think there's a limit because 4 years ago we were on line to embark in Boston and the couple in front of us had 2 6-pack wine carriers with them. I really wanted to make friends with them to see if they would share!

 

We usually drink 1/2 a bottle at dinner. The MDR staff will recork and tag the bottle for our next meal. It always works out. We've also shared our wine with other couples if we're seated with someone else during a busy dinner rush. Not everyone will do that.