Bringing Wine

[TiogaCruiser]

23 minutes ago, Shalandara said:

So, since I've never done it before, how does bringing your own wine on board work?  Especially in regards to where its stored and how you get it at dinner time?  (I'm headed off to a cruise this weekend and seriously tempted to bring some Liebfraumlich because they do not serve it on board and it is one of the few wines hubs likes.) Wondering if it is worth the hassle (if any) or not.  Corkage fees are not an issue one way or the other -- I'm more concerned about procedure.

You bring it with you in your carry on. Usually there is a table set up and staffed that will note your bottle(s) ( type of wine) and sticker them. They will note your cabin number and you (should) see a charge on your account in the first couple of days. Once I left it with the wine desk after security so it could be taken to storage.

You take the bottle to dinner with you, or you can drop it off at the desk at the MDR. 

When/if you take your bottle to the dining room they will check for the sticker. They will store it for you if there is any left. Or you can take it to your cabin.

When you board, I highly recommend you carry it onward to your cabin from there and not let staff “check it in”.  I “checked” mine through (from the wine desk after security) in BsAs and it was no where to be found when I went to the MDR that first night. It DID show up in my cabin the following afternoon after I followed up a couple times with the FD. The bottle had been sent to the contraband storage accidentally. (They were going to have me meet with the sommelier to pick out a replacement, but I really wanted the bottle I had chosen in BsAs….  and once found asked that nothing more/no fuss be done on it.)

 

 

[RedIguana]

I just wish they would waive the corkage fee if you have a beverage package. 

[FLCruiser97]

1 hour ago, RedIguana said:

I just wish they would waive the corkage fee if you have a beverage package. 

That makes more sense. We have the HIA package with Bonus but are taking 2 bottles of wine for cabin consumption. I will pay the corkage if asked but it just doesn't make sense.

 

[RedIguana]

45 minutes ago, FLCruiser97 said:

That makes more sense. We have the HIA package with Bonus but are taking 2 bottles of wine for cabin consumption. I will pay the corkage if asked but it just doesn't make sense.

 

I have a few extra stainless steel water bottles that cap airtight. I guess I will just fill em up by the glass the first day or two so I have some for in cabin.

[FLCruiser97]

Don't get me wrong. I will pay the corkage fee if asked. But in all my years of sailing, and on multiple cruise lines, I have never been asked to pay corkage. It is what it is! 

[kazu]

On 3/4/2024 at 11:30 PM, Shalandara said:

So, since I've never done it before, how does bringing your own wine on board work?  Especially in regards to where its stored and how you get it at dinner time?  (I'm headed off to a cruise this weekend and seriously tempted to bring some Liebfraumlich because they do not serve it on board and it is one of the few wines hubs likes.) Wondering if it is worth the hassle (if any) or not.  Corkage fees are not an issue one way or the other -- I'm more concerned about procedure.

 

If you want to enjoy it in the MDR, take it (or a couple of bottles down and ask them to store it for you - they will tag it with your table and room number.

 

It works wells for fixed dining.  (I’ve done it over the years when I am in spots that have wine we would never see here).  

 

For anytime dining I would be tempted to cool it in my cabin and take it with me.  I fear the delay would be too long. (I haven’t tested it though). 

 

We’ve never avoided the corkage fee like others have but have never regretted paying if there was wine we couldn’t get on board that we enjoyed.  If your DH enjoyed it, go for it

The corkage fee is worth it for special or specially enjoyable wine IMO 😉 

[Haljo1935]

2 minutes ago, kazu said:

...We’ve never avoided the corkage fee like others have but have never regretted paying if there was wine we couldn’t get on board that we enjoyed.  If your DH enjoyed it, go for it

The corkage fee is worth it for special or specially enjoyable wine IMO 😉 

Agree - we always follow the policy of putting in carry-on and have scanned; always prepared to pay corkage fee, but have never been charged.

[Shalandara]

14 hours ago, kazu said:

 

If you want to enjoy it in the MDR, take it (or a couple of bottles down and ask them to store it for you - they will tag it with your table and room number.

 

It works wells for fixed dining.  (I’ve done it over the years when I am in spots that have wine we would never see here).  

 

For anytime dining I would be tempted to cool it in my cabin and take it with me.  I fear the delay would be too long. (I haven’t tested it though). 

 

We’ve never avoided the corkage fee like others have but have never regretted paying if there was wine we couldn’t get on board that we enjoyed.  If your DH enjoyed it, go for it

The corkage fee is worth it for special or specially enjoyable wine IMO 😉 

Thanks @kazu.  The cruise is a special charter -- which has some rule variations.  We are not at a fixed table but it is fixed dinner times to accommodate the special evening performances.  The night(s) we would be in the MDR we are most likely going to be with friends who do have a fixed table (a large 10 top with only 8 people fixed to it).  So I'm thinking holding in my cabin is the better choice.  Although I am wondering if since I know which night I will be joining them if I can take the bottle to someone early that day for chilling/handling.  Means I wont have to carry a bottle or two to the special cocktail event before dinner.  I suppose can ask once on board with the wine table checkin.

(in midst of packing throes today as we drive down to FLL tomorrow and board on saturday.  So, good anxiety mode as opposed to bad anxiety mode!)

[TV Dad]

I am speaking from 30+ years of experience in cruising (35+ cruises)  and smuggling booze on board.

 

When I first started cruising, I could barely afford the cruise, let alone a corkage fee. I would routinely smuggle on board rum, vodka and wine. Never got caught. Never felt bad about it. I justified it to myself by saying the cruise line is still making a profit on me.

 

Eventually, I could afford cocktails in the bar and stopped smuggling booze. I still brought wine, because we were often gifted wine, pre-cruise by travel agents and hotel managers. Back then, you could bring aboard wine for room consumption at no charge. There was a corkage charge in the restaurant. However, I was never charged because when I brought wine into the restaurant at night, I told the waiter/sommelier I would be "most appreciative" if he could open our wine for us. That meant he got a nice tip and he/she never charged corkage.

 

Now I'm retired, comfortable enough to order the higher end wines that are not included with wine packages. I still am " most apprecitive" the first few nights with additional gratuity. Service is always excellent.

 

My point in all this is every passenger has a different reason for what he/she does to get the most out of cruising. Let's not criticize each other. 

[mcrcruiser]

It was so much simpler years ago . Take your bottle of wine to the dining room & there pay corkage . If you were to drink it in your cabin then no corkage fee .  imo this was the simplest method .  now it has gotten too complicated  imo 

[taxmantoo]

16 hours ago, TV Dad said:

I am speaking from 30+ years of experience in cruising (35+ cruises)  and smuggling booze on board.

...

My point in all this is every passenger has a different reason for what he/she does to get the most out of cruising. Let's not criticize each other. 

Fair enough about criticizing but let's also not brag about breaking the rules ....

[TV Dad]

On 3/8/2024 at 9:12 AM, taxmantoo said:

Fair enough about criticizing but let's also not brag about breaking the rules ....

See, how easy it is to make a mistake. I wasn't bragging. I was confessing.

[Shalandara]

Follow up now that I returned from the cruise.  Yes, they noticed the bottles of wine in the bag -- (DH actually put it in his medicine bag!)  Yes, I signed a slip if paper charging me the corkage fee.  But, the fee never showed up on my statement.  (Will see about final one once the last day morning drinks are put into it).  They did not tag the bottles at all, nor did we even consider storing them with wherever they keep wine.  We kept them in our cabin and brought them with us to Pinnacle and MDR.

YMMV.

[daisy-mae]

30 minutes ago, Shalandara said:

 Yes, I signed a slip if paper charging me the corkage fee.  But, the fee never showed up on my statement...
 

If you check your statement again you might find the corkage fee displayed as a bar charge (I think ours was the Billboard) on day one or two. I did not get a sticker on my bottle and kept it in our stateroom for pre/post dinner sipping.

[Haljo1935]

18 hours ago, Shalandara said:

Follow up now that I returned from the cruise.  Yes, they noticed the bottles of wine in the bag -- (DH actually put it in his medicine bag!)  Yes, I signed a slip if paper charging me the corkage fee.  But, the fee never showed up on my statement.  (Will see about final one once the last day morning drinks are put into it).  They did not tag the bottles at all, nor did we even consider storing them with wherever they keep wine.  We kept them in our cabin and brought them with us to Pinnacle and MDR.

YMMV.

Aligns with my experience - bring in carry-on, fully visible and disclosed, prepared to pay corkage, never charged.

[terrydtx]

5 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

Aligns with my experience - bring in carry-on, fully visible and disclosed, prepared to pay corkage, never charged.

Mine too

[azcruise]

Is there a limit to how many bottles you can bring on? I read someone saying that a change was made earlier this year. We are taking a 7 day Alaska to move us up a star level before our 58 day cruise later this year.

[crystalspin]

33 minutes ago, azcruise said:

Is there a limit to how many bottles you can bring on? I read someone saying that a change was made earlier this year. We are taking a 7 day Alaska to move us up a star level before our 58 day cruise later this year.

"A reasonable amount". Haha!

[azcruise]

12 minutes ago, crystalspin said:

"A reasonable amount". Haha!

I saw that in the FAQs - has anyone been told of a limit? 

[pilot]

Our friends brought 9 bottles on our TA and were charge $20/bottle. We brought 2 and the line at the table was crowded and we told just to get on the ship.