Liquor inspection

[PunkiC]

We actually served a bottle of Two Buck Chuck at Thanksgiving last year, immediately after sharing a bottle of 1987 Chateau Mouton Rothschild, and nobody could tell the difference. We obviously aren't big time wine connoisseurs, but we know what we like.

 

Which reminds me, we have another bottle of the 1987 Rothschilds thatwe need to drink sometime soon. We also have a bottle of 1974 which we have probably let go too long. We keep waiting to serve it at our daughter's wedding announcement, or the birth of her first child, whichever comes first in this day and age. ;)

[mbisson]

None of these would be what you would want to offer the boss when you have him for dinner, but they work fine for just a glass before dinner.

 

Nita

 

I would've given my boss MD20/20 and hoped he got sick ;)

[wayneh70]

We have been on 11 cruises--never NCL--and have never had a problem with taking wine on the ship in our carry-ons, either at our original boarding or at ports of call. Taking wine away from adults is absurd.

 

We will take our first NCL cruise in September. If they take our wine away it will be our last NCL cruise, just on general principles.

 

Has anybody had personal experience with taking wine on board in Seattle, specifically at the Bell Street Pier?

 

On our 2 night cruise to nowhere out of Seattle I took 2 bottles of wine aboard with no effort to conceal - they were in the liquor store bag. I figured I won't go out of my way to declare but if Im asked I'll pay the corkage. Anyway no one said boo and we enjoyed the wine - keep in mind this was a short cruise so Im not sure if they're more stringent on the Alaska runs

[LRealNurse4]

Could some one tell me what exactly is a "bar set-up" with NCL??

Thanks

Lisa D

[barbpatter]

I see that someone in this thread asked about large bottles of wine or perhaps a 2.5 liter box of wine, would they only charge one $15 corkage fee? (nobody replied to that question)

 

Also...I have seen that you are to bring the wine to the dining room to drink, but can you keep it in your room? Do they charge the corkage fee to your onboard account when you first bring it onboard?

 

I dont mind paying the fee, its just that I like wine, but its usually pretty cheap stuff, so at $4 a bottle or $12 a box, a $15 charge on top of that is a lot.

 

Thanks in advance for any help with this. We are arriving in Seattle 2 days before our Alaska trip on the Star (8/23) so we would have time to pick some up before boarding the ship.

 

Barb

[legalwife]

Bottle of vodka on NCL Star via Bar set up--$60.00

 

Alcohol selection is limited if you don't like the "norm". (imho)

 

No coconut rum available for me. Yes. I will continue to beat this horse and maybe one day NCL will read and get something that is lower alcohol like this for people like me.

[herb]

Good thing we read this thread. Although we do plan on buying drinks during the cruise, DW thought it would be nice to bring along 1 bottle of wine to toast when we sail away. We had done this on previous cruises with different cruiselines. I guess this time with NCL we won't pack that bottle of wine in our carry-on :(

[m steve]

That's too much BIG BROTHER for me. I'll stay with HAL and Princess.

[navybankerteacher]

The $15 corkage fee per bottle is actually far more outrageous than the prices charged on board for liquor. A couple of wine drinkers are likely to go through at least a bottle per day - a seven day cruise would then add $105 to their cost -- which is probably well more than the the total mark-up charged for the two or three bottles of liquor a couple might go through in a week of moderate drinking. Perhaps if enough potential passengers made it clear to NCL that they would cruise elsewhere unless a more reasonable policy were in place, NCL might reconsider their policy.

[Boat_Drinks]

Despite reports of some people being able to easily bring alchohol onboard on some lines, I'm pretty sure the policy is the same across all lines.

 

Alchohol is a big profit center on the ship, if you "cut them out" they want to make it up in the form of the "corkage fee". The same is true of hotels (but they don't x-ray your bags so it's a lot easier to ignore their policies).

 

I don't even mind paying $60 for a bottle of Vodka, so long as it's Grey Goose and at least 1 Liter in size (if it's 750ml that's just TOO much, that bottle retails for around $35).

[mbisson]

That's too much BIG BROTHER for me. I'll stay with HAL and Princess.

 

Good luck with that!

 

From links on cruisecritic: http://www.cruisecritic.com/cruiseplanning/articles.cfm?ID=46

 

HAL POLICY:

Bringing liquor onboard at embarkation: Not allowed.

Bringing wine or Champagne onboard: Allowed, with a corkage fee of $10.

Purchasing liquor in port: Retained until the last day of the cruise.

Purchasing liquor in ships' duty-free shop: Retained until the last day of the cruise.

 

Princess Policy:

Bringing liquor onboard at embarkation: Not allowed. Confiscated; returned at the end of the cruise.

Bringing wine or Champagne onboard: Allowed if purchased during a port visit or brought on during embarkation. May be consumed in restaurants or in staterooms. When brought to restaurants, a $15 corkage fee applies.

Purchasing liquor in port: Retained until the end of the cruise.

Purchasing liquor in ships' duty-free shop: Retained until the end of the cruise.

 

Hummm-looks a lot like the NCL policy! And while NCL is probably more strict about enforcing, don't be surprised if other lines also become more strict as the economy tightens.

[herb]

Good luck with that!

 

From links on cruisecritic: http://www.cruisecritic.com/cruiseplanning/articles.cfm?ID=46

 

HAL POLICY:

Bringing liquor onboard at embarkation: Not allowed.

Bringing wine or Champagne onboard: Allowed, with a corkage fee of $10.

Purchasing liquor in port: Retained until the last day of the cruise.

Purchasing liquor in ships' duty-free shop: Retained until the last day of the cruise.

 

Princess Policy:

Bringing liquor onboard at embarkation: Not allowed. Confiscated; returned at the end of the cruise.

Bringing wine or Champagne onboard: Allowed if purchased during a port visit or brought on during embarkation. May be consumed in restaurants or in staterooms. When brought to restaurants, a $15 corkage fee applies.Purchasing liquor in port: Retained until the end of the cruise.

Purchasing liquor in ships' duty-free shop: Retained until the end of the cruise.

 

Hummm-looks a lot like the NCL policy! And while NCL is probably more strict about enforcing, don't be surprised if other lines also become more strict as the economy tightens.

 

THIS IS WHAT DW was hoping for! Oh well, I guess NCL doesn't allow that....

[Toyz711]

if your DW wants to drink her wine in the dinings, on NCL, she can...you can take your wine with you. if you get by without paying the corkage fee at check-in, they may ask you to pay it at the restaurant. once you have the wine on-board, you can drink it where you want.

[mbisson]

THIS IS WHAT DW was hoping for! Oh well, I guess NCL doesn't allow that....

 

Actually they do. When the corkage is paid, they will place a sticker on the bottle. I've taken bottles to various places (with sticker showing corkage paid) on the ship (such as dining rooms) and they've uncorked & poured for me, just as if I bought if off their wine list

[newmexicoNita]

The $15 corkage fee per bottle is actually far more outrageous than the prices charged on board for liquor. A couple of wine drinkers are likely to go through at least a bottle per day - a seven day cruise would then add $105 to their cost -- which is probably well more than the the total mark-up charged for the two or three bottles of liquor a couple might go through in a week of moderate drinking. Perhaps if enough potential passengers made it clear to NCL that they would cruise elsewhere unless a more reasonable policy were in place, NCL might reconsider their policy.

I have to disagree with you: the liquor policy is too strict, but RCI/Celebrity and a few others are cracking down as well. A couple lines limit how much wine you can bring on and some are saying none. I just read about some who have had booze convescated on Carnival. I don't think we will see NCL or any other company lossen their policy.

 

As for $15 plus the cost of the wine. Well, I can assure you, a basic bottle of wine on NCL or any other line will cost at least $25 with most being closer to $40 plus 15%, so for those who drink wines that run about $5.00 go $7 per bottle it is worth it to bring the wine with them. Do I want to bother with 7 bottles of wine? I don't think so, but I do think it is cheaper, especially when one is driving to the port thus not having to worry about shipping it.

 

Nita

[garycarla]

That's amazing that you get it through in your carry-on. I've watched people get caught with mickeys (13 oz) of booze in their shaving kit.

 

Viv

 

Are you talking about the cruiseship, or airlines?

[dolfan95831]

Have Rumrunners been discussed lately? :p

[PunkiC]

I thought I saw a Rum Runners post yesterday, but now I can't find it. I didn't have time to read it all when I first saw the thread and was curious. Does anybody know where it is?

[legalwife]

Despite reports of some people being able to easily bring alchohol onboard on some lines, I'm pretty sure the policy is the same across all lines.

 

Alchohol is a big profit center on the ship, if you "cut them out" they want to make it up in the form of the "corkage fee". The same is true of hotels (but they don't x-ray your bags so it's a lot easier to ignore their policies).

 

I don't even mind paying $60 for a bottle of Vodka, so long as it's Grey Goose and at least 1 Liter in size (if it's 750ml that's just TOO much, that bottle retails for around $35).

 

 

It was definitely not Grey Goose. I know that one. I think it was Smirnoff but I could be wrong. It may have been one liter. When she told me $60.00, I tuned out and tuned back to my Rum Runners. I would do 40 or 50, but 60 just grates me.

 

And, comparing personal experience on other lines to only what I have read and heard about NCL, they win hands down for being the most strict on this.

[Boat_Drinks]

It was definitely not Grey Goose. I know that one. I think it was Smirnoff but I could be wrong. It may have been one liter. When she told me $60.00, I tuned out and tuned back to my Rum Runners. I would do 40 or 50, but 60 just grates me.

 

Ugh! Smirnoff is NOT a high quality vodka, so the $60 is mostly gouging.

 

I'm spending 14 days on the Jade in May, I better make arrangements for my own Grey Goose to be delivered (complete with corking fee!).

[*Wink*]

NCL might be the only line which does not permit you to bring wine on board -- their fares are relatively low, so they try to make up for them by a nickel here and a dime there -

We had to limit our wine on Carnival, but not on NCL. We took on 8 bottles of wine and champagne, prepared to pay the corkage fee, which we happily did. NCL is probably one of a few fleets that won't stop you from bringing on several bottles.

[navybankerteacher]

We had to limit our wine on Carnival, but not on NCL. We took on 8 bottles of wine and champagne, prepared to pay the corkage fee, which we happily did. NCL is probably one of a few fleets that won't stop you from bringing on several bottles.

 

Holland America seems to have no limit on beer or wine carried on board - and only charges corkage in the dining room - I think NCL charges corkage for every bottle carried on board.

[m steve]

How come it won on a blind tasting test agaist the over hyped/priced skinny bottles. Once you mix vodka with anything there is no taste difference between $10 a 1.75 and $40 a ltr. It's all snob appeal. People buy the hype.

[discjoker]

How come it won on a blind tasting test agaist the over hyped/priced skinny bottles. Once you mix vodka with anything there is no taste difference between $10 a 1.75 and $40 a ltr. It's all snob appeal. People buy the hype.

 

Absolutely incorrect. There is a big difference between a quality vodka and Smirnoff (or any other lower end vodka). Yes, you mix it and you aren't going to be able to tell the difference...however if you are drinking vodka straight or with a delicately flavored mixer you certainly can tell the difference. And it isn't all about taste...it is about smoothness, mouth-feel, frankly whether or not you are going to get a crazy headache/hangover the next day. With that said, there are some vodkas that truly are over priced for what they are...and then there are some that are a great value for your money.

[snorklinbarb]

We have been on 11 cruises--never NCL--and have never had a problem with taking wine on the ship in our carry-ons, either at our original boarding or at ports of call. Taking wine away from adults is absurd.

 

We will take our first NCL cruise in September. If they take our wine away it will be our last NCL cruise, just on general principles.

 

Has anybody had personal experience with taking wine on board in Seattle, specifically at the Bell Street Pier?

 

Besides NCL you'll have to cross Cunard off your list, too. They had the same policy on QM2 and charged me $15 corkage for my 1 bottle of wine.