Bringing wine on NCL Spirit

I will be going on a 10 day cruise on the NCL Spirit in December for my honeymoon. I'm starting to do some research. I've never been on a cruise and want to make sure I get the most out of it.

I know there is a $15 corkage fee per bottle for bringing your own wine on the ship (which I believe is charged before boarding). If I do this, do I keep the bottles in my room or are they kept else where and need to "order" them when I want a glass?

My second question is, I have heard that they don't charge the corkage fee for the first 2 bottles. Is this true?

I thought about the UBP but it isn't worth it for us. My fiancee isn't a big drinker. She won't drink $65 worth of drinks every day. I prefer beer and I probably wouldn't drink $65 worth of beer every day. If this was a beach cruise and all we wanted to do was hang out by the pool I would think about it but we are going to Spain. At port we will be off the ship for as long as we can to see everything.

I will be going on a 10 day cruise on the NCL Spirit in December for my honeymoon. I'm starting to do some research. I've never been on a cruise and want to make sure I get the most out of it.

 

I know there is a $15 corkage fee per bottle for bringing your own wine on the ship (which I believe is charged before boarding). If I do this, do I keep the bottles in my room or are they kept else where and need to "order" them when I want a glass?

 

My second question is, I have heard that they don't charge the corkage fee for the first 2 bottles. Is this true?

 

I thought about the UBP but it isn't worth it for us. My fiancee isn't a big drinker. She won't drink $65 worth of drinks every day. I prefer beer and I probably wouldn't drink $65 worth of beer every day. If this was a beach cruise and all we wanted to do was hang out by the pool I would think about it but we are going to Spain. At port we will be off the ship for as long as we can to see everything.

No it isn't true that they don't charge for the first two bottles, I'm afraid.

Yes, you keep the bottles with you. When you want them opened you can take them to a bar, but we always carry a corkscrew with us to do it ourselves. If you are drinking the wine in a dining room then they will store any unfinished bottles for you to drink later. They give you a slip which you just had over when you want it. You can pick it up from any dining room.

No it isn't true that they don't charge for the first two bottles, I'm afraid.

 

Yes, you keep the bottles with you. When you want them opened you can take them to a bar, but we always carry a corkscrew with us to do it ourselves. If you are drinking the wine in a dining room then they will store any unfinished bottles for you to drink later. They give you a slip which you just had over when you want it. You can pick it up from any dining room.

That is too bad. That would be a very nice incentive to give people to cruise with them over other companies.

That is good to know. I have two follow up questions...

If we brought a bottle to dinner and we don't finish it, do we have the option to bring it back to our room to finish it there or do any bottles brought to dinner have to stay there?

If we open a bottle in our room, can we take a glass to dinner with us?

Just found this site today and the responses and response time is great!

That is too bad. That would be a very nice incentive to give people to cruise with them over other companies.

 

 

 

That is good to know. I have two follow up questions...

 

 

 

If we brought a bottle to dinner and we don't finish it, do we have the option to bring it back to our room to finish it there or do any bottles brought to dinner have to stay there?

 

 

 

If we open a bottle in our room, can we take a glass to dinner with us?

 

 

 

Just found this site today and the responses and response time is great!

One bit of advice that I would give new cruisers is to remember that you are going somewhere where it is perfectly acceptable to wander around with your drink. People often ask questions like this, where you are allowed to take bottles etc. The answer is that (with some exceptions like no glass at the pool) you can take it where you want. If you want to carry your glass of wine, and the bottle, from your room to a bar, or bar to bar, or to and from restaurants then that is absolutely fine.

Another thing, if you mention to your room steward that you have wine, and need glasses, then they should ensure that you have clean glasses in your room. If not, and you know you will be opening a bottle in your room, there is nothing wrong with going to a bar on your way past one, and asking for an empty glass.

If you turn up at a bar with a bottle then they will happily open it for you and give you glasses.

Basically, it's up to you.

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One bit of advice that I would give new cruisers is to remember that you are going somewhere where it is perfectly acceptable to wander around with your drink. People often ask questions like this, where you are allowed to take bottles etc. The answer is that (with some exceptions like no glass at the pool) you can take it where you want. If you want to carry your glass of wine, and the bottle, from your room to a bar, or bar to bar, or to and from restaurants then that is absolutely fine.

 

Another thing, if you mention to your room steward that you have wine, and need glasses, then they should ensure that you have clean glasses in your room. If not, and you know you will be opening a bottle in your room, there is nothing wrong with going to a bar on your way past one, and asking for an empty glass.

 

If you turn up at a bar with a bottle then they will happily open it for you and give you glasses.

 

Basically, it's up to you.

 

 

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That is great! I figured drinks where allowed in my places but didn't even think about walking around with a bottle. I always knew I was going to like going on cruises.

Happy Honeymoon! We are going on the same cruise for our honeymoon in October! Let me know if you have any questions and I can try to answer them if not now then after we get back! We've cruised on the spirit before but just not in Europe.

Also, at the end of dinner, you can just fill your glass and take the wine with you, vs dragging the bottle around or back to your room. There really are no "rules" about that stuff.

Question, do staterooms include a corkscrew? Or is this something that you should bring? Also, are there bottle openers for beer?

I've never had a corkscrew in the room (at least non suites). We take our own.

If you buy a bucket of beer they give you an opener. We have a large collection. :)

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That is too bad. That would be a very nice incentive to give people to cruise with them over other companies.

 

That is good to know. I have two follow up questions...

 

If we brought a bottle to dinner and we don't finish it, do we have the option to bring it back to our room to finish it there or do any bottles brought to dinner have to stay there?

 

If we open a bottle in our room, can we take a glass to dinner with us?

 

Just found this site today and the responses and response time is great!

I thought that the cruiselines that allow you to take wine onboard free had a limit on how many bottles you could take. Is that not true? NCL has no limit as long as you pay corkage for each bottle and I like that.

I thought that the cruiselines that allow you to take wine onboard free had a limit on how many bottles you could take. Is that not true? NCL has no limit as long as you pay corkage for each bottle and I like that.

Every line has it's own rules, and I think most of those who allow wine with no corkage generally have a limit, but not necessarily all.

I think Disney may not have a limit.

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There is a wine shop in the Barcelona cruise terminal AFTER you go through NCL security. Selection was good and prices were reasonable. You can bring on a couple of bottles easily without paying the corkage fee. Bring an extra carry-on bag so you're not obvious. It also has bottled water and soda.

There is a wine shop in the Barcelona cruise terminal AFTER you go through NCL security. Selection was good and prices were reasonable. You can bring on a couple of bottles easily without paying the corkage fee. Bring an extra carry-on bag so you're not obvious. It also has bottled water and soda.

This is true, but not guaranteed. I've boarded ships at Barcelona four times. Twice they checked bags and twice they didn't.

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Happy Honeymoon! We are going on the same cruise for our honeymoon in October! Let me know if you have any questions and I can try to answer them if not now then after we get back! We've cruised on the spirit before but just not in Europe.

That's great. Congrats!

Yeah let me know what you think about it (if you remember).

Also, at the end of dinner, you can just fill your glass and take the wine with you, vs dragging the bottle around or back to your room. There really are no "rules" about that stuff.

Oh that is true. I may need to look into the wine package they have.

There is a wine shop in the Barcelona cruise terminal AFTER you go through NCL security. Selection was good and prices were reasonable. You can bring on a couple of bottles easily without paying the corkage fee. Bring an extra carry-on bag so you're not obvious. It also has bottled water and soda.

I was thinking about trying to bring a few things on but I don't know I want to chance them finding it. I guess if they find it I can just bring it back home. If they don't I have wine in my room. I do think I will be bringing a few bottles from home and paying the corkage fee. I make my own lemonade (hard lemonade brewed like a beer) and put it in wine bottles.

OP, have you looked at or seen the information on CC about the wine packages they have for sale on board? They are a pretty good deal. Just a suggestion.

Have a great honeymoon cruise! :)

Question about getting the wine onto the ship... If you want to take, say, 6 bottles on with you, do you "check" them somewhere and have them delivered to your cabin later, or do you have to carry them around with you until your cabin is ready? Am thinking about this as an option for my upcoming Alaska cruise, but the appeal of having wines not available on the ship drops significantly if I'd have to lug all the bottles around with me (in addition to my carry on bag) while waiting for the cabin to become available.

Question about getting the wine onto the ship... If you want to take, say, 6 bottles on with you, do you "check" them somewhere and have them delivered to your cabin later, or do you have to carry them around with you until your cabin is ready? Am thinking about this as an option for my upcoming Alaska cruise, but the appeal of having wines not available on the ship drops significantly if I'd have to lug all the bottles around with me (in addition to my carry on bag) while waiting for the cabin to become available.

You have to carry them on.

We always drop our hand luggage (and any wine) at our room soon after boarding. Never been a problem and if we see the steward then they are always fine with it.

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We sailed on the Spirit from Barcelona to Venice in June. We bought wine, and absinthe, in Barcelona, and brought them onboard in our carry-on bags. In addition, we bought bottles of wine and liquor in several ports (wine and lemoncino in Cinque Terre, wine in Naples, grappa in Italy somewhere, retsina and ouzo in Greece). Never once did anyone in security even ask us to see inside my backpack, and never were we asked to pay corkage fees. By the end of the cruise we had a rather large collection, which fortunately we were able to pack well enough that nothing broke on the way home.

For what it's worth, Spirit's bars make excellent sangria...

There is a wine shop in the Barcelona cruise terminal AFTER you go through NCL security. Selection was good and prices were reasonable. You can bring on a couple of bottles easily without paying the corkage fee. Bring an extra carry-on bag so you're not obvious. It also has bottled water and soda.

We bought wine in Barcelona before the cruise in 2010 and took 6 bottles on board, I was ready to pay the corkage but never was asked and there was no table to get stickers.

Only cruise with NCL I did not pay the fee.

Lynda

Ill be boarding in venice, are there similar shops as in Barcelona before I board the ship where we can buy water and wine? i've google wine places in Venice just in case, we enjoy the Valpolicella, looking forward to our trip.....

Ill be boarding in venice, are there similar shops as in Barcelona before I board the ship where we can buy water and wine? i've google wine places in Venice just in case, we enjoy the Valpolicella, looking forward to our trip.....

No shops at all in terminals in Venice. Closest one is a grocery store called Coop that is located on Piazzale Roma close (after/behind it when coming from the actual plaza) to the Piazzale Roma vaporetto stop.