Corkage Fee

I've been looking at the craft beer selection NCL offers on board and it appears to be very poor/nonexistent.

I like Ommegang beer, which comes in corked 750mL (wine bottle size) bottles. Does anyone know how carefully the bottles are checked when paying the corkage and whether the staff would care that it is beer rather than wine?

Thanks!

I have seen a few stories posted about non-obvious wine bottles and some hassle getting it onboard. I am thinking your chances are well under 50%.. maybe 25% of getting it on, and paying the $15 so you can drink it in your room.

AND... since somebody is about to ask (they always do).

NCL allows you to bring wine aboard and will charge $15 corkage fee per regular size bottle. Double for the 1.5l. It does not matter if it has a cork or not, or where you drink it. Same charge.

Boxed win, beer and liquor not allowed at all.

Based on my 5 cruises out of NYC, after the security scan they always send me to the corkage fee table setup just after the security check point.

Half the time the Ncl crew at the table asks that I put the bottles on the table and he puts the sticker on them himself...the other times, he would just hand me the stickers and have me put them on the bottle without even looking at them.

I would not recommend...but that's just me...

I've been looking at the craft beer selection NCL offers on board and it appears to be very poor/nonexistent.

 

I like Ommegang beer, which comes in corked 750mL (wine bottle size) bottles. Does anyone know how carefully the bottles are checked when paying the corkage and whether the staff would care that it is beer rather than wine?

 

Thanks!

You're right about the beer selection. But I don't think your chances are very good. If they decided your beer didn't qualify as wine, it would be held for you until the end of the cruise. However, the last two cruises, I've had two 12 packs of Pepsi in a roller carry on. Both times, as it has gone through the scanner I have said, "That's Pepsi only, no beer". No one looked to verify then. But I really don't know of any canned beer I want to smuggle.

I'd try - you'll get the bottle back at the end of the cruise anyway, so nothing to lose.

They let me pay corkage on a 3liter box wine bladder that I had in my suitcase and got me sent to the naughty room. Told the security guy it was wine and I'd pay the corkage. $15 charge and I was on my way back to my room with it.

I'd try - you'll get the bottle back at the end of the cruise anyway, so nothing to lose.

 

They let me pay corkage on a 3liter box wine bladder that I had in my suitcase and got me sent to the naughty room. Told the security guy it was wine and I'd pay the corkage. $15 charge and I was on my way back to my room with it.

You blagged a good'un there - 3L is 4 bottles - pro rata = $60 corkage!;)

I've been looking at the craft beer selection NCL offers on board and it appears to be very poor/nonexistent.

 

I like Ommegang beer, which comes in corked 750mL (wine bottle size) bottles. Does anyone know how carefully the bottles are checked when paying the corkage and whether the staff would care that it is beer rather than wine?

 

Thanks!

the guy looked at my box and said

okay 5 bottles in there

15$ each

i said okay and he gave me 5 stickers.

Thanks for the replies!

I guess the general consensus is that it's pure luck as to whether I get by with the bottles, but there's literally nothing to lose if they refuse to allow them with corkage.

Thanks for the replies!

 

I guess the general consensus is that it's pure luck as to whether I get by with the bottles, but there's literally nothing to lose if they refuse to allow them with corkage.

You could always just step back and SLAM it before boarding.

You could always just step back and SLAM it before boarding.

That would be fairly impressive since the bottle is 750mL.

That would be fairly impressive since the bottle is 750mL.

just make sure you pee before the fire drill

Thanks for the replies!

 

I guess the general consensus is that it's pure luck as to whether I get by with the bottles, but there's literally nothing to lose if they refuse to allow them with corkage.

Nothing to lose at all. When we last did this, we took four bottles of wine and one champagne but also had two large bottles of Starbucks coffee flavoring (yes, I have a problem :p) in the same roller bag. We just popped it open so he could "count heads" and when I said that two of the seven bottles were coffee flavoring, he said no problem. He didn't look at any labels or inspect anything. He just popped stickers onto each bottle.

Still trying to find out how much corkage fee for a 375 ml bottle of Ice Wine. $7.50 for each bottle?

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I've been looking at the craft beer selection NCL offers on board and it appears to be very poor/nonexistent.

 

This gets an award for the understatement of the year here on CC.

They usually look at the bottles when the sticker them. I am doubting the barley pop will make it through as wine.

Can anyone tell me the typical price for a beer on the ship?

Can anyone tell me the typical price for a beer on the ship?

Look at this spreadsheet :

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=42797372&postcount=1

Prices for ALL drinks are there !

Nice! You just saved me loads of time. Thank you.

Just curious .... what about trying to take a 4 pack of the small bottle of wines aboard?

Still trying to find out how much corkage fee for a 375 ml bottle of Ice Wine. $7.50 for each bottle?

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If NCL is civil about it and they don't have a program to charge corkage for

half bottles - the right thing to do is charge the corkage fee $15 for -2- bottles !

No odd bottles allowed - but then why would you want odd bottles of wine ?

From what I observed at Whittier boarding the NCL SUN the security wine

steward wasn't concerned with the accountability of the stick on stickers.

I had two bottles - stickers applied - sign here - and off to my stateroom.

No big deal - NO Spanish Inquisition !

My bottles are always checked and the labels read, looking specifically at the alcohol percentage.

Is the fee worth it? How much of a mark up on bottles of wine is there on the ship? $15 is a 50% markup on a $30 bottle of wine.

Is the fee worth it? How much of a mark up on bottles of wine is there on the ship? $15 is a 50% markup on a $30 bottle of wine.

It all depends on you. Type of wine. Do you want a specific wine not available. Are you okay dragging the wine aboard?

Yes, there is markup. Less than many restaurants ashore. Way less than theaters and ball parks. It has been covered many times, but you can get a bottle in the mid to upper $20's

For us, we love to drink in our cabin. So, we just pay the darn corkage. But when that is gone, we buy some at a restaurant.

It all depends on you. Type of wine. Do you want a specific wine not available. Are you okay dragging the wine aboard?

 

Yes, there is markup. Less than many restaurants ashore. Way less than theaters and ball parks. It has been covered many times, but you can get a bottle in the mid to upper $20's

 

For us, we love to drink in our cabin. So, we just pay the darn corkage. But when that is gone, we buy some at a restaurant.

Thanks for the reply!

By the looks of the menus posted on another thread they have a 200% markup on their wine. So the corkage fee isn't that bad if you don't mind schlepping it on board.

If we have the option, for us it means driving 6-8hrs to the nearest port, we'll bring our own wine and pay the corkage fee but we mostly fly, so much easier to buy the wine package onboard and not have to worry. Either way, if it works for you, great! :D