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Wine Prices


karpems

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Hey Everyone,

I am taking my first Carnival Cruise next month and had a quick question about wine prices onboard. On the carnival website they list some wines they have, but are those prices the same amount they charge once you are on the ship, or are the prices on the website more expensive? On my last cruise (Royal Caribbean) we brought our own wine...I would love to avoid the hassel of doing that again if possible.

I can't wait for our first Carnival Cruise. Any other tips for the Fascination?

Thanks!

Adam

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Hi Adam. I see you don't WANT to bring your own wine, right? OK, the wine list on the website and the wine list in the dining room are very close in price. I'm looking at my copy of my last S&S account - lists three bottles of chardonnay in the dining room @$23 each - which includes tax & tip. I believe it was Woodbridge - so that should give you some idea.

 

BTW, I don't find it difficult or any hassle to take a couple of bottles of wine in my checked luggage. Just wrap well in bubblewrap. Carnival allows a couple of bottles to be brought on board, so you could take them in your carry-on bags if you'd like.

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Thanks for the reply. My other option is to buy some near the pier in Miami and just carry it on the ship. Would you happen to know any good places to get a couple of bottles? Do they have a limit to the number of bottles you can carry on the ship?

My thinking is for the same price I could buy a nice bottle off the ship or average bottle on the ship. On my last cruise I never paid a corkage fee (on RCCL). Is Carnival more likely to charge one?

Thanks!

Adam

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We have always found the wine to be reasonably priced... we normally bring our own bottles, but on the occasions we have purchased bottles, we didnt really find them to be rediculously priced or anything. If you dont want the hastle of carrying them on, its not going to break the bank to purchase a few on board versus purchasing them pre-boarding.

 

There isn't a liquior store once you go over the bridge to the port (unless they added one in the past couple of months, lol), so if your going to purchase them pre-boarding, it will have to be a special stop. If I recall correctly, you would be leaving on a Friday afternoon? so you won't have the issue of certain liquor stores being closed on a Saturday or Sunday in downtown.

 

I did a real brief search and found the following liquor stores from the yellow pages online in downtown Miami just a few minutes from the port. You should definately call these places before you come though, just to ensure they will be open, and that they sell wine, lol.

 

ROAD RUNNER LIQUOR NO 2

51 SE 1ST ST, MIAMI, FL 33131

Phone: (305) 372-8222

 

BRICKELL STATION LIQUOR CENTER

720 SW 2ND AVE, MIAMI, FL 33130

Phone: (305) 854-2625

 

CENTURY LIQUORS

900 SW 8TH ST, MIAMI, FL 33130

Phone: (305) 227-9663

 

EL GATO TUERTO

476 SW 8TH ST, MIAMI, FL 33130

Phone: (305) 854-8576

 

LA CARIDAD LIQUOR STORE

561 W FLAGLER ST, MIAMI, FL 33130

Phone: (305) 326-9499

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Thanks so much! We actually leave on a Monday, so that should not be an issue. We are flying in Sunday, so maybe i'll make a stop on my way to the hotel from the airport. I will call some of those places tonight when I get home from work. Do they usually charge you a corkage fee if you bring your own?

Adam

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They "technically" charge you a fee, but lots of people have said they weren't charged. We have *never* been charged a corkage fee... hey.. bring a wine opener and open it in your cabin... lol... Ive seen lots of people say they did that to avoid the corkage fee....

 

You will have a problem on the Sunday finding an open Liquior store, a lot of the ones here still close on Sundays... its hit and miss.. almost all Publix grocery stores have very good wine selection and some even have actual liquor stores that sell hard liquor as well.. but most of them have a wine department IN the store.. you can go to http://www.publix.com and do a search by store and see what store is closest to your hotel etc... you can buy wine right in the store and they usually have a great selection... we buy most of our wine from them...

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There is a Publix in the downtown area on Brickell Road. The address is:

 

Publix at Brickell Village (Store #00581)

 

134 SW 13th St

Miami, FL 33130-4211

Main: (305) 860-2280

Fax: (305) 860-2290

 

Store Hours

 

Sun 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Mon 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Tues 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Wed 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Thurs 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Fri 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Sat 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM

 

They have a very good wine selection.

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We have always found the wine to be reasonably priced... we normally bring our own bottles, but on the occasions we have purchased bottles, we didnt really find them to be rediculously priced or anything. If you dont want the hastle of carrying them on, its not going to break the bank to purchase a few on board versus purchasing them pre-boarding.

 

There isn't a liquior store once you go over the bridge to the port (unless they added one in the past couple of months, lol), so if your going to purchase them pre-boarding, it will have to be a special stop. If I recall correctly, you would be leaving on a Friday afternoon? so you won't have the issue of certain liquor stores being closed on a Saturday or Sunday in downtown.

 

I did a real brief search and found the following liquor stores from the yellow pages online in downtown Miami just a few minutes from the port. You should definately call these places before you come though, just to ensure they will be open, and that they sell wine, lol.

 

ROAD RUNNER LIQUOR NO 2

51 SE 1ST ST, MIAMI, FL 33131

Phone: (305) 372-8222

 

BRICKELL STATION LIQUOR CENTER

720 SW 2ND AVE, MIAMI, FL 33130

Phone: (305) 854-2625

 

CENTURY LIQUORS

900 SW 8TH ST, MIAMI, FL 33130

Phone: (305) 227-9663

 

EL GATO TUERTO

476 SW 8TH ST, MIAMI, FL 33130

Phone: (305) 854-8576

 

LA CARIDAD LIQUOR STORE

561 W FLAGLER ST, MIAMI, FL 33130

Phone: (305) 326-9499

 

 

 

Expensive or not is a matter of opinion: I think a bottle that sells for about $8.00 on shore and is over $20 on the ship is pretty pricey, but we too. usually end up buying a few bottles at dinner. NMNita

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From past experience, WE NEVER purchase wine on board. A 1/2 glass of wine (yes, they don't fill it to the top), is $6.50 plus 15% gratuity, that's $7.48 for a 1/2 glass of HOUSE wine. If you brought your own medium priced bottle of wine say for instance: Robert Mondavi Chardonnay, Private Reserve on sale at Albertson's for $9.99 for a 1.5 liter = which you can get 6 nice glasses of wine equals $1.66 + .12 tax = $1.78 per glass of wine. I'm a shopper, and I have saved thousands of dollars to finance cruises and vacations. People need to pay attention to where their hard earned dollars are going. Corporations are in the business of making money, and consumers are in the market to save money. ;)

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A 1/2 glass of wine (yes, they don't fill it to the top), is $6.50 plus 15% gratuity, that's $7.48 for a 1/2 glass of HOUSE wine. If you brought your own medium priced bottle of wine say for instance: Robert Mondavi Chardonnay, Private Reserve on sale at Albertson's for $9.99 for a 1.5 liter = which you can get 6 nice glasses of wine equals $1.66 + .12 tax = $1.78 per glass of wine. ;)

 

Of course, it's much less expensive to bring your own - that's not in question - BUT the OP didn't want to have to bring his own bottles, thus his reason for this post. Do you lug that 1.5 liter bottle onto the ship?

 

For the record, wine stewards, using the standard wine glass, should (and usually do) pour 2/3 full, leaving some room at the top, as the bowl of the glass is rounder. Not that it's always done, mind you, but my background is F&B, and that's the 'rule of thumb' in the industry.;)

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"Of course, it's much less expensive to bring your own - that's not in question - BUT the OP didn't want to have to bring his own bottles, thus his reason for this post. Do you lug that 1.5 liter bottle onto the ship?"

 

I don't lug them on board, I give them to the porter to lug them for me. :rolleyes:

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I agree with finding a Publix. They usually have a large selection. Also, if you can find an ABC liquor store, they also have a large wine selection.

http://www.abcfinewineandspirits.com/

 

Plus if you get a free Advantage Member card, you enter to win a Carnival cruise.

 

http://www.abcfws.com/default.asp?infil=/programs/SpecialPromo.html

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"Of course, it's much less expensive to bring your own - that's not in question - BUT the OP didn't want to have to bring his own bottles, thus his reason for this post. Do you lug that 1.5 liter bottle onto the ship?"

 

I don't lug them on board, I give them to the porter to lug them for me. :rolleyes:

 

 

Great answer! We do buy a bottle or a glass for dinner and may have a drink, wine or whatever at the show or before dinner in one of the bars, but like the idea of bringing our own on as well. You are so right when you break down the price. It is simply a matter of how we all like to spend our money. For those who don't mind the cost great, for those of us who would like to spend that extra few bucks elsewhere, that's great too. NMNita

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