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Alcohol - bringing on ship


Scottygirl1
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I know this has been asked, and answered, before but any up to date information is appreciated. We are boarding the QE next week and would like to take more than the "official" amount of two bottles (one each) on board to drink in our stateroom. Here is the wording from our voyage personaliser:

 

"On the day of embarkation, guests over the above minimum ages may bring on board one bottle of wine or champagne per person to celebrate. If consumed in the dining rooms or alternative restaurants, each bottle will be subject to a USD15 corkage fee. Any other alcohol purchased ashore will be collected at the gangway for safe keeping and will be returned to you on the last day of your voyage."

 

So to all the well travelled Cunarders - how do we take wine on board assuming we are taking approx 6 bottles? In our case or carry on? If we only take two on embarkation day can we buy more at our first port of call and bring that on?

 

Thanks :)

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We are experts at packing a bottle or two in our checked in luggage :) So if we have a bottle in each of our checked luggage and a couple in our carry on you think we'll be OK? I just don't want to seem to be flouting rules by bring on too much!

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You may bring wine or champagne on board (over the age of 21) to celebrate special occasions. However if it is consumed in any of the dining rooms, alternative restaurants or bars then each bottle will be subject to a a corkage fee.

 

We reserve the right to remove alcohol at the gangway if brought on board, either at embarkation or when in a port of call and will be returned to you at the end of your voyage. It is not our intention to invoke this policy as a matter of course and we will only implement on occasions where we consider it likely that the health, comfort, safety and enjoyment of passengers may otherwise be compromised.

 

Should you wish to take wine or Champagne on board to consume in a restaurant, each bottle will be subject to a US$20.00 corkage charge. This fee is subject to change.

 

Above is taken from the Cunard website- I think the message is you wont get challenged unless you bring 100 bottles lol.

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You may bring wine or champagne on board (over the age of 21) to celebrate special occasions. However if it is consumed in any of the dining rooms, alternative restaurants or bars then each bottle will be subject to a a corkage fee.

 

We reserve the right to remove alcohol at the gangway if brought on board, either at embarkation or when in a port of call and will be returned to you at the end of your voyage. It is not our intention to invoke this policy as a matter of course and we will only implement on occasions where we consider it likely that the health, comfort, safety and enjoyment of passengers may otherwise be compromised.

 

Should you wish to take wine or Champagne on board to consume in a restaurant, each bottle will be subject to a US$20.00 corkage charge. This fee is subject to change.

 

Above is taken from the Cunard website- I think the message is you wont get challenged unless you bring 100 bottles lol.

 

Thank you - I have since found this on the Cunard website and while it differs from the information on my voyage personaliser I'm relieved that we can take more wine on board! We just love a wine in the afternoon while on the balcony or while getting ready for going out for the evening. I just needed clarification that this was still alright.

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Thank you - I have since found this on the Cunard website and while it differs from the information on my voyage personaliser I'm relieved that we can take more wine on board! We just love a wine in the afternoon while on the balcony or while getting ready for going out for the evening. I just needed clarification that this was still alright.
A close reading of the Contract of Carriage (I've only read the US version if there's any difference) will show the two-bottle language. But it seems to be there to used as a last resort. We usually carry on between 6 and 9 bottles of wine for 12 nights.
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A close reading of the Contract of Carriage (I've only read the US version if there's any difference) will show the two-bottle language. But it seems to be there to used as a last resort. We usually carry on between 6 and 9 bottles of wine for 12 nights.

 

Yes, that's what I wondered about. So I need to break the rules but then according to the Cunard website, I'm not breaking the rules! Clearly it's just to cover them to stop those who might be troublesome.

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I think Cunard deliberately keep this as confusing as possibble. Before bringing my whisky and Baileys on board I did call and was told that you can bring spirits in reasonable quantities without of course defining what reasonable means! They do have a caveat to forbid you bringing alcohol on board but also say they will only use that in exceptional circumstances whatever they are.

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You will be fine, there is no issue taking alcohol on board at embarkation or after port calls. Cunard treats their passengers as adults !

Have a wonderful time.

 

I enjoy being treated as an adult. We don't bring lots on board, but usually more than one bottle each, especially if we spot something good at a port. So nice to not have to worry about the wine police.

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I have brought a bottle of wine and a bottle of Glenmorangie Scotch on a trip on QV and I was only asked if I had tried Talisker Scotch by the screen staff when I got on board. Of course I held my comment that I believe Talisker is vile and on board I went. I even have purchased special liquors in port exchanges and brought them on board without a problem.

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I enjoy being treated as an adult. We don't bring lots on board, but usually more than one bottle each, especially if we spot something good at a port. So nice to not have to worry about the wine police.

 

 

It's very refreshing and goes against the current trend of treating people as children not to be trusted.

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It's very refreshing and goes against the current trend of treating people as children not to be trusted.

 

The impression I get is the restriction on personal bottles is all about profit. Now that the sales of alcohol is very lucrative (the 25p/50 cent G&T is long gone:() most cruise lines don't want people drinking their own. Restrictions on personal alcohol are fairly recent. It seems to me it started when the wine and bar prices soared.

 

When Cunard and P&O send hand luggage through the X-ray machines I know it is a matter of security. But when most lines do that, they are hoping to find and confiscate the passenger's bottles. I hope they are also looking for prohibited items.

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I've even witnessed a small group bringing on a number of wine boxes.

 

Perhaps someone can confirm this goes on regularly.

 

 

I haven't seen anyone embarking QM2 with wine boxes in Red Hook - but then again, I wasn't checking other passenger's carry on :-)

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I've even witnessed a small group bringing on a number of wine boxes.

 

Perhaps someone can confirm this goes on regularly.

 

On embarkation, have never seen wine boxes, probably inside a carry on. However, think this type of "excess" could bring about the end of the unofficial concession.

 

 

Saying that, at Martinique I brought on the ship a personally commissioned small wooden barrel of Rhum, not for drinking on the ship, but to take home. So no problem if confiscated, which is was not. But caused much amusement on boarding.

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Eight years ago on a Round Britain Voyage, a group of guests were bringing on huge amounts of alcohol at each port, including those "slabs" of beer cans you get. They brought it on quite openly and nothing was said by the crew. So I don't think we have to worry about bringing to much on.

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I have brought on wine departing Southampton and NYC. No one seems to have a problem. If I want it served in the dining room, I either bring it up to the maître'd myself, or I have asked the butler to see that it is taken to the sommelier for service that evening.

 

We spread it out amongst the two of us. I do wrap the bottles in a plastic bag in order to avoid potential breakage issues. I put some in the checked baggage, some as carry on. I bring a six pack of Cokes, too. Those I carry myself because if they let go in my bags, it would be a major mess.

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