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Vantage Corkage Fee


cole
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I have read on another discussion that Vantage charges a corkage fee for wine brought onto the ship. I have two questions: If the wine is consumed in your room, is the corkage fee applicable or just if you bring it to dinner or expect the bartender to serve you from that bottle? Second question, if the corkage fee is for any bottle brought on board, what is that charge? There have been times when we have been on a river cruise and toured a winery, purchased wine from the winery and were not charged (again) when bringing the wine to our room. Thanks for your help.

Cole

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We've been on 6 trips with Vantage with another coming up June 2nd. If you bring a bottle on board and consume it in your room no corkage charge. I've taken the bottle to the bar and had the bartender open it and took it back to the room. No problem. I have given him a tip for that service. If you take it to the dining room you will have a corkage charge. I think that might be the same with other cruise lines. We have also bought a bottle for dinner from their wine list and the waiter opens it and pours for you. If you don't drink it up he/she will mark you name on the bottle and bring it to you the following night. Now Vantage serves wine with every evening meal. To me that makes no sense to bring your own bottle to dinner. Willard

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We've been on 6 trips with Vantage with another coming up June 2nd. If you bring a bottle on board and consume it in your room no corkage charge. I've taken the bottle to the bar and had the bartender open it and took it back to the room. No problem. I have given him a tip for that service. If you take it to the dining room you will have a corkage charge. I think that might be the same with other cruise lines. We have also bought a bottle for dinner from their wine list and the waiter opens it and pours for you. If you don't drink it up he/she will mark you name on the bottle and bring it to you the following night. Now Vantage serves wine with every evening meal. To me that makes no sense to bring your own bottle to dinner. Willard

 

Thank you Willard. I assumed that was how it was handled and certainly have no problem paying a fee if consumed in the dining room or at the bar. Just wanted to make sure before we purchased wine for a little drink before dinner (in our cabin).

Cole

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We've been on 6 trips with Vantage with another coming up June 2nd. If you bring a bottle on board and consume it in your room no corkage charge. I've taken the bottle to the bar and had the bartender open it and took it back to the room. No problem. I have given him a tip for that service. If you take it to the dining room you will have a corkage charge. I think that might be the same with other cruise lines. We have also bought a bottle for dinner from their wine list and the waiter opens it and pours for you. If you don't drink it up he/she will mark you name on the bottle and bring it to you the following night. Now Vantage serves wine with every evening meal. To me that makes no sense to bring your own bottle to dinner. Willard

 

The only thing I would add is that while your wine is being stored in the dining room it is available to you any time you want it. But here's something I found just a tiny bit annoying. On our Black Sea pre-trip excursion last year Vantage took us to not one but TWO places where locally made wine was tasted and offered for sale. It being delicious, we all bought wine to bring on board some of us several bottles for use with dinner (wine was not included on that cruise). I was just a little surprised that we were charged 7E corkage when we had purchased the wine from a Vantage vendor, who I'm sure gives a percentage to either Vantage or the tour manager. It wasn't a big enough deal for me to complain or demand a refund, it just made me kinda wince a little to pay 28E corkage fees for wine I would NOT have brought on board had Vantage not taken me to these vendors. Of course the fact that the wine was spectacular helped!!

Edited by Hydrokitty
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This question came up about a year ago, and I was able to verify with AMA that they do not charge a corkage fee to bring your own wine to dinner (since you are saving them the cost of the "free" wine) or in your room (no "naughty room" on river boats), but only if you bring a bottle into the bar (where they do charge for wine). Of course, you could just keep the bottle in your room and bring a glass into the bar -- since the servers top everybody up at the end of dinner, you would fit right in.

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The only thing I would add is that while your wine is being stored in the dining room it is available to you any time you want it. But here's something I found just a tiny bit annoying. On our Black Sea pre-trip excursion last year Vantage took us to not one but TWO places where locally made wine was tasted and offered for sale. It being delicious, we all bought wine to bring on board some of us several bottles for use with dinner (wine was not included on that cruise). I was just a little surprised that we were charged 7E corkage when we had purchased the wine from a Vantage vendor, who I'm sure gives a percentage to either Vantage or the tour manager. It wasn't a big enough deal for me to complain or demand a refund, it just made me kinda wince a little to pay 28E corkage fees for wine I would NOT have brought on board had Vantage not taken me to these vendors. Of course the fact that the wine was spectacular helped!!

 

That would definitely irritate me - not the cost of the corkage fee, but the fact that you purchased it on one of their excursions. :mad:

Cole

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On our Tauck cruise through southern France last year we purchased wine at a couple of the wineries we visited and drunk them onboard. We shared a couple of bottles one dinner with new friends and Scylla staff gladly opened and poured the wine. There was no corkage fee. On another occasion staff opened a bottle in the Lido and served the wine with a plate of fruit and cheeses of the area. Again no corkage fee.

 

I'm sure if you sent your cruise company an email they would quickly answer your questions.

 

Rod

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Cole, I would advise you to take a opener for the wine in your main luggage, not carry on.

 

You know Willard, I think I'm going to do that from now on. They have travel ones that are pretty small but still work and if it's a problem I can store it in the fridge in my room. Good idea!! :D

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Cole, I would advise you to take a opener for the wine in your main luggage, not carry on.

 

That is a necessity that we never forget (and always in our main luggage). But thanks for the reminder. ;)

Cole

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If you take it to the dining room you will have a corkage charge. I think that might be the same with other cruise lines.

 

 

Confirm FuelScience's statement. Viking do not charge corkage and there's no problem -- indeed as they pour ample free wine with meals, you're saving them money :) I've taken my own wine on board on every trip.

 

Viking's website says

 

There is no corkage fee, so you may bring local wine aboard and enjoy it with your meals.

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Just sent an email to Vantage and got a response from a Customer Specialist. The corkage fee is still there and is about €5.

 

FuelScience

 

That's what it's been for a long time but on Gateway to the Black Sea last year it was 7E.

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