Please clarify carnival wine policy?

As i understand it, wifey & I can bring on 1 bottle of vino each. If we tell'em it's for the dining room they charge corkage ($15 each bottle?). But if we tell'em its just for our room, there's no charge? is that correct?

As i understand it, wifey & I can bring on 1 bottle of vino each. If we tell'em it's for the dining room they charge corkage ($15 each bottle?). But if we tell'em its just for our room, there's no charge? is that correct?

Correct ish. :) No one will ask you if it's for the dining room (or anywhere else). If you bring the bottle to the dining room, they'll charge you the $15 corkage fee. If you just bring a glass to dinner - your cabin steward can loan a corkscrew if you need one - no corkage fee.

not really true, we opened the bottle in the room and took it to the dining room and no one said a thing. We took what was left back to our cabin

I read a lot of these threads (no idea why because I never bring wine). But I can tell you that consensus is the corkage fee is hit or miss. You may or may not get it in the dining room. If you bring the bottle and ask a waiter to open it you are more likely to get the fee but not always.

I would not pay $15 on a $15 bottle of wine, no way

not really true, we opened the bottle in the room and took it to the dining room and no one said a thing. We took what was left back to our cabin

I absolutely believe you, but others have posted the opposite. It seems to be hit or miss, and I would always rather give someone the worst case scenario and let them be pleasantly surprised than the reverse, kwim?

 

Re your other post about $15/$15, I agree 100%. We bought Cheers on our last cruise, and bought bottles of Veuve on the way to the port to enjoy on the balcony.

Bring your one "free" bottle each onto the ship - stop at any bar and ask them for a couple of wine glasses. Take a glass each of your wine to the MDR and leave the glasses behind when you leave ;p

First for those that don't know a corkage fee has little to do with removal of the cork. The most common definition is:

A corkage fee is charged by a restaurant to patrons bringing their own wines to a meal. The corkage fee is usually minimal and is considered a convenience charge to the restaurant for opening and serving wines from outside their cellar.

 

If a corkage fee is imposed it would be upon bringing the wine into the dining room NOT at embarkation.

 

As other have said, the easiest way to avoid a corkage fee is to bring a glass of wine with you to the dining room. If you bring the bottle to the dining room even if open you might be charged.

 

Another way around corkage fees is to bring on board a brand of wine sold on the ship. No way to know if purchase or brought onboard.

I would not pay $15 on a $15 bottle of wine, no way

 

 

Neither will I.

 

 

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Bring your one "free" bottle each onto the ship - stop at any bar and ask them for a couple of wine glasses. Take a glass each of your wine to the MDR and leave the glasses behind when you leave ;p

 

THIS...will me my plan....hic!

re the comments about not paying $15 corkage for a $15 bottle: If you DON'T bring your own wine, and like a bottle with dinner, I looked at the onboard pricing, and it appears you'll then pay $30 for an approx. $7 bottle of wine!!!

Open the wine yourself and you can bring the bottle anywhere - dining room, piano bar etc. You can ask one of the bars for glasses or use the ones in your cabin. We always bring a corkscrew with us.

re the comments about not paying $15 corkage for a $15 bottle: If you DON'T bring your own wine, and like a bottle with dinner, I looked at the onboard pricing, and it appears you'll then pay $30 for an approx. $7 bottle of wine!!!

 

That was exactly what I was going to say!

 

My daughter works in the restaurant industry. They basically charge 4 times the amount a bottle cost. That way, if they open a bottle of wine for someone buying one glass of wine, the bottle is paid for, and any other glasses sold are pure profit. But since they don't know when the next glass will be sold, and if the wine will still be good then, they have to cover their cost on the first one.

DW simply brings her glass of wine with her for dinner, never a problem.

Open the wine yourself and you can bring the bottle anywhere - dining room, piano bar etc. You can ask one of the bars for glasses or use the ones in your cabin. We always bring a corkscrew with us.

 

Oh wow - this is great! I didn't realize that this was an option. I always thought the wine you brought onboard had to be consumed in your stateroom.

I would not pay $15 on a $15 bottle of wine, no way

 

 

Then don't bring a bottle to the MDR and you will be fine...

 

 

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Open the wine yourself and you can bring the bottle anywhere - dining room, piano bar etc. You can ask one of the bars for glasses or use the ones in your cabin. We always bring a corkscrew with us.

 

 

Just to be clear, the carry on wine is technically for cabin only - just like bon voyage). That said, I have never seen anyone challenged carrying around a bottle (of wine).

 

 

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I always bring wine onboard and will typically drink all throughout the cruise by putting it in a glass or mug. This past cruise, we brought several bottles to the dining room and were told they would charge us to open and pour at the tables. We could have walked outside the door, poured a glass and walked back in with no problem or charge. Now I know so I will not bring a whole bottle there. I will just walk back to the room if I need a refill or refill outside of the dining room. I have never had a problem walking anywhere with my mug or glass.

 

 

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re the comments about not paying $15 corkage for a $15 bottle: If you DON'T bring your own wine, and like a bottle with dinner, I looked at the onboard pricing, and it appears you'll then pay $30 for an approx. $7 bottle of wine!!!

This is true, I think the least expensive bottle of wine on the ship will be $26. But most are above $30. So your $15. bottle plus corkage fee is still less expensive than most of the ship's wines.

And FYI, there will be a couple of wine glasses in your cabin if you don't want to get one from a bar. Just be sure to return them.

 

Open the wine yourself and you can bring the bottle anywhere - dining room, piano bar etc. You can ask one of the bars for glasses or use the ones in your cabin. We always bring a corkscrew with us.

As has already been said, opening it yourself then taking it to the MDR doesn't guarantee you won't pay the corkage fee. Technically, you're supposed to be charged even if you open it yourself. It's a fee for dining with a wine not bought on board. But sometimes waiters let passengers get away with it. Still, it's best to warn someone that they could likely be charged than make them think they won't, then be unpleasantly surprised.

Just curious, do you bring glasses of wine into restaurants in your home town? Carnival allows the wine for your in cabin consumption like it's your "home". And a corkage fee like restaurants on land. Not judging, I've broken many rules. Carrying any beverage into a restaurant that was bought somewhere else seems weird.

And FYI, there will be a couple of wine glasses in your cabin if you don't want to get one from a bar. Just be sure to return them.

 

Those are water glasses.

 

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Just curious, do you bring glasses of wine into restaurants in your home town? Carnival allows the wine for your in cabin consumption like it's your "home". And a corkage fee like restaurants on land. Not judging...

 

But here you are... My "hometown" doesn't feature a Tarzan contest a few hours before dinner.

Taking a glass of wine to dinner is perfectly fine with our floating host. They do sporadically charge the fee if one brings a bottle to dinner and displays it on the table.

People purchase a glass of wine at bars all over the ship and bring it to dinner.

 

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Edited June 3, 2017 by BallFour4

Double post :(

Just curious, do you bring glasses of wine into restaurants in your home town? Carnival allows the wine for your in cabin consumption like it's your "home". And a corkage fee like restaurants on land. Not judging, I've broken many rules. Carrying any beverage into a restaurant that was bought somewhere else seems weird.

Technically, the Carnival FAQ's do not say the wine brought on board is for consumption in cabin only. Cruise ship experiences, in many ways, are much different than similar establishments based on land. We do a lot of things on board that wouldn't be typical on land.

 

Those are water glasses.

Please don't assume I don't know the difference. They were most certainly wine glasses. We also had water glasses. The couple we cruised with had the same selection in their cabin too. In fact, many people, both on this forum and in the old Carnival Funville forum, have said they had wine glasses in their cabins. In the end, even if they gave us a red solo cup, it still holds one's beverage of choice all the same.