Corkage fee with room service?

[Archie's Mom]

Should you decide to order room service to be served on your balcony, can you serve yourself a bottle of wine you have brought along and avoid the corkage fee or would this be considered inappropriate?

 

Secondly, what is the best way to assure a good wine each evening in the dining room? I have read that the wine card wines are less than stellar, but the wines sold online in the HAL gift store are far overpriced and I wonder what we will find on the menu. Thanks for suggestions; we have not been on a HAL cruise for a long time.

[Krazy Kruizers]

There is no corkage fee for wines that you bring on board and consume in your cabin.

Ask your bar server (no longer called wine stewards) in the dining for suggestions for wine at dinner. There is an extensive list of wines that you can buy in all price ranges. The list should be on your table when you enter the dining room the first evening. If not -- ask for one.

[m steve]

That way you will get what you enjoy for $18 instead of $40-50.

[peaches from georgia]

There is no way HAL would have any idea what wine you were opening and consuming in your cabin, so there is no way they could charge you a corkage fee. It's only in the dining room that the wine steward is aware of your bringing in a bottle and therefore has the knowledge to charge a fee (or not in some cases ;)).

[sail7seas]

We had some wonderful wines two weeks ago on Westerdam. Read the Pinnacle and Dining Room Wine Lists and hopefully you, too, can find some very enjoyable wines. We didn't think the prices that horrible. Of course, they are higher than a liquor store but so are wines in all the restaurants in my home town. :) Cruise lines are for profit business. ;)

 

 

 

[Boytjie]

That way you will get what you enjoy for $18 instead of $40-50.

 

$18 + $18 = $36.

 

Why bother dragging a lot of wine on board and to the dining room every night, risking some breaking to save about $4?

[Krazy Kruizers]

We don't dronk wine that often.

Rather risk a bottle breaking while we bring it on board in our carry-on -- accidents can happen -- we prefer to just order a bottle from HAL's rather extensive list. There is a price range for everyone.

[brown's fan 1]

I think Archie Mom's question is more about having dinner served on the veranda than it is about just opening wine in your suite. At least, that is what I read. I assume if you have a 3 course dinner on your balcony, someone brings each course. If so, does that steward/waiter expect to open the wine? I guess if they bring it all at once and then go away it doesn't matter. When I was on Celebrity 2 years ago, the server brought each course, coming back 3 times. He also poured the wine. Maybe that is what this question is about. But I don't remember if there were a corkage fee.

[Krazy Kruizers]

On HAL -- all the courses are brought at the same in all categories except the PS.

 

The delivery person just does that -- drops off the food -- doesn not open any wine/champagne.

[brown's fan 1]

Well, that answers that. I did not know that. Now I am thinking about buying a bottle or 2 in FLL. Is that large wine store still there, I wonder? Total Wines, looks like a grocery store but great selection.

[jcrandle]

Total wines is still there, with great prices and service. Browse their selections at http://www.totalwine.com/ . As a suggestion, if you plan to drink in your stateroom, the box wines are more easily transportable, and there are some very drinkable ones. You can also pick up some bottles to enjoy at the dining room with a very reasonable cost, even after the corkage fee.

[TheARTraveler]

Does anyone know of a way to see the bottle wine list ahead of time. I will be on the Ryndam later this month. I'm wondering about bringing wine on board to have for dinner partly for the savings and even more for the ability to have a wider selection. thanks