RCI not allowing passengers to bring wine onboard?

[jackel101]

2 cases of beer and 4 bottles of wine and champagne last cruise love my steamer trunk

[island lady]

Sounds like a happy cruise! :)

Cheers!

[critterchick]

Finelycruising, the food on Princess is a little tastier than on RCI, IMHO. We've always done Personal Choice dining on Princess and have found the service often to be less than enthusiastic. We have always found the service on RCI to be wonderful even if some of the dishes are less than delicious. We're converting to traditional dining on a couple of upcoming Princess cruises, and will have a more accurate comparison, I think.

 

We love RCI, but have also developed quite a fondness for Princess. I think which line to cruise will depend on price & itinerary from now on - we've enjoyed both, and don't think we can go wrong with either.

 

Now, back to bringing on wine: we have brought back wine from excursions to winerieis in Europe without any problem at all, even in the boxes. We have brought a bottle or two on board at embarkation. We were challenged once at security - the checker yelled out, "alcohol check!" but that was it. I guess we were supposed to wait or go someplace to turn the wine in, but after a minute when nobody did anything, we just got onboard. Princess explicity allows wine & champagne "for special occasions" (which you don't have to specify), so you don't have resort to subterfuge or wonder if your openly-carried wine will be confiscated.

 

I read on a Freedom of the Seas thread that RCI will no longer allow soda or water to be brought on board. Banning WATER?????? Please tell me it's not true! We're supposed to pay $3.95/bottle for something that is essential to sustain life? Well, some people say that about Diet Coke or vodka, but WATER??!!!??:eek:

[wwinfl91]

It is interesting that 94 people have voted that RCI should allow passengers to bring wine onboard and only 6 don't think it should be allowed. 35 people don't care one way or another.

 

Thanks for all the input and for keeping this post near the top of the RCI CC board. Maybe someone from RCI will check this board and notice all the interest and decide it might be in their best interest to listen to their customers. So keep voting.

 

Have a great next cruise.

[island lady]

Or at best I hope they read this and realize that we are a little more educated than they give us credit for, and re-align their prices to match what is the norm in restaurants and other cruise lines. Double the mark up, especially since they get the stuff duty free, should be fair. Not 4 times over...sheezzz...

Also in their favor would be to hire someone who actually knows wine to select a better wine offering. Decent prices and good selection...how hard would that be? Then perhaps they would not have to stand guard as wine police against thier customers who are not willing to have them think we don't know any better.

Cheers!

[FinelyCruising]

critterchick Thanks for the input!

[Mabers]

[i also find the markup to be horrific. We can get wonderful inexpensive wines here in California, and to see a $7.99 bottle of Shiraz sell for $34 makes my good Scottish blood boil! Although to be fair, I think Princess' markup is just as substantial for the wines we like.

 

Agreed...100%! We leave on our 1st (for all intents and purposes...last one Sept. 1951!) cruise next Monday. It's a short one....4 nights...and I am totally confused about the whole wine thing. Every post is different. I am not a wine snob....a bottle of Stone Cellars 1.5 litres (can I say this here?) on sale $8.95....$12.95 regular, sells for close to $30 on board for 750 ml.....is all I need, but not at that price. That is a ridiculous markup! Even if we bring a couple of bottles with us, we are still ahead of the game, corking fee and all. That is one option....or as long as I have a little glass while getting dressed for dinner, I will survive (I guess). So..... maybe I'll just bring a couple of 750s for use in the cabin, and buy a glass at dinner......yikes! Do they sell wine by the glass in the dining room? This is getting way too complicated! Maybe I'll just go on a bender beforehand and abstain on the ship!!!!! Help!

[JamesFic]

I purchased "beverages" in Curacao and placed them in a canvas beach bag which I was then required to send through the scanner. The scanner operator then asked me if I had alcohol and I said "yes". I was then directed to the beverage surrender table and told to give up the goods 'til the end of the cruise. I love RCI; I don't like being treated like a juvenile - it's demeaning. By the way - Carnival policy cleary states that wine may be brought aboard.

[zachnlucy]

I don't think they care if you bring wine on. They just make the statement you can't so if someone brings on a case, they can stop you.

[Guest OBAYbee]

Aren't you afraid of wine getting all over your clothes etc?

[zachnlucy]

Not with bubble wrap and an extra towel.

[critterchick]

You're welcome, FinelyCruising!

 

Mabers, you can get wine by the glass in the dining room. What we did on our last cruise was order two bottles for a 3-night. DH prefers white & I prefer red, so we got one of each & just had a generous glass with each meal. The bottles lasted all three nights, and we got a nice wine for what passes for a decent price on a cruise, instead of the house stuff (I'm blanking on the label, but it's ordinary stuff & nothing to write home about. Princess' house brand on the Coastal last summer was Sylvester, which is ok but nothing to dance on the bartop about).

[beachchick]

I agree that RCI's 300% to 500% markup is absolutely absurd. I expect a markup, even 100% to 150% I could accept, but this?

 

Also, please keep in mind that super premium vintage wine is not really a good "investment" onboard a ship. Consider the conditions--a ship moves constantly, which is not good for good wine. If you order wine onboard, order NV champagne and don't ransom your SeaPass for a $100 bottle of wine that's been bouncing around at sea.

 

beachchick

[Mabers]

[QUOTE=critterchick]You're welcome, FinelyCruising!

 

Mabers, you can get wine by the glass in the dining room. What we did on our last cruise was order two bottles for a 3-night. DH prefers white & I prefer red, so we got one of each & just had a generous glass with each meal. The bottles lasted all three nights, and we got a nice wine for what passes for a decent price on a cruise, instead of the house stuff (I'm blanking on the label, but it's ordinary stuff & nothing to write home about. Princess' house brand on the Coastal last summer was Sylvester, which is ok but nothing to dance on the bartop about).

 

Good advice.....that'll work....thanks!

[cruisegirl1]

We always bring wine on board. We wrap a bottle in bubble wrap, then in a Zip loc. We may also carry a bottle. We’ve never been stopped for the carry bottle and have never had the others removed from the luggage.

 

We bring nice wines and willingly pay any corkage. In fact – at times we are not charged the corkage, but can never figure out why. (maybe we subliminally let the waiter know we would rather reward him)

 

Last year I read a tip on these boards, if you want to carry on a bottle or two, put a ribbon or card with wording like, “Bon Voyage, love Mother.” Never tired this though.

 

We last sailed January 2005 with no problems regarding the wine.

 

 

Marci

[xpcdoojk]

Waterproof floatbag, and bubble wrap, then put it inside a suitcase, never had a problem and have taken as many as over a dozen bottles in 2003 on the Legend of the seas in Auckland.

 

I think they are more likely to enforce rules on 7 day or shorter cruises, and I think they are completely not likely to do so on longer cruises. Remember if they enforce the rules they will hold the wine for you. I am sure that in this worst case scenario if you requested a bottle at dinner they would do so, and charge you the corkage fee. So the worst case scenario is not really that bad.;) :D

 

jc

[wwinfl91]

Glad to see the topic is staying on the first page. Maybe RCI will take notice.

 

I hope the last poster was right and RCI is less strict on longer cruises. Oh well does anyone know what happens if they take my wine and then give it back to me when we land in England. Will English customs then also take it away from me?

 

Hopefully we will get it to our room and we will have finished it before we get to Europe.

 

Have a great next cruise.

[island lady]

Reminds me of something a previous poster at one time said when the subject was "how do you carry your wine on board?"....thier answer:

 

In my stomach!! :D

 

cute!! :)

 

Cheers!

[Mabers]

[QUOTE=critterchick]You're welcome, FinelyCruising!

 

Mabers, you can get wine by the glass in the dining room. What we did on our last cruise was order two bottles for a 3-night. DH prefers white & I prefer red, so we got one of each & just had a generous glass with each meal. The bottles lasted all three nights, and we got a nice wine for what passes for a decent price on a cruise, instead of the house stuff (I'm blanking on the label, but it's ordinary stuff & nothing to write home about. Princess' house brand on the Coastal last summer was Sylvester, which is ok but nothing to dance on the bartop about).

 

Good advice.....that'll work....thanks!

 

Here I am answering my own post.....just wondering....could we bring 1.5 litre bottles for the dining room and happily pay the corking fee (if they collect it)? It would still work out to be much less expensive. We are a group of 10, and each couple could easily pack one bottle. We are only an hour's drive from Port Canaveral, so packing for a flight is not a factor. This is getting better all the time! Hmmmmm....let's see....$13 plus $12....looks like a plan. Whaddaya think?

[wwinfl91]

It sounds like you might be set for the cruise with 10 of you each bringing on one bottle each. That would get you through 10 nights and get you into Portugal and Spain where we should be able to pick up some more wine.

 

Sounds like a plan. The only problem may be we will all be stopping by your table to see what you are drinking each night.

 

Have a great next cruise.

[BILLP1]

We pack our wine in separate bag and never have had a problem. Our waiters never have charged us the corkage and we make sure that we tip them for the consideration.

[wwinfl91]

It is interesting to hear that you haven't been charged the corkage fee. I would like to believe that would happen for me but more likely given my usual luck they would charge me for it and for the wine somehow.

 

The poll is still running heavily in favor of RCI letting people bring on wine. Hope someone from RCI checks these boards.

 

Have a great next cruise.

[gerif]

Hmmmm - seems the best deal would be to bring a really BIG bottle, pay the corkage fee, then have them save the bottle for each meal. Ah, my cheap side is surfacing . . . .

[wineandbeach]

When we were on Celebrity, the wine steward told us that she is supposed to charge double for the 1.5 liter since the corkage fee was for the .75 liter. She only charged us a single corkage fee but I think she just wanted to let us know she was doing us a favor. On Hal, they never said a word about the large bottle.

[wwinfl91]

That's actually a pretty good idea. I wonder how big they make bottles. My cheap side is also showing up.

 

Have a great next cruise.