Can we take wine on board?

[cornwood1962]

We have just booked our first cruise with Cunard on the QE.

I believe that we can take one bottle of wine on board when we embark, but can we also buy wine in the ports and take it on board to drink in the cabin?

Thank you!

[pepperrn]

We have just booked our first cruise with Cunard on the QE. I believe that we can take one bottle of wine on board when we embark, but can we also buy wine in the ports and take it on board to drink in the cabin?

Thank you!

Yes you can, not a problem in my experience as far as the ship is concerned.

Enjoy QE, many photos of the interiors of the ship, and some taken during a cruise, via the link below.

Have the most wonderful time :) Bon Voyage!

Edited March 2, 2014 by pepperrn

[pmb1]

Pepper is right; in fact, you can take a case on board. A while ago some friends of ours did so on QM2. They shared and will always be remembered as especially good friends.

[Pushka]

Ah. I thought it was just one bottle. Hmm. My luggage already weighs a ton but still...

[Underwatr]

The official cruise contract says one bottle per passenger but Cunard says in the FAQ (somewhere) that they enforce it as an exception and not as a rule. I've carried on 6-9 bottles of wine and champagne with no issues.

[newjoisey]

of course:D

[Calliope]

To supplement the two bottles of spirits given in Queens Grill, I brought on in NYC a bottle of Hendrick's Gin, Makers Mark Bourbon, and Dolan Vermouth. Not one eye was raised nor a lip moved by security on the pier.

[thepoint]

To supplement the two bottles of spirits given in Queens Grill, I brought on in NYC a bottle of Hendrick's Gin, Makers Mark Bourbon, and Dolan Vermouth. Not one eye was raised nor a lip moved by security on the pier.

 

We just booked our first cruise on the QE for next January. We will be in a Queens Grill Suite. Can you please explain to me the "two bottles of spirits given." Is it wine or hard liquor? Do you get to choose? Is it replenished if you finish it? Is it for the dining room or your cabin? Is wine included with your meals in the Queens restaurant? We are a little confused about the benefits that go along with the Queens Grill Suites. I know there are laundry facilities on board, but can you send your laundry in to be done - is there a charge for that? Thank you so much for your help.

[pmb1]

Your choice wine or liquor but the Queens Grill Guest Liquor Request Form says "... These are for consumption in your suite. ... Please feel free to specify substitute products, however these may incur an additional charge. ..." FYI, the liter of Drambuie we asked for came free of charge. These are replaced when finished.

 

Wine with meals in the Queens Grill (or any place else for that matter) is an extra charge, plus 15% gratuity.

 

Don't know about QE, but on QM2 there are free DIY launderettes on all the cabin decks, except on Deck 9, where most of the QG cabins are, and on Deck 12. Or, you can pay to have your laundry and dry cleaning done. Here are what the charges were a year ago on QM2.

[ckl001]

I have just come off the Queen Elizabeth and when I boarded in San Francisco I took 6 bottles of wine onboard and there was no questions asked.

 

Chez

[bandmp]

As wine is allowed, may we bring soda aboard?

Thanks -:) Mary

[Underwatr]

As wine is allowed, may we bring soda aboard?

Thanks -:) Mary

Yes. I've done that also. Better luck carrying then checking (stevedores dropped a 12 -pack and punctured one of the cans).

[redhydra]

me too i just booked my first cunard cruise, ill already have a bottle in my luggage because after the cruise, i am staying with a friend in uk and this bottle is a gift for her. and i am considering bringing a second bottle for drinking during the cruise

[tricia1563]

I was told by Cunard Sydney that I was not even allowed to take one bottle of wine on QM2. Needless to say I was rather annoyed when others were taking a few bottles and drinking in their staterooms. Not happy Sydney. I would say take some.

 

 

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[Gerko]

Cunards website says one bottle per person. It also says they reserve the right to confiscate that bottle but they would normally not do that. If the bottle is used in the dining room there is a USD20 corkage. I certainly intend to take two good bottles along (one each for wife and I) as I checked their wine list and they have a big markup on their wines. For instance, an aussie Mollygrubber Red retails for around A$12 but on board its US$43. And I have printed out a copy of their website policy to carry with me just in case anyone says anything.

[Pushka]

My Moët was not questioned in Adelaide.

[Salacia]

My Moët was not questioned in Adelaide.

 

Good thing - Moët doesn't do well under questioning, or bright lights!!! :D Glad to read that you are having a good time, Pushka. Enjoy! -Cheers, -S.

[Underwatr]

Cunards website says one bottle per person. It also says they reserve the right to confiscate that bottle but they would normally not do that.

Actually, the policy doesn't explicitly say they might remove that bottle. A safe interpretation, from someone who regularly avails himself of Cunard's practice in this regard, is that Cunard will not ordinarily confiscate any reasonable quantity of wine or liquor brought aboard.

 

https://ask.cunard.com/help/cunard/before-you-sail/alcohol

Passengers are permitted to bring one bottle of wine OR champagne per person (over the age of 21) onboard, however all passengers should be aware of the below policies -

 

We reserve the right to remove alcohol at the gangway should the need arise. 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.

This may safely be interpreted to read that they will not interfere with carrying on reasonable quantities in excess of the one bottle per person.

 

Don't confuse Cunard's policy with that of other lines. No rum runners or other subterfuge is involved in carrying wine or harder stuff onto a Cunard ship at embarkation or at ports of call. Put your bag or box on the conveyer belt and don't worry.

Edited March 12, 2014 by Underwatr

[FennoExpress]

We took a bottle of champagne with us to enjoy in the cabin and asked the steward for a cooler with some ice, which he delivered promptly:)

[orvil]

We traveled in Queens Grill Trans-Atlantic this past winter. We carried a single bottle of wine on board along with two six packs of Coke in the glass bottles. Cunard has gone Pepsi. No questions, they just wanted to run the bags and six packs through an x-ray machine.

 

We planned to drink the wine in the cabin, but ended up taking it to the QG dining room. The sommelier opened, served and corked the remainder. We drank the rest in the QG the next afternoon. We were charged a corkage fee of $20.00 US.

 

When we boarded, our butler inquired about our wine and spirits preference. We requested red wine. He delivered it. For whatever reason, we didn't end up drinking the ship provided wine and left it in the cabin.

 

The mini fridge was filled with sodas and mixers. I just added the cokes to the fridge as needed. They would have refilled it as needed, but I didn't want the Pepsi. One day, I brought one of the cokes upstairs and drank it with luncheon. Our waiter brought me a glass and ice without asking. I actually prefer my Coke chilled, without ice, directly from the bottle. To each his own.

 

There was a chilled bucket of Champagne waiting for us upon our arrival. They also provided a Champagne stopper to seal the bottle if you can't drink it in one sitting.

 

In retrospect, I would have brought on board more wine. I would rather pay the corkage fee and drink something more to my taste. I plan on doing that in the future.

 

You can get the ship to do laundry, but you are welcome to use the washer/dryers and iron on the other decks. I really don't trust anyone to press a dress with sequins. I only used the iron and board. I just washed the unmentionables in sink. The tub has a retractable laundry line. The quality of the iron was pretty sad. It looked like it had been dropped quite a few times. If you need a little steam, bring a glass of water. There wasn't any water source nearby.

 

We had an excellent time.