Corkage Fee for Wine Presented by the Captain???

[BrandiGreg]

I just want to get off my chest something that happened on our last cruise a couple weeks ago. An elderly gentleman who just happened to be our tablemate at late seating had been presented a bottle of wine at the Captain Circle Party for being the Most Traveled Passenger (over 1000 days on Princess). He brought it, in its gift bag, to dinner to share with the rest of us at the table and the wait staff charged him a $15 corkage fee, even though he said it was a gift from the Captain. He was clearly upset but, gentleman as he was, did not make a big ruckus out of it. Has anyone else experienced something like this? We agreed that Princess should have not treated their Most Traveled Passenger that way. (and yes, it was very clearly explained to the staff the circumstances under which the wine was given....their answer was "we have our rules we have to follow"):(

[Pia1913]

I just want to get off my chest something that happened on our last cruise a couple weeks ago. An elderly gentleman who just happened to be our tablemate at late seating had been presented a bottle of wine at the Captain Circle Party for being the Most Traveled Passenger (over 1000 days on Princess). He brought it, in its gift bag, to dinner to share with the rest of us at the table and the wait staff charged him a $15 corkage fee, even though he said it was a gift from the Captain. He was clearly upset but, gentleman as he was, did not make a big ruckus out of it. Has anyone else experienced something like this? We agreed that Princess should have not treated their Most Traveled Passenger that way. (and yes, it was very clearly explained to the staff the circumstances under which the wine was given....their answer was "we have our rules we have to follow"):(

 

BIG BIG error. We have been first most traveled (as well as 2nd and 3rd) many times. There is never a charge and he should have questioned it. In fact, the bottle you bring in is not chilled and they immediately take it from you and replace it with chilled in order to serve it properly.

 

See above. Did he speak to a head waiter?

Edited June 10, 2014 by Pia1913

[PescadoAmarillo]

That's....pretty tacky.

 

We've been gifted the champagne from the MTPs, and also shared a dinner table with them where they shared their champagne with the table. We've never been charged (or seen the MTPs charged) corkage.

 

What about the bottles of champagne included in promotions? Would they charge corkage on those? 50th cruise bottles of champagne? Prize bottles of champagne? We've had all of the above, and never been charged corkage on any bottle of wine that came from the ship.

[Colo Cruiser]

Any Princess wine does not have a corkage fee.

 

Clearly wrong!

[Astro Flyer]

I don't have any personal experiences to share about a most traveled bottle of wine but any bottle from Princess (purchased or gift) has never had an additional fee charged. The gentleman has cruise enough to know that a fee should not be charged. I like to think of myself as a "gentleman" but I would've definitely found someone who could rectify the situation.

[Carolyn R]

Because of the fact that he was a "most travelled passenger", I suspect he handled the situation behind the scenes rather than make a scene.

[BrandiGreg]

Because of the fact that he was a "most travelled passenger", I suspect he handled the situation behind the scenes rather than make a scene.

It was a bottle of room temp red wine and yes, once my spouse found out about it, she mentioned it quietly to the head waiter and it was taken care of discreetly. This was a gentleman who, I assume, just had too much pride to make a fuss, although it did seem to irritate him a little inside (if you know what I mean)..... I will chalk it up to some wait staff not reading the memo on gifted wine corkage fees.

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

I would have simply paid the $15 at the table & sent a note to the captain explaining what had transpired in the DR along with the name of the waiter. Let the waiter explain to his supervisor his reason for the charge.

[Astro Flyer]

Generally it's the less experienced junior waiters who handle the wine & I would calmly ask to talk to a headwaiter & if necessary to the maître d'. I think that would be easier for the misinformed employee to learn the correct procedure than to get a note from the captain about their mistake.

 

Each of us decides how we would handle such situations & for me I wouln't go to the top when it can be handled at a lower level. I would prefer to be corrected by a coworker or supervisor than to get a note from the boss about my mistake.

Edited June 10, 2014 by Astro Flyer

[Pam in CA]

I would have simply paid the $15 at the table & sent a note to the captain explaining what had transpired in the DR along with the name of the waiter. Let the waiter explain to his supervisor his reason for the charge.

Education is always preferable over punishment. While clearly wrong and an error, it's best to let the Table Captain or Maitre d' handle it rather than ensure that the waiter has a black mark on their performance which could affect future promotions or even their job.

[Oxo]

BIG BIG error. We have been first most traveled (as well as 2nd and 3rd) many times. There is never a charge and he should have questioned it. In fact, the bottle you bring in is not chilled and they immediately take it from you and replace it with chilled in order to serve it properly.

 

See above. Did he speak to a head waiter?

 

Totally agree as we have been MTP, also many times. Never had to pay as they should know what their stock/brands are. In fact, the bottle they give out is a very good quality brand.

[billco]

I will chalk it up to some wait staff not reading the memo on gifted wine corkage fees.

Then why did you start a thread blaming it on Princess? It looks to me that some staff didn't know the policy and it was taken care of once reported to the head waiter.

 

On the Royal TA last October, my wife responded to a call for blood donors and was given a bottle of wine by Princess for her effort. On entering the MDR I mentioned it to the Head Waiter who informed the wait staff.

[Griller]

Not saying it is necessarily the right thing to do but one very travelled passenger I know has given up discussing this sort of thing with crew and just pays up then goes to Passenger Services and takes it off the daily automatic service charge, stating the exact reason on the form.

Nearly every unfair thing Princess try to punish a passenger for financially can be taken care of like this.

Does the crew remuneration suffer as a result?

Probably yes but if the reason ever filters down to the actual crew members who make these bad decisions then it might serve as a wakeup call to them and their co-workers and supervisors to be more reasonable in the future.

[Shogun]

Hi All

This type of little mistake happens all the time a quick phone call to hotel manager or a note to maître d and these things are fixed

Examples

A free bottle of wine you pick your bottle and next day there is a charge

You book a treatment for your wife at the spa and pay x only to find she is given y costing more.

You have a meal in the Crown grill which is not good you are offered a free meal next time only to find your waiter saying you must pay.

 

No need for any fuss errors happen

 

Yours Shogun

 

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Forums mobile app

[skf]

On Crown Princess we got a bottle of Chianti Classico from the Passenger Services Director. We brought it to dinner, explained where it came from, & they were glad to serve it without charge. Obviously that is the way it should have been handled in this case, too.

Steve

[Astro Flyer]

I wonder if charging a corkage fee for a free bottle has become more prevalent since they began stamping bottles to differentiate them from the fee-free ones.

 

A fee-free bottle we bring onboard does not have a stamp & should be charged corkage in the dining room. I wonder if the confusion is because the free ones given onboard do not have a stamp & thus no way to know that a fee should not be charged. If the bottles are not stamped then a simple solution would be for Princess to stamp them before giving them to passengers so dining room staff would know whether to charge corkage or not.

Edited June 11, 2014 by Astro Flyer

[Teris50]

Ours wasn't presented by the Captain, but won for Best Dancers, and a trivia contest. My friends brought the bottles to dinner and they started to say they were going to charge the corkage fee. I spoke up and said HEY this is a Princess bottle they won, and the head waiter had to come over and agree that we did not have to pay. THEY SHOULD all recognize that these cheap 5.00 bottles that are handed out on the ship should not carry a corkage fee! VERY VERY TACKY on the crews part when they do this.

I don't mind paying when I bring on a bottle (which I did in March) but the Princess gifts are clearly bottle from Princess.

[Cruiselover1951]

 

On the Royal TA last October, my wife responded to a call for blood donors and was given a bottle of wine by Princess for her effort. On entering the MDR I mentioned it to the Head Waiter who informed the wait staff.

 

Sorry OT, but amazingly, that (a call for blood donors for a medical emergency) happened on the Royal's TA back to Europe April-May this year. What are the odds?

[shredie]

Sorry OT, but amazingly, that (a call for blood donors for a medical emergency) happened on the Royal's TA back to Europe April-May this year. What are the odds?

 

This is way OT, but I've been on more than one cruise where a blood donor is called for. I think it's pretty common. And if they give you a bottle of wine for your trouble, you should not have to pay the corkage fee. :D

[Pia1913]

Sorry OT, but amazingly, that (a call for blood donors for a medical emergency) happened on the Royal's TA back to Europe April-May this year. What are the odds?

 

Very often. Almost every cruise, especially the long ones. But having the same blood type is not enough, because if you aren't carrying a donor card they won't accept you.