Boarding with Wine & Champagne

[jamesnnb]

Has anyone heard of any changes to being allowed to bring on a bottle of wine or champagne at boarding?

[paul929207]

Yes, you can bring on as much wine and champagne as you wish.

 

The first two bottles per cabin are allowed with no fee unless you tale them to the MDR. Then you are charged $15 per bottle.

 

All additional bottles brought on are subject to a $15 corkage fee as they are brought on. You may take these to the MDR with no additional fee.

[CruiserBruce]

Yes, you can bring on as much wine and champagne as you wish.

 

The first two bottles per cabin are allowed with no fee unless you tale them to the MDR. Then you are charged $15 per bottle.

 

All additional bottles brought on are subject to a $15 corkage fee as they are brought on. You may take these to the MDR with no additional fee.

 

And this has been the policy for Princess for quite a while. It is discussed here almost daily.

[jamesnnb]

CruiseBruce: I was actually asking if anyone knew of any upcoming changes to this long-standing policy (as other lines have done). If that was discussed 'daily' (as you say), I apologize. I must have missed known *changes*.....current policy, I know. And I also know it has been their policy 'for quite a while'.If looking for current policy -- I would go to their website. Again, if you know of any possible upcoming *CHANGES* to this long-standing policy, I'd like to hear about them.

[IECalCruiser]

CruiseBruce: I was actually asking if anyone knew of any upcoming changes to this long-standing policy (as other lines have done). If that was discussed 'daily' (as you say), I apologize. I must have missed known *changes*.....current policy, I know. And I also know it has been their policy 'for quite a while'.If looking for current policy -- I would go to their website. Again, if you know of any possible upcoming *CHANGES* to this long-standing policy, I'd like to hear about them.

What changes have other lines made?

[jamesnnb]

Most recently, Carnival made changes to their soda/water policy (will stop passengers from bringing bottled water, bottled soda and other bottled nonalcoholic drinks onboard, effective July 9.) and also effective July 9, bottles of alcohol purchased by passengers onboard or in port will be stored by the ship until the morning of disembarkation (instead of the night before disembarkation). I know this is soda/water at embarkarkation but thought perhaps it might lead to the wine/champagne bottles soon?

[IECalCruiser]

Most recently, Carnival made changes to their soda/water policy (will stop passengers from bringing bottled water, bottled soda and other bottled nonalcoholic drinks onboard, effective July 9.)?

Carnival apparently has an issue with people refilling bottles and using them to smuggle alcohol. As I understand, they are still allowing cans to be brought on board. That doesn't appear to be a major issue with Princess.

 

and also effective July 9, bottles of alcohol purchased by passengers onboard or in port will be stored by the ship until the morning of disembarkation (instead of the night before disembarkation).

They must be concerned with people trying to drink all of that alcohol on the last night. I don't see where this should impact people.

 

I know this is soda/water at embarkarkation but thought perhaps it might lead to the wine/champagne bottles soon?

Only when people start refilling wine bottles with alcohol.

[caribill]

 

Only when people start refilling wine bottles with alcohol.

 

Carnival was finding people filled water bottles and soda bottles with alcoholic beverages.

 

Thus, no bottles at all except for one wine or Champagne per adult at the start of the cruise. And no bottles at all at a port stop.

 

Carnival did reduce the price of bottled water. Purchased in advance, it is $2.99 for 12 500ml bottles. Purchased on the ship it is $4.99 + gratuity.

 

I assume if you take a Carnival water bottle off the ship at a port you cannot bring it back on.

[Momma Mojito]

This whole thread has confused me. Wasn't the op question about

Princess wine policy and not Carnival, I too would like to know if there has been a change in Princess's alcohol policy.

[paul929207]

to answer op's question, no, there has been no change in the Princess policy.

[Cayoooga]

As provided in the Passage Contract,

 

guests agree not to bring alcoholic beverages of any kind onboard for consumption, except one bottle of wine or champagne per adult of drinking age (no larger than 750 ml) per voyage, which will not be subject to a corkage fee if consumed in the stateroom. Additional wine or champagne bottles are welcome, but will incur a $15 corkage fee each, irrespective of where they are intended to be consumed. Liquor, spirits or beers are not permitted. Please remember that luggage will be scanned and alcohol outside of our policy will be removed and discarded.*

 

Alcoholic beverages that are purchased duty free from the ship's gift shop, or at ports of call, will be collected for safekeeping and delivered to the guest's stateroom on the last day of the cruise. A member of the ship's staff will be at the gangway to assist guests with the storage of their shoreside alcoholic purchases while our Boutiques staff will assist guests with shipboard alcoholic purchases.

 

*Princess Cruises is not responsible for any alcoholic beverages removed and discarded by shoreside security staff.

Such items are not eligible for monetary refund or replacement.

[Colo Cruiser]

CruiseBruce: I was actually asking if anyone knew of any upcoming changes to this long-standing policy (as other lines have done). If that was discussed 'daily' (as you say), I apologize. I must have missed known *changes*.....current policy, I know. And I also know it has been their policy 'for quite a while'.If looking for current policy -- I would go to their website. Again, if you know of any possible upcoming *CHANGES* to this long-standing policy, I'd like to hear about them.

 

I understood your question and have no issue with you asking.

No need to explain yourself. :rolleyes:

[jamesnnb]

Thanks, paplo222 and ColoCruiser -- it was just a simple "I wonder.....". Sometimes CEOs go on social medial and take live questions and people ask "are you making a change to this or that ... " and they might respond with "we are looking into this or that...." Thought we might have missed some talk about bringing wine on board. And mentioned Carnival as someone asked 'what other lines...' and Carnival had recently announced their new policy on what water/soda you can/cannot bring on board. Note: Princess is the parent company of Carnival and yes, I do know they are all individual cruise lines and don't make blanket changes.

Lastly, I was amused that peety3 was quick to point out I was just poking around rumors when HE subscribes to Canon Rumors site where they list rumors and give them ratings, no less! Seems to me he would just wait for Canon to announce any changes.....

It's all good -- we're all cruising. :D

[caribill]

Note: Princess is the parent company of Carnival and yes, I do know they are all individual cruise lines and don't make blanket changes.

 

Not quite.

 

Carnival Corp is the parent company of Princess Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruiser Lines, and a number of other companies.

[jamesnnb]

Opps, you are 100% correct. I meant to say it the right way...:/ meaning if Carnival made a change, seeing as they are the Parent, it might (just might) follow on to one of their other lines. Thanks for the correction, Caribill.

[IECalCruiser]

Princess last modified their alcohol policy in 2012 and they started strictly adhering to the one bottle per passenger of drinking age allowed on board with no corkage fee if the bottle is consumed in your cabin. All other bottles brought on board are charged a $15 corkage fee independent of where they are consumed. On our half dozen or so cruises since then I see no indication that any further changes need to be made at this time. Carnival appears to have a different passenger demographic. We were only on one Carnival cruise and that was our first cruise 13 years ago. Our next cruise was on Princess and we never looked back.

[JimmyVWine]

...it was just a simple "I wonder.....". Sometimes CEOs go on social medial and take live questions and people ask "are you making a change to this or that ... " and they might respond with "we are looking into this or that...." Thought we might have missed some talk about bringing wine on board.

In essence, the original question is asking if anyone has heard a rumor about the wine policy changing, at which point, any answer from the folks here would be lacking in substance. Besides, Princess already has the most liberal wine allowance of any cruise line in its price category, so any change to the policy would be one going in the wrong direction, (i.e., less lenient). It is highly unlikely that the CEO or other company rep would go on social media and say: "Hey folks! Guess what? We're looking into a new approach with respect to our personal wine allowance which will make our rules even more strict!" Changes like that are slipped through unannounced in the middle of the night and not leaked through social media. Otherwise, there would be a dirt storm of a reaction on the social media outlet which no company wants to deal with.

[caribill]

Opps, you are 100% correct. I meant to say it the right way...:/ meaning if Carnival made a change, seeing as they are the Parent, it might (just might) follow on to one of their other lines. Thanks for the correction, Caribill.

 

Carnival Corp is the parent. Carnival Cruise Lines is a sibling to Princess. It was Carnival Cruise Lines that made the change, not the parent.

[BIGDADDY2587]

Can you bring additional bottles during a port call?

 

Or only on embarkation day?

[IECalCruiser]

Can you bring additional bottles during a port call?

 

Or only on embarkation day?

At most ports. There have been some posts reporting issues in Honolulu and in Australian ports but I have no direct knowledge. Since the policy change in 2012 we have brought on wine in Puerto Vallarta (WalMart across the street has some decent wines), Fuerte Amador in Panama, Toulon in France and Livorno in Italy. Be prepared to pay $15/bottle corkage if they have a wine check in table set up. Edited July 7, 2015 by IECalCruiser

[Colo Cruiser]

Can you bring additional bottles during a port call?

 

Or only on embarkation day?

 

 

Every port is different, there may be a table at the gangway to charge or collect and there might not be. You just don't know. :)

[Aloha 1]

As an adult of drinking age ( long past!), I have always found this alcohol policy ridiculous. I have sailed on Regent, Oceania, Celebrity, etc. and have never been treated like a MIP ( minor in possession) on those lines. Freely bought and carried on local wines at various ports of call.

 

I think the time has come for cruise lines such as Princess and Carnival corporate to simply invoke the Contract of Passage if a passenger becomes unruly and disembark them rather than penalize all customers for the POTENTIAL misbehavior of some.

 

No problem with paying corkage fees in the restaurants but confiscation? Really?

 

Ever consider that the more draconian you make your carry on policy, the more people will try to figure out how to get around it?

[satxdiver]

While the cruise lines are quick to invoke passenger safety for limiting or in some cases prohibiting alcohol being brought freely onboard the ship, the real reason is more to do with money. They want you to buy their alcohol which as any bar owner knows is high profit. The bars on the ship enhance the bottom line significantly.

 

Carnival PLC is a holding company that owns several cruise lines including Princess and CCL. They treat each cruise line as a separate company with their own CEO, staff etc that are expected to return profit to the holding company. Recently Carnival PLC has made news in that they have stepped in to a degree to reduce the competition between their many cruise lines they hold. While there always will be competition between them, what the holding company wants is for them to target a different segment of the population and reduce the overlap.

 

I have not heard of any changes on the part of Princess but am aware of what CCL has done.

[katimai]

So if one decides to bring on one bottle per adult, do you put in luggage? or just carry on?

[Carolyn R]

You must carry it on.