Bringing wine on board

[moom]

Going on the Crown in a couple of weeks and wondering how strict they are now about one bottle of wine per person.

[capriccio]

Going on the Crown in a couple of weeks and wondering how strict they are now about one bottle of wine per person.

 

You can bring as many bottles as you want; you will just have to pay a $15 corkage fee for the 2nd and subsequent bottles.

[Thrak]

Yep. If you want more wine bring it with you but be prepared to pay the $15 per bottle corkage for more than one bottle per person.

[Cajeta]

We had 1 bottle per person and were charged $15 per bottle corkage when taken to the dining room. I guess if you bring your own opener and consume it in your cabin, there's no corkage fee.

[TracieABD]

They were really, really checking on this past cruise, both on Embarkation Day and at every port.

[Astro Flyer]

We had 1 bottle per person and were charged $15 per bottle corkage when taken to the dining room. I guess if you bring your own opener and consume it in your cabin, there's no corkage fee.

That's nothing new & is clearly stated in their policy.

 

OP...when more than 1 bottle is discovered by scanners in our carryon bag we're directed to the table where onboard staff enforces the Princess policy.

[eandj]

The two bottles allowed DO have to be consumed in the room or.. many carry a glass to an outside deck to enjoy. Some will take a glass into the dining room without any trouble.

 

We have found "Strict" carry on procedure is pretty much dependent on the port and does vary. We just assume we will have to pay corkage. If not, that's nice. But we don't fight it as it IS policy. And actually a more favorable policy than other lines.

We'll buy wine in the dining room. But we do like to bring along our "favorites" (not on the ship's wine list) to enjoy on our balcony.

[Morgsmom]

So how do they assess the $15 fee at embarkation? Do they put it on your account? I can't imagine that they take cash?

[IECalCruiser]

So how do they assess the $15 fee at embarkation? Do they put it on your account? I can't imagine that they take cash?

In San Pedro, you go through security after you check in and get your cruise card. The corkage is added to your on board account. It was that same way in San Francisco at Pier 35 before the new Pier 27 opened. We sailed out of Pier 2 in FLL before they revised their wine policy. We went through security before checking in. If that is still the case, I don't know how they handle paying the corkage.

[fishywood]

So how do they assess the $15 fee at embarkation? Do they put it on your account? I can't imagine that they take cash?

 

Most reports are that corkage fees are charged to one's onboard account. But when the current level of enforcement first begun it was sometimes done as a separate transaction to the registered credit card, presumably so that OBC could not be used.

[IECalCruiser]

We had 1 bottle per person and were charged $15 per bottle corkage when taken to the dining room. I guess if you bring your own opener and consume it in your cabin, there's no corkage fee.

That is the terms you agree to in the Passage Contract. The one "corkage free" bottle per passenger of drinking age is corkage free only if consumed in your cabin. You agree to pay a $15 corkage fee for any wine consumed in a public area.

[IECalCruiser]

Most reports are that corkage fees are charged to one's onboard account. But when the current level of enforcement first begun it was sometimes done as a separate transaction to the registered credit card, presumably so that OBC could not be used.

As I noted above, they will charge the corkage to your on board account if you have checked in and have a cruise card. It depends upon where you go through the scanners.

[ssawjo]

On this point, we are in a family suite with three adults. Can each adult bring one bottle of wine onboard? Or is it two bottles per cabin? We are definitely planning on two bottles but a third is nice.

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

[skynight]

On this point, we are in a family suite with three adults. Can each adult bring one bottle of wine onboard? Or is it two bottles per cabin? We are definitely planning on two bottles but a third is nice.

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

It is one 750ml bottle per person per voyage, 21 years or older without charge for consumption in your cabin.

Edited December 29, 2015 by sknight

[sad549s]

We were allowed to bring one bottle of wine at embarkation and one bottle at each port no the Royal a few weeks ago. They also had 375 ml bottles of wine in the buffet during dinner hours for $7.95 each.

[peninsula_2014]

We were allowed to bring one bottle of wine at embarkation and one bottle at each port no the Royal a few weeks ago. They also had 375 ml bottles of wine in the buffet during dinner hours for $7.95 each.

 

Not bad at all, considering corkage fee is $15.

[floridalover5623]

On this point, we are in a family suite with three adults. Can each adult bring one bottle of wine onboard? Or is it two bottles per cabin? We are definitely planning on two bottles but a third is nice.

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

It's one bottle each person but most times you can bring on more from ports along your voyage and not be charged.

[Wehwalt]

The alcohol table is also just beyond security when you board the ship at a port. They will return the bottles that you bring on board on the last evening. Once on Holland America I stayed over a B2B and they lost the bottle.

 

Relax, you're on vacation. Just enjoy the drinks aboard, and on most ships, bottles are available. Considering the corkage fee, it's a better deal aboard in some cases. But I've found it's not worth the aggravation to buy alcohol ashore, other than to bring home.

[easyboy]

...........Relax, you're on vacation. Just enjoy the drinks aboard....

 

Exactly!!!

[Colo Cruiser]

In San Pedro they will do an exhaustive search of your carry on belongings as well as ripping through any water/soda shaking every bottle which is their way of determining alcohol content. :rolleyes:

[Wehwalt]

In San Pedro they will do an exhaustive search of your carry on belongings as well as ripping through any water/soda shaking every bottle which is their way of determining alcohol content. :rolleyes:

 

I saw that in FLL. Apparently alcohol, when placed in such a bottle, is swirly.

[USN59-79]

In San Pedro they will do an exhaustive search of your carry on belongings as well as ripping through any water/soda shaking every bottle which is their way of determining alcohol content. :rolleyes:

It is interesting that the policy is so inconsistent. We recently finished 71 days on Ocean, Dover to Rome. I was prepared to pay the $15 per bottle charge when buying wine in France, Spain, Portugal and South Africa. I usually bought two bottles per port and never once did they even raise an eyebrow when my carryon bag went thru the scanner. I did pay the corkage fee when I brought a bottle to the dining room though. Surprisingly, this also was the policy for other than wine, as I brought aboard Baileys and the South African equivalent to make the Horizon Court coffee more drinkable.

[DoulaAnn]

Also, remember that if you buy a bottle of wine anywhere on the ship and don't finish it, just give them your cabin number and they can hold the bottle for you, retrieving it wherever you are the next time you are ready to drink that wine.

[Steelers36]

So how do they assess the $15 fee at embarkation? Do they put it on your account? I can't imagine that they take cash?

 

In Port Everglades, the wine table is just past the security scan and before you check in. They get your cabin number from your BP and write up a chit which you sign and then the fee is posted to your on board account some time after sailing.

 

One time, I did not want to fuss around with opening a taped up box and drop things and miss getting checked in quickly and seated in prime spot. I told them I would return to the table later - and I did. I also told them I had 6 bottles - and I did. We checked in with friends who had nothing and we got charged for two only. Of course, it's pay now or later, as corkage is due in the DR when you bring in a "free" bottle as others have mentioned.

 

IMO, the corkage fee at check-in only matters if you were planning on drinking a lot in the room versus in a DR or specialty restaurant.

[Colo Cruiser]

It is interesting that the policy is so inconsistent. We recently finished 71 days on Ocean, Dover to Rome. I was prepared to pay the $15 per bottle charge when buying wine in France, Spain, Portugal and South Africa. I usually bought two bottles per port and never once did they even raise an eyebrow when my carryon bag went thru the scanner. I did pay the corkage fee when I brought a bottle to the dining room though. Surprisingly, this also was the policy for other than wine, as I brought aboard Baileys and the South African equivalent to make the Horizon Court coffee more drinkable.

 

 

Our experience is they were lax outside the US as yours was.