Explain to me how the bringing wine on board works?

[DKNE]

We're sailing next month on the Magic and we've never brought on anything like pop, water or wine.

Can someone explain to me how this works? We have 4 adults and 2 kids, and thought bringing our own wine on board, would be better instead of buying a bottle on board. Do they take the bottles away from you when you board the ship, or does it stay in your stateroom and you bring it to the dining room?

Not sure how all this works.

 

Thanks a bunch!

[dawnklewis]

You take it in your carry on luggage and keep it with you in your room. At least that is how we have always done it.

[DKNE]

Do you (or anyone) know by chance how much it costs for a glass of wine in the main dining room, or even a bottle of wine? Trying to figure out if the $15 corkage fee bringing to the dining room is worth it on top of a bottle of wine we buy on shore?

 

Thanks !

[skrufy]

First thing is all your drinks are carried on, nothing in your checked luggage. Each adult can bring on one bottle of wine, 750ml. Soda and water must be in cans, no plastic bottles. Take it all to your cabin. Each adult and each child can bring one 12 pack of soda onboard. If you bring a bottle of wine to the dining room you might be charged a corkage fee. Glasses of wine can be brought without a fee.

[reerun25]

Glasses of wine run from $5.95 to $10.25, could have gone up a little. Bottles will run you between $30 and $40 I believe. That is purchasing them al la carte, not with CHEERS or a wine package.

[DKNE]

Awesome ! Thanks everyone for your help ! :)

[crusinpsychRN]

Wine or champagne.

[Robfromcharlottesville]

Another tip is there is no corkage fee if you pour yourself a glass of wine in your cabin and then bring that with you to the main dining room, leaving your bottle of wine behind in the cabin. I did this every night, usually with red wine, then I'd also order a glass of white for about $8 so I'd be covered regardless of what food I ordered (usually some combination of steak and seafood.)

[Pesh]

We've never been charged a corkage fee when bringing our own bottle into the dining room, and I've seen many others say the same thing. We don't hide the bottle, it's right on the table and we pour right from it, just never had them charge us. Maybe it depends who's working that night or maybe it's another one of those rules that Carnival only loosely follows, who knows.

[SadieN]

Wine can only be brought to drink onboard at embarkation. If buying at another port they'll hold it for you.

[Purvis1231]

Wine or champagne.

 

Champagne is wine.

 

The corkage fee is a small price the service and the show of serving the wine.

[coevan]

never paid a corkage fee, opened the bottle in the room, bring a corkscrew. In San Juan, we got off the boat 4 times before our 10pm departure and brought on 8 bottles of wine. Security did not blink an eye. You can buy $10 bottles of wine at CVS. Our cabin steward brought us fresh wine glasses every day.

[cruzelover55]

We've never been charged a corkage fee when bringing our own bottle into the dining room, and I've seen many others say the same thing. We don't hide the bottle, it's right on the table and we pour right from it, just never had them charge us. Maybe it depends who's working that night or maybe it's another one of those rules that Carnival only loosely follows, who knows.

 

The corkage fee is for when they have to open the bottle, (pull out the cork.) You can bring what you want to the table with no problems. We used to bring our "allowed" bottle of wine we brought from home, to the table, but, now always do Cheers, so get glasses of wine. If I am drinking something and don't finish before we get a table, it has never been a problem to bring it with me to the table. Someone said, the corkage fee is a small price to pay.....HUH? $15. a bottle is not small change to me. Open your own, OP:)

[lablover61]

We also bring our allowed two bottles of wine. We pour a glass in our room and take into the MDR. Works great. BTW, there are some pretty good reds that now have screw off caps eliminating the need for a cork screw , and making it much easier to keep opened wine.

 

 

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[cruznjan]

Do you (or anyone) know by chance how much it costs for a glass of wine in the main dining room, or even a bottle of wine? Trying to figure out if the $15 corkage fee bringing to the dining room is worth it on top of a bottle of wine we buy on shore?

 

Thanks !

 

Open your own bottle in your cabin and take a glass to the MDR. No corkage fee. Ask you steward for wine glasses.

[1maggie1]

We also bring our allowed two bottles of wine. We pour a glass in our room and take into the MDR. Works great. BTW, there are some pretty good reds that now have screw off caps eliminating the need for a cork screw , and making it much easier to keep opened wine.

 

 

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Can you recommend one?

[Purvis1231]

According to Carnival policy if you want to drink your wine in the MDR you are suppose to pay the corkage fee. Apparently Carnival is nice and lets so people get by without paying.

 

A $15 USD corkage fee (a charge exacted at a restaurant for every bottle of wine served that was not bought on the premises), per 750 ml bottle, will be charged should guests wish to consume their wine or champagne in the main dining room, steakhouse or bar.

[jamesr3939]

We did the Magic in January and I carried on two bottles of wine in my backpack. They go through a scanner and then you get sent over to secondary security. They check to make sure the bottles are still sealed and haven't been opened and refilled with something stronger.

 

It's two bottles per CABIN, not per adult.

 

There is no corkage fee. A nice glass of wine is going to cost you about $8 - $12. A bottle of Cake Bread was $60.

 

It seemed to me (being from a top wine producing area) that the lower priced wines you can buy at home had a higher mark up than what would be the more expensive wines, at home.

[BallFour4]

The corkage fee has nothing to do with whether or not they remove the cork from a bottle. It represents a premium they can charge you if you bring wine into the dining room in the bottle.

 

Others have said to pour it in a glass and carry it in, and that works perfect.

 

Someone posted the policy is two bottles per cabin, and that's wrong. It's one bottle per person for all passengers over age 21 and embarkation.

 

Here's the exact text from the Carnival FAQ page addressing both items:

 

 

• 
  
  • At the beginning of the cruise during embarkation day only, guests (21 years of age and older) may bring one 750 ml bottle of sealed/unopened wine or champagne per person in their carry-on luggage.
    

   

   

  • A $15 USD corkage fee (a charge exacted at a restaurant for every bottle of wine served that was not bought on the premises), per 750 ml bottle, will be charged should guests wish to consume their wine or champagne in the main dining room, steakhouse or bar.
    

 

 

.

Edited March 3, 2016 by BallFour4

[poz222]

Can you recommend one?

Any of the Angeline varieties (Sonoma Russian River Valley) are great. We especially LOVE the Pinot Noirs... All with screw tops! About $12 at total wine.

[tea4ular]

From a head waiter on Magic - open the bottle in your stateroom, pour a glass & carry both to any dining establishment - no corkage. IF they open it you are subject to corkage - as a general rule the servers will want to pour for you even if they didn't open it - out of politeness. We never were charged corkage in the main dining room or Cucino Capitano (we did not bring wine to the steak house as we went during the "free bottle" evening). After dinner we carried the wine back to our cabin (if there was leftovers). We packed a corkscrew.