Bringing wine into the MDR

[ang293]

Hi

We're taking a HAL Mediterranean cruise in September and I expect that we'll buy some wines in port, pay the corkage and want to bring a bottle into the MDR for dinner. Just wondering what the 'ettiquete' is so to speak about bringing in the bottle. Do you hand it over to the maitre d' when getting your table assignment (open seating), give it to the first serving person who attends your table or just put it on the table and ask for an ice bucket and glasses?

Thanks

[Kamloops50]

Hi

We're taking a HAL Mediterranean cruise in September and I expect that we'll buy some wines in port, pay the corkage and want to bring a bottle into the MDR for dinner. Just wondering what the 'ettiquete' is so to speak about bringing in the bottle. Do you hand it over to the maitre d' when getting your table assignment (open seating), give it to the first serving person who attends your table or just put it on the table and ask for an ice bucket and glasses?

Thanks

 

The wine brought on board at ports other than embarkation are usually seized and returned on last day of the cruise.

[ang293]

Thanks Kamloops50 but HAL explicitly allows BYO wine to brought on at all ports of call for consumption during the cruise as long as the $18 corkage is paid. It's just what you do with it when bringing it into the MDR that I'm unsure of.

[Shmoo here]

Thanks Kamloops50 but HAL explicitly allows BYO wine to brought on at all ports of call for consumption during the cruise as long as the $18 corkage is paid. It's just what you do with it when bringing it into the MDR that I'm unsure of.

 

If you need the wine chilled, or an ice bucket, I'd suggest mentioning it to the server that shows you to your table. They'll either take it away to chill it and open it, or bring the bucket to the table.

 

No real fancy "etiquette" about it.

[ang293]

Thanks Shmoo - that's just what I was after.

Reading your name gave me a laugh - I haven't seen or heard anything about the shmoo since in was a kid 😆

[Hlitner]

The wine brought on board at ports other than embarkation are usually seized and returned on last day of the cruise.

 

Not true! The current HAL policy is that you can bring all the wine you please, aboard the ship at any port. However, if you want to keep that wine (not check it until the end of the cruise) you must pay an $18 per bottle corkage fee. Once you pay that fee you can drink the wine anywhere onboard including in the MDR. HAL also has a policy that if you go on a HAL Excursion which includes a visit to a winery.....then you are allowed to bring back a single bottle (per person) without paying the corkage fee.

 

As to the protocol in the MDR, you simply carry-in your own wine and put it on the table. You might also mention to your waiter that your brought wine and need to speak with the wine steward. He/she will visit your table, make sure you get wine glasses, and will open and pour the wine.

 

Hank

Edited June 1, 2016 by Hlitner

[navybankerteacher]

Not true! The current HAL policy is that you can bring all the wine you please, aboard the ship at any port. However, if you want to keep that wine (not check it until the end of the cruise) you must pay an $18 per bottle corkage fee. Once you pay that fee you can drink the wine anywhere onboard including in the MDR. HAL also has a policy that if you go on a HAL Excursion which includes a visit to a winery.....then you are allowed to bring back a single bottle (per person) without paying the corkage fee.

 

As to the protocol in the MDR, you simply carry-in your own wine and put it on the table. You might also mention to your waiter that your brought wine and need to speak with the wine steward. He/she will visit your table, make sure you get wine glasses, and will open and pour the wine.

 

Hank

 

 

Right --- and if you do not finish the bottle your first evening they will keep it for you, properly identified for later recovery.

[ang293]

Thanks Hank and navybankerteacher. Good to know about the open bottle storage option....but I'm pretty sure we won't need that :-p

Edited June 1, 2016 by ang293

[Krazy Kruizers]

And once you pay the $18 corkage fee, HAL puts a sticker on the bottle so that you are not accidently changed another corkage fee when you take the bottles to the dining room or even to a lounge.

[John Bull]

And once you pay the $18 corkage fee, HAL puts a sticker on the bottle so that you are not accidently changed another corkage fee when you take the bottles to the dining room or even to a lounge.

 

That's the theory ;)

 

But Princess (similar policy) weren't so efficient with us - no labels. :rolleyes:

First time in the MDR they tried to charge corkage again, but eventually believed us. We didn't want the same grief every evening (we'd taken a dozen bottles aboard :D) so got from reception a copy of our on-board account, showing 10x$15 corkage paid, & when we were challenged next evening we presented it. Red-faced head waiter, no more grief.

 

Take aboard a dozen bottles of wine??????

The cost of a known decent quality wine in an Australian bottle-shop plus Princess' $15 was less than Princess' drinkable but unexceptional house wine.

(Won't work out so well at every port.)

 

Cheers

JB :)

[ang293]

Thanks JB.

Yes the prices are extortionate! I can buy the New Zealand, Australian, French, Italian or Spanish wines they have on the wine list at between 1/2 (best) and 1/6 (worst I found) in the bottle shops here in Australia and much of what's on the list I'd consider to be little better than cooking wine! Paying up the corkage fee will definitely be the way to go

[Hlitner]

It is one thing for a cruise line (or restaurant) to mark-up wine prices 200 or even 300%. But on most cruise lines, the mark-ups on the more popular lower priced wines can really 600% (probably more if you factor in the lower price paid for booze by cruise lines). JB is right (it hurts to admit this) that you can buy decent wine ashore, pay the corkage fee, and still save significant money over the cruise line prices. We have long advocated that cruise lines should follow the lead of some popular restaurants and limit their wine mark-ups (it should never exceed 300%). If they want to sell a bottle of cheap Robert Mondavi Woodbridge...for heavens sake do it at no more then $18 a bottle. See a $30 wine for $45 and perhaps you will sell a lot more wine :) And at that mark-up you are still making $15 plus another $7 + on mandatory gratuity.

 

Hank

[Kamloops50]

It is one thing for a cruise line (or restaurant) to mark-up wine prices 200 or even 300%. But on most cruise lines, the mark-ups on the more popular lower priced wines can really 600% (probably more if you factor in the lower price paid for booze by cruise lines). JB is right (it hurts to admit this) that you can buy decent wine ashore, pay the corkage fee, and still save significant money over the cruise line prices. We have long advocated that cruise lines should follow the lead of some popular restaurants and limit their wine mark-ups (it should never exceed 300%). If they want to sell a bottle of cheap Robert Mondavi Woodbridge...for heavens sake do it at no more then $18 a bottle. See a $30 wine for $45 and perhaps you will sell a lot more wine :) And at that mark-up you are still making $15 plus another $7 + on mandatory gratuity.

 

Hank

 

Depends on what you normally pay for wine.I buy Robert Moldavi on for $35 incl gratuity (USD) . In Canada the same wine is about $40 + tax (USD) . For us it's cheaper to buy wine on board than at home for the same wine.