Bringing Wine Onboard a Two Segment Cruise

[JimandStan]

My TA seems to think limiting carry on is a revenue generator rather than increase fares. WHo knows? BUt with the cruise contract the way it is,they could enforce at any time.

 

Trust me when I say that Mura's TA is the one that you want to listen to when it comes to all things Oceania.

 

Also, the powers that be at Oceania are well aware that their generous liquor policy is a net winner with their desired passenger demographic.

[happy cruzer]

Trust me when I say that Mura's TA is the one that you want to listen to when it comes to all things Oceania.

 

Also, the powers that be at Oceania are well aware that their generous liquor policy is a net winner with their desired passenger demographic.

 

Thank you for the reassurance. Yes, it seems obvious the policy is a net winner, it's just that caveat in the contract that is bothersome. Again, thanks.

[pinotlover]

Part of the program is not a "net winner ", according to a sommelier on my last cruise. The result may well be a hefty increase in corkage fees.

 

The problem is general abuse of the current system. I will add perfectly legal abuse of the system, by to many cruisers . In a typical restaurant setting, corkage fees are charged to bring a bottle of wine in for an ( one) evening and enjoyed for THAT evening. On Oceania, there are far to many instances like the delightful lady that had dinner with us in the Polo Grill. She brings her bottle of Chablis aboard and has no more than 3 oz every evening. With approximately 26 oz in a bottle, that's paying $25 to fetch a bottle of wine across multiple restaurants eight to nine times! More common is a person whose spouse doesn't drink, but they have a regular 5 oz pour, meaning retrieval and replacing a single bottle 5 times. Legal under the system, but blatant abuse!

 

I pleaded for a new system of granting the initial opening plus one more pouring be covered and after that a new $5 or $10 per new retrieval charge in lieu of corporal punishment for all with a flat corkage increase. Let the policy abusers pay for the services they receive. We'll see where it ends up!

 

The problem becomes manifested in what can be then be viewed as poor service. Your wine server seems to have disappeared and you wait and wait for him to show up to reorder. Where's he been? Why the wait? He's been chasing down that bottle of wine the guest had in a different restaurant 5 decks up, so to give her one 5 oz pour. Then the bottle goes back to storage again. Meanwhile, everyone else waits. And waits!

Edited September 7, 2017 by pinotlover

[happy cruzer]

I think current policy is still a net winner. The abuse of multiple trips can happen on any wine bottle including the ones purchased on board from wine list or in the wine packages. $25 corkage fee is pure gravy to be distributed however O wants. A purchased onboard bottle may be more expensive but it has overhead included, the 18% gratuity probably will not equal the corkage fee so it may result in the same concerns. But the point is well taken, someone will always try to gain an advantage.

[pinotlover]

You obviously don't experience or knowledge of alcohol pricing in our multi tier distribution system! O's cost, before overhead, for those bottles sold at $47, in the package, or $50 other wise, is mostly under $10/bottle.

 

Few restaurants today have corkage that low, and it's for a one shot deal! I hope they keep the rate the same, but deal with those abusing the program!

[LHT28]

Maybe they should stop allowing people to bring on bottles of wine at all

If you want wine drink what is offered onboard

 

Or if you do take it the dining venues you must drink it all at that meal

no saving it for another time drink it or lose it :eek:

[happy cruzer]

You obviously don't experience or knowledge of alcohol pricing in our multi tier distribution system! O's cost, before overhead, for those bottles sold at $47, in the package, or $50 other wise, is mostly under $10/bottle.

 

Few restaurants today have corkage that low, and it's for a one shot deal! I hope they keep the rate the same, but deal with those abusing the program!

 

You obviously missed that I was considering overhead - transportation, storage, spoilage, marketing, etc.... Yes the initial cost is very low. $25 is the highest corkage fee I have experienced; just my small data point. I don't want to debate it but I am entitled to an opinion.....

 

O does compete with other cruise lines that allow carry on with and without corkage fee. Even NCL allows unlimited number of bottles just pay corkage on boarding. Hopefully, this will be a none issue per Jim and Stan :)

[pinotlover]

Lyn;

 

I will guess that the program will continue because it is so popular. I sure enjoy having the privilege of bringing a great wine aboard for special evenings. We already have one planned in Privee on an upcoming cruise. Those bottles will be dry at nights end though lol!

 

I also believe there is a compromise position between one pouring and 5+.

 

Just my opinion.

[Mura]

[sNIP] The problem is general abuse of the current system. I will add perfectly legal abuse of the system, by to many cruisers . In a typical restaurant setting, corkage fees are charged to bring a bottle of wine in for an ( one) evening and enjoyed for THAT evening. On Oceania, there are far to many instances like the delightful lady that had dinner with us in the Polo Grill. She brings her bottle of Chablis aboard and has no more than 3 oz every evening. With approximately 26 oz in a bottle, that's paying $25 to fetch a bottle of wine across multiple restaurants eight to nine times! More common is a person whose spouse doesn't drink, but they have a regular 5 oz pour, meaning retrieval and replacing a single bottle 5 times. Legal under the system, but blatant abuse!

 

I pleaded for a new system of granting the initial opening plus one more pouring be covered and after that a new $5 or $10 per new retrieval charge in lieu of corporal punishment for all with a flat corkage increase. Let the policy abusers pay for the services they receive. We'll see where it ends up!

 

The problem becomes manifested in what can be then be viewed as poor service. Your wine server seems to have disappeared and you wait and wait for him to show up to reorder. Where's he been? Why the wait? He's been chasing down that bottle of wine the guest had in a different restaurant 5 decks up, so to give her one 5 oz pour. Then the bottle goes back to storage again. Meanwhile, everyone else waits. And waits!

 

Wow. Then I guess I'm an abuser, simply because I don't consume a bottle of wine at dinner. DH doesn't imbibe, especially if I'm drinking red, which I pretty much always do. I guess he's even a worse abuser because he'll have maybe one glass of wine at dinner (I may have two), but he prefers white wine. So we are abusing the waiters who bring our bottles to the table on subsequent nights. (Pretty much they will bring my bottle from one restaurant to another, but for DH not necessarily.]

 

Sorry, I'm not going to drink more because you think it's unfair to the servers!

 

When O started out, I think the corkage fee was $10. It pretty quickly got up to the current $25. I for one don't want it increased, but if there's a moderate increase I'd pay it. But I would certainly object to having to pay extra for extra nights!

 

We aren't drinking less so as to abuse the system, in case that is what you thought. We just drink less! I don't think we should be penalized for that.

 

On one, count them, ONE occasion, it took them a while to find our bottle. That's over many years. On all other occasions they found our bottle very quickly. We always say where we had the bottle last, not that they seem to think that is necessary.

 

Mura

[pinotlover]

Myra;

 

If Oceania is considering a corkage fee change as suggested, then they have two options:

 

1. A one size fits all, across the board increase.

 

2. A tailored increase wherein those requiring more service, pay for that additional service.

 

I favor #2 for personal reasons, wherein you obviously favor #1. I rarely favor "one size fits all" programs. I believe that $25 corkage is more than fair for us, since over a two hour dinner my wife and I will finish a bottle. No one is asking you to drink more. However, if a program adjustment is required, and you're requiring 5 times the service, I believe you should be willing to pay incrementally more for 5 times the service. You obviously don't like that plan. I don't fill obligated to pay more because you choose to drink less.

[Mura]

We can agree to disagree.

 

Mura

[docmark]

Myra;

 

If Oceania is considering a corkage fee change as suggested, then they have two options:

 

1. A one size fits all, across the board increase.

 

2. A tailored increase wherein those requiring more service, pay for that additional service.

 

I favor #2 for personal reasons, wherein you obviously favor #1. I rarely favor "one size fits all" programs. I believe that $25 corkage is more than fair for us, since over a two hour dinner my wife and I will finish a bottle. No one is asking you to drink more. However, if a program adjustment is required, and you're requiring 5 times the service, I believe you should be willing to pay incrementally more for 5 times the service. You obviously don't like that plan. I don't fill obligated to pay more because you choose to drink less.

 

I believe you are REALLY analyzing this way too much...First of all $25 corkage fee is the highest charged at any cruise line that I know....and MOST of restaurants are not higher...I live in S. California,and last week in a fairly nice restaurant was charged $10 corkage,and highest in "fancy" restaurants around here I have seen is $35.

 

And I think it is very rare that bottles are kept (by Oceania) more than 2-3 times....

I also believe there will not be an increase in fee by Oceania..

 

I also look forward to have a glass of wine with you in future !!

[Jancruz]

My TA seems to think limiting carry on is a revenue generator rather than increase fares. WHo knows? BUt with the cruise contract the way it is,they could enforce at any time.

 

 

The boss says nothing has changed...so why worry or even give it a thought...Im sure some lawyer wrote that to cover their butt

Jancruz1

[MarkieMarkNYC]

Myra;

 

If Oceania is considering a corkage fee change as suggested, then they have two options:

 

1. A one size fits all, across the board increase.

 

2. A tailored increase wherein those requiring more service, pay for that additional service.

 

I favor #2 for personal reasons, wherein you obviously favor #1. I rarely favor "one size fits all" programs. I believe that $25 corkage is more than fair for us, since over a two hour dinner my wife and I will finish a bottle. No one is asking you to drink more. However, if a program adjustment is required, and you're requiring 5 times the service, I believe you should be willing to pay incrementally more for 5 times the service. You obviously don't like that plan. I don't fill obligated to pay more because you choose to drink less.

This would require a bit of record-keeping by the wine steward, yes?

They would need to make some record in their system each time they handle a particular bottle. Not sure that would end up saving time for the steward and thereby give them to give more time to attend to the diners.

[pinotlover]

Mark;

 

It's already all in the computer. Every glass of wine, beer, or alcohol one orders. Regardless of program, regardless of venue. Every corkage fee. Every time they retrieve a bottle of wine for you. When you opened it and when you finished it, or at least took it out of the system. It's all in the computer. No additional work at all.

 

Just as an example, I sat with a couple that asked for their bottle of XYZ be brought out. The waiter returned in a few minutes and said " I'm sorry sir, we show you finished that bottle on..." the table mate said" oh, you're probably right, I forgot !" The computer doesn't forget.

[babysteps]

...I live in S. California,and last week in a fairly nice restaurant was charged $10 corkage,and highest in "fancy" restaurants around here I have seen is $35.

...

 

Imo corkage fees have 2 main purposes: to cover costs for the restaurant (glass use, pouring service, etc.) and to influence diner behavior (encourage or discourage BYO).

 

Some restaurants have $zero corkage, some are as high as $100 in NYC. In a sense, at zero, the restaurant is subsidizing the BYO'er, and at $100 the BYO'er is likely subsidizing the restaurant :) Certainly $100 seems high to me, but I don't run the restaurant, I'm sure they have their reasons.

 

At O's $25 corkage, we bring our own for some and order off the list for some (like embarkation lunch - we have a habit of ordering a bottle of rosé). Everyone's personal math will vary.

[docmark]

Babysteps

 

Agree with you about "reasons" for Corkage fee price... all "fees" around $50 or higher are designed to discourage bringing wine ..

 

When we have visited New York, I have noticed all restaurants ,except some "ethnic" food places (e.g. middle-eastern) had outrageous corkage fees.

 

I do believe though,that cruise-line corkage fees should not be compared to "Land" restaurants..

 

Again I feel present Oceania's corkage is fair and I really feel it will not be changed .... despite Pinotlover's "calculations" !!

[pinotlover]

Docmark;

 

I hope your expectations prove correct!

[docmark]

Docmark;

 

I hope your expectations prove correct!

 

Of course I do too!!

 

we (my wife and I) are almost exclusively red wine drinkers (I occasionally do a little single malt) and always try to bring along some good quality wines on board........

 

Again,hope to have a glass of wine with you sometimes!!

[clarku]

Just got off of the Riviera a few days ago in Venice. We picked up bottles of local wines while on many port excursions, stuffed them in our day pack and were never questioned when reboarding in the ports. Even with the corkage fee of $25 you're way ahead of the game. Some ports, Barcelona for example, will also tack on a % on top of the inflated price O charges and the 18% automatically applied tip, making what normally should be a $20 bottle closer to $100. We also found that O generally provides a generous pour of wine if ordering just by the glass.

[happy cruzer]

Thanks clarku for the recent report. Love to save a bit of money, but really love to get drink great/unique wines from local areas.

[azam71209]

We were on Sirena in September Rome to Venice. We brought wine onboard in several ports. Love Italian wines from small wineries. No problem. The corkage fee seems fair. The staff seemed very comfortable and accommodating. Didn't rush to refill a glass without asking so there didn't seem any pressure to get us to drain the bottle early. On our South American cruise, the wine steward was very interested in the local Malbecs we had found and happily tasted them and gave us his opinion.

 

Mary