Bringing back wine from Ports of Call in Europe

[Morgsmom]

We are on an upcoming British Isles cruise on the Reflection.  What is Celebrity's policy with regards to bringing back a bottle or two of local wine/cider/beer after a day in port?  I know there is probably a "stated policy" (such as we can bring on two bottles at embarkation AMS), HOWEVER in PRACTICE does anyone have experience with this?  

 

thank you in advance!

Edited June 3, 2019 by Morgsmom
typo

[Alakegirl]

The policy says no, in practice you may be able to bring some on board with you.  We found that after winery tours we could bring several bottles on board, and on Caribbean cruises during spring break we could bring none.   

[crazyman3]

27 minutes ago, Morgsmom said:

We are on an upcoming British Isles cruise on the Reflection.  What is Celebrity's policy with regards to bringing back a bottle or two of local wine/cider/beer after a day in port?  I know there is probably a "stated policy" (such as we can bring on two bottles at embarkation AMS), HOWEVER in PRACTICE does anyone have experience with this?  

 

thank you in advance!

 

We've brought wine back on board and have been allowed to keep it. 

Once in a while, our bottles have been taken from us and then returned to us on the eve of disembarkation.

Frankly, with a drinks package, it's in Celebrity's interest to allow us to bring booze on board ---then we'll be drinking that rather than our 'free' drinks!

[jelayne]

51 minutes ago, crazyman3 said:

 

Frankly, with a drinks package, it's in Celebrity's interest to allow us to bring booze on board ---then we'll be drinking that rather than our 'free' drinks!

 

The drinks aren’t free they are factored into tge cruise prices.

[Alakegirl]

That’s true but I undwrstand the thought.  If you are drinking your own, you arent’t drinking out of their inventory and that would appear to be to the cruise company’s advantage.

 

on the other hand, the bar staff is missing out on tips 🤔

[crazyman3]

14 hours ago, jelayne said:

 

The drinks aren’t free they are factored into tge cruise prices.

 

Ah, this was lost in trans-Atlantic translation! In the UK we put punctuation marks around a word to show that it is not quite a written. It adds a little irony, perhaps some sarcasm, maybe some humour.

By doing this to 'free' it explains that I realise that they're not free but covered in the cost of the cruise ---- just as a tank of fuel comes 'free' with a new car.

Hope this clears it up.

[emmas gran]

Hi I have looked at your itinerary and the only place you may want to buy wine is in France --I don't think there is any local wine in Liverpool Dover or the Irish ports. 

[OzKiwiJJ]

11 minutes ago, emmas gran said:

Hi I have looked at your itinerary and the only place you may want to buy wine is in France --I don't think there is any local wine in Liverpool Dover or the Irish ports. 

You might be able to get some in Dover. We tried some very nice British sparkling wines at a restaurant in Brighton a few years ago, which were reasonably local, so there might be a wine shop in Dover that sells them.

 

Edit: I just googled UK wineries and there are several in that part of England.

Edited June 4, 2019 by OzKiwiJJ

[keesar]

18 hours ago, Morgsmom said:

We are on an upcoming British Isles cruise on the Reflection.  What is Celebrity's policy with regards to bringing back a bottle or two of local wine/cider/beer after a day in port?  I know there is probably a "stated policy" (such as we can bring on two bottles at embarkation AMS), HOWEVER in PRACTICE does anyone have experience with this?  

 

thank you in advance!

 

We have been able to bring back "beverages".  Sometimes, we are able to take the bottles directly to our room. Other times, they have been taken for safe storage and returned the last evening of the cruise.  Just be discreet about it.

[Morgsmom]

Thank you all for your input.  We chose to not spend the extra $$$ to get the "free" (sarcasm noted) beverage package on this sailing.  Were we in the Caribbean we would have (and gotten very good use out of it, I assure you.)  So my goal is to have some wine in my cabin, (or beer), for a pre-dinner tipple.  The wines on their lowest wine package are basically about $8-9 USD/bottle and the price is $36 with gratuity.  Plus, I'd like to enjoy the local beverages.  That's a bonus.

[mayleeman]

I wonder how many times on Cruise Critic someone has pointed out that something referred to as "free" is really paid for in cabin fares? It is understandable but can comes across as condescending even if only meant as a reminder.

 

Maybe, we should use the word "included" to mean things we have already paid for, or that we receive without paying an additional transactional fee?

[Morgsmom]

22 minutes ago, mayleeman said:

I wonder how many times on Cruise Critic someone has pointed out that something referred to as "free" is really paid for in cabin fares? It is understandable but can comes across as condescending even if only meant as a reminder.

 

Maybe, we should use the word "included" to mean things we have already paid for, or that we receive without paying an additional transactional fee?

not meant as condescending at all; the " " was in reference to a prior posting.  We are here to SUPPORT each other in our individual choices.  Sometimes we choose to add a beverage package, sometimes we do not. Sometimes we book inside cabins, sometimes Suites. It depends on our preference, itineary and budget at the time.  However, we as a group here on CC.com try our best to support each other's choices and give advice to each other.

[gold1953]

4 hours ago, keesar said:

 

We have been able to bring back "beverages".  Sometimes, we are able to take the bottles directly to our room. Other times, they have been taken for safe storage and returned the last evening of the cruise.  Just be discreet about it.

no such thing as discreet with scanners. We have had wine taken from us and our friends behind us didn't. I guess they were busy with us ..lol.  I wonder if it shows beverage package when they scan us in ..giving them an advantage 

[mayleeman]

2 hours ago, Morgsmom said:

not meant as condescending at all; the " " was in reference to a prior posting.  We are here to SUPPORT each other in our individual choices.  Sometimes we choose to add a beverage package, sometimes we do not. Sometimes we book inside cabins, sometimes Suites. It depends on our preference, itineary and budget at the time.  However, we as a group here on CC.com try our best to support each other's choices and give advice to each other.

Sorry for the confusion--my post was not a response to yours. 

 

 

[mayleeman]

1 hour ago, gold1953 said:

I wonder if it shows beverage package when they scan us in 

Actually, on the Reflection they saw the 3 bottles in our retail bag (rum and Scotch) and took us around the corner into the elevator lobby where they had a table set up. A person there checked something (can't remember if it was a list or just the card--we were busy yakking) with our ship card and then sent us on our way.  The card does show the package.

Edited June 4, 2019 by mayleeman

[Denny01]

I agree with the response to the ‘its Not Free’ post (not the OP’s). I think most all understand Celebrity isn’t a non-profit organization and it’s paid by the overall SR and drink and other charges. What all may not know is there are options on many itineraries and SRs of picking perks or not, and there is a cost difference, so you are directly paying for your perks; not the full price, but part of it. Make sure it works for you.

 

As to bringing wine on board. Our experience has been they take most bottles in non-embark ports. But what is nice about B2B cruises is they return them the night prior to the end of the first cruise and there you are - lots of bottles if you need them. We’ve found that with the Elite Happy Hr for us that we end up not using the bottle we bring on board many times, especially on a port-intensive Around the UK cruise. 

 

Den

[raudacruise]

If I buy a couple bottles of local wine it’s something special for consuming at home. That said, I’ve never had a bottle confiscated.  Once in Jamaica I brought back a 6 pack of beer for DH. Security just looked at it wistfully and waved me through. 🍺 

[DYKWIA]

We’ve found that bringing stuff on board in a port sometimes they will ask you to check in your purchases (for return on the last night) other times they will not (either not seeing it in the scanner or ignoring it) 

 

if if they do ask you to check it in we’ve found the check in desk can be some way and sometimes out of sight of the people asking you to check your stuff in, relying on your honesty to follow their instructions.

[The Wood Duck]

10 hours ago, emmas gran said:

Hi I have looked at your itinerary and the only place you may want to buy wine is in France --I don't think there is any local wine in Liverpool Dover or the Irish ports. 

no wine in Dublin, really!

[Denny01]

46 minutes ago, The Wood Duck said:

no wine in Dublin, really!

I agree, there are a number of nice wineries in Dublin. In Dublin County, Lusk, there’s an award winning winery, Lusca Irish Wines. And Liverpool has the Hunter’s Valley winery - locally grown grapes and winery, and a nice Cab Franc. 

 

So there are a ton of wineries out there that we’d not expect. Heck, bought a bottle of wine grown on Santorini, the grapes vines are in shallow holes to protect them from the constant wind and preserve the water that is available. 

 

Experiment and search out! It’s fun. The only wine I’ve not been able to handle has been the Greek Retsina wines, which were aged in pine barrels and pick up the ‘resin’ taste. An acquired taste, but many love it, and its one of the oldest wine techniques in the world.

 

Den

[emmas gran]

Well I didn’t know Liverpool had a winery!!

[crazyman3]

English bubbly is excellent! In professional blind tastings a good English sparkling wine has been known to beat equivalent champagnes. In fact, some champagne growers are now investing in land in SE England.

Nyetimber is fab! Also, we love Wiston Estate and Chapell Down. Of course there are many more fine English wineries. 

A word of warning: prices are high. We're talking £35 for a bottle of Nyetimber ---- thank goodness for supermarkets that sometimes offer it for far less!

[GastroGnome]

Interesting thread to read from the US perspective.  We always buy local alcohols (Brit cit cruising in Europe) usually spirits.  In erhm..cough.. far too many years... cruising we have never had a bottle confiscated for later return.  But we always cruise in upper suites and always have the premium beverage package.  It didn't occur to me that might be why.  (And I'm a rule abiding coward so I always give them to DH to carry in...!)

 

The only time you might have an issue OP is import back into the US.  I don't know if you have a duty free limit in the way European citizens do.

[Gordoncruickshank]

When we are cuising from Miami or Fort Lauderdale we will always have the balance of the duty free spirits that we have partially used during the spell pre cruise. Occasionaly one of these is picked up by the case scans but often not. When you go to security all I do is tell then I have a premium drinks package and they are not interested. I think one one occassion they asked to see my card but only once.

[Morgsmom]

Oh, that sounds LOVELY.  I just checked the price of Nyetimber here (imported) in Orlando and it is $70USD so I'll just have to enjoy while on the other side of the Atlantic!