Wine corking fee

[MooNGaTe27]

I just got off the Sunshine( my 2nd time on her) & I had something happen that hasnt' happen in 28 cruises.I bring an open bottle of wire to the MDR just like I always do & the waiter sees it & that I am pouring the wine myself when He says to me there is a corking fee for the bottle. I said to him that I opened it so why is there a fee. He says that there has always been a fee I said no there hasn't I I better no be charged. When I asked for the Matre D' he said just take the bottle off the table & there would be no charge .

 We left it on the table & finished the bottle & there was no charge .

 Has this happen to anyone?

 

[JaxsMama]

A wine corkage fee has nothing to do with them physically opening the bottle. It is a fee an establishment charges you for bringing in your own wine. 

[amyotravel]

17 minutes ago, JaxsMama said:

A wine corkage fee has nothing to do with them physically opening the bottle. It is a fee an establishment charges you for bringing in your own wine. 

Because they want you to spend more money on buying drinks in there! A glass you carry in from a bar or your room doesn't get a second look. A bottle you bring in is different. 

[coevan]

never been charged and would not pay $15 for a $15 bottle of wine. They hope you buy a $30 bottle of wine.

[1025cruise]

Next time bring a glass of wine with you. Bringing the bottle will result in the corkage.

[coevan]

not always, we have brought an open bottle in the MDR, no one said a word

[canes20]

may or may not be charged but the policy is to charge. Nothing to do with removing the cork just as others have said.

 

[jimbo5544]

38 minutes ago, coevan said:

not always, we have brought an open bottle in the MDR, no one said a word

I am sure it is hot or miss depending on how the  staff reacts.   Ww have never  been charged, possibly due to status, but once when our daughter and her family was cruising with us and brought a bottle into the mdr (different table than us) their waiter sAid they would have to be charged and out waiter ran over and took care of it.  I understand  both sides.   

[ah4sail]

We had this happen on the Sunrise in September.  We brought an opened bottle and two glasses with some wine already poured.  As soon as we were seated waiter said he HAD to charge $15 corkage fee.  

[Schoifmom]

Pro Tip:  When carrying on wine, bring a brand that Carnival offers.  If you carry your bottle into the MDR, they don't know if you carried it on or if you purchased it from the Fun Shops.  If it is a brand that Carnival carries = no corkage fee.  

[CruzerDeb]

Just pour a glass in your room and bring it with you.  Want more than one glass?  I've been known to load up a non see through Carnival souvenir cup with wine. Plenty of wine and it stays cold! I'm not snooty enough to care that it's not in a wine glass, but that's just me.

Edited November 12, 2019 by CruzerDeb

[Organized Chaos]

23 hours ago, amyotravel said:

Because they want you to spend more money on buying drinks in there! A glass you carry in from a bar or your room doesn't get a second look. A bottle you bring in is different. 

 

Yes, a for-profit company wants you to spend more money. Alcohol sales are a huge part of the revenue of any business that sells it. Glasses aren't questioned because the waiters can't tell if it comes from a bar or the person's cabin.

 

On 11/11/2019 at 3:45 PM, MooNGaTe27 said:

I just got off the Sunshine( my 2nd time on her) & I had something happen that hasnt' happen in 28 cruises.I bring an open bottle of wire to the MDR just like I always do & the waiter sees it & that I am pouring the wine myself when He says to me there is a corking fee for the bottle. I said to him that I opened it so why is there a fee. He says that there has always been a fee I said no there hasn't I I better no be charged. When I asked for the Matre D' he said just take the bottle off the table & there would be no charge .

 We left it on the table & finished the bottle & there was no charge .

 Has this happen to anyone?

 

Consider yourself lucky for never having to pay the corkage fee because their policy clearly states that it exists. Even so, it seems to be at the discretion of the waiters and Carnival doesn't seem to enforce it much (like so many of their other policies). Maybe they've begun to enforce it more. In the end, your waiter was right, but you didn't care. The Maitre D' advised you to remove the bottle from the table, but you weren't having none of that either. Again, you were lucky that they still didn't charge you. You should've been, especially after refusing to follow their policy when told. But more often than not, they're eager to make their passengers happy. Congrats.

[Purvis1231]

Is $15 bucks enough to really worry about? We have found the corkage fee will worth the service.

[coevan]

what service if they are not opening your wine?  

[Bookster99]

On 11/11/2019 at 3:45 PM, MooNGaTe27 said:

I just got off the Sunshine( my 2nd time on her) & I had something happen that hasnt' happen in 28 cruises.I bring an open bottle of wire to the MDR just like I always do & the waiter sees it & that I am pouring the wine myself when He says to me there is a corking fee for the bottle. I said to him that I opened it so why is there a fee. He says that there has always been a fee I said no there hasn't I I better no be charged. When I asked for the Matre D' he said just take the bottle off the table & there would be no charge .

 We left it on the table & finished the bottle & there was no charge .

 Has this happen to anyone?

 

I haven't had the experience of bringing in the open bottle. I have only been charged a corking fee for wine brought from home, and I just pay it if it's charged. There is no corking fee for wine bought on the ship.

[jimbo5544]

10 hours ago, Bookster99 said:

I haven't had the experience of bringing in the open bottle. I have only been charged a corking fee for wine brought from home, and I just pay it if it's charged. There is no corking fee for wine bought on the ship.

The rules are actually pretty clear, wine brought on the ship is meant to be consumed in your cabin.  Whether the staff decides to charge the corking fee (we can debate the name) and to the degree they do this seems of interest.

[AandBmom]

We have done approximately 8 carnival cruises and have brought at least 1 bottle of wine to the MDR most nights of every cruise and have never been charged a corkage fee. I know they say it's a thing but I've never seen it happen.  I guess someone is deciding to enforce the policy here and there.  We can just pour our own in our room I guess then. 

[Don Kehote]

2 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

The rules are actually pretty clear, wine brought on the ship is meant to be consumed in your cabin.  Whether the staff decides to charge the corking fee (we can debate the name) and to the degree they do this seems of interest.

Color me jaded, but I bet that a lot of whether or not they choose to enforce the policy is based on just how much of a hard time the guest with the bottle chooses to give the employee.  For the wage they're paid, we're lucky they smile, let alone take the heaps of abuse some here love to dole out.

[Bookster99]

5 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

The rules are actually pretty clear, wine brought on the ship is meant to be consumed in your cabin.  Whether the staff decides to charge the corking fee (we can debate the name) and to the degree they do this seems of interest.

They charged me for both bottles I brought on board and took to the dining room. They charged me for none of the bottles I won/bought on board.

[Elaine5715]

3 hours ago, Don Kehote said:

Color me jaded, but I bet that a lot of whether or not they choose to enforce the policy is based on just how much of a hard time the guest with the bottle chooses to give the employee.  For the wage they're paid, we're lucky they smile, let alone take the heaps of abuse some here love to dole out.

Or if the grats are in place or if the return guest has a history of pulling tips

[jimbo5544]

35 minutes ago, Bookster99 said:

They charged me for both bottles I brought on board and took to the dining room. They charged me for none of the bottles I won/bought on board.

Where did you drink the bottles you brought on?

[jimbo5544]

20 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

Or if the grats are in place or if the return guest has a history of pulling tips

I would be more than shocked if that had ANY thing to do with whether it happened or not.  But that said for tip pullers, I would agree with the logic.  

[BallFour4]

58 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

Or if the grats are in place or if the return guest has a history of pulling tips

 Fascinating bit of pure speculation on your part.

 This topic has a almost predictable interval on the boards and it amazes me that some with decent tenure here state the fee relates to the actual opening of the bottle. It doesn't and never has. The fee is a revenue recoup from not selling wine to the guest. It's common on land and at sea. 
 Want to avoid this? Ask for a wine glass from any inside bar and bring your glass with you to dinner. Problem solved.

Edited November 13, 2019 by BallFour4

[Bookster99]

3 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Where did you drink the bottles you brought on?

Main dining room.

[jimbo5544]

8 minutes ago, Bookster99 said:

Main dining room.

Bingo. There is your answer.