BYOW questions

[Motor City]

We have a cruise next month and plan to bring a couple cases of wine(24btls) with us, seems like a lot...but we we have 6 adults, figuring 2-3 glasses per person / per night x7.

 

A few questions:

1) Do we get 1 free bottle per cabin or per adult(for consumption in cabins)?

 

2) Can we store the other corkage wines with the MDR or wine stewards and just have them bring to our dinners nightly?
or 

Is it easier to just store in your cabin and bring a few bottles with you to dinner?

 

3)Tip the wine stewards at beginning of cruise,  end of cruise, or both?

Say $5 per bottle?

 

Edited December 13, 2019 by Motor City

[RuthC]

It's one bottle corkage-free per adult, for in-cabin consumption. You can also bring those bottles to the dining room and pay corkage, if you prefer to drink the wine with your dinner. 

Your choice as to whether to store your bottles, or bring them each night (or night before). Why not ask the wine steward which is easier for him? 

You can tip the wine steward when he renders a service. If you bring all the wine at once for storage, for example, you could tip for that service then. Then tip for the actual serving of the wine at the end of the cruise. 

[crystalspin]

Ruth's answer is right on all points. Let me add only that you need to bring all of the wine on board with your persons. As carry-on as it were. The station to pay the corkage should be right past the X-ray machines.

[Seasick Sailor]

Wouldn't it be great if we could order "Wine Direct" to deliver 3 or 4 cases of wine to the ship for extended voyages? It would save a "boatload" of $$$ lol.

[cat shepard]

10 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Wouldn't it be great if we could order "Wine Direct" to deliver 3 or 4 cases of wine to the ship for extended voyages? It would save a "boatload" of $$$ lol.

Yes!

[avian777]

11 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Wouldn't it be great if we could order "Wine Direct" to deliver 3 or 4 cases of wine to the ship for extended voyages? It would save a "boatload" of $$$ lol.

 

As CCL shareholder, I think that is a terrible idea ... unless, of course, all of that wine was subject to a substantial corkage fee. 

[ivanidea]

Doesn't the corkage fee include a gratuity for the drinks staff?

[shank63]

12 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Wouldn't it be great if we could order "Wine Direct" to deliver 3 or 4 cases of wine to the ship for extended voyages? It would save a "boatload" of $$$ lol.

Some cruise lines allow more generous quantities of wine brought aboard, subject to a corkage fee when consumed in the dining venues and bars.  No fees when consumed in the staterooms.

[RuthC]

51 minutes ago, ivanidea said:

Doesn't the corkage fee include a gratuity for the drinks staff?

Yes, it does. The service charge is 15% of the corkage fee of $18. 

[Seasick Sailor]

1 hour ago, avian777 said:

 

As CCL shareholder, I think that is a terrible idea ... unless, of course, all of that wine was subject to a substantial corkage fee. 

 

I would think the current corkage fee (which includes gratuity) is substantial enough. Shareholders won't mind if I take on a few teeny cases of wine🤩🍾🍷

[cat shepard]

1 hour ago, avian777 said:

 

As CCL shareholder, I think that is a terrible idea ... unless, of course, all of that wine was subject to a substantial corkage fee. 

 

Sorry, we would still pay the current corkage fees and still save a great deal of $. 

[cat shepard]

23 minutes ago, cat shepard said:

 

Sorry, we would still pay the current corkage fees and still save a great deal of $. 

And this might eliminate the ability to miss the corkage check-in process.

[maminaz]

We are bringing an empty carryon rolling bag and stopping at Total Wine before embarking.  It will save a bit of $ even with corkage, but at least we will have wine we like to drink.

[OmarOak]

We carry on each time; on our current cruise, 12 bottles, and happily pay corkage.

 

Our motivation is primarily the weak selection Holland America offers, particularly when it comes to Champagne and White Burgundy.

 

In Ft. Lauderdale, there is a very good specialty wine shop, WineWatch, which delivers to area hotels. 

[avian777]

On 12/13/2019 at 12:38 PM, Seasick Sailor said:

 

I would think the current corkage fee (which includes gratuity) is substantial enough. Shareholders won't mind if I take on a few teeny cases of wine🤩🍾🍷

 

I am a CCL shareholder and I most certainly do not agree with you because IMHO the corkage fee is NOT high enough to offset the revenue lost to the BYOWers.  So if HAL wants to accommodate the BYOWers, I say okay but don't increase cruise fees to make up for the lost revenue.

[VennDiagram]

13 minutes ago, avian777 said:

I am a CCL shareholder and I most certainly do not agree with you because IMHO the corkage fee is NOT high enough to offset the revenue lost to the BYOWers. 

 

I too am a CCL shareholder.  I think being able to bring wine aboard and pay a corkage fee is a competitive advantage 🙂

 

That revenue you fear is lost to the BYOWers?    If there's not a wine I like on the menu,  the revenue from -me-  is zero.  So HAL gets my $18 corkage fee for the bottle of wine I bring aboard.  Or zero, because I won't order wine I don't care for.

[Motor City]

10 minutes ago, VennDiagram said:

 

I too am a CCL shareholder.  I think being able to bring wine aboard and pay a corkage fee is a competitive advantage 🙂

 

That revenue you fear is lost to the BYOWers?    If there's not a wine I like on the menu,  the revenue from -me-  is zero.  So HAL gets my $18 corkage fee for the bottle of wine I bring aboard.  Or zero, because I won't order wine I don't care for.

exactly this.

HAL will get $360 in revenue(corkage) from me, that otherwise they would not have.

[Seasick Sailor]

45 minutes ago, avian777 said:

 

I am a CCL shareholder and I most certainly do not agree with you because IMHO the corkage fee is NOT high enough to offset the revenue lost to the BYOWers.  So if HAL wants to accommodate the BYOWers, I say okay but don't increase cruise fees to make up for the lost revenue.

 

Good gracious avian, would you by chance be kin to HappyInVan? Bless your heart..

 

Motor City, welcome aboard! We'll see one another some day. I'll be the one carrying a case of wine under each arm..🙋‍♀️

[kazu]

On 12/13/2019 at 11:50 AM, avian777 said:

 

As CCL shareholder, I think that is a terrible idea ... unless, of course, all of that wine was subject to a substantial corkage fee. 

 

Oh my heavens, however did you feel when HAL used to let us bring all the wine we wanted on board as long as it was consumed in the cabin??

 

That’s where most of our corkage fee wine is consumed - the cabin.  And some in the MDR and often our wine steward is happy to take a taste 😉 

All wine above the 1 pp is subject to corkage fee.  As a shareholder as well I say - If people are willing to pay it, what IS your problem??

And just for the sake of making a point, we buy the Sommelier packages and beverages on board 😉 

 

[Seasick Sailor]

Jeepers, you reckon avion needs to buy stocks in other ventures,  just to be sure there's food on the table? 

[Seasick Sailor]

6 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

Oh my heavens, however did you feel when HAL used to let us bring all the wine we wanted on board as long as it was consumed in the cabin??

 

That’s where most of our corkage fee wine is consumed - the cabin.  And some in the MDR and often our wine steward is happy to take a taste 😉 

All wine above the 1 pp is subject to corkage fee.  As a shareholder as well I say - If people are willing to pay it, what IS your problem??

 

Hey kazu, I've wanted to thank you for your valuable input over the years. I used to post as Peanuts until another website poster used the same name. I recently became Seasick Sailor, but you've answered so many questions for me, I wanted to acknowledge your dedication to CC. You're awesome! And a fellow wine lover to boot! 

[kazu]

43 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

 

Hey kazu, I've wanted to thank you for your valuable input over the years. I used to post as Peanuts until another website poster used the same name. I recently became Seasick Sailor, but you've answered so many questions for me, I wanted to acknowledge your dedication to CC. You're awesome! And a fellow wine lover to boot! 

 

Aww - thanks ❤️   You are very kind.

[taxmantoo]

1 hour ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Jeepers, you reckon avion needs to buy stocks in other ventures,  just to be sure there's food on the table? 

We do now know for sure, he does not own stock in Total Wine stores  😁

[cruisemom42]

4 hours ago, avian777 said:

 

I am a CCL shareholder and I most certainly do not agree with you because IMHO the corkage fee is NOT high enough to offset the revenue lost to the BYOWers.  So if HAL wants to accommodate the BYOWers, I say okay but don't increase cruise fees to make up for the lost revenue.

 

It goes both ways. If HAL would stock decent ones reliably (note both the word "decent" and the word "reliably") and if they wouldn't hose customers with their mark-up, many fewer people would be willing to go to the hassle to carry wine onboard. I know for sure I'd rather buy it on board than carry it on. I'm willing to pay the standard 2 or even 2.5 times markup that you see in most restaurants, but when HAL wants to charge me $79 (not including added gratuity) for a sauvignon blanc I can buy for around $26 per bottle, I draw the line. That's not profit-making, that's greed.

 

[Seasick Sailor]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

It goes both ways. If HAL would stock decent ones reliably (note both the word "decent" and the word "reliably") and if they wouldn't hose customers with their mark-up, many fewer people would be willing to go to the hassle to carry wine onboard. I know for sure I'd rather buy it on board than carry it on. I'm willing to pay the standard 2 or even 2.5 times markup that you see in most restaurants, but when HAL wants to charge me $79 (not including added gratuity) for a sauvignon blanc I can buy for around $26 per bottle, I draw the line. That's not profit-making, that's greed.

 

Amen Cruisemama! You go girl! 20 thousand plus posts! You rock! Thank you so much for adding your knowledge to making cruisers in the know. When I was Peanuts here, you answered so many of my questions.  I appreciate your patience and kindness.