Prepare to pay

[Suzcruz57]

I was very surprised to have to pay a corkage fee on our 2 bottles of wine we brought on board. $20 each. 

[KirkNC]

4 minutes ago, Suzcruz57 said:

I was very surprised to have to pay a corkage fee on our 2 bottles of wine we brought on board. $20 each. 

I thought that had been brought up before but I could be wrong.

[trixiee]

This is not new. It's been in effect since the resumption of cruises this fall. There have been a couple of threads discussing it. From the HAL site:

Revised Policy effective June 1st, 2021

 

Guests are not allowed to bring alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages on board for consumption or any other use except as follows:

 

Guests may bring Wine and Champagne onboard, however a corkage fee of USD $20.00 (which is subject to change without notice) will be applied to each bottle (max 750 ml in volume or less). Limitations apply. Wine brought in quantities deemed to be excessive by the vessel or security will be refused.

[VMax1700]

33 minutes ago, Suzcruz57 said:

I was very surprised to have to pay a corkage fee on our 2 bottles of wine we brought on board. $20 each. 

Has been publicised since August/September time.  Below is an image taken in October and posted to CC in October.  It is in HAL terms and KBYG.

However, yours is the first report that I have read of the enforcement of the corkage fee.

[Oceansaway17]

I never understood why anyone would want to bring their own bottle except to save money.

 

For some, it is fun to try new wines from the wine list.     oh well

[VMax1700]

12 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

I never understood why anyone would want to bring their own bottle except to save money.

 

For some, it is fun to try new wines from the wine list.     oh well

Saving money?  Absolutely not the prime reason!  

Buy a couple of good wines ($30/40 per bottle) and take it on board.  That wine is now costing you $50/60 when the corkage is paid.  Same wine from the wine list would be $90/100 + service charge.   So yes, you could say saving money, but I look at it that I can enjoy a better wine than the wine I could afford to buy from the wine list.

[Oceansaway17]

Just now, VMax1700 said:

Saving money?  Absolutely not the prime reason!  

Buy a couple of good wines ($30/40 per bottle) and take it on board.  That wine is now costing you $50/60 when the corkage is paid.  Same wine from the wine list would be $90/100 + service charge.   So yes, you could say saving money, but I look at it that I can enjoy a better wine than the wine I could afford to buy from the wine list.

 

 

okay then I understand.  Next trip I am putting small flavored coffee creamers in my big suitcase as most cruise lines make one pay at the coffee shops for anything of flavor.  

[VMax1700]

2 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

I am putting small flavored coffee creamers in my big suitcase as most cruise lines make one pay at the coffee shops for anything of flavor.

🤣 now that is one thing that I never understood.  I drink coffee because I like the flavour of the coffee.  Why would I want to change the flavour?  If I wanted to taste, say, vanilla, I could suck a pod! 😉

[Oceansaway17]

1 minute ago, VMax1700 said:

🤣 now that is one thing that I never understood.  I drink coffee because I like the flavour of the coffee.  Why would I want to change the flavour?  If I wanted to taste, say, vanilla, I could suck a pod! 😉

 

umm okay so I do not like wine so much and you do not like flavored coffee.

Glad we are not related as fights would break out. ha ha

 

seriously a little flavor in coffee never hurt anyone.

 

[KirkNC]

3 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

 

 

okay then I understand.  Next trip I am putting small flavored coffee creamers in my big suitcase as most cruise lines make one pay at the coffee shops for anything of flavor.  

O’ no, someone from HAL will read this and they will add a “peel” fee for those creamers 😳

[Oceansaway17]

3 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

O’ no, someone from HAL will read this and they will add a “peel” fee for those creamers 😳

 

 

I have taken them on board RCI and I get a kick out of folks watching me and then those who come to clean up the table.   And back in 1980's I did bus tours in Europe.  Knowing they have a lot of simple breakfast with rolls, I took and small jar of peanut butter.  By the 4th day I had friends with knives wanting to share.    toodles

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, Oceansaway17 said:

I never understood why anyone would want to bring their own bottle except to save money.

 

For some, it is fun to try new wines from the wine list.     oh well

For many of us, it depends on the port of embarkation. In Europe, there are many opportunities to try new wines without paying the ship's exorbitant prices. Heck, even a US cruise provides Canadians an opportunity to try some new-to-us wines. 

[Ramona760]

We usually open our bottles in our cabin. No corkage fee..

[CruiserBruce]

11 minutes ago, Ramona760 said:

We usually open our bottles in our cabin. No corkage fee..

I don't think that exempts you anymore...you pay when you are carrying the wine of board.

 

In any event, this wasn't news. 

[cccole]

11 minutes ago, Ramona760 said:

We usually open our bottles in our cabin. No corkage fee..

I thought this was an automatic $20 fee/bottle when you board, no matter whether you use it in your cabin or in the dining room.  I think it is a ridiculous charge but would like to know if I am wrong.  Thank you, Cherie 

[Florida_gal_50]

49 minutes ago, cccole said:

I thought this was an automatic $20 fee/bottle when you board, no matter whether you use it in your cabin or in the dining room.  I think it is a ridiculous charge but would like to know if I am wrong.  Thank you, Cherie 

You are absolutely correct.  Doesn’t matter if you drink it in the bathroom, broom closet or out of a paper bag.  No more corkage free wine.

[cccole]

Personally I have a huge smile on face thinking of enjoying a nice bottle of wine from a brown paper bag on the balcony, but...really don't want to pay a corkage fee for it.  Too bad HAL is doing this.  JMO. Cherie

[Hlitner]

6 hours ago, Oceansaway17 said:

 

 

I have taken them on board RCI and I get a kick out of folks watching me and then those who come to clean up the table.   And back in 1980's I did bus tours in Europe.  Knowing they have a lot of simple breakfast with rolls, I took and small jar of peanut butter.  By the 4th day I had friends with knives wanting to share.    toodles

LOL that just reinforces the many reasons we avoid bus tours like the plague!  Now, if you brought along some decent caviar perhaps we could talk :).

 

Hank

[john2003]

Elimination if the 2 free bottle allowance seems petty to me. Certainly further lowers my opinion of the current HAL. Unfortunate as I am 4 star.

The timing is also interesting given that at the moment I assume many passengers have the beverage package. I realise no cabin service but we will probably grab a couple of glasses of wine from a bar and walk them back to our cabin. 

[Florida_gal_50]

8 hours ago, john2003 said:

Elimination if the 2 free bottle allowance seems petty to me. Certainly further lowers my opinion of the current HAL. Unfortunate as I am 4 star.

The timing is also interesting given that at the moment I assume many passengers have the beverage package. I realise no cabin service but we will probably grab a couple of glasses of wine from a bar and walk them back to our cabin. 

I can only assume this change was possibly brought on by people bringing on cases of wine.  Hal is a business after all.

[DaveOKC]

9 hours ago, john2003 said:

Elimination if the 2 free bottle allowance seems petty to me. Certainly further lowers my opinion of the current HAL. Unfortunate as I am 4 star.

The timing is also interesting given that at the moment I assume many passengers have the beverage package. I realise no cabin service but we will probably grab a couple of glasses of wine from a bar and walk them back to our cabin. 

At least being 4 Star you can purchase a wine package at 50% off.  Thus, your per bottle cost will only be about $20, depending on which package and how many bottles.  At this price it really does not pay to haul wine onboard IMO (unless you like the higher priced wines).

[Suzcruz57]

11 hours ago, cccole said:

I thought this was an automatic $20 fee/bottle when you board, no matter whether you use it in your cabin or in the dining room.  I think it is a ridiculous charge but would like to know if I am wrong.  Thank you, Cherie 

I had the wine on my carryon. They saw it thru the X-ray of the bag. Voila, $20 per bottle, whether in cabin or dinner table.

[VMax1700]

9 minutes ago, Suzcruz57 said:

I had the wine on my carryon. They saw it thru the X-ray of the bag. Voila, $20 per bottle, whether in cabin or dinner table.

If it had been in your checked bags then you would possibly have been called to the 'Naughty Room'. 

[KirkNC]

2 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

If it had been in your checked bags then you would possibly have been called to the 'Naughty Room'. 

Been there before.

[Cajuntraveler]

21 hours ago, Suzcruz57 said:

I was very surprised to have to pay a corkage fee on our 2 bottles of wine we brought on board. $20 each. 

On our October 2021 cruise out of FLL, I was prepared to pay the $20 corkage fee, but no-one questioned the bottle in my carry on.  We are leaving Sunday, again out of Port Everglades. If you pay the corkage fee, can you drink the wine anywhere on the ship? In the past when we brought wine on board, we enjoyed it in our cabin