Alcoholic Beverages on Embarkation Day

[Swabia]

There appears to be a discrepancy within the Celebrity contract concerning bringing wine onboard on embarkation day. In one place the contract states: "Guests wishing to bring personal wine onboard with them embarkation day may do so, limited to two (2) bottles per guest". However, elsewhere it states: "Two bottles of wine per stateroom are allowed on embarkation day". What's been the experience? Can I bring a total of four bottles of wine on embarkation day for my wife and myself to enjoy or just two? Also, am I right that the $25.00 corkage fee is waived if I bring a bottle of wine to a restaurant and have either a classic or premium drink package?

Thanks in advance for your responses.

DB

[LGW59]

7 minutes ago, Swabia said:

There appears to be a discrepancy within the Celebrity contract concerning bringing wine onboard on embarkation day. In one place the contract states: "Guests wishing to bring personal wine onboard with them embarkation day may do so, limited to two (2) bottles per guest". However, elsewhere it states: "Two bottles of wine per stateroom are allowed on embarkation day". What's been the experience? Can I bring a total of four bottles of wine on embarkation day for my wife and myself to enjoy or just two? Also, am I right that the $25.00 corkage fee is waived if I bring a bottle of wine to a restaurant and have either a classic or premium drink package?

Thanks in advance for your responses.

DB

Can I bring a total of four bottles of wine on embarkation day for my wife and myself to enjoy or just two? Also, am I right that the $25.00 corkage fee is waived if I bring a bottle of wine to a restaurant and have either a classic or premium drink package?  Yes and yes

[Newbury newbie]

2 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Can I bring a total of four bottles of wine on embarkation day for my wife and myself to enjoy or just two? Also, am I right that the $25.00 corkage fee is waived if I bring a bottle of wine to a restaurant and have either a classic or premium drink package?  Yes and yes

 I’ve never heard of the corkage fee being waived if you have a drinks package? So I’ll be interested in what others say on this. 

[jelayne]

Waiving of the corkage fee if you have the Classic or Premium. Beverage package as well as increasing from 2 to 4 bottles are recent changes.  

[LGW59]

5 minutes ago, Newbury newbie said:

 I’ve never heard of the corkage fee being waived if you have a drinks package? So I’ll be interested in what others say on this. 

I’ve never heard of the corkage fee being waived - You can't say that any longer  🙂 

[kathynorth]

DH and I were permitted to bring on 4 bottles of wine for our recent Summit cruise. 

[Arizona Wildcat]

It will be interesting.  Have seen the confusing changes and disagree in the correct interpretation.   Pretty sure if taken to a dining room there will be a corkage fee - always has been one.

Guess the solution is to make it really good wine so if charged $25 it is worth it.

[wrk2cruise]

It's 2 bottles per guest and no corkage if you have an alcohol package.

 

Reference https://www.celebritycruises.com/faqs/all-faqs

 

See section on alcoholic beverages

 

Guests are not permitted to bring alcoholic beverages onboard; with the exception of embarkation day when each guests are permitted to bring onboard with them up to two (2) bottles of wine (which are subject to a corkage fee) per guests. A corkage fee does not apply to guests with the Classic Beverage Package or Premium Beverage Package.

 

 

[read2learn]

Do they charge a corkage fee if the wine has a screw top ? Asking for a friend!   🙂

[cruisestitch]

33 minutes ago, read2learn said:

Do they charge a corkage fee if the wine has a screw top ? Asking for a friend!   🙂

Have your friend read up on what corkage means.  😀

[bigbenboys]

39 minutes ago, read2learn said:

Do they charge a corkage fee if the wine has a screw top ? Asking for a friend!   🙂

I think of the corking fee as more of a service fee. Yes opening even of a screw top. They will be pouring the wine for you and storing the wine if you leave it in the dining for the next evening.

[canderson]

1 hour ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

It will be interesting.  Have seen the confusing changes and disagree in the correct interpretation.   Pretty sure if taken to a dining room there will be a corkage fee - always has been one.

Guess the solution is to make it really good wine so if charged $25 it is worth it.

Well, that's at least a step ahead of suggesting X was going to charge $25 a bottle just for bringing them aboard, but no ... they are not charging corkage in the dining rooms with a drink package in place, either.

[Kim714]

We consulted the FAQ's of the Celebrity site prior to our sailing 7-24 on the Equinox out of FLL.  My understanding was 2 bottles per guest.  Two of our four bottles were confiscated when we went thru security.  We had to go to the "naughty table" and fill out some paperwork and we were instructed to go to Guest Relations once we were on board.  I had the page pulled up on my phone for reference when I explained my situation to the Guest Relations representative.  She acted surprised that this was listed on the website but found it herself and confirmed what I was referencing as our explanation for why we had 2 bottles per guest.  I was not trying to sneak anything onboard, we were hand carrying the 4 bottles in plain sight.  I was told that the bottles might be delivered to our stateroom before we sailed.  We were not optimistic about seeing them again, but much to our surprise and delight, they were waiting for us when we returned from exploring the ship prior to sail-away.  We kept all 4 bottles in our cabin and enjoyed some lovely balcony time.  

[Ferry_Watcher]

1 hour ago, read2learn said:

Do they charge a corkage fee if the wine has a screw top ? Asking for a friend!   🙂

One time working at the pier I actually had an older passenger proudly tell me that they were able to find screw top bottles of wine to avoid the "corkage fee".  I didn't have the heart to tell them....

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, canderson said:

Well, that's at least a step ahead of suggesting X was going to charge $25 a bottle just for bringing them aboard, but no ... they are not charging corkage in the dining rooms with a drink package in place, either.

It's progress.

[Peteymil]

4 hours ago, Newbury newbie said:

 I’ve never heard of the corkage fee being waived if you have a drinks package? So I’ll be interested in what others say on this. 

It is a new policy.

[LGW59]

3 hours ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

It will be interesting.  Have seen the confusing changes and disagree in the correct interpretation.   Pretty sure if taken to a dining room there will be a corkage fee - always has been one.  I'm sure you would be wrong, you should know by now that "always" in Celebritys terms means it is always temporary!

Guess the solution is to make it really good wine so if charged $25 it is worth it.

 

[kasowell2]

As my wife frequently reminds me about being, I still say things. I think the corkage fee is referring to the bottles you bring on board for consumption in your stateroom. It does not refer to being charged if you bring it to the dining room. Anyone had recent experience with bring a bottle to the dining room without being charged.

[LGW59]

15 minutes ago, kasowell2 said:

As my wife frequently reminds me about being, I still say things. I think the corkage fee is referring to the bottles you bring on board for consumption in your stateroom. It does not refer to being charged if you bring it to the dining room. Anyone had recent experience with bring a bottle to the dining room without being charged.

If you have an alcoholic drink package, there is NO corkage fee for the two bottles each person is allowed to bring on board.  Drink it in your stateroom, a restaurant, the buffet and enjoy.

[RichYak]

19 minutes ago, kasowell2 said:

I think the corkage fee is referring to the bottles you bring on board for consumption in your stateroom.

There is not a corkage fee for wine consumed in your own cabin. Celebrity recently removed the corkage fee in public areas for guests with a beverage package.

[phoenix_dream]

5 hours ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

It will be interesting.  Have seen the confusing changes and disagree in the correct interpretation.   Pretty sure if taken to a dining room there will be a corkage fee - always has been one.

Guess the solution is to make it really good wine so if charged $25 it is worth it.

You are right that there used to be a corkage fee.  Now there is not if you have the beverage packages mentioned. Fairly recent change.

[Julma]

My understanding is the corkage fee is being waived due to supply issues.  Celebrity is not able to get many of the better wines, which I hope is temporary.  I'm glad they are doing the right thing and waiving the fees, but to pay for a premium beverage package and then be told, you can bring your own wine and you won't be charged a corkage fee seems like a Celebrity win to me.  I thought it was 4 bottles, but as someone noted, they were pulled aside for having 4 bottles.  Seems like there is still some confusion.  

[wrk2cruise]

It's 2 bottles per guest.  It's the policy see my quote of Celebrity FAQ in post 8.  Someone recently posted that they brought 6 bottles onboard as they were a couple traveling with a small child.

[Newbury newbie]

25 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

 Someone recently posted that they brought 6 bottles onboard as they were a couple traveling with a small child.

Brilliant!! 😂😂😂🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷

[SHIP TRAVELER]

Kind of a pregnant woman using the car pool lane argument😁