Any experience with current drink package?

[renji]

Hi, the language in the drink package regarding the 20% discount refers to it on drinks above $13.50 and “some bottles of wine”.  It used to be all bottles of wine under a dollar amount (I believe $150).  Does anyone know what the current dollar limit is?  Or is it just particular bottles?

 

anyone know the corkage fee at dinner if bringing wine aboard?  It appears we can each bring only one bottle on board?  

 

I was not so crazy about the Commodore Collection and would rather get a few fine bottles or even bring some onboard. If the 20% discount doesn’t apply to any of my wine choices, I’d probably be better off without the package. 
 

Thank you!

[D&N]

10 hours ago, renji said:

Hi, the language in the drink package regarding the 20% discount refers to it on drinks above $13.50 and “some bottles of wine”.  It used to be all bottles of wine under a dollar amount (I believe $150).  Does anyone know what the current dollar limit is?  Or is it just particular bottles?

 

anyone know the corkage fee at dinner if bringing wine aboard?  It appears we can each bring only one bottle on board?  

 

I was not so crazy about the Commodore Collection and would rather get a few fine bottles or even bring some onboard. If the 20% discount doesn’t apply to any of my wine choices, I’d probably be better off without the package. 
 

Thank you!

Underneath the Useful Information section about bringing your own onboard on the US site is a statement: "Any wines purchased via the Little Luxuries Collection are not subject to the on board $25 corkage fee". I assume therefore that the fee is still $25. That may be subject to the 15% service charge. In turn it might attract the 20% discount from the package.

From a response point of view a problem may be that there aren't many folk who take or are given the package, who then order a bottle of wine at $80 or $150 or even pay corkage on their own wine.

[Zeg]

We did both.- paying corkage and buying a the Commodore Collection. The corkage fee recently on QM2 was $25 and a few cents and no additional service charge. (even the Sommelier didn’t know what the few cents represented). 
 

The Commodore Collection was available to us at a useful discount before sailing but involved a phone call to Cunard. The CC makes a significant difference to wine list prices making the wisdom of paying.a corkage charge debatable. 
 

it’s not difficult to do the maths and the decision really depends on your personal love of particular wines. Be advised though particularly wines in the CC do get replaced. 
 

 

 

 

[renji]

7 hours ago, Zeg said:

We did both.- paying corkage and buying a the Commodore Collection. The corkage fee recently on QM2 was $25 and a few cents and no additional service charge. (even the Sommelier didn’t know what the few cents represented). 
 

The Commodore Collection was available to us at a useful discount before sailing but involved a phone call to Cunard. The CC makes a significant difference to wine list prices making the wisdom of paying.a corkage charge debatable. 
 

it’s not difficult to do the maths and the decision really depends on your personal love of particular wines. Be advised though particularly wines in the CC do get replaced. 
 

 

 

 

Thanks! I’ve done the Commodore Collection twice. Loved it the first time, not as much the second time, so think if I prefer the variety of the full list. But they didn’t have several of the wines on the full list that I requested on the last voyage…so maybe I’ll bring a few. 
 

To me it’s bizarre that they now charge over $15 a glass to remove from the drink package a Chablis that is essentially a $30 retail bottle. 

[skleeb]

What exactly IS a corkage fee? You bring your own bottle, the waiter opens it, pours it, then stores it if there is any left? Do you pay this amount for each bottle? Could you bring a bottle of vodka, say, and have them serve it for you at the table and keep it in the pantry for the next night???

[Winifred 22]

15 minutes ago, skleeb said:

What exactly IS a corkage fee? You bring your own bottle, the waiter opens it, pours it, then stores it if there is any left? Do you pay this amount for each bottle? Could you bring a bottle of vodka, say, and have them serve it for you at the table and keep it in the pantry for the next night???

It’s just for wine and it is per bottle. 

[PORT ROYAL]

12 minutes ago, skleeb said:

What exactly IS a corkage fee? You bring your own bottle, the waiter opens it, pours it, then stores it if there is any left? Do you pay this amount for each bottle? Could you bring a bottle of vodka, say, and have them serve it for you at the table and keep it in the pantry for the next night???

Cunard only state, there is a corkage fee for wine and champagne consumed in dining room.

There is no mention of Vodka…

However, if one feels the need to be the first to attempt to extend the boundaries, one is free to do so when onboard, then do post the Cunard Sommelier’s and the MD’s comments.

 

[D&N]

23 minutes ago, skleeb said:

Could you bring a bottle of vodka, say, and have them serve it for you at the table and keep it in the pantry for the next night???

On a Helsinki to Stockholm ferry, dining in their speciality seafood restaurant there was a very large and loud Russian man at another table being poured unmeasured glasses of Vodka. Eventually they just left him with the bottle, there was never a risk of any being left.

[Zeg]

On 2/21/2024 at 8:39 PM, D&N said:

On a Helsinki to Stockholm ferry, dining in their speciality seafood restaurant there was a very large and loud Russian man at another table being poured unmeasured glasses of Vodka. Eventually they just left him with the bottle, there was never a risk of any being left.

Maybe he’d bought the bottle onboard. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[D&N]

3 minutes ago, Zeg said:

Maybe he’d bought the bottle onboard. 🤷🏼‍♂️

There's no doubt that he bought it onboard. He seemed more than willing to pay for it. He started with shots but wasn't happy with the sizes. I think he and his wife/partner left the restaurant after one bottle. The only thing I don't recall is whether it was an 0.7litre or 1litre bottle.

Silja Serenade being a ferry you paid by cash or card at end of meal, no cruise cards.