Corkage Fees

[cinnam0n]

We've done 10 cruises on Celebrity, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean - brought wine on all of them and have never been charged a corkage fee when bringing them to the MDR.  Haven't sailed on Celebrity in awhile - has anyone been charged lately?

[jelayne]

If you have the Classic or Premium beverage package then there is no corkage fee.  If you don’t the corkage fee is $25.  You can bring 1 bottle per adult ( max 2 per cabin) when embarking.

[Rick&Jeannie]

Princess has had a corkage fee for quite some time...

[LB_NJ]

The official line is a corkage fee.  There have been varying reports as to whether or not it has been charged.

 

We always open a bottle of wine in our cabin and carry a glass of wine to dinner.

[cruizingOmi]

If you open bottle in Room and carry the Glas of Wine with you there is no Corkage. Don't take the bottle with you.

[cinnam0n]

1 hour ago, jelayne said:

If you have the Classic or Premium beverage package then there is no corkage fee.  If you don’t the corkage fee is $25.  You can bring 1 bottle per adult ( max 2 per cabin) when embarking.

Yes, I know all that.  There has been a corkage fee for years - I'm just saying I've never heard anyone say that they had actually been charged. 🙂

[leaveitallbehind]

4 minutes ago, cinnam0n said:

Yes, I know all that.  There has been a corkage fee for years - I'm just saying I've never heard anyone say that they had actually been charged. 🙂

We are not big wine drinkers so we rarely bring it on with us, but in the past when we did we have not been charged the corkage fee.  Just our experience.

[kabmab]

22 minutes ago, cinnam0n said:

Yes, I know all that.  There has been a corkage fee for years - I'm just saying I've never heard anyone say that they had actually been charged. 🙂

We've definitely been charged.

[Banjo]

My experience is that if you bring your bottle to one of the bars and tell the bartender you just using it in your room, I was never charged.

Edited May 26 by Banjo

[CruseKrazy]

We just got off the Edge and Solstice and on 3 occasions brought a bottle of wine to dinner.  I said it was my birthday and our 40th anniversary.  No corkage fee was charged. 

[jelayne]

12 hours ago, kabmab said:

We've definitely been charged.

We were charged 2 out 3 nights when we didn’t have a beverage package.  

[FeliciaB]

16 hours ago, jelayne said:

If you have the Classic or Premium beverage package then there is no corkage fee.  If you don’t the corkage fee is $25.  You can bring 1 bottle per adult ( max 2 per cabin) when embarking.

I know that is what the rules say but were you actually charged and if so was it when you boarded or only if you take the bottle to a dining room?
 

We usually have a package but I am thinking about booking a cruise only.  

[FeliciaB]

13 hours ago, kabmab said:

We've definitely been charged.

When boarding or when you took the bottles to a dining room?

[publicpersona]

4 hours ago, Banjo said:

My experience is that if you bring your bottle to one of the bars and tell the bartender you just using it in your room, I was never charged.

 

The corkage fee, despite the name, is less about opening the bottle than the fact that you are taking the bottle to your table in the MDR. If it was just about the uncorking, everyone could just bring in screw-top closure bottles, or a corkscrew for DIY to avoid the fee.

 

I understand that some cruise lines charge the corkage fee at embarkation which makes it clear they just want to make up for the lost profit for not selling a bottle onboard and it has nothing to do with removing the cork.

 

To add to the inconsistencies, I've never had any trouble bringing an already poured glass of wine into the MDR. In fact, sometimes they will carry it to the table and sometimes offer a better glass for it.

[leaveitallbehind]

12 minutes ago, FeliciaB said:

When boarding or when you took the bottles to a dining room?

The only time I am aware of a corkage fee being charged is if you take an unopened bottle to a dining venue to have the service staff open, pour, or store it for you.  Anytime and anywhere else on the ship there is no charge.  And taking a glass of wine from your stateroom to a dining venue also avoids a fee.

[leaveitallbehind]

8 minutes ago, publicpersona said:

I understand that some cruise lines charge the corkage fee at embarkation which makes it clear they just want to make up for the lost profit for not selling a bottle onboard and it has nothing to do with removing the cork.

I understand and appreciate the comments, and this may be correct, but for clarity to the OP the concern is with Celebrity which does not have this practice.

Edited May 26 by leaveitallbehind

[publicpersona]

2 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

 but for clarity to the OP the concern is with Celebrity which does not have this practice.

 

I think I was pretty clear on that, and also that OP mentioned other cruise lines, and that the topic the OP chose was "corkage fees". You see, we're having a conversation here. I mentioned the embarkation corkage fee as further illustration of why there may be one. The comment I was replying to seemed to imply that the reason for the corkage fee was a charge to open the bottle, and citing how another line handled it was to add evidence to the correct explanation.

 

[cruisestitch]

6 hours ago, FeliciaB said:

When boarding or when you took the bottles to a dining room?

Celebrity does not charge you at embarkation, only if you bring the unopened bottle of wine  to the dining room

[publicpersona]

2 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

Celebrity does not charge you at embarkation, only if you bring the unopened bottle of wine  to the dining room

 

Again, it's not about opening the bottle. The policy is about consuming from a bottle in a bar or restaurant that you didn't buy onboard. The fee is to reimburse for the lost profit.

 

Yes, I'm aware that bringing your own glass of wine should trigger it as well if that's the reason, but their policy specifically says "bottle."

 

Also aware that there are plenty of data points to say that corkage fees are not always enforced.

[leaveitallbehind]

12 minutes ago, publicpersona said:

 

I think I was pretty clear on that, and also that OP mentioned other cruise lines, and that the topic the OP chose was "corkage fees". You see, we're having a conversation here. I mentioned the embarkation corkage fee as further illustration of why there may be one. The comment I was replying to seemed to imply that the reason for the corkage fee was a charge to open the bottle, and citing how another line handled it was to add evidence to the correct explanation.

 

It was not an issue and wasn't being critical of you. I believe I indicated I appreciated your comments.  Was just adding to the conversation as well. And sorry, guess I skipped over the part where you excluded Celebrity from that practice.

Edited May 26 by leaveitallbehind

[kabmab]

3 hours ago, FeliciaB said:

When boarding or when you took the bottles to a dining room?

At the dining room.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

3 hours ago, publicpersona said:

Yes, I'm aware that bringing your own glass of wine should trigger it as well if that's the reason, but their policy specifically says "bottle."

In order to do that, they'd have to either ban walking around the ship with beverages or require that you carry your receipt to prove that you bought it on board. Because otherwise people would just say they bought it at X bar even if they opened it in their cabin.

[publicpersona]

44 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

In order to do that, they'd have to either ban walking around the ship with beverages or require that you carry your receipt to prove that you bought it on board. Because otherwise people would just say they bought it at X bar even if they opened it in their cabin.

 

Exactly. If it's a bottle, there's little doubt you brought it with you. But it wouldn't be good business to challenge every glass of wine someone walks into MDR with.

 

Actually, on Celebrity, I've not gone into MDR for dinner without a glass of wine in my hand because Elite happy hour doesn't work in the MDR, but it does work at the bar right outside the MDR door. It isn't an exact science.

[screwsmcernst]

19 hours ago, LB_NJ said:

 

We always open a bottle of wine in our cabin and carry a glass of wine to dinner.

 

That is what we do as well. Or we stop at a bar before dinner for cocktails and then get a glass to carry to the table.

Edited May 26 by screwsmcernst

[cinnam0n]

Thanks for your comments, everyone.  I guess my question wasn't worded very clearly.  🙂My question wasn't about the policy - I'm aware of and understand the policy as it is written.  My point was that in 10  cruises spanning a number of years on 3 different lines that have that policy, we've never been charged. Haven't sailed Celebrity in a number of years but have one coming up on Silhouette in August, so was just wondering if anyone had been charged lately.