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RCL Wine and Liquor Policies and Prices (Merged)


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Hi, Red wind and others.

 

Alot of us have all brought wine, liquor, soda and water on board at different times in the past. Early this year RCI published a no beverage policy; they pulled it from their web site but customer service still quotes it; their policy is to not allow any beverage to be carried onboard right down to water. So now we are trying to track the actual enforcement by ship and date. So if everyone will tell the ship and the date that their experience relates to then it will help us determine current conditions. Many of the posters relate having liquor and wine confiscated; so far no soda or water. All info and details welcome!

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Just posting a recent wine experience. A guy traveling in our group had a bottle of wine confiscated while going through security at embarkation. They took the wine, but told him that the wine would be available for him to drink in the dining room the second night of the cruise. He had to tell the asst waiter, but the waiter found it and brought it to him plus they paid the corkage fee on it. He had a box of wine in his checked luggage that made it through to his cabin fine.

 

July 10, 2006 sailing of Monarch of the Seas - sailing from Los Angeles/San Pedro.

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We are going on Rhapsody of the Sea in three weeks. My husband and I just got a homemade bottle of wine from his uncle as part of our wedding gift. Do you think we can get in on board! Will they allow us to take it. I am so confused with how the liquor policy works

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Even before the changes to the alcohol policy (discounting the enforcement issues), I think homemade wines were not allowed. I may be wrong, but I would not want to risk your homemade wine getting confiscated.

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Just got the docs for our August Sovereign sailing and it says

 

Under what about Wine?

"Royal Caribbean has a state of the art wine list that beautifully represents "The romance of the sea, the passion of wine and the elegance of Royal Caribbean." please review our complete list by visiting www.royalcaribbean.com. A limited selection is available for preordering; please see page 9 for selections."

 

No mention of being allowed to bring wine onboard at all. This is definately different than our Adventure docs from last month.

 

I wouldn't mind paying the price if the wine list was better. The list available on most ships is pretty pitiful IMHO. I love the wine bars since the wine varies much more on the Navigator and Mariner.

 

Looks like smuggling is the only way to go now.

 

Oh, that is too funny! How exactly is a wine list "state of the art"? And what hyperbole. As someone who lives in one of CA's prime wine regions (yes, I'm a bit of a wine snob), I can say that the wine list is, IMO, none of the above. Certainly there are some decent selections on the high end, and some of the mid-price wines are pretty good, but the 400%+ markup is obscene. (Yes, restaurants markup; no problem. It's usually 200% or so.) We've always been happy to pay the corkage fee to be able to drink the wines we want (and/or that vintner friends have given us). Even with the corkage, we pay much less than the RCI list prices in most cases. (I have noticed that the more expensive the wine is to begin with, the lower the markup percentage; I assume they'd prefer that you buy the high end.) Not to mention that a moving ship is not exactly the best place to preserve wine. No way am I paying $100 for a bottle of fine wine that's been at sea for 6 months. My advice if you buy off the wine list is to stick with NV champagne/sparkling wines and stick with the mid-level wines (if we must buy their wines).

 

beachchick

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I was curious if anyone sailing on the Mariner lately has been able to take on a couple bottles of wine. Last time we sailed the Mariner we were able to and paid a corkage fee, however I know there are threats out there of a policy change. If this is true this may be my last cruise with RCCL. It was bad enough last year when they stopped allowing you to purchase liquor from the Duty Free Shop on the first evening and take back to your room. If they are now going to make me drink low end wine for triple the price, it may be time to switch cruise lines. I do not think people really understand how important a good bottle of wine is to those of us who truly appreciate the grape.

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I was curious if anyone sailing on the Mariner lately has been able to take on a couple bottles of wine. Last time we sailed the Mariner we were able to and paid a corkage fee, however I know there are threats out there of a policy change. If this is true this may be my last cruise with RCCL. It was bad enough last year when they stopped allowing you to purchase liquor from the Duty Free Shop on the first evening and take back to your room. If they are now going to make me drink low end wine for triple the price, it may be time to switch cruise lines. I do not think people really understand how important a good bottle of wine is to those of us who truly appreciate the grape.

 

Princess has just followed suit with a no alcohol or wine policy and as far as I know, only HAL and the luxury lines actually permit one to bring wine aboard.

 

I agree that is very important and will choose my cruise lines accordingly.

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So if you are a wine lover and only really enjoy a good meal with a good wine, then you are stuck trying to figure out if the cruiseline is going to be able to provide that for you. You are going to have to trust their wine selections, that they are stocked, and that they will give you a fair price. I only started bringing wine onboard myself because they did not do those three things. yuk.

 

Sounds like I may be looking at land vacations and the more wine friendly cruiselines where I have more control over my dinner/wine pairings. If a land based restaurent doesn't have what you like, you usually can go to the next restaurent. The cruise has got you for the entire time.

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So if you are a wine lover and only really enjoy a good meal with a good wine, then you are stuck trying to figure out if the cruiseline is going to be able to provide that for you.

 

Add to that the excessive mark up on some lines (RCI IMO),the pedestrian choices, the cheap wine glasses often used, the fact that the word "decanter" is virtually unknown and the fact that the waiters know little to nothing about wine and that about sums it up!

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This is what Royal Caribbean's Official TA site currently has under quick reference pages. I also looked at the casino info because someone mentioned that as well. This is what it had to say just a minute ago. :)

 

Alcoholic Beverages

We apologize for any inconvenience but due to recent regulatory and licensing requirements guests are not allowed to bring alcoholic beverages of any kind onboard for consumption or any other use. Alcoholic beverages that are purchased duty-free from the Shops On Board or at ports of call will be stored by Royal Caribbean and delivered to guest staterooms on the last day of the voyage. A member of our staff will be at the gangway to assist with the storage of any purchases.

For guests who wish to bring "fine" wine aboard, and Royal Caribbean is unable to accommodate their selection, we will, with prior approval from Royal Caribbean, allow a maximum of two bottles of wine to be brought by the guest or group. A corkage fee in the amount of $12.00 per bottle will be charged. This policy may not apply to every ship or itinerary depending on local laws, customs, or license requirements but Royal Caribbean will try and accommodate requests. Royal Caribbean is not responsible for fines imposed or items confiscated by local authorities.

Alcohol Policy

While a ship is at sea, Royal Caribbean International will not serve alcoholic beverages to guests under 21 years of age.

Note: An individual's age on the date of sailing determines his or her status for the entire cruise vacation.

 

 

I copied the above post so that we all know what the TAs are being told. I think we should keep collecting current beverage enforcement by ship and date. Thanks.

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Add to that the excessive mark up on some lines (RCI IMO),the pedestrian choices, the cheap wine glasses often used, the fact that the word "decanter" is virtually unknown and the fact that the waiters know little to nothing about wine and that about sums it up!

 

I'd settle for them serving the wine in the proper glass!!!! Don't even know if they have red wine glasses anymore.

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Hellow everyone in cruise land. I dont know if this helps anyone but I just got off a cruise on Monday (Explorer of the Seas) from Bayonne (Eastern Caribbean).

#1 Brining alcohol ie. a bottle or two of wine and maybe a bottle of vodka or whatever you like is not a problem at all. I just put in in my checked luggage and off it went. Not even one question regarding alcohol or the sorts. Actually I think they should be a bit tighter with security but I guess its tough. Oh well.

#2 The policy of beer and wine was still in effect for 18-20 year olds. I am not sure how they distinguish between "young" and old but I did see lots of "kids" drinking beer and the girls all were drinking Smirnoff Ice because I guess thats considered a beer. In my opinion RCI needs to do something about the young kids drinking. Most of them are out of control and are acting very foolishly. At the Club (Chamber) some of the activity going on in their might be considered criminal of sorts but I guess the kids all liked it. Also of note why doesnt RCI instituted some sort of curfew for kids?? I saw kids 13-17 all over the ship at all hours of the night (1am-4am) how is this safe???

This all being said all of the bartenders did their jobs by IDing. They would always hassle me even though I am 31. Oh well I hope this helps.

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I didnt bring any major amount of soda on board but at a few of the stops I happened to buy two or three small bottles of soda/Sprite/coke and they didnt even question me at all. At the start of the cruise I also brought a 1.5 liter bottle of water in my carry on. Hope this helps.

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Also of note why doesnt RCI instituted some sort of curfew for kids?? I saw kids 13-17 all over the ship at all hours of the night (1am-4am) how is this safe???

 

I agree with you. It's not safe to have kids that age roaming around til all hours of the morning. However, it's ulimately the parents that should be looking after their own kids. As far as I am concerned, It's not RCCL's responsibility to parent other peoples kids and they should not have to institute a curfew in order to force parents to do the right thing.

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I agree with you. It's not safe to have kids that age roaming around til all hours of the morning. However, it's ulimately the parents that should be looking after their own kids. As far as I am concerned, It's not RCCL's responsibility to parent other peoples kids and they should not have to institute a curfew in order to force parents to do the right thing.

 

They had one on SOS a few weeks ago but the kids were being obnoxious about it and there were no parents in sight.

 

There was a guy at the Pursers Desk 7am next day looking for his 17 YO who apparently never came home the night before and he just noticed.:eek:

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There was a guy at the Pursers Desk 7am next day looking for his 17 YO who apparently never came home the night before and he just noticed.:eek:

 

Now that's bad parenting!! That sheer lack of responsibility just irks me. I bet he'd be the first to launch a lawsuit against RCCL. :D

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Now that's bad parenting!! That sheer lack of responsibility just irks me. I bet he'd be the first to launch a lawsuit against RCCL. :D

 

You betcha! And the way he was speaking to the woman behind the desk was deplorable! It was as if it was the fault of the ship and not the parent. I have seen similar behavior too many times.

 

There were two young, scantily clad 16 years olds who kept sneaking back into the disco after being kicked out. Security kept stopping the music every 15 minutes, then turned on all the lights and kicked them out. Then they had to stop again multiple times because there was a group of very drunk and rowdy teens on the dance floor with lit cigarettes and beet bottles. We finally left because we got tired of the behavior.

 

I will be interested to see if the new security measures make any difference at all.:cool:

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You betcha! And the way he was speaking to the woman behind the desk was deplorable! It was as if it was the fault of the ship and not the parent. I have seen similar behavior too many times.

Ugh. That's terrible. I didn't witness anything like that on my cruise last October but I'm not naive enough to doubt that it doesn't occur.

 

Okay, in an event to bring this back on topic, can anyone recommend a decent wine from the RCCL wine list (click to view)? I'm not a wine aficionado by any means but I enjoy a good bottle from time to time. With their aggressive pricing, are any of them worth the money or should I bring my own cheaper bottle and pay the $12 corkage? Btw, my wife prefers a blush but I'm up for anything. Thanks!

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Ugh. That's terrible. I didn't witness anything like that on my cruise last October but I'm not naive enough to doubt that it doesn't occur.

 

Okay, in an event to bring this back on topic, can anyone recommend a decent wine from the RCCL wine list (click to view)? I'm not a wine aficionado by any means but I enjoy a good bottle from time to time. With their aggressive pricing, are any of them worth the money or should I bring my own cheaper bottle and pay the $12 corkage? Btw, my wife prefers a blush but I'm up for anything. Thanks!

 

Hi, We do have alot of posts to this thread. There are 3 you might want to review - #3 has the wine packages, #38 has a more complete wine list than on the website (the list on the website I believe is a subset on #38 to represent the wines that you can preorder), and #46 which has my detailed analysis of what few wines may be good deals in the packages.

 

So DH looked at the wines listed in #38 (remember to add the %15 to get the real price). He thought that the following would be the best value from the list although the list is not great to start from:

 

Cabernet Sauvignon, Beringer, Founders' Estate

Côtes du Rhône, Belleruche, M. Chapoutier

Shiraz, Kirralaa Bushvine, Australia

Zinfandel, Buehler Estate

Zinfandel, Cline

Mâcon-Villages, Bouchard Père & Fils

Semillon / Chardonnay, Lindemans, Bin 77

Sauvignon Blanc, Geyser Peak

Sauvignon Blanc, Brancott, Marlborough

Fumé Blanc, Ferrari-Carano, Sonoma

You might enjoy trying some of these before the cruise at home at liquor store prices to make sure you like them. Be sure to taste them with the correctly paired food to get the real experience.:)

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The short answer to the $12 corkage question is that bringing your own wine and paying a $12 corkage fee is always less expensive than ordering off the RCI wine list. And if you consume the wine in you stateroom there will be no corkage fee. You may also bring a glass of wine into the dining room; I’ve done this when I hadn’t finished my wine in the lounge or my cabin. If DW likes blush and you don’t mind packing it in your checked baggage, I bet she would really enjoy having it chilled in her cabin to have a glass whenever she wants to celebrate. Room steward should be able to provide ice bucket and glasses.

But if you don’t want to hassle with bringing it onboard, you are doing the right thing and finding out ahead of time what is best to do with the onboard choices.

Cheers

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Hellow everyone in cruise land. I dont know if this helps anyone but I just got off a cruise on Monday (Explorer of the Seas) from Bayonne (Eastern Caribbean).

#1 Brining alcohol ie. a bottle or two of wine and maybe a bottle of vodka or whatever you like is not a problem at all. I just put in in my checked luggage and off it went. Not even one question regarding alcohol or the sorts. Actually I think they should be a bit tighter with security but I guess its tough. Oh well.

#2 The policy of beer and wine was still in effect for 18-20 year olds. I am not sure how they distinguish between "young" and old but I did see lots of "kids" drinking beer and the girls all were drinking Smirnoff Ice because I guess thats considered a beer. In my opinion RCI needs to do something about the young kids drinking. Most of them are out of control and are acting very foolishly. At the Club (Chamber) some of the activity going on in their might be considered criminal of sorts but I guess the kids all liked it. Also of note why doesnt RCI instituted some sort of curfew for kids?? I saw kids 13-17 all over the ship at all hours of the night (1am-4am) how is this safe???

This all being said all of the bartenders did their jobs by IDing. They would always hassle me even though I am 31. Oh well I hope this helps.

 

Thanks for all the info on the Explorer! I am collecting a little more info if you have to let me know any of the other stuff I would really appreciate it! You have done us a great favor already!

 

Name of Ship and Date Sailed

Did you bring wine on board? In checked or carry on baggage?

Was there a corkage fee? Did it include the tip?

Was there a wine package offered? Quality of wines and pricing? When and where was it available for purchase and use.

Was there a wine you really enjoyed on the ship? Was there a wine/food pairing you really enjoyed?

General Comments.

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We just came home yesterday form the mariner of the seas. After reading about the new policys with bringing alcohol on board I decided to pack my liquor in my luggage rather than my carry on. This is the first time I've done this and it was fine. We packed a small rolling piece of luggage with 2 bottles of wine, 2 8 packs of soda, 8 water bottles and a small bottle of vodka. We had our bags by 3pm with everything intact.

 

^^^^^

Thanks to poster on another thread for this current info for Mariner.

 

Let's keep collecting current info.

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