Corkage Fee in Dining Room

[65Cardinal]

We just completed our Mexican Riviera cruise on Mercury. Contrary to what some people have posted, we found the ship to be in excellent condition, the service great and the food delicious.

 

One thing that was different, and disappointing, was that Celebrity increased its corkage fee in the dining room to $25. We like to bring a few bottles of nice wine on board and have been more than happy to pay the $15 charge in the past.

 

We were told we could drink the wine in our room at no charge (nice of them!) but the $25 charge would stand in the dining room. $25 is not reasonable and the highest corkage we have ever paid on land or sea.

[Small_Stuff]

We just got off the Galaxy and found they raised the prices as well. Yes, $25 is so steep it almost makes it unreasonable to bring your own wine on board unless it is very costly. We did ask our sommelier why it was so high. She said that the sommeliers are not paid a salary (they also do not pay room and board) and thus make all their money through tips and corkage fees.

 

Hope this helps.:)

[YYC F/A]

I'm not sure if that's true (about no salary for the Sommeliers). Whilst I know that the restaurant team and bar tenders are paid a relatively low amount on the basis of expected income from tips, I still thought they got something?

 

The extra charges for pretty much everything are a fact of life on mass market ships these days, but I still believe, particularly for a 'premium' line like X that taking the nickel and diming too far is short sighted.

 

The hard sell in the spa for instance, is unacceptable. If you pay a fair (some would argue quite pricey) price for your treatment, it shouldn't be accompanied with a high-pressure sales tactic to buy extra goods/services.

 

I was invited to make an appointment for a 'complimentary' body mass test, which I was hesitant to do as I was not sure of the commitements with the rest of my group for the following day. After being told "I'll just make the appointment anyway and you can let me know", I called back later that day to cancel as my group had made other plans for that timeframe. I was told that I'd have to pay a $50 cancellation fee for cancelling within 48 hours (hang on, I thought it was a free consultation?!?), and when I argued that I felt this was unfair, I was eventually told that they would waive the fee, but that it was coming out of the consultants own pocket as she would still have to pay X the $50 and I hope I realised that!!

 

Anyway, sorry to get off topic, but the Corkage fee is IMHO a fair concept, but $25 is pretty steep. $15 I feel is reasonable, but at $25, the corkage fee often costs more than it cost you to buy the wine on shore. I wouldn't mind so much if X's wine selection was a little better, but I have consistently found that their selection of Shiraz/Pinot Noir is not only limited, but in many cases grossly overpriced. Of course you pay more in a restaurant than you would from a wine store, but to sell a $9 bottle of australian shiraz for $40+ is pushing the envelope.

 

If only X would offer a wine package that offered reasonable prices per bottle in exchange for a bulk purchase of 5/8/10 bottles.

[salty dingo]

but to sell a $9 bottle of australian shiraz for $40+ is pushing the envelope.

 

Perhaps, but if you add the $9 wine and the $25 corkage, you get $34, which is only a $4 difference in buying the wine at the table (not including tip) and that is probably not worth the hassle of lugging the extra weight of the wine onboard. Now if the wine is Penfold's Grange, that's another matter, but not if it is Black Opal.

 

I always have my fill before dinner and usually forego the wine at dinner, but when I have bought on other lines, I could usually find a nice bottle for $25 or so.

[Ephraim]

I assume that the corkage fee is per bottle.... so Magnums, Jeroboams and Methuselahs would still be paying the same $25. So bring in a Magnum instead. Unless you can easily get your hands on a Jeroboam (I doubt it)

 

I really want to see someone bring in a Methuselah and watch the sommelier try to pour it.

[skandls]

I assume that the corkage fee is per bottle.... so Magnums, Jeroboams and Methuselahs would still be paying the same $25. So bring in a Magnum instead. Unless you can easily get your hands on a Jeroboam (I doubt it)

 

I really want to see someone bring in a Methuselah and watch the sommelier try to pour it.

 

Great idea - so we're off to our local wine store :D...

[salty dingo]

If I bring a keg, would it still be a corkage fee? Or maybe a tappage? :D

[CRUISELUVRS]

So, since this is new to me, are you saying Celebrity allows you to bring your own wine on board to drink in your cabin? Limited to how many bottles? Or do they confiscate it on check in as other cruise lines do?

[caviargal]

I agree that the fee is ridiculous and not in line at all with the other cruise lines.

 

Since we always bring wine with us, Celebrity has become decidedly less attrative with their 2 bottle maximum and pillaging corkage fee.

[65Cardinal]

We brought 6 bottles on board by using a wine shipper box which we checked as baggage. It has the foam insert and is used by wineries to ship wine when you buy it directly from them.

 

We were told by security you could bring liquor on board if it is in your suitcase but if you try to carry it on they will confiscate it. He also said you could carry wine, champagne & beer on board with no problem but you have to consume it in your room. Several of our tablemates brought wine & beer aboard from one of the stops along the way with no problems.

 

I know this differs from the scary language X uses in their cruise documents and I guess you do take a chance they will change their "unoffical" policy.

 

When they start taking wine or liquor out of your checked baggage it will be time to change cruise lines!

[suzeyQ]

Cruiseluvrs, yes you can bring your own wine onboard. The X website says 2 bottles per cabin but I suspect they won't stop you with 2 bottles per person.

[dedlaw]

Up until my cruise coming up in a couple of weeks, I've always brought wine with me from home -- maybe six bottles for a ten-day cruise. I end up buying as much again AND paying corkage, so not a bad deal for X or for me. But this time I'm feeling stuck buying it all on board -- mostly because it's hard to pack enough to make it worth it (obviously, I can no longer carry it with me on the airplane). At $25, corkage it high, although I've seen much higher. Here is the problem, though: The wine service on X is pretty generally awful. You can wait a long time to have someone show up with a corkscrew, you'll be lucky if they ever return to refill a glass, and the glassware is mediocre. The idea of corkage is paying for service and the use of (and cleaning of) the restaurant's glassware -- things already built into the price of the wine they sell off their menu. I don't mind paying a fair amount for wine in a restaurant, but maybe I'm spoiled by where I live -- there are lots of great choices, and if the bottle is $80 on the menu it is probably $40 in a wine shop. X, of course, has a so-so wine list and the prices are generally too high. Not that any of this will stop me from imbibing, but the combination of TSA rules, high corkage fees and weak wine list will make it a bit less enjoyable.

[YYC F/A]

Hi Dedlaw - you can still take the wine on the aircraft with you - it just needs to be in your checked baggage and not your carry-on. Of course, one would have to pack it extraordinarly well - the risk is you'd open up your suitcase to find your entire cruise wardrobe doused in wine!!!

 

If you do a pre-cruise stay at your departure point, consider venturing out to a local wine store and picking up some stuff there - that way you avoid the airplane risk, don't have to lug it around too much... and it can be kinda fun to go on a quick little shopping spree the day before your cruise! :D

[Bfson]

Most wineries and large wine stores will sell you a styrofoam wine box that will hold 2, 3, 4, 6, or 12 bottles. The box is so sturdy you can seal it and then check it onto an airplane. We've done it for years and never lost a bottle. (We brought 4 cases back from Australia this way.) Similarly, we seal a box and give it to the dock workers with our cabin number marked on it and it's delivered along with our other luggage. (The only problem is if you depart from a Canadian port as they only allow incoming travelers to bring 1 litre per peson. In that situation we shipped our wine to the first U.S. port and claimed it at a Mailboxes Etc store there.)

[tuggers]

Boy, Bob, you are very serious about getting that wine onboard!:)

There was a lot of discussion on the boards when the fee was raised to $25. Unforetunately, this time, unlike the previous increase (from $8 to $15), we never got it together enough to make an effort that the cruise line recognized.

And of course, on this increase, we were dealing with Hanrahan who does not hold the X passengers in the same regard as the previous company presidents.

[tuggers]

Boy, Bob, you are very serious about getting that wine onboard!:)

 

There was a lot of discussion on the boards when the fee was raised to $25. Unfortunately, this time, unlike the previous increase (from $8 to $15), we never got it together enough to make an effort that the cruise line recognized.

 

And of course, on this increase, we were dealing with Hanrahan who does not hold the X passengers in the same regard as the previous company presidents.

[Bfson]

Tuggers-Yup. It's true. I confess. (g) I'm a wine geek. I write for a wine newsletter out of California; I run two of wine competitions in the US and regularly judge several of the bigger Calif. wine competitions. I'm the token California judge for the Missouri State Fair wine competiton. I've got a cellar full of wine. I'd rather pay the too high corkage fee than drink stuff I that is way too young or not to my taste. Besides it seems wrong to buy wine when going out or going on a cruise with that much at home. It doesn't have to be expensive wine (there are some great wines out there for under $15) it just should fulfill its first job: make the meal more enjoyable.

[macaroni]

What about if you bring wine onboard that is sold in the restaurants? They don't know if you got it from your Agent and it was in your cabin when you got there. On Princess they don't charge you a corkage fee for those, just for wine that is not available on the ship.

[tuggers]

macaroni, hate to burst that bubble but all the wine onboard goes through the 'wine dept' aka, the Head Wine Steward. They know if it came through the cruise line.

Good try, though.

I decided a long time ago, because, for me, it is not about saving a dollar or two but about having the wine I enjoy drinking that is not on the Wine List. And I do buy some wine off the list.

bfson, just curious, I have started drinking Pinot Noir and like it very much. In looking for a Pinot to enjoy at home I have found Foley's to be pleasant and inexpensive. Am I on the right track for an every day wine or is there something else I should try in the Pinot family. Just asking for your opinion if you care to give it.

[dedlaw]

I get the ideas of either packing in styrofoam shippers or buying it after I'm off the plane. The latter idea is okay, but I really don't have the time given the travel schedule we've got (okay, I could skip dinner the night we arrive in FL to do this, but I think my wife might object). I'll admit to hating to pay too much in a wine shop compared to what I'd pay here, although I'll admit at least I have a better selection than through Celebrity. As for the shipper, the handling can be rough, and I've found in some cases (not cases of wine, in some circumstances) that too much jostling around leaves the wine in a state of bottle shock (or something similar) that a great wine becomes a merely good one, so then I select lesser wines from my celler, so then I start to think the wine list may be okay to avoid the hassle. The really sad thing is this: They could put some FAR better wines on their list, do a fair markup (like 2-1/2 times retail) and they would create a whole lot more sales to many cruisers. But they really don't care about "wine" -- they care about selling alcoholic beverages, period. That's why half the "sommeliers" know pretty little about wine or wine service.

[DaveFr]

I have started drinking Pinot Noir and like it very much. In looking for a Pinot to enjoy at home I have found Foley's to be pleasant and inexpensive. Am I on the right track for an every day wine or is there something else I should try in the Pinot family.

Gail,

 

If you like the Foley pinot noir, I'd recommend trying the Laetitia Estate Pinot Noir. Like the Foley, its from the California Central Coast region. It should be priced at about $20 give or take a couple of dollars.

[der93711]

Good news all you wine lovers.....Celebrity is in the process of changing their wine glassware to Riedel glasses. We had several opportunities to try the new glasses on our recent Connie cruise (we met Mr. Riedel himself on board) and by using the new glasses all wines taste better. My DH loves his wine and we took 9 bottles with us. Corkage is $25 and know for sure only $5 of it goes to the sommelier. Celebrity is trying to discourage you from bringing your own wine. They are hoping the new glassware will inhance their wines and more people will be happier with the selection.

Der:D

[skandls]

Are the glasses available for anyone? If I pay the $25 corkage will we get riedel glasses? Or do you have to buy one of their more expensive selections? I know they used to have them on some of the ships for use at the officers tables.

[firsttimecruiserHI]

We bought 4 bottles of Ch. Cheval Blanc and did not mind paying to $25 we saved so much by brining it on ourselves.

[Moeve]

I can't resist this one...

 

We live in an aera famous for its cherry water produced in lots of private but legal stills (We call it cherry flavoured spring water conservered with alcohol!!)

 

Anyway had been chatting to CC freinds prior to our cruise when a gentleman ask if we could bring him some. Sure so we packed the 3 bottles we were legally allowed to bring...

 

On Embarkation day we moved it to our carry on since we planned to meet that day and didn't know how long it would take for our luggage to make the cabin. Anyway we were hauled out of line after the screening and the X employee wanted to see what we were bringing.... He told us we could not keep them and that they would be returned at the port after disembarkation - yeah right by then no one will know me for sure. I told him they were gifts for felllow cruisers and not meant for onboard consumption. He then said we could buy onboard - by this point I was really ticked off.. I got out my cell phone and asked him how many cases X would be purchasing and to which port I should have it shipped to??? His face was priceless - he hadn't realized it was our own stuff!! Only after I showed him the cruise docs and the label did he understand.....He was not really a happy camper and let me take the bottles but only after I told him I wanted to see the Hotel Director since the X website says you can bring as long as it is not on the Cellar list..... I knew it was NOT there!!! I even suggested X deliver it to our friends cabin on the last day but it was not staying at the port!!

 

Still the guys face when I asked how many cases he was ordering was worth the whole thing!!!