Wine Question

[UB & AS]

I have found three current written Celebrity wine policies: 1. No wine allowed to be brought aboard, 2. 2 bottles per stateroom on embarkation, 3. 2 bottles per guest on embarkation (Guest Conduct Policy).

 

 

Conversation with X yesterday (April 13) says two bottles per stateroom on embarkation. I will go with the most liberal written policy and bring two bottles per person.

 

Bill

[SheilaNC]

The interesting thing is that the Guest Conduct Policy is dated 2006 and the other policies are not dated. Seems like the dated one should take precedence, no??

[Norcal Cruiser]

Hey !Thank you for all your help.I'm going to be putting up an argument for a whole lot of us if this becomes an issue on Friday.The link that I caught from a prior post was 2 bottles per stateroom.I very well could have missed a link that stated two bottles per person if that was posted please be patient and post it again.I am self taught on the computer.Have only recently taught myself to type.Sometimes I just can't keep up.:confused:

[skandls]

Question for all the other WINOs. Is it worth transporting 2 bottles per (person/cabin) overseas and then getting charged $25 corkage. I like my wine with my dinners.

 

If the markups for better wines aren't too bad I would rather pay $50 for a $25 retail wine. What are the markups on better wines?

[Lsimon]

Question for all the other WINOs. Is it worth transporting 2 bottles per (person/cabin) overseas and then getting charged $25 corkage. I like my wine with my dinners.

 

If the markups for better wines aren't too bad I would rather pay $50 for a $25 retail wine. What are the markups on better wines?

 

Personally, I don't think it is worth it, unless you want to drink wine in your stateroom.

 

They have a pretty decent wine list in the restaurants. I think the prices are very reasonable at a "restaurant" level, which of course is higher than retail wine store pricing. The mark up on better wines is inconsistent. Some are a little pricey, as you'd expect with restaurant pricing, and there are a few nice bottles here and there that aren't a lot higher than retail pricing. A lot of "nicer" restaurants in Chicago area charge much higher prices overall.

 

Years ago we used to bring a lot of wine on board, especially on other lines, but once we started sailing Celebrity we no longer do so as their wine list is decent and we prefer to have our drinks in their lounges or at dinner and not in our cabin.

 

That's our opinion, others might think differently.

[FinelyCruising]

It hard to say anymore what makes it worth it since the weight of the bottles is enough of an issue for complying with airline baggage weight restrictions. If you have some spare weight in your bags and there are particular selections you would enjoy in your cabin I'd bring it. To pay the corkage fee on top of that unless it's special to you, then I would not. I agree there are some good selections to chose from on the wine menu and if you don't finish it all they will hold it for another evening, or send to your cabin with glasses for you to enjoy there at another time. We have done it all different ways and combinations over time.

[UB & AS]

Question for all the other WINOs. Is it worth transporting 2 bottles per (person/cabin) overseas and then getting charged $25 corkage. I like my wine with my dinners.

 

If the markups for better wines aren't too bad I would rather pay $50 for a $25 retail wine. What are the markups on better wines?

 

Unless a person has some very special tastes then it makes no sense to go through the hassle of bringing bottles on-board and paying X's corkage fee.

 

I have found Celebrity to have an excellent wine list (especially when they had the Michel Roux proprietare wines available) and there are good wines available for the budgets of people who can afford to cruise. I enjoy wine with dinner and am happy to order it at the table and find the prices to be reasonable.

 

My issue is that our cruise in two weeks is a West Coast wine appreciation cruise and Cruise Critic friends should be able to bring wines from their area to enjoy at afternoon parties in someone's stateroom or suite. I can't buy a B.C. Mission Hill wine or one from Quail's Gate on the ship. The ship's wine list, of course, is primarily from France and California. You will not find wines from Canada or New York or Colorado.

 

Cheers, Bill

[SheilaNC]

I have no intention of carrying wine in my precious luggage space. However, since we're sailing from Sydney and plan to do some winery hopping prior to sailing, we hope to bring a few bottles onboard to sip on our balcony. As Karyn said...if they confiscate them, so be it...but...we'd sure hate to miss out on wine on the balcony. Thinking maybe of boxed wine in luggage. Heard they have lots in Oz and NZ just as we found in Europe and quite drinkable....

[kb4683]

Thinking maybe of boxed wine in luggage. Heard they have lots in Oz and NZ just as we found in Europe and quite drinkable....

 

 

By any chance did you find some drinkable boxed wine in Spain? Interested in both reds and whites.

 

Cheers!

[SheilaNC]

kb,

Actually we found some very good reds, often they are in soft pack foil type packages. We shopped in the basement grocery area of the large dept store on Placa Catalyuna in Barcelona. Just don't jump at the VERY cheap ones (often 1 Euro) although in Majorca we found some good and very cheap wines. Don't know the labels since we were being adventurous and purposefully trying what the locals drink. Good luck and have fun. FYI, we tried the same in Greece and poured most down the drain :)

[Karynanne]

I have no intention of carrying wine in my precious luggage space. However, since we're sailing from Sydney and plan to do some winery hopping prior to sailing, we hope to bring a few bottles onboard to sip on our balcony. As Karyn said...if they confiscate them, so be it...but...we'd sure hate to miss out on wine on the balcony. Thinking maybe of boxed wine in luggage. Heard they have lots in Oz and NZ just as we found in Europe and quite drinkable....

 

Sheila, we're also planning to buy wine in Aust./NZ. Since there are quite a few cruises before ours, we can see if other cruisers were allowed to bring any onboard.

 

Karyn

[SheilaNC]

Sounds like a plan, Karen. If bottles are confiscated, we'll try the boxes.... What a thing this is, I feel like a teenager sneaking a smoke - which I do, lo those many years ago :)

[skandls]

Thanks for the info on the X wine list. We do not drink wine in our cabin so any bottles would be subject to the $25 fee. I used to bring wine on all our cruises but with the current rules and regulations it does not seem to be worth the trouble. I guess our wine bill will be rather steep - unless there are some good bargains on the ships list.

[UB & AS]

Thanks for the info on the X wine list. We do not drink wine in our cabin so any bottles would be subject to the $25 fee. I used to bring wine on all our cruises but with the current rules and regulations it does not seem to be worth the trouble. I guess our wine bill will be rather steep - unless there are some good bargains on the ships list.

 

I re-read what I had posted earlier and would probably change the wording. Celebrity's wine list includes some very pleasant wines at reasonable prices. There are wines available for all budget levels. If you want good, inexpensive wines for dinner, I would suggest that you look at the dinner menu before you go to lunch, think about what you will order for dinner and during lunch ask the sommelier what wine(s) he/she would recommend to accompany your dinner choice(s) and how much does it cost. You can also ask for wine suggestions based upon what you want to pay per bottle.

 

One always seems to get excellent advice from the sommelier (especially at lunch when they are not very busy) and I include the sommelier among the people that I tip on a cruise. Plan one meal ahead and get some great advice.:)

 

This assumes that the Sommeliers are still on board Celebrity ships. There was talk on Summit in January that the sommeliers were at risk of being eliminated as a cost cutting measure.

 

Cheers, Bill

[curiouscat]

Does X stil have Sommeliers on board?

 

CuriousCat

[kb4683]

[quote name='curiouscat']Does X stil have Sommeliers on board?

CuriousCat[/QUOTE]

As of 3/18, they were still there (Mercury) and no current talk of doing away with them.

[UB & AS]

[quote name='kb4683']As of 3/18, they were still there (Mercury) and no current talk of doing away with them.[/quote]

We were on Summit (Canal Transit) in January and cutbacks seemed to be the order of the day. We were looking forward to The Bar at the Edge of the Earth by Cirque du Soleil and brought our white clothing and masks for the performance. Once aboard we found that Cirque du Soleil's contract had been terminated. Also Michel Roux was no longer the Master Chef for Celebrity as his services had also been terminated. Staff members indicated that sommeliers felt that they were next on on the chopping block and that they were looking for alternative cruise line employment. The bottom line seems to have been moved to top priority if staff opinions were accurate.

I am delighted to hear that sommeliers are still employed by X. I enjoy wine but an not an expert and tend to depend upon the sommeliers for their expert advice.

Cheers, Bill

[mii]

[B]This may have been discussed but I do have a question. We are going to Alaska in two weeks. One of the stops is in Nanaimo. B.C. and we are doing a wine tour. If we purchased wine on the tour can we bring it back on board to have in our stateroom and if we can how many bottles.[/B]

[B]Marilyn[/B]

[UB & AS]

[quote name='mii'][B]This may have been discussed but I do have a question. We are going to Alaska in two weeks. One of the stops is in Nanaimo. B.C. and we are doing a wine tour. If we purchased wine on the tour can we bring it back on board to have in our stateroom and if we can how many bottles.[/B]

[B]Marilyn[/B][/quote]

Marilyn,

I suppose it depends upon cruise line. We leave for a wine appreciation cruise on Friday: San Francisco, Monterey, Astoria, Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver on Celebrity/Mercury. For Celebrity the answer is no alcohol can be brought aboard at ports of call. If security finds alcohol it will be taken and returned to you the last night of the cruise. Depending upon which policy you read guests can bring two bottles of wine per person or two per stateroom on embarkation to be consumed in the stateroom. There is a $25 corkage fee to have a bottle in a public area.

In November we sail from Rome to Singapore on Oceania which allows alcohol to be brought aboard from ports of call for consumption in one's stateroom.

What ship are you sailing? We will wave at you as you come past our house in Campbell River.

Regards, Bill

[mii]

[B]Hi Bill: We are sailing on the Infinity from S.F. for 13 nites and ending in Vancouver and nanaimo is one of our stops. I see you are from Campbell River. 30 years ago my DH fished with a guide there. Now that was land vacation and we have not been back since, but always loved that whole Vancouver Island. Also have seen Nanaimo and doing my research boy that town has grown. I am really curious too if once we have finished the wine tour could we bring wine back on board and just consume in our room. That is the question.[/B]

[B]Marilyn[/B]

[UB & AS]

[quote name='mii'][B]Hi Bill: We are sailing on the Infinity from S.F. for 13 nites and ending in Vancouver and nanaimo is one of our stops. I see you are from Campbell River. 30 years ago my DH fished with a guide there. Now that was land vacation and we have not been back since, but always loved that whole Vancouver Island. Also have seen Nanaimo and doing my research boy that town has grown. I am really curious too if once we have finished the wine tour could we bring wine back on board and just consume in our room. That is the question.[/B]

[B]Marilyn[/B][/quote]

Celebrity policy says no. If you buy wine you can expect security to take it and return it on the last night of the cruise. You can drink it then or take it with you when you disembark. Call X or read the Guest Conduct statement on their website and they also should email it to you if they haven't already done so. They sent it to us last week.

Nanaimo has grown like crazy. Local wags would say that in the Coast Salish Native language Nanaimo means "too many malls." Campbell River has grown into a nice small city and this summer it will be a port of call for some cruise ships.

Bill

[mii]

[B]Thanks Bill for that info. Well I guess I will be drinking it there. As for the two towns growth I live in California and I also think we have to dang many people. Wish we can close the borders.:D [/B]

[B]Marilyn[/B]

[spearmint]

I can probably assume the answer to this one, but here goes. Celebrity's website does say the alcohol policy is for 2 bottles of wine per stateroom. I have no problem with that part. It also says that a corkage fee ($25) will be charged if the wine is consumed at any restaurant, bar or dining venue. OK.

:confused: Would that include the pool area? Would you think that if there are waiters (for the bars) around the deck, that the area would be totally considered as a bar and so one cannot bring the bottle of wine to the pool deck? In other words, is there anywhere on the ship besides the stateroom that wine consumption would not be subject to a corkage fee?

One of the previous posters brought up a good point, in that one does not necessarily drink wine in the stateroom, where there is no corkage fee. It got me thinking that if I am not a connaisseur, and buy the inexpensive wine from the menu that I like, that it is really not worth bringing wine onboard and paying the corkage fee. The resulting end-price is not much different from the wine list.:cool:

[UB & AS]

For our cruise this week I have three printed copies of Celebrity alcohol policy statements with three different policies. Ticket docs say no alcohol to be brought aboard and this "supersedes all other written policy on this subject."; Guest Alcohol Policy says guests may bring two bottles of wine per stateroom at the beginning of the cruise.; Guest Conduct Policy says guests my bring two bottles of wine on embarkation day. Take your pick. As a Canadian compromise, we are bringing 1 1/2 bottles per guest!:D

I have found nice wines on the restaurant wine lists which do not cost much more than the $25 corkage fee for bringing your own wine. I would not bring wine aboard for consumption in a restaurant or public area. People with very special tastes May bring special wines with them and pay the corkage and also save some money. The rest of us can do quite nicely ordering from the wine list and have the benefit of a sommelier's skills. I tend to look at the dinner menu at lunch time, decide what I will probably order for dinner and discuss dinner wine selections with sommelier at lunchtime when they have lots of time available.

Re: pool area, not a great idea to bring wine bottles and glasses even if it were not frowned upon. If you want to drink your wine near the pool, why not fill plastic glasses in your stateroom and carry them to the pool area. In the sun I would tend to order a G&T, beer or daily drink special and have it served to me.

Cheers and Beers, Bill

[goofysmom99]

[quote name='Arlenedow'][B]We are sailing on the Century out of Miami April 26. Is there any place in the port where we can buy wine? When we sailed out of Barcelona there were shops selling wine inside the port terminal.[/B]

[B]We are flying from Orlando to Miami so really don't want to carry it on the airplane and then we go directly to the port.[/B]

[B]Thanks for any help.[/B]

[B]Arlenedow[/B][/quote]

Hi Arlene,
I never saw a place IN the port to buy anything in Miami. If you're taking a cab from the airport, I'd try asking your cab driver to stop at a Walgreen's; they usually have a liquor store attached to them. I just read this thread and can't believe you never received one single answer to your question. BTW, we're trying a one-way car rental next time, picking it up at the Sanford airport. I'll drop off Mike to get the car, he'll swing by the house for the luggage (and me), and we're gone. The price is going to be under $50 and it's the same price for either MIA or FLL. Hope you have a great cruise!
Ruth