Princess Diamond- Bringing Wine Aboard

[POOKS]

Is There An Official Princess Policy On Bringing Wine And Other Alcohol Aboard?

Thanks

[sue d. miller]

The policy states you can bring wine, champagne, and beer on board. You cannot bring alcohol. Many do.

[bjboothman]

Keep in mind that if you bring wine into the dining room there will be a corkage fee, I thought I'd read it was $10.

[geoherb]

And sometimes the waiters will charge you the corkage fee and sometimes they don't.

[bardgal]

The last three cruises to Mexico, I've brought a case of champagne aboard. Just hand carried it along with my carry on bag. No one said a thing other than, "when's the party?" :)

 

Granted, it's heavy - and sometimes it's a bit of a hike, like last time all the way to the aft end of the STAR - but it was well worth it!

 

Tipped our steward $20 at the beginning of the cruise, and told him we wanted six (or however many) champagne glasses delivered to our cabin every afternoon, along with a fresh champagne bucket with ice (before the canapes), and he made it happen.

 

Best thing in the world for watching the sunset in the afternoon.

 

Just remember to bring a champagne stopper so you can stick what you haven't finished back in the bucket or the fridge!

 

Also regarding the corkage - We have always ordered bottles of wine at dinner (it's just cheaper than by the glass, and easier than waiting for a 2nd glass to be delivered...) so when we've brought our own bottle of wine or champagne to the table for dinner, I've never been charged - of course that was always with Traditional Dining - I think you're more likely to be charged a corkage with PC.

 

I have always found that the Princess winelist is very reasonable price-wise.

[merela]

$10 corkage. DH did order a bottle of wine for $37 one night (he used the $5 coupon from winetasting) and he proudly told me today that the bottle's suggested retail price by the winery is $43, so he doesn't think Princess price its wines outrageously. There was a corkscrew in our room. DH brought a bottle of Pinot Noir and a 1/2 bottle of dessert wine on board. Since we were flying and travelling with 2 small children, he couldn't carry more bottles in his carryon bag.

 

When we went on the Mexican Riviera cruise from LA last year, he brought 6 bottles of wine, 1 for each night. That time, we brought along our wine pump.

 

Ask for Riedel glasses if you are having a nice bottle of wine. You can do a wine tasting yourself by pouring the same wine in a Riedel glass and the wine glass they provide on the table. See if you can taste the differences.

 

They do X-ray your carryon bags when you board the ship. I don't know if they X-ray your suitcases. Even though they don't allow you to bring alcohol on board other than wines, I'm sure it's not a problem if you bring some. I had an extra can of Coke in my carryon bag. No one told me to take it out.

 

BTW, they tag on 15% gratuity onto the wine prices.

[spongerob]

You are perfectly welcome to bring your own wine aboard. If it's something really special or unique to your home, it might be a nice idea to invite your head waiter for a little taste. The corkage fee is hit or miss, and seems to depend on your relationship with your serving staff. If you order wine from the Princess wine list, I think they are a little more lenient. If you have different waiters every night, expect to pay the corkage fee. Of course, there is no fee for wine consumed within your own cabin.

 

Hard liquor is sometimes confiscated. I find the on-board prices cheaper than those at home anyway, so the only reason I'd bring anything on board myself would be if it was something small and unavailable on the ship, for example, bringing a little vermouth for martinis or a small bottle of Bailey's for my morning coffee.

[ahracer]

As bob mentioned it is easier and cheaper to buy a bottle of the hard stuff from Princess then bringing it with you. You can order it advance from the Princess web site, order it from room service or go to the lobby bar and buy it.

 

Scott