Taking wine to restaurants on Oceania

We are taking the June 16 Regatta tour to Alaska, our first cruise. The consensus on the forum is that passengers can bring as many bottles as they want on board, i.e, the 3-bottle limit is not enforced. What about taking wine into the ship's restaurant? Is the one-bottle limit enforced?:) I am very willing to pay the $25 corkage fee. Can wine purchased before boarding be transferred among restaurants?

We are taking the June 16 Regatta tour to Alaska, our first cruise. The consensus on the forum is that passengers can bring as many bottles as they want on board, i.e, the 3-bottle limit is not enforced. What about taking wine into the ship's restaurant? Is the one-bottle limit enforced?:) I am very willing to pay the $25 corkage fee. Can wine purchased before boarding be transferred among restaurants?

Not sure what the question is .But from what I've done in the past , you bring the wine to the dining room from your cabin each night .If you don't finish they will mark your bottle and hold it for you ( this as I recall was on Celebrity ) . Whether you can establish your own cellar in an area near the dining rooms , with your entire load you may be able to ask . As long as they are getting the corkage , I would think they would do it .

We are taking the June 16 Regatta tour to Alaska, our first cruise. The consensus on the forum is that passengers can bring as many bottles as they want on board, i.e, the 3-bottle limit is not enforced. What about taking wine into the ship's restaurant? Is the one-bottle limit enforced?:) I am very willing to pay the $25 corkage fee. Can wine purchased before boarding be transferred among restaurants?

Yes to all your questions.

AFAIK, you can bring more than 1 bottle to a restaurant for $25 corkage for each bottle. Unfinished bottles will be stored for you for use in any restaurant.

What you cannot do is be or act drunk - then the limits will be enforced:D

We sometimes take in two bottles and pay $25 corkage for each. Generally we have them store the white wine for our use the next day but usually take the red back to our cabin to finish later in the evening. Our butler kindly makes sure we have wine glasses cleaned and replaced daily. And once when a PH was not available when booking a last minute cruise, our cabin steward also kept us in wine glasses.

+1 - act like a responsible adult and Oceania will treat you that way.

We sometimes take in two bottles and pay $25 corkage for each. Generally we have them store the white wine for our use the next day but usually take the red back to our cabin to finish later in the evening. Our butler kindly makes sure we have wine glasses cleaned and replaced daily. And once when a PH was not available when booking a last minute cruise, our cabin steward also kept us in wine glasses.

 

+1 - act like a responsible adult and Oceania will treat you that way.

Thank you for the very helpful responses. Unless someone advises me differently, I will take, perhaps, six bottles on board and bring them to the restaurants.

Thank you for the very helpful responses. Unless someone advises me differently, I will take, perhaps, six bottles on board and bring them to the restaurants.

We didn't bring wine on board because we flew in, and we don't put wine in checked luggage.

(We miss the days when we could hand-carry onto a plane a couple of favorite bottles from home.)

But we understand that there is not any corkage fee for drinking wine in your own cabin, but there is in the restaurants (or any public area?).

IF this is indeed accurate, then you might want to keep a few bottles in your cabin or suite, for private consumption.

And then if you want them for a restaurant, bring them along at that time.

Or does Oceania have a way to keep the wines for passengers, and only charge the corkage fee when it is actually brought to a public area, but not to one's cabin?

The corkage fee is only charged when the wine is consumed in a public area (restaurants, bars, etc.). No charge for consumption in your room.

Mura

Well I think we have solved yet another CC inquiry to conclusion . I'll drink to that .

The corkage fee is only charged when the wine is consumed in a public area (restaurants, bars, etc.). No charge for consumption in your room.

 

Mura

In addition, when wine is consumed in the cabin, if not finished it has to be stored in the cabin (not in cellar) - unless it is a complimentary bottle or purchased on the ship; nor can a brought on board open bottle be taken into the restaurant or bar.

This info is from someone who doesn't drink wine at all - but I think it's accurate :D

In addition, when wine is consumed in the cabin, if not finished it has to be stored in the cabin (not in cellar) - unless it is a complimentary bottle or purchased on the ship; nor can a brought on board open bottle be taken into the restaurant or bar.

This info is from someone who doesn't drink wine at all - but I think it's accurate :D

Having taken wine on every cruise with Oceania I believe you are 100% accurate.

We had a wonderful time on our Buenos Aires-Rio cruise, picking up wines unavailable in the USA and enjoying them at dinner for the corkage fee. We were especially impressed with how gracious and accommodating the wine steward was. We gladly let him taste some of our choices.

Mary

We didn't bring wine on board because we flew in, and we don't put wine in checked luggage.

 

(We miss the days when we could hand-carry onto a plane a couple of favorite bottles from home.)

 

 

 

But we understand that there is not any corkage fee for drinking wine in your own cabin, but there is in the restaurants (or any public area?).

 

 

 

IF this is indeed accurate, then you might want to keep a few bottles in your cabin or suite, for private consumption.

 

And then if you want them for a restaurant, bring them along at that time.

 

 

 

Or does Oceania have a way to keep the wines for passengers, and only charge the corkage fee when it is actually brought to a public area, but not to one's cabin?

In foreign embarkation ports, we usually arrange for a private tour/transfer to hotel upon arrival at the airport (several days before the cruise). Most often, we ask guide to take us to a respected wine shop where we will get a case (split into two 6 bottle handled cardboard carriers.

Cruise length and whether we purchased the premier package determines how many bottles end up in a specialty restaurant (with corkage fee) and how often, if at all, we replenish the stock at port stops.

There was one little "quirk" when we took multiple bottles to a single dinner- each corkage fee had to be charged on a separate tab. That is instead of one $50 tab for 2 corkage fees, there were 2 tabs at $25 each. "just the way it must be done" according to the wine steward.

Hi

I have been told that when you take wine on board the thing to do if you don't want a whole bottle with your meal is to pour a glass in your room and take it into the restaurant as if it's been purchased at the bar! (we've never tried it,haven't got the bottle!!!!!)

BTW it looks like you are on the same Alaska cruise as we are ...are you sure you don't have a drinks package included in your on board "perks"

regards,

Josie

Since this is technically against the rules, I wouldn't advise doing so. If you don't want to finish the bottle, the ship will hold it for you and deliver it at the next meal to whichever restaurant you are in. OR if you want to finish it off in your room, just bring it back with you.

Either approach is far preferable to pretending you bought the glass in one of the bars.

Mura

Hi, Josie,

Thank you for the information. Everyone has been most helpful. I didn't realize that you could take glasses of wine among venues. My inclination is simply to pay the corkage fee and let the restaurant store the open bottle. A wine package is not part of our arrangement.

I hope to meet you on the cruise. Lynda and I will be in cabin 7091.

Peter Fox

Hi

I have been told that when you take wine on board the thing to do if you don't want a whole bottle with your meal is to pour a glass in your room and take it into the restaurant as if it's been purchased at the bar! (we've never tried it,haven't got the bottle!!!!!)

 

Sorry, but IMO that would be highly inappropriate. Same as leaving the table in a restaurant during the Captain's Open Bar evening and going to the bar to get a free drink and returning to the dinner table with it.

Hi

I have been told that when you take wine on board the thing to do if you don't want a whole bottle with your meal is to pour a glass in your room and take it into the restaurant as if it's been purchased at the bar! (we've never tried it,haven't got the bottle!!!!!)

 

Sorry, but IMO that would be highly inappropriate. Same as leaving the table in a restaurant during the Captain's Open Bar evening and going to the bar to get a free drink and returning to the dinner table with it.

 

Agree. On one cruise we sat near people who brought glasses of wine from their cabin at each meal. The wife even went back to the cabin half way through the meal and refilled the glasses!:eek:

 

If you do order a drink at the bar during happy hour or a glass of wine and because of happy hour you get two we have been told it is permissible to take the second one to the DR. In fact the bar staff will usually take it there for you.

 

I think if you paid for it it is OK to take it/have it delivered to dinner but not from the cabin or freebees.

I love wine,,, I like great vintages, I have a favorite vintners and vintages.I lived in Napa Valley have relatives who own wineries... and my own celler

However!!!!!!

But I am not stuck like glue to any... and I am not about to pack or ship a 1961 Cherval Blanc Or Heitz Marthas 74 orSimiliar cross the content and half the world to drink itEven with free bags the condition of a great wine would be compromised... taking weeks to properly let the wine rest. Ot spending several hundred dollars extra to have it shipped only to have local customs fine you or take it being over 1ltr.

The wine on the ship is not premier cru,, it is nice pleasant stuff. So why spend hundreds of dollars, to lug around stuff that is being destroyed ny the process.... I dont get it.... Maybe in spain or italy grab the local vino primo and after the 3rd glass it wont matter....

Wine is to be enjoyed, all wine can be enjoyed unless your trying to make a big deal and impress someone..... Now where is my Thunderbird....

I agree with Dan and then sometimes I don't. I'm not one to haul a case of wine along for a cruise! I will pick up a couple or three bottles of wine if it is convenient to do so. I'll bring along a bottle of vodka or bourbon for use in the room, maybe. I may pick up wine along the way and pay the corkage. Since my husband hardly drinks at all, the wine is for me and I do NOT finish a whole bottle at dinner!

But I don't mind hauling along 2-3 bottles in my luggage (thanks to Rum Runners or some of the Magellan wine protectors). Since we usually arrive at the departing port in advance it isn't difficult to do some shopping there. But our next arrival port is Copenhagen, and I'm not about to pay what they charge for alcohol so I will probably bring along 2-3 bottles of wine.

There are plenty of people who bring on cases of wine ... we're not among them!

Mura

I don't travel across country with wine unless I'm buying it in France and returning home. We took some pretty high end bottles when we cruised Alaska but that's a Cab ride. Would definitely pick up some stuff from the embarkation country thou. And Dan...It's CHEVAL no R

Hi

I have been told that when you take wine on board the thing to do if you don't want a whole bottle with your meal is to pour a glass in your room and take it into the restaurant as if it's been purchased at the bar! (we've never tried it,haven't got the bottle!!!!!)

 

BTW it looks like you are on the same Alaska cruise as we are ...are you sure you don't have a drinks package included in your on board "perks"

 

regards,

Josie

Sorry thats totaly against policy. , good manners and basic morality..you either drink it ALL in your cabin or pay $25 and bring the bottle... Thats just plain cheating a generous system and if enough people start doing that then POOF there goes the whole deal

SO, NO When you go out to eat at a restaurant or bar in UK and you only want 1 drink... would you pour your self a drink at home or in the car then smuggle it in to avoid paying at the bar...!!!!

Dont know about Manchester, but in California we call that dishonest and sleazy.

I mean, does it seem ok to carry around a bottle in a brow paper sack or in your coat pocket and sip from it when no ones looking/......come on thats what bums do on skid row... Same thing no more no less

Gives pause...if one is so strapped for money that they cant afford to buy a drink, should they even be taking a cruise ......

Sorry thats totaly against policy. , good manners and basic morality..you either drink it ALL in your cabin or pay $25 and bring the bottle... Thats just plain cheating a generous system and if enough people start doing that then POOF there goes the whole deal

 

SO, NO When you go out to eat at a restaurant or bar in UK and you only want 1 drink... would you pour your self a drink at home or in the car then smuggle it in to avoid paying at the bar...!!!!

Dont know about Manchester, but in California we call that dishonest and sleazy.

I mean, does it seem ok to carry around a bottle in a brow paper sack or in your coat pocket and sip from it when no ones looking/......come on thats what bums do on skid row... Same thing no more no less

 

Gives pause...if one is so strapped for money that they cant afford to buy a drink, should they even be taking a cruise ......

Good morning Dan.

What an outstanding response and so eloquently put.

You Sir, are from the same planet as me.

... I'll bring along a bottle of vodka or bourbon for use in the room, maybe. I may pick up wine along the way and pay the corkage. Since we usually arrive at the departing port in advance it isn't difficult to do some shopping there. But our next arrival port is Copenhagen, and I'm not about to pay what they charge for alcohol so I will probably bring along 2-3 bottles of wine.

If you're going to be in Copenhagen pre-cruise and if you like gin and tonic, I enthusiastically recommend you track down some Hven gin to bring on board. Last summer dining at Amass, I was served the best gin and tonic I've ever had. The restaurant used Hven Gin along with Fever Tree Indian Tonic water (the Gold colored label). No cucumber. No lime.

But the bigger surprise about the drink was the low quantity of tonic water. The waiter said they make the drink with equal parts gin and tonic. Since returning home, that's the ratio I've used to make our gin and tonics, typically using Blue Coat gin.

When we got home, I wrote to the Hven company about buying some gin locally and was told they do not ship to the US.

If you're going to be in Copenhagen pre-cruise and if you like gin and tonic, I enthusiastically recommend you track down some Hven gin to bring on board. Last summer dining at Amass, I was served the best gin and tonic I've ever had. The restaurant used Hven Gin along with Fever Tree Indian Tonic water (the Gold colored label). No cucumber. No lime.

 

But the bigger surprise about the drink was the low quantity of tonic water. The waiter said they make the drink with equal parts gin and tonic. Since returning home, that's the ratio I've used to make our gin and tonics, typically using Blue Coat gin.

 

When we got home, I wrote to the Hven company about buying some gin locally and was told they do not ship to the US.

While in Copenhagen a great place to enjoy that Hven Gin and Tonic is a bar called Curfew. Finely crafted cocktails is all they do and believe me you won't be disappointed.