Please settle this

[yaktheback]

My first cruise with an experienced Carnival cruise couple. We were talking about bring on wine and they said there is a charge for each bottle. 10 bucks a bottle and a corking fee. Please help!

[ferfoodle]

Per Carnival's FAQs:

 

What is the Liquor and Beverage Policy?

A liquor and beverage consumption policy was created in order for Carnival to be able to control the liquor consumption of minors and the quantities consumed that lead to the disruptive behavior of others on board.

Liquor and Beverage Policy

Bringing Alcohol On Board - Embarkation Day:

Guests are prohibited from bringing alcoholic beverages on board. However, at the beginning of the cruise during embarkation day, guests (21 years of age and older) may bring on board one bottle (750ml) of wine or champagne, per person, only in their carry-on luggage. A $10 corkage fee per bottle will be charged should you wish to consume this wine in the main dining room; $14 corkage fee per bottle in the steakhouse. (A corkage fee is a charge exacted at a restaurant for every bottle of liquor served that was not bought on the premises)

On embarkation day, each guest may bring a small quantity of non-alcoholic beverages on board and only in their carry-on luggage. A small quantity is considered a maximum of 12 bottles and/or cans, 20 ounces each or less.

All alcohol/hard liquor/beer (sealed, unopened bottles/cans), wine/champagne over the allowable 1-bottle per guest (sealed, unopened bottles) or excessive quantities of non-alcoholic beverages (over 12 per person, sealed, unopened bottles/cans) will be confiscated and stored for safekeeping until the end of the voyage. The retained item(s) will be available for collection onboard in a designated location on the morning of debarkation. Unsealed liquids that are prohibited will be discarded, as well as any unclaimed items left after the voyage, and no compensation will be given in either case.

 

http://www.carnival.com/core/faq.aspx?icid=CC_Header_466

 

 

But you can drink it in your room for no charge or pour a glass and take to the dining room for no charge. They do not charge you to merely bring it on board.

[btrbill]

No fee for a bottle. Forgot to ask her about a corkage fee, but we are bringing on a corkscrew anyway.

[cuyahoga11]

My first cruise with an experienced Carnival cruise couple. We were talking about bring on wine and they said there is a charge for each bottle. 10 bucks a bottle and a corking fee. Please help!

 

If you take it to the MDR you could be charged the $10.00 corking fee

 

If you open it in your cabin and walk in with a glass, no charge

[MsSoCalCruiser]

My first cruise with an experienced Carnival cruise couple. We were talking about bring on wine and they said there is a charge for each bottle. 10 bucks a bottle and a corking fee. Please help!

 

No charge to carry-on wine. You can carry-on 1 bottle per adult. Do not put it in your checked luggage because they will take it if you do. There may be a charge if you bring the bottle to the dining room. Easy to solve though, just fill a wine glass and carry it to dinner. Enjoy! ;)

[alexieb]

When we last cruised, we brought a bottle into the MDR and they never charged us any corkage. Maybe we were just lucky and our waiter threw us a bone or they aren't exceptionally strict about it.

[CELTICGIRLCRUISER]

So do you just go to the bar and ask for an empty wine glass and take them back to your cabin so you can fill your glass to take to the MDR next time? Seems a bit cheeky:p. I would need to send OH to the bar to get the glasses as I don't have the brass neck!

 

We are taking on two bottles of champagne for a 5 nighter, so that would be circa $30 corkage in MDR. This thread has put it into my head that I think I will bring the champagne glasses so we can have it in our cabin or just take them into the dining room and not be forced to drink it out of wine glasses or such like. Oh that sounds a bit snobby, but c'est la vie!

[jimbo5544]

So do you just go to the bar and ask for an empty wine glass and take them back to your cabin so you can fill your glass to take to the MDR next time, seems a bit cheeky:p

Your room steward will bring one for you

[cuyahoga11]

So do you just go to the bar and ask for an empty wine glass and take them back to your cabin so you can fill your glass to take to the MDR next time, seems a bit cheeky:p

 

We are taking on two bottles of champagne for a 5 nighter, so that would be circa $30 corkage in MDR. This thread has put it into my head that I think I will bring the champagne glasses so we can take them into the dining room and not be forced to drink it out of wine glasses or such like. Living so near PC it doesn't matter about space.

 

 

You can get glasses from a bar if you wish but I have just used the ones provided in the cabin by my steward

[CELTICGIRLCRUISER]

Thank you, the steward it is then.

 

Are you expected to tip the steward every time he brings you something extra you ask for such as glasses, ice, or room service?

[jimbo5544]

Thank you, the steward it is then.

 

Are you expected to tip the steward every time he brings you something extra you ask for such as glasses, ice, or room service?

Room steward does not bring room service items. It is normal to tip a buck or two for room service. All other items require no tipping. Your room steward will be happy to do it.

[5waldos]

No fee for a bottle. Forgot to ask her about a corkage fee, but we are bringing on a corkscrew anyway.

 

Corkage in the MDR has little to do with actually opening the bottle. We always breath ours anyway. They MAY, although do not always, charge you the $10 or $15 or whatever for glasses, pouring, etc. Plus to make up for the fact that they are not making their profit on selling you a bottle. This is common in places where you can bring your own. If you bring expensive wine you still make out very well. If your wine is less expensive, it can be just as easy and inexpensive to buy the bottle there. But it is very hit or miss by ship and by waiter. Sometimes they charge you, sometimes not. However in the steak house they seem always to do and it is about $15 there. So if you are bringing your own, it pays to have an expensie bottle. But remember that what you paid $35 for and carried on board, even with the added corkage (bringing it to $50) still is less than the $70 or so you'd pay on board or in a land based restaurant.

[jjtimes6]

We have never been charged a corkage fee, although paying $10 for opening a decent bottle of wine would not bother us. We also buy bottles at dinner some nights.:D

[GlendaleCruiser]

So do you just go to the bar and ask for an empty wine glass and take them back to your cabin so you can fill your glass to take to the MDR next time? Seems a bit cheeky:p. I would need to send OH to the bar to get the glasses as I don't have the brass neck!

 

 

Absolutely!;)

[DTXCruiser]

Room steward does not bring room service items. It is normal to tip a buck or two for room service. All other items require no tipping. Your room steward will be happy to do it.

 

 

Not sure where the "requirements" are that you speak of. Tipping is simply a social grace....a means of expressing thanks for doing something for you. I think a buck or two is not too much to ask for EACH and EVERY time someone brings something directly to your stateroom and you are there to accept....I asked for wine glasses and he left them one evening, so obviously I couldn't tip. But I asked for ice (as opposed to going to the self serve ice dispenser a deck below) and I tipped him $1 for bringing it......why not tip the guy (or gal) for doing those little extras?

[donaldsc]

Not sure where the "requirements" are that you speak of. Tipping is simply a social grace....a means of expressing thanks for doing something for you. I think a buck or two is not too much to ask for EACH and EVERY time someone brings something directly to your stateroom and you are there to accept....I asked for wine glasses and he left them one evening, so obviously I couldn't tip. But I asked for ice (as opposed to going to the self serve ice dispenser a deck below) and I tipped him $1 for bringing it......why not tip the guy (or gal) for doing those little extras?

 

Because that is his job. You should not have to tip a person to do his job.

 

I do tip at the end if he is good. Otherwise the standard tip applies.

 

DON

[jimbo5544]

Not sure where the "requirements" are that you speak of. Tipping is simply a social grace....a means of expressing thanks for doing something for you. I think a buck or two is not too much to ask for EACH and EVERY time someone brings something directly to your stateroom and you are there to accept....I asked for wine glasses and he left them one evening, so obviously I couldn't tip. But I asked for ice (as opposed to going to the self serve ice dispenser a deck below) and I tipped him $1 for bringing it......why not tip the guy (or gal) for doing those little extras?

Ummmm where did you read that I say anything about require. I did not say anything about them not being able to or if they wanted to tip. The op was just asking about protocol for these types of things.:cool:

[cruzn buckeye]

Last month we brought a bottle of wine from our cabin to the dining room. We opened it with a cork that our steward brought to us in our cabin. At dinner, we received a bottle of champagne from OCP. Although we shared both bottles with our friends at dinner, we could not finish both. We still had half a bottle of wine... They did not charge us the 10 dollar corkage fee but when we asked for them to hold it for the next night, they said there would be a fee to hold it... that's okay, we just took it back to our cabin, put it on ice ourself....

[CapsR1]

We always BEGIN drinking our bottle of wine in the cabin prior to dinner. Then we use the wine glasses which are always in the cabin and provided by the ship without us even asking, to fill the glasses up very full and carefully walk and sip them while going to the dining room. By the time we get to the MDR, the glasses look like a "normally sized" glass of wine.

 

This is how we avoid the surcharge for a corkage fee which I think is ridiculous unless you are drinking a $100 bottle of wine, which we are not!

[cruiserguy11]

We always BEGIN drinking our bottle of wine in the cabin prior to dinner. Then we use the wine glasses which are always in the cabin and provided by the ship without us even asking, to fill the glasses up very full and carefully walk and sip them while going to the dining room. By the time we get to the MDR, the glasses look like a "normally sized" glass of wine.

 

This is how we avoid the surcharge for a corkage fee which I think is ridiculous unless you are drinking a $100 bottle of wine, which we are not!

 

Hey..we do the same. Other than the sipping as we walk. We gulp. :D

 

I've seen quite a few people bring their own bottles....never heard of Carnival actually charging for corkage even thought they threaten to do it.

[micro yaya]

on our last dream cruise, we called room service and asked for 6 wine glasses. they delivered them, we gave a small tip. and we had wine glasses for the week for my husband :)

[DryCreek]

When we unpacked, we left our bottles of wine out on the vanity. When we returned from our first adventure around the ship, we found one bottle on ice and two glasses nearby.

Very attentive and astute steward(ess) we had there!

[fishtaco]

Can you also bring aboard a bottle of wine each at ports you stop at other than the original embarkation port?

 

 

Den

[CELTICGIRLCRUISER]

Thanks guys for all the advice about bringing your own wine, getting glasses, tipping etc..

Can't wait now only 8 more sleeps.

[megmno]

Can you also bring aboard a bottle of wine each at ports you stop at other than the original embarkation port?

 

 

Den

 

Officially, no. When you go through security while reboarding they will tell you to stop at a nearby table to check your alcohol, which will be returned to you on the last night.

 

Unofficially, they don't seem to check bags at ports that carefully, and they also don't seem to notice if you bypass the alcohol check table.