Corkage when you bring your own wine

[highheel girl]

My box of Vella Merlot is 5 liters, which is 6 2/3 bottles. It doesn't have a cork, but just about the same amount of trouble to open. Would they charge me $15 for the box or $15 * 6 2/3 to open it?

 

 

If you schlep it to the DR and slam it down on the table for dinner they will. :p

[JimmyVWine]

My box of Vella Merlot is 5 liters, which is 6 2/3 bottles. It doesn't have a cork, but just about the same amount of trouble to open. Would they charge me $15 for the box or $15 * 6 2/3 to open it?

 

Restaurants use their discretion when charging corkage for larger formats. Often times, a Magnum incurs a double fee. Sometimes not. Usually, if one brings in a Jeroboam or larger, they make arrangements ahead of time, as opening and pouring larger formats is not always within the expertise of the staff. A 5 litre box? I'd simply charge you the $15.

[Astro Flyer]

I swore that I'd never reply again to a corkage fee thread again but I have failed miserably. :p

 

I follow the Princess corkage fee system because Princess has the best policy at sea for allowing us to enjoy wine in our cabins & not in public places. Each of us decides whether to follow the corkage fees system or to ignore it...hopefully those who ignore the system will not adversely affect the program for all of us who follow the system.

 

My concern is that several things others have promoted ways to get around the rules have been changed to make things more restrictive. How much abuse it would take for Princess to decide to change and/or eliminate bringing wine/champagne onboard we'll hopefully never know. Whether it's misuse of soda stickers, coffee cards, laundry, internet, etc...there came a time when Princess said enough & made changes. Unfortunately those who followed the rules & were considered foolish by some also have to live with a worse system.

 

I'm not telling others how to do things but Princess has already shown that when things are abused, then they will make changes. I think their wine/champagne policy is great & will follow their corkage rules to be able to continue to bring it onboard. If that makes me a fool as some have said...be thankful for us fools who follow the procedure & bring in some additional income to make up for Princess' very liberal wine/champagne policy so those who ignore the policy can save some money by avoiding corkage fees.

 

For those who say why pay $15 for a $2 bottle of wine why not enjoy it in your cabin or bring a more expensive bottle of wine to be able to rationalize paying the corkage fee. :rolleyes:

[1 HappyCruiser]

But the glass of wine came from .....wait for it.........a bottle! By your logic, one who opens a bottle and consumes 6 glasses in the MDR in a single seating should pay $15. But a person who opens a bottle and totes in one glass at a time for 6 successive days should not. Sorry, but I don't get this.

 

I couldn't care less where the wine comes from - a box, screw top bottle, corked bottle, wine bag or RumRunner, as long as I can avoid the corkage charge it's the only thing I'm concerned about.

The only reason I post that info is that some newbies might appreciate the fact that taking a glass to the dining room will save them some money. If they want to drink the whole bottle in one sitting they pay the $15 and enjoy.

[JimmyVWine]

....as long as I can avoid the corkage charge it's the only thing I'm concerned about.

 

There are none so blind as those who will not see.:(

[sherryf]

Wine $1.99

 

Corkage fee $15.00

 

 

LOL!! I don't buy 2 Buck Chuck, but I do buy most of my wine at Trader Joe's and it's typically under $10, but I know what I like. I've always taken wine on board to drink in my cabin, but have never taken a bottle to the dining room. I never thought it was worthwhile to pay $15 corkage on a $10 bottle of wine, but considering the markup on most wine they sell on board, I'd probably still be paying less for my wine by paying the corkage. I just might do it this year.

 

Some people have mentioned getting 5-6+ glasses out of a bottle of wine. The way we drink it, we tend to only get 4. ;)

[IECalCruiser]

I swore that I'd never reply again to a corkage fee thread again but I have failed miserably. :p

 

I follow the Princess corkage fee system because Princess has the best policy at sea for allowing us to enjoy wine in our cabins & not in public places. Each of us decides whether to follow the corkage fees system or to ignore it...hopefully those who ignore the system will not adversely affect the program for all of us who follow the system.

 

My concern is that several things others have promoted ways to get around the rules have been changed to make things more restrictive. How much abuse it would take for Princess to decide to change and/or eliminate bringing wine/champagne onboard we'll hopefully never know. Whether it's misuse of soda stickers, coffee cards, laundry, internet, etc...there came a time when Princess said enough & made changes. Unfortunately those who followed the rules & were considered foolish by some also have to live with a worse system.

 

I'm not telling others how to do things but Princess has already shown that when things are abused, then they will make changes. I think their wine/champagne policy is great & will follow their corkage rules to be able to continue to bring it onboard. If that makes me a fool as some have said...be thankful for us fools who follow the procedure & bring in some additional income to make up for Princess' very liberal wine/champagne policy so those who ignore the policy can save some money by avoiding corkage fees.

 

For those who say why pay $15 for a $2 bottle of wine why not enjoy it in your cabin or bring a more expensive bottle of wine to be able to rationalize paying the corkage fee. :rolleyes:

Well Stated!

 

Princess has been slowly modifying their published Alcohol Policy regarding wine over the years.

 

From the Cruise Answer Book downloaded on 7/24/2009:

 

“You may bring wine or champagne onboard to celebrate special occasions (limit: one bottle per person). If consumed in the dining rooms or alternative restaurants, each bottle will be subject to a $15 corkage fee.”

 

From the Cruise Answer Book downloaded on 1/20/2011:

 

“You are permitted to bring onboard one bottle of wine or champagne per person. Consumption of your wine or champagne is limited to your stateroom, traditional dining rooms and alternative restaurants, but not permitted in any public lounge. A $15.00 per bottle corkage fee will be applied to your shipboard account for any personal wine or champagne consumed in a dining room or restaurant. We prefer that you bring bottles no larger than 750ml, however, magnum are acceptable. Wine in a box is discouraged.”

 

From the Cruise Answer Book downloaded on 7/16/2012:

 

“As provided in the Passenger Contract, passengers agree not to bring alcoholic beverages of any kind on board for consumption, except one bottle of wine or champagne per person (no larger than 750ml), per voyage.”

 

"Consumption of personal wine or champagne is limited to your stateroom. A $15.00 per bottle corkage fee (which is subject to change without notice) will be applied to your shipboard account for any personal wine or champagne consumed in any public area of the ship."

 

Obviously Princess is prepared to sample the glass of wine you bring into the dining room and do a quick chemical analysis to determine if the vintage is one that could have come from the ship's stocks.

Of course not. All they need to do is enforce the "... except one bottle of wine or champagne per person (no larger than 750ml), per voyage.” rule as it has been reported that they have done on at least several cruises in Australia.

 

On a recent cruise we brought on board two magnums of our favorite Zinfandel from a local winery. We gladly paid the $15/bottle corkage for the two $60+ bottles of wine. We gave the Sommelier a sample and when he asked the price he said we had gotten a real bargain. We also bring $10-$15 bottles on board to drink in our room. It now looks like we can no longer bring a magnum on board. Maybe we were one of the abusers that caused this most recent change :eek:

 

Like many others, we appreciate the still liberal Princess wine policy and hope that it continues. I see no problem with posting you can typically bring on board more than one bottle, but please keep your ways of circumventing the corkage charge to yourself and don't post on CC. We don't want to drive a change in the Princess wine policy.

[LARGIN]

 

From the Cruise Answer Book downloaded on 7/16/2012:

 

“As provided in the Passenger Contract, passengers agree not to bring alcoholic beverages of any kind on board for consumption, except one bottle of wine or champagne per person (no larger than 750ml), per voyage.”

 

 

Correct quote from the Cruise Answer Book except the Passenger Contract does not say one bottle of wine or champagne per person.. :confused::confused::confused:

[Pia1913]

LOL!! I don't buy 2 Buck Chuck, but I do buy most of my wine at Trader Joe's and it's typically under $10, but I know what I like. I've always taken wine on board to drink in my cabin, but have never taken a bottle to the dining room. I never thought it was worthwhile to pay $15 corkage on a $10 bottle of wine, but considering the markup on most wine they sell on board, I'd probably still be paying less for my wine by paying the corkage. I just might do it this year.

 

Some people have mentioned getting 5-6+ glasses out of a bottle of wine. The way we drink it, we tend to only get 4. ;)

 

We do not have Trader Joes's and I can't wait until October to be in SFO and try that 2 Buck Chuck.

[billco]

Correct quote from the Cruise Answer Book except the Passenger Contract does not say one bottle of wine or champagne per person.. :confused::confused::confused:

Seems the Passage Contract is a bit more liberal "Passengers agree not to bring alcoholic beverages of any kind (except wine and champagne) on board for consumption."

[Astro Flyer]

We do not have Trader Joes's and I can't wait until October to be in SFO and try that 2 Buck Chuck.

I've read about 'blind' wine tastings & that sometimes 2 Buck Chuck has beat much more expensive brands of wine.

 

After Mr. Franzia sold his boxed wine company he found sources for bulk wine from quality producers who had excess wine. They didn't want to label and sell it cheaper so he purchased their quality wine & created 2 Buck Chuck! :p

 

And don't confuse 'blind' wine tastings with a similar term...drinking too much wine until you're 'blind' drunk!!! :p

[IECalCruiser]

Correct quote from the Cruise Answer Book except the Passenger Contract does not say one bottle of wine or champagne per person.. :confused::confused::confused:

I know that is not what the Passenger Contract states, but it could be a portent of things to come if people aren't careful.

[shepp]

I couldn't care less where the wine comes from - a box, screw top bottle, corked bottle, wine bag or RumRunner, as long as I can avoid the corkage charge it's the only thing I'm concerned about....

 

As I said in another context, if Ayn Rand had started a cruise line, I know who'd make a darn fine captain on the SS Atlas Shrugged.

[IECalCruiser]

I've read about 'blind' wine tastings & that sometimes 2 Buck Chuck has beat much more expensive brands of wine.

 

After Mr. Franzia sold his boxed wine company he found sources for bulk wine from quality producers who had excess wine. They didn't want to label and sell it cheaper so he purchased their quality wine & created 2 Buck Chuck! :p

 

And don't confuse 'blind' wine tastings with a similar term...drinking too much wine until you're 'blind' drunk!!! :p

We have a group in the neighborhood that gets together once a month for wine tastings. One time when I hosted, I got a $10-15 Chardonnay and a Cab from two different California wineries and added Two Buck Chuck as the third choice. We have people who prefer reds and those who prefer whites in our group and we are not wine experts but just a group who uses it as an excuse to drink some wine and eat some food. It was a blind tasting and the unanimous consensus was that the Two Buck Chuck Chardonnay was barely drinkable when compared to the other two wines. The Two Buck Chuck Cab on the other hand got fairly good reviews, but it tasted nothing like the others. It was much lighter in color and body. A drinkable wine but not really a Cab. That was our experience.

[Astro Flyer]

As I said in another context, if Ayn Rand had started a cruise line, I know who'd make a darn fine captain on the SS Atlas Shrugged.

Not being familar with Ayn's writing, I researched & discovered the main character in "Atlas Shrugged" was described as having a philosophy of "rational self-interest" according to the description on Amazon.

[cboyle]

I also usually bring at least a partial glass of wine to dinner as it can take forever for the staff to retrieve your saved bottle from the wine "bank".

That maybe a problem with Anytime Dinning, but not if you have Traditional. On the last cruise, John & I traveled with friends. The husband preferred red wines and the wife preferred whites. They would buy one bottle of each. Then the next night both bottles were there when we arrived for dinner, ready to be finished.

[highheel girl]

As I said in another context, if Ayn Rand had started a cruise line, I know who'd make a darn fine captain on the SS Atlas Shrugged.

 

 

:eek:

[Astro Flyer]

We have a group in the neighborhood that gets together once a month for wine tastings. One time when I hosted, I got a $10-15 Chardonnay and a Cab from two different California wineries and added Two Buck Chuck as the third choice. We have people who prefer reds and those who prefer whites in our group and we are not wine experts but just a group who uses it as an excuse to drink some wine and eat some food. It was a blind tasting and the unanimous consensus was that the Two Buck Chuck Chardonnay was barely drinkable when compared to the other two wines. The Two Buck Chuck Cab on the other hand got fairly good reviews, but it tasted nothing like the others. It was much lighter in color and body. A drinkable wine but not really a Cab. That was our experience.

I am not any sort of 2 Buck Chuck expert having only had it a couple of times & certainly not judging it's taste. I was just passing on what I've read from those who know much more about wine than me. ;)

[shepp]

Not being familar with Ayn's writing, I researched & discovered the main character in "Atlas Shrugged" was described as having a philosophy of "rational self-interest" according to the description on Amazon.

 

Yep, the title of one of her tomes is "The Virtue of Selfishness," and one of her ideas is that altruism - that is, acting on the basis of fellow-feeling - is destructive. "Me first" becomes the cardinal virtue. According to Wikipedia, "She supported rational and ethical egoism." IMO, there's little doubt that "the only thing that matters is I save a buck" is kinda egotistic, and if you come from a place that worrying about your impact on other cruisers is irrational, then it's "ethical" as well. Thereby Randian.

 

Now, if you pardon me, I'm going to the movies, just as soon as I pack my own popcorn and pour some Diet Pepsi into my hip flask.

[IECalCruiser]

I didn't intend to suggest that I am a 2 Buck Chuck expert having only had it a couple of times & was just passing on what I've read from those who are much more wine experts than me. ;)

I just thought it was interesting to post results of an actual tasting with group of "far from experts". We live in an over 55 community and there is a lot of Two Buck Chuck consumed at BYOB events.

[Astro Flyer]

I just thought it was interesting to post results of an actual tasting with group of "far from experts". We live in an over 55 community and there is a lot of Two Buck Chuck consumed at BYOB events.

Absolutely...your real world experience is very helpful to all of us far from experts wine drinkers...thanks. :D

[improvman]

I appreciate all the comments. I won't be bringing any nasty 2 buck chuck aboard. I like the idea of opening it in my cabin and bringing a glass to the MDR. Where can I find 375 ml glasses? :)

 

I honestly could care less if Princess doesn't make an additional $60 from me. They're not a charity. So far I've read reviews that at least on the Sea Princess, the wait for anytime dining can take over an hour, followed by the need to get to a show 30 minutes early to get a seat. The Sea Princess doesn't have a covered deck for Alaska cruises, so I heard very few people attend MUTS, but it's factored into the cost of the cruise. I learned all this from CC and not Princess's brochure. So I don't care if Princess loses revenue from not charging me corkage.

[JimmyVWine]

I just thought it was interesting to post results of an actual tasting with group of "far from experts". We live in an over 55 community and there is a lot of Two Buck Chuck consumed at BYOB events.

 

While we don't use the term "experts", I do run in, and taste with a circle of "pros" , or, people in the business. Our general consensus is that "Two Buck Chuck" reds drink like wines twice their price. :eek: The whites generally find the drain.

[Suzy'Q]

NCL also allows passengers to bring wine on board. You pay the corkage fee ($15 per bottle) on embarkation. They put a sticker on the bottle after the fee is paid, and then you can bring it anywhere on the ship (dining room, lounges, theater, etc).

 

I appreciate the Princess policy and hope they don't end it due to abuse.

[Happy ks]

We do not have Trader Joes's and I can't wait until October to be in SFO and try that 2 Buck Chuck.

 

 

 

If you enjoy good wine, don't get your hopes up too high. We don't buy 2 buck chuck, but if we did, it wouldn't be opened unless we were on our 4th glass, when you stop caring. It's the kind of wine we would serve at a party with people who normally don't drink wine, or appreciate good wines. The funny part of that statement is that some will argue that point with me, I'm not a wine connosiuer (sp) but I know what I like, once in a while it will be a budget priced wine.

 

We probably look at things differently than some here. Taking a cruise is a reason to celebrate life and a really good wine is part of that for us. We don't take cheap wine and we gladly pay the corkage fee to enjoy it with our dinner. The way we look at it is paying $20-50 for a good bottle, plus corkage, we are getting what would be equivalent to a $70-100 if purchased on the ship, not that they would have the same type of wine.

 

For some that is extravagant, but we love great wines and it adds to our enjoyment. We don't gamble, other people find it entertaining and don't mind dropping hundreds on that. Some people shop for souvenirs or buy a lot of expensive photos onboard. Some people will only take overpriced excursions through the cruiseline. Some people don't spend a dime onboard. None of us are wrong, it's just personal choice.