Corkage fee for your own wine on NCL ?

[thesawch]

If we bring a couple of bottles of wine onto the Dawn and just drink it in our room and and Balcony and bring my own opener do you still have to pay the corkage fee ?? On carnival we brought 1 bottle each on in our carry on and there were no charges. Just trying to learn NCL rules here but unsure about the wine policy. Thanks

[ColinIllinois]

Yes, you do still have to pay the corkage fee. FYI, here is the policy:

 

http://www2.ncl.com/faq#alcohol-consumption

[anthem]

You pay corkage when you board. You are then free to consume wherever you like.

[EaglesWin]

$15 per 750 ml bottle. It goes on your shipboard account. Pay right before you board (they will have a table set up just past security). They will put a sticker on each bottle indicating that corkage has been paid.

 

The first time I brought wine, somehow I missed the table. When I brought my bottle to dinner, I just signed a voucher to pay the corkage.

[snoozycruisee]

$15 per 750 ml bottle. It goes on your shipboard account. Pay right before you board (they will have a table set up just past security). They will put a sticker on each bottle indicating that corkage has been paid.

 

The first time I brought wine, somehow I missed the table. When I brought my bottle to dinner, I just signed a voucher to pay the corkage.

 

Question: Can either Non-refundable or Refundable OBC be used to cover this "corkage fee" charge ?

[2inTul]

Question: Can either Non-refundable or Refundable OBC be used to cover this "corkage fee" charge ?

 

Yes....Both!

[newmexicoNita]

If we bring a couple of bottles of wine onto the Dawn and just drink it in our room and and Balcony and bring my own opener do you still have to pay the corkage fee ?? On carnival we brought 1 bottle each on in our carry on and there were no charges. Just trying to learn NCL rules here but unsure about the wine policy. Thanks

 

NCL will charge you a corkage fee regardless where you consume it. They will charge you as soon as you get on the ship and if you try to put it in your luggage they will put a note on your cabin door and not deliver your suit cases

[mellowrose]

I don't mind paying corkage if it helps keep the overall price down of taking the cruise.

[jdvmd]

If we bring a couple of bottles of wine onto the Dawn and just drink it in our room and and Balcony and bring my own opener do you still have to pay the corkage fee ?? On carnival we brought 1 bottle each on in our carry on and there were no charges. Just trying to learn NCL rules here but unsure about the wine policy. Thanks

 

The corkage fee is $15 per 750-ml bottle. Larger bottles incur a larger corkage fee. No boxed wines are allowed. After paying the fee, you can enjoy the bottle of wine anywhere on the ship including your cabin/balcony.

[jdvmd]

Official policy from NCL - Boxed wines are not allowed. And yes, you pay the corkage fee, for all wine brought onboard. The corkage fee has nothing to do with removing the cork from the bottle.

 

Wine & Champagne Policy

Guests may bring bottles of wine and champagne on board. When bottles are brought on board and served or consumed in any restaurant, public room area or in their stateroom, a corkage fee will be charged according to bottle sizes noted below.

750 ml Bottle: $15.00

1,500 ml Magnum: $30.00

Wine or champagne sent directly to the ship by travel agents, friends, family, etc. or from another retail source, are subject to the same fees. Box wines are not allowed on board.

[Alliezona09]

I wish they would stop calling it a corkage fee and call it what it really is, a convenience fee. As it really has nothing to do with *opening* a bottle of wine and people tend to read it literally~

[kylenyc]

I wish they would stop calling it a corkage fee and call it what it really is, a convenience fee. As it really has nothing to do with *opening* a bottle of wine and people tend to read it literally~

While yes the fee does help NCL recover lost revenue from people bringing their own wine... It's still accurate to call it corkage fee because it does entitle you to the service. You can bring your wine to the dining room to have it pre-chilled and enjoyed during your meal. If you don't finish your wine, the waiter will cork your wine, give you a receipt, and stored it for you to be retrieved and consumed at any restaurant (and possibly any bar as well so I've read).

Edited November 4, 2013 by kylenyc

[luddite]

A side note: If you drink the wine in your cabin, give the sticker to a waiter. They get a cut.

[newmexicoNita]

If we bring a couple of bottles of wine onto the Dawn and just drink it in our room and and Balcony and bring my own opener do you still have to pay the corkage fee ?? On carnival we brought 1 bottle each on in our carry on and there were no charges. Just trying to learn NCL rules here but unsure about the wine policy. Thanks

 

I know it sounds crappy and I sometimes think the same thing, but yes, you do have to pay the fee, but look at it this way: on Carnival you can only bring one bottle, on RCI, none and on NCL as much as you want. So there are pros and cons to every plan.

[newmexicoNita]

Question: Can either Non-refundable or Refundable OBC be used to cover this "corkage fee" charge ?

 

sure: the $15 or $30 for a 1.5 liter goes on your account, just like everything you purchase on the ship. The last day of the cruise, any OBC will be deducted from your total account. It doesn't make much difference what the charge was for.

[terrydtx]

I know it sounds crappy and I sometimes think the same thing, but yes, you do have to pay the fee, but look at it this way: on Carnival you can only bring one bottle, on RCI, none and on NCL as much as you want. So there are pros and cons to every plan.

 

And on HAL beginning in January 2014 only one bottle per passenger at embarkation with a $20 corkage fee. Old HAL policy was unlimited wine at any port with $18 corkage for any wine consumed outside you cabin. This is one of the reasons we will most likely not sail with HAL again.:p

[Alliezona09]

While yes the fee does help NCL recover lost revenue from people bringing their own wine... It's still accurate to call it corkage fee because it does entitle you to the service. You can bring your wine to the dining room to have it pre-chilled and enjoyed during your meal. If you don't finish your wine, the waiter will cork your wine, give you a receipt, and stored it for you to be retrieved and consumed at any restaurant (and possibly any bar as well so I've read).

 

True but it's still confuses some people ;) I personally do not take my wine bottle to dinner, I just pour myself a glass~ and what's this don't finish your wine ~? :D Never had that happen!! lol~

[Demonyte]

Why in earth this thread needed revival? There are dozens of newer threads too and the earlier posters have cruised long ago so there is no point answering directly to them anymore.

Edited November 4, 2013 by Demonyte

[lisakoivu]

True but it's still confuses some people ;) I personally do not take my wine bottle to dinner, I just pour myself a glass~ and what's this don't finish your wine ~? :D Never had that happen!! lol~

 

Your post makes me think of those "beer hats" - I was afraid to post a picture of one for proprietary reasons - but NCL could consider branding one of them and we'd be good to go. Leftover wine indeed - I agree, that never happens ;-)

Edited November 5, 2013 by lisakoivu

[newmexicoNita]

I wish they would stop calling it a corkage fee and call it what it really is, a convenience fee. As it really has nothing to do with *opening* a bottle of wine and people tend to read it literally~

 

I agree, so many people actually think, if the ship doesn't uncork it why a charge? I can understand how they feel. Maybe we should start a campaign to get the cruise line to change the name or term? I think I will bring it up at our next M&G.

[rvsullivan]

Comes up all the time. The reason it is called corkage:

 

cork·age (kôrkj)

n.

A charge exacted at a restaurant for every bottle of liquor served that was not bought on the premises.

[Athena_Anton]

Question if you buy a package that includes wine with it do you have to pay the corkage fee or is it included in the price of the package?

Edited November 5, 2013 by Athena_Anton

[polySeraph]

One of our cruising traditions is to bring a nice bottle of champagne aboard and drink it at the sail-away party. The waiters will always offer to get us stemware and a bucket of ice to keep it cold. It's a very nice way to start our cruise.

 

Now if we could only come up with a way to keep the champagne from evaporating so quickly. Must be all that salt air.

[SeaShark]

Question if you buy a package that includes wine with it do you have to pay the corkage fee or is it included in the price of the package?

 

By definition, corkage is not charged on wine purchased from the cruise line.

[terrydtx]

Question if you buy a package that includes wine with it do you have to pay the corkage fee or is it included in the price of the package?

 

No additional corkage fees for the Viva Vino wine package but you will pay 15% gratuity on top of the package cost. The lowest package tier is $88 for 4 bottles, so with the gratuity you are really paying $101.20. The $15 corkage fee does include the gratuity, however.