Paying for wine after security check

[southt00]

We are considering bringing wine on our next cruise out of Miami. Please let me know the details of paying for the corkage charge. I know the price is $15 per bottle (750ml). When we go through the scanner, do we tell them ahead of time that we are carrying wine or wait for them to ask? How does the person collecting the fee know how many bottles you have? Is there a long line at the desk?

 

Any details would be appreciated.

 

Thank you.

 

 

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[jmccon2]

Great questions. I would like to know the answer as well.

Janet

[Cell]

On our last cruise (the Dream) the corkage fee would have been charged at the table when we brought the bottle to dinner. If you drink or open it in the cabin, no fee! Btw, corkage fees don't always make it to the bill. Did I mentioned we loved our waiters :-)

 

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[crystalspin]

@ Cell -- perhaps you are on the wrong "board" --

 

There is no Norwegian Dream. NCL's policy is no limit on wine but the $15 corkage per standard bottle is paid whether drunk in the cabin or anywhere on the ship.

 

You pay the corkage at a table which I understand is JUST after the xray machine.

 

I do not know if it matters whether you declare it or wait for them to shoo you over there. I assume that you open your carryon bag and they count the bottles!

 

Do not put wine in your checked bags unless you want their delivery to your stateroom to be delayed by your being summoned to the Naughty Room. (Checked baggage is also xrayed.)

[KeithJenner]

There was a Norwegian Dream, but it was a while ago. The wine policy that was in place then is obviously out of date.

 

As stated above, if they are scanning the bags (in some ports they don't always no that, but I can't imagine Miami is one) then they will find them so you may as well just tell them before the scanner.

 

They put stickers on the bottles to show you have paid the corkage so they will count them when you pay.

[tymike]

I've brought wine on all three of the NCL cruises I've been on and I think I told the security people I had them and they directed us to the table where we paid the corkage fee. We got stickers for the bottles there and went on our merry way to great cruises!

[dfg1027]

I always have at least one bottle of wine in my carry on. I usually wait for it to go through the x-ray scanner....where I am usually told that I have a bottle of wine in my bag. I always say, yes I do, where do I go to pay the NCL fee, and am directed to a table that is set up for that reason...I pay my fee, and get my sticker and off I go :)

 

that is not to say that one more then one occasion, the table I have been directed to, had no one manning the "station" in which case I just continued on with my bag. As I don't bring the wine to the dinning room, and just use it in my stateroom...I can sometimes "get away" with out paying the $15 fee. But it makes no difference to me...I am bringing on a wine I enjoy, and don't mind paying the fee.....if need be...LOL

[Cell]

Why yes I am (on the wrong board)! Sorry for the interruption, I'll get back to my ship now. :-)

 

Sent from The Great White North !!

[miataman19]

Question for the NCL folks. Are you allowed to bring on a bottle of Port Wine or is that considered a Liquor and would be confiscated?

[garycarla]

There are a few other active threads right now all about the wine corkage fee. Scroll down the page and the answer is right there.

[Cruisewoman79]

I've brought wine on all three of the NCL cruises I've been on and I think I told the security people I had them and they directed us to the table where we paid the corkage fee. We got stickers for the bottles there and went on our merry way to great cruises!

That's exactly what we did for the Breakaway in May. Separate bag with wine and we declared it and were directed to a table where we signed for the $15 each. That is different than other lines where I've only paid for corkage at dinner not to drink in my cabin. OH well. I'm glad they allow us to do it. I'm bringing a special bottle for my birthday onboard!

[DMH15]

So at leadst most of the posters here on this thread have integrity. Good to know.

 

 

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[wetcoast]

Does anyone know if there is a lower corkage fee for a 375 ml bottle?

 

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[johnql]

Does anyone know if there is a lower corkage fee for a 375 ml bottle?

 

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No. $15 minimum.

[don't-use-real-name]

Have not heard of a policy regarding the 375 ml.

The 750 ml is charged $15.00.

A liter (1000ml) not common I believe is charged $20.

And the Magnum double the 750 or $30.00.

 

Don't put wine in your checked baggage - you will have to visit the aka 'naughty room' and pay the corkage there or have it confiscated till the end of the cruise.

Take all wines thru check-in/security and pay the corkage fee at a table set aside for collecting the fee.

You will use your cabin/stateroom key card to pay the fees.

 

If you don't bring wine onboard but would like to buy and drink it economically then look for the wine package promotion table somewhere near the pursers/

registration counter in the lobby. Check the other threads here about the packages available. It is a good deal and includes the corkage fee.

 

If you somehow manage to slip thru the cracks and your wine is not charged the corkage fee. When you take your bottle about the ship and if it is noticed

that there is no corkage fee sticker - they blow the whistle and haul you over to the yard arm and you walk the plank - NO they don't do that but the wait

person who observes the lack of sticker gets to collect the fee and bonus point for correcting the error. So if you do slip thru cracks keep the bottle in your

cabin/stateroom and don't take it about the ship - fill your glass and you can take the glass anywhere on the ship.

[asubaru]

We are considering bringing wine on our next cruise out of Miami. Please let me know the details of paying for the corkage charge. I know the price is $15 per bottle (750ml). When we go through the scanner, do we tell them ahead of time that we are carrying wine or wait for them to ask? How does the person collecting the fee know how many bottles you have? Is there a long line at the desk?

 

Any details would be appreciated.

 

Thank you.

 

 

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We used rolling wine carriers/coolers that doubled as overnight carry-ons for disembarkation.

 

This is how it went for us: At the end of the X-ray belt, each carrier was taken to another table by a security employee. Both employees waited the entire time we waited for the clerk to be free. The one that had mine guarded it like it was valuable cargo. He would not let me touch it. Although annoying, It was actually comical to watch the process. It was as if this security check was their most important duty that day. The escorts, along with the clerk, removed every bottle and thoroughly examined each bottle. I realize they want to check for legitimacy but there was nothing out of the ordinary to warrant the fondling of each bottle and reading every word on the label. Since it was 2:30 and no one waiting, maybe that was why they moved so slowly? It really was unnecessarily, ridiculously slow. IMO.

 

I like the policy and was pleased I could take my own wine and champagne on board; it's a big plus in NCL's favor for me. It was worth the initial hassle and I am hopeful that this experience is not the norm. I say this because I researched expensively and never read a similar review on the procedure(s).

[em-sk]

We used rolling wine carriers/coolers that doubled as overnight carry-ons for disembarkation.

 

This is how it went for us: At the end of the X-ray belt, each carrier was taken to another table by a security employee. Both employees waited the entire time we waited for the clerk to be free. The one that had mine guarded it like it was valuable cargo. He would not let me touch it. Although annoying, It was actually comical to watch the process. It was as if this security check was their most important duty that day. The escorts, along with the clerk, removed every bottle and thoroughly examined each bottle. I realize they want to check for legitimacy but there was nothing out of the ordinary to warrant the fondling of each bottle and reading every word on the label. Since it was 2:30 and no one waiting, maybe that was why they moved so slowly? It really was unnecessarily, ridiculously slow. IMO.

 

I like the policy and was pleased I could take my own wine and champagne on board; it's a big plus in NCL's favor for me. It was worth the initial hassle and I am hopeful that this experience is not the norm. I say this because I researched expensively and never read a similar review on the procedure(s).

 

It is somewhat interesting to compare the ports where the x-ray machine is operated by the cruise ship and where they are operated by the local authorities. In many European ports the x-ray machines are operated by the port authority and the end result is they don't pay much attention to the wine bottles.

 

Not certain who runs the x-ray machines in Miami but that is a port they pay quite a bit of attention to wine. You hope that its a distraction from searching for other things that you don't want on the ship.

[don't-use-real-name]

asubaru:

 

Most amusing - my god what did you have in those bottles refined high test rocket fuel ?

Imagine pouring a bottle of 151 rum into the ships diesel engines - you would be in orbit in a nano sec.

 

Where you in a suite or balcony cabin ? Just curious if you were in a suite why the extra precaution for an upscale customer ?

But then with the amount of wine you were bringing on board maybe they thought that you were setting up a competitive enterprise.

 

But on a lighter side (what other side is there) glad you were able to bring your own wine onboard - there is something about that that makes it a real significant pleasure.

Even more so when the corkage fee and what you paid for your choice of wine is a real deal - significant savings.

My party and I like the wine package offered by NCL suits our needs perfectly.

Cheers - clink glasses - toast !

[Froggitt]

Question for the NCL folks. Are you allowed to bring on a bottle of Port Wine or is that considered a Liquor and would be confiscated?

I did last month - 2 bottles. However there was no corkage fee table, so we had a Prohibition/Smugglers Party one evening in my cabin with all the smuggled Fizz, Port etc.

[hawkeyetlse]

If you somehow manage to slip thru the cracks and your wine is not charged the corkage fee. When you take your bottle about the ship and if it is noticed

that there is no corkage fee sticker - they blow the whistle and haul you over to the yard arm and you walk the plank - NO they don't do that but the wait

person who observes the lack of sticker gets to collect the fee and bonus point for correcting the error.

Sounds like you're speaking from personal experience… ;) The waiter would have to know the NCL wine list pretty well to be sure it wasn't a bottle you bought onboard. And as long as they don't see you open the bottle, couldn't you tell them that it's leftover from dinner and that the MDR waitstaff removed the corkage sticker?

[newmexicoNita]

On our last cruise (the Dream) the corkage fee would have been charged at the table when we brought the bottle to dinner. If you drink or open it in the cabin, no fee! Btw, corkage fees don't always make it to the bill. Did I mentioned we loved our waiters :-)

 

Sent from The Great White North !!

 

That must have been a very long time ago, the Dream has been gone for God knows how long and now, you do pay as soon as you go through X Ray. It is picked up and you are directed to a table where a lady is more than happy to take your money. It does go on your account and you will be charged according to the size of the bottle. No, the line isn't really long, but there might be one.

[Demonyte]

That must have been a very long time ago, the Dream has been gone for God knows how long

 

Had you read the thread further, you'd have seen that the post was about policies on the other Dream than NCL's old ship.

Edited January 17, 2014 by Demonyte

[CRUISERMOMX3]

Do they process the fee the same way when you bring wine on from a port? If you choose to have them hold it until the end of your trip do you get it back the last night like you do the liquor?

[garycarla]

Do they process the fee the same way when you bring wine on from a port? If you choose to have them hold it until the end of your trip do you get it back the last night like you do the liquor?

 

If you want them to hold it - no problem.

[asubaru]

If you choose to have them hold it until the end of your trip do you get it back the last night like you do the liquor?

 

Yes, that is the norm.