Can we take extra wine on board if we pay a corkage fee?

[PunkiC]

We usually sail on Princes or Cunard, but are considering a Celebrity cruise.

 

On Cunard there are no wine restrictions and on Princess, you can take as much as you would like on board, but you pay a $15 corkage fee on every bottle over two per cabin. We usually check a case and pay corkage on ten bottles.

 

Can we bring extra wine on Celebrity if we are willing to pay the corkage fee?

 

If so, what is the corkage fee?

[Lsimon]

No. Celebrity's policy is two bottles per cabin.

Corkage fee doesn't relate to this allowance or the quantity allowed on board. The corkage fee is charged if the bottles are taken to a dining room or lounge to drink. No corkage fee for wine consumed in your stateroom.

Edited January 2, 2015 by Lsimon

[spookwife]

the policy is 2 bottles per cabin period upon embarkation.

 

corkage fee is irrelevant to this policy and only applies to wine consumed in public areas.

[PunkiC]

On Princess, and I believe on Holland America, you pay the corkage fee on extra bottles, no matter where they are consumed.

 

On Cunard you just pay a corkage fee if you take your wine into the dining room.

 

I guess with the free drink package, it wouldn't be so bad to have only two bottles, but I would miss having wine to drink on my balcony on a long cruise.

[WestLakeGirl]

With the drinks package you can buy glasses of wine one at a time and take to you balcony.

 

Or you can buy full bottles and take to your room.

 

But just remember that the drinks package does not include room service and does not include your stateroom mini bar

[RickT]

If you have a drink package, definitely no need to bring any bottles on board. Being the "wonderful" husband I am, I always walked to the nearest bar and got a nice glass for my wife and myself (you need both stateroom cards).

 

I found the best place (ie, closest to my cabin and quick service) was at the Café al Bacio. Check out the deck plans and I'm sure you'll find a location to get that wine within a few minutes walk. If you're lucky, it will also be near a place where you can grab some cheese/crackers to go with that wine.

 

If you absolutely want to bring on wine, another option is to each have two bottles in your carry on. Celebrity's policy of 2 bottles per statement is correct but we've found that as long as they see no more than 2 bottles they are OK. Worst case is you get caught and have to let them hold the 2 extra bottles until the end of the cruise.

Edited January 2, 2015 by RickT

[fridaythe13th]

I've heard of putting boxed wine in your checked luggage...... hummmmmmm:rolleyes:

[stratixman]

I've heard of putting boxed wine in your checked luggage...... hummmmmmm:rolleyes:

 

Does that mean they will charge a tapage (is that even a word?) fee instead of a corkage fee?

[fridaythe13th]

Does that mean they will charge a tapage (is that even a word?) fee instead of a corkage fee?

 

Apparently it isn't detected in your checked luggage and you don't tell them you have it. Your cabin steward could care less you have it. :eek:

[Hapytocruise]

You can purchase a bottle to take and keep in your room. Last cruise there were a few priced between $30-$35 which were not bad. With the drink package you may even get a discount on the full bottle purchase...not sure since we do not take the package.

[cle-guy]

Drinks packages offer discounts on bottled of wine. Premium os 20% discount. Not sure of classic, I think maybe 10%.

 

I've also used "gifts by Celebrity" to buy wine in advance and have it in my cabin, with this a gratuity is not added to the prices saying some cost.

 

I've also been 100% successful taking 4 bottles on board, 2 in checked, 2 in carry on. They don't actually keep a manifest of who took what on board. I would think if you and your wife boarded separately, you could each carry on 2 bottles, and get 2 thru in checked luggage, just don't do more than 2 in checked or more than 2 bottles per person carry on.

Edited January 4, 2015 by cle-guy