Corkage Fee

[CruisingNoob]

Does Carnival only charge a corkage fee if we take our bottle of wine to the MDR? I assume they don't charge at embarkation. We plan on drinking our carry on wine on our balcony & buying wine in the MDR ;)

[LilMissScareAll]

Correct. Only if you bring it to the MDR

[CruisingNoob]

Perfect. Thank you! :)

[Bringonthesun01]

Does Carnival only charge a corkage fee if we take our bottle of wine to the MDR? I assume they don't charge at embarkation. We plan on drinking our carry on wine on our balcony & buying wine in the MDR ;)

 

If you take it to a bar and have them open it, then they will also charge you a corkage fee. We made the mistake of taking ours to listen to a band before dinner and forgot our corkscrew and had to ask the bartender to open it. He informed us that is was a corkage fee to open it, so we went and got our cork screw from the room. As long as you open your bottle you can carry it anywhere you would like and drink it whenever.

[mweiss1998]

If you take it to a bar and have them open it, then they will also charge you a corkage fee. We made the mistake of taking ours to listen to a band before dinner and forgot our corkscrew and had to ask the bartender to open it. He informed us that is was a corkage fee to open it, so we went and got our cork screw from the room. As long as you open your bottle you can carry it anywhere you would like and drink it whenever.

 

So if I took an already opened bottle to the MDR and told them I had it opened at the bar do you think I could escape the fee and still have it at dinner?

[Cruise, J.D.]

If you take it to a bar and have them open it, then they will also charge you a corkage fee. We made the mistake of taking ours to listen to a band before dinner and forgot our corkscrew and had to ask the bartender to open it. He informed us that is was a corkage fee to open it, so we went and got our cork screw from the room. As long as you open your bottle you can carry it anywhere you would like and drink it whenever.

 

He was pulling your leg or looking for extra $. I've had it done by a bartender before and just tipped them. The corkage fee is supposed to apply only in the dining room or steakhouse. It's actually in the cruise ticket contract.

Edited January 7, 2015 by Cruise, J.D.

[Cruise, J.D.]

So if I took an already opened bottle to the MDR and told them I had it opened at the bar do you think I could escape the fee and still have it at dinner?

 

The corkage fee is for consumption from a bottle in the dining room or steakhouse. It is not always charged though. We usually just take a prefilled glass of wine with us into the DR to avoid it.

Edited January 7, 2015 by Cruise, J.D.

[CruisingNoob]

If you take it to a bar and have them open it, then they will also charge you a corkage fee. We made the mistake of taking ours to listen to a band before dinner and forgot our corkscrew and had to ask the bartender to open it. He informed us that is was a corkage fee to open it, so we went and got our cork screw from the room. As long as you open your bottle you can carry it anywhere you would like and drink it whenever.

We're bringing a bottle of champagne & a screw top bottle of wine so no corkscrew needed. :)

I remember when screw top wine was the cheap stuff. Now the wine's are all slowly going that way.

[MadManOfBethesda]

So if I took an already opened bottle to the MDR and told them I had it opened at the bar do you think I could escape the fee and still have it at dinner?

 

No. At least not according to the policy. The corkage fee has absolutely nothing to do with actually opening the bottle. The fee is for drinking your own wine in the dining room rather than purchasing a bottle from Carnival. Here is the exact language from the Liquor and Beverage Policy on Carnival's website:

 

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 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne, per person, only in their carry-on luggage. A $15 corkage fee per 750 ml bottle will be charged should you wish to consume this wine in the main dining room or steakhouse. (A corkage fee is a charge exacted at a restaurant for every bottle of liquor served that was not bought on the premises)

 

Note that the policy states that the corkage fee is to be charged if you consume the wine in the dining room. It says absolutely nothing about dining room staff opening the bottle for you.

 

Now whether you'd actually be charged is a different matter. But according to the policy, you should be.

[Purvis1231]

The corkage fee is a small price to pay for the service offered. Also, according to the alcohol policy a passenger is not free to take the bottle anywhere to drink. IT is intended for in room use but they make an exception if you pay the fee.

[bar1068]

Or not...

[Butterbean1000]

We pour our glasses in our room and take them to the MDR. We seldom drink a second glass of wine at dinner. This has worked for us on our last several cruises.

 

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[love my grandkids]

We pour our glasses in our room and take them to the MDR. We seldom drink a second glass of wine at dinner. This has worked for us on our last several cruises.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

This is exactly what we do.

[Out to sea!]

Does Carnival only charge a corkage fee if we take our bottle of wine to the MDR? I assume they don't charge at embarkation. We plan on drinking our carry on wine on our balcony & buying wine in the MDR ;)

 

MDR or Steakhouse. And the cost is slightly more in the Steakhouse (last year $10 in the MDR and $14 in the Steakhouse).

[MadManOfBethesda]

MDR or Steakhouse. And the cost is slightly more in the Steakhouse (last year $10 in the MDR and $14 in the Steakhouse).

 

Your info is out of date. I already posted the official policy from Carnival's website. It's in post #9 just a few posts up from yours in case you missed it. The corkage fee is $15 in both the MDR and the steakhouse.

[Out to sea!]

Your info is out of date. I already posted the official policy from Carnival's website. It's in post #9 just a few posts up from yours in case you missed it. The corkage fee is $15 in both the MDR and the steakhouse.

 

Ah, thanks for that info. I think wifey will just continue to drink in the cabin. :D

[love my grandkids]

Your info is out of date. I already posted the official policy from Carnival's website. It's in post #9 just a few posts up from yours in case you missed it. The corkage fee is $15 in both the MDR and the steakhouse.

 

Wow to pay 15 bucks corkage for a bottle of wine under 5 bucks or box worth less than 15 doesnt make much economic sense.

[LilMissScareAll]

Wow to pay 15 bucks corkage for a bottle of wine under 5 bucks or box worth less than 15 doesnt make much economic sense.

B/c it's still cheaper than the $30 that Carnival would charge for that same $5 bottle if you bought it from them

 

 

Eta: I think I'll stick to drinking mine in the room while getting ready for dinner or relaxing on the balcony 🍷

Edited January 9, 2015 by LilMissScareAll

[MadManOfBethesda]

Eta: I think I'll stick to drinking mine in the room while getting ready for dinner or relaxing on the balcony

 

Which is exactly what you're supposed to do with the wine Carnival allows you to bring on board at embarkation. If people keep abusing this privilege by pouring a glass in their room and then carrying it into the MDR or other venues around the ship, I have no doubt that Carnival will eventually do away with this policy.

[YubaSutter]

Wow to pay 15 bucks corkage for a bottle of wine under 5 bucks or box worth less than 15 doesnt make much economic sense.

 

Our wines are never $5. More like $50/bottle.

[simplelife]

Whether 5 or $50, you will still save money over buying the wine aboard ship. In fact, you will save more on that expensive bottle, since the corkage fee is the same regardless. If you have a favorite wine that you would really like for a particular celebration. I suggest bringing it aboard. You will save money and also save the disappointment if the ship does not carry it.

[outdoors27]

We have never been charged a corkage fee in the MDR as we always uncork the bottle in our cabin and just bring it with us.

[love my grandkids]

Our wines are never $5. More like $50/bottle.

 

OK enjoy what you like.

[love my grandkids]

Which is exactly what you're supposed to do with the wine Carnival allows you to bring on board at embarkation. If people keep abusing this privilege by pouring a glass in their room and then carrying it into the MDR or other venues around the ship, I have no doubt that Carnival will eventually do away with this policy.

 

OK will worry about that if it ever happens. Until than we will drink our wine where we please.

[webzila]

We brought some cheap wine with us on the last cruise. It had a twist top so we opened it ourselves. On the last day we still had about half of it (not huge wine drinkers) so we took it to the MDR and they wanted to charge us $15

 

So per their policy it says $15 per 750 ml bottle.

Our bottle was more like 325 ml on the last day - I wonder if we could have asked them to cut the fee in half :D