Wine Corkage Fees!!

[newbe dave]

$15 fee per bottle is better than FREE?

 

Yes. Definitely. $15 per bottle for as many bottles as I wish to bring on board is much better than bringing only 2 bottles on board for free. Much better.

 

I typically bring 6 bottles on board for a 7 day cruise. I choose red wines that I like and can buy for $15-20. Add in a $15 corkage per bottle and I am paying $30-35 per bottle. Similar wines on board are at least $45 plus 18% gratuity. I save money and I get wines that I like. Plus, if there is a particular wine I want to try for $45+, I still can buy it.

 

On Carnival, I could only bring 2 bottles on board. Then I had to either drink swill for $35 per bottle or spend about $50 for something I might like. I am not talking fancy wines either. I just do not like the idea of paying $30 for Barefoot when I can pay the same for something good by paying corkage.

Edited April 14, 2015 by newbe dave

[mrdrdoso]

Website's "Fleetwide" list says: MOSCATO Lindemans, “Bin 90”, Australia $7.25

 

https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/WineList_Fleetwide_02262015.pdf

 

Is that per glass

[Demonyte]

Is that per glass

 

How about opening the PDF file behind the link you quoted?

 

A: Yes it is.

[mrdrdoso]

How about opening the PDF file behind the link you quoted?

 

A: Yes it is.

 

well i buy a bottle so cheers

[mrdrdoso]

Website's "Fleetwide" list says: MOSCATO Lindemans, “Bin 90”, Australia $7.25

 

https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/WineList_Fleetwide_02262015.pdf

 

thank you for the link

[Hanover79]

I am glad i stumbled onto this thread. I was wondering how the check in process worked and all of my questions were answered. My wife and I plan on taking several bottles with us on our next NCL cruise this summer. I like the idea of bringing wine I know i will enjoy. The cost savings also makes a lot of sense.

[newmexicoNita]

I've been so interested in the "nickel and diming" comments about Room Service and other new fees. I started looking around on the NCL website and they have added the new Room Service policy there. In addition, I found this about corkage fees. I always found the NCL policy pretty good. Bring as much wine as you want onboard, you just pay the $15/bottle corkage.

 

Note the line in "red" which I found very surprising. You can "gift" someone champagne, and they will still need to pay corkage.

 

All guests are prohibited from bringing alcohol on board our ships. Please note that with the exception of Wine and Champagne, all guests are prohibited from bringing alcohol on board our ships. If you purchase any alcohol at one of our ports-of-call or in our onboard shops, we will safely store your purchase(s) and either on the final night of the cruise or the morning of debarkation it will be available for pick up in a designated area. 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.

 

This is totally not the case. We recieved a bottle of wine in our cabin from our TA just a couple of weeks ago and there was no corkage fee charged to anyone. Now if the wine is purchased from a liquor store and sent to the ship, which I don't even know if that can be done. it might be different.

[newmexicoNita]

$15 fee per bottle is better than FREE?

 

Has Norwegian always charged corkage fees for wine brought onboard or is it a new thing? Trying to keep up with all of Norwegians fees is a full time job!

 

NCL doesn't have many charges different from other lines and generally has lower base prices. It all comes out the same at the end: one example: yes, you do pay the $15 up front but you can bring on as much wine as you like. Most other lines limit you to only a few, if any and they charge a higher corkage fee. Now, to answer your question: they started the $15 charge many years ago. I think the first time we paid it was in about 2002 when we sailed the Sun. I think it is safe to say, none of us like all the new changes being made, it is costing us bucks and no one likes new charges, but this isn't just the case with NCL. Each line has its way of squeezing a few more bucks out of us or cutting something out to save money.

Edited April 27, 2015 by newmexicoNita

[MagnoliaBlossom]

To the question, is there a limit?

 

The answer is no. I have seen people bring a case of 12 bottles, especially on longer cruises.

[hdowney]

I don't have a problem paying the $15 corkage fee and being able to bring as many bottles as I please. I am curious though it seems NCLs .co.uk site says NO alcohol period in their faq and yet the .com site says wine and champagne CAN be brought onboard. :eek: so which is it. Cos it can hardly be allowed that European passengers can bring NOTHING but American passengers can bring what they want. And I don't want to bring wine in my hand luggage all ready to pay the corkage fee, only to have it confiscated. ESPECIALLY if my fellow American traveller next to me is allowed on their way with theirs.

Also do they charge you cash on embarking for the corkage or charge it to your SailPass card?

TIA

 

H

[$hip$hape]

I am glad i stumbled onto this thread. I was wondering how the check in process worked and all of my questions were answered. My wife and I plan on taking several bottles with us on our next NCL cruise this summer.

I like the idea of bringing wine I know i will enjoy. The cost savings also makes a lot of sense.

Not that you would enjoy them, but the reason "box wines are not allowed on board", I've heard, is a box is not detectable when you have one in your luggage,

therefore, no corkage fee... again, just something I've heard and not that I have cheated NCL by doing this.:)

[zqvol]

So...it is true, they will charge $15 for each bottle you may bring for consumption in the stateroom? When/how do they charge you? Do you "declare" it at time of boarding? I think they are really pushing it with this charge...

 

This charge has been around for years. They are not pushing anything with this, and this policy is much more liberal than most mass market lines.

 

All wine has to be carried on, it cannot be sent with checked luggage. When you go through security with wine you are directed to a table where you must pay the corkage fee.

[$hip$hape]

So, how many bottles of wine ARE you allowed to bring aboard the Pride of America? I have never liked any of the wine they offer in the UBP on the other ships, so bringing our own is a must!

Have fun in Hawaii; we loved it there!

In Hawaii, a few months ago, for the POA, pre-cruise, we stayed at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Hotel.

Speaking of corkage fees..

One afternoon, before dinner, while on our hotel balcony overlooking the pool, DW suggested buying a cold bottle of bubbly at the ABC Store and sit at table in a quiet area between the pool and restaurant.

It was a deserted area, until half way through the bottle,

a waiter appeared and told me we owed him a $20.00 corkage fee for sitting there.

Rules are rules.:o

Edited April 27, 2015 by $hip$hape

[hondorner]

...Note the line in "red" which I found very surprising. You can "gift" someone champagne, and they will still need to pay corkage.

 

All guests are prohibited from bringing alcohol on board our ships. Please note that with the exception of Wine and Champagne, all guests are prohibited from bringing alcohol on board our ships. If you purchase any alcohol at one of our ports-of-call or in our onboard shops, we will safely store your purchase(s) and either on the final night of the cruise or the morning of debarkation it will be available for pick up in a designated area. 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.

The ONLY change in NCL's policy is that wine purchased from any other source other than the ship is subject to the corkage fee, no matter who purchases it. TAs, friends and family are still able to purchase wine from the "Gifts & More" section of ncl.com without the corkage fee (of course, the prices at Gifts & More are really high; it might be cheaper to pay the corkage fee). I'm not certain how the corkage fee is applied to gifts; it doesn't seem fair to have it charged to the recipient's account; that's sort of like sending a birthday card "postage due". Perhaps there is some way a TA can send a bottle of wine and include the corkage fee; that's a Win/Win -- the TA spends less and the guest never knows there was a fee.

 

I can understand why this policy has been added, however, I bet some folks were trying to avoid the corkage fee by "gifting" themselves wine by sending it to the ship.

[SUSIEK]

They have been pushing it for several years now, along with almost all other mainstream cruise lines that also charge corkage and/or limit the amount of wine that passengers can carry on board. Some charge up to $25 per bottle. Some only allow one or two bottles, and if you want more, you have to buy it from the ship.

 

I know NCL has demonstrated some creativity in inventing new charges lately, but their wine corkage policy is not new and it pretty middle-of-the-road compared to other lines.

 

 

 

Carnival allows 1 bottle per person to be consumed in cabin.... .NO CHARGE. If you pour a glass and carry it with you out.... never had a problem.

[SUSIEK]

NCL doesn't have many charges different from other lines and generally has lower base prices. It all comes out the same at the end: one example: yes, you do pay the $15 up front but you can bring on as much wine as you like. Most other lines limit you to only a few, if any and they charge a higher corkage fee. Now, to answer your question: they started the $15 charge many years ago. I think the first time we paid it was in about 2002 when we sailed the Sun. I think it is safe to say, none of us like all the new changes being made, it is costing us bucks and no one likes new charges, but this isn't just the case with NCL. Each line has its way of squeezing a few more bucks out of us or cutting something out to save money.

 

Carnival allows 1 bottle of wine per person that can be consumed in your cabin for FREE...no fees. Cabin steward provides us with wine glasses.... we always carry them out of the cabin.

We did the same on Celebrity last year and on Princess two years ago.

[Dexysgirl]

On our Eastern Med cruise aboard NCL Jade, I brought a large bottle of Chianti aboard after a few days pre-cruise in Rome. It was one of those bottles that have a wicker base (the ones you see in Italian restaurants with the melted wax all over them). I thought how lovely it would be to sip a glass of wine on the balcony before going down for dinner. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't find anyone at check-in who would take the corkage fee for my lovely bottle of wine and because of this, each sip was all the sweeter.

PS. I even brought the empty bottle home, and every day it reminds me of those wonderful evenings, sailing away from another beautiful city and knowing I had another lovely evening ahead of me.

[khaide612]

If I buy 7 of the least expensive bottles of Sauvignon Blanc onboard NCL, my total is about $223 ($27 each plus 18% gratuity on each bottle).

 

If I travel on Carnival, I carry on 2 $10 bottles and buy 5 of the least expensive Sauvignon Blanc onboard, my total is about $185 (2x$10 + 5x$28.75x15% gratuity).

 

If I carry on 7 $10 bottles of Sauvignon Blanc onboard NCL, and pay the corkage, my total is $175 ($25 each).

 

This is assuming the cheapest version onboard is drinkable and that I don't have to go for a higher price point after the first bottle.

 

There is also the convenience of being able to bring the whole bottle of wine to dinner to share. On Carnival, I pour myself a glass in the room and carry it with me and hope that glass lasts all dinner? If I want another glass I have to go back to the room or purchase a glass of wine.

 

This is also assuming we only go through 1 bottle per night. :)

Edited April 27, 2015 by khaide612
I drink a lot...

[ilovetotravel1977]

I can understand why this policy has been added, however, I bet some folks were trying to avoid the corkage fee by "gifting" themselves wine by sending it to the ship.

 

Years ago on my first cruise on RCCL's Majesty of the Seas (4-day to Bahamas), I had found a company that would send "gift baskets" to staterooms. This included alcohol LOL

 

I "gifted" us gals 5 quarts of vodka and each was wrapped every so beautifully and delivered to our cabin after muster drill, I was the star of the cruise for finding this service!

 

Mind you, this was like 8 years ago and the company is no longer in business :(

 

Sorry to hijack the thread!

[hondorner]

Years ago on my first cruise on RCCL's Majesty of the Seas (4-day to Bahamas), I had found a company that would send "gift baskets" to staterooms. This included alcohol LOL

 

I "gifted" us gals 5 quarts of vodka and each was wrapped every so beautifully and delivered to our cabin after muster drill, I was the star of the cruise for finding this service!

 

Mind you, this was like 8 years ago and the company is no longer in business :(

 

Sorry to hijack the thread!

 

Wow -- 5 quarts of vodka for a 4 day cruise! No wonder you were the star! :cool:.

[ilovetotravel1977]

We were young and could drink way more than I ever could now.

 

We even were able to take it off the ship with us at ports! I have no idea how we managed that without getting caught.

 

I just remember being at CoCoCay sharing our vodka with another group who were laying on the beach beside us. BFFs for the rest of the trip LOL

[newmexicoNita]

Carnival allows 1 bottle of wine per person that can be consumed in your cabin for FREE...no fees. Cabin steward provides us with wine glasses.... we always carry them out of the cabin.

We did the same on Celebrity last year and on Princess two years ago.

 

I think most of us know Carnival allows 1 bottle, in fact if you read the postings here,this has been mentioned several times, but the difference is 1 bottle versius as many as you want to bring on. That is why some are saying every line has their way of getting a little of the action. The only line that we have cruised with no restrictions on the number of bottles is Princess. In fact that may have changed; we cruised them about 2 years ago. And yes, the cabin steward does provide glasses. As for bringing your own wine on, no corkage, pouring a glass in your cabin and taking it into the public area, well I will save my comments on that for another time. But, could that have something to do with the reason cruise lines limit the number of bottles allowed or why NCL charges the corkage fee up front?

Edited April 28, 2015 by newmexicoNita

[Bobbye]

Princess has changed: As provided in the Passage Contract, guests agree not to bring alcoholic beverages of any kind onboard for consumption, except one bottle of wine or champagne per adult of drinking age (no larger than 750 ml) per voyage, which will not be subject to a corkage fee if consumed in the stateroom. Additional wine or champagne bottles are welcome, but will incur a $15 corkage fee each, irrespective of where they are intended to be consumed. Liquor, spirits or beers are not permitted. Please remember that luggage will be scanned and alcohol outside of our policy will be removed and discarded.

 

By the way, years ago there were a number of companies that would deliver gifts to the cruise line. Wine, beer, etc. were among the items. As far as I know most cruise lines do not permit this anymore because of security concerns.

[newmexicoNita]

Princess has changed: As provided in the Passage Contract, guests agree not to bring alcoholic beverages of any kind onboard for consumption, except one bottle of wine or champagne per adult of drinking age (no larger than 750 ml) per voyage, which will not be subject to a corkage fee if consumed in the stateroom. Additional wine or champagne bottles are welcome, but will incur a $15 corkage fee each, irrespective of where they are intended to be consumed. Liquor, spirits or beers are not permitted. Please remember that luggage will be scanned and alcohol outside of our policy will be removed and discarded.

 

By the way, years ago there were a number of companies that would deliver gifts to the cruise line. Wine, beer, etc. were among the items. As far as I know most cruise lines do not permit this anymore because of security concerns.

 

thanks for the update. Yes, years ago there were those companies and years ago we could buy booze in the gift shop and take it to our cabin to drink. Some lines charged a little extra to do that,but many did not. I guess the lines realized how much money they were losing. it is important for everyone to remember the 3 biggest money makers for cruise lines are: 1-the bars; 2-the tours and 3-the casinos. If we are allowed to just bring all the wine or booze on we want and drink it in the public areas as well as our cabine, the cruise lines would take a huge hit.

[SUSIEK]

I think most of us know Carnival allows 1 bottle, in fact if you read the postings here,this has been mentioned several times, but the difference is 1 bottle versius as many as you want to bring on. That is why some are saying every line has their way of getting a little of the action. The only line that we have cruised with no restrictions on the number of bottles is Princess. In fact that may have changed; we cruised them about 2 years ago. And yes, the cabin steward does provide glasses. As for bringing your own wine on, no corkage, pouring a glass in your cabin and taking it into the public area, well I will save my comments on that for another time. But, could that have something to do with the reason cruise lines limit the number of bottles allowed or why NCL charges the corkage fee up front?

 

 

Well, 2 bottles of wine for a 7 - 10 day cruises doesn't go very far. We bought plenty of glasses also directly from the line as I am sure other guests would too.

 

If I am paying $15 per bottle corkage fee and the wine I like is $12 per bottle at the liquor store then I am paying $27 per bottle. I might as well just buy it from the ship when onboard and save the space in my carryon. :-)