Cunard policy on packing wine in luggage?

[pris993]

Can we pack a bottle of wine in each suitecase? Some lines prohibit ... not sure what Cunard's policy is on this issue.

[ladysail2]

Can we pack a bottle of wine in each suitecase? Some lines prohibit ... not sure what Cunard's policy is on this issue.

 

This information comes from a section in CC regarding Cunard's policy on alcohol:

 

Bringing Booze Onboard

 

Bringing liquor onboard at embarkation: Liquor may not be brought onboard.

 

 

Bringing wine or Champagne onboard: Allowed. Passengers (over 21) are allowed to bring one bottle of wine or Champagne onboard. Larger amounts of wine have to be approved by Cunard prior to the voyage. A $20-per-bottle corkage fee applies.

 

 

 

Purchasing liquor in port: Currently, the line does not collect liquor and wine purchased ashore; however, Cunard has said this policy is under review.

 

 

 

Purchasing liquor in ships' duty-free shop: Alcoholic beverages purchased from the duty-free shop onboard can be collected on the last day of the cruise. This policy is also under review, and the line is testing a new policy in which liquor (and tobacco) purchased onboard can be consumed in guest cabins. Onboard shops would match the best prices available onshore. In common with all cruise lines, there may be tax due on alcohol depending on the cruise itinerary.

 

 

Hope that helps :D

[Captiveguru]

If you search this forum you will find that, in practice, Cunard allows wine to be brought onboard in vast quantities. Case in point:

 

We embarked QV earlier this month in San Pedro. After getting off the plane at LAX we had our Uber driver go first to the Trader Joe's just south of LAX. Purchased 12 bottles of wine. Put them into 2 6-bottle wine bags. Carried them onto the ship as part of our hand luggage. No problems.

[pris993]

If you search this forum you will find that, in practice, Cunard allows wine to be brought onboard in vast quantities. Case in point:

 

We embarked QV earlier this month in San Pedro. After getting off the plane at LAX we had our Uber driver go first to the Trader Joe's just south of LAX. Purchased 12 bottles of wine. Put them into 2 6-bottle wine bags. Carried them onto the ship as part of our hand luggage. No problems.

 

Thanks for your response. We are flying from California, we like a couple of wines we also buy at Trader Joe's - red and white French table wines. So that is why I was asking, we can't carry them on our flight, but could put in our luggage, since we are doing a cruise out of NYC, will be at sea a 2 days before our first port. Figured we will buy wine in port along the way as well. I appreciate Cunard's reasonable policy.

[Scriv]

Carrying this question a little further, are there wine glasses in our staterooms for consumption in there of the wine we have brought on board?

Edited April 25, 2015 by Scriv

[CateW]

You can bring wine to the dining room and pay the corkage fee. We have never done it but may on our upcoming 16 day transatlantic.

 

 

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[Toffeegirl68]

Extra bit of info as an aside...

 

On a previous voyage, the sommelier has 'baby-sat' half drunk bottles of wine for us til the following evening.

[Captiveguru]

Carrying this question a little further, are there wine glasses in our staterooms for consumption in there of the wine we have brought on board?

 

Yes, in the Grill cabins. Champagne flutes on embrocation. You will have to ask for ine glasses, but once there they were replaced after every use.

[Captiveguru]

Thanks for your response. We are flying from California, we like a couple of wines we also buy at Trader Joe's - red and white French table wines. So that is why I was asking, we can't carry them on our flight, but could put in our luggage, since we are doing a cruise out of NYC, will be at sea a 2 days before our first port. Figured we will buy wine in port along the way as well. I appreciate Cunard's reasonable policy.

 

We boarded QM2 at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal last year. Had lunch and then I walked 0.5 miles to Dry Dock Wine & Spirits. Bought 6 bottles. They provided a very nice 6-pack wine bag.

 

Bought 2-3 bottles at Newport and Boston.

[capnpugwash]

Extra bit of info as an aside...

 

On a previous voyage, the sommelier has 'baby-sat' half drunk bottles of wine for us til the following evening.

 

This is standard practice.

[Bell Boy]

Sorry,.... just to add my twopence worth :D ( for our American cousins , an English expression for ..'butting inn' )

 

Taking wine into the restaurant for evening meal ?

 

Please, please follow the unwritten protocol ;) .... Arrange to take your wine to the sommelier early on in the day ( perhaps at lunch time) ..It will be opened in advance and already at your table.

 

Nothing more naff on a formal evening, than seeing folk walking around with bottles of wine under their arm. ;)

[Toffeegirl68]

What about a box ??!! :eek:

[Bell Boy]

Even more Naff ! :D:D

[capnpugwash]

A few years ago Cunard had a policy which meant that one was able to purchase OBC at $2 for £1 regardless of the actual rate of exchange, this clearly was quite an advantage. Rather than keeping silent on this perk several members of this board kept on and on shouting about it in spite of being given advice to not discuss the subject ad nauseam. The result which even the most obtuse person should have foreseen was that Cunard realised their error and changed their stance quickly. This endless discussion of whether or not wine can be taken on board seems to be heading in exactly the same direction which I consider to be a great pity and simply avoidable.

[Toffeegirl68]

I rather thought that this thread was discussing the policy rather than people's subversive attempts to get round it by 'smuggling'.

 

It is the latter which is more likely to change an approach in policy.

 

If people increasingly seek to avoid buying consumables on board, then service and standards will surely be impacted. Ultimately, margins have to be made somewhere to keep the shareholders happy and to allow reinvestment.

[capnpugwash]

I rather thought that this thread was discussing the policy rather than people's subversive attempts to get round it by 'smuggling'.

 

It is the latter which is more likely to change an approach in policy.

 

If people increasingly seek to avoid buying consumables on board, then service and standards will surely be impacted. Ultimately, margins have to be made somewhere to keep the shareholders happy and to allow reinvestment.

 

There is no smuggling involved because they currently have a grown up attitude, if it continues to be discussed I fear the outcome, gettit!!

[Scriv]

All I want to know is that if we bring on board our allowed bottles of 1 wine and 1 champagne which we would like to consume in the privacy of our own stateroom or balcony, would we have a glass to drink it from?

 

We do not intend to take our bottle into a public place or restaurant. We would buy a bottle of wine for dinner in the normal way.

.

We are not doing anything subversive or against Cunard policy

[capnpugwash]

All I want to know is that if we bring on board our allowed bottles of 1 wine and 1 champagne which we would like to consume in the privacy of our own stateroom or balcony, would we have a glass to drink it from?

 

We do not intend to take our bottle into a public place or restaurant. We would buy a bottle of wine for dinner in the normal way.

.

We are not doing anything subversive or against Cunard policy

 

Yes

[Scriv]

Thank you cap'n pugwash. By the way that ant in your posts really gets to me - I keep trying to wash it off the screen, lol.

[Queenie1603]

Not long back from a Thomson's trip on the Majesty. Alcohol is allowed on and they also have duty free shop selling a great range of wine and spirit at duty free prices that can be consumed in your cabin - so no need to smuggle. All the Carnival owned ships I have been on (P & O, Cunard, Princess and HAL) have limits. How they are applied varies. One bottle of wine on embarkation may be OK for a 4 day mini cruise but how can the same apply on a RWT?

[Host Hattie]

Don't forget you can bring on more at Ports of call.

[Tampa Girl]

Not long back from a Thomson's trip on the Majesty. Alcohol is allowed on and they also have duty free shop selling a great range of wine and spirit at duty free prices that can be consumed in your cabin - so no need to smuggle. All the Carnival owned ships I have been on (P & O, Cunard, Princess and HAL) have limits. How they are applied varies. One bottle of wine on embarkation may be OK for a 4 day mini cruise but how can the same apply on a RWT?

 

That does not seem to be the present policy re buying at duty-free prices and then consuming it in your cabin. We have been sailing HAL for ten years and any liquor or wine purchased at duty free were kept by the cruise line until the last day, when they were returned to the purchaser. Note the following from Cunard's website:

 

"Alcohol Policy

Duty- and tax-free alcohol is available for purchase and will be delivered to your stateroom on the last day of your voyage. You may bring one bottle of wine or champagne per person on board to celebrate special occasions. If consumed in restaurants or bars, each bottle will be subjected to a $20 corkage fee. This fee is subject to change. Guests who are under 18 years of age are not permitted to purchase or consume alcohol on board. In U.S. waters, Cunard abides by the U.S. legal drinking age of 21 years.

 

Any wines purchased via the Little Luxuries Collection are not subject to the on board $20 corkage fee"

 

It does seem that Cunard's policy is more liberal than HAL's, which limits the one bottle of wine to embarkation port only. After that, no more wine can be brought aboard - at least legally.