Wine

[zinguy]

I have yet to receive a definitive answer to this question. How much wine can a person bring on board the ship? I am sailing for 12 days out of Barcelona and would like to buy a case of wine at Cortes Ingles and take it with me. Is this okay?

[spongerob]

As much as you can comfortably carry.

[cherylandtk]

As Rob put it, sure. You want a finite number? There isn't one. Princess says "a reasonable amount". You should have no problem with saying a bottle a day is reasonable if questioned.

[hotmike98]

I was carrying a full case of wine into the "check=in" barn in Seattle. The box broke open. We only lost one bottle, and divided the rest between 4 of us in our carry-ons, but no one from Princess said a word, even when helping us clean up the mess from the one casualty. I would think a full case for twelve days is reasonable.

[merela]

I have yet to receive a definitive answer to this question. How much wine can a person bring on board the ship? I am sailing for 12 days out of Barcelona and would like to buy a case of wine at Cortes Ingles and take it with me. Is this okay?

 

You can carry as many bottles as you want to consume on the ship. There is a $10 corkage fee to open a bottle in the dining room. Remember to ask the waiters for Riedel glasses. Since you are paying the $10 corkage fee, they can at least bring out the good glasses. They had Riedel glasses on Diamond Princess' PC dining rooms.

[Breezey]

If you like trying different wines, the best thing we did (just got back yesterday) was buy wine at each of the ports. We got some fantastic chianti in Venice, Riesling in Dubrovnik, etc etc. The range we paid was anywhere from 3Euros to 10. And trust me the 5Euro Riesling purchased at a local grocery store was incredible. Add the $10 corkage fee, it was the best decision we made.

[cruzinchar]

We just got off the Grand Princess in Rome last Friday. We had no problem bringing as much wine as we wanted to on board, and even though we never intended to bring any of it into the dining room, we ended up doing just that (and paying the $10 corkage fee). Since the wine was relatively cheap anyway, and fun to pick out while in port, it was a fun way to do it, and also benefited into a savings from ordering off the menu...

 

Charlene

[DannyMac]

Took two cases of wine and champaign on the Grand (3-5-05). Packed it all in wine shipping boxes, taped it up, put a baggage tag on it and checked it in. No worries, we did pay a corkage fee the first two nights at dinner after that the waiter did not charge us.

[Breezey]

Took two cases of wine and champaign on the Grand (3-5-05). Packed it all in wine shipping boxes, taped it up, put a baggage tag on it and checked it in. No worries, we did pay a corkage fee the first two nights at dinner after that the waiter did not charge us.

 

We brought a bottle of wine with us to every dinner yet corkage fees continued throughout the 12 days. Why the inconsistency? Considering we sat at the same table for 10 of the 12 days.

[spongerob]

Were you in the Anytime dining rooms, Breezey? That could have made a difference. I'm just guessing, but if I were in Anytime where the expectation of "extra" tips is probably lower than traditional dining (not that I want to start a tipping debate) I would probably be more inclined to charge corkage. We normally choose traditional and have been charged corkage about half the time. I think they back off on the corkage fees, too, if you purchase wine from their wine list during the cruise. Again, that's just my theory to try and explain my observations.

[DannyMac]

Breezy, I do not know why we were not charged after the 2nd night. There were four at our dinner table, we brought a white and a red every night. I would like to think it was our charm!!! but I will not bet on it. It could have been the waiter serving the red wine first at the embarkation dinner?? Maybe he recognized fine wine and was expecting a larger tip (which he received)?? Beats me, so I didn't question it. I do know we were charged at Sabatini's for two corkage fees. Go figure!!!

[merela]

but we've always had anytime dining, maybe that's why we have being charged the corkage every time.

[Breezey]

Go figure is right.

 

Spongerob - We were doing anytime dining but from the 3rd day on we sat at the same exact table (our request) since we liked our waiter so much.

Incidentally, he did get an extra tip from us to show our appreciation of his great service, always with a smile.

 

All in the past now