Wine in Main Dining Room

[Babynan]

Hi all.

I was just wondering if it is okay to take glasses of wine into the Main Dining Room to have with our meal?

When my wife and I went in 2017 with Royal Caribbean around the mediterranean, they did'nt seem to mind. I was'nt sure if Carnival were the same?

Thanks

James

[bury me at sea]

Yes, it's perfectly fine.

[MURCOTT]

Yes, I do it all the time.

[Babynan]

Thanks for the quick replies. Thats good to know. I was'nt sure if you could only take a bottle in and then pay corkage fees.

[bury me at sea]

22 minutes ago, Babynan said:

Thanks for the quick replies. Thats good to know. I was'nt sure if you could only take a bottle in and then pay corkage fees.

You can do that too if you wish.  They will keep your wine and the bottle will be waiting on your table each evening, if you have traditional dining.

 

I'm not sure how it works with anytime dining.

 

Meanwhile if you prefer to take a glass with you, your room steward will bring you wine glasses, and any bartender will give them to you.

[Babynan]

2 hours ago, bury me at sea said:

You can do that too if you wish.  They will keep your wine and the bottle will be waiting on your table each evening, if you have traditional dining.

 

I'm not sure how it works with anytime dining.

 

Meanwhile if you prefer to take a glass with you, your room steward will bring you wine glasses, and any bartender will give them to you.

 

Thanks, thats great. I appreciate all your help.

James

[summersigh]

We were on the Sunshine December 2018 where I took a glass of wine to the MDR with me each evening and left the empty wine glass on the table. 

If you ask at any bar (or ask your cabin steward) they'll give you a new glass

 

We'd brought onboard our 2 bottles and found a gift of another bottle in our cabin so this worked well to not have "extra wine" left over.   In the daytime I enjoy "umbrella drinks" and my nightcap of Scotch.
😀🍹

[coevan]

3 hours ago, Babynan said:

Thanks for the quick replies. Thats good to know. I was'nt sure if you could only take a bottle in and then pay corkage fees.

 

 

We have never been charged a corkage fee. We open the bottle in the cabin and bring it back to the cabin after dinner.

[Babynan]

7 minutes ago, summersigh said:

We were on the Sunshine December 2018 where I took a glass of wine to the MDR with me each evening and left the empty wine glass on the table. 

If you ask at any bar (or ask your cabin steward) they'll give you a new glass

 

We'd brought onboard our 2 bottles and found a gift of another bottle in our cabin so this worked well to not have "extra wine" left over.   In the daytime I enjoy "umbrella drinks" and my nightcap of Scotch.
😀🍹

 

Sounds good. As you can probably tell, we are fairly new to cruising, so this forum is a great help.

[Babynan]

5 minutes ago, coevan said:

 

 

We have never been charged a corkage fee. We open the bottle in the cabin and bring it back to the cabin after dinner.

 

Thanks coevan, I did'nt realise you could take an open bottle to the Dining room. That would be handy as herself drinks a bit more than me.

[Knights on the Beach]

We've taken wine or other drinks with us to the dining room often.  We've also taken an open bottle of champagne with us as well and have never been charged a corkage fee.

[Butterbean1000]

On 2/16/2019 at 11:48 AM, coevan said:

 

 

We have never been charged a corkage fee. We open the bottle in the cabin and bring it back to the cabin after dinner.

The first few times, we were not charged.  A few cruises ago, they charged us.  From that point on, we started pouring our wine in our stateroom and taking it to the MDR.  With the price you pay for your carry on wine and the corkage fee, why not just buy a bottle at dinner and avoid having to pack and schlepping bottles around.

[schazzy]

On 2/16/2019 at 11:56 AM, Babynan said:

I did'nt realise you could take an open bottle to the Dining room.

 

Only if you stop along the way and take a swig from the bottle and yell "WOOOOOO! PARTY!" occasionally. 

 

Okay, not really, but yes, you can bring your bottle that's already been opened, I've seen several people bring bottles into the MDR with the cork sticking halfway out.

[Babynan]

2 hours ago, cruisemom2 said:

We've taken wine or other drinks with us to the dining room often.  We've also taken an open bottle of champagne with us as well and have never been charged a corkage fee.

 

Thanks Cruisemom. It sounds like Carnival are a bit more relaxed about alcohol in the MDR.

[Babynan]

2 hours ago, schazzy said:

 

Only if you stop along the way and take a swig from the bottle and yell "WOOOOOO! PARTY!" occasionally. 

 

Okay, not really, but yes, you can bring your bottle that's already been opened, I've seen several people bring bottles into the MDR with the cork sticking halfway out.

 

Sounds like a great way to start a party Schazzy. 😁

[lennythenose]

I have only taken a glass to the MDR. Recently I’ve read several reviews of people being charged a corkage fee when bringing their own bottle. Even though this has always been the policy it seems to be enforced more now although not all the time still. 

[summersigh]

5 hours ago, Butterbean1000 said:

With the price you pay for your carry on wine and the corkage fee, why not just buy a bottle at dinner and avoid having to pack and schlepping bottles around.

I'm a "cheap wine" drinker - I love my Zinfandel 😀  DH and I always bring our allotted 1 bottle each since a bottle on board is around $34 dollars and I get ours at the grocery for around $8 each.   If we "need" more then I will buy bottles in the MDR 🍷🍾

[Babynan]

32 minutes ago, summersigh said:

I'm a "cheap wine" drinker - I love my Zinfandel  😀  DH and I always bring our allotted 1 bottle each since a bottle on board is around $34 dollars and I get ours at the grocery for around $8 each.   If we "need" more then I will buy bottles in the MDR 🍷🍾

 

Hi. Being from the UK we both like a nice sweet Prosecco. But I don't know what would be a sweet Prosecco in Walmart or Publix.

Any suggestions?

James

[coevan]

sorry but what does living in UK have to do with your wine preference? 

[simplelife]

I don't take the bottle into the MDR or club, but do fill my glass in the cabin and take it with me to dinner or the show.

 

[Liltx31]

I will bring a bottle, even though I have Cheers, because I love a certain Rose in a beautiful bottle for brunch.  I have no balance so will be taking the unopened bottle, not a glass. If you pay the corkage they will ice it for you.  I like mine ice cold, after a Bloody Mary. Sometimes I am charged corkage sometimes, not.

However, I have taken a glass of wine to the MDR from the bar and that is no issue.  I have taken lot of different drinks into the MDR.  They do not know or care where they come from and as long as I can walk my husband doesn't care either.

[cruisinpips]

Based on our latest cruise on the Breeze, if you do not bing your own, expect to wait FOREVER to get any drink from the bar. We couldn’t get any drink in less than 20-30 minutes. Dinner took entirely too long, waiters had to,run to bar for their own tabkes drinks instead of having a bar server. Terrible service at dinner for sure. Worst experience of our cruising history, all due to cutbacks in crew...

[coevan]

tipping goes a long way, the first night at YTD we told the waiter we wanted to order a drink before dinner. We did wait about 5 minutes and a cocktail server brought us our drinks. We told her we will be in this station and would like to order a drink every night before dinner. We never had a problem getting a drink or excellent service, as in "would you like your regular drink"

[bury me at sea]

We noticed this trend a couple of cruises ago on the Breeze, which is my favorite ship.

 

Our solution, which works because we drink wine and not cocktails with dinner, is to leave a bottle of wine, replaced as often as necessary, in the MDR.

 

I also tell our head waiter the first night that we will probably want after dinner drinks every night.  The bartender has never failed to show up, generally during dessert.  I love those souvenir shot glasses and have quite a collection.

[mexicobob]

Many times have taken a glass of wine into the MDR with no problem. I am too lazy to carry around a bottle of wine to take anywhere.  
If you do not finish a bottle in ATD (that you bought in the dining room), it will be brought to you wherever you sit.  Just like in traditional dining.