Bringing wine into lounges

[BBWC]

I know all about bringing wine to a dining venue and having to pay corkage. However, we would like to take a nice bottle of champagne into one of the lounges as a pre-dinner drink since we don’t like to drink in the cabin. I don’t mind paying the corkage but would it look strange to walk into a lounge with a bottle in hand?

[Steven_&_Daniel]

I don't think it would look strange at all. We pre-purchased a bottle of champagne for our anniversary a few years ago. Picked it up in one lounge, drank part of it, then carried it and our glasses to another lounge to finish it. Walking just about anywhere on a cruise ship with a drink or bottle and glass is not unusual....except maybe in the gym, LOL.

 

[NavyVeteran]

There should be no problem carrying a bottle anywhere on the ship - except on the pool deck where they don't want glass bottles. If you brought the bottle onboard as one of your one-per-person free bottles, then you are not supposed to drink it outside of your room without paying corkage, but I would not expect anyone to stop you to inspect the bottle. Since you are willing to pay the corkage, there should be no problem even if they do.

 

I'm assuming you are planning to carry an opened bottle. If you carry a closed bottle and ask the bartender to open it for you, then that could be a different matter.

 

There is definitely no problem carrying a drink in a glass anywhere - even into the dining room. Once it is poured into a glass, no one has any way to know whether it came from your room or from a bar.

[voljeep]

10 minutes ago, Steven_&_Daniel said:

....except maybe in the gym, LOL.

come on, man - we know that's not water in that bottle...right?

 

I like a good beer buzz in the morning ... all I want to do is have some fun ...

[MissP22]

I never noticed anyone carrying a bottle into a bar although I did sea a family have a bottle in the main show lounge one evening before the show.

I couldn't tell if it had a sticker or not.

No one seemed to mind.

[JimmyVWine]

We have brought wine bottles to Crooners, Explorer’s Lounge, Princess Theater, and chairs/chaises on the Promenade Deck.  Never had a problem. All servers seem to be well in tuned to the corkage policy. 

[Steelers36]

11 hours ago, BBWC said:

I know all about bringing wine to a dining venue and having to pay corkage. However, we would like to take a nice bottle of champagne into one of the lounges as a pre-dinner drink since we don’t like to drink in the cabin. I don’t mind paying the corkage but would it look strange to walk into a lounge with a bottle in hand?

The only thing strange is that there is a tradition at sea that whomever hears the cork pop is entitled to a taste.  ;)

 

[Reina del Mar]

Have seen many people carrying wine glasses and bottles around the ship.

 

They may have bought it in a different bar, from the dining room, maybe from last night...bar or dinner or they may have brought it onboard..

 

Hope they enjoy it.- nobody else's business. 

 

Personally, we enjoy a glass of something on the balcony .

[Thrak]

16 hours ago, steelers36 said:

The only thing strange is that there is a tradition at sea that whomever hears the cork pop is entitled to a taste.  😉

 

 

My corks don't "pop". I ease them out nicely with no waste. I want it all! I hate to see sparkling wine of any type bubble out of the bottle.

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

My corks don't "pop". I ease them out nicely with no waste. I want it all! I hate to see sparkling wine of any type bubble out of the bottle.

Totally agree - my technique also.  It was a device to fit the narrative.  ;-)

 

[Thrak]

The only time it's obvious is when your wine is in the water glass from your cabin or some other non-wine glass. When I see that I don't care at all.

[MissP22]

8 hours ago, Thrak said:

The only time it's obvious is when your wine is in the water glass from your cabin or some other non-wine glass. When I see that I don't care at all.

They never seem to care & always want to carry the glass for me. 

We always get a couple of the larger water glasses from the DR & reuse them during the cruise. At one time they used to provide them at the Horizon buffet but on the last few trips they've been missing.

Edited May 2, 2019 by MissP22

[Cruise Raider]

On 4/30/2019 at 12:55 PM, NavyVeteran said:

I'm assuming you are planning to carry an opened bottle. If you carry a closed bottle and ask the bartender to open it for you, then that could be a different matter.

 

 

On our last cruise, we purchased a wine package but the only place it was possible to get a bottle was in one of the dining areas ... and we didn't carry a wine opener with us.  Well, one day we got a couple of bottles to take up to our stateroom but we didn't want to open too early.  The next day, when we wanted a glass, we simply took the bottle to Crooners, since that was the closest bar to our cabin, and explained this was part of our wine package.  Since there wasn't any sticker on it, how was he really to know we didn't just bring it onboard with us?   He had no problem opening it for us ...even gave us glasses to use.  We could have just drank it at the bar if we wanted to ... no problem.  

I've seen others bring a bottle of wine to their table in the lounge and we've even taken a half full bottle from the dining room to one of the bars / lounges for an after dinner drink.  It does happen .... seen it at least once on every cruise I've been on, at least on Princess.  

[CineGraphic]

We took our bottle of Champagne to Vines, where they happily served us....you also get great things to nibble on while there.

Well worth the price of corkage.

[caribill]

5 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

 

On our last cruise, we purchased a wine package but the only place it was possible to get a bottle was in one of the dining areas ... and we didn't carry a wine opener with us.  Well, one day we got a couple of bottles to take up to our stateroom but we didn't want to open too early.  The next day, when we wanted a glass, we simply took the bottle to Crooners, since that was the closest bar to our cabin, and explained this was part of our wine package.  Since there wasn't any sticker on it, how was he really to know we didn't just bring it onboard with us?   He had no problem opening it for us ...even gave us glasses to use.  We could have just drank it at the bar if we wanted to ... no problem.  

I've seen others bring a bottle of wine to their table in the lounge and we've even taken a half full bottle from the dining room to one of the bars / lounges for an after dinner drink.  It does happen .... seen it at least once on every cruise I've been on, at least on Princess.  

 

I suspect because it was a wine that Princess has on board. I am guessing, but I expect that most wines that passengers bring onboard are not the same that Princess sells.

[Cruise Raider]

7 hours ago, caribill said:

 

I suspect because it was a wine that Princess has on board. I am guessing, but I expect that most wines that passengers bring onboard are not the same that Princess sells.

 

We could have shown him our wine card or he could have looked at our account ... but he trusted us, which was nice.  We are also very pleased they now have really great wines for sale by the bottle.  So much nicer to not have to fly with it and then lug it onboard!!  We were able to simply pack in a carry on piece of luggage each since we didn't have to carry wine onboard.  

But, that is exactly the kind of wine we'd have brought onboard with us.

One was a Mer Soliel Chardonnay and the other, a Rombauer Chardonnay.  Yummmmers!!  

[nukesubsailor]

On 4/30/2019 at 2:06 PM, BBWC said:

I know all about bringing wine to a dining venue and having to pay corkage. However, we would like to take a nice bottle of champagne into one of the lounges as a pre-dinner drink since we don’t like to drink in the cabin. I don’t mind paying the corkage but would it look strange to walk into a lounge with a bottle in hand?

Amazon has a lot of choices for hydration backpacks. You see passengers with backpacks in the lounges and all over the ship so you won't look out of place wearing it.   I would recommend selecting one that is insulated so you can fill it with white as well red wine.  Fill it up in your cabin with 2 liters of your favorite wine and you are good for the whole evening.😉

[MissP22]

On 5/3/2019 at 3:34 AM, caribill said:

I suspect because it was a wine that Princess has on board. I am guessing, but I expect that most wines that passengers bring onboard are not the same that Princess sells.

And also at a fraction of what Princess charges. 😏

[Cruise Raider]

4 hours ago, MissP22 said:

And also at a fraction of what Princess charges. 😏

 

Actually, I don't want to say this too loudly, lest they up their charges, but the new wine list is really a good deal, especially when purchased as a package.  

[MissP22]

17 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

 

Actually, I don't want to say this too loudly, lest they up their charges, but the new wine list is really a good deal, especially when purchased as a package.  

They never seem to have what we drink which is Moscato. 

Available everywhere including Total Wine at a very good price. 

We're not into most of the ones that Princess offers & never even go to the wine tasting any longer. 

[Cruise Raider]

4 hours ago, MissP22 said:

They never seem to have what we drink which is Moscato. 

Available everywhere including Total Wine at a very good price. 

We're not into most of the ones that Princess offers & never even go to the wine tasting any longer. 

 

The actually have a nice Moscato on the new wine list .... it was even featured in the wine tasting on our sailing a couple of weeks ago.  

 

 

[MissP22]

32 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

 

The actually have a nice Moscato on the new wine list .... it was even featured in the wine tasting on our sailing a couple of weeks ago.  

 

 

Did they consider it a dessert wine since it is on the sweeter side?

[Cruise Raider]

5 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Did they consider it a dessert wine since it is on the sweeter side?

 

Yes they did but it was available for purchase as a bottle.  I enjoy a nice after dinner dessert wine and this would have fit the bill but a friend of mine likes it with her meals.  They commented, during the wine tasting, that it also went well with a mild fish or light afternoon fare ... so they were treating it as either a drinking with a meal wine or as a dessert wine.