Carrying on Wine in Southampton

[blizzard44ca]

We usually carry on 4-24 bottles of wine in North America.  We are cruising out of Southampton this summer - are there any differences we should be aware of?  We are savvy to the nuances of boarding / waypoints in NA, but this is our first European cruise - does it all work the same?

[majortom10]

Princess say 1litre of wine per person anything extra will have a corkage charge.

[aquilegia]

It's not one litre per person, it's one 75cl bottle.

[willbrook]

Nope. Y’all are both wrong. Princess allows each adult passenger one 750ml bottle of wine.

[wheezedr]

We purchased a half case of wine at a wine shop near the train station in Southampton.  As at any other port we stopped at the “table “ on boarding and filled out a billing slip for the 4 excess bottles and received labels to put on them so that they could be taken to dinner and we would not pay the corkage again.

[oskidunker]

You pay the corkage of $15 at that table. 

[Thrak]

5 hours ago, aquilegia said:

It's not one litre per person, it's one 75cl bottle.

 

1 hour ago, willbrook said:

Nope. Y’all are both wrong. Princess allows each adult passenger one 750ml bottle of wine.

 

75cl is the same as 750ml.

[ohnonotmeagain]

We took a box of wine(6)bottles expecting to pay corkage on those ,as well as our 2 "free" bottles. No-one was at embarkation to verify how many we had,just took them to our cabin.We took a bottle down to the MDR  night.....some were charged to our account,others not.

This was Sapphire  in May out of UK.

[WatchHill]

We have taken 4 cruises out of Southampton and each time either DH or I went through security with both bottles, and each of us were separated from each other. Nobody questioned my having multiple bottles. On our last cruise my sister, her SIL and a niece who lives in Bournemouth, misunderstood the "one bottle per rule" and had at least 4 bottles each in their rolling carry-on luggage [OMG, we drank a lot]. Nobody questioned them and there wasn't any table set up to pay excess bottle fees. Also noted that at a few ports, other passengers had purchased local wines and nobody confiscated it or directed them to a corkage fee table. Interesting, some had purchased hard liquor as well and were not asked to  have it secured until departure.

Thinking about US departure v European ports, the alcohol police are more in force in the USA. 

 

Darcy

[Mapu]

When we boarded in Southampton in August there was a table and two crew on the ramp heading into the ship (way past security). My husband and I looked at each other and kept walking sorry that we did not bring more than our two bottles. We did take advantage of the Wine Package once onboard.

[berlingo]

Gosh some people have been very lucky.

We always sail out of Southampton and have always found the alcohol restrictions are very strictly enforced.

Searches when coming back on board at a port has also been vigorous with confiscations common.

Juliax

 

[happy cruzer]

I like the Princess policy of 2 for the cabin and corkage fee on the others.  It lets Princess have their profit and the cruiser have their wine of choice at a price they can know up front.  We enjoy wine when dining more than in the cabin and do not like bringing "one" glass to the dining room.  To each their own but smuggling (avoiding the fee however it is rationalized) usually results in the cruise line changing a policy.  Just something to consider.

[voljeep]

do other cruise lines have this policy ?

[Micahs Grandad]

9 minutes ago, voljeep said:

do other cruise lines have this policy ?

I know Carnival allows to 750 ml but they will confiscate overage

[happy cruzer]

2 hours ago, voljeep said:

do other cruise lines have this policy ?

Some are close but the policies do change.  Here are the ones I think are current - NCL carryon as much as you like pay corkage on each bottle of $15.  Celebrity carryon 1 per adult and pay corkage of $25 in the dining room.  Oceania carry on as much as you like and pay corkage of $25 in dining room.  Seabourn carryon all you like and no corkage fee.  Always have to check when booking for changes in the policy.

 

[majortom10]

P&O allow you to take onboard at Southampton 1 litre of wine or spirits per person for cabin consumption.

[Cruisen Elf]

On 6/20/2019 at 2:37 PM, wheezedr said:

We purchased a half case of wine at a wine shop near the train station in Southampton.  As at any other port we stopped at the “table “ on boarding and filled out a billing slip for the 4 excess bottles and received labels to put on them so that they could be taken to dinner and we would not pay the corkage again.

 

Do you recall the name of the wine shop near the train station?  We will be arriving in Southampton by train, and hope to buy some wine nearby, then taxi to the port.  Thanks in advance for any info you can share!

 

[newport dave]

7 minutes ago, Cruisen Elf said:

 

Do you recall the name of the wine shop near the train station?  We will be arriving in Southampton by train, and hope to buy some wine nearby, then taxi to the port.  Thanks in advance for any info you can share!

 

There's an ASDA supermarket and a Marks & Spencers both close by. Both have a good selection of wine at varying prices.

[Cruisen Elf]

22 minutes ago, newport dave said:

There's an ASDA supermarket and a Marks & Spencers both close by. Both have a good selection of wine at varying prices.

 

Thanks so much!  

[Thrak]

4 hours ago, newport dave said:

There's an ASDA supermarket and a Marks & Spencers both close by. Both have a good selection of wine at varying prices.

 

4 hours ago, Cruisen Elf said:

 

Thanks so much!  

 

Be aware that, if you are purchasing on a Sunday, there are severely curtailed hours in which alcohol can be purchased.

[newport dave]

21 minutes ago, Thrak said:

 

 

Be aware that, if you are purchasing on a Sunday, there are severely curtailed hours in which alcohol can be purchased.

These will be the shop hours which will be either 1000-1600 or 1100-1700. Or if you find a small convenience store, their hours will be longer. 

[wheezedr]

13 hours ago, Cruisen Elf said:

 

Do you recall the name of the wine shop near the train station?  We will be arriving in Southampton by train, and hope to buy some wine nearby, then taxi to the port.  Thanks in advance for any info you can share!

 

It is a branch of Majestic wine.  The ASDA supermarket and the M and S were also nearby and had wine shops as well.  I thought Majestic had a better selection.  We hit a helpful manager and got a good price buying six bottles.  

[Cruisen Elf]

Thanks, everyone, for all the useful information!  I've already mapped out the places on Google maps and checked the opening hours.  We're arriving on a Tuesday, so will have plenty of options available.  🍷