MooNGaTe27 Posted November 11, 2019 #1 Share Posted November 11, 2019 I just got off the Sunshine( my 2nd time on her) & I had something happen that hasnt' happen in 28 cruises.I bring an open bottle of wire to the MDR just like I always do & the waiter sees it & that I am pouring the wine myself when He says to me there is a corking fee for the bottle. I said to him that I opened it so why is there a fee. He says that there has always been a fee I said no there hasn't I I better no be charged. When I asked for the Matre D' he said just take the bottle off the table & there would be no charge . We left it on the table & finished the bottle & there was no charge . Has this happen to anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaxsMama Posted November 11, 2019 #2 Share Posted November 11, 2019 A wine corkage fee has nothing to do with them physically opening the bottle. It is a fee an establishment charges you for bringing in your own wine. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyotravel Posted November 11, 2019 #3 Share Posted November 11, 2019 17 minutes ago, JaxsMama said: A wine corkage fee has nothing to do with them physically opening the bottle. It is a fee an establishment charges you for bringing in your own wine. Because they want you to spend more money on buying drinks in there! A glass you carry in from a bar or your room doesn't get a second look. A bottle you bring in is different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coevan Posted November 11, 2019 #4 Share Posted November 11, 2019 never been charged and would not pay $15 for a $15 bottle of wine. They hope you buy a $30 bottle of wine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 1025cruise Posted November 12, 2019 #5 Share Posted November 12, 2019 Next time bring a glass of wine with you. Bringing the bottle will result in the corkage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coevan Posted November 12, 2019 #6 Share Posted November 12, 2019 not always, we have brought an open bottle in the MDR, no one said a word Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canes20 Posted November 12, 2019 #7 Share Posted November 12, 2019 may or may not be charged but the policy is to charge. Nothing to do with removing the cork just as others have said. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare jimbo5544 Posted November 12, 2019 #8 Share Posted November 12, 2019 38 minutes ago, coevan said: not always, we have brought an open bottle in the MDR, no one said a word I am sure it is hot or miss depending on how the staff reacts. Ww have never been charged, possibly due to status, but once when our daughter and her family was cruising with us and brought a bottle into the mdr (different table than us) their waiter sAid they would have to be charged and out waiter ran over and took care of it. I understand both sides. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ah4sail Posted November 12, 2019 #9 Share Posted November 12, 2019 We had this happen on the Sunrise in September. We brought an opened bottle and two glasses with some wine already poured. As soon as we were seated waiter said he HAD to charge $15 corkage fee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schoifmom Posted November 12, 2019 #10 Share Posted November 12, 2019 Pro Tip: When carrying on wine, bring a brand that Carnival offers. If you carry your bottle into the MDR, they don't know if you carried it on or if you purchased it from the Fun Shops. If it is a brand that Carnival carries = no corkage fee. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare CruzerDeb Posted November 12, 2019 #11 Share Posted November 12, 2019 (edited) Just pour a glass in your room and bring it with you. Want more than one glass? I've been known to load up a non see through Carnival souvenir cup with wine. Plenty of wine and it stays cold! I'm not snooty enough to care that it's not in a wine glass, but that's just me. Edited November 12, 2019 by CruzerDeb 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Organized Chaos Posted November 12, 2019 #12 Share Posted November 12, 2019 23 hours ago, amyotravel said: Because they want you to spend more money on buying drinks in there! A glass you carry in from a bar or your room doesn't get a second look. A bottle you bring in is different. Yes, a for-profit company wants you to spend more money. Alcohol sales are a huge part of the revenue of any business that sells it. Glasses aren't questioned because the waiters can't tell if it comes from a bar or the person's cabin. On 11/11/2019 at 3:45 PM, MooNGaTe27 said: I just got off the Sunshine( my 2nd time on her) & I had something happen that hasnt' happen in 28 cruises.I bring an open bottle of wire to the MDR just like I always do & the waiter sees it & that I am pouring the wine myself when He says to me there is a corking fee for the bottle. I said to him that I opened it so why is there a fee. He says that there has always been a fee I said no there hasn't I I better no be charged. When I asked for the Matre D' he said just take the bottle off the table & there would be no charge . We left it on the table & finished the bottle & there was no charge . Has this happen to anyone? Consider yourself lucky for never having to pay the corkage fee because their policy clearly states that it exists. Even so, it seems to be at the discretion of the waiters and Carnival doesn't seem to enforce it much (like so many of their other policies). Maybe they've begun to enforce it more. In the end, your waiter was right, but you didn't care. The Maitre D' advised you to remove the bottle from the table, but you weren't having none of that either. Again, you were lucky that they still didn't charge you. You should've been, especially after refusing to follow their policy when told. But more often than not, they're eager to make their passengers happy. Congrats. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purvis1231 Posted November 12, 2019 #13 Share Posted November 12, 2019 Is $15 bucks enough to really worry about? We have found the corkage fee will worth the service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coevan Posted November 13, 2019 #14 Share Posted November 13, 2019 what service if they are not opening your wine? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookster99 Posted November 13, 2019 #15 Share Posted November 13, 2019 On 11/11/2019 at 3:45 PM, MooNGaTe27 said: I just got off the Sunshine( my 2nd time on her) & I had something happen that hasnt' happen in 28 cruises.I bring an open bottle of wire to the MDR just like I always do & the waiter sees it & that I am pouring the wine myself when He says to me there is a corking fee for the bottle. I said to him that I opened it so why is there a fee. He says that there has always been a fee I said no there hasn't I I better no be charged. When I asked for the Matre D' he said just take the bottle off the table & there would be no charge . We left it on the table & finished the bottle & there was no charge . Has this happen to anyone? I haven't had the experience of bringing in the open bottle. I have only been charged a corking fee for wine brought from home, and I just pay it if it's charged. There is no corking fee for wine bought on the ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare jimbo5544 Posted November 13, 2019 #16 Share Posted November 13, 2019 10 hours ago, Bookster99 said: I haven't had the experience of bringing in the open bottle. I have only been charged a corking fee for wine brought from home, and I just pay it if it's charged. There is no corking fee for wine bought on the ship. The rules are actually pretty clear, wine brought on the ship is meant to be consumed in your cabin. Whether the staff decides to charge the corking fee (we can debate the name) and to the degree they do this seems of interest. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AandBmom Posted November 13, 2019 #17 Share Posted November 13, 2019 We have done approximately 8 carnival cruises and have brought at least 1 bottle of wine to the MDR most nights of every cruise and have never been charged a corkage fee. I know they say it's a thing but I've never seen it happen. I guess someone is deciding to enforce the policy here and there. We can just pour our own in our room I guess then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Kehote Posted November 13, 2019 #18 Share Posted November 13, 2019 2 hours ago, jimbo5544 said: The rules are actually pretty clear, wine brought on the ship is meant to be consumed in your cabin. Whether the staff decides to charge the corking fee (we can debate the name) and to the degree they do this seems of interest. Color me jaded, but I bet that a lot of whether or not they choose to enforce the policy is based on just how much of a hard time the guest with the bottle chooses to give the employee. For the wage they're paid, we're lucky they smile, let alone take the heaps of abuse some here love to dole out. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookster99 Posted November 13, 2019 #19 Share Posted November 13, 2019 5 hours ago, jimbo5544 said: The rules are actually pretty clear, wine brought on the ship is meant to be consumed in your cabin. Whether the staff decides to charge the corking fee (we can debate the name) and to the degree they do this seems of interest. They charged me for both bottles I brought on board and took to the dining room. They charged me for none of the bottles I won/bought on board. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine5715 Posted November 13, 2019 #20 Share Posted November 13, 2019 3 hours ago, Don Kehote said: Color me jaded, but I bet that a lot of whether or not they choose to enforce the policy is based on just how much of a hard time the guest with the bottle chooses to give the employee. For the wage they're paid, we're lucky they smile, let alone take the heaps of abuse some here love to dole out. Or if the grats are in place or if the return guest has a history of pulling tips 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare jimbo5544 Posted November 13, 2019 #21 Share Posted November 13, 2019 35 minutes ago, Bookster99 said: They charged me for both bottles I brought on board and took to the dining room. They charged me for none of the bottles I won/bought on board. Where did you drink the bottles you brought on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare jimbo5544 Posted November 13, 2019 #22 Share Posted November 13, 2019 20 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said: Or if the grats are in place or if the return guest has a history of pulling tips I would be more than shocked if that had ANY thing to do with whether it happened or not. But that said for tip pullers, I would agree with the logic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BallFour4 Posted November 13, 2019 #23 Share Posted November 13, 2019 (edited) 58 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said: Or if the grats are in place or if the return guest has a history of pulling tips Fascinating bit of pure speculation on your part. This topic has a almost predictable interval on the boards and it amazes me that some with decent tenure here state the fee relates to the actual opening of the bottle. It doesn't and never has. The fee is a revenue recoup from not selling wine to the guest. It's common on land and at sea. Want to avoid this? Ask for a wine glass from any inside bar and bring your glass with you to dinner. Problem solved. Edited November 13, 2019 by BallFour4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookster99 Posted November 13, 2019 #24 Share Posted November 13, 2019 3 hours ago, jimbo5544 said: Where did you drink the bottles you brought on? Main dining room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare jimbo5544 Posted November 13, 2019 #25 Share Posted November 13, 2019 8 minutes ago, Bookster99 said: Main dining room. Bingo. There is your answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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