Wine/Bringing On Cruise

[m8zenblue]

I know this subject has ben covered.

I was told by a very frequent X cruiser that if you have a beverage package you can bring wine onboard and you are able to indulge in you in the MDR without paying a corkage fee.

Answers will be welcomed !

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Yes, 2 bottles per person of legal drinking age. You will not pay a corkage fee in any venue when you have a beverage package, I'm assuming they mean an alcohol beverage package.

[George C]

We will definitely bring 4 bottles, also very happy they removed the 25 dollar corkage fee.

[canderson]

37 minutes ago, George C said:

We will definitely bring 4 bottles, also very happy they removed the 25 dollar corkage fee.

Have some 1997 Cardinale left that I'd love to bring, but a bit unnerved by how long it might take for the sediment to sort itself out sufficiently for decanting after a plane ride from Denver to Barcelona.  Don't ordinarily bring wines of this sort along.

 

Do you have experience you can share?

 

[George C]

2 minutes ago, canderson said:

Have some 1997 Cardinale left that I'd love to bring, but a bit unnerved by how long it might take for the sediment to sort itself out sufficiently for decanting after a plane ride from Denver to Barcelona.  Don't ordinarily bring wines of this sort along.

 

Do you have experience you can share?

 

While we do take wine on all our recent cruises we do not take anything that special, normally just bring stags leap , Silverado or maybe silver oak Cabernet. 

[m8zenblue]

WAIT !!!

Is it 2 bottles per person or 2 bottles per cabin ?

[mfs2k]

We have the premium beverage package, and we're not into high end, expensive wines, so it doesn't make much sense for us to buy wine and bring it along.  

 

Every situation differs. 

[Mark_T]

17 minutes ago, m8zenblue said:

WAIT !!!

Is it 2 bottles per person or 2 bottles per cabin ?

Per person, it changed, and it is covered in the FAQ under 'Alcohol Policy'

[canderson]

1 hour ago, George C said:

While we do take wine on all our recent cruises we do not take anything that special, normally just bring stags leap , Silverado or maybe silver oak Cabernet. 

Even my last 2 bottles of 97 S.Oak Alexander would be subjected to quite a shake up.  

 

Have any you have taken that have already thrown a fair bit of sediment settled down enough to properly decant?

[Alaska Lily]

If you can give it to the sommelier prior to dinner it would probably have proper time for decanting.  Personally I like the experience of opening it and decanting it myself.  I would be nervous about sending it as luggage and wouldn't bring it. I'd wait to enjoy it at home.  I bring some wine to enjoy but like George C...we bring something a little more "pedestrian" 🙂  Have a wonderful cruise and enjoy some delicious Spanish wines! 

[George C]

I would think if dining in Luminae they would know how to handle the wine , I almost never decant our wine , have been offered decanting in Luminae. 

[Denny01]

Wife and I ran a Wine Tasting class as part of a non-profit group that offered many interesting classes. We are Not experts at all, but had a lot of fun with it.

 

One class I held, I had the same 3 bottles of wine. One I opened right before serving;; the 2nd I opened and used one of those ‘decanting’ stopper spouts that mix air while you pour; the 3rd I decanted using a wine decanter. 

 

The class could tell a big difference in the wine between the undecanted and the decanter spout; but little between the spout and the fully decanted. Had them sip water and at cracker between.

 

Fun

 

den

 

 

[cruisestitch]

On 8/15/2022 at 8:25 PM, m8zenblue said:

WAIT !!!

Is it 2 bottles per person or 2 bottles per cabin ?

There is confusion on this matter. Currently two different parts of the Celebrity website say two different things. It’s unclear to me if the change to two bottles per person was an error or if that is correct but they just haven’t updated the part where it says two bottles per state room.

 

One poster here on Cruise Critic wrote that they had taken two bottles per person and were called to the naughty room. When they showed the regulations to the staff at guest relations, it was news to them that anything had changed.

 

This makes me suspicious that the two per person was a typo of some sort. But you won’t know until you try.

Edited August 19, 2022 by cruisestitch

[sanger727]

On 8/15/2022 at 3:49 PM, canderson said:

Have some 1997 Cardinale left that I'd love to bring, but a bit unnerved by how long it might take for the sediment to sort itself out sufficiently for decanting after a plane ride from Denver to Barcelona.  Don't ordinarily bring wines of this sort along.

 

Do you have experience you can share?

 

 

I personally wouldn't bring wine on a flight. They throw the bags around; too much chance of breakage. When we bring wine on we buy it locally. 

[canderson]

1 hour ago, Alaska Lily said:

If you can give it to the sommelier prior to dinner it would probably have proper time for decanting.  Personally I like the experience of opening it and decanting it myself.  I would be nervous about sending it as luggage and wouldn't bring it. I'd wait to enjoy it at home.  I bring some wine to enjoy but like George C...we bring something a little more "pedestrian" 🙂  Have a wonderful cruise and enjoy some delicious Spanish wines! 

"Pedestrian" I can get aboard, so don't ever bring something like that.

 

As regards decanting:  That's only possible if the sediment has settled.  You can't shake up a bottle of old cab, let it sit for an hour, and decant it.  Do that, and you'd have to filter it!  It can take a fair bit of time for the precipitates to settle again such that decanting would get the job done.  That's why I was asking @George C about his experience with traveling with old reds.  We usually don't risk it and instead bring favorite old whites so we don't have to deal with this.  Nothing like a vintage Auslese with roast pork.

[canderson]

Just now, sanger727 said:

 

I personally wouldn't bring wine on a flight. They throw the bags around; too much chance of breakage. When we bring wine on we buy it locally. 

Have carried innumerable bottles around the world in checked luggage with never a break.  Just a matter of packing technique.  

[Alaska Lily]

I was assuming that the bottle would be upright for several days prior to decanting. But your concern about it taking longer for the sediment to settle in a 1997 vintage is probably valid. 

[canderson]

9 minutes ago, Alaska Lily said:

I was assuming that the bottle would be upright for several days prior to decanting. But your concern about it taking longer for the sediment to settle in a 1997 vintage is probably valid.

After all these many years, it's something we've taken such pains to avoid that I have no personal experience in wine abuse!

 

Even when taking an older bottle to someone else's house, I'm always careful to retain the same orientation as in the rack during packing and transport, and avoid any exciting bumps or maneuvers when driving!  It doesn't get carefully turned to vertical until it arrives, and then it gets a chance to sit for a bit before opening. 

 

The "big stuff" settles out quickly enough, but after rattling it around from Denver to the ship in Barcelona, have to wonder how long it might really take to get that and the finer stuff to settle again.

 

Seems silly that I shouldn't know this after so long.

 

As I think about it, we have 4 days in Barcelona, but getting it from hotel to ship cabin probably won't go easy on it.

 

Guess I'll just plan to hold it for a few days in the cabin wine cooler (a suite advantage) before having it taken to dinner and see how it goes.

 

[Beachlover1989]

1 hour ago, cruisestitch said:

There is confusion on this matter. Currently two different parts of the Celebrity website say two different things. It’s unclear to me if the change to two bottles per person was an error or if that is correct but they just haven’t updated the part where it says two bottles per state room.

 

One poster here on Cruise Critic wrote that they had taken two bottles per person and were called to the naughty room. When they showed the regulations to the staff at guest relations, it was news to them that anything had changed.

 

This makes me suspicious that the two per person was a typo of some sort. But you won’t know until you try.

We brought two bottles per person in June on the Summit.  The policy has definitely changed.  I read that other poster and the mistake they make was to put all four bottles in their checked bags.  You're suppose to bring them in your carry on.

[vjmatty]

1 hour ago, sanger727 said:

 

I personally wouldn't bring wine on a flight. They throw the bags around; too much chance of breakage. When we bring wine on we buy it locally. 

 

Also if you are traveling internationally you can buy it duty-free at the airport and just bring it on the plane in a shopping bag.

[Solon]

5 minutes ago, vjmatty said:

 

Also if you are traveling internationally you can buy it duty-free at the airport and just bring it on the plane in a shopping bag.

Better yet, as one poster said they were cruising from Spain, just buy some fantastic Spanish wines before you board!

We are cruising from Italy next month.  Don't need to bring any wine from home!  Italians do it best..lol

[vjmatty]

Just now, Solon said:

Better yet, as one poster said they were cruising from Spain, just buy some fantastic Spanish wines before you board!

We are cruising from Italy next month.  Don't need to bring any wine from home!  Italians do it best..lol

 

Ah yes, if cruising from Spain, France, Italy or Greece I would do just that.  On our TA from Southampton we are flying from Athens so it will be Greek wine.

[neverlaysup]

On 8/15/2022 at 12:49 PM, canderson said:

Have some 1997 Cardinale left that I'd love to bring, but a bit unnerved by how long it might take for the sediment to sort itself out sufficiently for decanting after a plane ride from Denver to Barcelona.  Don't ordinarily bring wines of this sort along.

 

Do you have experience you can share?

 

I took a 2000 Pétrus Pomerol earlier this year and we were going to have it in Murano (Anniversary Dinner). I coordinated with the Sommelier to come down at 5 and properly decant it. Our reservation was for 8 and it was perfect.

[neverlaysup]

1 hour ago, Beachlover1989 said:

We brought two bottles per person in June on the Summit.  The policy has definitely changed.  I read that other poster and the mistake they make was to put all four bottles in their checked bags.  You're suppose to bring them in your carry on.

I've actually done both with no confiscation....yet.

[canderson]

4 minutes ago, neverlaysup said:

I took a 2000 Pétrus Pomerol earlier this year and we were going to have it in Murano (Anniversary Dinner). I coordinated with the Sommelier to come down at 5 and properly decant it. Our reservation was for 8 and it was perfect.

But how many days did you allow for it to settle before sending it down to dinner?