Corkage Fee?

[brillohead]

31 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

As you can see, the experiences are all over the place. 

I don't think you read the same thread as the rest of us.... literally EVERYONE said the same exact thing.  

In what way, shape, or form does that constitute "all over the place"?

[exm]

Bring a wine opener, open the bottle in your room and bring it with you. Issue resolved.

[not-enough-cruising]

30 minutes ago, exm said:

Bring a wine opener, open the bottle in your room and bring it with you. Issue resolved.

Opening the bottle yourself VS the staff opening the bottle has nothing to do with corkage fee. Corkage is to reclaim lost revenue for not being able to sell you the alcohol

[Ret MP]

1 hour ago, brillohead said:

I don't think you read the same thread as the rest of us.... literally EVERYONE said the same exact thing.   Oh ya, just as one example, read post #2.  And some are talking about Sake and others, wine.   

In what way, shape, or form does that constitute "all over the place"?  Referring to different experiences and places.  Sure those that responded IN HERE may have not had to pay a corkage fee.  But, in many other social media sites that I've been in, people have been required to pay a corkage fee or take the bottle back to the room.  Also, see below.

The purpose of my post was to let people know that there is an official policy, regardless of the experiences, of some or many in here.  No good deed goes unpunished or unappreciated which is usually the case in some of these social media sites.  

 

I'd hate to see/hear about someone that may have been/has been surprised by a crew member (no matter what other's experiences have been) that MAY demand a corking fee and someone in here wasn't aware of the policy.  Knowing the policy, I'll just not bring a bottle of wine to drink in a public area because I know what the policy is and what CAN happen.  And I'll always go with the written official policy rather than what's on a Social Media site.  I may not benefit from the non-following of police.  But, I'll not be led astray if I do follow the written official policy.  It's like breaking a speeding law, some cops don't write ticket for speeding and others will write their own mother a ticket for speeding.  So, I don't speed just to avoid the one or two cops that will write a speeding ticket to their own mother, which are usually motormen (motorcycle cops) (and that ain't a joke).  

 

You do you and I'll do me. 

Edited August 30, 2022 by Ret MP

[exm]

16 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Opening the bottle yourself VS the staff opening the bottle has nothing to do with corkage fee. Corkage is to reclaim lost revenue for not being able to sell you the alcohol

 

They only charge the corkage fee once, when opening the bottle. When the bottle is opened, they can't and won't charge the fee again since they don't know who opened the bottle. I never had an issue with this. Ever.

[not-enough-cruising]

1 hour ago, exm said:

 

They only charge the corkage fee once, when opening the bottle. When the bottle is opened, they can't and won't charge the fee again since they don't know who opened the bottle. I never had an issue with this. Ever.

And I am saying they can charge the fee even if THEY don’t open the bottle. 

 

I have NEVER been charged the fee on Royal, but opening the bottle in your room doesn’t make you immune to the possibility. 

[LB_NJ]

At $15 this is probably one of the lowest corkage fees around and personally I don't care if they charged me or not.

 

What I am wondering about is whether or not they will properly store the bottle for me until the next evening if we do not finish it at dinner.  Anyone know?  We will be on Enchantment in a room without a refrigerator.

[taglovestocruise]

2 hours ago, LB_NJ said:

At $15 this is probably one of the lowest corkage fees around and personally I don't care if they charged me or not.

 

What I am wondering about is whether or not they will properly store the bottle for me until the next evening if we do not finish it at dinner.  Anyone know?  We will be on Enchantment in a room without a refrigerator.

They will store the bottle and have it on the table the next night, storing it properly is a different animal. 

[Biker19]

6 hours ago, LB_NJ said:

they will properly store the bottle

Depends on your definition of proper storage - it just sits on a shelf at ambient temperature.

[sjb317]

65+ Royal cruises, we carry a bottle of wine into MDR and/or specialties on every cruise.  Never charged a corkage fee.  Only once did we have someone mention it, our waiter in the MDR. asked if we knew there was a corkage fee and I nicely said yes, we did.  He did not charge us.  
 

Sherri🙂

[HappyTexan44]

On 8/30/2022 at 3:01 PM, exm said:

Bring a wine opener, open the bottle in your room and bring it with you. Issue resolved.

Bonus is that they can't destroy the cork.   
I weep for that lost bottle of wine.  

 

[Seville2Cabo]

What is this left over wine you talk about?  Corks are for quitters. 

[jencruzin]

On 8/26/2022 at 12:40 PM, jerseygirl3 said:

We will be on Enchantment of the Seas next week. I know we can bring onboard a couple of bottles of wine. What is the current corkage fee?  I've heard it's rarely enforced. True?  If so, is it poured by a sommelier ir your waiter. Just want to know who to tip.  

Never really enforced, the table waiters take care of it....that equates to cash tips from us.

[pittnh]

so it sounds like it might be a good idea to grab 2 bottles the night before arriving in port and bring them in our carry on when boarding.  Save a little bit on the MDR markups

[karl_nj]

I have been charged the corkage fee a few times in the past.

 

Generally I just assume that I will be charged, and then i'm happy if i'm not charged.

 

If they don't charge me, I end up tipping them even more 'extra' at the end of the cruise, so from my POV it all evens out in the end anyway.

 

 

[HappyTexan44]

To me it seems worthwhile to bring wine just to be able have precisely what I want and when I want it.  
My husband doesn't drink wine and we'll have two rooms, so I get four bottles of wine on our 5 day cruise.   Bwahahahaha

[Broons77]

1 hour ago, HappyTexan44 said:

To me it seems worthwhile to bring wine just to be able have precisely what I want and when I want it.  
My husband doesn't drink wine and we'll have two rooms, so I get four bottles of wine on our 5 day cruise.   Bwahahahaha

 

I find it quite kind that RCI has provided a loophole to drive a wine delivery truck through for all those wine drinking parents with separate rooms for the kids!

[JupiterTwo]

On 8/26/2022 at 1:29 PM, dodgestang said:

I took 2 bottles on enchantment in July....they didn't charge me to open them at Chops or at the MDR.  The one at Chops was a 22 yr old bottle the waiter didn't know how to open a older soft cork on an old unfiltered wine, he destroyed the cork (most went into the bottle) and then because it was an unfilited bottle it had a lot of sediment in it from storage on side....long story short he refused to pour it for us saying it was bad.  I didn't feel like fighting with him.

 

That's what the ah-so tool is for.

[RedIguana]

On 8/30/2022 at 4:33 PM, not-enough-cruising said:

Opening the bottle yourself VS the staff opening the bottle has nothing to do with corkage fee. Corkage is to reclaim lost revenue for not being able to sell you the alcohol

This is not the case with Royal, although with the caveat that it matters WHERE it opened. Royal may charge corkage for wine opened anywhere other than your cabin. Royal does not charge a corkage for wine "consumed" in ones cabin, so no corkage is collected upon boarding as on other lines such as HAL. In reality, any wine opened in your room may be transported in a glass any where on the ship, including the MDR. So Royal can be the exemption to the usual definition of a corkage fee.

[not-enough-cruising]

34 minutes ago, RedIguana said:

This is not the case with Royal, although with the caveat that it matters WHERE it opened. Royal may charge corkage for wine opened anywhere other than your cabin. Royal does not charge a corkage for wine "consumed" in ones cabin, so no corkage is collected upon boarding as on other lines such as HAL. In reality, any wine opened in your room may be transported in a glass any where on the ship, including the MDR. So Royal can be the exemption to the usual definition of a corkage fee.

I’m not sure what is different about what you posted and what I posted but OK. 

[LB_NJ]

2 hours ago, Broons77 said:

 

I find it quite kind that RCI has provided a loophole to drive a wine delivery truck through for all those wine drinking parents with separate rooms for the kids!

Not really. Celebrity now allows 2 bottles per person, Oceania even more and while Cunard does have a limit the rumor is it is never enforced.

[HappyTexan44]

6 hours ago, Broons77 said:

 

I find it quite kind that RCI has provided a loophole to drive a wine delivery truck through for all those wine drinking parents with separate rooms for the kids!

 

Is that snide or genuine?   

 

And I'm paying for four 'adults' and two rooms.   I'll be enjoying my wine but I don't think I'm taking advantage, particularly when the rule is to limit people more than they used to, and other lines do.  Rule being usually per adult.   Even then, my real advantage comes in when my husband doesn't drink wine.  He'll be buying beer.   I can totally see myself sharing the last of each bottle with whoever is nearby and seems nice and likes wine.  

 

 

[Seville2Cabo]

Can you bring wine for a cabin with no one over 21?

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, Seville2Cabo said:

Can you bring wine for a cabin with no one over 21?

Technically no, but the staff at the pier security screening (the ones who would object) may not care.

[LB_NJ]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

Technically no, but the staff at the pier security screening (the ones who would object) may not care.

Assuming they even know the rule. Depending on the port all they may know is that an individual is not allowed to carry on more than 2 bottles. The only people who know you are carrying on wine are the x-ray people.  How often do they have passenger lists where they check off names of who brought on wine? Just don't put the wine in your 14-year old's backpack.