Corkage fee and screw top wine

[TiredOfCold]

Ok - I don't want to seem cheap by asking this question... but I'm asking it anyway!

I know from reading the boards that you can bring your own wine on board and I know there is a corkage fee if you bring your wine to the restaurant to drink during dinner.

A few of my favourite wines are screw cap Pinot Noirs (not ultra cheap - $23-$28/ bottle - but not expensive either). If I bring these to dinner and "unscrew" the wine myself, will I still be charged corkage? Is the corkage fee really to recoup potential lost revenue or is it really to pay for the service of opening the wine?

I had a look at the wine list and none of the wines on the list really appeal to me, so I would prefer to bring my own.

 

[tvguy]

A corkage fee in reality is a fee for you not buying their wine in the dining room. I would expect them to charge you, even it you serve yourself, and even if the wine has a twist off cap..
One way around it is to open and leave the bottle in the stateroom, and walk in with your glass of wine. Any bartender will give you the glasses. The dining room will have no idea whether you bought it on board or brought it on board. Of course, that only works if you just drink one glass of wine during dinner.

 

[over50visits]

A corkage fee in reality is a fee for you not buying their wine in the dining room. I would expect them to charge you, even it you serve yourself, and even if the wine has a twist off cap..

One way around it...

I agree with what I believe the corkage fee is - DCL is upfront about the charge so you can choose, as many do, to bring their own favorite wine, and perhaps save some money even with the corkage fee. This is a courtesy that many cruise lines, as I understand it, do not extend to their guests.

I disagree in trying to "get around" it.

 

[dylan'smom]

Corkage fee doesn't really relate literally to the cork...

It is customary in any restaurant that allows bringing your own bottle, and covers the opening, pouring, glasses, etc.

Think of it as a cover charge. I agree, if you don't want to pay the price for having it served to you, just bring a glass with you at dinner.

 

[TiredOfCold]

I just read a post from a TA on another forum (posted in 2008) and it says that the corkage fee was increased to $18. Is it still $18?

And one more question.... Do they store half bottles for guests? Ie. Let's say I buy a bottle (or bring a bottle and pay the corkage fee) and only drink half during my first dinner, will they store it for me so I can finish it the next night?

 

[dylan'smom]

I just read a post from a TA on another forum (posted in 2008) and it says that the corkage fee was increased to $18. Is it still $18?

And one more question.... Do they store half bottles for guests? Ie. Let's say I buy a bottle (or bring a bottle and pay the corkage fee) and only drink half during my first dinner, will they store it for me so I can finish it the next night?

Yes, but add 15% gratuity to that...

They will definitely keep a bottle for you and bring it to dinner the next night.

We brought wine & had them serve it a few times but now just order the ocassional bottle...or leave a bottle in the room & bring a glass with us.

 

[TiredOfCold]

Thank you - very helpful!

 

[tvguy]

I agree with what I believe the corkage fee is - DCL is upfront about the charge so you can choose, as many do, to bring their own favorite wine, and perhaps save some money even with the corkage fee. This is a courtesy that many cruise lines, as I understand it, do not extend to their guests.

I disagree in trying to "get around" it.

I agree with your disagreement. I'm not endorsing it, but it is a commonly mentioned tip on these boards.

 

[jilljill]

Bringing a glass of wine, or any other drink, into dinner is not getting around any kind of rules - nothing is written that all drinks must be obtained in the dining room. Many people will stop at a bar to get a drink and take it to dinner, this can be on DCL or any other cruiseline. On DCL they allow you to take on alcohol and if you happen to bring a drink from your cabin to dinner then that is still not getting around a rule since you don't have to smuggle on alcohol.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

Ok - I don't want to seem cheap by asking this question... but I'm asking it anyway!

I know from reading the boards that you can bring your own wine on board and I know there is a corkage fee if you bring your wine to the restaurant to drink during dinner.

A few of my favourite wines are screw cap Pinot Noirs (not ultra cheap - $23-$28/ bottle - but not expensive either). If I bring these to dinner and "unscrew" the wine myself, will I still be charged corkage? Is the corkage fee really to recoup potential lost revenue or is it really to pay for the service of opening the wine?

I had a look at the wine list and none of the wines on the list really appeal to me, so I would prefer to bring my own.

They are not charging for actually taking the cork of, they are charging for lost revenue.

I just read a post from a TA on another forum (posted in 2008) and it says that the corkage fee was increased to $18. Is it still $18?

And one more question.... Do they store half bottles for guests? Ie. Let's say I buy a bottle (or bring a bottle and pay the corkage fee) and only drink half during my first dinner, will they store it for me so I can finish it the next night?

Yes, no probs, it magicall appears,they will store it for as many nights as you want, and it gets to where you are going to be.

 

[west&east]

How consistent is the dining room staff with charging a corkage fee? I noticed a great deal of inconistency on other cruise lines. Does DCL have a sommlier in the dining room? Who is responisble for drinks ordered from the bar or wine in the dining room- the server, bar staff, or sommlier?

 

[jilljill]

How consistent is the dining room staff with charging a corkage fee? I noticed a great deal of inconistency on other cruise lines. Does DCL have a sommlier in the dining room? Who is responisble for drinks ordered from the bar or wine in the dining room- the server, bar staff, or sommlier?

Your asst. server takes care of all your drink orders alcoholic or non-alcoholic.


I don't have past experience with a corking fee, but have read on here that some have been charged and some haven't been charged the corking fee.

I haven't noticed sommiliers in any the 3 main dining rooms only in Palo. They also host the wine tastings that are charged for on certain days.

 

[BealsRwe]

We bring our own wine on board and keep it in oour stateroom. We do tend to bring a glass to dinner from time to time, but there is no corkage fee for that (as we could have realistically gotten the wine elsewhere in the ship). From my understanding, if you bring the entire bottle with you to dinner, that is when they will assess the corkage fee. We bring boxed wine for ease of travel, but in the past have also packed our own corkscrew as well.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

We bring our own wine on board and keep it in oour stateroom. We do tend to bring a glass to dinner from time to time, but there is no corkage fee for that (as we could have realistically gotten the wine elsewhere in the ship). From my understanding, if you bring the entire bottle with you to dinner, that is when they will assess the corkage fee. We bring boxed wine for ease of travel, but in the past have also packed our own corkscrew as well.

I was thinking.....if you take a box to dinner,would that would be ok? they wouldnt have to charge you for that ..right?

 

[dylan'smom]

Bringing a glass of wine, or any other drink, into dinner is not getting around any kind of rules - nothing is written that all drinks must be obtained in the dining room. Many people will stop at a bar to get a drink and take it to dinner, this can be on DCL or any other cruiseline. On DCL they allow you to take on alcohol and if you happen to bring a drink from your cabin to dinner then that is still not getting around a rule since you don't have to smuggle on alcohol.

So true!! Where does that come from that it s breaking a rule to bring a drink with you to dinner on a cruise?? I read it a few times before too...

How consistent is the dining room staff with charging a corkage fee? I noticed a great deal of inconistency on other cruise lines. Does DCL have a sommlier in the dining room? Who is responisble for drinks ordered from the bar or wine in the dining room- the server, bar staff, or sommlier?

We have ALWAYS been charged the corkage fee, without ANY exceptions, and we brought our own choices of wine on FOUR different cruises. I think you need to go with the expectation that your asst server will indeed charge it.

On the next 6 DCL cruises we either bought the wine package (found only 1 we liked on it so ordered it everyday) or keep a bottle or 2 in our room!!

DCL also allows you to bring alcohol back to your room on board after a port stop - we found a wonderful bottle of French wine right there in the port in Marseille (sp?) for $5.

 

[KrisannB]

For us it is cheaper to buy the wine I like at (rosa regale) at Downtown Disney at $20 or so a bottle and pay the $15 corkage because they charge $65 or $75 for the same bottle onboard! so I am still paying half price even with the corkage fee.

Krisann

 

[dylan'smom]

For us it is cheaper to buy the wine I like at (rosa regale) at Downtown Disney at $20 or so a bottle and pay the $15 corkage because they charge $65 or $75 for the same bottle onboard! so I am still paying half price even with the corkage fee.Krisann

We make liquor store stops on the way sometimes too...HI Krisann!!

 

[west&east]

On the next 6 DCL cruises we either bought the wine package (found only 1 we liked on it so ordered it everyday) or keep a bottle or 2 in our room!!

DCL also allows you to bring alcohol back to your room on board after a port stop - we found a wonderful bottle of French wine right there in the port in Marseille (sp?) for $5.

I am really excited about the alcohol policy for DCL for our Aug 2011 Mediterranean cruise. I think it is wonderful that we can buy wine in port and drink it on board! Will definitely be making wine purchases in Spain, Italy and France! We'll support the Magic bar with mojitos, mixed drinks, etc. Does anyone know what the scotch selection is? DH enjoys a good single malt.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

I am really excited about the alcohol policy for DCL for our Aug 2011 Mediterranean cruise. I think it is wonderful that we can buy wine in port and drink it on board! Will definitely be making wine purchases in Spain, Italy and France! We'll support the Magic bar with mojitos, mixed drinks, etc. Does anyone know what the scotch selection is? DH enjoys a good single malt.

No, sorry, we bought a few bottles in spain to take on.

 

[west&east]

No, sorry, we bought a few bottles in spain to take on.

How is the selection and price on scotch in Spain? We might follow your lead on that as well since we get into BCN on Thursday and depart on the ship on Saturday there will be time to scope out some bar choices.