Taking Wine Carafe into Dinning

[justmestace]

How many times have you had to wait for your table to be ready, you go in the bar, just get your drink, or pitcher of beer or margaritas, and then your table becomes ready?? Of course you take it with you.
If Disney allows you to bring your own wine, then you are surely allowed to bring it to dinner as such.

 

[ohiominnie]

If Disney allows you to bring your own wine, then you are surely allowed to bring it to dinner as such.

Well put, Lisa!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

It's perfectly permissible to bring a bottle. They simply charge you a "corking fee" of $15 per bottle if you bring it. Why not bring a bottle you are particularly fond of?

Yes, DCL charges a "corking fee" or "corkage fee" of $15 + 15% gratuity = $17.25.

Despite the sound of it, that's not a fee for pulling the cork. It's a fee for allowing you to bring your own wine, to make up for the fact that the restaurant still serves the wine to you but loses the profit from the sale of the wine. It should not matter whether the wine is in a bottle with a cork, a screwtop bottle, a bottle from which the cork has already been pulled, a wine box, or a carafe.

The main reason to pay the corkage fee is to be able to have a particular wine that's not on the wine list with your dinner. Once you account for the corkage fee, bringing you own wine to the dining room is not really a way to save significant money -- except possibly with some of the more expensive wines.

As to bringing a glass of wine into a dining room on the ship, count me as someone who thinks there's nothing wrong with that. If I buy a glass of wine in the Promenade Lounge, and I don't finish it before it's time to go to dinner, why shouldn't I carry it to dinner with me? (On the other hand, I wouldn't empty a bottle of wine from the stateroom cooler into a bunch of wine glasses and carry them all to dinner to circumvent the corkage fee.)

 

[HappyTraveler]

Speaking of packing bottles of wine...We're planning to pack wine and/or champagne in our carry on bags on the way to the cruise. Does anyone know of any airline restrictions for carrying on either beverage? Unopened of course.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Speaking of packing bottles of wine...We're planning to pack wine and/or champagne in our carry on bags on the way to the cruise. Does anyone know of any airline restrictions for carrying on either beverage? Unopened of course.

There is no problem with unopened bottles of wine or even liquor in your carry-on bags. Wine bottles are routinely allowed through security checkpoints by the TSA. And many international passengers are carrying wine and liquor purchased in the duty-free shops within the secure areas of airports.

However, I would not ever try to transport wine of liquor bottles as checked airplane luggage, nor would I try to bring such bottles onto the ship in checked luggage. Considering how luggage is thrown around, breakage is a real possibilty even if you've tried to wrap the botttles well. Also, DCL says they will not accept liquids in checked luggage.

 

[The Land and Sea Guy]

Exactly!

Here's the thing: DCL has made provision for those who wish to bring their own wine-- bring it and they will charge a corking fee. If you bring your own wine in a cup, you are effectively ripping them off. Trust me, there's nothing in the Emily Post book that says, "bring it in a glass instead of a bottle and don't worry about the fee!"

In plain language: It's TACKY, people!!!

Tacky, No I don't think so at all! More power to you if you got the guts to bring in a glass to dinner or even bring on board 26 bottles of wine! Save a little money. Smart if you ask me. If I saw someone do this at dinner I would think now hes got it going on. Disney makes plenty of money. Believe me they are not going to go bankrupt over a glass of wine. I don't even believe Disney would consider it ripping them off.

 

[Dancind]

Thinking about this a bit more, the only person you may be hurting is the server that would normally receive a tip for pouring the wine, part of the corkage fee goes to them. But you can always make it up to them. Last year on Celebrity, we bought a couple of bottles but also enjoyed six bottles we had brought along (10 day cruise). We had a lot of fun with the wine steward, let him try a bit of our selections (he was impressed!) and he never charged us a corkage fee. We did try to tip him, but he only accepted the tip we slipped into the bag with a bottle we gave him to open. At least, I hope he found it!

 

[paulcrsb]

In fairness there is a teeny tiny fact you should know about this Scuba - there are approximately 130 disers (not counting all the kids)going on the 10 day cruise with him, he's not drinking all that by himself.



And I don't think he really is all that concerned about the corkage fee, either.

I'm appalled that this man is bringing so few bottles for so many people. They will be out of wine by the end of the first night!

Paul

 

[lrodptl]

I think you should be allowed to bring your own food,silverware etc.

 

[Par8hed]

There is a huge difference between bringing your unfinished drink from the bar into the dining room and filling up a carafe to bring with you. The first act is entirely sensible, the second is utterly classless.
I never understood why people will willingly pay thousands of dollars for an upscale vacation and then engage in tacky behavior to save a dollar or two. If you prefer the wine from your stateroom fine- bring it to the dining room and "splurge" on the $15 corkage fee.

 

[crisi]

We bring a glass from the bar all the time. Can't see the difference between that and a glass poured in the room.

But they don't serve wine by the carafe in the bar.

 

[mmouse37]

Well said Par8head!!! The two scenarios are compeltely different!!

We have never considered it tacky to bring in a glass. We don't do it often, but my husband has indeed done it. We don't bring wine onboard with us...it's always either been wine he got somewhere else on the ship.
Barb

That is different than bringing a carafe from your cabin. There is absolutely nothing tacky with bringing a full or unfinished glass to dinner when purchased elsewhere on the ship.

Just my opinion!!!

P.S....Barb....I was in the Disney Store last night and saw the cutest Stitch plush dressed as an angel for Christmas....I thought of you as I know you like Stitch...you should check him out!!!

MJ

 

[justmestace]

I never understood why people will willingly pay thousands of dollars for an upscale vacation and then engage in tacky behavior to save a dollar or two

Having traveled quite extensively, I'm not too sure that Disney Cruise Line qualifies as an "Upscale" vacation. Just "Up-priced".

 

[The4OfUs]

I always view it this way - the restaurants are restaurants and the bars are part of the restaurants.

At home, if I went to a restaurant and sat at the bar first, I would expect to be able to bring my unfinished drink with me to the table. However, I would NOT expect to be able to walk in with a wine glass I filled myself at home.

It's not different, in my eyes, on board ship. *shrug* seems easy enough to me.

 

[Par8hed]

Having traveled quite extensively, I'm not too sure that Disney Cruise Line qualifies as an "Upscale" vacation. Just "Up-priced".

True enough!

 

[Pgood]

After reading this posting, I decided to put in my 2 cents.

I also prefer to bring my own wine. I like to buy the "foo-foo" drinks, but we like to have wine on our veranda.

I do not bring it to dinner, but would not hesitate to if we chose to.

As far as the carafe. I think it very unfair of the responses Scuba has gotten. It is pretty harsh, especially the etiquette part.

Just for the record, and those of you hung up on etiquette. The best way to drink red wine is to decanter it (in a carafe) and let it breath before you drink it. The wine that is uncorked in front of you has not had the chance to breath and show it's "real flavor".

So as it goes, I think it is actually very classy and beneficial that the wine is placed in a carafe before taking it into dinner.

 

[QuiltTeddy]

Totally amazing the diversity of the answers posted. I still feel if you like a particular wine and bring the bottle with you to dinner, it's not tacky. Disney wouldn't have made the provision for the "corking fee" if it were.

I can't imagine purchasing a drink, not having it finished by the time you go into dinner and being forced to throw it out. That's ridiculous insofar as I'm concerned.

I think it boils down to a plain & simple answer: "If you think it's tacky, don't do it."

 

[Par8hed]

QUOTE: Just for the record, and those of you hung up on etiquette. The best way to drink red wine is to decanter it (in a carafe) and let it breath before you drink it. The wine that is uncorked in front of you has not had the chance to breath and show it's "real flavor".

So as it goes, I think it is actually very classy and beneficial that the wine is placed in a carafe before taking it into dinner.[/QUOTE]

And the best way to enjoy a chocolate chip cookie is to dunk it in your glass of milk and let it drip all over your chest. But you won't see me doing that either at a restaurant/ships dining room/other persons house.
Wine only needs to decant for 10-15 minutes to reach optimum quality. If you can't hold back that long the wine steward would be most willing to decant your wine ahead of time. And I have serious doubts that Scubadivers motive for bringing in his own carafe is proper decanting. I suppose he has packed a proper crystal decanter?

 

[justmestace]

And I have serious doubts that Scubadivers motive for bringing in his own carafe is proper decanting. I suppose he has packed a proper crystal decanter?

I'd be willing to bet my suite that he has packed the proper decanter.....

 

[videogal1]

I'd be willing to bet my suite that he has packed the proper decanter.....

and I'd add my BAV to that, too.