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Bringing my own wine


Brobbins246

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I know we can bring two 750 ml bottles of wine on board per cabin which we'll definitely be doing.  Do you know if our cabin mini fridge will be large enough to hold these to keep them cold?  Also how does corking work?  We're lowly gold C&A members so I doubt we have any perks relating to that.  Sailing on Allure if that matters.  Thanks!

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On Oasis I took the bottle of sparkling wine they gave me and put it in the bar fridge.   There was a wire shelf I had to slide out.   After I was done I put the wire shelf back in place.   It slides out very easily.  

Ask your cabin attendant for a cork screw, glasses or ice to cool it as well.  

Corkage fees are sometimes charged if you bring the bottle to the dining room.  Pour wine into a glass in your cabin if you are concerned about that possibility, then carry the glass to dinner.  

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On 12/2/2018 at 4:15 PM, Brobbins246 said:

Also how does corking work?  We're lowly gold C&A members so I doubt we have any perks relating to that. 

Technically you're supposed to be charged a corkage fee for opening your wine in a restaurant or bar, but since the rule has been re-implented in June 2017, I have yet to be charged for it. Not saying you won't, but just sharing my experience.

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On 12/4/2018 at 9:18 AM, Matt said:

Technically you're supposed to be charged a corkage fee for opening your wine in a restaurant or bar, but since the rule has been re-implented in June 2017, I have yet to be charged for it. Not saying you won't, but just sharing my experience.

I've been charged, occasionally, but it's sort of random.  Same thing on other cruise lines too, sometimes they charge, sometimes they don't.

If they don't charge me, I just add it to the cash tip I give them at the end of the cruise.  So in my case, either the cruise line gets the cash, or the wait staff does.

 

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  • 1 month later...
On ‎12‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 8:14 PM, karl_nj said:

I've been charged, occasionally, but it's sort of random.  Same thing on other cruise lines too, sometimes they charge, sometimes they don't.

If they don't charge me, I just add it to the cash tip I give them at the end of the cruise.  So in my case, either the cruise line gets the cash, or the wait staff does.

 

wow cool idea never thought of it this way - agree with Matt, I have not been charged but I think it can happen at the bar/restaurants.  I do pull out the rack in the fridge as well to keep the bottle cold.  but worth it to bring a bottle or 2 on the ship.

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46 minutes ago, KathyC said:

On Adventure last May they wanted to charge us a corkage fee for bringing a bottle with a screw top into the MDR.  I showed the Asst Waiter that it was a screw top, and no cork, and he said he still had to charge.  I unscrewed the top, poured my own wine. LOL  From there on out, we poured our own glasses and brought them with us. 

Seriously?  Corkage fee does not literally mean "fee for removing a cork", it's the fee restaurants charge for allowing you to bring your own wine in to their establishments.  This is pretty standard, if you tried that argument in any restaurant on land they would have laughed you right out of the place.

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5 hours ago, NS8VN said:

Seriously?  Corkage fee does not literally mean "fee for removing a cork", it's the fee restaurants charge for allowing you to bring your own wine in to their establishments.  This is pretty standard, if you tried that argument in any restaurant on land they would have laughed you right out of the place.

Good to know, especially since the kind of wine I drink comes with a screw cap and costs less than what they might charge me in a corkage fee.  Shaking my head over this one.  Guess I'll be pouring it myself in our room.

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On 12/2/2018 at 3:15 PM, Brobbins246 said:

I know we can bring two 750 ml bottles of wine on board per cabin which we'll definitely be doing.  Do you know if our cabin mini fridge will be large enough to hold these to keep them cold?  Also how does corking work?  We're lowly gold C&A members so I doubt we have any perks relating to that.  Sailing on Allure if that matters.  Thanks!

We asked our room attendant for ice every day and kept the wine in the wine cooler on the counter.  The fridges are more coolers than actual “get things cold if they are warm” appliances.  Jane

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Pro tip - The beverage coolers (not fridges) are usually contained within a cabinet.  In many cases that cabinet traps the warm air coming off the cooler and prevents the cooling appliance from actually doing much cooling.  .  Propping the door to the cabinet open allows the warm air to escape and the cooler maintains a much cooler temperature as a result.  I use a wash cloth from the bathroom, double over and hung over the cabinet door to keep it from closing but also to keep it from swinging should there be any motion due to waves..

Sadly on newer ships the cooler door is sometimes fixed to the cabinet door so the cooler opens when the cabinet door is opened.  This technique doesn't work on these ships since holding the cooler door open defats the potential advantages.  On older ships though this technique will yield a much cooler beverage cooler.  

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36 minutes ago, twangster said:

Pro tip - The beverage coolers (not fridges) are usually contained within a cabinet.  In many cases that cabinet traps the warm air coming off the cooler and prevents the cooling appliance from actually doing much cooling.  .  Propping the door to the cabinet open allows the warm air to escape and the cooler maintains a much cooler temperature as a result.  I use a wash cloth from the bathroom, double over and hung over the cabinet door to keep it from closing but also to keep it from swinging should there be any motion due to waves..

Sadly on newer ships the cooler door is sometimes fixed to the cabinet door so the cooler opens when the cabinet door is opened.  This technique doesn't work on these ships since holding the cooler door open defats the potential advantages.  On older ships though this technique will yield a much cooler beverage cooler.  

Ok this is brilliant and I’m totally trying this on vision!  Didn’t even occur to me! Jane. 

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I'm bringing a wine chiller from Pampered Chef called Bevs To Go that works really well.  You put the bottle in the bag then fill it with ice water, and it chills the bottle from room temperature to cold in about 20 minutes.  The only thing I don't like about it is if you have paper labels on the bottle,  they can soak up the water and slide off, making the bottle look ugly.  But otherwise I love it.  It's great for traveling since it folds down when not it use.  You can find these on Amazon or eBay.  The current wine chiller sold by Pampered Chef isn't foldable. 

20190113_104505.jpg

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Just now, KathyC said:


And by the way, none of the BYOB establishments we visit charge for opening bottles of wine.  In fact, they all cork it happily, bring us glasses, and will pour if we let them.  I of course give an extra tip to the wait staff for doing it, but none in my area charge a fee.  Sorry, never been laughed out of a place.  You need to find better places to eat if those businesses are willing to treat paying customers that way. 

I'm not really sure that one can compare a BYOB restaurant in NJ, which doesn't have a liquor license and doesn't sell wine,  to the dining room on a Royal Caribbean ship,  which does sell wine.  If you bring a bottle of wine to a restaurant on land that is licensed to sell wine to customers, they are going to charge you a corkage fee no matter how your wine is sealed, cork or screw top.

 

 

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37 minutes ago, KathyC said:

 

Sorry, I disagree.  There is one in Princeton that sells wine on premises from a CA winery, but allows BYOB.  Never been charged.  

 

 

Yes, that is because BOYB restaurants in NJ are not permitted to charge corkage by law:

https://www.nj.gov/oag/abc/faqs.html#4

Are non-licensed restaurants permitted to allow customers to bring their own alcoholic beverages (byob) for consumption with their meals?

Unless there is a local ordinance prohibiting it, customers of an unlicensed restaurant may be permitted by the ownership of the restaurant to bring and consume only wine and beer. The restaurant can supply glasses, ice, etc., but may not impose a cover, corkage or service charge

 

On the other hand, Royal Caribbean reserves the right to charge a corkage fee if you "consume their personal wine and champagne in public areas"

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/charge-corkage-fee

It doesn't have anything to do with who opens the bottle or what specific type of closure is used.

 

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