Ultimate Guide to Cruise Ship Corkage Fees

 

 

Friday November 6, 2015 Author: Adrian Categories:

 

 

Sunscreen, check!

Reservations for a candlelit dinner for two, check!

Ocean and stars, check!

1999 bottle of Malbec, check!

Being lost at sea with your loved one is the perfect occasion to bring out that special bottle of wine you’ve been saving. However, if you’ve sailed on a cruise before, you’d know that each cruise line has its own BYOB policy. While several cruise lines allow you to bring a bottle of wine on board with just a corkage fee, others have strict policies, which include confiscating without returning.

For those of you who do not know what a corkage fee is, a corkage fee is charged by an establishment when you bring your own bottle of alcohol, normally wine or champagne. Averaging from $15 – $30 per bottle, it can be a small fee for avoiding markup prices on your romantic getaway.

We’d hate to see a special bottle of wine (or really any bottle of wine) go to waste, so make sure to check with your cruise line before you set sail. These policies are frequently changing, but CorkageFee wants to help make life easier. We created this cruise-friendly corkage fee guide for all of you wine lovers out there who want to sip and sail.

Check out the guide and see if you can bring your bottle of wine aboard.


Avalon Waterways

Policy: Coffee, tea, and iced tea are available free of charge throughout the day from the self-service coffee stations on board our Avalon ships. Soft drinks are included with every lunch and regional wine and beer or soft drinks are included with dinner each night. The bar in the main lounge is open daily and offers a wide variety of cocktails, spirits, wine, and beer for sale. A full price list is available, and payment is via your shipboard account. Should you wish to bring your own wine on board and drink it in the dining room or lounge, the maître d’hôtel or bartender will be happy to serve it to you—a corkage fee will be charged.

Corkage Fee: Around $10


Azamara Club Cruises

Policy: If you are given a bottle of wine that was purchased from Azamara’s Bon Voyage Gift selection, then no corkage fee will apply. If you are given a bottle of wine from an outside vendor and/or travel professional, and the bottle was not purchased through Azamara’s Bon Voyage selection, then a $10 corkage fee will apply if the wine is consumed in the dining room or other public area. All corkage fees will be added to your onboard account. Alcoholic beverages purchased from onboard shops will be stored by the ship and delivered to guest staterooms on the last day of the sailing.

Corkage Fee: $10.00


Carnival Cruise Line

Policy: For safety reasons, guests are prohibited from bringing alcoholic beverages on board with the following exception: At the beginning of the cruise during embarkation day, guests (21 years of age and older) may carry on in their hand luggage, one 750 ml bottle of sealed/unopened wine or champagne per person.  A $15 USD corkage fee (a charge exacted at a restaurant for every bottle of wine served that was not bought on the premises), per 750 ml bottle, will be charged should guests wish to consume their wine or champagne in a main dining room, steakhouse or bar.

Corkage Fee: $15.00


Celebrity Cruises

Policy: No beer or hard liquor may be brought onboard for consumption. If you wish to bring personal wine onboard with you on the day you board your cruise, you may do so, limited to two (2) 750ml bottles per stateroom. When enjoyed in any shipboard restaurant, bar or dining venue, each bottle shall be subject to a corkage fee.

Corkage Fee: $25.00


Cunard

Policy: All bottles of wine or champagne brought on board by passengers for consumption in any of the ship’s restaurants, bars or lounges, are subject to a corkage fee. Please be advised that passengers are allowed to bring on board one bottle per person for special occasions. Groups who want to supply their own wine for wine tasting seminars or for consumption in any of the restaurants, bars or lounges will be charged a corkage fee. If a bottle of wine / Champagne has been bought for you as a gift, please ensure you carry the gift card with you to avoid having the corkage charge applied to your on board account.

Corkage Fee: $20.00


Disney Cruise Line

Policy: Each Guest 21 years and older may bring two bottles of unopened wine or champagne (no larger than 750ml) or six beers (no larger than 12oz) onboard in carry-on luggage at the beginning of the voyage and at each port-of-call

Corkage Fee: $25.00


Holland America Line

Policy: Each guest 21 years and older may bring one bottle of wine or champagne (no larger than 750ml) onboard in carry-on luggage at the beginning of the voyage. This bottle will not be subject to a corkage fee if consumed in the stateroom. Additional wine or champagne bottles (no larger than 750ml) in carry-on luggage are welcome, but will incur a corkage fee each, irrespective of where they are intended to be consumed. Guests are not allowed to bring beer, boxed wine, or other liquors and spirits onboard. Holland America Line reserves the right to remove all alcoholic beverages from any guest luggage that violates this policy.

Corkage Fee: $18.00


MSC Cruises

Policy: Alcoholic drinks, including wines, spirits, beer or other liqueurs are available for purchase onboard the Vessel at fixed prices. Passengers are not permitted to bring onboard any such drinks for use during the voyage, whether for consumption in their own cabins or otherwise. Alcoholic drinks in any form will not be sold to Minors during the cruise. When the itinerary includes a port located in the U.S.A the same conditions will apply for any passengers under the age 21. The Carrier and/or its servants and/or agents may confiscate alcohol brought onboard by Passengers. The Carrier and/or its servants and/or agents may refuse to serve a Passenger alcohol or further alcohol where in their reasonable opinion the Passenger is likely to be a danger and/or nuisance to himself/herself, other passengers and/or the Vessel.

Corkage Fee: Not allowed


Norwegian Cruise Line

Policy: Guests are prohibited from bringing any beverages — including liquor, beer and non-alcoholic drinks such as water, soda and juices — on board either as carry-on or checked luggage, with the exception of purified or distilled water in factory-sealed containers for use in conjunction with medical devices or for the reconstitution of infant formula; and fully sealed and/or corked wine bottles for personal consumption onboard that is subject to screening and a corkage fee (for guests 21 years of age or older). They will be checked prior to embarkation and a corkage fee applied at that time of $15.00 USD for a 750 ml Bottle or $30.00 USD for a 1,500 ml Magnum bottle. Box wines are not allowed on board. If guests do not wish to pay the corkage fee, the wine will be held onboard and returned to the guests at the end of the cruise.

Corkage Fee: 750 ml: $15.00 // 1,500 ml: $30.00


Oceania Cruises

Policy: The sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages will be limited to guests aged 21 years or older. Oceania Cruises will refuse and prohibit the sale or service of alcoholic beverages to guests under the age of 21 years. Guests are kindly reminded to consume alcohol in moderation. Oceania Cruises reserves the right to prohibit and retain all alcohol bought ashore for consumption on board the vessel.

Corkage Fee: $25.00


Princess Cruises

Policy: As provided in the Passage Contract, guests agree not to bring alcoholic beverages of any kind onboard for consumption, except one bottle of wine or champagne per adult of drinking age (no larger than 750 ml) per voyage, which will not be subject to a corkage fee if consumed in the stateroom. Additional wine or champagne bottles are welcome, but will incur a corkage fee each, irrespective of where they are intended to be consumed. Liquor, spirits or beers are not permitted. Please remember that luggage will be scanned and alcohol outside of our policy will be removed and discarded.

Corkage Fee: $15.00


Royal Caribbean

Policy: Guests wishing to bring personal wine and champagne onboard may do so only on boarding day, limited to two (2) 750 ml bottles per stateroom. No beer or hard liquor may be brought onboard for consumption. Additional bottles of wine beyond two (2) bottles that are brought onboard or any alcoholic beverages purchased in ports of call or from onboard shops during the cruise vacation will be stored onboard and delivered to guest staterooms on the last day of the sailing.

Corkage Fee: $0.00


 

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