Cruising with wine

[DRColby]

My wife and I have scheduled a 62-day cruise next Fall with Holland-American.

On previous cruises I have not been entirely happy with the wines or prices and am tempted to see if I can take a couple of mixed cases on board and pay the corkage fee.

Anyone done this and have any tips?

Dave

[melkor]

It seems from their policy page on their website that you can bring wine on board though they make no mention of corkage which I'm sure they will charge. Can't hurt to call and confirm, but it sure looks like that's a viable plan. I suspect that you'll need to keep your wine in your room and keep the temp in the room down to something reasonable to avoid cooking your wine.

[little ms foodie]

My friends just returned from a Princess cruise to Alaska. They took 1/2 a case of their own wine as did other members in their family (15 people cruising together). They were told by the ship that it was perfectly fine. There was a corkage fee of about $10 per bottle in the restaurant, but they also really like having the wine available in their room for when they were on their balcony visiting.

[Chris Cognac]

I could not imagine going on a 62 day cruise, you are my hero!..heck I have been on a few 7 day cruises and thought I was going to explode from all the good food....62 days!...Will you be able to give reports on the local food and places you try while on the cruise?

[DRColby]

I could not imagine going on a 62 day cruise, you are my hero!..heck I have been on a few 7 day cruises and thought I was going to explode from all the good food....62 days!...Will you be able to give reports on the local food and places you try while on the cruise?

←

I spent four years in the navy and this is longer than I've been at sea. My wife and I are wondering if we will survive for two months in a small cabin.

Anyhow we are circumnagivating the Pacific with a lot of far away places with strange sounding names. Start going to the Aleutian Islands, then a couple of stops in Siberia, northen and southern Japan, China (3 stops) and down through Singapore and Malaysia, Australian for three stops, Tahiti, Hawai and back to Seattle.

Look forward to the food, more off ship than on ship, but think that giving you a preview might be out. I understand that shipboard internet is very expensive. Perhaps a few dispatches from the Siberian internet cafes.

dave

[winesonoma]

It seems from their policy page on their website that you can bring wine on board though they make no mention of corkage which I'm sure they will charge.  Can't hurt to call and confirm, but it sure looks like that's a viable plan.  I suspect that you'll need to keep your wine in your room and keep the temp in the room down to something reasonable to avoid cooking your wine.

←

Get some of the wine shipping cases that hold a whole case in styrofoam. I have one in my motorhome that holds wine just fine even if it's 90 out.

[lcdm]

Last cruise we were on we brought on a case of wine (we traveled with 2 other couples), don't forget to pack a corkscrew (not in your carryon but in your checked bags). We did not have to pay a corkage fee, although it is written policy. I guess it depends on your server (we gave him a nice tip). We kept the wine in our room (the temp was around 70), we had a bar refrig. in our room the cabin steward took out all the for pay items and we were able to chill the whites before consumtion. The steward was also very accomadating with bringing an ice bucket and the proper wine glasses (all we had to do was ask).

Enjoy your cruise and have a great time!