Wine prices by the bottle

We are shortly going on a cruise on Riviera and cannot find a list of wine by the bottle prices to weigh up against the wine package. Do any previous cruisers provide a few prices eg. bottles start at $30 etc or a even better a link to a wine list!!

Thanks

We are shortly going on a cruise on Riviera and cannot find a list of wine by the bottle prices to weigh up against the wine package. Do any previous cruisers provide a few prices eg. bottles start at $30 etc or a even better a link to a wine list!!

 

Thanks

Yes wines start around $35-39 and go up.. It is hard to price because the list keeps changing outside of the wines by the glass. I will say that what O charges are pretty much in line with many better restaurants and less than many high end places.

Dont be angered that a wine you can get locally or at some duty free place might be 10 to 15... and O sells it for $40... Thats just normal markup because of storage, tax, profit margin, labor costs etc... Remember its not a charity and This is standard in the industry. The $25 corkage is too reasonable as some places charge $100 + and thats only permitted IF the wine is not on their.... list....

Hey, your in the middle of an ocean, on a ship, getting served, on vacation and have spent thousands to be there.... dont get sidetracked by the wine cost.... its fairly reasonable for what your getting and where your getting it.

Rest easy and know that any wines in the package will be less than the list and they come with the $18% tip included... so even if the same price on the list....your getting an 18% discount just on the tip !!!

We are not sure which way to go either and will probably wait until we get on board to decide as the wine lists change all the time.

Here is a list from 2015 - there are some reasonably priced wines but you have to add 18%.

http://www.thepreismans.com/china_japan_menus.htm#wine

Thanks for the lists, gives me a good feel of what to expect

We tend to buy moderately priced wines and really enjoy checking out local wines if we are traveling in wine country. The Oceania wine list is predictable, at least in our price range, the kind of wines easily obtainable at home. The $25 corkage fee is reasonable and lets us try some wines we could never buy at home during dinner. If course, if we drink these wines in our cabin, there is no charge. Never a problem bringing wine onboard.

I just hope that fellow travelers will continue to be respectful of the "drink in your cabin or pay the corkage" rule. It is very fair.

Mary

I just hope that fellow travelers will continue to be respectful of the "drink in your cabin or pay the corkage" rule. It is very fair.

 

Mary

+ 1

Also with spirits ..drink in the cabin only

In the past I could find a very decent (to my palate) dry red wine for around $35. But prices have increased. (No surprise there.)

On our Nautica cruise in June/July, we had so much OBC that I spent more freely. When I ordered a Montrachet for my husband, the wine steward was MOST impressed.

Even though prices have increased, it's possible to find very decent wines for a somewhat reasonable price. (Bear in mind that I say that being NO expert.)

From what I have read here at CC, I wouldn't buy the "wine package". I did buy the package when I could choose some wines upon boarding. Back then the limit was more like 3 bottles rather than 7, and there was no top limit and there was a larger choice. Not to mention lower prices.

I haven't been interested in switching over to the new 7-bottle system at all. (Perhaps because the "experts" have been critical. They might suit me very well, but not at that price.)

So I buy my wines by the bottle from the wine list OR I bring a few on board and pay the corkage.

In the past I could find a very decent (to my palate) dry red wine for around $35. But prices have increased. (No surprise there.)

 

 

 

On our Nautica cruise in June/July, we had so much OBC that I spent more freely. When I ordered a Montrachet for my husband, the wine steward was MOST impressed.

 

 

 

Even though prices have increased, it's possible to find very decent wines for a somewhat reasonable price. (Bear in mind that I say that being NO expert.)

 

 

 

From what I have read here at CC, I wouldn't buy the "wine package". I did buy the package when I could choose some wines upon boarding. Back then the limit was more like 3 bottles rather than 7, and there was no top limit and there was a larger choice. Not to mention lower prices.

 

 

 

I haven't been interested in switching over to the new 7-bottle system at all. (Perhaps because the "experts" have been critical. They might suit me very well, but not at that price.)

 

 

 

So I buy my wines by the bottle from the wine list OR I bring a few on board and pay the corkage.

The "seven bottle deal" really does seem to be mostly "clearance" poor sellers. There's two or three decent "by the glass" wines in the other alcohol packages (s.g., Shramsberg Mirabelle).

We usually get the Prestige Package but also bring at least a half dozen excellent Northern California wines (estate selections direct from wineries) whose retail prices make the corkage fee somewhat insignificant. The really high end better wines onboard have outlandish prices that make the BYOB option a better way to go.

I've been waiting to see a list too. This is really helpful, as my mom and I are trying to decide whether it makes more sense to pay corkage or buy onboard.

Proctor indicated in his review of Riviera - Barcelona etc that he was charged a $10.00 Sommelier fee for a bottle of wine. Oh no.

I only have $1100.00 of credit for a 12 day cruise. I may have to go back and look at the package. Any one else experience this charge?

Do they charge corkage for wines you bring on board (eg from a port visit) even if you have purchased the drinks package? After all, you could otherwise have wine by the glass with your meal (presuambly more than one)?

Do they charge corkage for wines you bring on board (eg from a port visit) even if you have purchased the drinks package? After all, you could otherwise have wine by the glass with your meal (presuambly more than one)?

Not if you drink it in your cabin but if you take it to dinner of course they will charge the corkage fee

Yes you can get the wine by the glass if you have the package ..some people just prefer to buy or bring a bottle

it is a personal choice

Proctor indicated in his review of Riviera - Barcelona etc that he was charged a $10.00 Sommelier fee for a bottle of wine. Oh no.

 

The corkage fee is $25 per bottle if you take it to the dining venues

I think the $10 fee may have been the Spanish VAT

Italy & Brazil also charge the ship's a VAT for things they sell onboard while in their waters

Does the corkage charge of $25 incur 18% as well?

Does the corkage charge of $25 incur 18% as well?

No. $25 total corkage - no service charge.

My problem with the wine list is not so much the prices (although they are high) but the selection. It gets old fast on a longer cruise such as the Australian Circumnavigation we are taking in March. The list is actually fairly short, especially if you are interested only in the "reasonably priced;)" wines from $30 to $70. Fortunately, Australian wines are excellent :D

The "seven bottle deal" really does seem to be mostly "clearance" poor sellers. There's two or three decent "by the glass" wines in the other alcohol packages (s.g., Shramsberg Mirabelle).

We usually get the Prestige Package but also bring at least a half dozen excellent Northern California wines (estate selections direct from wineries) whose retail prices make the corkage fee somewhat insignificant. The really high end better wines onboard have outlandish prices that make the BYOB option a better way to go.

Everyone has their own tastes, but we enjoyed the 7-bottle package. We were recently on a 16-day Regatta cruise and found each of the 7 bottles that we purchased to be very good. If they were clearance poor sellers, they were still very good. It was a nice selection of both red and white from various regions. Northern California, Italy, Australia, New Zealand. We did the math and found that we saved a little with the package rather than buying by the bottle.

The wine list begins with Prices for the bottles - $ 38 for very fine Italian wines Pinot Grigio Danzante... for Special dinners they are offering also wines by the bottles for example Spanish Monologo for 36 $ + service Charge...you can buy bottles up into the higher amounts and Special wines from European countries and also Australians, South African, Californian wines....:)

My experience this month was the wine list has changed little since our last cruise in November. I believe prices are reasonable and the choices offered, while limited, will have something for everyone's taste.

We have wine at dinner and enjoyed a variety this month. However, I find it nuts that there are 4 special, separate wine lists - in addition to GDR/Terrace wine list - offered in each of the 4 specialty restaurants. You can order wine from those lists in the GDR. But who remembers the wines on those four separate lists? Plus, the 4 lists are not available to diners in the GDR or (if you have access) the two concierge lounges.

Wine stewards we have dealt with are always eager to please and can recommend a wine from the 4 separate menus. Their suggestions have been terrific.

But I would much rather have a single comprehensive menu that affords me the opportunity to see what wine is available for sale on the ship. Too much confusion otherwise.

My experience this month was the wine list has changed little since our last cruise in November. I believe prices are reasonable and the choices offered, while limited, will have something for everyone's taste.

 

We have wine at dinner and enjoyed a variety this month. However, I find it nuts that there are 4 special, separate wine lists - in addition to GDR/Terrace wine list - offered in each of the 4 specialty restaurants. You can order wine from those lists in the GDR. But who remembers the wines on those four separate lists? Plus, the 4 lists are not available to diners in the GDR or (if you have access) the two concierge lounges.

 

Wine stewards we have dealt with are always eager to please and can recommend a wine from the 4 separate menus. Their suggestions have been terrific.

 

But I would much rather have a single comprehensive menu that affords me the opportunity to see what wine is available for sale on the ship. Too much confusion otherwise.

There are also people who would prefer to be able to order from ANY menu on the ship, regardless of which which Restaurant they are sitting in, but I've been led to believe that segregation of choice was a purposeful choice to make each restaurant unique.

If your view is that you want the Restaurants to be interchangeable in order to have the maximum number of choices in each, I have to say that I disagree strongly.

Nope, not interchangeable dinner menus. Nor do I advocate ordering entrees from other restaurant menus in the GDR. That is precisely why there are "specialty" restaurants.

But it would be pleasing to access the ship's entire wine inventory at any of the restaurants at dinner - 4 specialties, GDR & Terrace - without racking my brain exactly what was the wine I enjoyed from Toscana's single sheet special list 7 days previous.

As it stands now, when in Polo or GDR I can order that Toscana wine. Assuming I remember it or the wine steward figures out what I am trying to describe. But why rely on recall?

I don't want to order an entree from Toscana in GDR. But I would like to have the wine I previously enjoyed & wine stewards are happy to do so - if we can identify the wine.

Offer the comprehensive list - available only upon personal request - in addition to "set" wine list available to all in all six venues. That will eliminate guessing & encourage serious wine drinkers to make educated, varied decisions rather than limiting us to the ship-wide "set" wine menu.

if you enjoyed a specific wine then you could write it down or I am sure most people (not me) can put a note in their cell phone of the name of the wine

just a thought

If buying a bottle of wine, it's the cost of the wine in addition to 18% service charge? If there are leftovers of the wine, the wine can be kept to serve at another meal? We are not very big drinkers, so this is quite possible that we will not entirely finish the bottle.

If buying a bottle of wine, it's the cost of the wine in addition to 18% service charge? YES

If there are leftovers of the wine, the wine can be kept to serve at another meal? YES

We are not very big drinkers, so this is quite possible that we will not entirely finish the bottle.

Just ask for the wine the next time you dine in any dining venue they put your cabin number on the bottle so they hopefully find it again

Thank you :)

We love good wine and w have been most unimpressed with wines onboard except for a La Reserve Wine Pairing.

They used to have the ability to buy wine by the bottle and wine sales onboard so you could buy bottles for the full cruise. We did that on our crossing a couple years ago as well as a few other O cruises we were on. Last year on Marina we did not find much we liked and we were able to go to the liquor store and buy some of our favorite wines and bring them on board. We paid corkage and several nights we did not finish so had what was leftover the next day. We still paid less than a comparable bottle on ship and that made us happy at dinner.