Wine By The Glass -Limited choices, even with Premium Package

Honestly, this is my only Celebrity complaint!

I'm happy with many of the changes that the cruise line (Lisa) have made and my recent sailings have been nothing but marvelous. But, come on! Wine choices, by the glass, are pretty pitiful. Although no wine expert, I know my way around Reds. Most of the choices in the Classic Package are barely drinkable, IMO, and I don't find many in the Premium to my liking (even the ones I pay a few dollars extra per glass, because they're over the cap).

It frosts my cookies, when I've willingly paid an already steep price for the Premium Package, to have to buy "good" wines by the bottle.

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Agreed. Most bars didn't even have the wines that were listed on their menus. It was difficult to find a good one. My guess is they have just taken a lot out of circulation in order to save money.

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Agreed in regards to the Classic Package choices...however, we dine in Blu, and had many excellent choices..the sommelier was terrific, and we truly enjoyed a wide range of both reds and whites..perhaps they have moved the "good ones" to Blu and Luminae....

The pool bar, for sure, is not the place to search out great wines! Lol...

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Hoping not to sound TOO snobbish,but have been drinking (and somewhat studying) red wines for 50 years, and friends usually ask for my opinion about wines.I definitely feel premium package selections for red wines are low quality and extremely limited.

Also agree. Not a single enjoyable Red within the premium package. The Raymond Merlot was good ($14) as was the Atalon Cab (also $14). The lack of decent tasting wines (that I can buy for less than $18 / btl) is a shame. We won't do a package next time... Just cheapo Elite wine and we'll bring on 2 good bottles. Revenue loss for Celebrity.

We had the same experience. Premium package and most of the wines listed on the menu were not available. In fact, in the main dining room they only offered one cab and it was the one on the classic package. This is a big change from our experience the first year the premium package was offered. We had dozens of excellent choices and all were available. I believe celebrity has done with on purpose Bc they believe most people won't notice the difference. Really made us mad and turned us off from celebrity.

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Our experience has been similar until we had great conversations with the Sommeliers in which ever venue we were eating and they were more than happy to switch out the wine for something better at NO additional charge to us, using our Premium Beverage package.. Did it take a few moments for it to arrive, yes, yet not a bother to us in the long run.

With the exception of in Murano, the Sommelier did charge, but provided an excellent wine substitute.

bon voyage

Agreed. Most bars didn't even have the wines that were listed on their menus. It was difficult to find a good one. My guess is they have just taken a lot out of circulation in order to save money.

 

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..... or in a mad dash, passengers depleted the on-board supplies??? :)

bon voyage

One will think that ALL bars and ALL restaurants on the same ship will have an access to the same wines - right?

Have anyone had a conversation with F&B Manager regarding the issue?

That is where you get your answers and hopefully some good wine.;)

Anymore , anyone with a cabin higher than inside, gets a classic drink package at least , so Celebrity has really reduced the choices to economize. Luckily we are happy with whatever is available at dinner by the glass. White Zin or house Riesling and my wife is happy. Any red is fine at dinner for me. A few years back in a specialty restaurant I got conned into getting a $16 glass of red wine recommended by the Sommelier and it didn't taste any better than the stuff I drink at home.

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I fully agree. Like others if you have a good sommelier they will find wines that aren't normally available by the glass (and are usually better). It further irks me to see 8-10 bottles priced the same, with only one or two available by the glass.

With the majority (I'm guessing) on some sort of beverage package you think they would add a few more wines by the glass....

Wine is a very personal thing. We used to get the classic drink package. Now we get the Premium drink package with our suite. If we dont have the PDP then we will upgrade. My other half like some of the top shelf alcohols. I'll drink what white wine is handed to me. Next cruise I'm going to see if Michael's Club will get me a wine I like. It's $25 a glass on the ship. A bottle of it is not that much more than that at home. But I drink mostly white wine chardonnay. Cost of the wine is not the point, it is what do I like. I will drink red wine at the wine tastings. Some are better than others. I'll start drinking red wine when all the white wine is gone.

Has anyone asked in Cellar Masters for a sample. Lets say all red wine under the PDP. Might this be a way of finding a wine you like? It is just a thought.

Just goes to show everyone has different experiences... we are currently on Solstice and have the Classic Package. Cannot fault it, the choice I think is huge..... unless we just have awesome waiters and bar staff all over the ship, as we have not for one minute thought about upgrading, have had the nicest red wines on board this ship, the only thing we cannot get are martinis in the martinis bar which is fine as we don't really have anyway... wines, cocktails, spirits specialty coffees, smoothies etc..... so, we are more than happy as are a lot of passengers.

Hoping not to sound TOO snobbish,but have been drinking (and somewhat studying) red wines for 50 years, and friends usually ask for my opinion about wines.I definitely feel premium package selections for red wines are low quality and extremely limited.

You don't sound snobbish, and I'd say we're alike in this regard. Back in the mid-70's (when I was barely of drinking age), I was employed at a local university. One of the Psychology Dept profs began offering Wine Appreciation, through a Continuing Education program. Up until then I thought Spañada and Mateus were sublime.[emoji57] I signed up for the course every quarter, and that began my lifelong love and "appreciation" of wine.

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Not snobbish..but I will quote a dear friend, who owned a wine shop way back when..."if you like it..it's a fine wine"! Enjoy[emoji485]

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Our experience has been similar until we had great conversations with the Sommeliers in which ever venue we were eating and they were more than happy to switch out the wine for something better at NO additional charge to us, using our Premium Beverage package.. Did it take a few moments for it to arrive, yes, yet not a bother to us in the long run.

 

With the exception of in Murano, the Sommelier did charge, but provided an excellent wine substitute.

 

bon voyage

Yes, I've conversed with the sommeliers in the MDR and in Cellar Masters on a number of sailings. And, sometimes I've gotten a decent glass (with or without an up-charge) that's not on the per-glass selection list. But, my point is that I don't want to have to chat-up or cajole sommeliers every time I want a good glass of wine.

I'd like to see a much expanded list of available by-the-glass wines, at varying, reasonable price-points.

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We just got off the Silhouette a couple of weeks ago and found that Cellar Masters has a better choice of wine than the MDR. We just got a glass there and took it to dinner with us. No problem at all. I'm with Sox59, if you like it, it's a fine wine.

We had the same experience. Premium package and most of the wines listed on the menu were not available. In fact, in the main dining room they only offered one cab and it was the one on the classic package. This is a big change from our experience the first year the premium package was offered. We had dozens of excellent choices and all were available. I believe celebrity has done with on purpose Bc they believe most people won't notice the difference. Really made us mad and turned us off from celebrity.

 

 

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I'm with you! Until I started this thread, I thought I was the only one who'd had the type of experience you mentioned...in my case, during my most recent cruise, it was Pinot Noir...there were none offered in the Classic and only one in the Premium (which runs about $14 a bottle in my local supermarket).

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On our last TA in November the sommelier in Luminae would bring us wine without even thinking about the price or what beverage package you had. He was so friendly and accommodating and would simply ask us "What are you having for dinner?" and then bring us a wine that was the PERFECT pairing. One night after dinner I asked about Icewine. He smiled and came back shortly with a Tokaij, a dessert wine that usually sells for $50US+ a bottle. We had a glass and he came back and refilled them - twice. We ended up finishing off the bottle. So each wine experience is different.

Not snobbish..but I will quote a dear friend, who owned a wine shop way back when..."if you like it..it's a fine wine"! Enjoy[emoji485]

 

 

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Great quote, and I agree. Many of the wines I consider "fine" are certainly not expensive or have a fancy name or label.

But, I'll say again, a wider variety (and actual availability) of wines by-the-glass in both Classic and Premium would be appreciated.

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Next cruise I'm going to see if Michael's Club will get me a wine I like. It's $25 a glass on the ship. A bottle of it is not that much more than that at home. But I drink mostly white wine chardonnay.

I only drink chardonnay - so enquiring minds want to know if you'll name names :)

Have anyone had a conversation with F&B Manager regarding the issue?

 

That is where you get your answers and hopefully some good wine.;)

I'd not thought to talk with F&B Manager, although by the time I'm on a ship (next one is 14-nighter in March on Eclipse) the wine menus are printed, the wines-by-the-glass have been chosen, and I'm not looking to be treated specially.

I'm really hoping that there's such a groundswell of enthusiastic support on this thread, that Celebrity will take notice and fill those two-story wine towers and the "cellar" of Cellar Masters with really good by-the-glass options.

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Just goes to show everyone has different experiences... we are currently on Solstice and have the Classic Package. Cannot fault it, the choice I think is huge..... unless we just have awesome waiters and bar staff all over the ship, as we have not for one minute thought about upgrading, have had the nicest red wines on board this ship, the only thing we cannot get are martinis in the martinis bar which is fine as we don't really have anyway... wines, cocktails, spirits specialty coffees, smoothies etc..... so, we are more than happy as are a lot of passengers.

Exactly our experience on the Eclipse last week. I understand that some people really do like fine wine and might be frustrated but drinking is not that high a priority for us. Wife would tell the sommelier what she was having for dinner and he'd bring a wine. She was fine.

enjoy

On our last TA in November the sommelier in Luminae would bring us wine without even thinking about the price or what beverage package you had. He was so friendly and accommodating and would simply ask us "What are you having for dinner?" and then bring us a wine that was the PERFECT pairing. One night after dinner I asked about Icewine. He smiled and came back shortly with a Tokaij, a dessert wine that usually sells for $50US+ a bottle. We had a glass and he came back and refilled them - twice. We ended up finishing off the bottle. So each wine experience is different.

Sounds perfect! Now I've just gotta save up so I can sail in a suite and eat (and drink) in Luminae.

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I agree with the OP. My Husband and I have only one significant complaint with Celebrity: the lack of decent wines by the glass that are included in the premium package. We enjoy many varietals, and are used to having options, both at home and in restaurants. Having such a limited wine list definitely impacts our dining experience. The lack of good Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Red Zinfandels is unacceptable. Many excellent wineries produce delicious wines at reasonable prices. I can't see why Celebrity can't manage to provide these.