WinesAtSea

That is great. That you enjoyed them is the key. We found several of them that we were poured to be fairly pedestrian or even unpleasant. That isn't the vibe they're going for in Luminae. Our somm did ask what we were having for dinner, but never bothered to ask what we liked or didn't like, which was the issue for us. We are pretty knowledgeable about wines (have visited many wine regions around the world) and so have a sense of the styles/profiles we enjoy and so a chance to discuss each night would have been ideal. It seemed he just didn't have the time covering a large dining room.

Reporting in after a cruise in the Retreat on Celebrity Apex that concluded yesterday. Mixed results on the wine. First, it was my general impression that examples such as Decoy or Whispering Angel either had been lowered back to $17 on menus (such as in Eden) or were readily poured without an upcharge in most venues, including the Retreat. In one case I was told the Whispering Angel was not in the package and I pointed to the menu saying it was $17 and they provided it. On a broader level, I do see a concerning erosion of their wine program. At the most basic, there is a strong push toward the cheapest wines they have in Luminae. For example, on the first night I asked for Decoy with my steak and was told it was not available. Perhaps this was true -- in Luminae - but I had earlier that night in the Retreat, so it was debatable. I was first offered the French wine Chateau Bertrand (a minervois), but I said I preferred a cabernet. I was then asked to try a wine called Excelsior from South Africa, then Souverain from California. Both retail for under $10 a bottle I didn't really care for either, but ultimately relented and said I'd settle for the Excelsior. The Somm did return with another bottle -- I'm afraid to even share it for how poorly it makes Celebrity look -- 19 Crimes. I told him I knew this wine and didn't care for it. He poured a sip anyway and I confirmed this was far to sweet for my taste. By this point I was just wanting something to drink so the Excelsior it was. To his credit, the Somm (Carlos) kept trying and actually did return with a bottle of Decoy a few minutes later. We tipped the Somm generously for the effort early in the cruise and found that things did improve. He would regularly bring bottles from off the menu that seemed to be thoughtful pairs (e.g., a chianti classico for a pasta dish). There was also a cotes du Rhone that was quite delicious, although it only appeared once. A provence rose was nice and crisp with lunch. The summary is that decent wines seem available, but there is a desire to push off many of the cheaper bottles. We also found that the staff seemed quite busy and thus had little time to talk to us and ask about our wine preferences or get to know what we might like more than others. This also showed up when we had a bottle we brought from home that we wanted decanted. We were told they only had 2 decanters and both were currently in use. This sort of situation is not acceptable in Luminae. As another example, One diner near us was visibly upset after asking for a champagne within the package, but being poured a prosecco. One possible explanation for this was provided by a Somm in another venue. They mentioned that there had been a chance to the beverage program leadership and a prior/interim director had ordered some poor choices -- including the 19 Crimes. This person indicated they were trying desperately to get rid of these wines as the new/current director had much better offerings on order. Whatever, the explanation, we took the opportunity to gently share with the staff (and on our survey) that we had been disappointed in the eroded wine program. The wine on celebrity had been what had made their brand stand out, but that by diminishing it, they were pushing us away. happy cruising!

Completely agree. The fact that wines like Decoy and Whispering Angel are now an upcharge from the premium package is ridiculous. We have found that often the somm in Luminae to be excellent and more flexible in either waiving some upcharges or finding wines from other venues that are within the package. Hope you have a great experience!

Thank you for this information! I've historically made an effort to track all this (hence the screen name) but the offerings and prices change so frequently, it's not even feasible to do so. We cruise on Apex in retreat class in a month. Wine is something we really enjoy and so it is really important to our experience on a cruise. We have had some fantastic wine experiences in the past, but it's harder and harder to come by. My typical approach is to try lots of different wines from various locations around the ship. Usually at least one venue will have something I like by the glass and then I'll just return there as often as possible. On our next cruise I'll be aware that even this strategy may be an upcharge.