Wine package rcci

[luv2cruz23]

I have a few questions about the wine package. I'm getting married while aboard and we are having 34 people with us. I was thinking about ordering a wine package for the dinner after the wedding in the MDR. My questions:

 

I can share those bottles with anyone? I want each of our tables to have a few bottles that night.

 

I know that I can take the bottle with me to my stateroom. Can I take a bottle to one of the shows? or access my wine package while at one of the shows? or if I'm in my room, can I order one of my wines to the room? any fees with these?

 

Thank you,

Lily

[galavant3]

I would call the cruise line and see what packages they have available for weddings. It seems there are exceptions, but we have only been able to access our wine package in the dining venues. We have had no problem taking wine from the dining room. I've even taken a bottle from the DR and taken it to the pool the next day.

 

You can order wine and have it delivered to your stateroom, just not as part of your package.

 

If you order a wine package, you are free to share with whomever you choose. It would probably help the staff if you worked that out ahead of time.

 

Q: Where can I enjoy my Wine & Dine package during my cruise?

 

A: You may enjoy your Wine purchase in the Main Dinning-room, Specialty restaurants or the Windjammer restaurant.

 

Congratulations on your wedding!! And have a wonderful cruise!!

[JohnKen3]

I can share those bottles with anyone? I want each of our tables to have a few bottles that night.

We made the mistake of ordering a 10 bottle package for a 10 day cruise forgetting that we would be away for one Mystery Dinner Theatre and one Wine Pairing meal at Chops. Being in a GS, we were invited to the Captain's Table for a third night. I was in panic about how the wine would get finished!

 

One night, we offered a bottle to two of our MDR dinner companions and for New Year's Eve, we ordered two bottles of champagne for the table of 8 in additional our normal nightly bottle to catch up. We just spoke to our Assistant Waiter to organise this. So yes, you can share the wine around. It is merely getting the waiters to co-ordinate with each other if there are several tables used.

 

If I'm in my room, can I order one of my wines to the room? any fees with these?

They will charge corkage as extra. Just get a bottle of wine from the MDR (at lunch or dinner) and bring it back to the room yourself.

[luv2cruz23]

THank you very much!

 

we are getting married on the island, not thru the ship. On the ship we are just considered a group :) We are having a reception while on the island, but I figured that we'll be all dressed up at dinner and that it would be nice to have the wine/champagne flowing.

 

The only way I can get my fiance to go to the shows is if we order a bottle of champagne. We live nyc and he rather do broadway at home vs at sea. So do you think I would be able to get a bottle at dinner, open it and bring it to the show?

[CP3o]

I've bought individual bottles a couple of times and was considering the wine package but think I've been reading about some hassles using it in recent reviews.

 

Is there a coupon for buy one bottle get the next 20% off in the Diamond booklet? Something about that seems familiar but it could be an old coupon. If I order a couple of bottles the first day when they have stands set up, using a coupon, can I ask for one bottle to be delivered to the MDR and one to be delivered to the specialty restaurant the night we are there? Or do I get something like a voucher showing I paid and my waiter takes care of it when I show it to him?

[galavant3]

THank you very much!

 

we are getting married on the island, not thru the ship. On the ship we are just considered a group :) We are having a reception while on the island, but I figured that we'll be all dressed up at dinner and that it would be nice to have the wine/champagne flowing.

 

The only way I can get my fiance to go to the shows is if we order a bottle of champagne. We live nyc and he rather do broadway at home vs at sea. So do you think I would be able to get a bottle at dinner, open it and bring it to the show?

 

I've never done it but I would definitely give it a try. I can't imagine why anyone would care. People leave the MDR with bottles all the time. I know people that get a bottle for dinner and a bottle "to go" each night. Someone might have more experience than me and chime in.

[librayacht]

I could be wrong but isn't the $9.29 per bottle? Which would translate into savings of $65.03.

No, according to the analysis which I have the total savings would be a maximum of $9.29. I have the same analysis for Gold, Platinum and Diamond. Using the same 7 bottle package the savings on Platinum could be a total of 11.14 with a potential loss of $0.86.

In the Diamond package the potential savings could be $18.71 with a potential loss of $7.29.

[galavant3]

No, according to the analysis which I have the total savings would be a maximum of $9.29. I have the same analysis for Gold, Platinum and Diamond. Using the same 7 bottle package the savings on Platinum could be a total of 11.14 with a potential loss of $0.86.

In the Diamond package the potential savings could be $18.71 with a potential loss of $7.29.

 

I just bought the Platinum package for 145 plus 21.75 gratuity. The total is 166.75 or 33.35 per bottle. If I get 5 bottles that have a menu price of 39, the total for those 5 bottles outside the package would be 39 x 5 x 1.15 = 224.25.

 

I see a savings of 57.50 with my 5 bottle platinum package. What am I missing?

 

Double check. I really do think the analysis you are referring to is a per bottle savings.

[pinma]

I just redid the math. The 7 bottle platinum package numbers quoted above are the per bottle savings (if you buy $39 bottles) and loss (if you buy $27 bottles) before gratuity.

 

If I want to avoid paying sales tax out of Baltimore can I simply order after sail away or must I wait until we are past ALL our US ports or must I wait until our first full day ('at sea')?

 

If I like only specific wines in my package, what are the chances that they will run out of them? My understanding is that there will be no wine steward to recommend comparable wines and at the prices they charge I sure don't want to choose blindly! (That not wanting to choose blindly is why we are going with a package in the first place. We are trying as many of the wines as possible before we sail. Rough life. :o)

[galavant3]

I just redid the math. The 7 bottle platinum package numbers quoted above are the per bottle savings (if you buy $39 bottles) and loss (if you buy $27 bottles) before gratuity.

 

If I want to avoid paying sales tax out of Baltimore can I simply order after sail away or must I wait until we are past ALL our US ports or must I wait until our first full day ('at sea')?

 

If I like only specific wines in my package, what are the chances that they will run out of them? My understanding is that there will be no wine steward to recommend comparable wines and at the prices they charge I sure don't want to choose blindly! (That not wanting to choose blindly is why we are going with a package in the first place. We are trying as many of the wines as possible before we sail. Rough life. :o)

 

I have never paid sales tax on a wine package. Perhaps it is because the product isn't "delivered" until we are at sea. In fact, I have pre-ordered my package for March and there was no sales tax applied. I've also gotten the package on board, while still in port, and no sales tax has been applied.

 

We have gotten the wine package on about 9 cruises and have yet to have a specific wine be unavailable. We mostly order the top two (platinum and diamond, I think) and we usually get the wines that are the most highly priced.

 

I realize there is a chance that they could run out but that just hasn't been our experience.

 

A word of caution. I think it must be somewhat of an inconvenience to store the bottles because we find the waiters pour with a very heavy hand. If you find you are ready to leave and still have wine in your glass, feel free to take your glass with you.

 

If you like wine, this is one of our favorite things to do. Take your buy one get one free coupons to the wine bar (assuming there is one) and enjoy a more expensive glass of wine at half price. The bartender should be willing to bring over "tasting snacks" to have with your wine.

[pinma]

I will just go ahead and order when we board (we have to to talk to the MDR staff about DS's food allergies anyway) and not worry about the sales tax.

 

I've seen coupons mentioned several times. Does everyone get coupons or just those who have achieved certain loyalty status? This is our first RCI cruise.

[MAHA]

If you order the wine & dine package online before your cruise, you will not pay the sales tax. I don;t know how far out to sea you would need to be in order to not pay the sales tax. Since you're in the Chesapeake Bay until well after dinner, you may still be charged the sales tax.

[galavant3]

I will just go ahead and order when we board (we have to to talk to the MDR staff about DS's food allergies anyway) and not worry about the sales tax.

 

I've seen coupons mentioned several times. Does everyone get coupons or just those who have achieved certain loyalty status? This is our first RCI cruise.

 

Sorry, yes the coupons are for repeat guests with coupon books. On the bright side, you now have a reason to cruise again!

 

Enjoy your cruise AND your pre-cruise wine tasting!

[pinma]

Thanks!