ClaudiaF Posted March 9, 2011 #26 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Right Murs, so Jim And Stan, we then, assume that you had in advance the "group" traveling with you.. although if the cost is a grand and it's your special day wouldn't that be great just for 2? $$$$$$$ but GREAT!!!!:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CintiPam Posted March 9, 2011 #27 Share Posted March 9, 2011 @Jim: Wow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted March 9, 2011 Author #28 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Right Murs, so Jim And Stan, we then, assume that you had in advance the "group" traveling with you.. although if the cost is a grand and it's your special day wouldn't that be great just for 2? $$$$$$$ but GREAT!!!!:D I'm happy to say that I met all of our guests through Cruise Critic. Excepting the two, who you might say "work for Oceania", they are all very familiar names from this board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondorner Posted March 9, 2011 #29 Share Posted March 9, 2011 But in truth it hasn't been "classless" for quite a while. Not since they made separate lines for suite check-in versus non-suite check-in ... Besides which, it truly is classless, in that anyone aboard can make a reservation regardless of who they are or what cabin category they have booked. In a classed society, only those of a certain class have the opportunity to book, regardless of the amount of money they have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondorner Posted March 9, 2011 #30 Share Posted March 9, 2011 A couple of random thoughts about Privee -- we were told about a couple who were part of a group who reserved Privee on the Maiden Voyage and enjoyed it so much they reserved it again, for just the two of them! Also, the night we enjoyed La Reserve on the Maiden Voyage, the other 3 couples at the table (each of the 3 tables holds 8 guests) decided they were having such a great time, they wanted to try Privee together! We were part of the discussion and were invited to join them (none of the couples had met previously), but we declined for the same reason that Jim waited until his special evening to visit Privee -- we knew we were invited to his birthday dinner on the Inaugural Voyage, and we wanted to wait to enjoy it for the first time with our dear and special friends, Jim and Stan. I don't know for certain, but the rest of that group apparently found another couple to replace us and were able to book Privee on board, because they called us the next day to confirm that we were waiting. Jim is too modest to post his own photo, so here is the birthday boy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted March 9, 2011 #31 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Besides which, it truly is classless, in that anyone aboard can make a reservation regardless of who they are or what cabin category they have booked. In a classed society, only those of a certain class have the opportunity to book, regardless of the amount of money they have. Or as someone else once said so eloquently, all animals are created equal except some are more equal than others. Yes, of course, everybody gets an opportunity at all restaurants, activities, etc... it's just that some get more opportunities, or earlier opportunities. O certainly doesn't compare to Cunard in terms of queen's grill versus the cheapest cabins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
searanch queen Posted March 9, 2011 #32 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Bottom line if you pay more you get more! In everything not just on cruises. I hate to say it but we all live in a money motivated world and not all pockets are equal. Deb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
searanch queen Posted March 9, 2011 #33 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Ps. You go Jim! Looks like you were having a great birthday party! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TERRIER1 Posted March 9, 2011 #34 Share Posted March 9, 2011 This begs the question as to what you will do for Stan's birthday? (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted March 9, 2011 Author #35 Share Posted March 9, 2011 This begs the question as to what you will do for Stan's birthday? (lol) I did the same for him on the Nautica in '09. :D He claims that the Invitations that he ordered for Privée were "based on these"; which means that he reversed the names......((Sigh)) Some people! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondorner Posted March 9, 2011 #36 Share Posted March 9, 2011 This begs the question as to what you will do for Stan's birthday? (lol) Again, knowing Jim, he will be too modest to mention it, but Stan still talks about how he enjoyed the B-day bash thrown by Jim a year or so ago when Stan turned the same age. Here's Stan, quietly enjoying the celebration...(not as good quality as I'd like, due to cropping and size reduction): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted March 9, 2011 #37 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I agree the menu looks wonderful as does the service and atmosphere. Still, $125 pp is just the entry fee. By the time you add wines and tips you are certain to be looking at $250pp, if not more, depending on wines and champagnes selected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digby Posted March 10, 2011 #38 Share Posted March 10, 2011 But in truth it hasn't been "classless" for quite a while. Not since they made separate lines for suite check-in versus non-suite check-in ... There are all sorts of advantages that a suite passenger gets because of the higher fees paid. (I speak as a suite passenger who is somewhat conflicted on this issue. I like the benefits but as an American I don't feel they are really "right".) I, too, have always been in a PH or OS, but I think the perks that come with them are really very minor. Once on the ship up to now EVERYONE had full access to the entire a ship with no additional fees. This new way of doing business seems more Cunard than Oceania. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted March 10, 2011 #39 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Personally, I don't understand why an American should object to getting more benefits for paying more. Even on the world cruise last year on Seabourn where everyone truly gets treated equally, the couple who paid half a million dollars for the Wintergarden Suite got to choose the same table in the main restaurant whenever they wanted it. Didn't bother me in the least. Don't Americans fly on airplanes? The people in First Class get a better experience than those in coach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orchestrapal Posted March 10, 2011 #40 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Personally, I don't understand why an American should object to getting more benefits for paying more. Even on the world cruise last year on Seabourn where everyone truly gets treated equally, the couple who paid half a million dollars for the Wintergarden Suite got to choose the same table in the main restaurant whenever they wanted it. Didn't bother me in the least. Don't Americans fly on airplanes? The people in First Class get a better experience than those in coach. So true. Why all this fuss over so called class distinctions. Some drive a VW and others a Mercedes, is this class distinction too??? Pay more and you should get more.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raffeer Posted March 10, 2011 #41 Share Posted March 10, 2011 So true. Why all this fuss over so called class distinctions. Some drive a VW and others a Mercedes, is this class distinction too??? Pay more and you should get more.:) Definitely agree with this thinking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted March 11, 2011 Author #42 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Question, which you are free not to answer! I'm trying to figure out what the wine cost would be for a meal like this. I believe that you said you got four different "flavors" of wine. I'm guessing that you needed at least two bottles of each for 8 people. Am I off track? I'd like to know what the real cost of such an evening is. Obviously, if you pick more expensive wines, it's going to cost more than less expensive wines! So it's not like you can definitively answer the question. And I assume we aren't going with Gallo for a dinner like this ... But it seems to me that the wines could cost several hundred dollars on top of the meal. Am I wrong? What was your experience? I say again: feel free to decline to answer or ignore my question! We would never ignore you, Mura, but it took us a while to decide what we should say about this issue. We knew that we had enjoyed the wine pairing experience, but because of the birthday angle, cost was discussed only with Stan, who can be remarkably discreet when it suits him. Anyway, here is how it played out: One of the nicest aspects of planning that evening in Privée was how respectful, even protective, the entire staff was. When choosing the wines, for example, there was a distinct absence of the up-selling that lesser sommeliers might attempt. We were also given the opportunity to order some vintages which had not yet been advertised on the ships' "official" wine lists, some of them very impressive indeed, and at very nice prices. In the end, we ordered more wine than Oceania recommended. both because we knew that it would be a long dinner (3 hours-ish), and because it was a celebration. On the night, however, our guests did not drink as we anticipated, and some guests preferred to stay with champagne throughout the evening. As another example of how the Privée staff looked after us, the next day at luncheon in the Grand Dining Room, our wine steward opined that the Montrachet that Juana had put aside for us, might be "just the thing". Juana had "managed" our overage for us, without our even having to think about it. Wasn't that wonderful service? For that matter, Imagine the GDR steward suggesting that we drink it, in lieu of selling another bottle! I never want to hear another word about "nickeled and dimed" again! In short (or it may be too late for that), the staff at Privée will happily respect your budget. In fact, give them a chance and they will guide you to the most extraordinary choices that your money can buy! Challenge them!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted March 11, 2011 #43 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Thanks so much for the comprehensive report! It is good to know that "specials" can be had and that the staff looks out for your interests. I realize that calculating how much wine people will be drinking at any such evening, especially a long one, can be nigh impossible. For example, among my friends who are regulars at our Thanksgiving table most drink white wines in general, but two of us prefer red. But sometimes they fool me! Looking forward to trying out Privee next year on Riviera! Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CintiPam Posted March 12, 2011 #44 Share Posted March 12, 2011 I did the same for him on the Nautica in '09. :D He claims that the Invitations that he ordered for Privée were "based on these"; which means that he reversed the names......((Sigh)) Some people! I was one of the very honored guests at this fantastic event. I can say that without any doubt this was the most amazing, marvelous and joyful night I ever spent onboard Oceania! And dare I mention the birthday lunch that Jim arranged for me in Pontone on the spectacular Amalfi Coast? Don, thanks so much for posting the photos of Jim and Stan. Still looking good, gentlemen!:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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