No Sommeliers on RCCL Grandeur of the Seas?

[Paulette3028]

As someone who enjoys a really good bottle of wine and actually goes on buying trips to Napa to fill my cellar, I would expect expert wine service only on the most expensive cruise lines. I equate the food on board to a good medium priced restaurant and the wines are comparable to that in a medium prices restaurant. I would never expect a medium priced restaurant to have a sommelier or a decanter. I can always find wines that I enjoy onboard.

 

Celebrity is a more upscale line than Royal Caribbean so I am not surprised you found more knowledgeable wine service than on Royal.

 

If you want your red to breathe, open it in your storeroom before you bring it into the MDR or ask for it to be opened during the appetizer while you are drinking a white. Bring your own aerator to enhance the flavor of your red.

 

Make the best out of life and don't stress what isn't available, just enjoy what is there!

 

No sommelier on our Grandeur cruise over New Years but we did have the Ultimate package and a very knowledgeable bar server assigned to our table. He understood that we wanted to try different wines by the glass and was happy to suggest and to have a glass waiting for us when we arrived at our table each night. Our assistant waiter was also happy to assist if we needed a drink or glass of wine as well. Not always the case, and I did enjoy a Celebrity cruise recently and it was nice to have them pour more wine for you as you dined instead of bringing another glass.

 

 

This was exactly what I had imagined for my son and his girlfriend on their Grandeur cruise, which ended just this morning. But as I said in my original post, no sommelier, no wine steward, no knowledgeable bar server. Just a for the must part adequate waitstaff, whose only advise regarding the wines was, "We have these wines here (points to menu). The red ones go with beef, and the white ones with chicken and fish". Well duh!! Really coulda figured that much out for themselves. My expectation was that they would have access to a far wider selection of wines by the glass than the limited few that were featured on the MDR menu. For the price of the Ultimate package, including 15% gratuities, I really expected and hoped for a far better experience for them.

 

If this is truly the status quo on Royal Caribbean ships, I will refrain from investing in their beverage packages on any future sailings with them, as will my son, and will just buy the occasional glass of wine when I come across an amicable bartender who is willing to suggest a truly good wine worth experiencing, rather than just the ones that the cruiseline apparantly buys in bulk and hopes to unload on unwitting, naive passengers. I'll save my money to purchase the beverage package only when we sail with Celebrity again, which seems kind if ironic, considering they both have the same parent company.

 

My point is that not whether you disagree or agree in what Royal has to offer; my point is that Royal should hear the feelings of a passenger who wished and expected something based on another experience, and did not get that with a cruise line that is part of the RCI family.

 

The OP should send an email to rcldining@rccl.com.

 

It can be discussed here and feelings and ideas vented, but Royal needs to hear what people feel.

[skiiergirl]

A few months ago, my husband and I sailed on the Celebrity Summit, and for the first time ever had Celebrity's complimentary classic beverage package included in our fare. Although I rarely drink at home, we did take full advantage of it on the ship, particularly for wine at dinner in the MDR. And what made it most enjoyable for us was having a very attentive and personable young sommelier who was assigned to our section of the dining room. He promptly greeted us upon our being seated, asked us our preferences, made suggestions for wines that fell within the limitations of our beverage package, and kept our glasses full, often leaving the bottle on the table for us. It really enhanced our cruise experience, and has even led to us experimenting with wine at home fairly regularly since we've been back. We now can't see ourselves cruising in the future without a beverage package. (So, mission accomplished, Celebrity marketing department!)

 

Fast forward to the present, where my son and his girlfriend are just ending a 10 day cruise tomorrow morning on Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas. This was my son's second time sailing with a pricey, self-purchased premium beverage package. Prior to the start of this cruise, I encouraged him to meet their sommelier in the MDR and take full advantage of his services, as we ourselves had on our cruise. I felt they would end up trying far more and better wines than they would choose for themselves with their limited knowledge, and would end up having an enhanced dining experience. Well, I just spoke with him a couple of hours ago once they got back into contact range for his cell service.. Sadly, he never once met a sommelier, let alone had one assigned to him. Partway through the cruise he actually asked for one, and he claims the waiter acted like he didn't know what he was talking about. I'm disappointed for him, and disappointed in Royal Caribbean. From what I heard tonight, this was just one of multiple disappointments he had on this cruise. Was this just a fluke, or are the two cruise lines really so different? Shouldn't there always be at least a few sommeliers available in the MDR to assist cruisers with their wine selections? And with the automatic pre-paid gratuity policy that is in place, aren't they charging a little something each day for the sommeliers' services?

 

I would be interested in hearing anyone else's experiences with this matter.

 

Sadly RC did away with sommeliers years ago!!!!! I'm sure someone can give a better timeframe but I would say the sommelier position was eliminated at least 5 years ago.

[skiiergirl]

If I were you, I would send an email to rcldining@rccl.com. This email goes into the department that handles food and beverage issues on board all of the ships. This department needs to know from you your experience and what your expectations were and how Royal came up short on the delivery.

 

It has never mattered much to me and DH to have a sommelier's services. We know what we like and what we will order. I will say that on our recent Her Majesty cruise, when we enjoyed the only specialty restaurant on board, called Taste of Tuscany, we received a wonderful wine education from the "Master of Ceremonies" -- this is as much a show with a food and wine education as much as a 5 course meal with unlimited wine. This gentleman must have had some of the education that a sommelier would have -- he was remarkable.

 

I think maybe sending a comment to RC that sommeliers would be nice but it is not fair to indicate "how Royal came up short on delivery" as this was not the case. RC does not advertise sommelier service so they did not "come up short". I understand OP's disappointment for their son....but it was for expectations that were not advertised.