Prestige Beverage Package

[kekilia]

Hi, everyone! I was reading through all of your posts on the excellent service provided by Lucas(sp?), and was curious. DH and I are booked on Marina for 12 days in August. Prepaid gratuities were included in our booking. We plan on purchasing the prestige beverage package. If we are lucky enough to receive the same great service from Lucas or another sommelier, I would want to give an extra gratuity for such service. So, my question is did you give an extra gratuity how much $$ would be acceptable.

 

So, I have traveled the world, both independently and on cruises. I have always given tips, extra and beyond the so-called expected, standard or minimum. Whatever. Anyway, sometimes this is presented by the "powers that be" as not in keeping with the culture, not expected, not de rigeur, not whatever! In every single case, I have never experienced a single server, attendant, housekeeper or other service employee who was not exceptionally grateful. All I have ever experienced are thank yous and smiles. I always tip 20% in restaurants when I have enjoyed my meal with great service, always given an extra $25 - 100 to the cruise attendants (by whatever classification you choose), always leave a $5 a day tip to the housekeeper at a hotel, always tip the doorman, the taxi drive, the coat checks, etc., etc., etc.. Bottom line - TIP! Who cares what anybody else says!!!!:D:confused:;):rolleyes::)

[phillygirl63]

Kekilia, I appreciate your reply. I too am a very generous tipper. I think you may have misunderstood my inquiry. We have been on several other cruise lines, but this is our first with Oceania. Our upcoming cruise on Oceania was much more expensive than those other cruises, and the gratuities are included in that fare as part of the booking promotion. We are not staying in a suite, so I don't have to be concerned with butlers, etc. that are not normally part of the daily gratuities. I do still intend to give a little extra for service that I believe is over and above the expected. However, since this thread was started to inquire about the prestige beverage package and I plan on purchasing the prestige beverage package for my cruise, I wanted to stay on topic. I was not asking whether extra gratuities were acceptable, but how much $$ would be acceptable specific to a certain sommelier when you have already purchased the prestige beverage package. I am still waiting for someone to chime in on that.

Edited June 23, 2015 by phillygirl63

[LHT28]

I was not asking whether extra gratuities were acceptable, but how much $$ would be acceptable specific to a certain sommelier when you have already purchased the prestige beverage package. I am still waiting for someone to chime in on that.

 

My guess would be it is a personal choice

If you enjoyed the service during your meal you could tip $5 or $50 depends on what it is worth to you

I do not think there is a set amount

[newbie60]

We do not purchase the beverage package but do bring our own wine aboard and pay corkage in addition to purchasing bottles of wine at the various dining venues. On the last day of the cruise, we tip those individuals who have been particularly helpful during the cruise. I take a small box of note cards and write a simple thank you note to each person (butler, room attendant, Somm, etc) and enclose whatever amount of cash we have determined is appropriate for the person in question. They are always appreciative and I've never seen one person open the envelope in our presence. It is not required but we like to go a bit extra for those who have done extra for us.

[StanandJim]

Kekilia, I appreciate your reply. I too am a very generous tipper. I think you may have misunderstood my inquiry. We have been on several other cruise lines, but this is our first with Oceania. Our upcoming cruise on Oceania was much more expensive than those other cruises, and the gratuities are included in that fare as part of the booking promotion. We are not staying in a suite, so I don't have to be concerned with butlers, etc. that are not normally part of the daily gratuities. I do still intend to give a little extra for service that I believe is over and above the expected. However, since this thread was started to inquire about the prestige beverage package and I plan on purchasing the prestige beverage package for my cruise, I wanted to stay on topic. I was not asking whether extra gratuities were acceptable, but how much $$ would be acceptable specific to a certain sommelier when you have already purchased the prestige beverage package. I am still waiting for someone to chime in on that.

 

LOL, we can play "semantics" all day long, or we can just be frank:

 

IF you are the gregarious type that never likes to see an empty wineglass until you tell them to stop, I would suggest an average of between 5 and 8% over the auto tip.

 

If you are less demanding and seldom call for a second glass, I would not tip over the auto tip at all.

 

[nikless]

Do they add 18% to the cost of the beverage package, or is the total cost for prestige 59.95 per person per day?

[ronrick1943]

But isn't it odd that you have to pay a corkage if you bring a good bottle of wine to the table. if your on the drink package. Your saving "O" money by not drinking from the package and drinking your own wine.

 

Rick

[StanandJim]

Do they add 18% to the cost of the beverage package, or is the total cost for prestige 59.95 per person per day?

 

The daily Package price includes any tips which might otherwise be incurred, and $59.95 is the final cost per diem.

Edited August 8, 2015 by StanandJim

[melmike]

I am reading these comments with great interest as we are taking our first Oceania cruise in late Sept in a Vista suite on Regatta. Previous cruises have all been with lines where everything is included, so the whole beverage package and tipping thing is new to me (also, we are from Australia, where tipping is not as prevalent nor as expected as in the US).

AND, we are in the wine business, so we like good wine as well as a cocktail before dinner.

We are still trying to weigh up the prestige package: we like the idea of not being nickled and dimed for the 10 days, and that gratuities are included. We looked at the by-the-bottle package but my husband says the wines are not that great (remember, he's in the industry, not trying to show off here....).

We do not mind at all paying corkage.

I suppose my questions are, how many bottles of wine can we reasonably bring on board when we first embark? Can we then bring another couple on board from various ports?

When you all talk about tipping sommeliers etc, do you mean EVERY NIGHT? Every time you feel you get good service, or do most people do as the previous person mentioned, re the envelopes (which sounds better to me)?

Thanks, and I'm hoping the weather is not rough (Montreal to NYC) since the suite is forward...

[Mura]

Given that DH is a professional I think you are best off bringing on your own wines. If you have the package, you are limited to wines by the glass. If DH doesn't think the regular wine list is all that great, I suspect he'll think even less of the few wines available with the package. (I don't consider it nickel-and-diming myself when I prefer to buy my liquor by the glass because I know I'll never spend as much per day as the package costs, but that's me. Many prefer the convenience. To each his own.)

 

You aren't limited as to what you bring on -- some people have said they bring on a case or two. That may not be so convenient if you have to buy a case in Montreal but there is nothing stopping you from doing so.

 

You can also pick up wines in the ports. Just remember that you'll be paying the corkage fee for anything you drink in a bar or restaurant as opposed to imbibing in your suite.

 

Also, you WILL have 6 bottles of alcohol -- mix and match spirits and wines -- available in your Vista Suite. You can choose them before boarding or upon boarding.

 

Mura

[StanandJim]

There aren't any restrictions for bringing on wine, either at embarkation or in subsequent ports. I personally have had cases sent to the ship (Just make sure that the name of the ship, your name, your stateroom # and your sailing date are clearly marked on the exterior of the case!).

 

There are dozens of Sommelier in the Grand Dining Room (and several in each of the specialties), so tipping at the end of the cruise via envelope isn't really practical.

 

Enjoy that fabulous Suite, they really are something out of an MGM musical! :D

[smoothsailors]

And if you're spending any time pre-cruise in Montreal, your husband would enjoy picking out some special wines there! We were advised by a Toronto collector to seek out the MAIN controlled liquor shop (in the central downtown district)...it is a two-story emporium with crystal chandeliers and a truly special reserve department.

 

We've also just booked our first Oceania trip in a Vista Suite, so we'd love to read a post when you return...they do look lovely!

 

We also looked at the beverage package and think that (especially given the 6 bottles- probably vodka- in the suite) and some special wines we'll bring aboard, that we'd prefer to pick up wines in ports and pay corkage as well as our cocktail tabs. That's always worked for us and, on Cunard in Queens Grill, it became a friendly competition between passengers to see who made the best "wine find". Even the wine stewards got involved in the tasting. Our gratuities were included but we did tip generously by envelope at the end of the cruise and it was most appreciated.

 

Enjoy!

[smoothsailors]

Just found the card: it's the SAQ Signature shop at 677 Rue St. Catherine, near Eaton Centre.

[LHT28]

There is an SAQ store right near the Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal

I am not a Connoisseur so not sure if the wines they sell would be to your standards but there are many wine shops in Old Montreal

 

google should find what you are looking for

[babysteps]

Melmike, not sure if you have been to Canada before, and I haven't ever been to Australia (someday! we did make it to NZ, but I digress...) - but import duties on wine in Canada are significantly higher than in the U.S. at least for retail sales. Don't know about personal use limits/duties.

 

If you are open to shipping wine (or bringing wine in a shipper carton as luggage), I suggest you do some research into what wines cost in Canada, what the shipping fees and duties (if any) would be on bringing your own wine. Especially if you have a cellar with some inventory, you may prefer to bring your own wine from home.

 

Note: for US airlines the standard 12 bottle shipper with styrofoam inserts is neither oversize nor overweight with 12 bottles (it would be close to overweight if all 12 were super heavy bottles). Not sure about non-US carriers. We did recently buy a one-case wine suitcase with foam inserts and wheels, which is much easier to manage than a shipper but would be overweight with 12 super heavy bottles.

 

There are some decent Canadian wines, and the ice wine is quite good, but nothing is a bargain for price-to-quality compared to what you can get from other areas of the world in my opinion. But inside Canada the duty makes them relative bargains!

 

Final aside - if your husband has industry contacts in Montreal, a little networking might turn up some interesting opportunities :)

[LHT28]

We sell Australian wines here ;)

it may not be your own winery but probably a lot less hassle

 

You are allowed to bring free of duty and taxes, either 1.5 litres of wine, or 1.14 litres (40 oz) of liquor, or 24 x 355 millilitres (12 oz) cans or bottles (8.5) litres of beer or ale.

 

Anything over the personal limit are heavily taxed again not worth the hassle

As they say "know before you go"

 

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/ivc-rnc-eng.html

Edited August 14, 2015 by LHT28

[LHT28]

I would search the SAQ.COM site for the wines/spirits you prefer then see if a location near where you will be stayingdocking has any in stock

 

Then decide if it is worth it or not

 

SAQ is the Quebec Government control board other Provinces have their own liquor control boards

 

Lyn

[wenjoyjack]

I am reading these comments with great interest as we are taking our first Oceania cruise in late Sept in a Vista suite on Regatta. Previous cruises have all been with lines where everything is included, so the whole beverage package and tipping thing is new to me (also, we are from Australia, where tipping is not as prevalent nor as expected as in the US).

 

AND, we are in the wine business, so we like good wine as well as a cocktail before dinner.

 

We are still trying to weigh up the prestige package: we like the idea of not being nickled and dimed for the 10 days, and that gratuities are included. We looked at the by-the-bottle package but my husband says the wines are not that great (remember, he's in the industry, not trying to show off here....).

 

We do not mind at all paying corkage.

 

I suppose my questions are, how many bottles of wine can we reasonably bring on board when we first embark? Can we then bring another couple on board from various ports?

 

When you all talk about tipping sommeliers etc, do you mean EVERY NIGHT? Every time you feel you get good service, or do most people do as the previous person mentioned, re the envelopes (which sounds better to me)?

 

Thanks, and I'm hoping the weather is not rough (Montreal to NYC) since the suite is forward...

 

 

We took our first Oceania cruise in May this year. We are Aussies and a not comfortable with the tipping situation as it is foreign to us. We had intended to purchase the Prestige package but luckily just before embarkation this was added to our cruise package along with free wifi.

 

We are booked on Nautica in October this year and will definitely purchase the package. Like you, we had only cruised on all inclusive cruises before with Seaborn and were not looking forward to signing for every drink. We also did our sums - we love our wine and often have a bottle between us for lunch and certainly more with dinner. I also love my cocktails and the Big O martini in Martinis bar is definitely recommended. The Big O coffee with liqueurs is also very yum. DH sticks to his love of white wine. By the time you calculate this and the gratuities, we were way ahead buying the package. Add to this the hassle free experience of just presenting your card once, it is definitely worth it. As we love our wine, we did buy some bottles on shore sometimes when we saw something special and there is no trouble bringing them on board.

 

We never saw anyone tipping the sommeliers and we certainly didn't. We did find some of them very, very good and communicated this in our comments and summaries of our cruise to Oceania, mentioning people who had given us great service by name. In our cruise fare all gratuities were included, so does this not mean that some part of the fare paid goes into the gratuities bucket?

 

We absolutely loved Oceania and I'm sure you will too. Have a great cruise!

[StanandJim]

We never saw anyone tipping the Sommeliers and we certainly didn't.

Perhaps you weren't looking hard enough....:cool:

[Mura]

Maybe they were and maybe they weren't.

 

We never have! Tipped extra to the sommelier ... BUT ...

 

We've also never asked for special service. If it's a new bottle he or she has opened the bottle for us. More often than not I have had to pour my second glass because no one else was doing it for me.

 

So is it my bad or the sommelier's that we didn't tip extra?

 

If (as has been mentioned) the sommelier has suggested individual wines for each course, would we tip extra? You betcha. But that's never happened to us. MAYBE that is because we come in with a bottle or order a bottle. In that case I don't expect them to make special recommendations. But it is nice to know that this is an option.

 

Mura

[wenjoyjack]

Perhaps you weren't looking hard enough....:cool:

 

 

The cruise was out of Sydney so there a lot of Aussies and Kiwis on board for whom tipping is not part of their culture due to the way wait staff is paid in our countries. No one we met on board tipped the sommeliers but we didn't meet everyone!

[melmike]

You have all been so informative and helpful.

We wouldn't bring from Australia as we are doing the Rocky Mountaineer train first (lucky, hey!?), but would certainly consider buying a case in Montreal if we really can bring a case on board....

Many thanks to all

[melmike]

We took our first Oceania cruise in May this year. We are Aussies and a not comfortable with the tipping situation as it is foreign to us. We had intended to purchase the Prestige package but luckily just before embarkation this was added to our cruise package along with free wifi.

 

We are booked on Nautica in October this year and will definitely purchase the package. Like you, we had only cruised on all inclusive cruises before with Seaborn and were not looking forward to signing for every drink. We also did our sums - we love our wine and often have a bottle between us for lunch and certainly more with dinner. I also love my cocktails and the Big O martini in Martinis bar is definitely recommended. The Big O coffee with liqueurs is also very yum. DH sticks to his love of white wine. By the time you calculate this and the gratuities, we were way ahead buying the package. Add to this the hassle free experience of just presenting your card once, it is definitely worth it. As we love our wine, we did buy some bottles on shore sometimes when we saw something special and there is no trouble bringing them on board.

 

 

We never saw anyone tipping the sommeliers and we certainly didn't. We did find some of them very, very good and communicated this in our comments and summaries of our cruise to Oceania, mentioning people who had given us great service by name. In our cruise fare all gratuities were included, so does this not mean that some part of the fare paid goes into the gratuities bucket?

 

We absolutely loved Oceania and I'm sure you will too. Have a great cruise!

 

 

HAHAHA Fellow Aussies! Your description of the amount you imbibe on a cruise pretty much describes us, also.

Can you (or anyone else), please tell me if there is a big difference in the amount / quality of wines offered in the Prestige package vs the ordinary?

And how did it come about that the package was "added" along with free wifi? Impressive! How do I make THAT happen!!??

And to the person who supplied the address of the wine outlet in Montreal, thanks so much...sounds like a place my DH will really enjoy spending an hour or two...

[LHT28]

.

Can you (or anyone else), please tell me if there is a big difference in the amount / quality of wines offered in the Prestige package vs the ordinary?

 

I am not sure what you mean

With the prestige package you can order any wine by the glass on the bar menus

not sure if you can see the list on the Australian site but maybe when you get to Canada look at this link

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/experience/value/beverage-packages/

click on sample bar menu

 

There is also a large selection of wine by the bottle not just the one on the Wine bottle package ...it can change depending on what they have onboard the ship

[LHT28]

Should have thought of this before

The Preismans do an excellent job of taking photos of everything including bar & wine menus

 

take a look at their site it will give you an idea of the wines by the bottle then you can see if any suit your palate

http://www.thepreismans.com/riviera_mayan_menus.htm#main