Complimentary wine on Odyssey

[MARIANH]

We sailed on the Odyssey 20 November 2015 after a two year break from this line.

 

This time, the "freepour" wines were generally superior and at a higher pricepoint. Whereas on our previous cruise it was difficult to extract a listing of the complimentary wines from the Somellier, there was no problem this time.

 

A new list is prepared for each cruise but you do have to ask for it as it is not well publicised nor volunteered. In addition to the wines listed there are others available but not publicised because they are in short supply and Seabourn does not wish to disappoint if everyone asks for them. It takes a bit of negotiation to unearth these "freepour" wines. But it can be worth the effort!

 

It seems that Seabourn nominate a couple or so wines to promote each day. Perhaps not surprisingly these are not the best available. I found the tendency for wine servers to "push" these wines somewhat irritating. Particularly as their description of the wines tends to be much more generous than the actualite .

 

Below is the listing for our cruise -

 

WHITES

Santa Margharita Pinot Grigio ( Italy)

Gruber Roschitz Dry Reisling (Austria)

Wingspan Sauvignon Blanc( NZ)

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc (NZ)

Frontera Sauvignon Blanc ( Chile)

Stags Leap Chardonnay ( USA)

Pascal Bouchard Petit Chablis ( France)

Chateau Saint Armand Sauternes( France)

 

RED

Jamieson Ranch Pinot Noir ( California)

Castello Banfi Chianti ( Italy)

Bodegas Lan Rioja ( Spain)

Tall Sage Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington State)

Domaine Sas, Du Plo Corbieres ( France)

Zolo Malbec ( Argentina)

Constentine Zinfandel ( California)

Kendall Jackson Avant Cabernet Sauvignon (Caslifornia)

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz/Cab ( Australia

Goose Ridge Cabernet ( Washington State

 

BLUSH/ROSE

Beringer White Zin ( California)

Barton Guestier Cote du Provence ( France)

Centine Banfi Toscano ( Italy)

 

CHAMPAGNE /SPARKLING

Nicholas Feuillate ( France)

Cantine Maschio Prosecco ( Italy)

 

Of course personal tastes vary but for me the standout wines were-

 

WHITE

Stags Leap ( included by mistake?)

The Petit Chablis - classic nicely mineral and rather fine

The Sauterne - an unctous sticky

 

RED

Banfi Chianti

Domaine Sas - needs to breath for a while!

 

Additionally from the unlisted wines , I would highlight a Cune Rioja ( classic Crianza) and a Valpolicella ( forgotten the maker - overtones of a Ripasso)

 

We found the Champagne too coarse and acidic for our taste ; but it made an acceptable mock Bellini!

 

At the bottom of the list for me was the Frontera Sauv Blanc ( good paintsripper?) However it was being heavily promoted and consumed with surprising alacrity. In the UK it retails for very little money.

 

I hope this info is helpful to future cruiosers.

 

Cheers

 

PS A Lois Latour Ardeche Chardonnay appeared in quantity part way through the cruise. Nothing special.

Edited December 6, 2015 by MARIANH

[Nigella]

Thank you for taking the time to write up that list, marianh, I know people do appreciate it.

 

I'm glad that you found the wines better this time.

Interesting that there's a 'secret' Valpolicella, must try to hunt a glass of it down!

[notjaded]

 

WHITES

Santa Margharita Pinot Grigio ( Italy)

Gruber Roschitz Dry Reisling (Austria)

Wingspan Sauvignon Blanc( NZ)

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc (NZ)

Frontera Sauvignon Blanc ( Chile)

Stags Leap Chardonnay ( USA)

Pascal Bouchard Petit Chablis ( France)

Chateau Saint Armand Sauternes( France)

 

RED

Jamieson Ranch Pinot Noir ( California)

Castello Banfi Chianti ( Italy)

Bodegas Lan Rioja ( Spain)

Tall Sage Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington State)

Domaine Sas, Du Plo Corbieres ( France)

Zolo Malbec ( Argentina)

Constentine Zinfandel ( California)

Kendall Jackson Avant Cabernet Sauvignon (Caslifornia)

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz/Cab ( Australia

Goose Ridge Cabernet ( Washington State

 

BLUSH/ROSE

Beringer White Zin ( California)

Barton Guestier Cote du Provence ( France)

Centine Banfi Toscano ( Italy)

 

CHAMPAGNE /SPARKLING

Nicholas Feuillate ( France)

Cantine Maschio Prosecco ( Italy)

 

Of course personal tastes vary but for me the standout wines were-

 

WHITE

Stags Leap ( included by mistake?)

The Petit Chablis - classic nicely mineral and rather fine

The Sauterne - an unctous sticky

 

RED

Banfi Chianti

Domaine Sas - needs to breath for a while!

 

Additionally from the unlisted wines , I would highlight a Cune Rioja ( classic Crianza) and a Valpolicella ( forgotten the maker - overtones of a Ripasso)

 

 

I hope this info is helpful to future cruiosers.

 

Very useful indeed! Thanks.

[eliana]

Thanks Marianh. We have always found the sommeliers on Seabourn reluctant to let us have a wine list. We are fussy about wines and a list would certainly help our choice. We are sailing on Odyssey next week and although the whites on your list are fine the reds are poorish. I hope they have a better selection next week.

[Nigella]

Thanks Marianh. We have always found the sommeliers on Seabourn reluctant to let us have a wine list. We are fussy about wines and a list would certainly help our choice. We are sailing on Odyssey next week and although the whites on your list are fine the reds are poorish. I hope they have a better selection next week.

 

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I don't think the selection will be much improved next week. We were on Sojourn in September and the wines we had onboard then were the same as this list, give or take one or two.

[wripro]

This is not a bad list. And for those who are fussy about wines there is always the premium list.

[Nigella]

This is not a bad list. And for those who are fussy about wines there is always the premium list.

 

I agree, we enjoyed the included wines in September so I was quite pleased to see the same ones in the current selection.

Overall I think that the included wines have improved over the last couple of years.

[sananda]

I firmly believe in the old adage "You get what you pay for." So I decided to look up the current price of these wines in wine searcher. This is a good source because it shows prices from brick and mortar stores. You can get better prices with Amazon, but wine searcher will find more unusual things. So here it is:

 

WHITES

Santa Margharita Pinot Grigio ( Italy) $10.99

Gruber Roschitz Dry Reisling (Austria) $11.99

Wingspan Sauvignon Blanc( NZ) $6.70

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc (NZ) $8.47

Frontera Sauvignon Blanc ( Chile) $4.98

Stags Leap Chardonnay ( USA) $17.99

Pascal Bouchard Petit Chablis ( France) $22.99

Chateau Saint Armand Sauternes( France) Unavailable

 

RED

Jamieson Ranch Pinot Noir ( California) $8.99

Castello Banfi Chianti ( Italy) $4.01

Bodegas Lan Rioja ( Spain) $6.60

Tall Sage Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington State) unavailable

Domaine Sas, Du Plo Corbieres ( France) $8.58

Zolo Malbec (Argentina) $9.95

Constentine Zinfandel (California) unavailable

Kendall Jackson Avant Cabernet Sauvignon (Caslifornia) $16.24

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz/Cab ( Australia) $6.78

Goose Ridge Cabernet ( Washington State) $10.99

 

BLUSH/ROSE

Beringer White Zin ( California) $3.57

Barton Guestier Cote du Provence ( France) $5.99

Centine Banfi Toscano ( Italy) $4.01

 

CHAMPAGNE /SPARKLING

Nicholas Feuillate ( France) $10.86

Cantine Maschio Prosecco ( Italy) $3.99

 

Average price per bottle of Seabourn's wines = $8.25

 

Wow! What "luxury". Aren't you glad you paid extra for an all-inclusive experience that provides such low end wines?

[Nigella]

I firmly believe in the old adage "You get what you pay for." So I decided to look up the current price of these wines in wine searcher. This is a good source because it shows prices from brick and mortar stores. You can get better prices with Amazon, but wine searcher will find more unusual things. So here it is:

 

WHITES

Santa Margharita Pinot Grigio ( Italy) $10.99

Gruber Roschitz Dry Reisling (Austria) $11.99

Wingspan Sauvignon Blanc( NZ) $6.70

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc (NZ) $8.47

Frontera Sauvignon Blanc ( Chile) $4.98

Stags Leap Chardonnay ( USA) $17.99

Pascal Bouchard Petit Chablis ( France) $22.99

Chateau Saint Armand Sauternes( France) Unavailable

 

RED

Jamieson Ranch Pinot Noir ( California) $8.99

Castello Banfi Chianti ( Italy) $4.01

Bodegas Lan Rioja ( Spain) $6.60

Tall Sage Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington State) unavailable

Domaine Sas, Du Plo Corbieres ( France) $8.58

Zolo Malbec (Argentina) $9.95

Constentine Zinfandel (California) unavailable

Kendall Jackson Avant Cabernet Sauvignon (Caslifornia) $16.24

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz/Cab ( Australia) $6.78

Goose Ridge Cabernet ( Washington State) $10.99

 

BLUSH/ROSE

Beringer White Zin ( California) $3.57

Barton Guestier Cote du Provence ( France) $5.99

Centine Banfi Toscano ( Italy) $4.01

 

CHAMPAGNE /SPARKLING

Nicholas Feuillate ( France) $10.86

Cantine Maschio Prosecco ( Italy) $3.99

 

Average price per bottle of Seabourn's wines = $8.25

 

Wow! What "luxury". Aren't you glad you paid extra for an all-inclusive experience that provides such low end wines?

 

Thank you for your research, but I'm sure most of us who know even a bit about wine are fully aware that the quality of the included wines is not the best and are familiar with the approximate price points of these wines.

Those who don't know the difference between an everyday drinking wine and fine wine won't care what they're drinking anyway.

 

For me, the point is that I can always find a couple of wines amongst the included selection that I'm happy to drink at lunchtime. If I happen to want to drink something of better quality, I ask for the wine list.

At dinner anyway, we always choose from the wine list, unless we're dining at Patio Grill.

 

I do think that Seabourn needs to alter its marketing and not refer to the included wines as "fine wines", because that simply isn't true.

 

As for your comment about luxury, it's not included wines that make luxury for me. The wines are actually the least important aspect.

As long as I consider that I'm getting the luxury experience that's important to me, I'll continue to choose Seabourn. When I don't feel that I'm getting value for my "luxury" experience and SB is no longer meeting my needs, I'll stop choosing the line. There's a chance that will happen in the next few weeks, we'll see, but it won't be because of the included wines.

[Nigella]

Actually I've just taken a look at some of the prices you list.

Are they supposed to be retail prices per bottle? Or wholesale per case?

If retail, some appear rather unrealistic, but I haven't purchased low price wines in the U.S. since ca. 1990 so perhaps I'm out of touch.

[NJBelle]

Hi, I am new to the Seabourn board - just booked a cruise for 2017 - but definitely interested in wines. Thanks for the list - interesting to compare to what we were just served on our recent Regent cruise.

 

However, I do know what some of these wines cost, so I would suggest you double-check the prices you provided. The Santa Margharita really goes for about $21.99 to 24.99. That 8.95 you saw was a typo. Also the Nicholas Feuillate goes for around $26-27.99. The price you saw was for a 375 ml split I believe. I didn't check any of the other prices - just knew those two were wrong since I am in wine stores pretty regularly!

[Nigella]

Hi, I am new to the Seabourn board - just booked a cruise for 2017 - but definitely interested in wines. Thanks for the list - interesting to compare to what we were just served on our recent Regent cruise.

 

However, I do know what some of these wines cost, so I would suggest you double-check the prices you provided. The Santa Margharita really goes for about $21.99 to 24.99. That 8.95 you saw was a typo. Also the Nicholas Feuillate goes for around $26-27.99. The price you saw was for a 375 ml split I believe. I didn't check any of the other prices - just knew those two were wrong since I am in wine stores pretty regularly!

 

Thanks for this clarification.

I did a double take when I saw that the Nicolas Feuillaté was cheaper by a considerable amount than it is in France. Same for the French rosé. I don't like Nicolas Feuillaté but was very impressed that it's only $10 a bottle over there.

 

And welcome to Seabourn!

Edited December 7, 2015 by Nigella

[MARIANH]

Hi, I am new to the Seabourn board - just booked a cruise for 2017 - but definitely interested in wines. Thanks for the list - interesting to compare to what we were just served on our recent Regent cruise.

 

However, I do know what some of these wines cost, so I would suggest you double-check the prices you provided. The Santa Margharita really goes for about $21.99 to 24.99. That 8.95 you saw was a typo. Also the Nicholas Feuillate goes for around $26-27.99. The price you saw was for a 375 ml split I believe. I didn't check any of the other prices - just knew those two were wrong since I am in wine stores pretty regularly!

 

I agree that some of Sananda's reported prices look rather suspect and too low-,certainly compared with what you might pay in the UK.

 

All I would say is that my recent experience on Odyssey suggests that Seabourn has upped the quality of their complimentary wines somewhat. If you know enough about wine and cultivate the sommelier you will be able to find a few decent wines that may not be " fine " but are eminently gluggable.

 

And to buy these in a landside restaurant would probably put their price point around the $50 to $60 region.

 

Incidentally, the mark up on the premium wine list seems rather modest compared with landside practice and there are some very pleasant offerings at sensible prices.

 

Hope this is helpful. And please do not let us get into a nugatory debate about bottleshop prices !

[marchanxiety]

Around here (NOVA) we never see NF for less than $32, and $39-$42 is more typical. Wine is heavily taxed in VA.

[ExArkie]

My sister-in-law drinks the Santa Margharita Pinot Grigo almost exclusively (Lord knows why, but I stopped trying to convert her). That is the price we found in Italy, but half or less of any US price. If you can tell me where to buy it for that in the US, she will be VERY happy.

[ab21au]

There is no way I could buy Oyster Bay or Wingspan for those prices in Aus, maybe double the price.

 

The wines we had on the Quest recently, offered the first few days particularly, were very good, both red and white. We then requested the wine from the previous night and had no problem getting it. On subsequent nights the waiter offered for us to taste the new one to see if we preferred it over the previous one. If we didn't like it he then got the one we liked, no problem at all.

 

Even when we went to the Colonnade the next night, we asked for the same wines and got them no problem.

[markham]

It seems to me that ole Sananda was trying to make a point and/or trying to be humorous:

 

"Wow! What "luxury". Aren't you glad you paid extra for an all-inclusive experience that provides such low end wines?"

 

But he/she clearly has fallen flat and deserves a Razzie for misrepresenting the wine prices and conflating the errors with his/her imaginary point that somehow cheaply priced wine indicate that Seabourn passengers don't know why they return to the line year after year. I mean, everyone else explained that the wine is not as cheap as he/she would like us to believe.

 

Sorry, Sananda, there's no applause, and it's onto the next hopeful.

 

Happy sailing!

[Laylam]

It seems to me that ole Sananda was trying to make a point and/or trying to be humorous:

 

"Wow! What "luxury". Aren't you glad you paid extra for an all-inclusive experience that provides such low end wines?"

 

But he/she clearly has fallen flat and deserves a Razzie for misrepresenting the wine prices and conflating the errors with his/her imaginary point that somehow cheaply priced wine indicate that Seabourn passengers don't know why they return to the line year after year. I mean, everyone else explained that the wine is not as cheap as he/she would like us to believe.

 

Sorry, Sananda, there's no applause, and it's onto the next hopeful.

 

Happy sailing!

I am intrigued as to why Sananda, who, after a 7 day cruise in April 2012, wrote on May 16, 2012,

 

We were on the Sojourn this April. Overall, the food was amazing. I didn't dislike the taste of anything on board. A couple of things were a little bit bland (I'm thinking of the pasta carbonara) and a lot of the hot dishes in the Collonade were luke warm to room temperature. Anyway, enough of the negative, but I don't know where to begin with the positive. The lobster tails were cooked to perfection and paired incredibly well with the sauce and chosen house wine. The rack of lamb was to die for. The quality of the meat was unrivaled. It was so tender and expertly prepared. If you like lamb, do not miss this dish. One day at lunch in the collonade the chef served jamon iberico de bellota. If you have never experienced this extremely decadent ham, it should be on everyones bucket list. I could go on and on.

 

and on June 2, 2012

 

For reference, we usually take 4-6 cruises per year, and we have cruised on nearly all the major lines. We cruise on different lines for different occassions. When we travel with our young kids, my brother's family and our parents we use the mass market ships that have lots of entertainment. Our current favorite is Royal Caribbean. But when it is just me and the wife, we prefer luxury cruises and there are many different definitions of luxury.

 

For example, on of the most luxurious cruising experiences we had was on Norwegian Cruise lines. I know, a line deicidedly known for being anything but luxurious. But we had a very tight schedule and it was the only thing that we could find. We booked the largest suite on the ship. The suite was as big as a house, ~3000 sq. ft. over two stories and had every sort of amenity. More importantly, they treated us like royalty. I have never experienced a more class based exclusionary travel experience. There are entire sections of the ship that are off limits to all but the privileged few. We had a private dining room, a private spa, a private pool and lounge area and many other exclusive areas aboard the ship. We had a butler (called himself a majordomo), who did everyhting for us. He unpacked and packed our suitcases, arranged all our excursions, brought us whatever we wanted to our suite. He literally sat in an alcove outside our suite waiting for us to request something. When we travelled the ship, he came with us. He would open the doors, hold an umbrella over my wife's head to shade her from the sun and if we were going to some ship venue that had a line, he would march us up to the front and we would be next. I could go on and on about the special treatment we received.

 

All of this was very luxurious, but it just wasn't the same type of luxury you will experience on Seabourn. Seabourn is very understated luxury, Norwegian was over the top. Seabourn was my first all-inclusive travel experience that actually attained luxury. The decor aboard the Norwegian Gem was painful to the eye, the Seabourn Sojourn was pleasant and relaxing. Although the food on the gem was good, it was no where near as good as the Sojourn's. The passengers on Seabourn were generally interesting and good travel companions. The wide social demographic aboard the Gem made me glad that I was segregated ( yes I know this sounds snobby, but given the behaviors I have observed with some individuals, I fear for the long term prognosis of our species).

 

As I stated above, for my tastes, I can get a better luxury travel experience in certain hotels. If we limit the discussion to cruising, I haven't found the perfect luxury line, but Seabourn isn't very far off.

 

Having trawled through most of Sananda's posts I can see no reference to a 2nd cruise, yet this once near perfect 7 day cruise seems to get worse with every post.

[lincslady]

I feel sure that most passengers know that the 'fine wines' description on not just Seabourn but the other luxury lines' advertising is gross exaggeration.

 

As far as I know, these quoted prices are far too low, certainly anything like Oyster Bay in the UK would be at least £8, not $8, and the champagne price does not bear inspection. So I fear this poster has rather shot him/herself in the foot.

 

I would like to add that IMO the included wines on Regent and Silversea,particularly Regent, are inferior to Seabourn's, and on Regent staff a lot less willing to find something different for you, and woefully ignorant on the subject of wine.

[Nigella]

The quote function isn't working for me again, but replying to lincslady.

 

I do feel that the poster has shot him/her self in the foot, although I'm waiting for them to come back and inform us all, as if we don't already know, that SB will be paying wholesale for the wines so they're even cheaper than the erroneous prices posted ;)

 

The prices quoted for the champagne, I managed to track those down. The price is for a 187ml bottle, those cute picnic sizes that you can buy in Waitrose during the summer time. Not even half bottle price, they are quarter bottles.

 

I rather enjoyed the $4.01 Italian rosé in the Med in September and would be thrilled if I could find a couple of bottles at that price when I'm in Florida soon.

[Able Seaman H]

A bit late to the party but I also had to check on some of the prices to find the quoted figures way off the mark.

 

Others have done the same and posted accordingly.

 

I don't expect to have $100 plus bottles on free pour although premium champagne has been offered in the past when the Nicholas Feuillate ran out. They gradually worked up the list as the cellars ran dry !

 

Let's not lose sight of reality here. When broken down fares on Seabourn aren't excessive. You could easily spend the same amount on somewhere like Royal Caribbean when comparing like for like (cabin size) and SB offers so much more than just inclusive wine. How do you value personal space on board and being treated like a human being ?

 

Henry :)

[ravenclaw]

The majority of the wines listed can be found in certain American states for quite less than listed. Factors affecting prices are state distribution laws, state taxes, local competition, etc. For example in several western states, (near California production), wine prices are very competitive at supermarkets and some of the Seabourn "fine" wine is priced from $6 to $9 per bottle. If you buy a mix of 6 bottles an add'l 10% off, as standard policy. In addition, just about every month there's a sale and the "six-pack" discount is increased to 25% off and on holidays even 30% off, (the Kroger chain, dba as Ralph's, Fry's, and the now merged Albertsons/Safeway chains).

At the volume that Carnival contracts for wine, my guess is that they procure at an average cost somewhere in the $6 range per bottle.

The Nicolas champagne (750ml) is sometimes on sale at $19.95 per bottle with the "six-pack" option.

[Chairsin]

I am sorry but I live in a Western state (Arizona) and even with discounts for multiple purchases never see prices anywhere near what Sananda posted. Most of the wines available on the Seabourn list retail for $12-20 -- and the NF Champagne is usually over $30. As others have mentioned I do think the house wines on Seabourn have improved in the last few years and with so many options you are bound to find something drinkable. No, they are no "fine" wines but they are fine to casually drink. The premium wine list is a big plus in our book with prices near retail as opposed to the near 200%

Markup many of our restaurants charge. And I also enjoy getting to know the Sommelier and Bar Manager because they are usually willing to reveal what bin ends wines that might suite our tastes are available.In many ports in the Med they go shopping for local wines so it is fun to try those as well. And finally, again more suited to Med cruises, you can buy your own special wine ( this was a treat in Bordeaux) and drink then on board without a corkage charge.

[sananda]

At the beginning of my post, I gave you the source for the wine prices. http://www.wine-searcher.com I also said that Amazon is cheaper than wine searcher but has less of a selection. Look for yourself, nothing was intentionally deceptive.

 

I find it humorous that the thread is veering away from the real issue by focusing on the accuracy of the prices. The real issue is how can Seabourn serve $8 bottles of wine and claim to be luxurious with a straight face.

[Haworth]

We choose Seabourn for the overall on board experience, quality of staff and service, food quality, selection and flexible dining options, entertainment, meeting and sharing time and conversation with fellow passsengers.

 

All the above are part of the luxury experience, Could the wine be better? yes but, the impact of the quality of wine served as a % of the overall experience is minimal in our case and we can always find a dry rose at lunch and red or white in the evening that meets our needs.