Gossips on Celebrity Solstice

[Bpos]

Had the most wonderful cruise from Singapore to Sydney on the Solstice after the refit from 31 October.

 

Great ship, great staff and could not fault the overall experience - one of the better cruises we have done.

 

One of the perks was the premium beverage package - wow as I only spent about 6 hours off the ship for the entire 14 day cruise - it was a real bargain in terms of the amount, and quality of drinks that could be had- particularly a very nice New Zealand Sav Blanc. Well that is if my memory serves me correct - was a little fuzzy at the end of each night.

 

However, after Cairns, gossip got around that Gossip was onboard the ship as the NZ Sav Blanc had run out and that famous Aussie drop - Gossips Sav Blanc ($2.99 a bottle at Dan's) was the replacement - (US11 per glass, $50 US per bottle if paying)

 

Now I know that everything has a price and I confess I have bought Gossips to give to people who I do not really want to encourage to visit again, but was surprised that Celebrity would stock it on the Solstice and especially for the Australian/New Zealand season.

 

So there is the gossip,(they did find some more NZ wine when I asked again so all was not in vain after all)

[Beanb41]

The New Zealand wines most prevalent on that cruise were Yealands sauvignon blanc and Matua whites and Reds. These were classed as premium wines but were sold on the up cruise Syd to Sing on special all over the ship at $US25 per bottle. They retail in NZ for around $NZ10

Edited December 6, 2016 by Beanb41

[Russell21]

The last Carnival cruise we did Annies Lane Clare Valley Reisling was $58.00 a bottle, it sells at Dan Murphys for $16.00 when it's not on special.

[OzKiwiJJ]

It would be fairer to compare a restaurant price with the onboard price rather than the bottle store price. Not sure what the Annie's Lane riesling would be in a restaurant these days though, perhaps $40-45.

 

Carnival prices were high but the five bottle packages dropped the prices by roughly 20%, and at least the wines were decent quality even with the cheaper of the two packages which didn't include the Annie's Lane - the dearer package did though.

[OzKiwiJJ]

I can't comment on the Sauvignon Blancs on Solstice as that's one of the few wines I can't drink. However on our Solstice cruise last Christmas I was pleasantly surprised by the wines provided by our sommelier under the Premium drinks package.

 

Probably the worst wines by the glass are on Princess, particularly the whites. Their riesling is ultra-sweet lolly water and the chardonnays are very acidic. Luckily the pinot grigio is palatable.

[mrs and mrs]

On princess the Nobilo (NZ) Sauv Blanc is nice.

 

Usually use the Gossips for cooking, but a fair bit never makes it.:D

 

Although we do have a friend in the trade and is a wine merchant, and he said never trust the label.

A crap oller gossips could in fact be, quite expensive wine or blends of wines from many districts.

[Russell21]

It would be fairer to compare a restaurant price with the onboard price rather than the bottle store price. Not sure what the Annie's Lane riesling would be in a restaurant these days though, perhaps $40-45.

 

Carnival prices were high but the five bottle packages dropped the prices by roughly 20%, and at least the wines were decent quality even with the cheaper of the two packages which didn't include the Annie's Lane - the dearer package did though.

Yeah we took the top bottle package twice, at least we got decent wine.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Yeah we took the top bottle package twice, at least we got decent wine.

 

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately as far as our credit card went) the only Pinot Noir was included in the cheaper package. Next time we'll get both packages right at the start, then we can use the cheaper package for the Pinot Noir and the dearer one for some of the whites - although we had a reasonably decent chardonnay and riesling on the cheaper package.

[MicCanberra]

Had the most wonderful cruise from Singapore to Sydney on the Solstice after the refit from 31 October.

 

Great ship, great staff and could not fault the overall experience - one of the better cruises we have done.

 

One of the perks was the premium beverage package - wow as I only spent about 6 hours off the ship for the entire 14 day cruise - it was a real bargain in terms of the amount, and quality of drinks that could be had- particularly a very nice New Zealand Sav Blanc. Well that is if my memory serves me correct - was a little fuzzy at the end of each night.

 

However, after Cairns, gossip got around that Gossip was onboard the ship as the NZ Sav Blanc had run out and that famous Aussie drop - Gossips Sav Blanc ($2.99 a bottle at Dan's) was the replacement - (US11 per glass, $50 US per bottle if paying)

 

Now I know that everything has a price and I confess I have bought Gossips to give to people who I do not really want to encourage to visit again, but was surprised that Celebrity would stock it on the Solstice and especially for the Australian/New Zealand season.

 

So there is the gossip,(they did find some more NZ wine when I asked again so all was not in vain after all)

 

Thanks for your mini review and alerting us to the fact that the ship is now full of Gossip.

[Brisbanelionsfan]

Had the most wonderful cruise from Singapore to Sydney on the Solstice after the refit from 31 October.

 

Great ship, great staff and could not fault the overall experience - one of the better cruises we have done.

 

One of the perks was the premium beverage package - wow as I only spent about 6 hours off the ship for the entire 14 day cruise - it was a real bargain in terms of the amount, and quality of drinks that could be had- particularly a very nice New Zealand Sav Blanc. Well that is if my memory serves me correct - was a little fuzzy at the end of each night.

 

However, after Cairns, gossip got around that Gossip was onboard the ship as the NZ Sav Blanc had run out and that famous Aussie drop - Gossips Sav Blanc ($2.99 a bottle at Dan's) was the replacement - (US11 per glass, $50 US per bottle if paying)

 

Now I know that everything has a price and I confess I have bought Gossips to give to people who I do not really want to encourage to visit again, but was surprised that Celebrity would stock it on the Solstice and especially for the Australian/New Zealand season.

 

So there is the gossip,(they did find some more NZ wine when I asked again so all was not in vain after all)

 

I was on the same cruise and for the first two days found a really dry Spanish Rose' and enjoyed it very much. It ran out and after Darwin Gossips was the only wine available. It was very annoying, Gossips is cheap and nasty. Come on Celebrity, you can do better than that!

 

Cheers:eek:

[Sandielle]

On princess the Nobilo (NZ) Sauv Blanc is nice.

 

Usually use the Gossips for cooking, but a fair bit never makes it.:D

 

Although we do have a friend in the trade and is a wine merchant, and he said never trust the label.

A crap oller gossips could in fact be, quite expensive wine or blends of wines from many districts.

 

LOL, love your approach! :D I quite like Nobilo, too.

[MicCanberra]

The Nobilo is nice.:D

[mrs and mrs]

LOL, love your approach! :D I quite like Nobilo, too.

 

LOL cheers, well ive got to say one thing, expensive or cheap the end result is always the same.

 

And it goes a little something like this, OMG, I feel, ahh its na-nigh time, and wake up latish the next day.

Say what, I did what, I said what, NO-WAY.

 

But I am still reminded for ordering $100 bottles of wine, by some, but man-oh man they went down well, but man-oh man, the end result was always the same.:eek::cool:;):)