Wine By The Glass -Limited choices, even with Premium Package

[sledhead]

Just off the Silhouette,,,had premium package and quite a few good wines to choose from by the glass. Not sure if it was just our Sommelier giving us extra choices or what but he was fantastic. In fact most times he would just open a bottle and leave it for us! Great service! No issues at all.

[Softball20]

$16 for a good Amarone isn't bad at all.

[bluwes]

$16 for a good Amarone isn't bad at all.

 

Plus grats of course;)

[tnfcruise]

OP here, back from my Eclipse 14-nighter. Thanks to all who contributed to this thread with helpful comments and suggestions-- Mynki, sollyman, padgman1, CruiseRaider, Hlitner, kathynorth, BigBo882, killsport, and others.

 

I was on my own finding good Reds because spousal unit decided to drink Scotch (lots and lots) only, another in our party doesn't imbibe, and my tried-and-true-wine-buddy decided that reds were causing her hot flashes. So, ordering bottles didn't make sense, and I didn't even try to cajole the MDR wine steward into a bottle-only to a by-the-glass charge.

 

Celebrity has some sort of agreement with Kendall-Jackson that was touted on each evening's MDR menu. I'm just not a K-J fan, but those who are should be very happy.

 

First evening I asked steward what Reds, besides K-J, were available. She rattled off the few other types and I settled on the Bordeaux. Not a good pick...a lot of gross sediment and I left most of the glass. Most evenings after that I stopped at Cellar Masters, which was right on my way into Select Dining, and got a glass of Foley Pinot Noir ($22 per glass, so about $10 up-charge on my Premium Package). At least once I had my spouse come in, too, and order a glass, so I had two to take into the dining room.

 

About midway through the cruise, the MDR broke out a decent Spanish Rioja, and I took full advantage of that. Several evenings I started with a glass or two of the offered Prosecco. I also had a very nice Patagonian Pinot Noir (Barda) in Murano, for an upcharge, but couldn't get it anywhere else.

 

Not wanting to spend too much of my cruise time chasing good wine, I was okay with how things turned out. I ended up enjoying specialty cocktails in Sushi On Five and World Class Bar that I wouldn't have tried otherwise.

 

Bottom line for me? My original comments stand. The by-the-glass options are woefully lacking, especially in the MDR. It didn't make my cruise any less enjoyable, but it could have been even better with a few tweaks and adds to the wine inventory.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[kathynorth]

Thank you for returning to post your experience!

[travelberlin]

We just got off the Silhouette a couple of weeks ago and found that Cellar Masters has a better choice of wine than the MDR. We just got a glass there and took it to dinner with us. No problem at all. I'm with Sox59, if you like it, it's a fine wine.

 

That is a good tip. Thanks.

[BEAV]

Thanks to the OP for coming back to this thread, as well as others who posted their experiences. We embark the Silhouette Transatlantic soon, have the Premium package, and will try to implement a lot of the good suggestions on this thread. We, too, like our wines and want to maximize the experience as much as possible.

[Hlitner]

Thanks for the post on your Eclipse cruise. We really liked your practice of getting a decent glass of wine in Cellar Masters and taking it to dinner. That is a practice we will try on our next Celebrity cruise (Reflection). The KJ relationship is not new (RCI used to really push Robert Mondavi wines) and we are luke warm when it comes to their wines. Most KJ wines are quite drinkable, but this is a winery that seems to be more into producing quantity more then high quality. I guess its somewhat understandable that a large cruise line that buys huge amounts of wine might see the advantages of dealing with a company that can easily fill orders for thousands of cases.

 

Hank

[Host Jazzbeau]

If you drink 2 glasses at dinner (as implied in post #254), you could easily do what I did pre-package days: buy a bottle, drink half tonight, have them save it to finish tomorrow. At the non-stratospheric prices I'm willing to pay, wine easily lasts 24 hours.

[tnfcruise]

If you drink 2 glasses at dinner (as implied in post #254), you could easily do what I did pre-package days: buy a bottle, drink half tonight, have them save it to finish tomorrow. At the non-stratospheric prices I'm willing to pay, wine easily lasts 24 hours.

 

 

Didn't think X would still do that...I should have asked! Assuming I could get a nice bottle, at a reasonable price with the 20% bottle-purchase discount, this is a great idea. Four glasses of Foley cost me about $40 over my premium package which could have gone to the bottle price.

 

I have three questions about this idea, if anyone knows. Could I take remaining wine (bottle) with me, after purchase, to enjoy on my veranda or to another dining venue the next day? Could I buy from Cellar Masters and have it opened and enjoyed in MDR? Is the 18% gratuity added to bottle purchases?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[riredsox]

When I complained to Celebrity, probably 3 cruises in a row, about their wine list I asked them how they could possibly have that wine award posted outside its restaurants when the 'wine tower' is always half full and the wines on the menu are never available. They always apologized but never had an answer. I guess that's modern luxury!;p

[jagoffee]

When I complained to Celebrity, probably 3 cruises in a row, about their wine list I asked them how they could possibly have that wine award posted outside its restaurants when the 'wine tower' is always half full and the wines on the menu are never available. They always apologized but never had an answer. I guess that's modern luxury!;p

Your complaint may have lost some value when you added-"the wines on the menu are never available". Never is not very often.:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[padgman1]

tnfcruise, thanks for coming back and sharing your experiences on Eclipse.

 

Good questions to ask.....NOT knowing, I would guess you CANNOT take opened wine bottle to the room unless you had purchased the wine through a wine program ( purchased several bottles precruise or at start of cruise).....I don't think you can take wine bottle bought at Cellar Masters from there to another venue, but it would be a good idea for Celebrity to allow this, as it would allow people who enjoy wine to have more alternatives.....I do believe 18% gratuity is added to wine bottle purchases.....anyone who has more information about this, please chime in !

 

PLEASE invite me on your next cruise as I would be HAPPY to share ( and experience) bottles of wine with you....think of me as another "true RED wine buddy" ......

[bluwes]

$16 for a good Amarone isn't bad at all.

 

Two years down the line that same Amarone was $23 per glass , plus grats of course. Worth it though.

[tnfcruise]

Wow, am I glad I started this thread months before my recent sailing...suggestions and strategies allowed me to go with the flow, so to speak, and not spend half my cruise hunting for good wine or complaining to everyone from wine steward to F&B Manager to Guest Relations.

 

Cruise Critic sent me a request today to post a cruise review, and a few recent reviews were included in the email. Yikes! Tudorboy, who sailed in February on the Eclipse, totally reamed out -X-, mostly because of the poor wine availability and selection. Sounds like much of his time on board was taken up with the quest (and complaining) for a decent glass/bottle. It was his first cruise, too. What a shame.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Edited April 8, 2017 by tnfcruise

[ThursdaysChild]

 

The wine on the ship is Mer Soloil. I do like it very much. I also like St. Michelle wines.

 

MerSoleil is lovely. It is produced by the Wagner family, who also produce the Caymus wines. You can shop around and get it for $21-24 a bottle, at least in the NY/NJ metro area. I discovered it on a Celebrity cruise, in Murano, in 2012, when a bottle onboard cost me $70. Last time I checked the price onboard, a year ago, it was $86 + the gratuity.:eek:

[tnfcruise]

 

 

 

PLEASE invite me on your next cruise as I would be HAPPY to share ( and experience) bottles of wine with you....think of me as another "true RED wine buddy" ......

 

 

Okay, padgman1, "true RED wine buddy", but you'll have to wait until 2019 [emoji6]. We couldn't find an -X- itinerary, with longer cruise length or even B2B, that we liked or worked for us in 2018.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Music Cruiser]

As many cruise lines have eliminated the sommelier position, I am thankful for Celebrity retaining staff and continuing the wine tastings experiences. We have not been disappointed in the wine selections on the S class ships.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[padgman1]

That's OK, tnfcruise, my cruise dance card is full until 2019 as well.....:D

[north29]

IMHO, and we are wine lovers, and consume a least a bottle a day. Not all my wines are in the upper level, any where from $5 to $20 (on occasion) which usually translates to $30 to $75 on cruise ships. All my wine has been off this year, from undrinkable to just OK and once in a while great. We have been experiment with different labels. Many of our old favorites/daily drinkers and yes highway aged which is true of more and more wines, have been somewhat nasty. I would believe that the same issues with wine would be with the cruise line. Having sailed with X several times the sommelier can make you very happy if he likes you and you treat him with respect.

[Reba 954]

I drink Moscato and could not believe there wasnt one bottle on board. I know its not the connoisseur's wine but I love it. Royal has a great Moscato available....why cant Celebrity? They dont even have a nice German Spatlase either. Yes, I like sweet wine;p I only drink these wines...no liquor and no other wines. My drink package was pretty useless.

[Wine-O]

 

I have three questions about this idea, if anyone knows. Could I take remaining wine (bottle) with me, after purchase, to enjoy on my veranda or to another dining venue the next day? Could I buy from Cellar Masters and have it opened and enjoyed in MDR? Is the 18% gratuity added to bottle purchases?

 

I have to agree with you regarding lousy wines by the glass, even with the premium package. During my last cruise, the wines in Blu with the premium package stunk! They had two that were $1 over the limit, and the Sommelier wanted to charge the buck plus gratuity. I just looked at him as he knew my displeasure with their selections and said "really?" He didn't charge me. :rolleyes:

 

To answer your question, if you purchase a bottle of "their wine," you can take it with you anywhere on the ship that you desire. It's just the 2 bottles that you bring on during embarkation that must be consumed in your stateroom.

[tnfcruise]

I have to agree with you regarding lousy wines by the glass, even with the premium package. During my last cruise, the wines in Blu with the premium package stunk! They had two that were $1 over the limit, and the Sommelier wanted to charge the buck plus gratuity. I just looked at him as he knew my displeasure with their selections and said "really?" He didn't charge me. :rolleyes:

 

 

 

To answer your question, if you purchase a bottle of "their wine," you can take it with you anywhere on the ship that you desire. It's just the 2 bottles that you bring on during embarkation that must be consumed in your stateroom.

 

 

Thanks for the reply and answering the main part of my wine [emoji898]question.

 

And, another part of Tudorboy's review stated that the head wine-dude on Eclipse claims that -X- is evaluating the entire wine situation fleet-wide. That info is up to individual interpretation, but I'm hoping for the best! ...it certainly can't get much worse.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[tnfcruise]

IMHO, and we are wine lovers, and consume a least a bottle a day. Not all my wines are in the upper level, any where from $5 to $20 (on occasion) which usually translates to $30 to $75 on cruise ships. All my wine has been off this year, from undrinkable to just OK and once in a while great. We have been experiment with different labels. Many of our old favorites/daily drinkers and yes highway aged which is true of more and more wines, have been somewhat nasty. I would believe that the same issues with wine would be with the cruise line. Having sailed with X several times the sommelier can make you very happy if he likes you and you treat him with respect.

 

 

What interesting speculation, about your personal wine drinking and the possibility of the cruise line being in the same situation. I'd never heard the phrase "highway aged" before, but it kinda makes sense.

 

I definitely hit it off with our MDR wine steward, Maya, but she had half the Select Dining floor to take care of. So, much of the time she ran around, juggling 3 or 4 bottles of whatever was being pushed that evening with barely time to do much more than pour, pour, pour. Interestingly enough, she was switched into Luminae for three days mid-cruise when that sommelier took sick. She was happy to be back in the MDR, she confided, because she's so busy, the time flies.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[tnfcruise]

I drink Moscato and could not believe there wasnt one bottle on board. I know its not the connoisseur's wine but I love it. Royal has a great Moscato available....why cant Celebrity? They dont even have a nice German Spatlase either. Yes, I like sweet wine;p I only drink these wines...no liquor and no other wines. My drink package was pretty useless.

 

 

I have an old friend who is a Moscato drinker, so I guess there are at least two of you in the world. [emoji13][emoji6] I think that pretty much answers your question.

 

Seriously, though, the MDR and Oceanview Bar should have several sweet wines that might be to your liking...try asking for a glass of something that's close to those wines. You might have better luck than us wine snobbish types. If that doesn't work, make up for it by drinking about 10 specialty coffees/teas every day from Cafe Bacio, and a lot of Vitamin Water.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app