Cellar Master vs Navigator vs paying corkage?

[zammis]

First time on HAL and I'm trying to figure out what to do for wine with dinner and/or wine experience.

 

I'm traveling with my mother (in her late 70s) an her two friends. While her friends don't care about wine much, mom and I do like to share the experience of it.

 

I'm wondering if it's worthwhile to do the double CellarMasters package with the tastings and Pinnacle Grill dinners, or just do the 5 bottle Navigator? Her appetite isn't what it used to be but I like a good steak and the menu seems like it has some good things. Is the experience a nice spurge?

 

I'm not sure of her Mariner status as she has sailed on HAL a bunch in the past- I understand 3 star and up is where the wine discounts start?

 

I also noticed Total Wine in Ft Lauderdale has online ordering and can pick up in store with a possibility of discounts for 6 or more bottles- my usual wine budget is in the 6- 18 dollar per bottle range so that might also be a possibility. I did do this route on my last cruise on NCL and found it ok for the budget but a bit annoying to pick a wine before seeing the dinner menu... but I can review the dinner menu ahead this time. :)

 

Mom tends to like the sweeter whites, I go for pretty much anything that isn't chardonnay.

This is for a Sunfarer on Zuiderdam in March 2018 to Panama Canal, if that makes a difference.

 

What would you do?

 

thanks in advance!

[taxmantoo]

If your usual wine budget is in the $6 to $18 range, I would not bother with purchasing wine at Total Wine and paying a corkage fee. Paying, let's say, $8 for a bottle and then adding the $18 corkage fee brings your total cost to $26. HAL carries some similar quality wines for approximately $25 to $30, hardly worth the trouble of stopping at Total Wine.

 

I do not consider the Cellar Master's package a bargain by any stretch of the imagination regardless of your Mariner status. If I were you, I would stick with a Navigator Package, allowing you to chose which wine you want every night to match your food selection, make a reservation for Pinnacle Grill one night and maybe splurge on a nicer wine that evening.

[Wrightwoodsbest]

I agree with Louis. YOu should check you Mom's Mariner status as with 3 stars you get a 25% discount and 4 stars get 50% discount. Husband and I usually bring 2 extra wines, and pay the corkage, then we also order a 5 wine Navigator package. You can always just drink half the bottle and hold it over, the wine sommolier will do this for you, to t he next evening. Good luck and have fun.

[POA1]

Two questions: For your mother's sweeter whites, what exactly does she like? Muskat/Moscato? High residual sugar Riesling? Sauternes or other dessert wines?

 

For you: Do you dislike Chardonnay the grape? That would rule out Chablis, white Burgundy, and quite a few Champagnes. Or, do you dislike wines with malolactic fermentation? (This is where the buttery taste comes from.) Or is it the oak aging?

[jlnprt]

If you order a Cellar Master's package, you are given the option of delivery to the stateroom or dining room. If you select stateroom, does that mean they deliver all of the wine to the stateroom and you then bring it to the dining room with you? Sorry if that's a stupid question.

[kazu]

If you order a Cellar Master's package, you are given the option of delivery to the stateroom or dining room. If you select stateroom, does that mean they deliver all of the wine to the stateroom and you then bring it to the dining room with you? Sorry if that's a stupid question.

 

Yes, if you select stateroom, they will want to deliver it there.

 

The ideal thing to do, IMO, is to have it ordered for the dining room. Then, if you want a bottle or two for your stateroom, you just ask your wine steward and they will deliver them for you (unless you prefer to carry it).

 

Your wine can be used anywhere - Pinnacle Grill, MDR, etc. Best to keep it in a public place but that is JMVHO.

[RocketMan275]

We've been very happy taking six bottles for a seven day cruise and paying the corkage. I give my local wine merchant a rough idea of the dining selections we'll be taking (steaks two nights, lobster once, etc.) and rely upon his good judgement. We paid $165 for six bottles and then the corkage. A bit above your budget but we had some very good wines at far less expense than buying them aboard. BTW, the wine steward was complimentary of several of our wines. He said: "That's some good stuff."

 

We drive to the port which makes this option very doable. We've also looked at buying at Total Wine and that would work well too.

 

We consider a cruise a once a year experience and prefer to go a bit over board on the wine. As a wise man once said: "Life is too short to drink cheap wine."

[taxmantoo]

We've been very happy taking six bottles for a seven day cruise and paying the corkage. I give my local wine merchant a rough idea of the dining selections we'll be taking (steaks two nights, lobster once, etc.) and rely upon his good judgement. We paid $165 for six bottles and then the corkage. A bit above your budget but we had some very good wines at far less expense than buying them aboard. BTW, the wine steward was complimentary of several of our wines. He said: "That's some good stuff."

 

That's the way to do it. You should only look at bringing your own wine once you are prepared to pay over $28 a bottle and then add the $18 corkage fee. The higher the price range you go to, the more money you will save. Below that price range, HAL offers a selection of decent wines that are a better value for your money and you don't have to worry about transporting wine bottles.

[kazu]

That's the way to do it. You should only look at bringing your own wine once you are prepared to pay over $28 a bottle and then add the $18 corkage fee. The higher the price range you go to, the more money you will save. Below that price range, HAL offers a selection of decent wines that are a better value for your money and you don't have to worry about transporting wine bottles.

 

Totally agree with this until we get to Europe or even Total Wine sometimes. We can't get these bottles in Canada nor on HAL so for us, it's worth it to have a taste on board on our verandah or share with friends ;)

 

HAL's wines are ok, but on a longer cruise it gets a bit meh to drink them all the time ;)

[frankc98376]

Be aware that if you order alcohol ahead and choose deliver to stateroom on embarkation day you may be charged local tax based on the port you embark in. Washington alcohol tax is very steep for example. We have always chosen "at sea" for delivery and have not seen the tax on our bill.

[kazu]

Be aware that if you order alcohol ahead and choose deliver to stateroom on embarkation day you may be charged local tax based on the port you embark in. Washington alcohol tax is very steep for example. We have always chosen "at sea" for delivery and have not seen the tax on our bill.

 

Absolutely.

 

I have learned to look at the delivery methods when I order on line and learned that if only "stateroom" or MDR is available there is no sales tax there. If "at sea" is available, it usually means there is a sales tax, so we order "at sea" and it is in our stateroom when we board or very shortly thereafter even if we aren't at sea ;)

[RMLincoln]

We have found a wine we like on the Navigator's Package, so we do that. It's easy. Last cruise the ship ran out in the seventh week but for the last bottle our excellent wine steward, Kaye, got us something we would like that was off the list. We do get a discount which helps a lot, brings the price into at least reasonable. So I suggest you check out the list of wines usually available on the packages, find out if you will get a discount, and see if you can find something you will enjoy. "By the glass" is another option but that works better for light imbibers. Salute! m--

[RocketMan275]

That's the way to do it. You should only look at bringing your own wine once you are prepared to pay over $28 a bottle and then add the $18 corkage fee. The higher the price range you go to, the more money you will save. Below that price range, HAL offers a selection of decent wines that are a better value for your money and you don't have to worry about transporting wine bottles.

 

That matches our way of thinking. We trust the recommendations of our local wine merchant who knows what we like. I would hate to spend a lot on a bottle we didn't care for.

 

We found what appears to be an excellent case to carry our wines on board. Wine Enthusiast has several attractively priced options. We bought one that holds six bottles which is exactly the amount we bring for a seven day cruise. We avoid drinking on the last night since we have a long drive home.

 

We pack in two small roller bags that stand up right. The wine bag sits atop one bag and is attached to the handle using bungie cords. It's easy to separate the two bags to put through the screener and easy to deal with the corkage people.

 

Funny thing though, the first time we took six bottles, there was no one there to take our corkage which we had to handle on board.

[zammis]

Two questions: For your mother's sweeter whites, what exactly does she like? Muskat/Moscato? High residual sugar Riesling? Sauternes or other dessert wines?

 

For you: Do you dislike Chardonnay the grape? That would rule out Chablis, white Burgundy, and quite a few Champagnes. Or, do you dislike wines with malolactic fermentation? (This is where the buttery taste comes from.) Or is it the oak aging?

 

She likes Rieslings, the occasional White Zin, I've gotten her to try some different whites with less sugar like Pinot Grigio on a warmer day and that works ok. She has to avoid reds due to a reaction.

 

I've found I no longer actively hate Chardonnay - malolactic fermentation seems to be the trick- but when in a blend it seems like the other grapes are what overpower the chardonnay and make it a drinkable wine. I sometimes think it has to be like people who can't eat cilantro because it takes like soap to them. :confused:

 

Champagne is ok in small doses. Especially with OJ.

 

 

 

 

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[zammis]

That's the way to do it. You should only look at bringing your own wine once you are prepared to pay over $28 a bottle and then add the $18 corkage fee. The higher the price range you go to, the more money you will save. Below that price range, HAL offers a selection of decent wines that are a better value for your money and you don't have to worry about transporting wine bottles.

 

thank you so much! This was sort of my thinking but you clarified it wonderfully.

 

I've had some nicer, pricier reds from California and occasionally I'll splurge, but that would just be for one bottle a cruise. I might grab that as my "have in the stateroom" selection without the corkage. :)

[donaldsc]

If your usual wine budget is in the $6 to $18 range, I would not bother with purchasing wine at Total Wine and paying a corkage fee. Paying, let's say, $8 for a bottle and then adding the $18 corkage fee brings your total cost to $26. HAL carries some similar quality wines for approximately $25 to $30, hardly worth the trouble of stopping at Total Wine.

 

I do not consider the Cellar Master's package a bargain by any stretch of the imagination regardless of your Mariner status. If I were you, I would stick with a Navigator Package, allowing you to chose which wine you want every night to match your food selection, make a reservation for Pinnacle Grill one night and maybe splurge on a nicer wine that evening.

 

You are basically right at the $8 per bottle range. However, HAL is going to charge you $40 or $50 on board for an $18 per bottle wine. At that price point, it probably pays to bring it on board especially as you get to being 2 bottles on board w/o paying corkage. Since corkage is a fixed fee, basically the more expensive the wine, the better off you are buying it off the ship.

 

If you are used to drinking for example $40 per bottle wine which will cost you probably $100 on board, come come out $44 ahead by not buying it on the ship. The formula to use is

 

x= price on land. y=ship markup. n=# of bottles of wine that you need. saving per bottle = (xy) - (x+18).. Total saving= (n-2)((xy)-(x+18))

I use n-2 instead of n as the multiplier as you can bring 1 bottle on board for each of you w/o paying corkage.

 

DON

[POA1]

Our math always assumes corkage on all bottles of wine. We have our wine with our meals so the two bottles sans corkage do not matter to us. If you like to have wine in your room while you are getting dressed or hanging out, then you can save a few dollars.

[taxmantoo]

Our math always assumes corkage on all bottles of wine. We have our wine with our meals so the two bottles sans corkage do not matter to us. If you like to have wine in your room while you are getting dressed or hanging out, then you can save a few dollars.

Same here. The bottles we bring on are for dinner in the MDR, and lunch or dinner in the Pinnacle Grill. We also purchase an Admiral package and have a few bottles delivered to our room and a few bottles to the Piano Bar for enjoying when drinking the quality wine we bring on might seem a bit of overkill. ;)

[Tampa Girl]

I agree with Louis. YOu should check you Mom's Mariner status as with 3 stars you get a 25% discount and 4 stars get 50% discount. Husband and I usually bring 2 extra wines, and pay the corkage, then we also order a 5 wine Navigator package. You can always just drink half the bottle and hold it over, the wine sommolier will do this for you, to t he next evening. Good luck and have fun.

 

Why are you paying corkage on bringing aboard two bottles of wine - one each? Those are corkage free.

[taxmantoo]

Why are you paying corkage on bringing aboard two bottles of wine - one each? Those are corkage free.

Not if you bring them to the MDR. Only corkage free if consumed in your room.