Champagne in penthouse suites with prestige package

[Misssmb]

I know you get a bottle when you arrive, but I was wondering, if you have the prestige package if you can order a bottle of champagne for your stateroom when you want it? Hubby and I love our champagne! 

[Flatbush Flyer]

The prestige package is "by the glass- no bottles."

[Misssmb]

Guess they will be bringing multiple glasses! 😂

[warburg]

I think you are correct about multiple glasses. We will also have the prestige package as we are very fond of champagne before dinner. The PH  butlers on O have always been excellent. They remember what we like, and provide it with style. Insignia 2015, Panama Canal, was our last trip on O. At that time we didn't have a drink package. The closest thing was the seven bottle package. However, we always had our champagne. The champagne that will be waiting for us will be lovely as we sail away. We will toast our condo as we pass it. Embarkation is getting closer every day!

Mary

[pinotlover]

fwiw, the Butler’s typically keep a selection of the still wines in their Butler’s pantry. Because of the high likelihood of spoilage and waste they don’t typically do so with sparkling wines. Therefore, like cocktails, the Butler’s make s trip to Martinis for bubbly. Not a problem, just turn around time can be slower.

 

[paumarier]

We spoke with a couple who brought their own wine on board so maybe you could do that. Also, even if you have the prestige package, you can buy a bottle of champagne through the butler and have it in your room. My husband did that with a bottle of scotch which he poured from for our whole trip. I was told that if you put a spoon into the neck of an open champagne bottle, it will keep it fresh another day. I do it and it does work. 

[Misssmb]

22 minutes ago, paumarier said:

We spoke with a couple who brought their own wine on board so maybe you could do that. Also, even if you have the prestige package, you can buy a bottle of champagne through the butler and have it in your room. My husband did that with a bottle of scotch which he poured from for our whole trip. I was told that if you put a spoon into the neck of an open champagne bottle, it will keep it fresh another day. I do it and it does work. 

Thanks! I just don’t see the point of buying it though when I’m already paying enough for the prestige package. I’m gonna test the spoon trick some time. Thanks!

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Misssmb said:

Thanks! I just don’t see the point of buying it though when I’m already paying enough for the prestige package. I’m gonna test the spoon trick some time. Thanks!

 

1 hour ago, Misssmb said:

Thanks! I just don’t see the point of buying it though when I’m already paying enough for the prestige package. I’m gonna test the spoon trick some time. Thanks!

The "spoon trick" is BS.

Quite a few years ago, UC Davis oenologists actually did a little study comparing next day freshness and effervescence of sparkling wine with and without champagne "stoppers." No discernible difference.

Of course, this is all moot. After all, who uncorks a bottle of anything and doesn't finish it then and there?😉

[warburg]

Since O does not make an issue about bringing wine on board, why not just  bring some champagne on?  Now that I think about it, we live a such short drive from the port, we may just bring champagne ourselves.In that case, we may not get the prestige package after all. Hmmm.

Mary

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 minute ago, warburg said:

Since O does not make an issue about bringing wine on board, why not just  bring some champagne on?  Now that I think about it, we live a such short drive from the port, we may just bring champagne ourselves.In that case, we may not get the prestige package after all. Hmmm.

Mary

We generally bring wine on board at embarkation (6-12 bottles from a local retailer like Total Wine or BevMo or Costco unless it's SFO (bring it from home) or international (do research like Australian Wine Center on Pitt St in Sydney). And we replenish our stock at ports where our research identifies reasonable sources. To this end, we pack collapsible, light weight winery cardboard carriers for local transport convenience (and toss them at the cruise end).

One recommendation: since you will pay the $25 corkage if you bring wine to dinner, spend the upfront money on exceptional choices that would easily cost $100-200+ on board (assuming they would even have those wines).

As for sparkling wine, another option is to check out the "7 bottle deal" once onboard. These "clearance" type sales ($40+/bottle in 7 bottle increments) will occasionally have a decent bubbly (e.g., Shramsberg Mirabelle) and, then, we will buy seven - since we seldom do cruises less than 3 weeks long).

All of this said (and depending on itinerary) we may still get the Prestige Package, primarily for cocktails.

 

[warburg]

Hello, Flatbush Flyer, from South Beach. We know O's policy about bringing wine on board, we just never did it. Since Total Wine is five blocks from our house, we may bring some champagne this time. Thanks for the photo. We are also 25 minutes from Port of Miami. Our last cruise was on Regent's Explorer and we had a bottle of champagne in the minibar all the time. Our butler gave us a champagne cap that kept the contents perfect for the next day. The drinks package is fine for everything else.

Mary

[Noggins]

We are just back from Nautica - in a PH. Alongside a corkscrew the room comes equipped with a champagne bottle stopper - which we used to good effect.

We agonised over the prestige package but ended up convinced we had made the right decision not to have it (certainly from an economic / liver point of view!). We bought bottles at various stops and drank better quality wine than the ship would have provided for very little extra cost (corkage allowed for). Of course, there is a six bottle limit for corkage purposes - a limit we didn't test.

Bear in mind also that the daily 241 drinks timings may well suit you (they did us) and with complimentary drinks on two nights (Captain's night and Club night) it would have made it hard to make the economics work out - especially as we had no sea day(s).

All that said, on another cruise in September (a different line and travelling with friends) we did have an 'all inclusive' package - and had terrific value from it.... 

[ORV]

So Flatbush, do you use those champagne stoppers?

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, Noggins said:

We are just back from Nautica - in a PH. Alongside a corkscrew the room comes equipped with a champagne bottle stopper - which we used to good effect.

 

 

Are the stoppers only in PH suites?

any photos of them?

[Flatbush Flyer]

48 minutes ago, ORV said:

So Flatbush, do you use those champagne stoppers?

As aforementioned, unnecessary since bubbles will be there at least for another day. Of course, the only time we have an open bottle in the fridge is if we're using it for cocktails like a French 75.

[warburg]

Thanks again, Flatbush Flyer, for the photo. That is exactly what the butler gave us on Explorer. I'll ask for one on Riviera. What we lived in Paris, my husband hd a wine teacher named Herve. His advice was drink it all. Maybe on a sea day.

 

I find that discussing how to best manage one's champagne consumption on a gorgeous cruise ship extremely amusing. May this be our only problem today.

Mary

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

9 minutes ago, warburg said:

Thanks again, Flatbush Flyer, for the photo. That is exactly what the butler gave us on Explorer. I'll ask for one on Riviera. What we lived in Paris, my husband hd a wine teacher named Herve. His advice was drink it all. Maybe on a sea day.

 

I find that discussing how to best manage one's champagne consumption on a gorgeous cruise ship extremely amusing. May this be our only problem today.

Mary

 

As aforementioned, those caps are useless. But, if it makes you happy to have one......

[LHT28]

thanks  for the photo

are these stoppers available to those in Concierge cabins?

Never seen one  before

[Flatbush Flyer]

7 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

thanks  for the photo

are these stoppers available to those in Concierge cabins?

Never seen one  before

Available to anyone who asks. But, again, USELESS.

[LHT28]

3 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Available to anyone who asks. But, again, USELESS.

so  if you do not drink the whole bottle in one sitting  what is the best way to keep it ??

Does just putting the stopper back in work OK ?

We usually take  the included bottle to dinner to share with friends

[rloke]

16 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

so  if you do not drink the whole bottle in one sitting  what is the best way to keep it ??

Does just putting the stopper back in work OK ?

We usually take  the included bottle to dinner to share with friends

 

FWIW....https://www.winespectator.com/drvinny/show/id/40838

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

19 minutes ago, ipoh said:

 

FWIW....https://www.winespectator.com/drvinny/show/id/40838

 

I'd trust UC Davis oenologists over Dr Vinny anytime. 

Try it yourself. Get two bottles of Gloria Ferrer (probably the best <$20 sparkling wine available). Open both bottles at the same time and serve equal amounts from each at dinner. Use the stopper mentioned above on one and no top on the other. The next evening, pour a glass of each. There will be zero difference in effervescence. 

As for taste, the only remotely possible difference would be if there was an inordinate amount of smelly other stuff in your fridge (hardly likely in the small cooler in a cruise ship cabin) and the wine picked up some of the fumes. 

But, as I said previously, if it makes you happy to stopper the bottle, have at it.

Edited October 25, 2018 by Flatbush Flyer

[rloke]

23 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

I'd trust UC Davis oenologists over Dr Vinny anytime. 

Try it yourself. Get two bottles of Gloria Ferrer (probably the best <$20 sparkling wine available). Open both bottles at the same time and serve equal amounts from each at dinner. Use the stopper mentioned above on one and no top on the other. The next evening, pour a glass of each. There will be zero difference in effervescence. 

As for taste, the only remotely possible difference would be if there was an inordinate amount of smelly other stuff in your fridge (hardly likely in the small cooler in a cruise ship cabin) and the wine picked up some of the fumes. 

But, as I said previously, if it makes you happy to stopper the bottle, have at it.

 

No doubt about it....that is why it is FWIW...

 

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, ipoh said:

 

FWIW....https://www.winespectator.com/drvinny/show/id/40838

 

thanks

guess it is personal choice  😉

[rloke]

4 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

thanks

guess it is personal choice  😉

 

And perhaps even a wee bit of placebo effect....