Lets Talk Wine!

[jwsfun]

So I've gotten some mixed reviews on included wine-Everything from "there was only one red and White included each evening" ( The Points Guy) to "On the wine menu there are 6-10 complimentary reds. My husband didn’t look at the whites on the menu but he likes wines and he says their choices are  acceptable".  (Joyce from Ottowa).  I am sailing with a group next week and a few are "wine centric" folks.  Any wine notes on included wines are appreciated!

[keokukjoe]

With Atlas' history of over promising and under delivering, I wouldn't expect anything better than 2 Buck Chuck!! 

[andiamo76]

Might be best to do some wine shopping before embarking if they let people bring their own onboard and drink it.  One would think for the cruises ending and for sure departing from Lisbon that they would have some good Portuguese wines and ports.  Hope springs eternal.  Well usually, but not with Atlas's track record thus far.

[Host Jazzbeau]

25 minutes ago, andiamo76 said:

Might be best to do some wine shopping before embarking if they let people bring their own onboard and drink it.  One would think for the cruises ending and for sure departing from Lisbon that they would have some good Portuguese wines and ports.  Hope springs eternal.  Well usually, but not with Atlas's track record thus far.

AND Atlas being a Portuguese company...

[andiamo76]

Oops.  I meant to mention that.  Even more the reason to showcase wines on the Lisbon to wherever cruise.  They "are working on where to go" given Barbados appears to have a mandatory 7 day quarantine for those coming from - a list of countries, Portugal being one of them.  Hmmm.  Now I am generally pretty optimistic but I am also a realistic and believe in planning and organization.  So personally, I think I would have had some alternate plans formulated months ago given the current environment.  But perhaps while they have known of this for several weeks (perhaps due to the numerous posts about it), they too are being optimistic that surely somehow it will resolve itself in the 5 weeks until the ship docks there.  Alas, I have digressed from the topic.  Well, whatever happens we shall just hope it is something people find drinkable and a notch or two above 2 Buck Chuck.           

[sswansen]

I'm following this thread and hoping that we hear some good feedback on the inclusive wines.  We have a cruise booked for 2022 and the food and wine aspect are a big thing for us.  I did see a picture on Instagram that shows champagne being poured - it's called Henri Favre and it was a brut.  If you Google it, it doesn't get stellar ratings on the first sites that pop up, but the reviews seem to concur that it's a decent bubbly, just not fantastic, but perhaps a good drink for the value - I have not personally tried it.  I'll stay hopeful that Atlas and their staff continue to improve as they gain experience.

[jwsfun]

I'm on the World Navigator starting Saturday and plan to give some good updates on many facets of the trip! 

[keokukjoe]

8 minutes ago, jwsfun said:

I'm on the World Navigator starting Saturday and plan to give some good updates on many facets of the trip! 

jwsfun: We are looking forward to your posts.  You will be our new "Joyce" who was so informative. Hopefully the problems that the earlier passengers experienced will have been resolved by the time you board and that you will have a wonderful cruise. Bon Voyage!

Karen 

[amunhbuu]

My experience with included cruise line wine is that there is usually one wine of each kind that is acceptable, but you won't find anything amazing.  Generally $10-$17 retail mass produced wines.

 

I had hoped (many moons ago) when I was being sold on Atlas and they were talking about showcasing Portugal wine and cuisine that we would get some nice Ports.  However, given the feedback so far, I am keeping my expectations low.

 

If you have the opportunity to take any pics of menus and wine lists, it would be much appreciated!

 

Thanks and enjoy your time onboard!

[andiamo76]

On 9/14/2021 at 5:35 AM, jwsfun said:

I'm on the World Navigator starting Saturday and plan to give some good updates on many facets of the trip! 

Ditto re all information you can provide would be most appreciated.  Let us know how they handle wifi, laundry and room service also if you can.  Maybe take pics of the wine bottles. 

On another thread someone posted the names of the included wines, 6 Hats being the bulk of the 6 varieties offered as I recall.  I looked a couple up and indeed they retail for $8-20/bottle.  Not really what I would picture as "Premium" Unlimited Pours.  Maybe the unlimited is so that as we drink our taste buds diminish, so one won't notice how good or not it is. 

I also do not recall that any were Portguese.  Of course they have a handy dandy wine menu for ones you can purchase.

I also asked my TA to ask Atlas about bringing wine onboard.  For now it is fine, and they do not charge a corkage fee.  They wanted to know how many bottles or cases I would be bringing on board!  Maybe they thought I would be touring wineries before boarding which had been part of our original plan but we nixed our pre-cruise land travels.  Sad as we would have been there now.  

I hope to fit in some time in Lisbon before we board there on 10/4 to purchase a few bottles of wine and a port to have after dinner, enjoying the veranda at the end of the day, talking about what a wonderful day we had.  I'm thinking positive here. 

I certainly am not a wine aficionado, but I for sure had anticipated they would have a wonderful fun selection to try show casing the wines from where we depart and yes, due to being a Portuguese company.  It sort of, but not really, surprises me they missed this simple opportunity to make something like the wine a nice highlight to help differentiate themselves from the masses and seem more special.    

 

May you have a fun cruise jwsfun!

[jwsfun]

So we got off today ( 9/25) and we did end up buying wine as we tried to settle on one or two wines but all the reds were pretty bad.  See my “Live from” for more updates. 

[andiamo76]

Hope your return home went smoothly.  Thanks for responding.  I did read your very well written recap of the cruise.  Wow.  I greatly appreciate your honesty and observations.  While disappointing, sadly I am not surprised as it as we had begun to suspect when thinking things through.  Seemingly "little things" like the laundry, internet, and room service not being as advertised and which have been so swiftly swept aside by Atlas and not dealt with in a professional manner nor consistent with how a true "luxury" line deals with things, often can be good indicators of other and bigger things.   I just wish people would read and think before making a booking or getting into the refund penalty period.  Unfortunately we ignored initial gut instincts and red flags when booking our upcoming cruise and the realities didn't start really hitting until shortly after we were in the 100% penalty phase.  Oh well.  We shall make the best of it and learn from this.  One and done.  Far worse things in life.  

Meanwhile I have done some quick research of Portuguese wines and wine shops in Lisbon to hopefully do a little stocking up before embarking.  But not a full case worth!

 

 

[keokukjoe]

On 9/9/2021 at 12:03 PM, keokukjoe said:

With Atlas' history of over promising and under delivering, I wouldn't expect anything better than 2 Buck Chuck!! 

I was joking but in retrospect my comment may have been sadly accurate.

[jwsfun]

On 9/26/2021 at 9:44 AM, andiamo76 said:

Hope your return home went smoothly.  Thanks for responding.  I did read your very well written recap of the cruise.  Wow.  I greatly appreciate your honesty and observations.  While disappointing, sadly I am not surprised as it as we had begun to suspect when thinking things through.  Seemingly "little things" like the laundry, internet, and room service not being as advertised and which have been so swiftly swept aside by Atlas and not dealt with in a professional manner nor consistent with how a true "luxury" line deals with things, often can be good indicators of other and bigger things.   I just wish people would read and think before making a booking or getting into the refund penalty period.  Unfortunately we ignored initial gut instincts and red flags when booking our upcoming cruise and the realities didn't start really hitting until shortly after we were in the 100% penalty phase.  Oh well.  We shall make the best of it and learn from this.  One and done.  Far worse things in life.  

Meanwhile I have done some quick research of Portuguese wines and wine shops in Lisbon to hopefully do a little stocking up before embarking.  But not a full case worth!

 

 

It was my pleasure and I appreciate you recognizing my attempt at being balanced in my commentary.  The Rose, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc were all pretty decent.  ( including the 6 hats ones) I’m a Red wine person and the reds really missed the mark. I think…., no, I know you will have a great time. Just try to let the limitations of the brand go and you will have a great time. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts. 

[andiamo76]

well, it will be "interesting" I'm sure.  Docs arrived almost 3 days to the hour before we are leaving.  Typos, incorrect and outdated information, missing information that is key - like the pre-cruise hotel, airport transfer pick up, basic schedule of "events" such as they may be.  We are flying in a day early due to the timing of our flights and coming from the west coast so won't arrive until about 6 pm.  The package starts with morning flight arrivals and pick ups so we had to arrive the day before in order to meet up with the group at least for the initial lunch.  We kept getting mixed signals as to which hotel would be used and if we also would have an airport pick up and transfer to the hotel.  Flights were booked through Atlas.  This has been going on for literally weeks and actually initially started months ago when 2 of us were given totally different information.  So with nothing in the document packets, my husband called and was told something different than the last we had been told.  I called my other passenger contact and she was told  - by the same person no less!  different information within an hour of my husband calling!   I shake my head.  Off to pack for our somewhere whatever cruise.  I have a 6 bottle wine carrier set out for wine shopping in Portugal.  Reds and a nice port or two!