Best Wines? - Premium Drink Package

[MartinsCruise]

9 hours ago, zitsky said:

I'm on the premium package and will drink mostly in Blu.  I drink almost anything.  

 

Whatever they have, I hope it's better than the nasty $10 Spanish Viognier I tried to drink at home.

We were in Blu and they seemed to have a nice selection of reds.  There are more than what's listed on the app.

[DCPIV]

14 hours ago, CruisinCorey2525 said:

Searching didn't bring anything up. For those who have been on Celebrity recently, or are familiar with the current wine offerings, are there any that stand out? I prefer red, but white is okay. 

Just seeing what is worth getting, so I don't either pour a glass out, or drink something that is vinegar. 

TIA!

 

Just keep in mind that selections can vary a lot from time to time and ship to ship, especially the way things are right now.  Some outfits are having a hard time getting some things they could load by the boxcar pre-Covid.

 

11 hours ago, George C said:

Cellars had a few scotch’s and wines above the drink package limit , which we would order and just pay the difference.

 

That was one of the reasons I stopped in there a couple nights (or few or so?  who's counting?)  Give me my Lagavulin, and I don't mind if you hit me up for a couple bucks more.

[drakes2]

29 minutes ago, DCPIV said:

 

Just keep in mind that selections can vary a lot from time to time and ship to ship, especially the way things are right now.  Some outfits are having a hard time getting some things they could load by the boxcar pre-Covid.

 

 

That was one of the reasons I stopped in there a couple nights (or few or so?  who's counting?)  Give me my Lagavulin, and I don't mind if you hit me up for a couple bucks more.

I think I'm going to bring one of my favorite Cabs onboard since I have the CBP. Most wines I enjoy are over the premium package allotment anyway.

[Schmoe38]

15 hours ago, CruisinCorey2525 said:

Searching didn't bring anything up. For those who have been on Celebrity recently, or are familiar with the current wine offerings, are there any that stand out? I prefer red, but white is okay. 

Just seeing what is worth getting, so I don't either pour a glass out, or drink something that is vinegar. 

TIA!

No question in my mind….

 

Caymus Cabernet is one of our favourites. We thoroughly enjoy the full Caymus line. This one is on the wine list at $28 a glass. Now, a $13 up charge to your Premium Beverage Package may seem excessive, but when you consider the number of glasses that may be afforded from a bottle, the overall cost will be equal to or lower than what you might pay for that same bottle locally. It is definitely lower than what you would pay for a bottle outright on the ship. You will not pour this wine down the drain!

 

If you prefer to stay closer to what your Premium Beverage Package will cover, then you have already received some very nice recommendations.

 

Just something else to think about.

 

Randy

 

 

[George C]

18 minutes ago, Schmoe38 said:

No question in my mind….

 

Caymus Cabernet is one of our favourites. We thoroughly enjoy the full Caymus line. This one is on the wine list at $28 a glass. Now, a $13 up charge to your Premium Beverage Package may seem excessive, but when you consider the number of glasses that may be afforded from a bottle, the overall cost will be equal to or lower than what you might pay for that same bottle locally. It is definitely lower than what you would pay for a bottle outright on the ship. You will not pour this wine down the drain!

 

If you prefer to stay closer to what your Premium Beverage Package will cover, then you have already received some very nice recommendations.

 

Just something else to think about.

 

Randy

 

 

13 extra for caymus is not a bad deal, on a cruise a couple of years ago they ran out of decoy in Luminae and they replaced it with caymus for no extra charge. One of our favorite restaurants has half price bottles of wine on Tuesday we normally order Caymus when it’s Tuesday.

[Spif Barwunkel]

Caymus Vineyards produce some special wines that run the full spectrum in pricing, beginning at around $45.00 per bottle. So, all Caymus wines that a ship will have are additional cost to the premium package. If you want a delicious bottle of wine for a special occasion, Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon "Special Selection" is the way to go. I have had it on a ship at $32.00 per glass. Off the ship it retails for $190.00 a bottle, don't know the bottle price on board. Conundrum Reds are a Caymus family wine at a much more appealing cost. They are very good and included in the premium package. Conundrum whites, I do not recommend. Decoy, part of the Duckhorn brand, is another good red wine as is Ferrari Carano.

Edited September 29, 2021 by Spif Barwunkel

[drakes2]

8 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

Caymus Vineyards produce some special wines that run the full spectrum in pricing, beginning at around $45.00 per bottle. So, all Caymus wines that a ship will have are additional cost to the premium package. If you want a delicious bottle of wine for a special occasion, Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon "Special Selection" is the way to go. I have had it on a ship at $32.00 per glass. Off the ship it retails for $190.00 a bottle, don't know the bottle price on board. Conundrum Reds are a Caymus family wine at a much more appealing cost. They are very good and included in the premium package. Conundrum whites, I do not recommend. Decoy, part of the Duckhorn brand, is another good red wine as is Ferrari Carano.

Last xmas I bought a half bottle of Caymus for about $54 canadian. Although I enjoyed it I didn't feel it was worth the price. I'll have the CBP on my November cruise so if I just want 1 glass can I pay the difference or will I pay full price?

[Schmoe38]

20 minutes ago, drakes2 said:

Last xmas I bought a half bottle of Caymus for about $54 canadian. Although I enjoyed it I didn't feel it was worth the price. I'll have the CBP on my November cruise so if I just want 1 glass can I pay the difference or will I pay full price?

You’ll just pay the difference.

[Schmoe38]

33 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

Caymus Vineyards produce some special wines that run the full spectrum in pricing, beginning at around $45.00 per bottle. So, all Caymus wines that a ship will have are additional cost to the premium package. If you want a delicious bottle of wine for a special occasion, Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon "Special Selection" is the way to go. I have had it on a ship at $32.00 per glass. Off the ship it retails for $190.00 a bottle, don't know the bottle price on board. Conundrum Reds are a Caymus family wine at a much more appealing cost. They are very good and included in the premium package. Conundrum whites, I do not recommend. Decoy, part of the Duckhorn brand, is another good red wine as is Ferrari Carano.

The bottle price on board is around $195. That price is reduced 10% to 20% depending on your Captain’s Club status.

[CruisinCorey2525]

Thank you everyone for your comments - some really good points here, and this Caymus example has me feeling okay about buying a couple glasses above the package, assuming I don't find something I like. 

I sail Equinox for the first time in 21 days!

[Jim_Iain]

The Sommelier in Retreat on Equinox was very knowledgeable and good at finding a wine that Iain liked.     We live in Northern California and wines are plentiful 

 

A couple recommendations were:

 

Cakebread  "Two Creeks"  Pinot Noir

 

Mouton Cadet - Bordeaux Blend

 

Caymus - Cabernet Savignon (over charge $34 listed price but reduced by  CC level discount and    packakge limit).

 

[zitsky]

46 minutes ago, drakes2 said:

Last xmas I bought a half bottle of Caymus for about $54 canadian. Although I enjoyed it I didn't feel it was worth the price. I'll have the CBP on my November cruise so if I just want 1 glass can I pay the difference or will I pay full price?

 

I agree.  I'm pretty experienced but the very few times I tried Caymus by the glass ($100 bottle), I wasn't impressed.  It's not bad wine.  Just not worth the price.  I've had some good wine much cheaper (Opolo) that I thought was just as good.

[D C]

18 hours ago, George C said:

We really like Decoy Cabernet it’s a very nice dry red wine.

Agreed.  

[bikerunner]

Wine is very subjective to taste.  I love some and my friend will not touch them.  The Decoy was always a good fall back to have along if you can find the CakeBread Pinot Noir (usually find a sommelier to find it for me) .  For whites I usually found the Elk Cove Pinot Gris very good, I usually have a few bottles of that at home too.  Caymus are consistent but I agree do seem pricey overall.  

[Spif Barwunkel]

30 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

I agree.  I'm pretty experienced but the very few times I tried Caymus by the glass ($100 bottle), I wasn't impressed.  It's not bad wine.  Just not worth the price.  I've had some good wine much cheaper (Opolo) that I thought was just as good.

Z - You make a good and very important point, along the lines of drakes2 in post #32. How a wine tastes, relative to it's cost, is very subjective, is it not? Because Caymus has many reds at various price points and different vintages/varietals, it is possible that we are not even talking about the same pour.

Therefore, perhaps our opinions are skewed when talking about the entire Caymus brand. Regarding the "Special Selection" Cab mentioned in my post #31, the $32.00 per glass ( a very good pour, by the way) price point was well worth the cost. I might feel differently if I were to taste the particular wine each of you had and vice-versa. Who knows. Point is, we all know what strikes our fancy and our pocketbooks. If you like to drink wine, no matter how much you know, there is always much more to find out. Kinda fun, actually.   

Edited September 29, 2021 by Spif Barwunkel

[markeb]

Wine is so subjective! There are wines suggested in this thread that I've never cared for, and I'm sure many I really enjoy would be the same for many commenters. 

 

I found what I think is a relatively current Luminae wine list online. I honestly don't see much that would fit into my "favorite wines" category, but that's just me. We've been onboard with a package, and stuck with the package wines, but looking at the current list, I'd probably find myself mostly paying an upcharge. For instance, we both love Pinot Noir, but the only one I see that I'm sure is the style I like is the Penner Ash from Willamette Valley that's $21/glass on the menu I'm looking at, and $95/bottle. 

 

Cruise ships have a very hard time maintaining a wine list. They really need moderately large to large production wines, and they generally favor consistency, and I'm sure Celebrity works to get as good a deal as possible (the number of Wagner wines, for instance...). And they're largely following more or less standard mark-ups, although their by the glass prices aren't bad for wines they also sell by the bottle (that Penner Ash works out to 4.5 glasses for the same price, and it's usually a lot closer to 3). I have nothing against Caymus, and it's a pretty good wine, but it's real claim to fame is immediate drinkability (not common in a higher end Napa cab) and year to year consistency. The Special Selection is a totally different animal. And on the list I'm looking at, it's $198/bottle, which is about Total Wine price in Virginia (could be an old list; it's not dated); with a package discount, that would actually be a good buy.

 

And, of course, they're carrying wines by the glass to sell on their own as well as with a meal. And there's only so much space. It's always a fun topic when it comes up!

[zitsky]

22 minutes ago, markeb said:

Wine is so subjective! There are wines suggested in this thread that I've never cared for, and I'm sure many I really enjoy would be the same for many commenters. 

 

I found what I think is a relatively current Luminae wine list online. I honestly don't see much that would fit into my "favorite wines" category, but that's just me. We've been onboard with a package, and stuck with the package wines, but looking at the current list, I'd probably find myself mostly paying an upcharge. For instance, we both love Pinot Noir, but the only one I see that I'm sure is the style I like is the Penner Ash from Willamette Valley that's $21/glass on the menu I'm looking at, and $95/bottle. 

 

Cruise ships have a very hard time maintaining a wine list. They really need moderately large to large production wines, and they generally favor consistency, and I'm sure Celebrity works to get as good a deal as possible (the number of Wagner wines, for instance...). And they're largely following more or less standard mark-ups, although their by the glass prices aren't bad for wines they also sell by the bottle (that Penner Ash works out to 4.5 glasses for the same price, and it's usually a lot closer to 3). I have nothing against Caymus, and it's a pretty good wine, but it's real claim to fame is immediate drinkability (not common in a higher end Napa cab) and year to year consistency. The Special Selection is a totally different animal. And on the list I'm looking at, it's $198/bottle, which is about Total Wine price in Virginia (could be an old list; it's not dated); with a package discount, that would actually be a good buy.

 

And, of course, they're carrying wines by the glass to sell on their own as well as with a meal. And there's only so much space. It's always a fun topic when it comes up!

 

I do enjoy some of the Joe Wagner wines, at lower price points.

[drakes2]

4 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

I do enjoy some of the Joe Wagner wines, at lower price points.

My CVP is gifting me a bottle, I asked for a Pinot noir plus I will bring one of my favorite cabs from home; sailing solo so can only bring 1 onboard.  My last cruise September 2019 there were 2 pinot noirs in my cabin upon arrival both from the Russian river valley. Think it was La Crema.  

[George C]

2 hours ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

Caymus Vineyards produce some special wines that run the full spectrum in pricing, beginning at around $45.00 per bottle. So, all Caymus wines that a ship will have are additional cost to the premium package. If you want a delicious bottle of wine for a special occasion, Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon "Special Selection" is the way to go. I have had it on a ship at $32.00 per glass. Off the ship it retails for $190.00 a bottle, don't know the bottle price on board. Conundrum Reds are a Caymus family wine at a much more appealing cost. They are very good and included in the premium package. Conundrum whites, I do not recommend. Decoy, part of the Duckhorn brand, is another good red wine as is Ferrari Carano.

Agree on Ferrari Carano which we first had on a rccl cruise it’s a nice Cabernet. Wife likes the Conundrum, I prefer something a little dryer .

[DenGNNJ]

4 hours ago, Schmoe38 said:

Now, a $13 up charge to your Premium Beverage Package may seem excessive, but when you consider the number of glasses that may be afforded from a bottle, the overall cost will be equal to or lower than what you might pay for that same bottle locally

750 ml bottle = about 25 oz.  At a 5oz. "standard" pour, a $13 glass of wine (upcharge after the bev. pkg. kicks in) would equate to $65 for the bottle ($52 / bottle if the pours are heavy and you're getting 6oz. per glass).

Edited September 29, 2021 by DenGNNJ

[zitsky]

1 hour ago, George C said:

Agree on Ferrari Carano which we first had on a rccl cruise it’s a nice Cabernet. Wife likes the Conundrum, I prefer something a little dryer .

 

I'm a fan of their Fume Blanc.

 

@drakes2 next time you bring on wine, tell them... "One??  I thought you meant one case."

 

Do suites get to bring on more wine, or is it just one bottle per person?

[canderson]

9 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

I'm a fan of their Fume Blanc.

 

@drakes2 next time you bring on wine, tell them... "One??  I thought you meant one case."

 

Do suites get to bring on more wine, or is it just one bottle per person?

Nah, security doesn't cut us any slack based upon cabin selection!

However, depending upon the cabin, it is possible to select a wine to be waiting for you in your cabin when you embark (you can swap wine for the usual booze ration).

[George C]

10 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

I'm a fan of their Fume Blanc.

 

@drakes2 next time you bring on wine, tell them... "One??  I thought you meant one case."

 

Do suites get to bring on more wine, or is it just one bottle per person?

Unfortunately suites have no special perks for bringing on wine, but we have the suite lounge which serves some nice wine , but not really over drink package.

[zitsky]

1 minute ago, canderson said:

Nah, security doesn't cut us any slack based upon cabin selection!

However, depending upon the cabin, it is possible to select a wine to be waiting for you in your cabin when you embark (you can swap wine for the usual booze ration).

 

I would like to know how to swap the cheap sparkling for a red or white.  And how cheap will the red or white be?

[canderson]

3 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

I would like to know how to swap the cheap sparkling for a red or white.  And how cheap will the red or white be?

Haven't cruised with X since 2014, so cannot speak for the quality of the wine left for embarkation now, but if you read the threads, you should get a decent general idea.  I've heard that a Pinot Noir of some sort is a possible swap, but believe it's the 'house brand' from Celebrity, and again,  you'll need someone who has tasted it recently to judge the quality.  We almost never drank either one, whichever was provided. 

 

In an RS, we have an advantage this time in that we can negotiate in advance what is provided for that first opened bottle of the trip!