Luminae Wine Upcharge?

[behtyas]

Hey All,

 

Recently back from Edge cruise a week ago, and ran into an interesting situation while in Luminae for lunch where our sommelier, while asking our wine choices, presented the option to pay $1 more for a different wine vs. our original choice. We ended up (politely!) declining because we were perfectly fine with a slightly "sub-par" $1 cheaper wine, so no sense pushing back for him doing his job.

 

Here's the question.. has anyone experienced this before? I'm assuming it's fairly normal, but then things get murky as we had the premium drinks package (hence the $1 upcharge), but we were also in a PH suite. Why do I mention the PH suite? At no other point in the cruise for dining/drinking did we ever get asked about an upcharge or even presented with a bill for one, including when dining in specialty restaurants that explicitly mention upcharges if you order additional food (such as 2nd entree for Fine Cut) or ordering drinks that should have passed the $15 'barrier'.

 

I completely understand this probably sounds like a very entitled post and/or borderline (or some may think it's solidly) DYKWIA, but it just left me scratching my head and laughing around what's "written off" by some waiters/sommeliers/staff/etc. and where others seem to stand hard-fast. Just curious if this is an always occurring thing or just depends on the moons phase and if the chicken crossed the road or not 🤣

Edited December 17, 2021 by behtyas

[neverlaysup]

2 minutes ago, behtyas said:

Hey All,

 

Recently back from Edge cruise a week ago, and ran into an interesting situation while in Luminae for lunch where our sommelier, while asking our wine choices, presented the option to pay $1 more for a different wine vs. our original choice. We ended up (politely!) declining because we were perfectly fine with a slightly "sub-par" $1 cheaper wine, so no sense pushing back for him doing his job.

 

Here's the question.. has anyone experienced this before? I'm assuming it's fairly normal, but then things get murky as we had the premium drinks package (hence the $1 upcharge), but we were also in a PH suite. Why do I mention the PH suite? At no other point in the cruise for dining/drinking did we ever get asked about an upcharge or even presented with a bill for one, including when dining in specialty restaurants that explicitly mention upcharges if you order additional food (such as 2nd entree for Fine Cut) or ordering drinks that should have passed the $15 'barrier'.

 

I completely understand this probably sounds like a very entitled post and/or borderline (or some may think it's solidly) DYKWIA, but it just left me scratching my head and laughing around what's "written off" by some waiters/sommeliers/staff/etc. and where others seem to stand hard-fast. Just curious if this is an always occurring thing or just depends on the moons phase and if the chicken crossed the road or not 🤣

You must have been drinking Chardonnay. The “Opulence” by Grgich is $1 more per glass and pretty good. Most of the time, the sommelier never charged us for it. 

[behtyas]

3 minutes ago, neverlaysup said:

You must have been drinking Chardonnay. The “Opulence” by Grgich is $1 more per glass and pretty good. Most of the time, the sommelier never charged us for it. 

 

Guilty 😁 Thanks! I couldn't remember exactly what it was, but that was it.

 

That was our first- and only-time dining with him. It's very possible if we were regulars there or even to his tables (assuming multiple for Luminae?), it may have been a different story of course! We were only there three times total for the 7-night trip.

Edited December 17, 2021 by behtyas

[Jim_Iain]

We have only experienced it when asking for a recommendation and she suggested a couple others choices and what the cost over the Premium limit was.   She was fine with just pouring wines in the package price.

 

I chuckle remembering another experience.   We were traveling with a friend who likes to brag and said he wanted a "Really Good" Chardonnay that the ones on the Standard package  were rubbish.   She obliged him but didn't tell him of the up-charge in advance (which was probably not correct?).   I would pay for a picture of his face when she presented him with a bill to sign for $35 at the end of the meal.   LOL

 

Surprisingly he drank the rubbish for the remainder of the cruise.  

Edited December 17, 2021 by Jim_Iain

[jelayne]

The reason you didn't get charged extra for upcharge food items in the specialty restaurants was because a amenity of  the PH, and other high end suites, is complimentary dining in the specialty restaurants.

[miched]

We were recently in Luminae and the wine server suggested a wine.   My wife agreed to try it.     He didn’t say it was above the premium limit.   Our folio showed a $1.20  charge the next day.  My wife mentioned while having it that she wouldn’t order it again.   We didn’t sign any slips or asked to.  We didn’t challenge it but always asked after if there were to be a charge for the difference when he recommend a new wine.   We didn’t want to be surprised by a rather ridiculous amount because he recommended it 

 

This was the first time it has ever happened to us.  Most times they would let us know and sometimes not bother charging after agreeing to have it. 
 

Guess who gets the larger gratuity at the end of the cruise and who didn’t.
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅 

 

 

[neverlaysup]

3 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

We have only experienced it when asking for a recommendation and she suggested a couple others choices and what the cost over the Premium limit was.   She was fine with just pouring wines in the package price.

 

I chuckle remembering another experience.   We were traveling with a friend who likes to brag and said he wanted a "Really Good" Chardonnay that the ones on the Standard package  were rubbish.   She obliged him but didn't tell him of the up-charge in advance (which was probably not correct?).   I would pay for a picture of his face when she presented him with a bill to sign for $35 at the end of the meal.   LOL

 

Surprisingly he drank the rubbish for the remainder of the cruise.  

Funny side story about wine charges.....My DW was celebrating a birthday (2004ish) and I took her to dinner at the Ventana Room in Tucson. When the sommelier  approached and started talking wine, he asked me what we liked to drink and according to my DW, I said "Fine Wines". Well, that perked his smile up and he ran off to begin pulling wines to pair with a 5 course meal we were having. I knew I was not going to like the bill when the first wine that was poured was a 1969 Mouton Rothschild. As the meal progressed, it was amazing wine followed by more amazing wine. Wine pairing fee per person was $600. Ouch!!!! Oh well, we had an amazing dinner and I learned to discuss price points with the sommelier before we move on!

[FFMilesJunkie]

We thought the Grgich Oppulence wines were really good and an excellent value. A bottle of Grgich Cab can easily cost $50+ in a wine shop and over $100 in a restaurant. The small upcharge of a few $ to enjoy a glass or 2 at dinner was a treat. I enjoyed it more than the Caymus. 

[markeb]

1 hour ago, miched said:

We were recently in Luminae and the wine server suggested a wine.   My wife agreed to try it.     He didn’t say it was above the premium limit.   Our folio showed a $1.20  charge the next day.  My wife mentioned while having it that she wouldn’t order it again.   We didn’t sign any slips or asked to.  We didn’t challenge it but always asked after if there were to be a charge for the difference when he recommend a new wine.   We didn’t want to be surprised by a rather ridiculous amount because he recommended it 

 

This was the first time it has ever happened to us.  Most times they would let us know and sometimes not bother charging after agreeing to have it. 
 

Guess who gets the larger gratuity at the end of the cruise and who didn’t.
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅 

 

 

 

Did she enjoy the wine?

[isdoo]

11 hours ago, jelayne said:

The reason you didn't get charged extra for upcharge food items in the specialty restaurants was because a amenity of  the PH, and other high end suites, is complimentary dining in the specialty restaurants.

People in the top suites were charged for the extra items during the summer. 

[emmas gran]

4 minutes ago, isdoo said:

People in the top suites were charged for the extra items during the summer. 

In a RS on Silhouette in September DH was charges $1 plus tax for a glass of port!!

[LisaDee]

We were in an Edge Villa in November and I had to sign and pay for the $1 up charge for each glass of the Opulence Chardonnay in Luminae and specialties.  

[DCPIV]

I've stayed in RS a few times since the restart and dined in Luminae all but one night during all that.  The sommelier/wine steward never mentioned an upgrade, but I also do not recall seeing anything on the list that was only a buck or two more than the package cost.  In any case, I was happy with what was offered, even if it took a few tastes of different things to find what I was looking for.  No one ever gave any fuss about that.

 

Now, I was charged a buck or two extra for some of the whiskies.  However, I specifically asked for those, and the bartender (without fail) alerted me to the extra cost.  I never begrudged the extra cost for a moment, but I might've had someone not brought it to my attention beforehand.

[George C]

We did penthouse on edge great perks but same liquor package as any suite just premium plan. Other perks are great , still get charged for corkage if you bring your wine. We also normally have lots of small charges since we go over the limit by a couple of dollars.