OLife moves to "all in"

[zalusky]

Is ordering a drink in the Terrace Cafe at noon/7PM considered lunch or dinner or does it have to be in the main/specialty dining rooms?

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, osandomir said:

I always felt that 6 figure income is a bare minimum for those who would like to cruise with Oceania or many other cruise lines if that matters. Now it’s even more important to find what fits in one’s budget.

Well maybe  now  a days you will need the 6-7 figure income  but for the past 20 years  we have not needed that much  but then we only cruise once or twice  a year  with O

🙂

[basor]

1 minute ago, zalusky said:

Is ordering a drink in the Terrace Cafe at noon/7PM considered lunch or dinner or does it have to be in the main/specialty dining rooms?

With the House Select package (which is now what will be included in Simply More) you can order wine, beer or champagne at any venue serving food during meal times - this includes Terrace, Waves, Room Service, MDR and Specialty restaurants.

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

Having never selected the basic drinks package as an option and as this will soon be included for all, I have a question for those who have selected this option in the past.

 

Was the quality of the wines previously offered on the basic package during lunch & dinner generally satisfactory ?

Depends on your personal tastes

 But the wines are the same  by the glass offerings as anywhere  on the ship  they do not bring out a couple of bottles  just for lunch/dinner

[Rainbow3fe]

7 minutes ago, zalusky said:

Is ordering a drink in the Terrace Cafe at noon/7PM considered lunch or dinner or does it have to be in the main/specialty dining rooms?

Let's add Lunch at Waves or at the new Aquamar kitchen!

[basor]

Just now, Rainbow3fe said:

Let's add Lunch at Waves or at the new Aquamar kitchen!

With the House Select package (which is now what will be included in Simply More) you can order wine, beer or champagne at any venue serving food during meal times - this includes Terrace, Waves, Room Service, MDR and Specialty restaurants and on VISTA also includes Aquamar and Embers

[Flatbush Flyer]

4 minutes ago, zalusky said:

Is ordering a drink in the Terrace Cafe at noon/7PM considered lunch or dinner or does it have to be in the main/specialty dining rooms?

Like the GDR, the Terrace Café has lunch and dinner service with published time spans of several hours each. That’s when you can order beer and wine that’s included in the basic booze package.

[LHT28]

Wine & beer menus are posted in this thread

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2904150-riviera-new-bar-drinks-menus-and-prices/

 

Count up the Wine by the glass offerings

 

[basor]

1 minute ago, LHT28 said:

Wine & beer menus are posted in this thread

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2904150-riviera-new-bar-drinks-menus-and-prices/

 

Count up the Wine by the glass offerings

 

Thanks for posting - this gives a clear idea of the offerings on the House Select package that will be the included alcohol package in Simply More..

[LHT28]

17 minutes ago, basor said:

With the House Select package (which is now what will be included in Simply More) you can order wine, beer or champagne at any venue serving food during meal times - this includes Terrace, Waves, Room Service, MDR and Specialty restaurants.

But  you cannot arrive at noon & stay until 7 pm  just to  drink  😃

 

[basor]

Just now, LHT28 said:

But  you cannot arrive a t noon & stay until 7 pm  just to  drink  😃

 

Correct you have to move from Terrace to Waves in the afternoon and then wait between the closing of Waves and the opening of an evening dining venue and then move between evening dining venues until they all close!  Don't forget to order a port to go at your last stop in the evening!

 

Just kidding folks - don't get your knickers in an uproar!  but you can have lunch in Terrace or MDR and go to Waves for a late afternoon snack and enjoy wine or beer or champagne at both..

[LHT28]

It's been a slice 

will check in July to see what the real deal is

 

Then wait for the experts to explain it all 😃

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

Having never selected the basic drinks package as an option and as this will soon be included for all, I have a question for those who have selected this option in the past.

 

Was the quality of the wines previously offered on the basic package during lunch & dinner generally satisfactory ?

With only occasional exceptions, the wine-by-the-glass menu for the basic (and same for the upgrade) program is composed of quite mediocre wines that would retail for about $10/bottle in the U.S. (think about the bottom row in the supermarket wine section). And when there is addition of a decent inexpensive wine (e.g., Arboleda Carmenere or a Donnafugata white blend appear occasionally), news travels fast and the supply is quickly depleted. Same is true for the sparkling wine: usually low end European stuff but, once in a rare while, a NorCal sparkler like Schramsberg Mirabelle shows up (but will be gone within a few days if it’s arrival on the ship).

[basor]

6 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

With only occasional exceptions, the wine-by-the-glass menu for the basic (and same for the upgrade) program is composed of quite mediocre wines that would retail for about $10/bottle in the U.S. (think about the bottom row in the supermarket wine section). And when there is addition of a decent inexpensive wine (e.g., Arboleda Carmenere or a Donnafugata white blend appear occasionally), news travels fast and the supply is quickly depleted. Same is true for the sparkling wine: usually low end European stuff but, once in a rare while, a NorCal sparkler like Schramsberg Mirabelle shows up (but will be gone within a few days if it’s arrival on the ship).

We have enjoyed Arboleda Carmenere several times and on our last cruise - 31 days on Marina, we were able to enjoy it from day 1 to day 31...so not always true that it disappears instantly.  The wine menu was posted so everyone can decide for themselves if they will find a wine/beer/champagne/port they can enjoy with the included drinks.  Not everyone has such a refined palette that they can't enjoy a glass from the list.

[Rainbow3fe]

21 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

With only occasional exceptions, the wine-by-the-glass menu for the basic (and same for the upgrade) program is composed of quite mediocre wines that would retail for about $10/bottle in the U.S. (think about the bottom row in the supermarket wine section). And when there is addition of a decent inexpensive wine (e.g., Arboleda Carmenere or a Donnafugata white blend appear occasionally), news travels fast and the supply is quickly depleted. Same is true for the sparkling wine: usually low end European stuff but, once in a rare while, a NorCal sparkler like Schramsberg Mirabelle shows up (but will be gone within a few days if it’s arrival on the ship).

  Hi,

      I'm happy to know our plans for before our Vista Panama Canal cruise aren't ruined. We always look forward to buying some great wines to bring aboard. We already booked some California winery visits for October. We are looking forward to buying some really nice ones to enjoy on the ship.

      Glad to hear the wines will be the same basic low end ones they have offered in the past.  We never choose a package because it doesn't suit our taste. 

     Everyone looks for different things when traveling. That's why Carnival is still in business 😜

Edited June 17, 2023 by Rainbow3fe

[osandomir]

3 minutes ago, Rainbow3fe said:

  Hi,

      I'm happy to know our plans for before our Vista Panama Canal cruise aren't ruined. We always look forward to buying some great wines to bring aboard. We already booked some California winery visits for October. We are looking forward to buying some really nice ones to enjoy on the ship.

      Glad to hear the wines will be the same basic low end ones they have offered in the past.  We never choose a package because it doesn't suit our taste. 

     Everyone enjoys different things. 🍷That's why Carnival is still in business 😜

Yes, everybody has different tastes and priorities. I’d think that Carnival as well sales not just all junk on their ships. We don’t sail on Carnival, but I’ll be gladly paying more for the wine if it’s a decent (for us) selection. And we won’t have to bother with bringing wine onboard like we did on most of our cruises because of the limited selection of good affordable Oceania wines to our taste. It’ll be good to have more choices. The main question for us is how much “more”. Guess we’ll find out soon.

[ORV]

8 hours ago, osandomir said:

I always felt that 6 figure income is a bare minimum for those who would like to cruise with Oceania or many other cruise lines if that matters. Now it’s even more important to find what fits in one’s budget.

I guess it depends on where that first digit falls on a scale of 1-9. 

[Harters]

9 hours ago, osandomir said:

I always felt that 6 figure income is a bare minimum for those who would like to cruise with Oceania

We do not come close to having a 6 figure income (in either dollars, sterling or euros) which is why our forthcoming cruise is only our second with Oceania. When the new deal is announced, we'll decide if there will ever be another one. Maybe, maybe not - after all, there are other holidays available, other than upscale cruises. Given only a choice between our regular winter break in Tenerife or a cruise, we'd be going to Spain every time.

[grifdoglover]

@Basor I have been reading different cruise lines forums on Panama Canal itinerary changes.  Just did the search bar and several show up Viking, Princess etc.  I don’t believe it is coincidence with the drought but I may be wrong.  I hope yours is not affected and it does appear that Panama is still being offered. It is a very severe drought.

[TonicTraveler]

"Cruise Only" will still be an option for those who want to build an a la carte experience.

[ORV]

14 minutes ago, TonicTraveler said:

"Cruise Only" will still be an option for those who want to build an a la carte experience.

You’re basing this on what?

[ORV]

15 pages and no has asked if the OBC can be used on anything other than excursions. Apparently no more taking the OBC option and buying a drink or paying tips. Not that there was ever any advantage to do it that way. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

10 hours ago, basor said:

We have enjoyed Arboleda Carmenere several times and on our last cruise - 31 days on Marina, we were able to enjoy it from day 1 to day 31...so not always true that it disappears instantly.  The wine menu was posted so everyone can decide for themselves if they will find a wine/beer/champagne/port they can enjoy with the included drinks.  Not everyone has such a refined palette that they can't enjoy a glass from the list.

 

One doesn’t need to have a “refined palate” to figure out that most of the listed wines in the packages are just plain “bad.”

[Flatbush Flyer]

36 minutes ago, ORV said:

You’re basing this on what?

+1

[PhD-iva]

1 hour ago, TonicTraveler said:

"Cruise Only" will still be an option for those who want to build an a la carte experience.

Hmmmm. I think you might be mistaken, but I hope not!