Cognac cut-back

[Lilly55]

6 hours ago, TakingFlight said:

Wow, what a difference from our Venture cruise last month. We had giant pours of Hennessy and Remy VSOP in several different bars. Too much cognac in fact. Is such a thing even possible?

You were just lucky they were still in stock.

 

The 30 day Ovation cruise started with these. As we were told, the problem arises when their stocks are depleted. Following the first 10 days remnants were found in various bars ( as Fudge says found half a bottle) but all used by end of first 20 days.

At beginning told it was on order and delivery due - on day 20 informed Seabourn would not be stocking these brandy’s anymore and Hardy’s was everywhere. 
Husband told F&B Manager this was a cheap poor brandy but informed nothing could be done on the ship as a Head Office decision. 

[marazul]

9 hours ago, tv24 said:

Try armagnac instead of cognac.

Yes, but do they have VSOP?

[tv24]

4 minutes ago, marazul said:

Yes, but do they have VSOP?

Sorry, don't know.

[Robisan]

7 hours ago, Lilly55 said:

...informed nothing could be done on the ship as a Head Office decision. 

I hope this isn't another indicator of creeping HALification of SB. I fear a slow phase out of true top shelf offerings only to have them eventually return at additional charge and possibly (The Horror!!) an upsell drink package. Not sure how SB maintains its brand and pricing, which is up 20-30%, while slowly removing features expected by the brand and pricing.

[johng75370]

23 hours ago, nancygp said:

Got the exact same response on the missing bourbons during my recent 14 day sojourn cruise,  I was hoping for a restock in Reykjavik but that didn’t happen.  Based on another posters comment, who continued on with Dover as the next embark/debark port, they weren’t restocked!  Time will tell.

On our last SB voyage in July the F&B manager explained that their ordering process is more complicated that I thought, and that if they run out of something unexpectedly (i.e. a rush on good bourbons) it takes 2 months to get stocks replenished.  Hoping that the downgrading of cognac is a mistake that will get reversed quickly.  

[Lilly55]

20 minutes ago, johng75370 said:

On our last SB voyage in July the F&B manager explained that their ordering process is more complicated that I thought, and that if they run out of something unexpectedly (i.e. a rush on good bourbons) it takes 2 months to get stocks replenished.  Hoping that the downgrading of cognac is a mistake that will get reversed quickly.  

It unfortunately is not a mistake. Ovation staff had placed orders for the usual cognacs and as time has passed and no deliveries received of these items, had later been informed by Head Office that the items were no longer available to order and that Hardy was now the Seabourn free cognac.

[Hlitner]

On 8/27/2024 at 7:44 AM, tv24 said:

Try armagnac instead of cognac.

Funny you should mention that.  Last evening we noticed that somebody had added a bottle of Armagnac to our suite bar.  It is Clos sea Ducs VS.  I get as excited about Armagnac VS as cognac VS.   I guess the beverage or hotel manager is trying to be nice.  Just wish they would be nice with a nicer quality of booze.  😉

 

Enjoying Mr and Mrs Fudge’s live blog.   
 

Hank

[Hlitner]

Just an update about onboard cognac.  Encore has apparently run out of the high class Hardy VS and substituted the even less charming Carlos I Spanish brandy.  It has been rumored that our supplies will be enhanced on the 7th.  It is anyone’s guess what wonderful treat awaits our next weeks voyage.

 

Hank

[jmalux]

We had Rémy Martin VSOP in our suite on Venture last week

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, jmalux said:

We had Rémy Martin VSOP in our suite on Venture last week

The only Remy on the Encore is XO at about $32 an ounce.

[Lilly55]

1 hour ago, jmalux said:

We had Rémy Martin VSOP in our suite on Venture last week

It is what is left in stock - once gone all ships receive new brandy designated by Head Office

[Hlitner]

A thought occurred to me, today, and I hope it is wrong!  A few fellow cruisers have talked about the "Hollandization" of Seabourn.  As folks who have spent hundreds of days on HAL, we trust that is just grumbling with no merit.  However, about 16 months ago we were on HAL's Westerdam for a 42-day cruise.  Although Courvoisier VSOP was covered by their Signature drink package, there was none to be had on the entire ship for our 6-week voyage.  One bar tender told me that there had been none for many months.  So those with drink packages either had to pay extra for higher end options (like Remy XO) or go without!  Now, we are on the Encore where we have a somewhat similar issue with cognac.  And if one believes in coincidences, we might consider the fact that the new President of Seabourn comes from the HAL family.  

 

As a fan of SB, I want to believe that what has happened on this ship (regarding Cognac) is just one of those things and will soon be rectified.  

[marazul]

Seabourn claims to be ultra luxury and to have "complimentary premium spirits and fine wines available on board at all times ."

 

XO is "premium" and "ultra" luxury so this is what should be included. 🙃

VSOP is "top shelf" and "average" luxury so there is no excuse not to include it.

VS is what they serve at a Holiday Inn bar.  Is "bottom shelf" the new Seabourn (not) luxury standard?

 

Like Hank, I am hoping that it is just a blip in judgment that will soon be rectified.

[Vineyard View]

15 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Just an update about onboard cognac.  Encore has apparently run out of the high class Hardy VS and substituted the even less charming Carlos I Spanish brandy.  It has been rumored that our supplies will be enhanced on the 7th.  It is anyone’s guess what wonderful treat awaits our next weeks voyage.

 

Hank

Our TA was informed this week that Hardy’s VS and Courvoisier VS are the new Cognac brands. 

[Vineyard View]

15 hours ago, jmalux said:

We had Rémy Martin VSOP in our suite on Venture last week

We had that last year on Quest. 

[marazul]

For the past 15-18 years they have always had Remy, Courvoisier and Hennesy VSOP on every cruise we have taken. Also always an armagnac VSOP and a good calvados.  

I have always mentioned the quality of the included liquor to many others I have recommended to Seabourn, but no more. We have two cruises coming up and we'll see what happens. 

[Moihereoui]

We were on the Venture a few weeks ago.  My husband wasn’t able to get a glass of Mccallan single malt scotch without an upcharge. He also couldn’t get a bottle of single malt whisky in our room as one of our bottles. We had been on a couple of expedition cruises in winter 2023 and 2024 where he was able to get it without an upcharge and have a bottle in our room.  

[johng75370]

Checked my phone and had downloaded The Club menu from April on Ovation. Here’s what they were showing at that point:

Remy Martin VSOP

Frapin VSOP

Hennessy VSOP

Courvoisier VSOP

Armagnac Cles Des Ducs VSOP

 

Along with the usual complement of 5 single malt scotchs and 4 bourbons.  

 

Edited September 7 by johng75370

[galeforce9]

1 hour ago, Moihereoui said:

We were on the Venture a few weeks ago.  My husband wasn’t able to get a glass of Mccallan single malt scotch without an upcharge. He also couldn’t get a bottle of single malt whisky in our room as one of our bottles. We had been on a couple of expedition cruises in winter 2023 and 2024 where he was able to get it without an upcharge and have a bottle in our room.  

This is appalling 

[whogo]

I do not drink hard liquor, I don't like the taste, but with my local Target store selling 1.75L Remy Martin VSOP for $99.99 and 750ml for $53.99 it seems cheap of Seabourn not to offer it.

 

If a certain liquor was something I just had to have and Seabourn did not stock it, I would bring my own, although it would irk me to do so on a luxury all-inclusive line.

 

 

[marazul]

14 minutes ago, whogo said:

I do not drink hard liquor, I don't like the taste, but with my local Target store selling 1.75L Remy Martin VSOP for $99.99 and 750ml for $53.99 it seems cheap of Seabourn not to offer it.

 

Considering that Seabourn pays wholesale, a generous pour couldn't cost Seabourn more than a dollar or so. Compare that to the per diem price we pay for the cruise. 

[stan01]

I do wish they would just do what they need to do and tell us the truth.  Don't drag this out for years, if they are going to institute a paid drinks package, paid internet, and surcharge for specialty dining just make it so and get on with it rather than death by 1000 cuts.  If they are going to rename Ovation and Encore to Ovationdam and Encoredam with standard HAL service offerings just cut the losses and do it.

[stan01]

26 minutes ago, stan01 said:

I do wish they would just do what they need to do and tell us the truth.  Don't drag this out for years, if they are going to institute a paid drinks package, paid internet, and surcharge for specialty dining just make it so and get on with it rather than death by 1000 cuts.  If they are going to rename Ovation and Encore to Ovationdam and Encoredam with standard HAL service offerings just cut the losses and do it.

 

I do wonder, am I the first to come up with the Ovationdam and Encoredam names?  A little better than the Sojourndam, Questdam, Pursuitdam and Venturedam which would be silly.

 

 

Edited September 8 by stan01

[Moihereoui]

6 hours ago, galeforce9 said:

This is appalling 

The cut backs or my comment?

[Moihereoui]

6 hours ago, johng75370 said:

Checked my phone and had downloaded The Club menu from April on Ovation. Here’s what they were showing at that point:

Remy Martin VSOP

Frapin VSOP

Hennessy VSOP

Courvoisier VSOP

Armagnac Cles Des Ducs VSOP

 

Along with the usual complement of 5 single malt scotchs and 4 bourbons.  

 

They must have been running low on single malts in August.