wine and dine program

[beatlejuice]

Has anyone tried the wine and dine package? I couldn't find out what it would cost either...if anyone has info it would be helpful.. we are going on a 9 day cruise on the granduer in July. Thanks!

[vdv115]

Has anyone tried the wine and dine package? I couldn't find out what it would cost either...if anyone has info it would be helpful.. we are going on a 9 day cruise on the granduer in July. Thanks!

 

We did the wine and dine package for our June 2-11 cruise. The 5 bottle platinum package was roughly around $125.00. The selection was ok, nothing to write home about, but we did figure that it kept our bar bill down.

[Nick Needs To Know]

Are any of the Wine and Dine Packages worth the price?

 

Nick

[Jan_In_Maine]

We enjoyed the package as it was less than buying a bottle individually - the following is taken from another thread - I think it is still current

 

WINE

Gold Selection:

Korbel Brut Sparkling - California

Stone Cellars Chardonnay, Beringer - California

Lindemans bin 77, Semillon-Chardonney - Australia

Danzante Pinot Grigio - Italy

Caliterra Sauvignon Blance - Chile

Woodbridge White Zinfandel (Mondavi) - California

Georges duBouef Beaujolais Villages - France

Stone Cellars (Beringer) Cabernet Sauvignon - California

Woodbridge Twin Oaks - Cabernet Sauvignon - California

Vina Tarapaca Merlot - Chile

Footprint Shiraz - Australia

 

Prices:

5 bottles - Value $165; Price - $113

7 bottles - Value $231; Price - $158

10 bottles - Value $330; Price - $226

12 bottles - Value $396; Price - $273

 

Platinum Selection:

Korbel Brut Sparkling - California

Argyle Brut Sparkling - Oregon

Stone Cellars Chardonnay, Beringer - California

Badger Mountain Organic Chardonnay - Washington State

Lindemans bin 77, Semillon-Chardonnay - Australia

Chateau St. Michelle Johannesburg Riesling - Washington State (really)

Danzante Pinot Grigio - Italy

Caliterra Sauvignon Blanc - Chile

Woodbridge White Zinfandel (Mondavi) - California

Beringer White Zinfandel - California

Georges duBouef Beaujolais Villages - France

Stone Cellars (Beringer) Cabernet Sauvignon - California

Woodbridge Twin Oaks - Cabernet Sauvignon - California

Robert Mondavi Private Selection Merlot - California

Vina Tarapaca Merlot - Chile

Faustino VII Rioja - Spain

Footprint Shiraz - Australia

Red Zinfandel - Cline - California

 

Prices:

5 bottles - Value $185; Price - $125

7 bottles - Value $259; Price - $173

10 bottles - Value $370; Price - $250

12 bottles - Value $444; Price - $299

 

Diamond Selection:

Korbel Brut Sparkling - California

Argyle Brut Sparkling - Oregon

Stone Cellars Chardonnay, Beringer - California

Meridian Vineyards Chardonnay - California

Badger Mountain Organic Chardonnay - Washington State

Lindemans bin 77, Semillon-Chardonnay - Australia

Chateau St. Michelle Johannesburg Riesling - Washington State (really)

Danzante Pinot Grigio - Italy

Caliterra Sauvignon Blanc - Chile

Woodbridge White Zinfandel (Mondavi) - California

Beringer White Zinfandel - California

Georges duBouef Beaujolais Villages - France

Stone Cellars (Beringer) Cabernet Sauvignon - California

Woodbridge Twin Oaks - Cabernet Sauvignon - California

Arboleda Carmenere - Chile

Robert Mondavi Private Selection Merlot - California

Vina Tarapaca Merlot - Chile

Beringer's Founder's Estate Pinot Noir - California

Faustino VII Rioja - Spain

Footprint Shiraz - Australia

Rosemount Shiraz - Australia

Red Zinfandel - Cline - California

 

Prices:

5 bottles - Value $190; Price - $137

7 bottles - Value $266; Price - $189

10 bottles - Value $380; Price - $274

12 bottles - Value $456; Price - $329

 

 

You have to pay the 15% gratuity on top of the price of any package,

[Murphy]

Before we sailed last spring, I downloaded the wine prices from the gifts and gear section of the RCCL site. Then, when we got to the "wine & Dine" package display I compared the prices of the wines I would probably order by the bottle and calculated how much they would be with the package. In most cases (but not all) you save $3-$10 per bottle with the package. I found a decent Merlot (I think it was the Mondovi Reserve) that I knew I liked and it was in the middle price package (platinum, I think) where I saved close to the $10 per bottle, so that's what I ordered. BEWARE, however, because that exact same bottle was in the Diamond package for about $5 more per bottle! Had I gone Diamond and only order the Merlot, it would not have been a deal.

 

The thing that I found most unusual, was that you don't really save more by getting more. In other words, the price per bottle per night was the same on the 5 bottle package as it was on the 9 bottle package. Volume discounting does not apply with this deal!

[tarheelmjfan]

I remembering seeing a copy of the wine & dine package somewhere that included a dessert wine with each category. Does anyone know what those were? We will most likely purchase a package, & like having a seperate dessert wine at dinner. If the offerings aren't something we'd enjoy, we plan to bring our usual ice wine. TIA :)

[happy cruzer]

I am reposting my analysis of the wine packages below. There is another more general wine policies thread you may want to look at

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=330826

 

Regarding the Mondavi merlot be sure to add the 15% on the package price. My calculations say in the gold package it is $28.75 and per bottle is $33.95, you save 5.20. The devil is in the details because on some wines you save and on others you lose.

 

hope this helps!!

 

 

 

Hi, I did a spreadsheet to compare RCLs bottle prices to RCL package prices. One poster kindly supplied the package prices from last year and mentioned that you had to add 15% to each package. For the gold package that works out to about $26 per bottle; for platinum, $28.75; for diamond, 31.50. There doesn't appear to be a break for buying the 12 bottle package vs the 5 bottle package.

 

So now if we look at the bottles in each package:

 

In the gold package you will get a very good deal compared to the non package price on 3 wines. Korbel brut is bottle priced at 30.95, Lindeman's bin 77 is 33.95, Danznte PG is 33.95, , package is 26. You will save about 3 bucks on 5 other wines. On 2 wines you pay more in the package and one is the same price.

 

For the platinum package you will get a very good deal on Argyle sparkling, Lindemans bin 77, Danzante PG, Mondavi Merlot, Faustino Rioja. 2 other ok deals, on 5 the per bottle price is cheaper, on 5 its the same.

 

For the diamond package. 2 per bottle prices were unavailable, 3 wines were a very good deal - Beringer Pinot Noir, Faustino Rioja, and Rosemount Shiraz. 4 others were OK, on 13 you lose money compared to the per bottle price.

 

So the bottom line is you have to know the exact wine you are planning on drinking in the package to know if the package is a good deal and you have to be sure the wine is available. I wish I could figure out how to provide my excel spreadsheet for comments.

 

I think the choices in the packages are too ordinary and the "savings" are too low. Remember I just compared RCL packages to RCL bottle prices. Earlier I posted a comparision to HAL and the liquor store. So I plan to bring my own and pay the corkage fee. But I will keep checking about how the beverage/wine policy is being implemented

[Nliedel]

I've done it. I suggest you read carefully ahead of time and even try some of the wines at home so you know what you like. We ended up ordering the Diamond Collection, but drank from the Platinum almost every night. We could have saved ourselves some money.

[superjerryw]

We ordered the Bronze package for $2 per person per day. It included a nice selection of wines in bottles with screw off tops such as Boones Farm and Night Train......:eek:

[hawkfish]

...Night Train... too funny!

 

Seriously, by my calculations, buying the diamond package, and getting approximately 5 glasses out of each bottle (hospitality industry standard), that would mean that wines by the glass would have to be > $8.75, including gratuity, for this to be worth it.

 

How much is wine by the glass, ballpark? How much are mixed drinks (namely gin & tonic)?

 

Though, that is my DH's drink of choice, and if he is drinking them without the prospect of having to drive home, he could be next guy overboard. So I will probably try to steer him to his other favorit -- Budweiser! :)

[Treven]

We ordered the Bronze package for $2 per person per day. It included a nice selection of wines in bottles with screw off tops such as Boones Farm and Night Train......:eek:

And don't forget the "two-buck-chuck" :-)

[tarheelmjfan]

We ordered the Bronze package for $2 per person per day. It included a nice selection of wines in bottles with screw off tops such as Boones Farm and Night Train......:eek:

 

You could have gotten lucky with that screw off top package. Some wines that are $20 + in wine shops now have screw on caps. ;)

[tarheelmjfan]

I've done it. I suggest you read carefully ahead of time and even try some of the wines at home so you know what you like. We ended up ordering the Diamond Collection, but drank from the Platinum almost every night. We could have saved ourselves some money.

 

That's what we plan to do. We're going to take a copy of the wine packages to a big wine store close to here. Ask for recommendations & bring them home to try 1st. There's too many on the list that we've never tried to purchase the package blindly. :o

[caviargal]

Are any of the Wine and Dine Packages worth the price?

 

Nick

 

If you enjoy drinking "good" wines, then no. Even their best package has inferior selections. Personally, I find their wine list lacking in quality and variety and terribly overpriced.

 

If you are not an oenophile, you might be fine.:)

[hawkfish]

I do consider myself an oenophile, and for the most part, would not choose the wines on this list when I am drinking at home (some of them are okay, but most are not my cup of tea, as it were).

 

So, my question -- are there actually better wines to be had on board? Or are these pretty much the only selection, even by the glass? What about in the wine/champagne bar?