Wine Questions

[ybarber]

My DH is a red wine lover. He usually drinks 2 glasses with dinner. We are on the Westerdam 10/19 cruise and would like to get the opinion of a wine drinker as to whether the wines that can be purchased with the wine card are good wines. He likes Bordeaux, Merlot and Cabernet. He would rather buy more expensive bottles and have them re-corked rather than have to suffer through a less palatable wine by purchasing the wine card. Thank you in advance for any tips and advice you can offer.

[fann1sh]

This is just the first answer, not necessarily the best answer. My taste is similar to your husband's. Generally, the cheaper wines on HAL (wine card selections) are significantly less worthwhile than something further up the food chain. Have you considered a stop at Total Wine in FLL before you embark to get wine to bring aboard? (I looked up that your cruise in on the Westerdam)

[Gsel]

My DH is also a wine lover and I would also suggest a stop at Total Wine or another wine store and take your own. DH would not even think about drinking the wines on the wine card! The wines on the wine list are "ok", but you will come out far ahead taking your own choices on with you, then you are assured of having just the right wine.

[KSCnCA]

I agree. The wine card is good for people who aren't choosy and are on a budget. We always bring our own wine (it's a better value even after you add corkage) than the better wines available onboard. We drink it in our cabin and in the dining room. I purchased a wine card on our last cruise for convenience - for a drink by the pool or casino - where it is inconvenient to drink our own wine. We are on a budget - and I usually drink inexpensive wine at home so when we cruise I splurge a bit on the wine we bring. But I don't like to spend $8 a glass out by the pool - my home wine only cost $3 a bottle! Favorite inexpensive Chardonnay: ForestVille, on sale regularly for $2.50 - $3.50 per bottle.

[Twickenham]

A tip a friend gave me re: corkage fee. The corkage fee is applied by the bottle - whatever the size. So, if your favourite wine comes in 1.5 l size, it will cost you $15, rather than $30 for two 750 ml bottles.

[Krazy Kruizers]

A tip a friend gave me re: corkage fee. The corkage fee is applied by the bottle - whatever the size. So, if your favourite wine comes in 1.5 l size, it will cost you $15, rather than $30 for two 750 ml bottles.

 

We have noticed several people bringing on the larger 1.2 liter size bottles onto the ship.

It's a good deal.

[cf_chuck]

My DH is a red wine lover. He usually drinks 2 glasses with dinner. We are on the Westerdam 10/19 cruise and would like to get the opinion of a wine drinker as to whether the wines that can be purchased with the wine card are good wines. He likes Bordeaux, Merlot and Cabernet. He would rather buy more expensive bottles and have them re-corked rather than have to suffer through a less palatable wine by purchasing the wine card. Thank you in advance for any tips and advice you can offer.

 

I've found the Merlot and Cab available on the wine card to be OK for casual drinks by the pool or with pre-dinner apps. I would not recommend the card to anyone professing to be a red wine lover for a dinner beverage. Others have suggested bringing what you want on board, but I find this an unacceptable complication. While the range of selection is less than what you will find in a wine store, and the prices higher (after the corkage fee), there are some reasonable Merlots and Cabs on the list that I find a nice complement to the dinner service. You might think about a 3 bottle Navigator or Admirals package.

 

Not to be a wine snob, but there are many menu offerings that could be overpowered by a red. Having a bit of flexibility might enhance the experience.

[jtl513]

He likes Bordeaux, Merlot and Cabernet.

Bordeaux is not available with the wine card. Just Merlot, Cabernet, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, White Zinfandel, and "sparkling".

[Akheila]

I agree. The wine card is good for people who aren't choosy and are on a budget. We always bring our own wine (it's a better value even after you add corkage) than the better wines available onboard. We drink it in our cabin and in the dining room. I purchased a wine card on our last cruise for convenience - for a drink by the pool or casino - where it is inconvenient to drink our own wine. We are on a budget - and I usually drink inexpensive wine at home so when we cruise I splurge a bit on the wine we bring. But I don't like to spend $8 a glass out by the pool - my home wine only cost $3 a bottle! Favorite inexpensive Chardonnay: ForestVille, on sale regularly for $2.50 - $3.50 per bottle.

 

Ok when I first read the amount you paid for your home wine I was terrified! :eek: but when I got to looking at the total wine website, I see that the brands we normally drink at home are in that price range as well. I am by no means a wine snob...but must admit that if wine were that cheap at home here. a bottle of Lindemins bin 50 is $13-15. But dh and I were seriously considering going the route of bringing our wine on board even with the corkage fee! at those rates! so I think that we shall be doing some wine tasting before we go to be able to enjoy some on our ship!

But with the as you like dining are we better to keep it in our stateroom and bring to dinner with us or leave it for the wine steward to hunt down for us?

cheers

[cf_chuck]

But with the as you like dining are we better to keep it in our stateroom and bring to dinner with us or leave it for the wine steward to hunt down for us?

cheers

 

Bringing it with you has it's advantage - service is quicker and you have an option to partake ahead of time. You can leave it and have the wine steward hunt it down. The only advantage I can see to this is if you are rushing to be somewhere else and don't have time to make a drop at the cabin.

 

I almost always take the wine back to the room, but it's not so I can bring it back to the DR the next night. ;)

[cccole]

I would not hesitate to bring a few bottles of wine on-board that you like. You can enjoy it in your stateroom or take it to the dining room. And....if you have extra you can just wrap the bottles in clothes and bring it home.

 

We did not hear about Total Wine until we were cruising....so we had purchased several bottles at a store near the port in Ft. Lauderdale. HAL has a great passenger-friendly policy regarding bringing on wine, sodas, and bottled water.

 

Have a great cruise. Cherie

[6rugrats]

Agree w/ the other posters. Your husband will not be happy with the wines he would get with the card; they were awful. Bring your own onboard.

[margretha]

We're just off a HAL cruise. We brought our own wine on. Drank some

in our room/balcony and repeatedly, when we brought a bottle to dinner,

we had to remind the staff to charge us the $15.00. I think they only charged us maybe half of the time. There is another option: some of the packages of wine are better quality than the wine card wine. Just a thought.... margretha

[larsenbiz]

I would definately bring wine onboard. We did last HAL cruise and really enjoyed it. I'm fine with the $15 corkage fee and that is only charged in the dining room. I would prefer to drink nucer wine, and it is much more affoardable to bring it onboard. That's my opinion.

[Willsot]

My DW and I are red wine lovers and always have a glasse or two with dinner. I have purchased both Navigators and Admirals wine packages (twice each) and have been disappointed a.) with the wine quality for the price and b.) experiencing bottles advertised in the packages not being available on the ship (replaced with inferior offerings). On our last two cruises we utilized wine cards and found the wines acceptable, especially when considering the cost savings.

 

While HAL does offer finer wine choices than those in the packages, the premium prices make them unaffordable for us.

[LindaJ+]

We took a tote with 6 bottles of our favorite for the cruise. Enjoyed it in our cabin and sometimes we just carried a glass with us to dinner. No corkage fee for that. I suppose the wine steward hated us for that but what bugged me about ordering wine at dinner was that he was so busy trying to serve all his assigned tables at once that sometimes we'd be well into dinner before we could get a glass.

[rarescrambler]

. . . what we were going to do about wine on our trip. But our travel plans have changed, and now, based on what I'm reading here, once again, I'm up in the air.

 

We were originally planning to arrive in FLL on the day of, and would not have had any time for shopping. But based on things I've read on OTHER threads on Cruise Critic (there's SO MUCH to learn on this board!) :) we changed our air travel and are now arriving in FLL the day before. This now leaves us time to shop for wine if that's what we decide.

 

Based on what I'd read on previous threads concerning wine, I was planning on ordering a 3-bottle wine package. I preferred this option to the wine card, because of the fact that some said the size of the pour can differ vastly, depending on who's doing the pouring. I don't always want to wonder if I got my "fair pour". I also kind of prefer the "elegance" (if you will) of having the bottle on the table. Kind of an atmosphere thing. Also, I didn't think I'd feel comfortable schleping our own bottles down to the dining room. Also, a previous thread indicated that the wine stewards tend to frown on it when you bring your own, and you don't necessarily get the same level of service w/regard to refilling your glass as you would if you'd purchased the wine onboard.

 

So, that combined with what I've read on this thread, and once again I'm unsure.

 

I'm not a real finnicky wine drinker, so that's not really an issue. I'm still thinking no to the wine card, but now I'm torn between the wine package and bringing my own. Thing is, my 2 sisters (and our husbands) are also cruising with us, and we could buy a case for a WHOLE lot less than 3 wine packages onboard. And, I'm thinking it would be possible to bring our wine down to the dining room at a time other than dinnertime, when it's not quite so obvious, yes? But, what are the comments regarding the different level of service, and it sort of being frowned upon? I'm not seeing those comments on this thread like I did on previous ones.

 

OK, sorry for rambling, you get the drift of my query . . .

[medfordgirl]

my DH is a wine drinker, I am not. We bring our wine on board, He is a big Chianti (Gabiano classico)and Amarone (bolla) lover. White wine he likes a brand called Fauna. All can be found at total wine. You may even want to try a Port. Very nice dessert wine but make sure it is at least a 10 yr old. Good prices at Total wine. Anyway he likes to have 2 glasses with dinner and we always bring down a glass each. He gets them both. Do I feel bad? No, because I spend quite a bit on a Deluxe suite. Have the wine stewards made me feel uncomfortable? Not at all. I will use the bar service for my pina coladas or an after dinner cordial. Also, if you are at a table with others you may feel obligated to offer them a glass if you have a bottle? I know I do. I feel uncomfortable pouring a glass as they watch and salivate. But that could just be me. Our next cruise will be with alot of family members and we have a big table, we are all bringing our wine on board and taking glasses with us to dinner. Don't worry, they will get plenty of money from us in the casino, excursions, shopping etc. But the little we save on the wine just feels good:p

[rarescrambler]

That's kind of the way I feel, but I'd been left wondering based on posts on previous threads. I'll see how others weigh in here, but I may go ahead and check out Total Wine and buy a case once arriving in FLL.

 

I would assume Total Wine is nearby the port? We're taking the shuttle from the airport to the Comfort Inn, and then to the port the next morning. So, unless it's within walking distance of the hotel, we'll have to cab it.

[martinimadam]

So, I'm not really comfortable about bringing the bottle into the dining room.:o I drink white wines, so they need to be chilled, too. How do you handle this? I'm also concerned with comments I've seen about the wine steward having too much to do, and not getting back to the table to refill the glass and/or taking a long time to bring the first glass. Help!

[6rugrats]

So, I'm not really comfortable about bringing the bottle into the dining room.:o I drink white wines, so they need to be chilled, too. How do you handle this? I'm also concerned with comments I've seen about the wine steward having too much to do, and not getting back to the table to refill the glass and/or taking a long time to bring the first glass. Help!

 

No one will notice that you are bringing in your own bottle, and you will not be the only one doing so. I have none of the negative experiences that have been posted in regard to bringing your own wine into the dining room. They honestly just don't seem to care where your wine comes from. If anything, it took longer to get the wine steward if we were ordering wine! If you don't finish your bottle, they will store it for you and bring it out the next night. We would take our wine sometimes to the Atrium Bar and ask the bartender to uncork it before dinner if we wanted a glass then, and it was no problem. Then, we just took it into dinner with us. Of course we tipped him, and left him the unopened bottles we did not finish.

 

You can chill your bottle before bringing it into the dining room if that worries you. They will bring you an ice bucket if you require one. If they don't come back quickly enough for you to fill your glass, you could fill it yourself. Problem solved.

 

For the poster wondering about Total Wines; do a google search and you will pull them right up. If your order is over $200, they will deliver to your hotel at no charge if you are within a 20 mile radius.

[rarescrambler]

:o

If they don't come back quickly enough for you to fill your glass, you could fill it yourself. Problem solved.

 

I did exactly that on the Azamara Journey on our cruise to Bermuda last October. Wanted my glass refilled, the steward wasn't around, so I "attempted" to pour my own. It was in a very pretty, fancy holder with a handle. When I tipped it to pour, the bottle shook down to the tip of the holder, knocking my glass over and spilling wine all over the table. :o :o :o

 

I will NOT be pouring my own wine any more - I'm way too klutzy for that. Sort of negates the ambiance of a nice, relaxed, elegant evening.:eek:

[CowPrincess]

Several cruises ago our TA gave us a bottle of white wine as a gift. I took it to the dining room the morning of the day we wanted to drink it at dinner (so I wasn't schlepping it in at dinner time), and told them our table number . Gave them instructions that we wanted it served to everyone at the table (each couple took a turn providing wine). The wine arrived chilled and was served with no problem.

[rarescrambler]

:o

 

I did exactly that on the Azamara Journey on our cruise to Bermuda last October. Wanted my glass refilled, the steward wasn't around, so I "attempted" to pour my own. It was in a very pretty, fancy holder with a handle. When I tipped it to pour, the bottle shook down to the tip of the holder, knocking my glass over and spilling wine all over the table. :o :o :o

 

I could have added this to the "most embarrassing moments" thread that was going around about a week ago.:D

[martinimadam]

Cow Princess - Thanks! That sounds like a much better way to handle it. I think I'd feel a little "tacky" carrying the bottle in at dinner. Guess I'm not enough of a femininist to carry it off on my own. :o

 

rarescrambler - just the thing I'd be worried about. Again, if I had a male companion, I wouldn't feel strange about him refilling my glass... Where's Sarah Palin when I need her (oops! was that "political"???):)