HAL CellarMaster.......

[sail7seas]

It just occured to me we never met a CellarMaster on Maasdam this summer and we always meet and get to know them.

 

Are they no longer on HAL ships? Or maybe Maasdam was lacking one for a brief while?

[kryos]

It just occured to me we never met a CellarMaster on Maasdam this summer and we always meet and get to know them.

 

Are they no longer on HAL ships? Or maybe Maasdam was lacking one for a brief while?

We had a cellar master on the Statendam. He was always visible around the ship. At night he would wear that funny looking "medallion" ... a sipping cup. I asked him if he ever got a chance to actually sip wine from it, and it told me it was more a "decoration" than anything else. So I took to calling it his "sippy cup." :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[abb4k]

When we sailed on Celebrity Mercury several years ago, the sommelier wore the "tasting medallion" around his neck.

 

We had brought a special bottle of wine with us (from the winery where we got engaged). We asked the sommelier if he would taste the wine for us, and he poured himself a little sip into his medallion. The look on his face when he sipped the exceedingly good wine was priceless.

[funlovin'cruiser]

The cruise that you were on I was on too. The cellarmaster/sommelier was not there - there was a family emergency and the old one left 2 cruises before the new one came.

[Krazy Kruizers]

When we were on the Veendam we had a cellar master for the first 7 days -- he was very visible. He even told us that he would be returing to his home -- I think he came from South America. As things turned out, a replacement did not arrive for our 14 day cruise and he was asked or told he could not leave -- not certain of the exact story. But I do know that he was not a happy man for the last 14 days -- he was rarely out and about.

On our Westerdam 19 day cruise we did not have a cellar master. One arrived for the 7 day Alaskan cruise but we only saw him once in the dining room.

[martinimadam]

On the Oct 4 Maasdam sailing there was a cellar master. Can't remember his name, but, he was awfully cute and from Scotland. I believe he held a couple of wine tastings and was very helpful in picking out wines.

[sail7seas]

The cruise that you were on I was on too. The cellarmaster/sommelier was not there - there was a family emergency and the old one left 2 cruises before the new one came.

 

 

Thank you' date=' funlovin' [/b']

That explains it. Odd how I never noticed it while aboard and just now thought of it. We would have inquired if it occured to us while on the ship.

[tojofo]

On the Oct 4 Maasdam sailing there was a cellar master. Can't remember his name, but, he was awfully cute and from Scotland. I believe he held a couple of wine tastings and was very helpful in picking out wines.

 

We were on the same cruise we spoke to you often in the Ocean Bar we sat on the first two stools at the bar. The cellar masters name is Marcin Czyszek

[sail7seas]

We were on the same cruise we spoke to you often in the Ocean Bar we sat on the first two stools at the bar. The cellar masters name is Marcin Czyszek

 

 

You were sitting on OUR stools!!! :D

[funlovin'cruiser]

Oh Marcin!!! Such a funny guy. Born and raised in Poland, moved to South Africa for his wine training and now lives in Scotland for the last few months. It always cracks me up when people associate him with Scotland when he really is straight Polish. Nice guy.

[rkacruiser]

There has been a Cellar Master on my most recent HAL cruises. Other than hosting a wine tasting once in awhile, I see no point in that position. (If HAL wants to save some employee cost, I would recommend this is one position that could be eliminated.) I never saw the Cellar Master "do" anything other than walk around the dining room. On the Amsterdam this past winter, he NEVER approached our table and several of us were regular wine drinkers.

 

It is my experience that the regular wine stewards have much knowledge about the wine list and need no supervision from the Cellar Master, if that is in fact what he/she is supposed to do.

[Krazy Kruizers]

There has been a Cellar Master on my most recent HAL cruises. Other than hosting a wine tasting once in awhile, I see no point in that position. (If HAL wants to save some employee cost, I would recommend this is one position that could be eliminated.) I never saw the Cellar Master "do" anything other than walk around the dining room. On the Amsterdam this past winter, he NEVER approached our table and several of us were regular wine drinkers.

 

It is my experience that the regular wine stewards have much knowledge about the wine list and need no supervision from the Cellar Master, if that is in fact what he/she is supposed to do.

 

DH and I have often made that very same comment.

[serendipity1499]

The cruise that you were on I was on too. The cellarmaster/sommelier was not there - there was a family emergency and the old one left 2 cruises before the new one came.

 

Believe you are confusing Cellar Masters with Sommelier's..:confused: Don't think HAL employees Cellar Masters..But If I'm wrong would someone who knows about the manufacturing process of wines & liquors please correct me..

I was always under the impression that a Cellar Master is the one who supervises the making of wine in a winery or a manufacturer of fine liquor such as Martells which makes fine Cognac..They usually come from the same family of Cellar Masters..For instance The Moyet House which also makes fine Cognac has only employed three Cellar Masters since it was founded in 1864.. The Cellar Master constantly analyzes the product & discards those that do not maintain the standards of the Company..They explained the Cellar Master's job when we went through the a Winery in Chile..

However' date=' a Sommelier is a trained professional who knows the In's & Outs of [u']serving[/u] fine wine..He's in charge of the wine service in restaurants & has direct contact with the patron..He should work closely with the Culinary dept. & knows what type of wine belongs with a particular food..He pairs the wine to compliment the food being served..On HAL ships, I thought that the Wine Stewards work under the Sommelier, who answers to the Beverage Mgr..

The Professional Culinary Institute in Florida ( and Calif) trains Sommeliers..They also include The Court of Master Sommeliers first two exams at the end of their cirriculum...The Intl Wine Guild in Denver is the only certifying organization for Sommeliers in the USA..

Don't know where Hal's Sommeliers are trained & certified, but wonder if it's in the Philippines with Hal's Bar Staff..It would be interesting to know..

cheers..:)Betty

[sail7seas]

Actually, yes, Betty. I meant Cellar Master.

 

HAL has had a position titled "Cellar Master" since at least April 2006 which was when we met the first. It was on Ryndam. Can't say for sure when the first began working on HAL ships but that was the first we met an HAL Cellar Master. Whether that is an appropriate title, beats me. :)

[serendipity1499]

OK thanks Sail..Have they done away with the Sommelier then, or is HAL calling the Sommelier a Cellar Master, or are there two of them now..

Am I confusing the issue..LOL

Betty

[funlovin'cruiser]

Yep, you are right - HAL considers the Cellar Master the Sommelier :D

 

As for the question if they actually do anything....YES. They have a lot of behind the scenes responsibility. Besides maintaining the ship's stock (they are the ones letting the beverage manager know how much needs to be ordered, etc) they are also training all of the wine stewards that you think do all of the work. The ship is constantly getting new wines in and its the CM's job to inform the wine stewards about the wine, give them tips on how to sell it, etc. They have the same amount of responsibilities as the Assistant Beverage Manager, and the same amount of stripes (1):o

[Krazy Kruizers]

The last couple of years we have noticed that some ships refer to this individual as the sommelier and on others as the cellar master.

[mcw331]

Ok a little confusion here.

 

First the HAL ships we have been on do have a "Cellar Masters" (recently Zuiderdam & Eurodam). Each ship has one. The Cellar Masters are usually at least Level II or III Sommeliers (Court of Master Sommeliers) and their duties are mainly behind the scenes: managing the wine inventory and storage, hosting wine tastings, continuing training the wine stewards and many other administrative responsibilities. They also oversee the wine service of ALL dining rooms. That is why we see them rotating through during dinner. Just as we rarely see the dining room manager (Maitre d) and he doesn't serve us our food but his management of our service staff is crucial to our dining experience.

 

Now check this one out... All of the wine stewards are.... sommeliers. They have all achieved at least Level I with the Court of Master Sommeliers. Additionally they are continually receiving updated training by the Cellar Master. This training definitely shows. As wine lovers we have found their service spot on, wine suggestions very good and when given tastes of our special wines that we bring... they have been able to accurately describe what they are tasting.

 

So your Wine Stewards are your Sommeliers and the Cellar Master is like the Maitre d of wine.

 

Cheers

[serendipity1499]

Ok a little confusion here.

 

First the HAL ships we have been on do have a "Cellar Masters" (recently Zuiderdam & Eurodam). Each ship has one. The Cellar Masters are usually at least Level II or III Sommeliers (Court of Master Sommeliers) and their duties are mainly behind the scenes: managing the wine inventory and storage, hosting wine tastings, continuing training the wine stewards and many other administrative responsibilities. They also oversee the wine service of ALL dining rooms. That is why we see them rotating through during dinner. Just as we rarely see the dining room manager (Maitre d) and he doesn't serve us our food but his management of our service staff is crucial to our dining experience.

 

Now check this one out... All of the wine stewards are.... sommeliers. They have all achieved at least Level I with the Court of Master Sommeliers. Additionally they are continually receiving updated training by the Cellar Master. This training definitely shows. As wine lovers we have found their service spot on, wine suggestions very good and when given tastes of our special wines that we bring... they have been able to accurately describe what they are tasting.

 

So your Wine Stewards are your Sommeliers and the Cellar Master is like the Maitre d of wine. Cheers

 

ok I 've got that now..Thanks for the clarification..

Cheers..Betty

[rkacruiser]

Yep' date=' you are right - HAL considers the Cellar Master the Sommelier :D

 

As for the question if they actually do anything....YES. They have a lot of behind the scenes responsibility. Besides maintaining the ship's stock (they are the ones letting the beverage manager know how much needs to be ordered, etc) they are also training all of the wine stewards that you think do all of the work. The ship is constantly getting new wines in and its the CM's job to inform the wine stewards about the wine, give them tips on how to sell it, etc. They have the same amount of responsibilities as the Assistant Beverage Manager, and the same amount of stripes (1):o[/quote']

 

Very interesting. If the Cellar Master does all of this, then what is the job description for the Beverage Manager and the Assistant Beverage Manager?

 

On the Amsterdam this Winter, when Australian wines were put aboard during our visits there, it was the Beverage Manager who talked to me about these, not the Cellar Master.

[WeLoveCruising]

Sail,

We were on the 11/4 Maasdam and the Cellar Master was brand new (he came over from Celebrity).

 

Here is a job description and requirements on the position:

 

http://www.hcareers.com/seeker/search/view?jobAdId=590142459677B0B4&type=partner&source=Shiredppc