Lets Talk Wine!!!!!

[cruisePRN]

In my diamond coupon booklet there is a coupon for 20% off the SECOND bottle of wine under $50. It says "Purchase any bottle of wine and recieve a 20% discount on any second bottle of wine under $50". Since i don't drink much I have about 12 of those coupons. Anyone interested in a trade?

Email me at my screen name at hotmail dot come

[COASTERBOB]

In my diamond coupon booklet there is a coupon for 20% off the SECOND bottle of wine under $50. It says "Purchase any bottle of wine and recieve a 20% discount on any second bottle of wine under $50". Since i don't drink much I have about 12 of those coupons. Anyone interested in a trade?

Email me at my screen name at hotmail dot come

 

I sent you an email

 

Bob

[aanda]

In my diamond coupon booklet there is a coupon for 20% off the SECOND bottle of wine under $50. It says "Purchase any bottle of wine and recieve a 20% discount on any second bottle of wine under $50". Since i don't drink much I have about 12 of those coupons. Anyone interested in a trade?

Email me at my screen name at hotmail dot come

 

 

i would truly love a few of those but sadly im a first time cruiser and have nothing to offer you !:(

[househunter]

On our last cruise with RCCL we bought a Lindeman's Pinot Noir for $35.00. When we got back from the cruise, we found that wine at our local PA liquor store for $9.99.

 

So there is a very large mark up on the wines, but if you want a glass of wine with dinner, then you pay the price.

 

You can't compare the wine in a ship's dining room to what you would pay in a store. If you compare it to what you would pay at a land restaurant you will find that it is sometimes even much less. Of course you can buy it cheaper at a store. The ship or the restaurant marks it up to make a profit. They are a business!

[satxdiver]

It is Chardonnay called Cakebread! It is not a cheap wine, but we usually get it for special times and this was one of them.

 

I love Cakebread and you are right in that it is not cheap. I have been to the winery.

 

Wine in a restaurant is marked up two to three times the price in a retail liquor store. The cheaper wines have a higher markup than the more expensive ones. The restaurant has to purchase the wine, maintain a stock, cool the wine, serve it in their glasses and make a profit. Wine does not turn over as rapid as beer so they have to have a bigger stock of the various types.

 

You can always buy wine cheaper at the store but it is sold to you at room temperature in the bottle. You have to take it home, cool it, uncork it and pour it into your glasses. You would not expect to buy a beer in the bar for the same price you can buy it at the grocery.

 

Princess will allow you to bring your own bottle aboard and drink it in the dining room. They will charge you a corking fee since you are using their glasses and sitting in their room. The charge was $10 but I believe they increased it to $15. If you do not drink the entire bottle, they will cork it and save it for you for the next dinner.

 

Drinking wine by the glass is the most expensive route and the selection is limited. Once a bottle is opened, they have to sell it in a day or two before the wine oxidizes.

[setsail]

You can't compare the wine in a ship's dining room to what you would pay in a store. If you compare it to what you would pay at a land restaurant you will find that it is sometimes even much less. Of course you can buy it cheaper at a store. The ship or the restaurant marks it up to make a profit. They are a business!

 

So true.

 

I don't understand what these people are thinking when they compare buying in a store to buying in an upscale restaurant or the MDR on an Rccl ship.

[cruisePRN]

I sent you an email

 

Bob

I answered it:D

[cruisePRN]

i would truly love a few of those but sadly im a first time cruiser and have nothing to offer you !:(

 

When is your cruise? Email to me at my screen name at hotmail.

[vinc]

just a long shot question But we are heading out in April on the liberty and have a group of 7 adults and some are big drinkers of beer and wine . they don't happen to sell wine by the case or beer by the case.

[critterchick]

I have looked at the wine list on Voyager of the Seas. I am a Chardonnay drinker.The choices were small. The have a Chardonnay called Stone Cellars by Beringer 31.00 a bottle..I priced it at Specs for 5.99 it also comes in a big bottle. I haven't tried it but I plan to. Also they have Sonoma-Cutrer fro 51.00! Ridiculous. I will pre buy a couple bottle is it's drinkable, but not too happy about those choices at those prices. It practically FORCES be to take bottle in my suitcase. I am willing to spend a couple of hundred bucks for 7 days for the two of us, but come on. 30 and 50 bucks? I guess I need to check out the wine and dine packages.

 

I don't know what you can get Sonoma Cutrer for where you live, but it's $28/bottle at the local market here in LA (sometimes on sale for $21, but not often). So less than 2x retail is very reasonable IMHO. The Stone Cellars is one of those overpriced inexpensive wines.

 

Note that the page is missing the first 2 letters. Should be:

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/562747533yjShXM

 

Also, looks pretty accurate but I expect the prices to increase by my cruise in April. :eek:

 

That's the fleet wide wine list - I transcribed that from the list on Mariner in 2008, and it was the same on our last RCI cruise in October. The good news is that RCI doesn't reprint the list very often, so it's unlikely to change any time soon.:)

[Jcruiser2008]

If they do not have your wine choice in the MDR they will get it or you. We had a glass we loved in Vintages which was not on the wine list and they sent someone to Vintages to get it for us. If it is on the ship they will get it for you:D

[critterchick]

Drinking wine by the glass is the most expensive route and the selection is limited. Once a bottle is opened, they have to sell it in a day or two before the wine oxidizes.

 

Actually, the pours on RCI have always been very generous, so it's often less expensive to buy by the glass.:)

[bajathree]

From the RCCL list? - Caymus. RCCL list is only $10-$15 more than wine chain store

M

 

 

Yes...this is quite correct. I have found that the wines on the "reserve" wine list are very fairly marked up.....usually much less than what you would find so on land based restaurants....only a little over retail. The rest of the wines.....those on the regular list are ridiculously marked up like 4X retail....I mean something simple that can be bought for $7.99 at most grocery stores is like $24.99 or more. Why do you think that RCCL can advertise that with the W&D package you save up to 20% off menu prices. Even with the W&D package most wines offered are of poor price to quality ratio. I know the reserve wines aren't cheap....most are > $60 but if you are a wine lover you will appreciate the fair mark-ups and much better values when you consider quality.

[setsail]

The ole lets compare it to the grocerystore price again.

 

On one cruise we were on there was a guy trying to buy booze and cigerettes in the ships store with coupons he brought from home.The Rccl employee was speachless,it takes a village.

[mohavemommy]

Yes, the wine does cost more, but this is a cruise and the alcohol will cost more. This is one way the cost of inexpensive fares is offset. Just pay it and enjoy! :D

[SherriZ366]

Wine & Dine package gives you a little discount. It's very irritating to pay $28/bottle for wine that usually costs $7.99 at home! But, they have a captive audience! :D

We don't use the Wine and Dine even though there is a discount because we like wines outside of the program.

[SherriZ366]

Oh! I forgot to tell you this, when we went to the main dining room it was not on the menu, so we told them we had a wine in Chops that we really liked. Our waiter therefore got a second bottle for us even though it was not on the wine list in the main dining room.

Also, if you do not finish your wine at night they will cork it for you and you can have it the next night in the main dining or chops or portofinos. We did!

Thanks for the heads up. We may do this on our next cruise because the wine lists for the specialty restaurants are in the diamond and concierge lounge.

[SherriZ366]

ahhh cakebread. Since I live right next to the Napa Valley, I decided to do a little wine tasting last weekend, and Cakebread was one of my stops. Very good wine. And yes, it is no cheapo place.

Do they have any good reds?

[SherriZ366]

I think you can buy a bottle at Vintages that is not on the dining room menu and either have them open it there or bring it to the dining room and have them open it at that time. You should not have to pay a corkage fee. Or maybe even have it sent to your table. I'm really fuzzy ln this so ask the Vintages bartender

[theotherchad]

The above is a pretty accurate assessment. If you are a Beringer White Zinfandel drinker, you are getting ripped for about 4X the retail price. This follows for any wines that are priced up to about $15 retail. However, when you get above this price level (retail), the wines are only marked up 2X to 3X, which is pretty much standard retail pricing, and for the higher end wines, that retail for close to or over $100, you are getting an absolute bargain.

 

We are in the middle category, so we don't feel cheated, especially as we have found the best wines on the Diamond wine and dine package, which end up being at least reasonable in price. Again, if you are selecting the cheaper wines in the wine package, you are getting ripped off royally.

 

Unless you truly love and appreciate the better wines, I'd suggest sticking with other drinks if you're trying to get the best value for your expenditures.

[SherriZ366]

that retail for close to or over $100, you are getting an absolute bargain.

 

.

That's good to know for something special. We have never tried anything from the Reserve List.

[aanda]

ok i hope this is not a stupid question..... i was wondering if they will charge you the 15% tipping fee when buying a bottle?? also is it allowed to bring your bottle back to your room?

[bajathree]

ok i hope this is not a stupid question..... i was wondering if they will charge you the 15% tipping fee when buying a bottle?? also is it allowed to bring your bottle back to your room?

 

 

Yes....any bottle you buy even if you are taking it up to your cabin gets charged the 15%.....that is why the waiters smile every time I buy a wine off the reserve list.

[jbond]

If you are a Beringer White Zinfandel drinker, you are getting ripped for about 4X the retail price.

How about 10X. I believe RCI charges around $30-$32 a bottle for Beringer White Zin plus 15% tip. We can buy here for under $20 for a SIX pack of 750 ml bottles.

I don't drink white zin, which is fortunate, because I think I would choke on that markup before I could swallow the wine.:eek:

[theotherchad]

How about 10X. I believe RCI charges around $30-$32 a bottle for Beringer White Zin plus 15% tip. We can buy here for under $20 for a SIX pack of 750 ml bottles.

I don't drink white zin, which is fortunate, because I think I would choke on that markup before I could swallow the wine.:eek:

 

Whoa, you do get that stuff cheap in California! Here' it's closer to 5 or 6 dollars a bottle. Fortunately, we never drink that stuff. Too sweet. We're mostly red wine people.