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Oceana wine package


jgw321
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On the Nautica currently. The wine package offered was dominated by South African wines they procured. Very low end wines that retail from $8-$12 each are in the package for $47+ each. No wines of interest on the list. Also, a lot those SA wines on the included packages wine list. All have been mediocre at best. Fortunately we have a few other wines on the list that I have survived with. I have bought three bottles at dinner of the good stuff and paid corkage on two others. Overall poorest included wine selection of any cruise I’ve take thus far.

 

Are you describing the bottle package or the Olife by the glass package or the premium package, or maybe all of them have the low end wines? I can't keep up... Thank you for the report. We plan on doing carry on but may need to supplement our supply.

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On the Nautica currently. The wine package offered was dominated by South African wines they procured. Very low end wines that retail from $8-$12 each are in the package for $47+ each. No wines of interest on the list. Also, a lot those SA wines on the included packages wine list. All have been mediocre at best. Fortunately we have a few other wines on the list that I have survived with. I have bought three bottles at dinner of the good stuff and paid corkage on two others. Overall poorest included wine selection of any cruise I’ve take thus far.

 

The same issue applies to the so-called Prestige Package.

 

This is the list from the Marina on the Miami - Tahiti itinerary:

 

 

RED WINES

Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon,California

Ryder Estate Pinot Noir, Monterey, California

Solar Viejo Tempranillo, Rioja, Spain

Deakin Estate Shiraz, Victoria, Australia

Placido Chianti DOCG, Tuscany, Italy

Noble Vines Merlot, Central Valley, California

Finca Flichman Malbec Roble, Mendoza, Argentina

D’Aquino Sangiovese Di Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy

Morandé Reserva Carmenère, Maipo Valley, Chile

Edited by Rob the Cruiser
typo
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Sorry about the confusion with my first post. We have several of the wines, by the glass, that Rob posted above while several are replaced by South African wines of poor quality.

 

For the seven bottle wine package available at the beginning of the cruise, the list was dominated by low quality S African wines. Strangely, in the past, the wine package list had an array of wines, in varying quality, that the ship was closing out. This time, however, the wine package predominantly included the same low quality South African wines they are selling by the glass on the cruise. Very different from past cruises.

 

Therefore, I have been paying corkage on wines I bought in Hong Kong, pre cruise, or buying higher quality wines from the restaurant lists. The wines by the glass, on on the package, selection has been overall quite poor this cruise.

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I am considering an Oceania Marina cruise and questions about the beverage package were on the top of our list. Thanks for the good information here. But, I have some more questions which I hope you all can answer.

First, we have only cruised on Viking Ocean so we only know their policy, which is to include wine with meals and a separately priced beverage package which includes wine choice upgrades at meals and all alcoholic drinks (including cocktails) at ship bars during the day. The package includes tips on your drinks.

First question is if Oceania's beverage package includes drinks during the day - for example, I love a glass of sherry in the bar before dinner and my husband enjoys a beer in the afternoon. We then drink wine at dinner and usually a glass of port after dinner in the bar. Are tips included in their package, including the one where one buys 7 bottles at a time? We are not cocktail drinkers or "big" drinkers, so a high priced all inclusive package would not be appealing.

On the itinerary we are considering, the ship leaves from Lima, so I don't see much possibility of shopping for wine there to bring onboard. Other stops on the itinerary don't look like good possibilities either, plus I don't want to be shopping around for wine on stopovers, then carrying it around and back to the ship. Viking allows you to bring whatever you want (and as much) onboard but few people do because if you have the beverage package, it's all there.

 

Do you have any recommendations? To be frank, what I have read above does not sound like it would meet our needs, but maybe I'm missing something?

 

I think perhaps I have not been thorough enough in my research to find answers to these questions and also whether or not internet is included. I did not see this specified on Oceania's website.

 

Thanks,

Lynn

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[quote name=MandyPuppy;55310324First' date=' we have only cruised on Viking Ocean so we only know their policy, which is to include wine with meals and a separately priced beverage package which includes wine choice upgrades at meals and all alcoholic drinks (including cocktails) at ship bars during the day. The package includes tips on your drinks.

First question is if Oceania's beverage package includes drinks during the day - for example, I love a glass of sherry in the bar before dinner and my husband enjoys a beer in the afternoon. We then drink wine at dinner and usually a glass of port after dinner in the bar. Are tips included in their package, including the one where one buys 7 bottles at a time? We are not cocktail drinkers or "big" drinkers, so a high priced all inclusive package would not be appealing.

On the itinerary we are considering, the ship leaves from Lima, so I don't see much possibility of shopping for wine there to bring onboard. Other stops on the itinerary don't look like good possibilities either, plus I don't want to be shopping around for wine on stopovers, then carrying it around and back to the ship. Viking allows you to bring whatever you want (and as much) onboard but few people do because if you have the beverage package, it's all there.

 

Do you have any recommendations? To be frank, what I have read above does not sound like it would meet our needs, but maybe I'm missing something?

 

I think perhaps I have not been thorough enough in my research to find answers to these questions and also whether or not internet is included. I did not see this specified on Oceania's website.

 

Thanks,

Lynn[/quote]

 

Lynn, the basic drink package that comes as an oLife perk is JUST with meals. For your purposes you would need to upgrade once you board to the prestige package (I THINK it's the prestige package -- we never get this perk). That would be another $20pp per day but allows you to have pretty much what you want when you want, with a few top-of-the-line wines and spirits excepted.

 

Oceania also allows you to bring your own on board for use in your cabin (if wine, you can take it to a restaurant and pay a $25 corkage fee). But your point about the difficulty of finding wine, etc., on land is just as pertinent for your particular cruise. I often bring a bottle of vodka and 1-2 bottles of wine in my luggage, but that can also be burdensome.

 

As I understand it, tips are included in both packages.

 

Hope this helps. No doubt someone who has actually bought the package will chime in!

 

Mura

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  • 4 weeks later...
The standard pour for catering in the US is approx. 150 ml +\-. Thus, when planning events like a wedding, the caterer will recommend 4-5 glasses per 750 ml bottle. I don't remember ever getting "shorted" on an O ship whether with or without an alcohol package.

 

 

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Apologies for the delay, I had trouble figuring out how to reply in the forum. Thank you very much for your helpful reply

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  • 4 months later...

My understanding is you choose the 7 bottles at once. Actually, it would be better to do so even if it weren't required because the wines involved in this sale are usually "close outs" ... and won't necessarily be available later on in the cruise.

 

 

Real wine experts (which I am not) have been critical of the available wines from what I have read here. Not because they are terrible ... they just aren't wonderful! The average passenger who takes the package does seem to find them acceptable. (We haven't done this ourselves which is why I'm hedging my bets.)

 

 

Mura

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On most cruises, The ship has selected the seven wines that comprises the package. The entire seven (7) wine package must be taken at the package price.

 

Last Fall, they had ten (10) wines to choose from, of which seven different wines had to be chosen. In February, they were back to the above seven prechosen package.

 

As Mura stated, the quality of the wines vary greatly. Some are quite good, while others represent a horrible PQR. That’s why they do the Package, to ensure inventory clearance.

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...Some are quite good, while others represent a horrible PQR.

I tried a couple of acronym sites on PQR but still don't know what you mean; "Price and Quality Reporting" "Perfect Quality Roses", "Pizza Quadrata Romana" (that would be my choice)

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BTW - you can also bring spirits onboard (but only for consumption in the cabin.

 

 

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Are you sure about this? It is my understanding that beer and hard liquor will be taken and held until the end of the sailing.
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Are you sure about this? It is my understanding that beer and hard liquor will be taken and held until the end of the sailing.

 

Beer and Hard Liquor are NOT confiscated and never have been on Oceania. :hearteyes:

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Are you sure about this? It is my understanding that beer and hard liquor will be taken and held until the end of the sailing.

 

 

As I and others have often said on CC (based on multiple O cruises from embarkation ports across the globe), we have never had (or seen) wine and spirits denied boarding on an Oceania ship. The published limit in the T&C is merely a CYA statement by Oceania. The spirits are only for in cabin consumption but the wine can go to dinner for a $25 corkage (including gratuity).

That said, I do suggest that any wine you intend to bring to a dining venue be something exceptional. That $25 fee pales in comparison to the cost of that bottle onboard (even if it's stocked, which it probably isn't).

And (if you're considering the possibility), PLEASE don't think of "sneaking booze" on to the ship or carrying your in cabin stock into public areas. That's just plain "bush league."

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YoHoHo;

 

PQR or Price Quality Ratio, sometimes QPR is a wine geek term.

 

As Mura has pointed out, some might argue over the quality of certain wines and rather they are even drinkable. PQR adds in price to that debate. Whereas as wine might be drinkable, not terrible at $10 per bottle, you’d never pay $47 for that bottle, a horrible PQR.

 

That’s was the Package generally attempts to do . Offer a couple wines of reasonable PQR wines in the package with 5 dogs . As I wrote earlier, on our February cruise all the offered wines in the package were of poor quality, even at $10, no less $47, per bottle.

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YoHoHo;

 

 

 

PQR or Price Quality Ratio, sometimes QPR is a wine geek term.

 

 

 

As Mura has pointed out, some might argue over the quality of certain wines and rather they are even drinkable. PQR adds in price to that debate. Whereas as wine might be drinkable, not terrible at $10 per bottle, you’d never pay $47 for that bottle, a horrible PQR.

 

 

 

That’s was the Package generally attempts to do . Offer a couple wines of reasonable PQR wines in the package with 5 dogs . As I wrote earlier, on our February cruise all the offered wines in the package were of poor quality, even at $10, no less $47, per bottle.

 

 

 

Thanks for the explanation. I thought I was quite knowledgeable regarding wine but obviously not!! Nice to learn something new.

 

 

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YoHoHo;

 

 

 

PQR or Price Quality Ratio, sometimes QPR is a wine geek term.

 

 

 

As Mura has pointed out, some might argue over the quality of certain wines and rather they are even drinkable. PQR adds in price to that debate. Whereas as wine might be drinkable, not terrible at $10 per bottle, you’d never pay $47 for that bottle, a horrible PQR.

 

 

 

That’s was the Package generally attempts to do . Offer a couple wines of reasonable PQR wines in the package with 5 dogs . As I wrote earlier, on our February cruise all the offered wines in the package were of poor quality, even at $10, no less $47, per bottle.

 

 

 

Plus 1.

Occasionally, the "7 bottle" package will have a couple of decent items. The rest is often "rot gut." I remember one cruise where Shramsberg Mirabelle was on the list. I bought that for all seven bottles. I wasn't alone. They ran out of it in two days. Another unusually good cheap wine you'll occasionally find on the list is Arboleda Carmenere. Yes, it too disappears quickly.

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rot gut

 

I don't know the American market, or the Oceania wines, but I find most wines on cruises are OK, nothing special but drinkable. It is only when you factor in the price that they seem poor value for money. If you resign yourself to "restaurant prices", then they can seem nearly reasonable again. The Saga wines on our last cruise were all easy drinking wines and being "free" (in the cruise price) they went down well.

 

Back in the 70's in UK you could get cheap wine which you could describe as rot gut. You had to pay £6-7 a bottle to get anything decent. Then Tony Laithwaite started to explore and import better wines at a cheap price, brought in the Flying Winemakers, and wineries bought new stainless steel fermentation vessels and quality improved and prices went down, plus the supermarkets got knowlegable wine buyers and discovered Chile and Argentina etc, learning from Tony. You could get quality wine at £3 a bottle and no more rot gut. Then our government hiked the duty a couple of times and now the same £3 bottle costs £7.99.

 

As has been said, if you want something special and really to your taste, bring it on board (Oceania allow this), and pay the corkage. While drinking remember that although the corkage is an extra tax you have had to pay, you are saving multiples of this against the price you would have to pay if the ship stocked it. As Flatbush Flyer says "even if it's stocked, which it probably isn't".

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I don't know the American market, or the Oceania wines, but I find most wines on cruises are OK, nothing special but drinkable. It is only when you factor in the price that they seem poor value for money. If you resign yourself to "restaurant prices", then they can seem nearly reasonable again. The Saga wines on our last cruise were all easy drinking wines and being "free" (in the cruise price) they went down well.

 

Back in the 70's in UK you could get cheap wine which you could describe as rot gut. You had to pay £6-7 a bottle to get anything decent. Then Tony Laithwaite started to explore and import better wines at a cheap price, brought in the Flying Winemakers, and wineries bought new stainless steel fermentation vessels and quality improved and prices went down, plus the supermarkets got knowlegable wine buyers and discovered Chile and Argentina etc, learning from Tony. You could get quality wine at £3 a bottle and no more rot gut. Then our government hiked the duty a couple of times and now the same £3 bottle costs £7.99.

 

As has been said, if you want something special and really to your taste, bring it on board (Oceania allow this), and pay the corkage. While drinking remember that although the corkage is an extra tax you have had to pay, you are saving multiples of this against the price you would have to pay if the ship stocked it. As Flatbush Flyer says "even if it's stocked, which it probably isn't".

 

 

While I do not pretend to be a wine expert/snob/whatever, I know enough about "the grape" to be "mildly dangerous."

 

Having tried all sorts of onboard offerings on Oceania ships from wine-by-the glass to the "7 bottles buy" to wine tasting events to La Reserve wine-pairing dinners, I am convinced that the oenological shining stars onboard are few and far between.

 

Overall, and with the understanding that there does exist (onboard) some excellent reserve wines that are priced far far far beyond my means, I advise folks to do some research beforehand and find decent purveyors at the embarkation and other ports (e.g., Total Wines in Miami or Australian Wine Centre in Sydney) in order to "carry-on" (initially or to replenish) as much as is reasonable (for you) to cart and cover your needs for, at least, your planned specialty dining events (whether or not you do a booze package or the 7 bottles deal, which we occasionally use primarily for other times during the cruise).

 

If sailing from SF, we are fortunate that we can bring items from our own cellar, which would render the $25 corkage fee "chump change." Otherwise, we will (without hesitation) pay the going rate for exceptional wines at distant ports and then shell out the $25 fee at pretty much every specialty dinner evening onboard. Maybe it's a personal shortcoming but, I just can't drink bad wine with great food.

 

On our last cruise (the Sydney-L.A. portion of the 2018 Insignia world cruise), we did several Oceania wine tasting events. From the dozens of offerings, I found less than a handful of wines that I would consider exemplary. In fact, I felt somewhat apologetic about the sad entries from Northern California either because they were lackluster or because the associated bottle price amounted to "highway (or "seaway") robbery."

 

Of course, the cost of wine procurement/storage/service/profit on a ship is a special consideration. However, a 400% markup on a $15 bottle of Domaine Chandon sparkling wine (and then suggesting that it is a shining example of the bubbly available in NorCal) is just soooo disappointing.

 

And: don't get me started about the use of the term Sommelier.

 

Rant over.

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I think of the "7 bottle" package as filling a niche, but that niche may be relatively small. Seems like the "7 bottle" package would be great for wine-only drinkers who like a glass at a time per person of regular-old-wine and possibly not at all lunches and/or dinners. The "7 bottle" package would likely be more cost effective than the wine/beer with meals (basic package) for that niche. BYO might still be less $ than the "7 bottle" package for this niche, but if you're not a wine geek all the effort in BYO would seem like work, not play.

 

Other niche categories and their best-fit spending plans include (but are not limited to...): wine geeks tend to bring on by the bottle (er, or case...lol); two-glass-at-a-timers will do better with the basic drinks package; and cocktail drinkers (or whiskey sippers) will often do best with the prestige package. Tea-totalers can just relax and enjoy the fact that they are not helping to subsidize us drinkers. Ymmv - do your own math for best results :)

 

One last spending-planning thought - if you are a mixed household (you don't both fall into the same niche), you don't have to choose the same drinks package *unless* you are opting for the basic drinks package through O-Life (even then I believe one can upgrade without both having to, but am not as certain about that...) - easy to create flexibility, by either selecting a different O-Life benefit or by going "cruise only".

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While I do not pretend to be a wine expert/snob/whatever, I know enough about "the grape" to be "mildly dangerous."

 

Having tried all sorts of onboard offerings on Oceania ships from wine-by-the glass to the "7 bottles buy" to wine tasting events to La Reserve wine-pairing dinners, I am convinced that the oenological shining stars onboard are few and far between.

 

Overall, and with the understanding that there does exist (onboard) some excellent reserve wines that are priced far far far beyond my means, I advise folks to do some research beforehand and find decent purveyors at the embarkation and other ports (e.g., Total Wines in Miami or Australian Wine Centre in Sydney) in order to "carry-on" (initially or to replenish) as much as is reasonable (for you) to cart and cover your needs for, at least, your planned specialty dining events (whether or not you do a booze package or the 7 bottles deal, which we occasionally use primarily for other times during the cruise).

 

If sailing from SF, we are fortunate that we can bring items from our own cellar, which would render the $25 corkage fee "chump change." Otherwise, we will (without hesitation) pay the going rate for exceptional wines at distant ports and then shell out the $25 fee at pretty much every specialty dinner evening onboard. Maybe it's a personal shortcoming but, I just can't drink bad wine with great food.

 

On our last cruise (the Sydney-L.A. portion of the 2018 Insignia world cruise), we did several Oceania wine tasting events. From the dozens of offerings, I found less than a handful of wines that I would consider exemplary. In fact, I felt somewhat apologetic about the sad entries from Northern California either because they were lackluster or because the associated bottle price amounted to "highway (or "seaway") robbery."

 

Of course, the cost of wine procurement/storage/service/profit on a ship is a special consideration. However, a 400% markup on a $15 bottle of Domaine Chandon sparkling wine (and then suggesting that it is a shining example of the bubbly available in NorCal) is just soooo disappointing.

 

And: don't get me started about the use of the term Sommelier.

 

Rant over.

 

Love this!! Read it to my husband and he couldn't stop laughing.:'):'):')

We are doing 3 days in South Africa wine country before our Cruise. We will try to bring as much onboard as we can. Once we leave South Africa I fear we will not be able to replenish since the countries we are going to are Muslim.

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I think of the "7 bottle" package as filling a niche, but that niche may be relatively small. Seems like the "7 bottle" package would be great for wine-only drinkers who like a glass at a time per person of regular-old-wine and possibly not at all lunches and/or dinners. The "7 bottle" package would likely be more cost effective than the wine/beer with meals (basic package) for that niche. BYO might still be less $ than the "7 bottle" package for this niche, but if you're not a wine geek all the effort in BYO would seem like work, not play.

 

We like the 7 bottle package. It's been all quite good and we have not found any of it to be undrinkable or "rot gut". It's a good value - the $47.50 includes gratuity. I'm in this niche you mentioned as I drink only wine and no beer or hard alcohol. My husband drinks mostly wine as well and only an occasional mixed drink. It fits what we're looking for and we plan to purchase it again on our next Oceania cruise.

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We like the 7 bottle package. It's been all quite good and we have not found any of it to be undrinkable or "rot gut". It's a good value - the $47.50 includes gratuity. I'm in this niche you mentioned as I drink only wine and no beer or hard alcohol. My husband drinks mostly wine as well and only an occasional mixed drink. It fits what we're looking for and we plan to purchase it again on our next Oceania cruise.

 

 

Next time you're onboard, get the current 7 bottle list and Google a few random choices. Usually, you'll find most of them retailing for under $10. There will be the occasional $15-$20 bottle. But, they are few and far between.

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