Can you please tell me about the wine package/wine card?

[karensi]

Hi, wine is my drink of choice and I have heard about the wine packages offered on board. I have a general concept of what it is (purchase "x" amt of bottles ahead of time/departure day) but would really like it explained so that I can make up my mind before I'm at the table to sign up (or not).

 

How many bottles to a package?

 

What are the choices of wine like? Do you get a fairly wide range of choices?

 

And probably most important (to me) where can I purchase (well use my wine card as I realize I will have made the purchase when I sign up for the package) the bottles of wine? I know the dining room with dinner, but can I get a bottle at one of the bars (unopened) and bring it back to my cabin to drink later?

 

Thanks, any and all info will be much appreciated. I'm thinking of getting the wine package/card but would like to find out more about it.

 

Oh yeah, and do you think it is a better deal to get the package than to buy individually,as needed?

 

TIA,

 

Karen

[lillypad83]

I attempted to attach a sample list from the RCI website. Because we were still 90 days out from our cruise, they wouldn't allow us to pull the prices up online. I called customer service, and I got prices for the Gold package, and the smallest package they had was 5 bottles for $129.99.

 

You can call customer service and get the pricing for the other packages.

Diamond Wine Package.pdf

[andrzej5914]

Because we were still 90 days out from our cruise, they wouldn't allow us to pull the prices up online.

 

We are only 20 days out and we still can't do it on line. If we decide to go with the package we were told that we have to call RC customer service dept or just do it during check in.

[karensi]

lillypad,

thanks but I was not able to open the link (probably my fault...not real computer literate).

Anyway, as long as I now know that I can get some info on the RCCL site I will attempt to get some info there....BUT...can anyone tell me will I be able to get a bottle of the wine at a place other than the dining room so that I can bring it back to the cabin to ave a before dinner drink? To me that would be one of the things that I would really like to do.

 

 

TIA,

Karen

[39august]

You can buy a bottle from room service or at a bar and take to your cabin. You can also buy the package and have it sent to your cabin. BUT, if you do that and take a bottle to the dining room or specialty restaurant, you will be charged a corkage fee of $12 or $15(not sure which)....which makes no sense at all! But that's what RCI does. Bring your own corkscrew or ask you steward for one the first day so you can uncork in your cabin before taking to the dining room. Or pick up a bottle from the DR the first night and take it back to your cabin. Also, any left over from dinner you can have put back for the next night or take the bottle back to your cabin. You do save a bit buying the package over buying individual bottles. And you can pick any wine in your package and do not have to chose all at once.

[karensi]

You can buy a bottle from room service or at a bar and take to your cabin. You can also buy the package and have it sent to your cabin. BUT, if you do that and take a bottle to the dining room or specialty restaurant, you will be charged a corkage fee of $12 or $15(not sure which)....which makes no sense at all! But that's what RCI does. Bring your own corkscrew or ask you steward for one the first day so you can uncork in your cabin before taking to the dining room. Or pick up a bottle from the DR the first night and take it back to your cabin. Also, any left over from dinner you can have put back for the next night or take the bottle back to your cabin. You do save a bit buying the package over buying individual bottles. And you can pick any wine in your package and do not have to chose all at once.

 

Thanks 39august, so can I purchase the wine package then choose a bottle at a bar and bring it back to cabin? I think your answer suggests that but I just want to be sure.

Also, I was able to access some (limited) info on the wine packages from the RCCL site but would like to know how many bottles are in each of the packages. Meaning, how many bottles would I be pre purchasing with either the Platinum, Gold or Diamond Pkg?

Are you only able to purchase these pkgs on line before sailing?

If you can purchase on board, which I seem to remember seeing others do on previous cruises, do you still get the 25% discount or is that only if purchased on line before day of departure?

 

Thanks again, sorry for so many questions, getting close to cruise date(Feb 21) so starting to think about all the smaller details,

 

Karen

[candigirl41]

I had the wine package recently. You can order 5, 7, 10 or 12 bottles. You can prepurchase on line or when you board. I pre purchased because I read what was available and liked the gold package. I like Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. They had both of these on the gold so I went with that. I had 5 bottles for a 10 day cruise and had it with dinner. You can take the bottle back to your room or they will keep it for you.

 

Candi

[SASSYIN2]

If you really like good wines, then the wine package has ok wine not great, espcially in the Cab area. We used our platinum coupons to buy bottles form the open wine list- get one and the second is 15% off. Yes you can take them to your room, or they will recork and hold them for the next night at dinner. There isnot much difference int eh three packages, jsut a few wines, you can buy a 5 or 7 bottle package, but if there are only two of you, you might prefer to just buy the bottles as you need them. In the dining room, the open bottle list is tops and the prices are not out of line. In Chops and Portifino they do have some different offerings. We have done both- with a large group done the package and with two of us dirnking went for the better bottles. Plus in the wine bar and if you are platinum, there is a great coupon- buy one glass get a second Free, we bought two very large pours of Caymus cab.- for $19.00 total. This is a $85 bottle, so we actually got 4 glasses ( a full bottle for $36.00)!!

[39august]

Karensi- No you can't buy the package and go to a bar for a bottle. The package is to be either in the dining room or in your cabin. I meant only that if you wanted to buy a bottle, not the package, you can buy from a bar. Sorry, my wording was misleading.

[karensi]

Karensi- No you can't buy the package and go to a bar for a bottle. The package is to be either in the dining room or in your cabin. I meant only that if you wanted to buy a bottle, not the package, you can buy from a bar. Sorry, my wording was misleading.

 

Thank you everyone for the helpful info.

Buying a bottle at a bar on board was importnat to me as I would like to have a drink on the balcony before dinner. Will have to rethink this.

 

 

 

Karen

[Simru12]

I actually called RCI about this. I asked why I couldn't pre-purchase online (I get error message saying not available). I was told that they usually open it up 14 days prior to sailing. She said that there are the standard wines that are in the PDF lillypad posted, but then the ship staff may also add a few for your sailing. (These will also be on the list if you buy the package on board)

 

She also stated that if you pre-purchase, there is a spot on the order form to designate if you want them in dining room or cabin, but that you can pick a bottle up after boarding to take back to the cabin with you. The best thing to do if you want a bottle in your cabin when you get on board is to buy a single one through Gifts and Gear.

[karensi]

I actually called RCI about this. I asked why I couldn't pre-purchase online (I get error message saying not available). I was told that they usually open it up 14 days prior to sailing. She said that there are the standard wines that are in the PDF lillypad posted, but then the ship staff may also add a few for your sailing. (These will also be on the list if you buy the package on board)

 

She also stated that if you pre-purchase, there is a spot on the order form to designate if you want them in dining room or cabin, but that you can pick a bottle up after boarding to take back to the cabin with you. The best thing to do if you want a bottle in your cabin when you get on board is to buy a single one through Gifts and Gear.

 

Yes, that is what I was thinking of doing, thanks,

 

Karen

[toxicfairy]

ok so now I am going to ask a question and probably sound not so smart :rolleyes:. SO if I buy the package which I intend to do as an anniversary gift for my DH. If I have them sent to our room and we uncork the bottle ourselves we will not get charged a fee if we take it into the MDR or a bar with us??

and has anyone done this before? I'm thinking I'll just bring one of those little electric wine chillers and a cork screw and he can have it as he likes.