1st Time Cruiser is a "wino", considering my wine options.

[cafediem2]

I can see the problem if someone's just paid to go to one of the on board seminars that extols the virtues of the Reidel glasses for any and all wines. At the extra-cost seminars I don't think they're telling people not to bother unless they are drinking a wine that costs over $80 and I suspect they aren't serving wines at that price level at the seminars either.

 

If you book the Riedel comparative glass workshop you get Riedel glasses in the MDR from that point onwards. Almost worth it for that alone!

 

To the OP - if you ever visit the UK, don't refer to yourself as a 'wino' here, it doesn't mean you like good wine, more any wine...

[mferranti]

If Milos and/or Maco are still sommeliers aboard Equinox, I'd recommend you seek them out. They were very helpful to us on the TA last fall.

[PORT ROYAL]

We embark Barcelona on the 29th May, the Equinox. Booked in 2148, a SS, so we plan to use Blu (when we can) and buy a 5nt Specialty package to try different cuisines. We're foodies, of sorts, and I'm a everday wino. At home I usually open 2 to 3 similar bottles simultaneously and spend 3-4 nights enjoying them evolve. Compare and contrast, making my imbibing educational!

 

When I booked there was no 1,2,3 available. I don't plan to buy a premium drinks package due to the fact we don't drink soda's, standard bottled water is fine, and my wife hardly drinks at all. I prefer black coffee thru the day, and wine all night.

 

I reviewed wine lists posted by other cruisers and saw very good bottles and sometimes at good to very good prices, given the captive market quality of a voyage. I plan to go over the list and vintages on board when I clear registration. I'm interested in the older/rarer list as well, but figure this is peculiar to the voyage and catch as catch can. I don't chase Parker 100's, I'm more of a Burghound / Tanzer guy, so I hope to find some mature red's that I haven't had a chance to enjoy before. I thought I'd pick a few bottles to get started, tip whoever helps me so as to have a good chance of everything working out, and figure out what else I want to drink as the cruise evolved. How feasible do you think this is?

 

Also, side note. If anyone has made this itinerary I'm on and had a particularly good wine tour at any of the ports I'm appreciative of any advice. Mahalo plenty.

 

A person aftermy own heart! - There is a "Fine Wine|" section in the Wine List - POMEROL - MARGAUX - ST.E etc - You are also served with correct quality crystal glasses. Enjoy my friend - Enjoy

[Cruise Arizona]

I was just going to suggest that older bottle aged wines are definitely great wines, but I often choose wines on a cruise that are high quality but meant to enjoyed young. That way the movement of the ship doesn't come into play.

[kitty9]

 

The Beverage Package is not particularly "wino" friendly, because it is just house wines by the glass, but you do get a discount on fine wine by the bottle.

 

Have a wonderful cruise, we think Celebrity does an excellent job with the wines.

 

It's not just "house wines" that are part of the beverage package. We always purchase the Premium Liquor package and have had some really great, and not cheap, wines using our package. We just pay the difference between the $12 limit and the price of the wine. A few times I had glasses that were more than $20, and just paid the difference.

[Cruise Arizona]

It's not just "house wines" that are part of the beverage package. We always purchase the Premium Liquor package and have had some really great, and not cheap, wines using our package. We just pay the difference between the $12 limit and the price of the wine. A few times I had glasses that were more than $20, and just paid the difference.

 

Excellent Point, I had forgotten that you could pay the difference in the cost of a glass, which is nice because we got the 123Go Bev Pack for two cruises next year.

[Lsimon]

It's not just "house wines" that are part of the beverage package. We always purchase the Premium Liquor package and have had some really great, and not cheap, wines using our package. We just pay the difference between the $12 limit and the price of the wine. A few times I had glasses that were more than $20, and just paid the difference.

 

This is true but if someone is a wine connoisseur they would still be better served by the list of bottled wine as it is much larger and has a lot more variety than the wine by the glass list.

 

For example, there are 34 different wines by the glass listed on the MDR wine list but there are over 300 different wines by the bottle listed. Let's say you are in the mood for a Sauvignon Blanc: There is one offered by the glass but there are over 13 by the bottle plus another 4 or 5 bottles of other varieties that are very similar to a Sauvignon Blanc. Other popular varieties have similar ratios and that is before we even consider a lot of less common varieties which are not even offered by the glass.

[jdvmd]

Somebody actually bought the Screaming Eagle on our Reflection cruise two weeks ago.

 

We had the Premium Beverage Package and were also extended a 30 percent discount toward bottles of wine. We brought some wine from our cellar but also purchased several bottles and did the enometric machines too.