New Wine List Coming?

[ottahand7]

14 hours ago, sfocruiser said:

these were some of the bottle selections from the JS90+ list.   Note that again this was in addition to the standard wine list at dinner

 

 

No wines for Lost a Ton at the Casino  or Wines for Rough Seas 😉

[PaulineW]

Am a definite newbie. Can someone please explain why a bottle of Cloudy Bay Sav is showing $79 on the drinks menu pictured above when on the HAL website for my sailing (Oct Canada/US fall tour) it would cost $90 something to pre-purchase now?

[gknep]

I believe it is because the pre-purchase price includes the service fee/gratuity while the on board price is without the fee/gratuity which will be added when you purchase it on board. 

[Sir PMP]

90 plus rated wines by JS mean that you pay a higher price, but it doesn't mean that you will rate it 90plus..

[AtlantaCruiser72]

4 hours ago, PaulineW said:

Am a definite newbie. Can someone please explain why a bottle of Cloudy Bay Sav is showing $79 on the drinks menu pictured above when on the HAL website for my sailing (Oct Canada/US fall tour) it would cost $90 something to pre-purchase now?

 

4 hours ago, gknep said:

I believe it is because the pre-purchase price includes the service fee/gratuity while the on board price is without the fee/gratuity which will be added when you purchase it on board. 

 

Yep - $79 onboard price +15% gratuity works out to $90.85, so the $90 pre-purchase price includes the gratuity

[Judyrem]

I think the prices are obscene.  I don't mind paying for better wine, but there is no way I would ever pay those hideous prices.

[kazu]

The JS90 lising is pricier than the other wines on board for sure Judyrem.

 

Nobody says you have to order from that menu.  Unless the prices change drastically, there were still some reasonably price wines by the glass (think restaurant prices).

 

I'm going to be curious to see if you can get the JS 90 at happy hour.  Betting not 😉 

[Judyrem]

I hope so Kazu!

 

Betting not, for sure!

[rkacruiser]

8 hours ago, Sir PMP said:

90 plus rated wines by JS mean that you pay a higher price, but it doesn't mean that you will rate it 90plus..

 

For a white wine, I prefer a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.  My preferred is Villa Maria; I don't know what "Wine Spectator" rating it has and I don't care.  I know what I like after drinking other white wines over the years!  The previous posted wine list showing Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc is not known to me.  On Nieuw Statendam, the top tier wine package had as its New Zealand offering Drylands.  It was acceptable, somewhat better than Nobilio in the second tier package, but not by much.  

 

My opinion: this "affiliation" with James Suckling, et al, is one more attempt by HAL, and Princess as well with their Curtis Stone affiliation in their MDR, to associate "celebrities" with their cruise experiences offered in the dining and "drinking" aspects of the guest's cruise.  By doing so, there can be a "justification" of increasing the cost of the wines offered. (Rudi Sodamin's employment by HAL is an exception, I think.  His Sel De Mar is a winner and many of his recipes provided dishes that I enjoyed)

 

I am not impressed by the names of celebrities who supposedly positively influence my cruise experience when I book a cruise on any cruise line.

Edited March 29, 2019 by rkacruiser