Elite benefit

[majortom10]

22 hours ago, elliair said:

It's by invitation.  Your name(s) are on the invitation and you present it at the door of the wine tasting day.

We were on Crown last week and had no written invitation or telephone message about Elite wine tasting and went down to Captain Circle representative and she told me it is now policy that they do not inform you it is in the daily patter and Elite just turn up and is free others pay $9-95pp.

[rkacruiser]

11 hours ago, NavyVeteran said:

It's not a very effective sales pitch. Often it is held fairly late in the cruise - too late for you to purchase bottles of the selected wines to eat with dinner on the cruise.

 

I wondered about the timing of the Grapevine Wine Tasting as well when I was aboard Coral Princess in August.  It was held in the afternoon of our last sea day, the day before arrival in Vancouver.

 

I realize that both this wine tasting as well as the Maitre d's Wine Tasting held on the first sea day might lead to some of the guests attending purchasing a bottle of the wines being offered.  But, I wonder what percentage of those guests actually do?  I would not be surprised that the percentage is quite low.

 

I consider these wine tasting events as simply another cruise activity allowing me to interact with like minded guests and possibly providing me with a bit more information about wines.  I have yet tasted a wine at any wine tasting event that would encourage me to buy a bottle just because of the tasting.  During one wine tasting, Opus One--at its mega price--was tasted.  I very quickly decided that Opus One was not worth the money and I would never "invest" in such a wine!

[elliair]

44 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

We were on Crown last week and had no written invitation or telephone message about Elite wine tasting and went down to Captain Circle representative and she told me it is now policy that they do not inform you it is in the daily patter and Elite just turn up and is free others pay $9-95pp.

Thank you for letting me know, it saves me from tossing more stuff into the garbage can.  I guess Princess has listened to passengers about all the paper waste we get in our cabin on a daily basis.

[majortom10]

6 minutes ago, elliair said:

Thank you for letting me know, it saves me from tossing more stuff into the garbage can.  I guess Princess has listened to passengers about all the paper waste we get in our cabin on a daily basis.

They havent even though now there is no post area outside your door now there is just a screen for medallion you still got Effy and art auctions left with your daily patter on your bed nearly every night.

[NavyVeteran]

46 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I wondered about the timing of the Grapevine Wine Tasting as well when I was aboard Coral Princess in August.  It was held in the afternoon of our last sea day, the day before arrival in Vancouver.

 

I realize that both this wine tasting as well as the Maitre d's Wine Tasting held on the first sea day might lead to some of the guests attending purchasing a bottle of the wines being offered.  But, I wonder what percentage of those guests actually do?  I would not be surprised that the percentage is quite low.

 

I consider these wine tasting events as simply another cruise activity allowing me to interact with like minded guests and possibly providing me with a bit more information about wines.  I have yet tasted a wine at any wine tasting event that would encourage me to buy a bottle just because of the tasting.  During one wine tasting, Opus One--at its mega price--was tasted.  I very quickly decided that Opus One was not worth the money and I would never "invest" in such a wine!

I think they have the more expensive Maître d' Wine Tasting first, because that's where they place their emphasis. They don't want the cheaper Grapevine Wine Tasting to compete with it.

 

I don't think they get much out of the Grapevine Wine Tasting, since many of the participants are Elites who are not paying them anything for the tasting and who are probably not as interesting as the people who pay.

[neverbeenhere]

I thought cruises were sales pitches that people pay to attend.  Did I miss Carnival Corporation’s plan? 

[rkacruiser]

2 minutes ago, neverbeenhere said:

I thought cruises were sales pitches that people pay to attend.  Did I miss Carnival Corporation’s plan? 

 

Is there a profit motive?  Well, of course.  For experienced cruisers, we realize this.

 

For new cruisers, wine tastings maybe a "first" of some for them.  Such maybe a "unique" cruise experience.   

 

 

[c-boy]

On 9/1/2019 at 5:02 PM, elliair said:

We've never received a phone call for the elite wine tasting.  Never experienced using the Medallion yet.  Our next cruise on the Star is not geared up for the Medallion.  Matters not, we won't be attending the wine tasting. 

well thanks for droppin' by .... "🖐️"

[Aus Traveller]

We go along to the wine tasting, but (I have to admit) we probably wouldn't go if we didn't have an elite card. We consider the wine tasting just another sea-day activity where we get to meet a few people.

 

Usually the tastings are reasonably interesting. One that wasn't was on the Grand P in 2013. The sommelier in charge went on, and on, and on. After 45 minutes, he wasn't even onto the last wine. This particular event gave us something to laugh about.🙂

[rkacruiser]

3 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

The sommelier in charge went on, and on, and on. After 45 minutes, he wasn't even onto the last wine. This particular event gave us something to laugh about.🙂

 

I wonder if this gentleman was not the same one I experienced on Coral Princess during the Maitre d' Wine Tasting.  The gentleman had lots of knowledge about wine.  But, those of us at our table had little interest in earning a Bachelor of Arts in Oenology.

[caribill]

On 9/1/2019 at 9:07 PM, Shelly97060 said:

 

 We were on the Star a couple weeks ago and the Captains Circle Host said they are doing away with the invitations to the wine tasting and instead just noting in the Patter that it is free to Elites.  

 

Princess probably saves $$$ by not reminding every elite that this benefit exists. With only an easily overlooked line in the Patter, Elite attendance is probably less than half of what it used to be.

[Aus Traveller]

5 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I wonder if this gentleman was not the same one I experienced on Coral Princess during the Maitre d' Wine Tasting.  The gentleman had lots of knowledge about wine.  But, those of us at our table had little interest in earning a Bachelor of Arts in Oenology.

The sommelier I referred to wore what appeared to be an enormous medallion hanging on a cord around his neck. We were told it was a type of spitoon that professional tasters use. We didn't see him use it in the MDR. 😊

[majortom10]

4 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Princess probably saves $$$ by not reminding every elite that this benefit exists. With only an easily overlooked line in the Patter, Elite attendance is probably less than half of what it used to be.

My sentiments entirely we have always received an invitation to our cabin and always attended the wine tasting that is why I visited Captain CIrcle rep towards the end of the cruise to see if they had forgotten to send us an invitation. The invite is now a short mention in daily patter stating cost followed by short statement that Elite it's free just show your medallion on entry. We went to MDR and joined the queue and when we got to the front was directed to another table for Elite. The queue for entrance was long and when we went to Elite table she liked at our medallion and asked our name and cabin number and wrote it down. There was only 8 on the list but over 200 Elite on the cruise. Think that says it all.

[elliair]

11 hours ago, c-boy said:

well thanks for droppin' by .... "🖐️"

I was really, really hoping that you could have given me some pointers on how the wine tasting venue could be improved.  I can say one thing, if I had to pay for it, I would have left a scathing review of the experience.  But, a cube of cheese, a couple of grapes, 2 saltine crackers, and horrid wine (to me), isn't worth my time for free or $9.95.  Glad I could help. 😎

[elliair]

12 hours ago, neverbeenhere said:

I thought cruises were sales pitches that people pay to attend.  Did I miss Carnival Corporation’s plan? 

IMHO, you are better off going to the Art Auctions for the free champagne.  If you're going to be sales pitched, may as well get a glass of champagne or two and pass the afternoon away.  The sale pitches never end on a Princess cruise.  Newbies to cruising either buy into the sales pitches and learn hard lessons from it, or they've been warned ahead of time and are more cautious.  I like to go to the closeout sales, sometimes you can find a bargain.

[c-boy]

2 hours ago, elliair said:

I was really, really hoping that you could have given me some pointers on how the wine tasting venue could be improved.  I can say one thing, if I had to pay for it, I would have left a scathing review of the experience.  But, a cube of cheese, a couple of grapes, 2 saltine crackers, and horrid wine (to me), isn't worth my time for free or $9.95.  Glad I could help. 😎

I did not have the same experience as you, so it was worth it to me. 😎 x 2.

[Mike45LC]

I attended the wine tasting once.  This was a cruise we took with my brother-in-law and his wife.  I never had bothered with the wine tasting on prior cruises, but my brother-in-law wanted to go, and his wife did not.  Since nothing else needed my presence then (no conflicting trivia contests or other activities), I went with him.   

 

It was a very pleasant event.  I did not like any of the wines we sampled, and I did not even notice that it was a sales event.  My response to every wine was a silent "yuck."  But I am not a wine drinker, obviously!  I listened to the discussions among the people at my table, without verbalizing my "yuck" and without commenting on how pretentious the  comments sounded.  I cannot detect the delicate undertones of [chocolate/ cinnamon/ apples/…] that some people rhapsodize over.  

 

But to each his/her own.  I went to keep my bro-in-law company, and I enjoyed it despite my plebian tastes.

 

[MissP22]

We do like wine but nothing that Princess has ever offered (and at a fraction of what they're asking). If easier & much less expensive to bring your own at embarkation & replenish bottles along you way when stopping at each port.

No corkage charged either when returning to the ship. 

[rkacruiser]

16 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

The sommelier I referred to wore what appeared to be an enormous medallion hanging on a cord around his neck. We were told it was a type of spitoon that professional tasters use. We didn't see him use it in the MDR. 😊

 

On Coral Princess, never saw any crew member whom you describe.  A sommelier does wear what you describe.  A spitoon?  Not from what I know.  It's a tasting cup of the wine being served to the best of my knowledge.

 

The gentlemen in charge of the Maitre d' Wine Tasting and the Grapevine Wine Tasting were clearly Head Waiters dressed in their green blazers.  

[Cruise Raider]

15 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

On Coral Princess, never saw any crew member whom you describe.  A sommelier does wear what you describe.  A spitoon?  Not from what I know.  It's a tasting cup of the wine being served to the best of my knowledge.

 

The gentlemen in charge of the Maitre d' Wine Tasting and the Grapevine Wine Tasting were clearly Head Waiters dressed in their green blazers.  

 

It is tasting cup, not a spitoon.  We go wine tasting frequently at events and on cruises and have seen the sommelier wear these before.  I don't think there are actual sommeliers on Princess ... they used to have them on Celebrity, however, in my experience.  

 

What does a sommelier wear around his neck?

They usually wear it around their neck. That's called a "tastevin" (which is French for "taste wine"). This shallow silver metal cup is faceted and convex so that when you're in a candle-lit cellar, you can judge the color and clarity of a wine more easily than by holding up a glass.

 

[Aus Traveller]

24 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

On Coral Princess, never saw any crew member whom you describe.  A sommelier does wear what you describe.  A spitoon?  Not from what I know.  It's a tasting cup of the wine being served to the best of my knowledge.

 

The gentlemen in charge of the Maitre d' Wine Tasting and the Grapevine Wine Tasting were clearly Head Waiters dressed in their green blazers.  

You are right. It would have been a tasting cup.

Edited September 3, 2019 by Aus Traveller

[Ombud]

I will ad to the others who did not get an invitation to the free tasting on my last 2 cruises (Star in 3/19 and Caribbean in 7/19)