To those currently cruising ... re: Premium package wine by the glass

[Julma]

On 1/9/2024 at 5:39 PM, phoenix_dream said:

Out of curiosity I have priced a couple of my favorites at a couple of higher end restaurants in Chicago - not cheap restaurants and not a cheap city.  Celebrity's prices were $2-$3 more per glass.  In other words, just enough to push them out of the premium package.  And while I agree with your summary of pricing strategy, IMHO one needs to weigh the fact that due to the huge volume purchased of these wines, Celebrity I am sure pays less per bottle than a restaurant pays wholesale.  So they are making more than restaurants are, per pour, even before raising those prices.  Very frustrating, and very tacky.

I did the same at some places in the Seaport area of Boston and found the same.  Boston is not a cheap city.  There were only a few exact matches, but most wines by the glass were between 13-18$.  Very few over 22$.  These are expensive places that gear toward people on expense accounts.  

[Ex-Airbalancer]

This is Celebrity new wine supplier 🤣

https://glossary.wein.plus/wine-powder#:~:text=However%2C it can also be,0.2 l of boiling water.

[Baynanno1]

6 hours ago, Robkat said:

Thanks for posting this.  Bubble not burst ... it's definitely good to go into the cruise knowing what to expect!

 

Your comment/opinion about the upcharging is absolutely right.  Hasn't X now removed most of the incentive to upgrade to Premium.  The reason most given for the reason to do so is for the better wines!  Now what???

 

The bubble may not have burst, but the balloon is definitely leaking and deflating - we will find out just how much in March.

[Harborgirl246]

Update:

Ascent has brought back Decoy and other wines back into the premium package it was reported in the Retreat lounge. I assume that means in all bars on ship.

[jelayne]

2 minutes ago, Harborgirl246 said:

Update:

Ascent has brought back Decoy and other wines back into the premium package it was reported in the Retreat lounge. I assume that means in all bars on ship.

That’s a bit encouraging, but they also increased the price of many other better wines by the glass hope they adjust those prices also.

[markeb]

4 minutes ago, jelayne said:

That’s a bit encouraging, but they also increased the price of many other better wines by the glass hope they adjust those prices also.

 

They're in the app for the Ascent. Easy enough to check (yes, for the most part it appears they did).

 

Ascent sailed today so that looks like the first menus to update.

[jelayne]

13 minutes ago, markeb said:

 

They're in the app for the Ascent. Easy enough to check (yes, for the most part it appears they did).

 

Ascent sailed today so that looks like the first menus to update.

The app hasn’t updated for next weeks sailing yet.

 

[markeb]

1 minute ago, jelayne said:

The app hasn’t updated for next weeks sailing yet.

 

Or tomorrow’s. One ship sailing today had no wine when I looked They implemented this late last night or today with no time for IT to update the app. 

[jelayne]

3 minutes ago, jelayne said:

The app hasn’t updated for next weeks sailing yet.

 

Well on todays sailing the app now shows Decoy $17 but Cherry Pie, Cherry Tart and Condundrum are still $19.

[phoenix_dream]

So my question is- how come when the prices went up they were miraculously able to raise them all immediately,  but in lowering them (at least some of them) it has to roll out slowly and inconsistently across the fleet?  And of course first on the newest ship.

[NMTraveller]

12 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

So my question is- how come when the prices went up they were miraculously able to raise them all immediately,  but in lowering them (at least some of them) it has to roll out slowly and inconsistently across the fleet?  And of course first on the newest ship.

Does not Celebrity have any senior management that would be able to ferret out all of these bad ideas and not ticking off their customers?

 

I see a pattern here.  Make a cut and then give part of the cut back.

[jelayne]

2 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

So my question is- how come when the prices went up they were miraculously able to raise them all immediately,  but in lowering them (at least some of them) it has to roll out slowly and inconsistently across the fleet?  And of course first on the newest ship.

The roll out could be because they bled down the inventory while ramping up the new wines and can’t restock across all ships at once, particularly those not near Miami.

 

It seems the only red wine changed was Decoy.  Red Condundrum, Cherry Pie and Cherry Tart are still $19 on the Ascent. 

[SSAtlantic]

I was charged for Decoy in the MDR on Saturday on Reflection. I was ok with it as I had a small amount of OBC left. 

[kabmab]

I laugh when I see the lists of wines.  We found on Apex last week many of the $17 glass wines were not available.  So it was either drink the cheap one or pay the upcharge.  Out of the four rose listed, the only one available (at least to non-retreat guests) was the Bel de Olivier at $10/glass.  Sommelier said none on the ship; ordered and no idea when it would arrive.  Funny, a week before I got a glass of the Jean Luc Columbo rose at Seasons 52, happy hour price $6 (Celebrity price $17 if available).  If they can get supplied, why can't Celebrity?  Unfortunately, the bar staff are having to become accomplished liars.  And pours of wines are not generous.

Edited January 15 by kabmab
Addtl info

[kirtihk]

On 1/9/2024 at 4:05 PM, Rustyman said:

That’s 2 people who say that they’ve witnessed this. In the UK this is an offence under Food Safety legislation as it is a offence “to sell food(includes drink) which is  not of the nature, substance or quality demanded by the purchaser”.

I would hope that anyone witnessing this on board would call it out and report it to the Hotel Manager. What is the point in buying anything on board if it has been subject to adulteration or switching.

I really hope that the allegations of pouring cheaper spirits into more expensive bottles are mistaken.

and it would scream for a potential product contamination, too.

[rover16]

I really hate the little slips of paper to track, but with these prices they removed the incentive to buy a beverage package. I'll collect the slips of paper, drink les, and pay a lot less, over time, to Celebrity.

[paulh84]

3 hours ago, kabmab said:

Funny, a week before I got a glass of the Jean Luc Columbo rose at Seasons 52, happy hour price $6 (Celebrity price $17 if available).  If they can get supplied, why can't Celebrity?  Unfortunately, the bar staff are having to become accomplished liars.  And pours of wines are not generous.

 

A lot of CC'ers have a huge misunderstanding how wine and liquor distribution works (or protein in general as seen in the Prime Rib meltdown posts of 2023). Getting a particular wine in a restaurant on land has zero bearing or correlation to another retailer being able to secure that same wine. 

[Wakepatrol]

On 1/9/2024 at 9:32 PM, Reel Love said:

Apologies for duplicate post.....system said it did not post so re-posted (insert eye roll here lol)

Too much Grey Goose

Edited January 15 by Wakepatrol

[kabmab]

25 minutes ago, paulh84 said:

 

A lot of CC'ers have a huge misunderstanding how wine and liquor distribution works (or protein in general as seen in the Prime Rib meltdown posts of 2023). Getting a particular wine in a restaurant on land has zero bearing or correlation to another retailer being able to secure that same wine. 

Got it.  Still the price is ridiculous.

[Reel Love]

2 hours ago, Wakepatrol said:

Too much Grey Goose

Hahaha  ..... I wish, but I like the way you think!  Thanks for the laugh 😄🍸

PS....love your dog  😊

Edited January 16 by Reel Love

[Belgian fry]

I think I need to cancel our premium upgrades. I need to stick to European wines due to sulfite sensitivity (which is why I upgraded), but it doesn't look like there's going to be much available