Ordering wine at dinner vs pre-ordering wine

[SusieV]

Which works out to be less expensive?

 

My fiance and I generally drink and enjoy wines in the $7-$15 range. We don't have sophisticated tastes but do enjoy decent red wine. We're not a fan of whites.

 

How much does a decent bottle of red run at dinnertime on the ship? I'm looking at the Bon Voyage wine list and there's a bottle for $23, which is more than we're used to paying but not obscenely so. Will there be bottles available at that price at dinner or should I pre-order some?

 

We don't drink expensive enough stuff to make it worth taking with us because we do want to drink it at dinner and the corkage is too high to be worthwhile.

 

Also- the chocolate dipped strawberries (and the shrimp for that matter) on the Bon Voyage gift... is this something you could get through room service or elsewhere on the ship without the fee? I was under the impression that all food was free of charge.

 

Thanks!

 

Susie

[Kathy & George]

Wine is available on board at multi-level pricing. You do pay more on-board than typically at home. You can bring your own wine on board and just pay the corkage fee, it varies from $10 to $15 a bottle. Just mark your table and name on it and give it to your cabin attendant to take to the cellar for dinner at your table. They have occasionally waived the fee for us in the past, but we always tip the steward.

[SusieV]

I understand that it's more expensive on board then to bring from home; specifically I am trying to determine whether it is less expensive to order at the table, or to pre order from Celebrity's Bon Voyage gifts.

 

As I mentioned, we do not drink expensive enough wines to make it worthwhile to bring our own, given corkage.

 

Still curious about the food items as well.

[Lois R]

Hi Susie:) looks like your cruise is for your honeymoon...so CONGRATULATIONS:D

 

They do have bottles of wine in the 25.00 range. As the previous poster said, you can bring your own wine, but there is a corkage fee.

I sail solo......and just don't like bringing extra things with me. There have been times my tablemates and I have shared. There are other times I have purchased a bottle and it lasted me 3 nights....just depends on the table. Last month I sat with friends from our ROLL CALL and we shared throughout the week.

 

Usually the Wine Sommiliers are very helpful......if you know about how much you want to spend per bottle and what type of wine you like, they can always help with choices.

 

Again, Congrats on your upcoming nuptuals and have a great cruise:)

[AFT_LOVER]

We bring Asti in zip loc bags in our luggage. Never been caught. We enjoy it on the balcony more than the dining room. So we also get a wine at the tasting since you save $$$ there & that is served at dinner for a few nights since we do a glass per night each. No service fees since we bought it from them. We are CC so we get a free bottle of champagne in the bucket when we arrive & that usually goes into the fridge til we are ready to enjoy it later in the week. They even taught us how to wrap plastic around the top to keep it good for the next day, and just keep the ice coming...........

[Lois R]

Susie, you can just order a bottle when you arrive at your dinner table...you don't have to order it ahead of time.

 

And I have never ordered one of the Bon Voayge Gifts...sorry, can't answer that one for you.

[davis0056]

Order once you are on board and you'll have a bigger selection. The price for a bottle of red wine starts inthe 20's. They will hold the bottle throughout the cruise if you don't drink it at one meal. DH likes white, I like red, we each order what we want and it lasts for a couple of meals. Your wine steward or waiter will have it waiting for you for each meal. We've occassionally bought a bottle while in port. We drink it in the cabin, a before or after dinner glass and don't have to pay the corkage.

 

Enjoy-and have a sip for us!!

 

Dave and Elaine

[SusieV]

Thanks very much, Lois!

 

Yes, it's our honeymoon cruise and we are so excited! We were given it as a combined gift from both sets of parents and they got us a 1A cabin- too bad it won't be CC until the week after our cruise :)

 

If there are $25ish bottles of wine then I won't both with pre ordering, thanks.

 

Do you know about the shrimp and chocolate strawberries? Are there places on the ship to get these for free, or through room service?

 

Do you have to be Captain's Club to go to the wine tasting? That sounds like something we'd enjoy.

 

Oops- lots of posts appeared while I was writing! Thanks for your comments, everyone!

[niborHS]

Susie, I am sure you will enjoy your honeymoon. Congratulations, what a nice gift from your parents. As far as the shrimp and chocolate dipped strawberries go, you may be able to get them at one of the midnight deck parties, and sometimes they have shrimp on the lunch buffet, shrimp cocktail with dinner (which some people say you can order any night, I've never done it though). WHen it comes to wine at home, I assume the $7 - $15 range is not at a restaurant, although you sometimes can find things for $15 at, lets say, a pizza place. Most restaurants charge 2-3 times what you pay retail for their wine. Where are you from? That makes a difference when it comes to sticker shock. Keep in mind that bar drinks, drinks at the pool, and the like can add up, so try to budget for these in advance. Make sure they know you are on your honeymoon. Hopefully your parents used a travel agent. They will let the cruise line know generally, and they sometimes send a bottle of wine to your room as a bon voyage gift. Most cruise lines and hotels like to do special things for honeymooners. Also, keep in mind that if you want to go on excursions, or do things on your own at certain ports, this will add up as well, so plan on how much you want this whole thing to cost you. Check the port message board to get an idea what people like to do at each port. Have a great time.

[SusieV]

Hi Robin,

 

No, the $7-$15 range is from a liquor store. We're Canadians from Ontario. We don't usually order wine in a restaurant because of the prices- they start around $20 in restaurants here too. But since it's our honeymoon I know we will splurge on a few bottles for dinner since it's a 10 night cruise.

 

They did book us through an agency since they traded in a timeshare week to get a discount on the cruise. We requested early seating and a table for 2, and we told them it's our honeymoon.

 

I've been reading threads on individual drinks and it seems the prices there are much more expensive than even restaurant prices here so we'll definitely be limiting that. A beer in a restaurant is $3.50 CDN usually, and alcoholic drinks are maybe $5-7 CDN.

 

Could you tell me a little more about the midnight deck parties? Where are they located and what goes on there?

 

Thanks!

[TamraQ]

Hi Susie,

It's Tamra from the Summit board. If you want a bottle of wine for your

room, order it through a separate company called Just Because of You

and talk to Shelly. 1-200-882-9707. She is very reasonable and has all

price ranges of wines, including some reasonable Austrailian wines. You might

even be able to get two bottles delivered to your stateroom for $25.00-$30.00. She made up a mimosa package for my son and his new bride, that included orange juice, champagne, chocolates, and I think 2 flutes for $25 plus tax. The wine selection from the Bon Voyage department is very limited, and pricing starts at $21 for the celebrity bottle. The package she made up for my mom included a basket of tropical flowers and wine for just over $30.oo with taxes. I also ordered myself a large package. My husband and I love having wine on our balcony before dinner. Good Luck.

Tamra Q

[cyberhankster]

Hello SusieV

 

Congratulations on your impeding marriage and honeymoon. Have you cruised before? Which Celebrity ship will you be on and when? Where is it going to cruise...i.e. which area? You'd not think that would make any difference in your red wine selections...but, let me know so I can fine tune a few "tips" for you.

 

I'm a "red" wine man...specifically love all types of cabs from throughout the world. My philosophy is if you're paying more than $20.00 per bottle U.S from your local liquor store or supermarket....then you're paying too much.

 

Mostly, I'm like you......$8.00 to $15.00 a bottle U.S. should get you a really good "red." My recent experience on Century was that the same bottle of wine at say $12.00 U.S. was almost twice on the Century wine list...or more.

 

They offer a fair number of good reds by the glass for say $7.00 U.S. to $9.50 U.S. I became a "fan" of their Celebrity (Sonoma) (their upscale) cabernet at $9.50 a glass. However, the glass was a larger red wine glass and our sommelier knew to pour liberally. They have the Celebrity cabernet you see in the pre-board gift package at $24.00 U.S.; but, the quality was not comparable to the upgrade. They also had a nice Bordeaux by the glass that went well with the lamb. I'm not much for white wines...but, do enjoy their champagne.

 

When you first board your vessel they have a complimentary glass of champagne or orange juice to welcome you aboard. We kept coming back around the reception area and picking up a few extra glasses from different servers.

 

Do go to the Captain's Club party...even if you are not a member. They don't check and figure if you bother to show up you're entitled to drink with the rest of the folks.

 

Do let them know this is your honeymoon. They will probably arrange for a chilled bottle of French champagne and flowers/chocolates to be sent to your stateroom. Also, do let your dining room staff know you are on your honeymoon. Especially, let your main stateroom attendant know you are on your honeymoon. If you want them to do something special for you....write them a note and place it out on the stateroom door. If you need upgraded bedding/pillows/towels/chocolates.....drop 'em a note.

 

You will have a wonderful time. Ask your sommelier what he/she thinks would be a good glass of "red" for your anticipated entree. They are really eager to please.

 

So if you can provide more information on your ship and itinerary...I'd be pleased to pass along even more tips.

 

Cheers

 

Cyberhankster

[niborHS]

Susie, some of the prices will really be a shock to you then, although I think the Canadian dollar is better now than it was a few years ago. It made everything in Canada a very good buy for us, but the other way around, its the opposite. My mother is originally from Winnipeg, and my Uncle lives in Toronto now. If you know any of the Mother Tucker Restaurants, or Tucker's Marketplace, those are his.

We have a sizeable red wine collection. We go for under $20, preferably under $15 for a regular drinking wine, but will spend more for things we save for special occasions. We do take a case with us on the ship, because we have some bottles at home that may have cost us $25 that they would sell for $100 or more. So, the corkage fee is well worth it. For you, just try to stick to the type of wine you like. Everyone likes a different style of wine. I like the fruitiness of the California wines, and many of the Austalians. I am not a big fan of French reds. There are some good Italians that I like. Stick with what you know, pick wisely, and if you buy a bottle, have one glass each, you can have them hold it for you to have a second glass the next night.

Have fun.

[niborHS]

Suzie, forgot to answer your question about the parties on the pool deck. Each day, they will leave you a bulletin in your room that will tell you everything that is going on that day on the ship, from trivia, to karaoke, to bingo, morning, noon and night. They will tell you if its a formal night, and when the ship docks and leaves from each port. It will tell you what is going on at night. Last year we were on NCL, but I specifically remember being at some of the deck parties 3 years ago on the Millenium, and I am quite sure they also did it 2 years ago when we were on the Constellation. They may have a carribean themed party, or western, etc. I am sure you will enjoy these. Your first cruise always takes a little longer to get into the routine. I once saw someone who actually brought highlighters with her so she could mark off what she wanted to do.

[Lois R]

Hi Susie:) I agree with Robin....read the Daily...every day it will give you details of all the activities happening on the ship. And yes, I believe they have a "get together" for Newlyweds. Nice way for you to meet other folks.

 

And what a wonderful gift from both parents:D ....how nice!

 

Have a great time!:)