The 2010 Wine List is here!

[critterchick]

http://travel.webshots.com/album/576474571wtQYCk

 

I will eventually have an Excel spreadsheet, but have only made it through the white wines so far. The pictures include the full dining room wine list plus Chops & Portofino.

 

I'm still trying to absorb it all. The California wines (the only ones I'm really familiar with) seem very pricey this time around.

 

Have fun browsing!

[AtlFirstTimeCruiser]

Thanks for making the new list available to all of us... Now I need to compare the packages...

[AtlFirstTimeCruiser]

Thanks to critterchick for the updated list. I have created a spreadsheet outlining the 3 different packages, cost per bottle bying from the wine list, and the cost per bottle by package.

WineCostPackage.pdf

[critterchick]

Wow, that was quick of you! I would change your wine package prices to add the 15% gratuity, though. That gives a fairer idea of the per bottle cost of the package. And of course the full wine list doesn't include the 15% gratuity, either.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

Jean - Welcome Back/Bon Voyage.........Thanks for posting the updated wine list. :)

[amybeth4]

Nice spreadsheet!

 

I gotta say, I completely understand markups and don't begrudge bars, hotels and ships for doing it. But I just randomly looked up the price of the Pinot Noir, Estancia, “Pinnacles Ranches” and, depending on the year, you can get it from $15-$19 a bottle and it's $39 onboard (plus 15%?). I love wine but I have to stick with the crappy La Terre by the glass for a week and drink better stuff when I get home! :)

[Cruiser61]

An alternative to the pricey stuff, pack another carryon suitcase and bring your own. Princess charges $15.00 a bottle corkage (plus the 15% grat which you pay in any case). Celebrity is redally cracking down; their corkage fee is now $25.00 plus grat. A bottle of Kendall Jackson Vintners Reserve chard can be had for $9.95. Add the $15.00 and you're at 24.95. The difference is whatever you want to sustain as pain in bringing your own or buying theirs............

[ultramax12]

Does RCCL allow you to bring your own wine onboard and just pay a corkage fee?

[yogimax]

Does RCCL allow you to bring your own wine onboard and just pay a corkage fee?

 

Nope, no alcoholic beverages

[Brit-Cruiser]

We are looking at a B2B this year. If we buy a wine package for the first leg, does anyone know if we can carry over any unopened bottles to the 2nd leg?

[critterchick]

Nice spreadsheet!

 

I gotta say, I completely understand markups and don't begrudge bars, hotels and ships for doing it. But I just randomly looked up the price of the Pinot Noir, Estancia, “Pinnacles Ranches” and, depending on the year, you can get it from $15-$19 a bottle and it's $39 onboard (plus 15%?). I love wine but I have to stick with the crappy La Terre by the glass for a week and drink better stuff when I get home! :)

 

You can't compare the ship's prices to the store - you have to look at what a restaurant would charge. I think 2-3x retail is fair. Anything over that is a poke in the eye. And La Terre doesn't show up on the bar menus by the glass, just in the dining room. It's now $6/glass. Castle Rock is $7 and a better wine, at least the chardonnay. For a buck it's worth the upgrade.

 

An alternative to the pricey stuff, pack another carryon suitcase and bring your own. Princess charges $15.00 a bottle corkage (plus the 15% grat which you pay in any case). Celebrity is redally cracking down; their corkage fee is now $25.00 plus grat. A bottle of Kendall Jackson Vintners Reserve chard can be had for $9.95. Add the $15.00 and you're at 24.95. The difference is whatever you want to sustain as pain in bringing your own or buying theirs............

 

Except that on RCI that extra carryon suitcase isn't likely to make it to your cabin, since RCI does not allow you to bring wine onboard the way all of the other mass market lines do.

 

We are looking at a B2B this year. If we buy a wine package for the first leg, does anyone know if we can carry over any unopened bottles to the 2nd leg?

 

I don't know if you can carry over the package from one cruise to the next, but there's no reason that you can't just purchase all of the bottles on the first leg and use them on the second one. Keep your receipt & Seapass to show that you indeed purchased the bottles onboard just in case you get a different waitstaff and they try to charge you corkage.

[neptune18]

Crappy, overpriced selection. Let the smuggling begin.

[SherriZ366]

http://travel.webshots.com/album/576474571wtQYCk

 

I will eventually have an Excel spreadsheet, but have only made it through the white wines so far. The pictures include the full dining room wine list plus Chops & Portofino.

 

I'm still trying to absorb it all. The California wines (the only ones I'm really familiar with) seem very pricey this time around.

 

Have fun browsing!

Thank you so much for posting and all your work. We liked a Pinot Noir from Monterrey and now see it was Castle Rock. We want to see if we can find it locally.

[Kellie Poodle]

Thanks to critterchick for the updated list. I have created a spreadsheet outlining the 3 different packages, cost per bottle bying from the wine list, and the cost per bottle by package.

 

Thanks for the pdf. It's very useful

[cb at sea]

Man, those prices are about triple what you should pay for most of those wines.....I'll stick to beer and vodka!

[CherylsCaribbeanTravel]

Thanks to the OP for listing the price of wines by the bottle. I think purchasing a bottle as I go makes more sense than a 5 bottle package for the wines I'm interested in.

 

My question, if I wanted to chill one bottle in my stateroom to enjoy on the balcony during sailaway, where do I order? Can I walk up to any bar and purchase a bottle of wine to take back to my cabin and open it there? Do I have to consider corkage fees with this?

 

TIA,

Cheryl

[navigator0709]

Thanks for the PDF and list!!! Very informative!

 

Does anyone know if this wine list is pretty much consistent across ships? Would you expect the same list/prices in the Meditteranean or do they change it up there?

 

Thanks!

[fun_one]

Thanks to critterchick for the updated list. I have created a spreadsheet outlining the 3 different packages, cost per bottle bying from the wine list, and the cost per bottle by package.

 

First of all, thank you all for the great information. I really wanted to see the new wine list and the pictures someone posted really help. They have definitely upgraded the list (thank God) and have a few that look pretty reasonable even with the mark-up. I do think that something in your spreadsheet is off though. I've done a lot of research on this so you may want to look into it further. I have the prices for the wine packages from last year and think they have gone up slightly but the price per bottle stays the same for each grouping. For 2009, the prices were as follows no matter how many bottles you bought:

 

Gold - $22.60 + tip = $26 per bottle

Platinum - $25 + tip = $28.75 per bottle

Diamond - $27.40 + tip = $31.50 per bottle

 

Obviously, if you look at what is offered for each group, you can figure out which package you need to get. If you like the cheaper offerings then go with the Gold package.

 

Does someone have the actual brochure from the ship that lists the Wine & Dine prices? The prices listed in the brochure do not include the 15% so you just need to add it on to determine the total price per bottle.

 

Write back if you need additional information.

Barbara

 

Sailing on VOS on 2/28/10!

[bajathree]

I have to agree....Royal's wine prices are just plain outrageous:mad: especially is this economy where wine prices are just tumbling on a retail level.

[GregGH]

Nope, no alcoholic beverages

 

Hi Yogimax

 

There are other posts on this MB that state RCCL allows TWO bottles of wine to be brought on board. Perhaps someone can clarify or break the tie

 

Greg

[counsdr]

No Alcohol allowed on board by RCCL. If you are caught, you have to go to the naughty room and they confiscate your alcohol!

[counsdr]

Thank you so much for all the prices and winelists Critter Chick. Also to AT 1st time cruiser for the PDF.

Nothing really stands out to me. I did like the Cline Zin last time and I used to love Sequoia Grove Chardonnay, so i'm wondering if their Cab is just as good. It should be. I have a coupon for buy one bottle get half off the other, or something like that, so it might make it more affordable. I'm glad to see someone liked the Castle Rock Pinot. Any other "reasonably priced" recommendations for reds other than Merlot?

 

Cheryl

[rubrrick]

And......if you were to hear from the OP........critterchick.........at this point.........I would be amazed, as she is either in the air.....or already in Australia, and I don't think that she would be spending her well earned internet dollars...........answering this!!

 

Jean......you are always full of information........and I hope that you have a wonderful time "down under"!!:);)

 

Rick

[Mal2105]

The Aussie wines are 4x what we pay retail shop in Oz! Peter Lehman Shiraz is a good drop however!

Open to recommendations for good (priced) Californian wines to try (Chardonnay and full body reds) ??

[GregGH]

I grabbed the Photo for the Red Cabernet Sauvignon and put them into a 'wish list' from http://www.cellartracker.com

click here >>> http://www.cellartracker.com/list.asp?table=Tag&List=RCCL+2010+Wine+List+MDR&iUserOverride=48750

 

Guessing at the years - once you clink on a wine you can see the other years linked. Cellar Tracker is a GREAT way to store & track you wine addiction - it is shareware but if you are into wine - a great resource.

 

I am confused - the glare in the shot makes it hard to read #455 #621 Caymus ( looks like $92 ) and #635 ( looks like $42 - but the street price that users of Cellar Tracker ( CT ) show at $38 -- there are a few other questions on pricing - lets see what shakes out

 

It is NOT uncommon for lower priced wines to have the largest markup.

 

Anyone not familiar with wine scoring - well - enjoy the journey to understanding and the more you 'think you know' the more you find you may never know. There are some very nice upper end wines in Cab Sauv. I want to sit at that table ..:-)

 

Greg