Wine package and some other questions

[mrsalexb]

Hi,

 

Sailing on Liberty in a month. I was wondering if anyone has bought the wine package? Is it worth it? Do you save money or am I just better off buying single bottles as needed?

 

Also I am bringing an infant that requires formula. We always use purified water and I think I have been reading that they do not allow bottle water to be brought on? Is this true? If so is the water on board filtered or is just plain tap water?

 

Any tips with bringing infants are welcome. (yes i have checked out the family board but if you happen to think of something that will be useful than please share)

 

Thank you in advance for any imput.

[Jax129]

And to add to those questions, If I buy a wine package and only drink half a bottle at dinner, will they re cork & hold the bottle for me? Or can I take it to my room? I read that wine from packages can only be consumed in the dining rooms.

 

Also, Is the wine list at Chops the same as in the MDR?

[Merion_Mom]

Hi,

 

Sailing on Liberty in a month. I was wondering if anyone has bought the wine package? Is it worth it? Do you save money or am I just better off buying single bottles as needed?

 

Also I am bringing an infant that requires formula. We always use purified water and I think I have been reading that they do not allow bottle water to be brought on? Is this true? If so is the water on board filtered or is just plain tap water?

 

Any tips with bringing infants are welcome. (yes i have checked out the family board but if you happen to think of something that will be useful than please share)

 

Thank you in advance for any imput.

 

"Value" is subjective. If you are knowledgeable about wine, and have some relatively refined preferences, buying by the bottle is better.

 

If you are a very casual consumer of wine, the package is a good idea.

 

The water is highly purified. It is cleaner and better than many a brand of bottled water.

 

That said, you CAN bring a "reasonable" amount of bottled water onboard with you, particularly if you have a baby.

 

Since you have been on the family boards, you know that your baby must be at least 6 months old when you sail. At that age, "purity" of the water used to make his/her formula is much less of a concern, I believe.

 

And to add to those questions, If I buy a wine package and only drink half a bottle at dinner, will they re cork & hold the bottle for me? Or can I take it to my room? I read that wine from packages can only be consumed in the dining rooms.

 

Also, Is the wine list at Chops the same as in the MDR?

 

You can take that half-consumed bottle with you, if you like. You can also have it sent to the specialty restaurant, if you are dining there the following night. (or send for it, once you are there)

 

There are some additional bottles on the Chops list.

[mpbmark]

My thoughts in red

 

Hi,

 

Sailing on Liberty in a month. I was wondering if anyone has bought the wine package? Is it worth it? Do you save money or am I just better off buying single bottles as needed?

 

It depends on your taste in wine. I just got off the Radiance and purchased the 10 bottle Platinum package. There were several wines on that list which I would have ordered anyway so I saved some money by purchasing the package. The price with tip was #315 I think. As a suggestion, don't purchase until you get on board and confirm that the wines you will be drinking are actually available. For example, on the bar wine menu, a Hess Chardonnay was listed but was not available on the cruise.

 

Also I am bringing an infant that requires formula. We always use purified water and I think I have been reading that they do not allow bottle water to be brought on? Is this true? If so is the water on board filtered or is just plain tap water?

 

You can purchase a water package that offers bottled water if you like. The water on board is filtered. It's been a long time since I worried about formula so if you are concerned, the water package is the way to go.

 

Any tips with bringing infants are welcome. (yes i have checked out the family board but if you happen to think of something that will be useful than please share)

 

See above re: my inexperience.

 

Thank you in advance for any imput.

 

And to add to those questions, If I buy a wine package and only drink half a bottle at dinner, will they re cork & hold the bottle for me? Or can I take it to my room? I read that wine from packages can only be consumed in the dining rooms.

 

The wine will be available in MDR, specialty restaurants and the Windjammer. The latter will take a while to produce the bottle since the wine in stored on deck 2. Also, any bottle, open or not, can be taken back to your cabin for consumption. I did it many times. Just get some glasses from the MED or Windjammer. You will need to get a corkscrew from your cabin steward or bring your own. Finally, if you don't somehow manage to finish the entire package, you can take it home with you.

 

Also, Is the wine list at Chops the same as in the MDR?

 

No, it is different with "better" choices but higher prices.

[mrsalexb]

Thank you everyone for your input!

 

They said that you have to buy the wine package four days in advance of the cruise. So I am not sure if I can buy the package onboard. I am wondering if the bottles of wine are less expensive through the package or the same as if I bought a bottle of wine individually.

[Merion_Mom]

Thank you everyone for your input!

 

They said that you have to buy the wine package four days in advance of the cruise. So I am not sure if I can buy the package onboard. I am wondering if the bottles of wine are less expensive through the package or the same as if I bought a bottle of wine individually.

 

That just means that you have until 4 days before your cruise to buy it online. After that, you must purchase on board.

 

There is a CC poster who has worked up an incredibly complex and complete rubric of comparison. I shall attempt to find it for you.

 

:)

[mrsalexb]

Ahhh thanks for clarifying the four day rule thing! :)

[Waiting for September]

Thank you everyone for your input!

 

They said that you have to buy the wine package four days in advance of the cruise. So I am not sure if I can buy the package onboard. I am wondering if the bottles of wine are less expensive through the package or the same as if I bought a bottle of wine individually.

 

Not true. We bought ours in the WIndjammer first day so we could use our onboard credit.

 

2 things I will do different next time:

 

1. I will but 7 bottles. If you run out the single bottle is pretty pricy

2. Buy atleast the 2nd level.....much better selection for hardly any more money.

 

We walked out of Windjammer with 2 bottles for our cabin

[Merion_Mom]

Thank you everyone for your input!

 

They said that you have to buy the wine package four days in advance of the cruise. So I am not sure if I can buy the package onboard. I am wondering if the bottles of wine are less expensive through the package or the same as if I bought a bottle of wine individually.

 

The answer is here.

[mpbmark]

Believe me, you will have plenty of opportunities to purchase the wine package the first day. Seems to me, they were set up in front of the Windjammer and on a couple of stairways.

 

Purchasing before you cruise will put the charge directly on your credit card. Purchasing on board will result in a charge to your sea pass account. If you have a lot of OBC, use it for the wine package.

 

Also, IMHO, the Platinum package (2nd level) is the best deal for most people. Check the chart posted by Merion to compare. The Kendall Jackson wines in the Platinum package were a great deal.

[critterchick]

If you would like to see the full wine list, as well as the wines offered in Chops and Portofino, follow the link to pictures in my signature.

 

The Chops wine list is a subset of the full wine list, same with Portofino. Anything you see on those wine lists is available in the MDR as well. On a ship with Vintages, you will see wines that are not offered on the full list, at least that was the case on Mariner in January.

 

There are a couple of white wines on the Diamond list that we like so if we're going on a longish (over 7 nights) cruise, we might buy the smallest package. There are some reds on the full wine list that I like a lot more than anything offered in the packages, so we get those by the bottle. <hic>:)

[mrsalexb]

Thanks Merion for posting that! Wow it is so nice that people care enough to share the research they have done!!! Looks like I will be buying a wine package...

 

However this does leave me with one more question that may seem obvious...I can pick and chose which wines I want without limitations on certain bottles?

 

Thanks again for you input.

[mpbmark]

Thanks Merion for posting that! Wow it is so nice that people care enough to share the research they have done!!! Looks like I will be buying a wine package...

 

However this does leave me with one more question that may seem obvious...I can pick and chose which wines I want without limitations on certain bottles?

 

Thanks again for you input.

 

You can have any wine within the package as often as you like.

[mrsalexb]

Thanks MPB and Chitter for the info! I think now that I know about the wine situation then I am all set to sail! Oh wait, I forgot about the endless packing I need to do to accomodate an infant. :eek: No wonder why I am so interested about the wine packages...HAHA

[Jax129]

Thanks all for your info....now for 1 more question. if I have bottle one night and don't finish it, can I bring it back to the dining room the next night. Is that tacky to bring an open bottle to the table? I like to have a glass of white with the salad & then switch to red. So it would be easier ordering by the glass but much cheaper by the bottle and I like good wine so what I prefer is over $10 a glass.