Constellation-wine by the bottle

[tammk]

Will be sailing on the Constellation next month and wondering if the wine packages are worth it...there is the Sommelier's pkg at 3 bottles for $99 or the Captains at 3 bottles for $129 plus 15% of course...

looking at some of the brands offered, and comparing with the wine list which was posted as of 10/2010, it seems that the prices are kind of all over the board within the packages....like some bottles are about the same price as if you would just pay for a single bottle, others you may save some $$ by doing the package....that is, if the dining room wine list is pretty current I guess.

 

Anyone with thoughts on this? Is this kind of a standard practice when purchasing a package...that some will be worth more, some less kind of thing?

 

Thanks!

[biker1972]

If the wines in the package suit your needs, the package is the way to go. I found that the RCCL packages with 3 tiers were better, had more variety and a little more savings. X has not had the packages very long and I am sure that they will begin to fine tune them.

[dexter99]

Will be sailing on the Constellation next month and wondering if the wine packages are worth it...there is the Sommelier's pkg at 3 bottles for $99 or the Captains at 3 bottles for $129 plus 15% of course...

looking at some of the brands offered, and comparing with the wine list which was posted as of 10/2010, it seems that the prices are kind of all over the board within the packages....like some bottles are about the same price as if you would just pay for a single bottle, others you may save some $$ by doing the package....that is, if the dining room wine list is pretty current I guess.

 

Anyone with thoughts on this? Is this kind of a standard practice when purchasing a package...that some will be worth more, some less kind of thing?

 

Thanks!

Yes, the prices vary and you could end up getting just as good of a deal not buying the package. I just got back from a 14 night cruise where we bought 14 bottles on Captains packages (2 x 7 bottle package) and 3 on 'build your own'. With the Captains, I looked at the menu and figured out which ones were worth the $43 / bottle I was paying. After a couple of nights, when I was about to repeat a bottle, my sommelier offered me something not included in the package nor even on the printed list...which was worth a lot more ($40 retail on land!). She kept did this a couple more times later. Overall, very worth it for us.

 

Friends on the same cruise ended up not being able to finish all they had pre-paid, and had 3 bottles delivered, unopened, to their room on the last night that they then took ashore and we drank in the hotel over the next couple of days.

 

You just need to do a bit of homework as you buy the package and figure out what you might want to drink, but it is something you can't really do until you are on the ship and have a chance to study the list well.

[tammk]

Thanks to both of you for your comments....they are greatly appreciated! Dexter99 we are also taking the 14 day cruise in Feb. on the Constellation....can't wait!