Sommelier service in MDR w/ Premium Alc. Package

[Evilgrin72]

Is it possible/practiced to grab a sommelier in the MDR and ask him/her to simply bring you a glass of wine that he/she would recommend with each course? I have the premium alcohol package and enjoy wine with dinner, but I am a beer connoisseur, not an oenophile, so I'd love to have the sommelier provide recommendations for each course, provided they remain at or below $12 a glass, of course. :D

 

Anyone done this? Perhaps I'm jaded, but in the past on RCL, for example, the sommelier/bar staff are typically falling all over themselves to recommend wines to me, primarily because they're generating income for the ship, I would imagine. With a pre-paid drink package, though, they actually benefit more financially the LESS wine I drink, so I don't know that they'd be as attentive or willing to simply keep bringing me glasses of wine with each course for an entire week. To boot, I have the anytime dining, so I don't know at which table I'll be each night, or at what time.

 

Anyone have experience with this?

[FrankinPA]

In my experience, the sommelier is most interested in you enjoying the meal and wine. The fact that you are on a drink package or not should have no influence on their priority of making you a happy customer. Tell them what you want and give them feedback after the meal as to how well they did. If they do a great job, mention it to the food and beverage manager. Likewise, if they don't try to meet your expectations, mention that to the manager.

[ScubesDad]

We did just that in March. On the first evening the sommelier had a brief discussion with us, all he wanted to know was what we had ordered for dinner and he then made appropriate recommendations. It worked very well as we enjoyed many wines we would not normally consider. At the end of the week we did provide an additional gratuity for him as he truly did add significant value to the dining experience. I am not really sure how the bar waiters and sommeliers are compensated with a drink package, however I was treated very well at every venue I visited and once they knew what I wanted it was waiting for me.

[Evilgrin72]

Very cool -thanks, guys. I'm definitely going to ask for the same type of service. I don't even want to be bothered with trying to pair anything - I'll tell you what I ordered and you just keep bringing me good wine that plays well with it. :D That sounds wonderful.

[tomvk]

There have been some complaints about wine service in the MDR when you have a drink package I have not had that problem.As ScubesDad said who knows how the servers are compensated for tips,I can say that the 15% added to the cost of the package is not enough to cover my drinks.So I also tip extra and I also take names to be mentioned on the end of cruise survey for those who gave me good service.A good word for a crew member can help them quite a bit.

 

Tom

[Evilgrin72]

There have been some complaints about wine service in the MDR when you have a drink package I have not had that problem.As ScubesDad said who knows how the servers are compensated for tips,I can say that the 15% added to the cost of the package is not enough to cover my drinks.So I also tip extra and I also take names to be mentioned on the end of cruise survey for those who gave me good service.A good word for a crew member can help them quite a bit.

 

Tom

 

What type of complaints?

 

I certainly would extend an additional gratuity and single a staffer out for comment post-cruise if I feel like he/she has given particularly good service. Hopefully they know that - I keep seeing posts that discuss the deleterious effect the drink packages seem to have had on bar waiters, bartenders, and wine stewards. I can see how human nature would facilitate that, but hopefully the prospect of an additional gratuity would foster "above and beyond" service if simple professionalism or pride of effort prove an insufficient impetus.

 

I think I'm going to copy and paste this into a new thread so people can discuss...

[tomvk]

What type of complaints?

 

I certainly would extend an additional gratuity and single a staffer out for comment post-cruise if I feel like he/she has given particularly good service. Hopefully they know that - I keep seeing posts that discuss the deleterious effect the drink packages seem to have had on bar waiters, bartenders, and wine stewards. I can see how human nature would facilitate that, but hopefully the prospect of an additional gratuity would foster "above and beyond" service if simple professionalism or pride of effort prove an insufficient impetus.

 

I think I'm going to copy and paste this into a new thread so people can discuss...

 

The complaints have been that the wine stewards disappear after they find out you have a drink package.That's because they know you be drinking $10 glasses of wine instead of buying more expensive bottles.

 

Tom

[pete_coach]

What type of complaints?

I certainly would extend an additional gratuity and single a staffer out for comment post-cruise if I feel like he/she has given particularly good service. Hopefully they know that - I keep seeing posts that discuss the deleterious effect the drink packages seem to have had on bar waiters, bartenders, and wine stewards. I can see how human nature would facilitate that, but hopefully the prospect of an additional gratuity would foster "above and beyond" service if simple professionalism or pride of effort prove an insufficient impetus.

 

I think I'm going to copy and paste this into a new thread so people can discuss...

I don't think the complaint have been against a sommelier or drink packages but the fact that there are fewer and fewer of servers. They have a lot of people to deal with and everyone wants to chat them up. Others have to wait while this is going on.

 

The complaints have been that the wine stewards disappear after they find out you have a drink package.That's because they know you be drinking $10 glasses of wine instead of buying more expensive bottles.

Tom

They do not get a commision on the sales. It has nothing to do with the cost of the drink. It is just that there are so few of them and people like talking with them.

Just like the original poster mentioned, he would like to have a different glass of wine with each course. Yes, it can and is requested and is done but the time it takes to discuss the options with that customer, to discuss the customers likes and dislikes, offering the selection and eventually making the selection...time has passed. And then he has to go get it and serve it. All the while, the other 30 to 50 (?) people he is serving patiently wait?

[digital_curator]

I didn't have a package but on our Millenium cruise, the sommalier bolted as soon as he found out that I was interested in buying wine by the glass. He rudely informed me that my bar server could take care of that. I was disappointed, as I had only ever sailed on RCI and was looking forward to having someone who knew about wine. I probably would have even bought some bottles!

 

In contrast though, friends of ours had the package and got better service from their sommalier. I guess it depends on your person and not how you are paying.

[luv2camp04]

We had the best service from our Sommelier on our Millenium cruise last April with our Premium Drink Package. I usually entered the dining room with a glass of wine that I had gotten at the Martini bar first. The Sommelier would come up and ask what I was drinking and find out if that was what I wanted to continue drinking. He would take my husband's order for a glass of wine and then he would just bring the bottles to the table (my white was set to the side chilled). He would come by whenever empty and see if I wanted more and fill my glass. However, he would change the wine if I wanted. He was the best!!!!:)

[We're The Groupnors]

I had a drink package for the first time on our most recent cruise last summer. In contrast t the complaints in other treads I had some of the best service I've ever experienced from both our MDR sommelier and my "usual" server in the Ensemble Lounge. I tipped both well at the end of the cruise, in addition to the 15% they would automatically receive for serving any drink, whether with or without a drink package. And to answer the OPs question I did exactly what you wish to do: I told the sommelier what I had ordered and she brought me her recommendation, which was sometimes not even on the "by the glass" list.

 

Enjoy your cruise, and your drink package!!

[divechick]

We always purchase a beverage package and gave the sommelier pair wine with each coarse at dinner in 2010 on the Summit we felt like we knew more than the sommelier she seemed to want to pair everything with the same Merlot this year we had a incredae sommelier in Blu we loved most all his suggestions and we left him a big tip just hope he is still on the Summit when were back in Jan

[rothjer]

Beverage packages mean less tips for bar staff, just as someone else has mentioned, when you purchase the package, although you are charged a grauity, the staff never see that money in its entirety.

 

We had a horrible experience with wine in the MDR, frankly, theres not so much of a selection for under $12, and what they do have, is not really what the Somm would reccomend. Somm's in my experience, love to suggest wines in the $60+ range, although this is a generalization, it is what my experience has been. I have even had the somm try to upsell me a bottle of wine even though he knew I had a beverage package.

 

Really, if you are purchasing the bev package for wine, you are purchsing it for the wrong reasons IMO.

[Tiggertastic]

Yes the wine choices are limited by the glass - we were disappointed that we couldn't use the automatic dispensers in cellar masters with it - although I am sure that we have now read a thread that says it is now included.

 

However we select the package because of the variety - I like a beer and a cocktail as much as I like a glass of wine - we have found that in some restaurants - the specialty ones that they realised that I was going to drink a few glasses that they often just gave us the bottle anyway

 

The Murano somelier went to the Tuscan Grille to fetch wine off the Tuscan menu that wasn't on the Murano list for us - even on the package, gave us the bottle - yes we gave her an extra tip for doing it

[librarylady19]

I hadn't read anything about the wine machines in Cellarmasters being included in the premium package; it would be nice. Can anyone confirm this?

[momzcruzing]

On both Eclipse and Equinox I requested a glass of wine as the sommelier was bringing a bottle to our tablemates. In both instances my glass arrived 45 minutes later. It appears that they sell/serve bottles to all who want them and only then begin the single glass orders. Very understandable for organizing, but very disappointing for me as I enjoy my wine prior to dinner, not desert.