Drinks prices on Riviera

[Seawatch1]

Shortly to go on Riviera cruise as a change from our usual Regent SS outings. Can you advise on the on-board bar drinks prices, e.g. a lower price bottle of white and red wine (not the cheapest), a Barcardi and Coke, glass on champagne and draught beer.

 

Thanks very much

[hypercafe]

We just got off, here is what I remember. 8$ for a bud, 10$ for a shot of Dewers, 10$ for voda&juice and 25$ for two glasses of sparkling wing. Keep in mind that what is not included on Oceania is way overpriced IMO.

Edited March 24, 2014 by hypercafe

[alexspepa]

We just got off, here is what I remember. 8$ for a bud, 10$ for a shot of Dewers, 10$ for voda&juice and 25$ for two glasses of sparkling wing. Keep in mind that what is not included on Oceania is way overpriced IMO.

ouch!

[Seawatch1]

Hi Hypercafe

 

Thanks for your info, looks like serious drinkers should invest in a drinks package.

[Lady Meer]

We just got off, here is what I remember. 8$ for a bud, 10$ for a shot of Dewers, 10$ for voda&juice and 25$ for two glasses of sparkling wing. Keep in mind that what is not included on Oceania is way overpriced IMO.

 

WOW - Does that include the service charge?

[RJB]

We just got off, here is what I remember. 8$ for a bud, 10$ for a shot of Dewers, 10$ for voda&juice and 25$ for two glasses of sparkling wing. Keep in mind that what is not included on Oceania is way overpriced IMO.

Yup, the drinks are a rip off. Just get one shot for about 10 bucks.

[ronrick1943]

Yes it's true, if your going to have a few drinks the drink package is the way to go. Good brands and pretty good wines.

Rick

[LHT28]

My bar hopping days are long gone but what do drinks cost where you live ??

 

Must check the drink prices next time we eat out ;)

[Playtennis]

Yup, the drinks are a rip off. Just get one shot for about 10 bucks.

 

 

A shirt while back I stopped into a neighborhood bar replete with pool tables, several tvs with sports on and smoke that permeated your very pores. (At this time you maybe asking yourself why I even stopped in or stayed there...I was 'thirsty'. I ordered a jack Daniels on the rocks, laid down my $20 and was surprised that I got $13 dollars back-a shot of booze in a dive cost $7.00!

Several weeks ago we went to a very nice restaurant and I, once a again, ordered the same drink. The cost-$10. So the prices of drinks on O ships aren't really all that outrageous.

 

 

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[hypercafe]

Yes, this includes the 18% service charge. The prices were around 3$ more per drink than NCL in December. We usually do not drink wine so I can not say. There was draft beer at waves for 6$ a glass. The drink PAC for 14 days was around 1680$. We did our drinking off the ship for the most part. There was a 2 for 1 from 5 to 6 in some bars on some drinks plus a drink of the day for 5.50$ plus 18%.

Edited March 24, 2014 by hypercafe

[RJB]

A shirt while back I stopped into a neighborhood bar replete with pool tables, several tvs with sports on and smoke that permeated your very pores. (At this time you maybe asking yourself why I even stopped in or stayed there...I was 'thirsty'. I ordered a jack Daniels on the rocks, laid down my $20 and was surprised that I got $13 dollars back-a shot of booze in a dive cost $7.00!

Several weeks ago we went to a very nice restaurant and I, once a again, ordered the same drink. The cost-$10. So the prices of drinks on O ships aren't really all that outrageous.

 

 

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Yes they are. I may pay 10.00 for my vodka, but the drink is twice the size. To get that on O I need to order a double and it still is not as big as most restaurants we go to.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Just did a little math.

 

There's a Hoffman 401K Chardonnay on the Oceania Regatta menu. This is a decent $30 retail bottle of wine (though with some searching you could find it for closer to $20). Most good restaurants charge a 100% markup of retail prices (understandable given the associated costs of wine service - don't forget the amortized cost of liquor licenses in some major metro areas and the reality that alcohol is designed to be a moneymaker). So, with the standard catering practice of 4 glasses per 750ml bottle (now priced by the restaurant at $60), a glass of Hoffman should cost at least $15 + 18% gratuity = just under $18. Even with no markup of the $30 retail price, a glass would cost about $9.

But, who sells wine to break even?

 

The reality of good wine, I.e., "reserves" or whatever it is referred to in your location when talking about a 90%+ varietal, either estate grown or from a specific appellation, which is a true representation of winemaking skill, is that it is not cheap. In most cases, if you are paying less that $10 for a glass of "decent" wine in a restaurant, you are the exception rather than the rule.

 

This is no different than with other alcohol (craft beer vs. Bud; Bombay Sapphire vs Bombay gin) and food items (prime beef vs choice). Discernible quality costs more. This doesn't mean the lesser offering is bad. It just means that you can't expect to pay a single low price for an item regardless of the quality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[ORV]

Yes they are. I may pay 10.00 for my vodka, but the drink is twice the size. To get that on O I need to order a double and it still is not as big as most restaurants we go to.

 

Are you sure that's not one of those opinion/perception things vs. actual fact?

 

I've never had an issue with the size or price of the drinks on O, then again they've never said anything about the bottle or two we bring on board.

 

Seriously folks, I can't believe people will spend this much for a cruise then worry about a dollar or two extra on a drink. I'm all for saving money and not unnecessarily throwing it away, but there's a point where you just have to say,

"I'm on vacation, they charge what they charge, if I want it this is what it cost. "

Edited March 24, 2014 by ORV

[Hawaiidan]

My bar hopping days are long gone but what do drinks cost where you live ??

 

Must check the drink prices next time we eat out ;)

Beer...Bud...$3.50. Longboard...$5.5

Wine house: $4.5 Well drinks...$5-6 specialitie drinks like MAi Tai, $10.

 

bottle prices: $25 to 38 for fair Calif wine

 

Price in store: Good Napa/Sonoma reds...$9 -25

 

Mumms Cham.....$38

 

Smirnoff 5th $13-15

 

Here in pineapple land.

 

This is clearly a calculated move to push drinks package. The only problem is for those of us who cruise 30 day cruise...your looking at $1800 pp... and worse you feel compelled to drink 6 drinks a day... that's a lot of booze everyday for a month+ Good deal or not , that is just plain not healthy mentally or physically in my opinion.

 

Maybe for 10days , max 14 day... but not over a month ! That's a quart ever 2 days of 80-90 proof.. that's a Gallon a week !.....

 

Think I will stick to ice tea and club soda on my next cruise and pick up a few beers on shore for the cabin.

[Hawaiidan]

Yes, this includes the 18% service charge. The prices were around 3$ more per drink than NCL in December. We usually do not drink wine so I can not say. There was draft beer at waves for 6$ a glass. The drink PAC for 14 days was around 1680$. We did our drinking off the ship for the most part. There was a 2 for 1 from 5 to 6 in some bars on some drinks plus a drink of the day for 5.50$ plus 18%.

 

Hey $1680 for 14 day is chump change.... I am on a 33-34 day cruise and the cost is about $4000... That would be just shy of 25% of the whole cruise cost.

 

I can afford it financially...not physically.

 

Too bad you cant buy in 7 day blocks for health.... I mean with 1.5 oz shots as is normal I would have to pound down the equal of a 1.75 ltr bottle every 3.5 days !!!! for a month...

[Mura]

A shirt while back I stopped into a neighborhood bar replete with pool tables, several tvs with sports on and smoke that permeated your very pores. (At this time you maybe asking yourself why I even stopped in or stayed there...I was 'thirsty'. I ordered a jack Daniels on the rocks, laid down my $20 and was surprised that I got $13 dollars back-a shot of booze in a dive cost $7.00!

Several weeks ago we went to a very nice restaurant and I, once a again, ordered the same drink. The cost-$10. So the prices of drinks on O ships aren't really all that outrageous.

 

 

True enough, but if you remember the days when you could get a straight up Tanqueray martini for $1.00 at your favorite watering hole in Manhattan, $10 seems too much! (Admittedly, that was in 1970 ...)

 

Mura

[Playtennis]

are you sure that's not one of those opinion/perception things vs. Actual fact?

 

I've never had an issue with the size or price of the drinks on o, then again they've never said anything about the bottle or two we bring on board.

 

Seriously folks, i can't believe people will spend this much for a cruise then worry about a dollar or two extra on a drink. I'm all for saving money and not unnecessarily throwing it away, but there's a point where you just have to say,

"i'm on vacation, they charge what they charge, if i want it this is what it cost. "

 

well said! :)

[Playtennis]

True enough, but if you remember the days when you could get a straight up Tanqueray martini for $1.00 at your favorite watering hole in Manhattan, $10 seems too much! (Admittedly, that was in 1970 ...)

 

Mura

 

Those age-based comparisons don't work. What must be compared is how long it took the average worker to earn that drink vs. today.

[JimandStan]

Those age-based comparisons don't work. What must be compared is how long it took the average worker to earn that drink vs. today.

 

Why are comparisons necessary at all?

If one is not willing to pay the Oceania tariff, there are certainly more affordable options out there.

[edgee]

Why are comparisons necessary at all?

If one is not willing to pay the Oceania tariff, there are certainly more affordable options out there.

 

Agree with your point in general. The same thing is true with Canyon Ranch spa pricing. For anyone who can afford to cruise with Oceania, the additional 10 to 20 per cent cost (compared to more "mainstream" cruise lines) for a massage should not be a big deal. However, when feels they are being unreasonably gouged it is irritating.

[Hawaiidan]

Agree with your point in general. The same thing is true with Canyon Ranch spa pricing. For anyone who can afford to cruise with Oceania, the additional 10 to 20 per cent cost (compared to more "mainstream" cruise lines) for a massage should not be a big deal. However, when feels they are being unreasonably gouged it is irritating.

 

My point is not on the price of the drinks..so much as the packages containing them. Using your Spa interest, would you buy a spa package that charged you for 30 days of spa treatments. as say 2 a day... at 25% of the cruise fare? as the only other option to pay as you go.

 

That's the deal with the liquor... it has no option but to accept 100% and for the entire time your on board. Hence, ala carte is the only option but it would be nice if they had smaller units to purchase rather than all or nothing was my comment as there is no way I could ever drink that much booze in a month...

[barcrab]

Our issue with Oceania was with the wine choices by the glass. Pretty poor white wine and I would include the Hoffman chardonnay in that comment. The choices are very limited. If ordering "drinks", the pour was extremely light by most standards in good restaurants and bars. If one chooses the premium package, you still do not get a change in the selection of wines by the glass.

We ended up buying wines by the bottle.. and moving them from place to place...at a higher than normal restaurant price.

(and we drink medium priced wines like Santa Margarita, La Crema).

 

It is irritating to feel gouged.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Our issue with Oceania was with the wine choices by the glass. Pretty poor white wine and I would include the Hoffman chardonnay in that comment. The choices are very limited. If ordering "drinks", the pour was extremely light by most standards in good restaurants and bars. If one chooses the premium package, you still do not get a change in the selection of wines by the glass.

 

We ended up buying wines by the bottle.. and moving them from place to place...at a higher than normal restaurant price.

 

(and we drink medium priced wines like Santa Margarita, La Crema).

 

 

 

It is irritating to feel gouged.

 

 

We've got multiple issues here.

 

I tend to agree with those posters who are saying "the price is the price" (and it's not like there's another bar down the block when you're in the middle of the ocean). At the same time, it's easier for me to agree with them because I do believe in the justification I offered (in my earlier post) for restaurant wine pricing. As to size of the pour, I would hope that most servers and/or sommeliers would understand (if nicely told early on) that one reasonably expects >175ml in a single wine serving. Of course, it's sad that the subject would need to be brought up. But, tactful and courteous explanations do work wonders.

 

That said, there is the issue of the wine list (at least the one I looked at for Regatta). You are correct that it is relatively mediocre with no wines of great significance. But, there are a few decent items there: the Frescobaldi Remole Tuscany suits my tastes as long as the bottle hasn't been burned in its long transit. And it's nice to see a Sicilian white from DonnaFugata, though both of these Italian selections would not appeal to everyone. Likewise the Hoffman 401K Chardonnay: This is not a traditional California "oak bomb" (like Grgich) and I can see how it might not appeal to someone who likes LaCrema (which is more an oak firecracker than bomb but oakey nonetheless), which I also like for casual drinking.

 

And if you're used to drinking Santa Margherita, which is the standard for readily available Pinot Grigio, I don't see anything on Oceania that will come close ( though the Shramsburg Brut would be worth a try as a nice, albeit different, alternative).

 

 

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[terry&mike]

Most of the restaurants we visit don't use the markup of double the retail price on wine any longer. We usually see 2.5 to 3x markup on the retail price on wine in restaurants these days.

[hypercafe]

" However, when one feels they are being unreasonably gouged it is irritating. "

 

This is the problem I have with it, as said the price is the price. Whenever we ordered the wait staff always asked if we wanted a double, I had noticed how the barperson carefully measured out one shot glass of vodka for my wife's drink so I said sure. I had a bottle of Bud and she a screwdriver with rack vodka for 28$. AS some have said the price is the price if you can afford Oceania just pay, if you do not like it move on but do not question. Well for our next two upcoming trips we ARE giving Oceania a break, thanks for the advice.