Beverage Packages vs. A la Carte?

[DrHemlock]

Yes, but here's the key question:

 

Assume one purchases one or the other of the available beverage packages, both of which include wine(s) by the glass at meal times in dining venues. Assume, also, that regardless of venue, one enjoys a glass of white wine or bubbly while perusing the menu and ordering, another glass of white with the appetizer, a glass of red with the main course, another glass of red with the cheese, etc.

 

In other words, one needs a certain amount of attention and service from the wine crew who, in my experience, can be spread pretty thin on both O and RSSC.

 

Can one or more of our oenophile posters who has had experience with the drinks package please comment on whether stewards kept their eyes open and your glass full, or whether wine with dinner became an exercise in pre-paid frustration?

 

Gotta figure this one out before Riviera in November…..

 

Thanks in advance!

[Mura]

Dr H.,

 

Your question goes to why I prefer to have my own bottle at the table -- whether I order from O's list or pay the corkage fee. When my wine isn't poured promptly, I pour it for myself! (It does help to prefer red wine in this instance since it's on the table in front of you.)

 

Now there are more important reasons to opt for the package, but this is one reason why I do not!

 

Good luck in making your decision.

 

Mura

[DrHemlock]

Thanks, Mura, for your response. I understand perfectly but that's why I ask the question. We prefer not to be restricted to one type of wine with different courses as happens when bringing or buying a bottle.

 

May we hear, please, from someone who has bought the package and been served (or not) the wine by the glass?

 

Again, thanks in advance!

[Mura]

I understand your point. I tend to order one wine and continue with it -- unless I'm partaking of a La Reserve dinner where the meal is paired with the wines. (If you haven't been on O before and will be on Marina or Riviera, this could be something for you to consider.)

 

Hopefully there are others who can answer your question better than I could.

 

Mura

[Travelcat2]

We purchased the premium package and therefore have been served by the glass. Usually the specialty restaurants are quite attentive. The same cannot be said for the MDR and the Terrace Café. We will also be onboard the Riviera in November and are hoping for the best.

[Mura]

TravelCat: We purchased the premium package and therefore have been served by the glass. Usually the specialty restaurants are quite attentive. The same cannot be said for the MDR and the Terrace Café. We will also be onboard the Riviera in November and are hoping for the best.

 

 

That does make sense. I was inclined to say something along those lines earlier but not from personal experience, so I did not.

 

MDR and Terrace deal with more people. Some times they are really busy, but as the even wends on they aren't so much. So timing may come into play.

 

Even when we have brought our own bottle to Terrace, I pretty much pour my own. It seems to me that waiters in the MDR have been more attentive, but they really don't always have a lot of time to pay particular attention either.

 

The specialty restaurants have fewer people to deal with and so may well pay more attention to the person who needs another glass of wine. (Perhaps it's because waiters have fewer people to deal with -- that's a guess, not an assertion.)

 

Even so, you CAN flag down a waiter and ask for a refill ... And some people (not me) tip them in advance ...

 

I usually have my own bottle on the table, so as I said before I don't mind violating etiquette and refilling my glass. If I had the package and needed to wait for the waiter or wine steward to come around ... well, I probably wouldn't be happy. But that's ME. And I have been known to gesticulate wildly when I've been waiting a while ... my parents didn't raise me right, I guess.

 

Mura

[Travelcat2]

TravelCat: We purchased the premium package and therefore have been served by the glass. Usually the specialty restaurants are quite attentive. The same cannot be said for the MDR and the Terrace Café. We will also be onboard the Riviera in November and are hoping for the best.

 

 

That does make sense. I was inclined to say something along those lines earlier but not from personal experience, so I did not.

 

MDR and Terrace deal with more people. Some times they are really busy, but as the even wends on they aren't so much. So timing may come into play.

 

Even when we have brought our own bottle to Terrace, I pretty much pour my own. It seems to me that waiters in the MDR have been more attentive, but they really don't always have a lot of time to pay particular attention either.

 

The specialty restaurants have fewer people to deal with and so may well pay more attention to the person who needs another glass of wine. (Perhaps it's because waiters have fewer people to deal with -- that's a guess, not an assertion.)

 

Even so, you CAN flag down a waiter and ask for a refill ... And some people (not me) tip them in advance ...

 

I usually have my own bottle on the table, so as I said before I don't mind violating etiquette and refilling my glass. If I had the package and needed to wait for the waiter or wine steward to come around ... well, I probably wouldn't be happy. But that's ME. And I have been known to gesticulate wildly when I've been waiting a while ... my parents didn't raise me right, I guess.

 

Mura

 

Agree but I'm mostly posting to say how beautiful your kitty is (he/she looks identical to one of mine):D

Edited August 30, 2014 by Travelcat2

[Mura]

Agree but I'm mostly posting to say how beautiful your kitty is (he/she looks identical to one of mine):D

 

Indeed, our tuxedos do look a lot alike! Whiskers is pushing 4 years old, adopted from a collector who was evicted (leaving 20 cats behind). One of her neighbors took 8 of them to find homes, and we were lucky enough to get Whiskers ... who is a real sweetheart.

 

All 15 pounds of him.

 

Mura

[StanandJim]

Yes, but here's the key question:

 

Assume one purchases one or the other of the available beverage packages, both of which include wine(s) by the glass at meal times in dining venues. Assume, also, that regardless of venue, one enjoys a glass of white wine or bubbly while perusing the menu and ordering, another glass of white with the appetizer, a glass of red with the main course, another glass of red with the cheese, etc.

 

In other words, one needs a certain amount of attention and service from the wine crew who, in my experience, can be spread pretty thin on both O and RSSC.

 

Can one or more of our oenophile posters who has had experience with the drinks package please comment on whether stewards kept their eyes open and your glass full, or whether wine with dinner became an exercise in pre-paid frustration?

 

Gotta figure this one out before Riviera in November…..

 

Thanks in advance!

 

What you describe can be accomplished, but I warn you that it won't happen automatically.

 

To begin with, you must ask for the Wine Steward immediately upon being shown to the table.

 

Make a note of that Stewards' name, make a point of the fact that you are something of a wine drinker, and that you intend to make pairings with several courses. So many people barely drink at all these days, that the Stewards are often astounded when a passenger exceeds a third glass. Tell the Steward that you expect to see him back at your table several times during the meal (be specific about that!).

 

When attempting to pair with a course, keep in mind that it may take half a hour to retrieve certain bottles from the cellar. Discussing this as early in the meal as you can is the best way to avoid "situations". I'll warn you right now that it is virtually impossible to have the Wine arrive at the table with the food, we've always found it easiest to order the wine first, and let the food (which is easier to control) follow.

 

Finally, don't wait until a problem arises to say something. Be proactive.

[Flatbush Flyer]

So many people barely drink at all these days, that the Stewards are often astounded when a passenger exceeds a third glass.

 

Not true here in Northern California where we also chuckle when folks talk about "wine pairings," which we would describe as two bottles vs one (and not necessarily different varietals).

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Techno123]

We found the specialities excellent, the terrace very good and the MDR a little slower. However, our trick was to decide what we wanted to eat over a glass of fizz, choose which wines we wanted to drink with each course and then tell the Sommelier that we would be drinking a with the appetiser b with the main c with the cheeses and d with dessert we then found the service improved and wines arrived with each course with rarely an empty glass, hic;)

[DrHemlock]

Somehow, I knew StanandJim would provide exactly the useful, detailed answer.

 

Techno123's addendum is much appreciated, as well as the different perspectives of Mura and TC.

 

If memory serves, beverage packages weren't on offer the last two times we sailed with O so it's our first time having to make this choice. We are now forearmed and forewarned in deciding whether to pay them before or after the fact.

 

Thanks very much to all for providing the voices of experience.

Edited August 30, 2014 by DrHemlock

[journeyfan]

We had the complete alcohol package on our Caribbean cruise last year. Getting that first glass of wine in restaurants turned out to take forever, so we ended up stopping at a bar, getting a glass of wine, and then proceeding to the restaurant with glass in hand. By the time we had finished that glass, we almost always had been visited by a wine steward. We would tell him we were on the wine package and what wine would be drinking during dinner. The two of us always chose one particular wine. The steward then returned with a bottle of that wine, and after serving us each a glass, he put the bottle in a wine bucket, so after that, wine service worked exactly like it would have had we ordered a bottle of wine off the menu.

 

Based on our experience, if you decide to order a different wine for every course, you'll probably never receive that second glass or if you do, it'll come with dessert!

[journeyfan]

When I wrote my response, I had not seen StanandJim's or Techno123 replies. I think we'll try their suggestings on our next Oceania cruise and see how it works. Perhaps we'll need to grease the wine steward's palm when we make our selections. Our feeling has been that, since we're on the alcohol package, the wine stewards aren't receiving a tip so they have no interest in serving us.

[kiawahdon]

Here is a different perspective after 20 days on Nautica.

We left from Southampton. After a little web research, I found a "national chain" of bottle shops about a mile from the port. We picked up 2 six-packs of

nice wine and proceeded to the ship. One six-pack was consumed in our room and the other bottles went to restaurants where the $25 corkage was charged. This approach worked great for us as many days we were touring; and often stopped for a local lunch. Hence no lunch-time beverage consumption on board.

Looking at our bar bill at cruise end, there is no way either beverage package made dollar sense. If your cruise has a lot of ports and few sea days, and you will be off ship a lot, look closely at your options.

[StanandJim]

so we ended up stopping at a bar, getting a glass of wine, and then proceeding to the restaurant with glass in hand.

 

If anyone else should have the urge (the thirst?? :confused: ) to do it this way in future, simply mention to any server or bartender that you are going into a restaurant, and it will arrive at your table, just as you are seated...

No need to carry your beverages in yourself ;)

 

Our feeling has been that, since we're on the alcohol package, the wine stewards aren't receiving a tip so they have no interest in serving us.

 

You're wrong about that, the gratuities are built into the Beverage Package Prices:

 

*HOUSE SELECT

$39.95 Per Guest Per Day

(Gratuity Included)

Designed for guests who enjoy wine or beer with lunch and dinner, this package offers a wide selection of Beer, Champagne and Wine by the glass during meals in any dining venue including room service.

*PRESTIGE SELECT

$59.95 Per Guest Per Day

(Gratuity Included)

Designed for guests who enjoy spirits and libations during dining hours and beyond, this UNLIMITED package offers a wide selection of Spirits, in addition to Beer, Champagne and Wine by the glass which may be ordered at any hour in all bars, lounges and dining venues including room service.*

Edited August 30, 2014 by StanandJim

[rallydave]

 

You're wrong about that, the gratuities are built into the Beverage Package Prices:

 

*HOUSE SELECT

$39.95 Per Guest Per Day

(Gratuity Included)

Designed for guests who enjoy wine or beer with lunch and dinner, this package offers a wide selection of Beer, Champagne and Wine by the glass during meals in any dining venue including room service.

*PRESTIGE SELECT

$59.95 Per Guest Per Day

(Gratuity Included)

Designed for guests who enjoy spirits and libations during dining hours and beyond, this UNLIMITED package offers a wide selection of Spirits, in addition to Beer, Champagne and Wine by the glass which may be ordered at any hour in all bars, lounges and dining venues including room service.*

 

Understand that the words state that gratuities are included in the package but, have to ask how they are calculated and paid to the server compared to how they are paid when the guest purchases the drinks separately.

 

That is, buying one drink at a time, the gratuity is calculated each time on the value of the specific drink. With the various drink packages, from various reports, not every drink or wine refill, appears to be recorded so that the 18% can be calculated and applied to the specific server. And, should the customer get more drinks in dollars (including the 18%) than the package price, O would be paying out more in gratuities than calculated into the daily price. Am guessing but, have no real knowledge, that the gratuity would be calculated based on the package price and divided evenly among the various people responsible for the drinks in the package thus everyone shares equally in the gratuities.

 

Assuming this is the case, might this serve to cause the servers to provide better service to those not on the package thus increasing their income since the package peoples contribution is a fixed amount???

 

Not casting any stones, simply presenting a possibility that might explain a different level of service and awareness for refills to plan people vs. people on the per drink plan?? What say you Jim and Stan?????

[StanandJim]

What say you Jim and Stan

 

Since you ask, I say that in my opinion, if I had recommended a tip in addition to what the package provides, you would have lost your cotton picking mind.

 

In order for a tip to work in this situation, it would necessarily have to be given in advance of the proffer of service, and as I recall RallyDave, you are vehemently opposed to that kind of thing.

 

[newbie60]

To echo Stan and Jim and to add one note to someone who has never been on Oceania before ---- only the wine stewards (the gals and guys in dark red vests with a Tastevin) pour the wine. If you ask your waiter, he will have to then go ask a wine steward. It's very confusing the first time on board.

 

This may not be a hard and fast rule, but it has turned out to be the case for us. And since the MDR and Terraces have fewer wine stewards taking care of more people -- the inevitable slow down in wine service.

[rallydave]

Since you ask, I say that in my opinion, if I had recommended a tip in addition to what the package provides, you would have lost your cotton picking mind.

 

In order for a tip to work in this situation, it would necessarily have to be given in advance of the proffer of service, and as I recall RallyDave, you are vehemently opposed to that kind of thing.

 

 

Thanks for the reply and yes, I do object among others to giving a tip in advance of service. If I understand your response, you agree with my theory about possibly worse service with the package due to the inability to achieve a greater tip amount that is received from the drink by drink method. Am simply providing additional rationale for the complaints from some regarding poor service in taking care of package purchasers

 

Fully understand that gratuities are included in the per day drink package rates, it is simply a lack of understanding how the gratuities to the people serving the drinks is calculated and if the methodology might be the cause of some of the less than acceptable service. That is what I was asking you to comment on since am sure you are privy to that methodology and any possible implication with service.

 

Thanks,

[hermioneb]

My husband and I are about to take our first Oceania cruise on the Marina, which we are very excited about. Sorry if this has been asked before, but I haven't managed to find the answer anywhere. I understand that wines by the glass are covered by the Prestige Beverage Package (which we intend to buy) and I have seen the list of drinks on the Oceania website, but how do you know which high-end malts and cognacs to avoid if you don't want to pay anything extra?!

[LHT28]

My husband and I are about to take our first Oceania cruise on the Marina, which we are very excited about. Sorry if this has been asked before, but I haven't managed to find the answer anywhere. I understand that wines by the glass are covered by the Prestige Beverage Package (which we intend to buy) and I have seen the list of drinks on the Oceania website, but how do you know which high-end malts and cognacs to avoid if you don't want to pay anything extra?!

 

look at the list & only order those on the package list ......if you order something not on the list then you pay extra

 

Maybe print off the list so there is no confusion

http://www.oceaniacruises.com/beveragepackages/#Spirits

[DrHemlock]

Continuing the thread, but in a slightly new direction:

 

O's website says, "Beverage packages may also be purchased onboard during your cruise." Have any of you waited a few days into your cruise to see how much you were spending a la carte on cocktails and wine, then made the decision to buy the package?

 

If so, how many days in? And, since the package is listed as having a per-day price, were you then charged for only the remaining days of your cruise?

 

Does anyone know if there is a number of days beyond which one is no longer allowed to buy the package for the remainder of the cruise?

 

Seems like in the absence of prior experience, the best course with these rather expensive packages is to wait and see what happens without, then dive in if the evidence shows the package is a better deal. Do you agree?

[LHT28]

Continuing the thread, but in a slightly new direction:

 

O's website says, "Beverage packages may also be purchased onboard during your cruise." Have any of you waited a few days into your cruise to see how much you were spending a la carte on cocktails and wine, then made the decision to buy the package?

 

If so, how many days in? And, since the package is listed as having a per-day price, were you then charged for only the remaining days of your cruise?

 

Does anyone know if there is a number of days beyond which one is no longer allowed to buy the package for the remainder of the cruise?

 

Seems like in the absence of prior experience, the best course with these rather expensive packages is to wait and see what happens without, then dive in if the evidence shows the package is a better deal. Do you agree?

 

I would agree

I saw a post someplace here where the person said they could purchase the package fairly late in the cruise

There is a price list on MVPINBOYTON website that may be useful in determining if what you might drink would be worth buy the package or not

http://www.thepreismans.com/bermuda_regatta_menus.htm

[DrHemlock]

Yes, LHT28, thanks for pointing that out. I had studied the list when originally posted by MVPINBOYNTON but was unable to make a determination whether the package or a la carte would be the better choice. Pretty close to a wash, as far as I could tell.

 

Like many others here, I hate signing chits and getting a parsimonious pour when ordering a la carte. This pushes me toward the package. On the other hand, I hate committing to a certain level of expenditure beforehand, and maybe not getting full value for my money in the end. This pushes me away. Also, the earlier discussion of whether wine service in dining venues is adversely affected by being on the package, while not definitive, at least gives me pause.

 

A test run of a la carte seems like it may be the best procedure, but it would still be useful to hear from someone who has done it and been happy or disappointed that they did.

 

As always, thanks in advance!