Caymus wines on Princess

[margeecruiser]

Are Caymus Vinyards wines available on the Crown Princess? I did a search and could only find an old 2005 list showing Caymus. I'm looking for the Special Reserve cab, but any Caymus would make me happy

 

I'm returning to Princess after 10 years on Royal Caribbean. This is a special family cruise from California and I would like a special wine to top it off.

 

Thanks

 

Margee

[chrysalis]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2120874&highlight=wine+list

[Thrak]

Are Caymus Vinyards wines available on the Crown Princess? I did a search and could only find an old 2005 list showing Caymus. I'm looking for the Special Reserve cab, but any Caymus would make me happy

 

I'm returning to Princess after 10 years on Royal Caribbean. This is a special family cruise from California and I would like a special wine to top it off.

 

Thanks

 

Margee

 

You can always simply take the wine you like with you...

[Ron the Rev]

On the Emerald in August the Caymus normally listed at over $50 was being sold off at about $30, so I assume they will be discontinuing it. Bring it back and put me on intravenous drip please

[Hawaiidan]

Caymus Special Select Cab goes for around $200 a bottle// That's land based retail... Restraunt prices aroun d$500

Their Napa Cab goes for $30-$50 and Condrum about $40 These are land prices. I have seen Condrum on many ships and over seas

 

I would suggest visiting Napa next time if you like Caymus In the local markets and liquor stores in Napa and Sonoma Caymus sells off its surplus wines in bulk Gallon Jugs... for about $35 a gallon... Look for the label "Liberity School" Its the second label for Caymus

 

You might also find it interesting that Petrus, the premier cru Bordeaux that sells for $300-400 a bottle, actually has a secret California vineyard called Chateau Dominus that sell the same stuff for about $65 !! Same celler master and same grapes, They ship 3/4 of the crush to Farnce and re label it as Petrus........

Smoke and mirrors....I used to live and work in the Napa/Sonoma region and had friends in the business......There is a lot of shall we say creative marketing

 

 

Finally for all you scotch whiskey lovers....Johnny Walker red and be bought in 1.75 ltr bottles for $15 under the name "Scorsby"

 

Funny how that happens....

[taxmantoo]

You might also find it interesting that Petrus, the premier cru Bordeaux that sells for $300-400 a bottle, actually has a secret California vineyard called Chateau Dominus that sell the same stuff for about $65 !! Same celler master and same grapes, They ship 3/4 of the crush to Farnce and re label it as Petrus........

Smoke and mirrors....I used to live and work in the Napa/Sonoma region and had friends in the business......There is a lot of shall we say creative marketing

 

Not at all the same thing, or stuff as you say. Chateau Dominus is basically a Cabernet wine as the estate as essentially not grown Merlot grapes since the early 2000's. Merlot does not grow well in California. Petrus, on the other hand, is always at least 95% Merlot and only adds 5% Cabernet Franc occasionally.

[Mackenzie1]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2120874&highlight=wine+list

 

Nice resource. Thanks, Chrysalis.

[margeecruiser]

Thanks for the wine list. Boo, no Caymus. I'll bring my own. I can get regular Caymus cab here, but not special reserve. I'll have to ask my kids to hunt for some in California.

 

We've been to the Caymus vineyard. It was a wonderful experience.

 

Caymus Special Reserve on Royal Caribbean runs about $150. Worth every penny for a special occasion.

 

Margee

 

(I'm worth it, right?)

[oskidunker]

Default Caymus special selection

This wine is on a seperate wine list. I had it and it is very good. I think it was $125.00 a bottle.I recently bought a bottle of Caymus anniversary wine at K&L liquors in Redwood city Calif for $55.00. It was not great. a guy here warned me it was not done in the classic cabernet style. Too fruity and syrupy but certainly drinkable. I would not buy it again, however.

 

What I really like is the Caymus Zinfandel which is only sold at the winery About $50 and a great wine. I remember in the 70's I used to get this for $10 or less and it was great then. Not tried their regular bottling cab but I can assure you the ship only has the Special Selection. The problem with ordering this wine is it overshadows the food. I might order it on the night they service special filet Mignons. Or you could do it the first night when the serve the prime rib.

 

I have bought the wine packages and found it is not worth the hassel of trying not to lose a paper card. Plus you have to figure out what wines to buy to maximize your value and then sometimes you get to the end of the cruise with too much wine left.

 

If you are leaving out of a port that involves no flying, take your own wine. If you fly go south west and they allow 2 pieces of luggage so you can bring a wine carrier as checked luggage. One caveat: Do not check it if you are on a connecting flight. They almost lost mine once.

 

The wine cruzer is an excellent way to transport wine, although not cheap. I found the card case without the inserts for about $100 leass and made my own styrofoam inserts. One set for 750's and one for Magnums. https://www.google.com/search?q=wine...ml%3B730%3B350

[Cruise Junky]

I think it was my last Ruby Caribbean cruise that a table in a Crown Grill were being served the Special Selection. I have no idea if they boarded with or bought it. But judging how the sommelier was treating them like super stars, I'd guess they bought it from Princess.

Edited November 9, 2014 by Cruise Junky

[JimmyVWine]

Caymus Special Select Cab goes for around $200 a bottle// That's land based retail... Restraunt prices aroun d$500

 

 

You might also find it interesting that Petrus, the premier cru Bordeaux that sells for $300-400 a bottle, actually has a secret California vineyard called Chateau Dominus that sell the same stuff for about $65 !! Same celler master and same grapes, They ship 3/4 of the crush to Farnce and re label it as Petrus........

Smoke and mirrors....

 

There isn't a single word of truth to any of that. First of all, the 2010 production of the Dominus Estate was 5,000 cases. Hardly a "secret". And the MSRP of that wine is around $175-$200. Not $65. And while Christian Moueix is involved with both Dominus and Ch. Petrus, there is no smoke and mirrors shifting of grapes or juice from one producer to the other. And if you can find Petrus for $300-$400 per bottle, please let me know and I will buy (and re-sell) every bottle and never pay for another cruise in my life. The current non-auction price of Petrus is over $3,400 PER BOTTLE!!

 

And the current MSRP for the 2010 Caymus SS is $125, not $200.

[HUNKY]

Hawaiidans wine prices remind me of the "King of the Hill" episode where Hank was getting the special deal of paying sticker price for a new car and not one penny more!

 

Although I imagine wine, like everything else, is a bit more expensive on the islands.

 

Margee...as you are leaving from California you should have no trouble finding Caymus Special Selection before you board. Two bottles per cabin can be brought onboard without a corkage fee.

[commie]

Caymus Special Select Cab goes for around $200 a bottle// That's land based retail... Restraunt prices aroun d$500

Their Napa Cab goes for $30-$50 and Condrum about $40 These are land prices. I have seen Condrum on many ships and over seas

 

I would suggest visiting Napa next time if you like Caymus In the local markets and liquor stores in Napa and Sonoma Caymus sells off its surplus wines in bulk Gallon Jugs... for about $35 a gallon... Look for the label "Liberity School" Its the second label for Caymus

 

You might also find it interesting that Petrus, the premier cru Bordeaux that sells for $300-400 a bottle, actually has a secret California vineyard called Chateau Dominus that sell the same stuff for about $65 !! Same celler master and same grapes, They ship 3/4 of the crush to Farnce and re label it as Petrus........

Smoke and mirrors....I used to live and work in the Napa/Sonoma region and had friends in the business......There is a lot of shall we say creative marketing

 

 

Finally for all you scotch whiskey lovers....Johnny Walker red and be bought in 1.75 ltr bottles for $15 under the name "Scorsby"

 

Funny how that happens....

 

That is some strong words you have used there and I hope you have solid proof of what you just posted. Someone from Dominus Estate or Petrus see's that statement and you are very likely sued for libel and slander.

 

As the other posters stated, there is nothing secret about Dominus estate. They have been making semi-cult Cali wines for a very long time. In fact they sit on a vineyard that is probably the oldest in California called Napanook.

In fact, the 1989, 1994, 1997 and 2002 Dominus estate is some of the finest and long living California wine ever made and sell well above $65.

 

And no, they do not ship excess grapes to France and bottle it as Petrus.

If you have solid proof of this is happening, I suggest you share it with the Wine governing body in Bordeaux, because what you are accusing Dominus and Petrus of doing is a serious offence in France. People will go to jail for what you say they are doing.

And for you to slander them, well for your sake, the folks at Petrus and Dominus better not be cruisers or member of this board.

Would actually be fitting if someone forward a link to this thread to their winemakers. Will teach you not to be so much of an Internet warrior.

Edited November 10, 2014 by commie

[margeecruiser]

Hi, Cruise Junky

 

We have ordered the Caymus Special on the last few cruises. We ask for proper glasses and usually the maître 'd comes over to discuss this with us. On our last Princess cruise, when we ordered a really good wine the maître 'd had to unlock a cabinet in the dining room wall to get the glasses. We like heavy, full bodied reds and really want Boudreaux glasses. They have them on board, but usually save them for the Chef's Table or Captains Table. We left Princess for 10 years because they did not offer proper glasses, even when requested from the Dining Room Manager. This turned into a mess with the waitstaff. When I pay upwards of $150 for a bottle of special wine, I expect proper glassware.

 

I agree, when we order Caymus Special, we are treated like rock stars. We get the attention of the Dining Room Manager and the waitstaff loves us. The added gratuity is golden to them.

 

We did the Riedel glassware tasting event on our last cruise. It was a eye-opening event. I had heard from friends who have done this at a high-end wine store in California and they agreed proper glassware really does make a difference.

 

By the way, we consider fine dining with careful wine/food pairing a part of our cruising experience. The waitstaff soon learns that we want to discuss the pairings and the Sommelier will offer suggestions. When we had the bad experience on our last Princess cruise, they had just stopped having sommeliers in the dining room. The waitstaff were not happy.

 

Margee

[JimmyVWine]

Hi, Cruise Junky

 

We like heavy, full bodied reds and really want Boudreaux glasses. They have them on board, but usually save them for the Chef's Table or Captains Table. We left Princess for 10 years because they did not offer proper glasses, even when requested from the Dining Room Manager. This turned into a mess with the waitstaff. When I pay upwards of $150 for a bottle of special wine, I expect proper glassware.

 

We have had the same experience, so now we bring our own glasses on board. I got very tired of having the wait staff hunt around for upwards of 20 minutes to locate decent glasses. Since we always arrive at our departure port at least a day early and do some shopping for provisions, we just make sure to stop off at a department store or a "Bed Bath and Beyond" and pick up a couple of stems to use on the cruise. Nice, large Burgundy or Bordeaux stems can usually be had for around $5 a piece, especially at places like Macy's that might be selling off odds and ends. Perhaps not Riedel, but certainly comparable knock-offs. While I agree that the glass does make a difference, Riedel has not cornered that market, especially since they acquired Spiegelau. If there is a Crate and Barrel or Pottery Barn near your departure port, you can get a great glass for very little money. At the end of the cruise we leave them behind at whichever Specialty Restaurant we dine at on the last night, (since we always skip the MDR for the Landfall Dinner.) And oddly, toting in your own 27 oz stems usually gets you the same rock star treatment as ordering a $250 bottle of wine. But to that point, we always bring our own.

[Cruise Junky]

We had a waiter on out Panama Canal cruise which would always give us the good glasses when we ordered a bottle of wine. That was a first for me on Princess. Very much appreciated.

[margeecruiser]

I have thought about taking my own glasses on board. I sometimes travel with a hat box, so how much more trouble would a wine glass carrier be? Riedel sells them.

 

I have found that Royal Caribbean satisfies my needs. We will see in February if Princess has solved their problems. Since they do wine cruises, I have hope.

 

Margee

[timetravler]

JimmyVwine is correct. He knows his wine.

About getting a proper glass. I have a friend who would go to vines, order a glass of wine where you get a proper glass. Then he would simply ask if he could take the glass to the dinning room and return the glass later. At first they didn't want him to do that but with some more pleading our friend got his way. Now he does the same thing on every cruise. A proper glass does make a difference. BTW, we live in the Napa Valley and always bring a couple of bottles of our favorite wine with us that can not be gotten on board. Our last cruise we brought a bottle of Shafer Relentless which is a very special wine. Yes we also got proper glasses too.

[JimmyVWine]

I have found that Royal Caribbean satisfies my needs. We will see in February if Princess has solved their problems. Since they do wine cruises, I have hope.

 

Margee

 

When comparing the two lines, I look at it like this. Royal Caribbean has better stems and better overall wine service. But Princess has the better personal wine allowance policy. Given the choice between the two, I would rather pull 7 or 8 bottles from my cellar and worry about getting my own stems than have Royal Caribbean bring me great stems to use for the two bottles that I am limited to bringing on board. Whatever negatives there are about Princess's wine service quickly wash away as I sip my "special occasion" wines that I brought on board.

[Ron the Rev]

JimmyVwine is correct. He knows his wine.

About getting a proper glass. I have a friend who would go to vines, order a glass of wine where you get a proper glass. Then he would simply ask if he could take the glass to the dinning room and return the glass later. At first they didn't want him to do that but with some more pleading our friend got his way. Now he does the same thing on every cruise. A proper glass does make a difference. BTW, we live in the Napa Valley and always bring a couple of bottles of our favorite wine with us that can not be gotten on board. Our last cruise we brought a bottle of Shafer Relentless which is a very special wine. Yes we also got proper glasses too.

 

Ditto DW and I head for Vines and the proviso we give to purchase a top of the range bottle of red is that it is served in a crystal balloon ( well that's for me ) as DW drinks Spumante ( Italian sprite ha ha );)

[margeecruiser]

We ended up going to Vines for the proper glassware also on our last Princess cruise. To be fair, this was 10 years ago and they had just changed their wine policy. They did not have their act together at all. The policy changed that very week. What a mess. If the policy is the same next February, we will just deal with the going to Vines and carrying our large glasses into the dining room. I hated feeling like I was stealing when I left Vines. I asked them if I should leave a deposit (like my car title or mortgage papers) to ensure I brought the glasses back. This is a tacky way to handle this issue.

 

Margee

[Hawaiidan]

There isn't a single word of truth to any of that. First of all, the 2010 production of the Dominus Estate was 5,000 cases. Hardly a "secret". And the MSRP of that wine is around $175-$200. Not $65. And while Christian Moueix is involved with both Dominus and Ch. Petrus, there is no smoke and mirrors shifting of grapes or juice from one producer to the other. And if you can find Petrus for $300-$400 per bottle, please let me know and I will buy (and re-sell) every bottle and never pay for another cruise in my life. The current non-auction price of Petrus is over $3,400 PER BOTTLE!!

 

And the current MSRP for the 2010 Caymus SS is $125, not $200.

 

My wine sources are showing Caymus at 165-210 depending on vintage When I bought 1998 SS in 2000 it was running $200 a btl from the winery.

 

I have friends who were shipping brokers for the industry ( wine)... this was back in 2002, and good old Christian and dominus used to ship 3/4 of the entire crush in refer slu tanks on ships out of Oakland.... destination....La Harve... and that's not in LA county

Dominus and Pertrus are the same boys...

Gee I wonder what or why they took all that trouble and $hipped all that crush when they could have bought grapes in france cheaper...Hmmm?

. But that would have meant everyone in France would know something was up.... That's my take and the take of the boys in the business at that time...

 

The napa soils were typed like the blue clay, Ph etc, vines imported and Christian was the master... why? At that time Dominus was $35 a pop last I checked it was $ 65 and Pertus $400 in futures.

 

Admitted some of these prices are old... thanks for up date...

 

Personaly I drink L'evangeline... just down the street from Petrus and being run by the Rothchilds... yo ought to switch... the 09 is only $330

[jennifers490]

We ended up going to Vines for the proper glassware also on our last Princess cruise. To be fair, this was 10 years ago and they had just changed their wine policy. They did not have their act together at all. The policy changed that very week. What a mess. If the policy is the same next February, we will just deal with the going to Vines and carrying our large glasses into the dining room. I hated feeling like I was stealing when I left Vines. I asked them if I should leave a deposit (like my car title or mortgage papers) to ensure I brought the glasses back. This is a tacky way to handle this issue.

 

Margee

 

i feel the same way, one thing i always hated about princess was their wine glasses. and apparently there was only one decanter on the entire ship on the emerald they had to get permission to get out of a decorative case when we requested one in sabatini's. they were so sweet about also letting us take the glasses to restaurant from vines but you could see the panic in their faces lol i just cant stand to have a good wine taken from one glass and poured into a crappy one - changes taste completely

[commie]

My wine sources are showing Caymus at 165-210 depending on vintage When I bought 1998 SS in 2000 it was running $200 a btl from the winery.

 

I have friends who were shipping brokers for the industry ( wine)... this was back in 2002, and good old Christian and dominus used to ship 3/4 of the entire crush in refer slu tanks on ships out of Oakland.... destination....La Harve... and that's not in LA county

Dominus and Pertrus are the same boys...

Gee I wonder what or why they took all that trouble and $hipped all that crush when they could have bought grapes in france cheaper...Hmmm?

. But that would have meant everyone in France would know something was up.... That's my take and the take of the boys in the business at that time...

 

The napa soils were typed like the blue clay, Ph etc, vines imported and Christian was the master... why? At that time Dominus was $35 a pop last I checked it was $ 65 and Pertus $400 in futures.

 

Admitted some of these prices are old... thanks for up date...

 

Personaly I drink L'evangeline... just down the street from Petrus and being run by the Rothchilds... yo ought to switch... the 09 is only $330

 

You are so full of it.

Again, what you are suggesting, people go to JAIL for. They can't even use grapes from a different appellation in Bordeaux in their bottling, let alone a different country.

Why do you think Christian Mouiex and Petrus would even risk doing what you are suggesting they do?

- Cost? Availability?

Cost, how much do you think it will cost to ship the crush on freighters from LA to France? If cost is the thing, why not use some other local merlot grapes, instead of Cabernet Sav. grapes from Cali.

Availability, each year there are standards that go into Petrus, if the winemaster doesn't think the grapes meet the Petrus standard, then they make less bottlings, and the remaining grapes go into their 2nd label wine. So why would they need more grapes from Cali?

 

Also, even back in 2002, the price of Dominus was well above $35, and Petrus futures was wayyyyyyyyy more than $400. Do you not remember the crazy pricing of the 2000 Petrus futures? it was well in excess of $1000 a bottle. Even the crappy 1997 Petrus on futures was more than 400 bucks.

 

Again, before you slander Petrus more, you better have more proof than just a friend of a friend in the shipping industry.

 

BTW - I have forwarded this thread's link to my friends in the industry and they will be passing along your slander to Petrus. I do really hope you have solid evidence to back your statements.

[JimmyVWine]

My wine sources are showing Caymus at 165-210 depending on vintage When I bought 1998 SS in 2000 it was running $200 a btl from the winery.

 

I have friends who were shipping brokers for the industry ( wine)... this was back in 2002, and good old Christian and dominus used to ship 3/4 of the entire crush in refer slu tanks on ships out of Oakland.... destination....La Harve... and that's not in LA county

Dominus and Pertrus are the same boys...

Gee I wonder what or why they took all that trouble and $hipped all that crush when they could have bought grapes in france cheaper...Hmmm?

. But that would have meant everyone in France would know something was up.... That's my take and the take of the boys in the business at that time...

 

The napa soils were typed like the blue clay, Ph etc, vines imported and Christian was the master... why? At that time Dominus was $35 a pop last I checked it was $ 65 and Pertus $400 in futures.

 

Admitted some of these prices are old... thanks for up date...

 

Personaly I drink L'evangeline... just down the street from Petrus and being run by the Rothchilds... yo ought to switch... the 09 is only $330

Again, all b.s. First, do a simple search on wine-searcher.com for the 2010 vintage of Caymus SS to see the current price. It's not a closely held secret. Second, this shell game of grapes between the U.S. and France is patently illegal. And would be easily detected. Are you suggesting that you have super secret access to information that the INAO does not have? Astounding. Would either Petrus or Dominus risk their well-earned reputations over a scheme like this? Finally, Dominus hasn't been $65 for decades. Napanook yes. Dominus no.