Current prices for wine on board (red, bottle only) please?

[babysteps]

Seems unlikely that O will change their wine portfolio for a relatively few people, especially when the corkage policy makes it easy to BYO.

 

I would be interested in knowing if there is a cruise line with both tasty (by whose-ever standard) and well-priced wines by the bottle. Would be worth checking out! Of course such a line would probably have tasty enough by-the-glass offerings that one wouldn't be ordering as many whole bottles...

 

One factor I'm not sure has been brought up yet - O wishes to limit wine selections to bottlings with enough volume to stock all of its ships year-round. That means even some of the wines that are easy enough to get retail just aren't produced in high enough quantities to be on O's list. If O chose to have more variation from restaurant to restaurant or from ship to ship, there might be a nicer selection *but* prices would be higher as it would take more effort for O to manage and track.

 

I think for most of us folks who are focused on wine, either we'll arrange to have a supply on hand, or will choose to focus on areas with local wine. Our experience - we also usually bring wine with us, and prior to O we had 2 cases shipped to the port agent for a trip where we brought our parents that had a land portion before the ship. Our longest O cruise has been 21 days (brought 2 cases as checked luggage). Haven't done Asia (yet). We did a cruise to Norway & the Baltics prior to O and brought 1 or 2 cases (it was a long time ago so I don't remember exactly - however I do remember that I was prepared to pay the duty in Norway, but that no one was there to collect it lol).

[pinotlover]

Mary;

 

As I said above, we found a wonderful supermarket in Hong Kong with a great wine selection and stocked up for our 15 day cruise to Bangkok. We did drink a lot of local beers along the way!

 

If you go to or through Hong Kong, there is zero reason not to board with a great selection of wines to take along.

[LHT28]

We may be among those that will drink the "plonk" on Oceania

 

If it is so offensive why not sail on a line that carries wine more to your liking or have a few cases shipped to the port of embarkation

 

 

I find oenophiles/connoisseurs amusing they only drink wines that are noted by others to be "the best" would not dare to choose something that was not rated by some higher body of wine drinkers

 

 

 

We have a nice winery not far from us ..OMG yes nice wine in Canada ...

We enjoy their wine & willing to pay the price which is not cheap

We are not wine connoisseurs but we know what we like & do not really care what others think of our choices

 

 

 

We sat a a table with a couple of connoisseurs ...they insisted we smell their wine & described the notes/flavours of the wine (we declined of course)

 

never did they offer a glass to try it for ourselves ..just a smell

 

needless to say we ordered only 2 courses & skipped the dessert/coffee just to get away

 

Years later in my old age I learned I can just get up & ask for a new table

 

 

 

I really do not understand why some people who complain about the wine, the food, the shows & the demographics on Oceania still bother to book cruises with the all the old people onboard slowing things down by daring to just sit on the ship when in port if it suits them

 

JMO

[pinotlover]

I can’t answer whether O does stock the exact same wines on all the ships at one time, as mentioned above. I do know We were surprised to board the Marina a few months after leaving the Nautica and finding the exact same wine list.

 

I have a question for the past RTWers. On your 6 month cruise did your ship rotate or otherwise vary the wine options on the “ wine by the glass list”, or was it consistent throughout?

[Mrs f.]

We have a 30 day cruise starting in Capetown and ending in Singapore. Plan on picking up wine at the wineries we visit. Will be in Durban and Richard's Bay. Maybe we can locate a liquor store near the port to get more. Will probably have to get an Oceania wine package or two to fill in.

[JPR]

Actually, most of us prefer very good wine at reasonable prices. There are many examples, even among French and California wines. Washington has great reds at reasonable prices. So do Spain, Italy, Argentina, Chile, and Australia. Oceania could expand its list to include such wines (e.g., Juan Gil and Alto Moncayo Veraton from Spain) but would many people order them?

 

I know a good “sleeper” Red or two on the current list...but for obvious reasons I’m not telling!:cool:

[babysteps]

We may be among those that will drink the "plonk" on Oceania

 

...

 

We sat a a table with a couple of connoisseurs ...they insisted we smell their wine & described the notes/flavours of the wine (we declined of course)

 

never did they offer a glass to try it for ourselves ..just a smell

 

needless to say we ordered only 2 courses & skipped the dessert/coffee just to get away

 

Years later in my old age I learned I can just get up & ask for a new table

...

 

JMO

 

Just was enjoying a lovely Niagara wine a few days ago from Hidden Bench Winery :)

 

Your table mates were big teases, bummer :(

 

If a wine geek offers you a sniff of wine, you can always inhale and say something like "wow, that's really expessive" or even more universally "wow, it's been a while since I've smelled anything like that" with an appreciative tone - your chances of being offerred a taste should be pretty good. Assuming they are wine geeks and not wine snobs lol!

 

Offering a smell and no taste is a bit uncouth imo unless the wine is seriously flawed. Of course couths can be hard to find ;p

[DrHemlock]

Send your stock to the Cellar when you arrive on the ship and anytime thereafter your inventory will be available to be served beautifully at the correct temperature and in the appropriate glassware (a pet peeve of mine).

I'm fascinated by the above comment, specifically the "correct temperature" part.

 

JimandStan have a lot more O experience and knowledge than we do, so I must ask (and this is a serious question, not a challenge): Is the correct temperature an exclusive function of sending your own stock to the cellar?

 

We always order from the wine list because we've been ordering and drinking wine for enough years that we know what's a reasonable price for reasonable quality. However, our experience on ten O cruises is that regardless of price or the perceived or actual quality of wine chosen, it is never served at the correct temperature -- especially the reds which are always brought out and poured at room temperature rather than cellar temperature. (Naturally, we then ask the wine person to put the bottle into an ice bucket for a few minutes to take the temp down by 10-15 degrees. And then, naturally, we must flag them down again to request the bottle be returned to us as they have clearly forgotten about it.)

 

I'd hate to think the only way to get proper service is to schlep our own merchandise. Could it be that JimandStan are so well known that O staff dare not get it wrong? That's not a sarcastic question, either. Top clients always get top-flight service in any business.

 

Would love to learn what J&S or others think (or know) about this.

[LHT28]

. Assuming they are wine geeks and not wine snobs lol!

 

Offering a smell and no taste is a bit uncouth imo unless the wine is seriously flawed. Of course couths can be hard to find ;p

They may have just taken a wine course before the cruise & thought they were special

I found them rude

 

JMO

 

We have many wineries not just in Niagara region anymore :)

[JimandStan]

Q) Is the correct temperature an exclusive function of sending your own stock to the cellar?

A) We've found Ship and imported wines to be treated identically, but we have also learned to be proactive about explaining to the wine staff that we, also, prefer Reds chilled to cellar temperature.

 

To be fair, this preference is not universal, and I've had a number of vitriolic criticisms aimed in my direction for ANY sort of chill applied to California wines, in particular.

At this point I'm reconciled that defending my preference is an exercise in futility, so I just ask for what I like better.

 

Communication, as always, is the key to everything, and it is also very true that the Wine Staff enjoy interacting with pleasant, knowledgeable patrons. They bloom with positive interaction, and have often remembered us via the wines that they have served us from year to year and voyage to voyage.

 

Hope that this helped, enjoy your cruise!

[sunlover12]

I've been enjoying reading this thread. We will bring a couple of bottles from home in our luggage to drink in our cabin and we will order from Oceania's wine list for dinner. FWIW we have not been disappointed with their selection and quality. I don't know nearly as much about wine as some people here but I know what I like and don't like. I can look at a wine list and get a general idea as to what I might like. We are not so selective about our wine that we would bring a case onboard and only drink that. Just my two cents worth.

[pinotlover]

Sunlover;

 

To be clear with my comments. Oceania typically has some perfectly acceptable and nice wines on their list by the glass. Others can be very poor in quality. Therefore variation can be limited.

 

My biggest problem has been when on longer cruises where they pour out of those better wines and don’t/can’t restock along the way. Wine drinkers quickly pick up on what’s good and what isn’t and drink all the good stuff leaving only the plonk. There has been several reports on multiple cruises where this has occurred.

 

Not all wines served are plonk, not all wines are of good quality . On shorter cruises, (10 days or less) Inventory issues probably won’t occur . All the exaggerated stories of everything being black or white is wrong.

 

I personally believe Oceania could do a better job in increasing overall quality of wines without cost increases. Claims by the Cheerleaders here that all the wines are just fine and that none are just plonk helps prevent them from taking the steps they need to do to achieve those gains. If served, I believe the Cheerleaders would be espousing the qualities of MD 20/20!

[Flatbush Flyer]

Sunlover;

 

 

 

My biggest problem has been when on longer cruises where they pour out of those better wines and don’t/can’t restock along the way. Wine drinkers quickly pick up on what’s good and what isn’t and drink all the good stuff leaving only the plonk. There has been several reports on multiple cruises where this has occurred.

 

 

 

 

Plus 1. News travels fast.

[LHT28]

I personally believe Oceania could do a better job in increasing overall quality of wines without cost increases. Claims by the Cheerleaders here that all the wines are just fine and that none are just plonk helps prevent them from taking the steps they need to do to achieve those gains. If served, I believe the Cheerleaders would be espousing the qualities of MD 20/20!

well since you are a self proclaimed expert can you tell us what wines on the list are plonk

 

i would hate to drink all the good stuff so the experts will have to drink the plonk :eek:

I prefer reds

Edited October 4, 2018 by LHT28

[Flatbush Flyer]

well since you are a self proclaimed expert can you tell us what wines on the list are plonk

 

i would hate to drink all the good stuff so the experts will have to drink the plonk :eek:

I prefer reds

 

 

 

Arboleda Carmenere retails for about $10 USD/bottle in Santiago, Chile. And, given its quality, that is a bargain.

The good news: it is the best red wine-by-the-glass offering I've ever tasted on an Oceania ship.

The bad news: Folks figure that out quickly and, on certain "long" itineraries, the stock is depleted in short order.

As for those several items on the pictured list with which I am familiar, I could drink the Chateau St. Jean Cab with pizza.

[TERRIER1]

Arboleda Carmenere retails for about $10 USD/bottle in Santiago, Chile. And, given its quality, that is a bargain.

The good news: it is the best red wine-by-the-glass offering I've ever tasted on an Oceania ship.

The bad news: Folks figure that out quickly and, on certain "long" itineraries, the stock is depleted in short order.

As for those several items on the pictured list with which I am familiar, I could drink the Chateau St. Jean Cab with pizza.

 

 

I am wondering if the Chilean wine runs out quickly because it is the cheapest. I really can't discern good wines from mediocre so I order the cheapest so maybe other do so also. I also order whatever their "house" wine is of the moment and it changes all the time.

[Flatbush Flyer]

I am wondering if the Chilean wine runs out quickly because it is the cheapest. I really can't discern good wines from mediocre so I order the cheapest so maybe other do so also. I also order whatever their "house" wine is of the moment and it changes all the time.

 

 

Given the cost of an Oceania cruise (and/or the value available to those who take an alcohol package), I doubt if the $1-2 per wine glass average price spread is a significant factor. IMO, the Arboleda would disappear even if it was more expensive.

 

As for being able to discern between "good" and "bad" wine, I think it's important to clarify that personal taste is a real consideration. Ergo, someone might choose a glass of one wine selection over another - even if it's "average" vs "exemplary" in taste et al. only because s/he prefers certain varietals.

[LHT28]

As for being able to discern between "good" and "bad" wine, I think it's important to clarify that personal taste is a real consideration. Ergo, someone might choose a glass of one wine selection over another - even if it's "average" vs "exemplary" in taste et al. only because s/he prefers certain varietals.

Exactly

Some people may like coke & others like Pepsi ..it is the same with wines

 

You do not need to be one of the "special" people to know what you like

 

 

JMO

[LHT28]

I am wondering if the Chilean wine runs out quickly because it is the cheapest. I really can't discern good wines from mediocre so I order the cheapest so maybe other do so also. I also order whatever their "house" wine is of the moment and it changes all the time.

It is probably just a wine that appeals to more people

I will have to try it next time

 

 

it is more like some people just like to think they are special & like to complain

 

OH NO the the great unwashed drank all the good wine so now I have to drink something that is beneath my special palate ..woe is me :rolleyes:

[Flatbush Flyer]

Exactly

 

Some people may like coke & others like Pepsi ..it is the same with wines

 

 

 

You do not need to be one of the "special" people to know what you like

 

 

 

 

 

JMO

 

 

People still drink Pepsi?

They still make Pepsi?

[pinotlover]

Lyn;

 

You’re absolutely correct! I like beer also, but if all that is offered is Busch or Falstaff, I don’t drink the beer! I also don’t pretend those are good beers because they are what are offered.

 

I’m guessing to you some one is a whiskey “ snob”, it they won’t drink moonshine! It would surely be the case if O was serving it!

 

Your comments on the subject are irrational. One can like and consume whatever they want. However, just because someone likes MD 20/20 that doesn’t make it a recognized good wine by any of the traits by which wine is judged.

[LHT28]

Lyn;

Your comments on the subject are irrational. One can like and consume whatever they want. However, just because someone likes MD 20/20 that doesn’t make it a recognized good wine by any of the traits by which wine is judged.

I think there maybe lots that like MD 2020 but that is their choice

 

Many people drink Busch beer does not mean it is bad it is just not to your taste

 

My point is people should enjoy what wine beer or whisky that suits them not what someone tells them is superior

 

 

So what wines on the posted list are Plonk to you?

[JPR]

I do not see any “plonk” on the current list by the glass. The Chateau St. Jean Cab tends to be the highest rated. But the prices are near retail bottle prices, so that’s a 350%-400% markup (like the bottles markup or higher). Best to get the O Life beverage package, as we are going to do. My wife likes to have a glass or two of white wine (Gavi or Chardonnay) and then red with me. I like to have a cocktail and an after dinner bourbon or scotch on the rocks, so I will upgrade onboard to the premium beverage package. We will bring some bottles of red and order some off the list to use up our shipboard credit.

 

Lil its excursions, Oceania clearly makes a huge profit on its wine sales. When we did the math, however, it still came out to be significantly less expensive than Regent, and we prefer to do our own private excursions anyway. We are doing the beach and rafting excursion in Jamaica in a couple of weeks because Oceania’s price was about the same as a private excursion from the ship.

[sunlover12]

Sunlover;

 

I personally believe Oceania could do a better job in increasing overall quality of wines without cost increases. Claims by the Cheerleaders here that all the wines are just fine and that none are just plonk helps prevent them from taking the steps they need to do to achieve those gains. If served, I believe the Cheerleaders would be espousing the qualities of MD 20/20!

 

What is MD 20/20?

 

Everyone's tastes in wine are different and what is good for one person is unacceptable for someone else. It's subjective. For example, a lot of people seem to like Carmenere but that is the last wine on this list that I would order. I might drink it if is was offered to me for free. I don't even like Cabernet Sauvignon that much. I'm more of a white wine drinker and when I do drink red, it's going to be Pinot Noir. The best Pinot, IMO, is from Santa Barbara County but it's hard to find on many wine lists and I don't think I've seen it on O. Maybe if someone from O is reading this they'll add it.

[ORV]

FWIW, I don't think there's any Mad Dog 20/20 on Oceania ships.