Do the Silver and Gold wine packages still exist?

[margbem]

Or is it a new system? Or do both run in tandem? Could someone on board find out for me, please? Thank you!

[rucrazy]

According to the website:

Silver Connoisseur Collection $225 usd
Guests may select a total of three bottles from an onboard menu featuring six premium white wines and six premium red wines, including one dessert wine.

 

Gold Connoisseur Collection $450 usd
Guests may select a total of six bottles from an onboard menu featuring ten premium white wines and ten premium red wines, including one dessert wine.

Edited March 13, 2022 by rucrazy

[margbem]

8 minutes ago, rucrazy said:

According to the website:

Silver Connoisseur Collection $225 usd
Guests may select a total of three bottles from an onboard menu featuring six premium white wines and six premium red wines, including one dessert wine.

 

Gold Connoisseur Collection $450 usd
Guests may select a total of six bottles from an onboard menu featuring ten premium white wines and ten premium red wines, including one dessert wine.

Thank you rucrazy. We have bought the packages many times but someone sent me a photograph of a new choice where you buy upfront, choose the wines upfront and they are stored for you in climate controlled conditions. We don't really want to do this as we won't know what we are eating each night! Just needed to know if the old package system is still in place alongside it.

[frantic36]

7 hours ago, margbem said:

Thank you rucrazy. We have bought the packages many times but someone sent me a photograph of a new choice where you buy upfront, choose the wines upfront and they are stored for you in climate controlled conditions. We don't really want to do this as we won't know what we are eating each night! Just needed to know if the old package system is still in place alongside it.

 

I am not sure I understand your comment? With the old package method you actually had a small select choice of wines available to pick from though if good at negotiating you were able to get wines of your choice from the full range. Now this means they are just giving you that free choice at the beginning when you buy the package.

 

This all happens at the beginning of the cruise or whenever you buy it so you still won't necessarily know what you are eating each night. I haven't known anyone to just be able to pick a wine on the night if they had the package. If this happens I have learned something new today.

[2SailingNomads]

As someone who "negotiates" the package, I agree w/ Frantic - you had to give them the selection when you made the purchase.  But you pick which of the pre-decided ones on any given night (or afternoon).  And most Soms would work with me but not all, especially the not the "corporate one".  Still there was a reasonable price-based limit on what would be allowed, you could not pick a $500 wine...  

[margbem]

We have always bought the Gold package but were given the wine menu each evening and only chose the wine then, never in advance. I will try and attach something that was posted in the last few weeks re wine packages that we have never seen before.

[rucrazy]

10 minutes ago, margbem said:

 I will try and attach something that was posted in the last few weeks re wine packages that we have never seen before.

Thanks for the post I am now more confused than before. 🙂 

[margbem]

8 minutes ago, rucrazy said:

Thanks for the post I am now more confused than before. 🙂 

Me too!

[frantic36]

2 hours ago, rucrazy said:

Thanks for the post I am now more confused than before. 🙂 

 

I am confused as well. We have only chosen a package a few times but have never been able to select a wine on the night only in advance at time of purchase. Margbem I wish we had been as lucky as you. Like 2SailingNomads we negotiated to choose other wines. This new change feels like an improvement. 

 

The negotiation is why we decided mainly to just buy as we want. We have a cruise coming up in the Western Med and with the tax Spain, Italy and ? France apply on goods purchased on the ship were thinking to prepay for a package.  That means we get our loyalty discount not being decimated by the sales tax. 

[margbem]

9 minutes ago, frantic36 said:

 

I am confused as well. We have only chosen a package a few times but have never been able to select a wine on the night only in advance at time of purchase. Margbem I wish we had been as lucky as you. Like 2SailingNomads we negotiated to choose other wines. This new change feels like an improvement. 

 

The negotiation is why we decided mainly to just buy as we want. We have a cruise coming up in the Western Med and with the tax Spain, Italy and ? France apply on goods purchased on the ship were thinking to prepay for a package.  That means we get our loyalty discount not being decimated by the sales tax. 

frantic36 - did you always purchase the package before boarding? We have never done that. We have spoken to the sommelier on the first night in the MDR, told him that we would like to purchase the Gold package and then been handed the premium wine list whenever we have decided to choose a bottle from it. If we were at a hosted table or eating with other people we obviously 😉 had the free pour!
 

Also, I am intrigued by your comment about taxes. I had no idea that prices were adjusted depending where you are sailing. The premium wine list just has its prices in there per bottle. Can you explain more for me?

[frantic36]

4 minutes ago, margbem said:

Also, I am intrigued by your comment about taxes.

 

To answer your first question, when we bought the package we would buy it on board. As our OBC increased for various reasons plus our Diamond loyalty give us a good discount we opted to just buy as we went. This has been for about 5 years, including 2 Covid years so maybe we could have done what you  have earlier and we didn't know it. 

 

With regards taxes in the Western Med I know when we sailed there in 2018 we found we were subject to taxes of things brought onboard, including wine, though not in all regions. You can claim it back but I am lazy and have found it difficult the once I tried to claim back. One good reason I sail in July in the Med, all the Sales on compensate for me not claiming back tax.🙂

 

I must admit I will have to get back to you re whether we can buy the package beforehand. I will be checking with Seabourn later this week.

 

It's been a bit of a tough week with my husband's mother dying last week and her funeral today. This is diversion therapy for me 😐. So I will start doing more research soon.

[margbem]

Thank you, frantic. So sorry to hear about your mother in law. Hope all goes well for you today. 
 

I will watch out for your post. Meanwhile I will contact Seabourn club and see if they can help me.

 

Margaret

[cruiseej]

@margbem The program you posted a picture of is what we discussed with the head sommelier on our cruise this past fall. We ended up not purchasing a package, and just buying a couple bottles to use up our OBC — but the tier program seemed to me to be an improvement over the old Gold and Silver packages. The old system limited you to a select number of bottles to choose from, while the new program lets you choose from anything in inventory; you could choose one expensive wine or many moderately-price wines or whatever you wish. The tiers amount to a 17%, 20% or 23% discount -- in the form of a bonus bottle or credit applied to one of your selected bottles -- without limiting you to selecting from a list of several similarly-priced wines. 

[thebigcruiseguy]

Does anyone have a recent picture of the Premium Wine list (where the Silver/Gold packages are chosen?)

[Fred arbuthnot]

The Gold and Silver wine packages have been replaced by the Wine Collector packages shown in post #6.  The reserve wine list can be found on the Seabourn Source app, look under "Gourmet Dining", then choose the "View More" logo, scroll down to find "Wine" and tap the "Reserve Wine Selection" to download the wine list.  Hope this helps.

By the way, RUCRAZY, the wine list shows 2009 Cristal at $315 per bottle.

Of course, who knows if all the ships have all the wines listed.  You can also get wines off of the Keller Grill wine list (I don't have a link for that one).

Edited March 17, 2022 by Fred arbuthnot
Add additional info

[rucrazy]

45 minutes ago, Fred arbuthnot said:

By the way, RUCRAZY, the wine list shows 2009 Cristal at $315 per bottle.

Excellent !! (and not at a bad price either)(for a cruiseline)

[rucrazy]

15 hours ago, Fred arbuthnot said:

The reserve wine list can be found on the Seabourn Source app, look under "Gourmet Dining", then choose the "View More" logo, scroll down to find "Wine" and tap the "Reserve Wine Selection" to download the wine list.

The app is currently crashing when I try to access the wine lists..(anyone else having this problem?)

[Fred arbuthnot]

I am using an Samsung (Android) phone with no problem.  However, I downloaded the wine list and am attaching it.  Happy reading (and planning).

wine-list.pdf

[rucrazy]

35 minutes ago, Fred arbuthnot said:

Happy reading

Thanks you post will bring a smile to many!

[margbem]

6 hours ago, rucrazy said:

The app is currently crashing when I try to access the wine lists..(anyone else having this problem?)

Me too! Seems to be my standard response to you!!

[margbem]

A response from Seabourn regarding my question!

 

 

[rucrazy]

5 hours ago, margbem said:

A response from Seabourn regarding my question!

Thanks for posting I attached a live link

http://seabournclubnews.com/articles/2021/11/111321_08.php

[margbem]

18 hours ago, rucrazy said:

Thanks for posting I attached a live link

http://seabournclubnews.com/articles/2021/11/111321_08.php

Thank you!