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Anybody on silver moon right now !!!!

Lvshack

By Lvshack,
in Silversea

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Catlover54 Great Review Rare

Catlover54

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, RetiredandTravel said:

Here's a novel idea have a list available with all the included wines and a brief description.  The games played with these wines are ridiculous. 

 

 

 

Yes!  

On this issue (unlike some others) , SB has become responsive, and SS could learn from them.  

 

A few years ago it took some effort to get an included wine list on SB, but I was able to get it by day 3 at the latest, though it was not publicized and there was a little resistance ("we are very busy, it may take a while, etc."). Plus, a real somm was more easily available (now there are cutbacks in somm staff) to help steer us to appropriate wines available for what we were eating, to at least try them, as opposed to us having to guess what was and what was not available with extra effort if it was not one of the two put forward.

 

On my recent trip, I asked for the list on SB Quest on day 1, had no resistance, and by evening the list was in our suite (no descriptions were included, but we already knew some and with internet, we could look up the others). Awesome! This helped drive our decision to spend a little of our port time to go to wine stores to get bottles to bring on board, and saved staff time. 🙂

 

Contrast with our SS cruise a few months ago, where  they simply refused to give us a list, so we worked our way through them the hard way (which took a lot more wine server time, all in), one at a time if we didn't like the generic offerings, and took notes.  

It would be so much simpler to have a list available to those who care, (on request) with a disclaimer that they might be out by the time you order and there is no guarantee you can get it, and it may take longer to get than the two wines of the day. 

 

My guess is that the unwillingness to publicize the list is a combination of reluctance to raise expectations (e.g., in case they will be out, or if they want to hold a couple of the better included bottles back for 'special' customers), reluctance to have it known in an easy format how cheap the so-called "luxury" wines they serve are, and a general lack of serious interest in wine on these cruises  (as opposed to top shelf liquor).

 

Similarly, they don't like to publicize caviar and suite canapes availability on SB or SS -- cruisers in the know, know to ask for these if they want it, and others are, by default, kept in the dark.  That keeps the overall price down, and most pax remain obliviously happy.

 

 

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RetiredandTravel

RetiredandTravel

Posted
Posted
33 minutes ago, Catlover54 said:

 

Yes!  

On this issue (unlike some others) , SB has become responsive, and SS could learn from them.  

 

A few years ago it took some effort to get an included wine list on SB, but I was able to get it by day 3 at the latest, though it was not publicized and there was a little resistance ("we are very busy, it may take a while, etc."). Plus, a real somm was more easily available (now there are cutbacks in somm staff) to help steer us to appropriate wines available for what we were eating, to at least try them, as opposed to us having to guess what was and what was not available with extra effort if it was not one of the two put forward.

 

On my recent trip, I asked for the list on SB Quest on day 1, had no resistance, and by evening the list was in our suite (no descriptions were included, but we already knew some and with internet, we could look up the others). Awesome! This helped drive our decision to spend a little of our port time to go to wine stores to get bottles to bring on board, and saved staff time. 🙂

 

Contrast with our SS cruise a few months ago, where  they simply refused to give us a list, so we worked our way through them the hard way (which took a lot more wine server time, all in), one at a time if we didn't like the generic offerings, and took notes.  

It would be so much simpler to have a list available to those who care, (on request) with a disclaimer that they might be out by the time you order and there is no guarantee you can get it, and it may take longer to get than the two wines of the day. 

 

My guess is that the unwillingness to publicize the list is a combination of reluctance to raise expectations (e.g., in case they will be out, or if they want to hold a couple of the better included bottles back for 'special' customers), reluctance to have it known in an easy format how cheap the so-called "luxury" wines they serve are, and a general lack of serious interest in wine on these cruises  (as opposed to top shelf liquor).

 

Similarly, they don't like to publicize caviar and suite canapes availability on SB or SS -- cruisers in the know, know to ask for these if they want it, and others are, by default, kept in the dark.  That keeps the overall price down, and most pax remain obliviously happy.

 

 

 

 

Regent is somewhere in between what you describe of SB & SS.  If you ask for the included wine list you will initially get resistance but once you ask the right person and insist they will give it to you.  We always felt the secrecy was to give new people the cheaper stuff, reserving the better wines for the frequent cruisers & higher suites.  If you ask for a Chardonnay they will give you a glass of a $6-8 bottle Chilean wine but they have a decent White Burgundy that probably runs $15-17.  If you ask for the White Burgundy they bring that without delay.  Its all about being in the know.

 

 

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Daveywavey70

Daveywavey70

Posted
Posted

The answer that we were repeatedly given on our last SS cruise was that there wasn’t a list of included wines. This turned out not to be absolutely true as there is a spreadsheet that the Sommeliers have but good luck getting sight of it, We managed it once.


We aren’t wine snobs by any means and some of our favourites are often looked down upon but we really don’t care. I Have been lucky enough in my life to have enjoyed some of the finest wines ever produced but still wouldn’t trade them for a nice Gewürztraminer, Vouvray, Chablis or Pouilly Fuisse. I Much preferred a bog standard Taittinger to the Magnum of Krug Rose 66 that was gifted to me. It’s all about knowing what you like and knowing how to navigate around the evasive and unfathomable Roulette of SS’s included wines. We much prefer Pommery over Monopole so we have simply learnt to ask for it. 

With regard to the Sommeliers qualifications, I Doubt that many Knights of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin are operating at sea at the moment. Expectations need to be realistic in current times but I’d at least expect a “wine consultant” that was capable of being consulted. I Don’t recall ever seeing a “wine consultant” at sea sporting a silver tastevin, yet have encountered many knowledgable and very helpful people that do their very best that they are able to in the absence of a simple list. I Hope that at some point SS realise that very damaging discussions such as this could have been completely avoided had a list been provided. Or maybe not. 

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drron29 "Live from...." Rare

drron29

Posted
Posted

I have been able to see the include wine list on one occasion on SS. Got on very well with the "sommelier". I had had several discussions with him about the included wines and stating although some wines were not to my taste they were not bad wines. And in my life of wine drinking, now coming up to 60 years of the pleasure, I have disliked some wines that are acknowledged by many experts as top quality wines.

Also the Sommelier on our Dawn cruise when I told him I really liked the Chilean Carminere on board and I am a fan of that type of wine and also Argentinian merlot. On the next night we saw him he produced an Argentinian merlot for me. I rated that as good service.

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lincslady

lincslady

Posted
Posted

Now that I have seen the bottle, it could be a better version - definitely from the same winery - as that called Tiki-Ridge available from Waitrose at £10.99 a bottle (sometimes less on offer).  Or the same wine with a slightly different label, for the different market.  Anyway, similar nice drinking as Villa Maria and  Oyster Bay (not to be confused with Cloudy Bay).

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zqtchas

zqtchas

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, lincslady said:

Now that I have seen the bottle, it could be a better version - definitely from the same winery - as that called Tiki-Ridge available from Waitrose at £10.99 a bottle (sometimes less on offer).  Or the same wine with a slightly different label, for the different market.  Anyway, similar nice drinking as Villa Maria and  Oyster Bay (not to be confused with Cloudy Bay).

Oyster Bay is the madam's  house wine. Goes for about $9.00 here at Total beverage.

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highplanesdrifters "Live from...." Rare

highplanesdrifters

Posted
Posted
22 hours ago, RetiredandTravel said:

Here's a novel idea have a list available with all the included wines and a brief description.  The games played with these wines are ridiculous. 

 

 

That would be too easy. They need to present the mouse with the cheapest wine at the beginning of the maze. Leaving in a few weeks and will ask for one.

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drron29 "Live from...." Rare

drron29

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Posted
9 hours ago, silkismom said:

Thanks for the "Tiki" info--didn't know if it was a "nickname" or the real name.

The real name in NZ where itcomes from is Tiki. Both Australian and NZ wines are often renamed for overseas markets. Until recently you did get the original label on SS.

 

And Oyster bay SB is $A16 on special here - $US10.50. But it just proves my point. A wine being cheap does not mean it is a bad wine. Just look at it's awards.

https://www.oysterbaywines.com/au

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Dolcevita Diva "Live from...." Rare

Dolcevita Diva

Posted
Posted
On 10/12/2022 at 5:47 AM, lincslady said:

Now that I have seen the bottle, it could be a better version - definitely from the same winery - as that called Tiki-Ridge available from Waitrose at £10.99 a bottle (sometimes less on offer).  Or the same wine with a slightly different label, for the different market.  Anyway, similar nice drinking as Villa Maria and  Oyster Bay (not to be confused with Cloudy Bay).

 Silversea was serving Dashwood sauvignon blanc on a voyage several years ago and it was quite nice as well.  

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