Wine In Luminae

[DaKahuna]

1 hour ago, fac429 said:

Where are people finding the wines available in Luminae for their cruise?  Our sailing is in June, and all I see are the two "featured" wines.  Are we too far out from our cruise?  Or am I looking in the wrong place (I'm currently checking where the dinner menus are located in the app)?  Thanks!

 

 That is also where I am looking.  There is a Breakfast, sometimes Lunch for sea days, and Dinner pull downs and then a separate one for Wines in the app under Luminae.  

 

 

[markeb]

1 hour ago, fac429 said:

Where are people finding the wines available in Luminae for their cruise?  Our sailing is in June, and all I see are the two "featured" wines.  Are we too far out from our cruise?  Or am I looking in the wrong place (I'm currently checking where the dinner menus are located in the app)?  Thanks!

 

They'd be with the menus, but usually in a separate tab for wines. If you're not seeing anything, change to a current sailing.

[fac429]

6 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 That is also where I am looking.  There is a Breakfast, sometimes Lunch for sea days, and Dinner pull downs and then a separate one for Wines in the app under Luminae.  

 

 

 

5 minutes ago, markeb said:

 

They'd be with the menus, but usually in a separate tab for wines. If you're not seeing anything, change to a current sailing.

 

Ok, thanks.  I'll check a current sailing, the app doesn't have the wines tab for my cruise yet.

[Jim_Iain]

I talked with the Sommelier in Luminae.  He says the ones on the menu are only those that they are featuring.   He will work with customers and can get anything from any of the restaurants even the specialties that are under the package price.   Just ask. 
 

im in Luminae and these are the reds she has. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 28 by Jim_Iain

[DaKahuna]

5 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

im in Luminae and these are the reds she has. 

 

 thank you Jim.  I'll be sure and see what I can arrange with our sommelier. 

 After a number of wonderful experiences in Luminae, the number of the wines that had their price increased is concerning. 

 

[zitsky]

5 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

I talked with the Sommelier in Luminae.  He says the ones on the menu are only those that they are featuring.   He will work with customers and can get anything from any of the restaurants even the specialties that are under the package price.   Just ask. 
 

im in Luminae and these are the reds she has. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Did you try all of them?

[markeb]

1 hour ago, zitsky said:

 

Did you try all of them?

 

Pretty sure Jim actually doesn't drink. From past posts Iain sounds like more of a white wine drinker. Long way of saying I doubt it, but will wait until Jim comes back and answers...

[81Zoomie]

Thanks Jim!🍷🍷🍷!   I know you and Lain normally don’t drink reds, but the Rioja may be the most interesting (other than the standard offerings) to try.  It appears to have a following.  As for the Bin 45, a picture is worth a 1000 words 🫣😂🫣!

 

[DaKahuna]

I just finished entering all the wines that I had on our recently Millennium sailing into the Vivino app.  I found it very interesting that the average price per bottle of the wines I was served was under $17.00. I realize that most of the passengers dining in Luminae do not pay for wine by the glass but instead have the price of the Premium package built into their cruise price but still, the fact that they are charging per glass the same or more than they are paying by the bottle seems to leave room for the inclusion of higher end wines to be added under the premium package. 

 

[Schmoe38]

1 hour ago, DaKahuna said:

I just finished entering all the wines that I had on our recently Millennium sailing into the Vivino app.  I found it very interesting that the average price per bottle of the wines I was served was under $17.00. I realize that most of the passengers dining in Luminae do not pay for wine by the glass but instead have the price of the Premium package built into their cruise price but still, the fact that they are charging per glass the same or more than they are paying by the bottle seems to leave room for the inclusion of higher end wines to be added under the premium package. 

 

John

 

Don’t be concerned with what you are seeing or not seeing on the app or wine lists. The challenge we have noticed in Luminae is whether or not your sommelier is willing to be a little “adventurous”. We appreciate they are stretched for time, but have found many really want to show what they can do for you.

 

We’ve found that when we tell the sommelier what we are having, or planning to have, for our main entree, he/she is, often times, more than willing to offer their suggestions for a wine option. One extra suggestion…we ask them to go to the deepest, darkest corner of the wine cellar to find a selection, by the glass, that is not on the every day Premium Beverage Package list. If you are prepared to pay an upcharge, be sure to mention that, and then, there’s a bit more flexibility.

 

We have been able to enjoy some wines that we have never tasted before, yet are a pleasure to drink. We could care less if the selected bottle costs $16.99, or less, retail. It’s more of an appreciation for the effort put forward, rather than just going by the script.

 

This doesn’t always work, but if you don’t ask…you don’t get.

 

Enjoy your upcoming cruise

 

Randy

 

 

 

 

[zitsky]

8 minutes ago, Schmoe38 said:

John

 

Don’t be concerned with what you are seeing or not seeing on the app or wine lists. The challenge we have noticed in Luminae is whether or not your sommelier is willing to be a little “adventurous”. We appreciate they are stretched for time, but have found many really want to show what they can do for you.

 

We’ve found that when we tell the sommelier what we are having, or planning to have, for our main entree, he/she is, often times, more than willing to offer their suggestions for a wine option. One extra suggestion…we ask them to go to the deepest, darkest corner of the wine cellar to find a selection, by the glass, that is not on the every day Premium Beverage Package list. If you are prepared to pay an upcharge, be sure to mention that, and then, there’s a bit more flexibility.

 

We have been able to enjoy some wines that we have never tasted before, yet are a pleasure to drink. We could care less if the selected bottle costs $16.99, or less, retail. It’s more of an appreciation for the effort put forward, rather than just going by the script.

 

This doesn’t always work, but if you don’t ask…you don’t get.

 

Enjoy your upcoming cruise

 

Randy

 

 

 

 

How likely is a sommelier to open a bottle not on the glass list just to have one or two or four glasses?

 

On the Beyond, in Luminae, he wanted me to try something from Lodi.  I drink almost anything but I wasn’t convinced it was worth the premium price.

[Schmoe38]

2 minutes ago, zitsky said:

How likely is a sommelier to open a bottle not on the glass list just to have one or two or four glasses?

 

On the Beyond, in Luminae, he wanted me to try something from Lodi.  I drink almost anything but I wasn’t convinced it was worth the premium price.

Very likely. They are bringing you a selection that they feel you might enjoy. If you do, the bottle will get emptied at your table. Remember, the bottle that comes to you, will not be all that expensive. If you don’t enjoy it, there’s a good chance someone else in the restaurant will show an interest. 
 

There have been instances where the recommended wine does not sit right with us, but I have to say, those instances have been in the minority.

 

The prices of wine by the glass options in the Premium Beverage Package will probably never make sense to us when we are comparing overall value vs what we can pay for that same bottle retail. We just put that comparable process on the back burner and look more to the “do I, or don’t I enjoy it.”

 

Randy

[floridatravelersforlife]

Pardon the slight diversion of topic. Anyone have any experience into the availability/selection of wines on a T/A returning to Florida from Europe.  We are on the Equinox, sailing from LIS to Port Canaveral in late November  and I suspect replenishment of wines will be delayed until the ships arrives back in the US.

Edited May 23 by floridatravelersforlife
typo

[DaKahuna]

On 5/23/2024 at 7:27 AM, Schmoe38 said:

Don’t be concerned with what you are seeing or not seeing on the app or wine lists.

 

Randy, 

 

 Thanks.  I was not even checking the app list.  I let him know what I was having and let him make the choice but I did ask that he avoid wines he had already served me, unless I asked for it, e.g. Decoy and Conundrum.  He did a great job of pairing the wines with the meal and offering alternatives.  I just found it interesting when I was putting the ones I had into Vivino that the bottle price points were all around the glass price for the Premium package.  

 

 When are we going to bump into you and that lovely bride of your again on a cruise?  

 

 

[Schmoe38]

On 5/24/2024 at 11:04 AM, DaKahuna said:

 

Randy, 

 

 Thanks.  I was not even checking the app list.  I let him know what I was having and let him make the choice but I did ask that he avoid wines he had already served me, unless I asked for it, e.g. Decoy and Conundrum.  He did a great job of pairing the wines with the meal and offering alternatives.  I just found it interesting when I was putting the ones I had into Vivino that the bottle price points were all around the glass price for the Premium package.  

 

 When are we going to bump into you and that lovely bride of your again on a cruise?  

 

 

John

 

We would so dearly like to sail with you again. Our focus, fortunately or unfortunately is away from the e-Class ships, as they do not really strike the right tone for us. Nothing against them…just a preference, for us, to the S-Class and M-Class ships.

 

Our next 3 sailings are on Eclipse in Nov 2024, Reflection in March 2025 and Summit in November 2025.

 

Fingers crossed that our paths will cross again in the not too distant future.

 

Randy and Connie

[goldsmip115]

Randy,

 

what sailing are you on for the November, 2025 cruise?  We would love to be your neighbor once again.  Trish

[Schmoe38]

28 minutes ago, goldsmip115 said:

Randy,

 

what sailing are you on for the November, 2025 cruise?  We would love to be your neighbor once again.  Trish

Hi Trish

 

It’s the Nov 10-20/25 Summit sailing. That would really be neat, but unfortunately both PHs are occupied.

 

Would Eclipse Nov 16-25/24 interest you? We are in a RS on that one. The PH next to us is currently open.

 

Randy

[ohiopops4]

On our March cruise on the silhouette we were charged an up charge for the Elegance Chardonnay and the Mer Soleil Chardonnay in the Retreat Lounge and Luminae.  I didn’t think that the small up charges would bother me, but because I don’t consider these to be premium selections, it annoyed me more than it probably should.  However,  I didn’t mind paying an up charge for Caymus.  In our experience, the sommelier was not willing to open a bottle not offered on the per glass list but it could have been just the ship we were on.  We’ll be on the Apex in July and will try again to see if they will accommodate the request.  Overall, we’ve found the wine by the glass selection to be woefully inadequate.  That, coupled with the increase in suite pricing has prompted us to investigate other cruise choices.  This is too bad since we just attained Elite Plus status with X.😂

[bigbenboys]

17 minutes ago, ohiopops4 said:

On our March cruise on the silhouette we were charged an up charge for the Elegance Chardonnay and the Mer Soleil Chardonnay in the Retreat Lounge and Luminae.  I didn’t think that the small up charges would bother me, but because I don’t consider these to be premium selections, it annoyed me more than it probably should.  However,  I didn’t mind paying an up charge for Caymus.  In our experience, the sommelier was not willing to open a bottle not offered on the per glass list but it could have been just the ship we were on.  We’ll be on the Apex in July and will try again to see if they will accommodate the request.  Overall, we’ve found the wine by the glass selection to be woefully inadequate.  That, coupled with the increase in suite pricing has prompted us to investigate other cruise choices.  This is too bad since we just attained Elite Plus status with X.😂

We are on Apex next month. You were charged an up charge in the Retreat Lounge for Mer Soleil Chardonnay?

This is very disappointing. Mer Soleil Chardonnay is my favorite wine. Someone on Facebook said you can only get Mer Soleil Chardonnay by the bottle now at $76. 

Death by 1000 cuts😰

[zitsky]

I’m tempted to order bottles in January on Millie but not thrilled how they store the wine.  I hear they put a cork in your $60 bottle and call it a day?  I would finish it in two days but even so….  
 

I’d love to order a Cabernet today, a Pinot tomorrow then go back to the Cab the day after.  With some white wine to start.

[jelayne]

1 hour ago, bigbenboys said:

We are on Apex next month. You were charged an up charge in the Retreat Lounge for Mer Soleil Chardonnay?

This is very disappointing. Mer Soleil Chardonnay is my favorite wine. Someone on Facebook said you can only get Mer Soleil Chardonnay by the bottle now at $76. 

Death by 1000 cuts😰

The Retreat Lounge beverage menu on the Edge only listed wines included in the Premium package.  I asked about Red Condundrum and was told they would get it for me but there would be extra charge.  I stuck to cocktails in the lounge.  

In Luminae  we were charged the upcharge for Condundrum  $3 per glass with no gratuity added.  Our Sommlier recommended wines to go with our meal, rarely from the Premium package list,  and there was never a upcharge for those he recommended. 

[ohiopops4]

9 hours ago, bigbenboys said:

We are on Apex next month. You were charged an up charge in the Retreat Lounge for Mer Soleil Chardonnay?

This is very disappointing. Mer Soleil Chardonnay is my favorite wine. Someone on Facebook said you can only get Mer Soleil Chardonnay by the bottle now at $76. 

Death by 1000 cuts😰

Yes, Mer Soleil is one of my favorites and I'm really disappointed it's no longer included in the premium package.  

[katenmax2]

On 4/28/2024 at 10:42 AM, 81Zoomie said:

Thanks Jim!🍷🍷🍷!   I know you and Lain normally don’t drink reds, but the Rioja may be the most interesting (other than the standard offerings) to try.  It appears to have a following.  As for the Bin 45, a picture is worth a 1000 words 🫣😂🫣!

 

Tragic!  Next they'll be serving Boons Farm or Almaden in Luminae. Or better yet, box wines for $17 a glass.

 

[zitsky]

9 hours ago, katenmax2 said:

Tragic!  Next they'll be serving Boons Farm or Almaden in Luminae. Or better yet, box wines for $17 a glass.

 

This might just make me book the Penthouse suite on the Bryond now that I know I can get box wine in Luminae.  
 

Is there a good thread about the “by the bottle” list in Luminae / Blu / MDR?

[DaKahuna]

On 5/26/2024 at 5:58 PM, Schmoe38 said:

 

We would so dearly like to sail with you again. Our focus, fortunately or unfortunately is away from the e-Class ships, as they do not really strike the right tone for us. Nothing against them…just a preference, for us, to the S-Class and M-Class ships.

 

 As we would enjoy bumping into you guys again as well.  

 

 I am right there with you on the E-class ships.  Have nothing  booked on them and even chose Solstice over Edge for our next cruise (April 2025 Sydney to Hawaii)l

 

 

On 5/26/2024 at 5:58 PM, Schmoe38 said:

 

Our next 3 sailings are on Eclipse in Nov 2024, Reflection in March 2025 and Summit in November 2025.

 

 I know March is out of the question but will take a look at the other two. 

 

Give our regards to Connie.