Cruise Junky Posted July 23 #26 Share Posted July 23 I completely understand the frustration with not getting what you ask for but could someone explain why something that is cheap as chips as Villa Maria SB so popular? I don’t understand why they would try and pass of other SB’s for something so cheap. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iandjm Posted July 23 #27 Share Posted July 23 (edited) It’s happened to me as well. Ordered Catier Champagne and they try and pour the dreadful plastic cork usually given away free fizz. They were reeducated shortly after! You feel cheated when you paid for the premium package to have premium drinks. Edited July 23 by iandjm 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy1975 Posted July 23 #28 Share Posted July 23 This has happened to me as well. It is the one reason I would rather go to the bar to order my drink. I like to see what is been poured. Another reason is that if I order a cocktail, I want the bartender to make it and not the server. Even in the retreat I have seen servers make drinks that do not know what they are doing. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lauale Posted July 23 #29 Share Posted July 23 I’m with the OP. I can tell the difference between Chilean SB and a NZ SB. I have complained on RCL , HAL when I have been passed what I believe to be inferior drinks. We pay the up charge for the premium package for the ‘better’ wines although I also agree Villa Maria isn’t the best, its probably the best of a bad bunch. Interestingly we haven’t sailed with RCL since 2019, but they carry Kim Crawford SB which in my opinion is better than Villa Maria. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruisetonowhere10 Posted July 23 #30 Share Posted July 23 13 hours ago, ConnMom said: Same experience here with wine, especially Sauvignon Blanc, in 2022. I was told consistently that the premium wines I requested were out of stock. I have had better luck since then, but I am dismayed to hear that the issue is still "alive and well". I just upgraded our package for an upcoming cruise, but am now pondering whether it will be money wasted. I still enjoy Celebrity but miss the personal, friendly service that we became accustomed to over the years. Ugh. I am picking about my Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand mostly…crisp, mineral quality, fruit undertones) and I’m going to be annoyed if I upgraded and can’t get anything. 😂 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conquesodor Posted July 23 #31 Share Posted July 23 I agree that @LoveChops experience was inexcusable. I get that staff are busy and that Champagne or any other sparkling beverage is going to be more challenging to deal with, but that is an issue that the beverage managers should be expected to handle. The price we pay for a drink package should have the cost of pouring flat bottles down the drain in the equation. I can accept that a particular bar on a certain night might not have a particular bottle on hand, but at worst they should be up front about it. I also can accept that the bars are better equipped to handle cocktails and have a limited stock of other beverages, but I have found that if I'm polite, tip well, and make my preferences known, that the bar will be sure to have what they need for me going forward. That doesn't excuse being treated the way @LoveChops was one bit and I hope it was an anomaly of that ship and sailing. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chefchick Posted July 23 #32 Share Posted July 23 If this isn’t just an anomaly from one person’s experience on one ship I’m confused why this would happen in the first place? I could understand if I order “a martini” or “a glass of Sauvignon Blanc” the bartender probably won’t go out of their way and serve you what is easily available in front of them. But when you specifically call out a particular brand what do they have to gain by trying to cheat you? Ultimately it seems bad for business. I’m pretty particular about what brands I consume so I tend to order directly at the bar and watch my cocktails being made but if I pay for a premium product and someone tries to give the ole switcheroo I won’t have a problem going full blown Karen on them. 😜 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39august Posted July 23 #33 Share Posted July 23 Obviously this is not a one off, as several of us have posted that we had the same experience. Different ships, also. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canderson Posted July 23 #34 Share Posted July 23 It's not like this is unique to cruise ships. Happens in bars and restaurants everywhere. Doesn't excuse it, but the well stock vs. call brand 'fraud' is a much wider problem than some people think. That said, most outfits are smarter than to try to pass off Prosecco as Champagne. The particular strain of yeast used for Champagne is alone a distinguishing flavor for those that pick it up in the taste. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongebob99a Posted July 23 #35 Share Posted July 23 (edited) Unfortunately I had this play out in front of me on the Ascent cruise that I just got off. Asked for champagne and specifically pointed to it on the menu (Haslinger & fils) at the retreat bar on the sundeck. The person who took my order fully understood, to his credit, he went around to look for it and even went to the back to try and find it. He couldn't... so he went and consulted the other person and I heard him said just serve me sparkling wine and I won't know. The original person who took my order clearly was not fully comfortable doing that because I saw him hide under the counter pouring it and tried very hard to not let me see the label. (Poured me Duc de Valmer... the $5 sparkling wine that they use) For those who drink champagne even once in a while, you can very clearly see the color difference and also the bubbles are usually different vs. sparkling wine. I told him I asked for champagne and not sparkling wine and they played dumb All this right in front of me! I highlighted this on the post cruise survey but not sure what they are going to do about it. The other issue here also seems to be Celebrity should just stock the inventory appropriately. Things like this really ruins all the other good things they do to make a good cruise. Edited July 23 by spongebob99a 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canderson Posted July 23 #36 Share Posted July 23 5 minutes ago, spongebob99a said: I highlighted this on the post cruise survey but not sure what they are going to do about it. I'd have walked up, gotten the name off the tag of the crew member who was 'consulted' and who suggested this insulting behavior, and let the F&B manager know about this long before disembarking. A bar or restaurant (or cruise line) that is willing to break trust with a guest in this way isn't above doing so in other ways as well. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruisetonowhere10 Posted July 23 #37 Share Posted July 23 1 minute ago, canderson said: I'd have walked up, gotten the name off the tag of the crew member who was 'consulted' and who suggested this insulting behavior, and let the F&B manager know about this long before disembarking. A bar or restaurant (or cruise line) that is willing to break trust with a guest in this way isn't above doing so in other ways as well. I totally get it but I think there’s a fear of retaliatory behavior that creates a situation where most people keep their mouth shut. I think I’m inclined to use @conquesodor method in conjunction with being very direct and sending it back if it isn’t right. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongebob99a Posted July 23 #38 Share Posted July 23 6 minutes ago, canderson said: I'd have walked up, gotten the name off the tag of the crew member who was 'consulted' and who suggested this insulting behavior, and let the F&B manager know about this long before disembarking. A bar or restaurant (or cruise line) that is willing to break trust with a guest in this way isn't above doing so in other ways as well. Name was taken, shared with the manager who promised to address it. This happened on the last day of the cruise so I never saw the same employee again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judyrem Posted July 23 #39 Share Posted July 23 On 7/22/2024 at 9:03 AM, Ferry_Watcher said: I had a similar experience on Holland America. It was so frustrating. I think that so few passengers request real champagne that the open bottle ends up going flat before it is used up. Bar staff and wait-severs are probably encouraged to either pour something similar, attempt to serve a mostly flat glass of champagne, or pretend that the requested champagne is unavailable. Serving real champagne by the glass may be a money loser for the ship. On the flip side, I know that not all bars or restaurants on the ship will have the 'good stuff' stocked. For me it got to the point where I wouldn't even try to order the real champagne. I did strongly mention it in my post cruise survey. Sorry this happened to you. I had the same thing happen in Business class on Delta International. They tried to pass off a sparkler which was not champagne, She went and got a real bottle and some of the passengers around me requested some too. I know first world problems but there is no reason to be dishonest. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplsmurf Posted July 23 #40 Share Posted July 23 I am also a champagne drinker, but have never ordered it anywhere other than MDR, Blu or Luminae. In that case they bring it to you and pour it. I did order it once in the Retreat Lounge during an event where they had sparkling wine poured. They served that to me and I told them it wasn’t champagne……they switched it out very quickly. I have found that a lot of bars say they are out because they don’t have it right there and have to find it at a different bar. Thanks for the heads up. I’m going to order it from a different bar on our next cruise and see what they pour 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lastdance Posted July 23 #41 Share Posted July 23 We do not drink very much at all, but have trouble with getting premium water onboard unless we are okay with the large glass Evian water bottles. Much of the time we cannot even get these onboard. These comments, IMHO, are very valid and need attention! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veinless Posted July 24 #42 Share Posted July 24 Celebrity selling you one thing and giving you another is pretty much their standard practice. I mean they took away butlers from already paid guests without so much as an apology. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zitsky Posted July 24 #43 Share Posted July 24 I thank @LoveChops for posting this. I am no wine expert, but I was shocked when the sommelier in Luminae offered me a wine from Lodi, CA a year ago. I lived in California and knew it wasn’t top quality. I will drink cheap wine if it’s good. In Luminae, I expect something better.. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cap_D Posted July 24 #44 Share Posted July 24 52 minutes ago, Veinless said: Celebrity selling you one thing and giving you another is pretty much their standard practice. I mean they took away butlers from already paid guests without so much as an apology. This pretty much sums it all up. @Laura Hodges Bethge 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cublet Posted July 24 #45 Share Posted July 24 Hello, The answer to the question as the title of this thread is "Yes". I have been saying this for years on both X and RCI. What I have yet to decide is whether this is down to malevolent training or a lack of any training. Charge dear but serve cheap? Hmm. Do the guys serving you come from somewhere that has Champagne, Prosecco or Cava? Probably not. Without adequate training they probably think everything with bubbles is the same but with different names - including the cheap swill that is served as a 'freebie' at mass gatherings or a 'gift' in your cabin. I use my (then) Elite Plus (or RCI Pinnacle) discount to buy a bottle of what I want and have it kept at a bar of my preference (usually Passport Bar or Suite/Concierge Lounge). I'll tell you two places where this has never been a problem - Cunard and MSC. Regards, Cublet 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare chemmo Posted July 24 #46 Share Posted July 24 I am not a ‘faddy’ drinker and tend to drown spirits with mixers to the point that it would be almost impossible to tell if the gin, vodka etc was a quality or cheap product. I only have wine when dining and tend to simply ask for a wine in the premium package that would complement whatever I am eating… However, fizz is different. I am not anti Prosecco, I will occasionally enjoy a glass but when cruising if I ask for champagne I expect to be served champagne. If I went to a bar and they simply said they didn’t have any champagne and would I like to order something else then I would choose an alternative. What is totally unacceptable is serving different to what you asked for without discussing it with you. If over the first few days of a cruise I found this to be a pattern I would definitely be speaking to the F&B manager. I think the situation the OP and others have faced is simply unacceptable. Ordering a drink should never be a battle! 8 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sussex Cruiser Posted July 24 #47 Share Posted July 24 Sadly I find this on every single Celebrity cruise. What frustrates me is also the fact that despite Celebrity stating that cocktails should be made with spirits from your package level they are always made with the ultra cheap house brands even when you ask for the premium spirits. To me that feels more like a corporate decision... 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Honolulu Blue Posted July 24 #48 Share Posted July 24 @LoveChops: Thank you for posting this and bringing it to our attention. It's unbecoming (IMHO) of a cruise line like Celebrity to pull tricks like this. I saw the Executive Office's response to this, but I wish someone would have asked Fearless Leader LHB about such shenanigans in her AMA session. Oh well. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruisetonowhere10 Posted July 24 #49 Share Posted July 24 Is this true at the Martini Bar? DH likes his martinis…do we have to watch with eagle eyes what they are pouring or will it be high end vodka there? (I realize that can pour anything into a high end bottle ahead of time, but looking for people’s experience with this venue.) 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purpleally Posted July 24 #50 Share Posted July 24 Where can I find the wines/champagne that are included with premium? guess I must specify liquor when ordering a drink, pity I have to few years ago on NCL, had the premium and the bartender put the $25 shots of tequila in my margarita, probably wouldn’t happen now, sailing on celebrity in February 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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