Jump to content

Is it too much to expect to receive what you have paid for??


Recommended Posts

If there are staff on board that are level 3 sommeliers, why is the wine on board so bad?

 

At our club we had a level 1 give a tasting class.  One of the bottles of Chateauneuf du Pape was corked and he argued with my husband that it was ok.  Until he opened a second bottle and asked my husband to help pour.  The guy next to us was French and he knew his wine.  He agreed with us.

 

So I am not impressed with sommeliers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/23/2024 at 8:12 AM, iandjm said:

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.  

You don't just feel cheated, you are cheated.  The premium drinks and the premium drink package on Celebrity are very expensive.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, zitsky said:

If there are staff on board that are level 3 sommeliers, why is the wine on board so bad?

 

At our club we had a level 1 give a tasting class.  One of the bottles of Chateauneuf du Pape was corked and he argued with my husband that it was ok.  Until he opened a second bottle and asked my husband to help pour.  The guy next to us was French and he knew his wine.  He agreed with us.

 

So I am not impressed with sommeliers.

I'm not sure if there are standards for all sommeliers, but there is a place near us in Boston that offers a weekend course with an exam at the end.  90% of the participants pass the exam and you are then a level 1 sommelier.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Julma said:

I'm not sure if there are standards for all sommeliers, but there is a place near us in Boston that offers a weekend course with an exam at the end.  90% of the participants pass the exam and you are then a level 1 sommelier.  


It sounds like being a project manager.  Anyone can do it, even me.  At least for the next two weeks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, zitsky said:

If there are staff on board that are level 3 sommeliers, why is the wine on board so bad?

Two things - I've never run across one on Celebrity - my post was re Silversea.

 

It isn't "bad".  Wine aboard Celebrity ranges from poor to excellent.  Not even Silversea pours the really good stuff for free, and in both cases, the best will never be by-the-glass.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, zitsky said:

If there are staff on board that are level 3 sommeliers, why is the wine on board so bad?

 

At our club we had a level 1 give a tasting class.  One of the bottles of Chateauneuf du Pape was corked and he argued with my husband that it was ok.  Until he opened a second bottle and asked my husband to help pour.  The guy next to us was French and he knew his wine.  He agreed with us.

 

So I am not impressed with sommeliers.

 

There aren't any Level 3 WSET Awardees on the ship, and it's unlikely there are any CMS Advanced Sommeliers. (The two programs are radically different, WSET really doesn't refer to it's awardees as sommeliers, and CMS refers to its levels by name, not numbers.) And if there were they probably wouldn't have the freedom to develop the wine list and manage the purchases, which is a major part of being an Advanced Sommelier in most restaurant environments.

 

You may have never had a good sommelier. And "level 1", by which I assume you mean Introductory Sommelier, is pretty much just a weekend course and written test. Most will probably be in the food and beverage business (bar and restaurant). They're just not going to have the experience of a Certified or Advanced Sommelier which are much more stringent and involved requirements. I've been very impressed with higher level sommeliers at better restaurants.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@markeb

While there's certainly a great deal of crossover, it's always been my impression that between the two certification groups, one lends itself more toward the F&B industry, and the other to the wine industry/sales side.  Your thoughts?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, canderson said:

@markeb

While there's certainly a great deal of crossover, it's always been my impression that between the two certification groups, one lends itself more toward the F&B industry, and the other to the wine industry/sales side.  Your thoughts?

 


My understanding as well. CMS is focused on service. WSET focuses on communication and education. You’ll find WSET types in the actual wine industry and corporate sales more than in restaurants. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • Hurricane Zone 2024
      • Cruise Insurance Q&A w/ Steve Dasseos of Tripinsurancestore.com Summer 2024
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...