Here's a provocative rhetorical question:

[Merion_Mom]

Why can't Royal Caribbean have a reasonably priced wine list like this?

 

http://www.smoothseas.com/DiamondPrincessWineList.pdf

[Havana Daydreamin]

uh...um....maybe 'cause it ain't that resonsably price????:rolleyes:

 

Nice to see the list though! Thanks

[gratefulguy]

I agree, Merion_Mom--for a cruise line, that's a good list. The price for Dom Perignon is what many wine shops charge! (Yes, I know you can find it on special for less) Although there are a few of the least expensive wines at a 3-4 times retail mark-up, the mid- to upper-price wines are very reasonable, considering the venue. It would be nice to see vintages, but this isn't Seabourn or Silversea. I've been researching wine lists for a dinner in San Francisco, and the prices at some of the better places there are much higher than the Princess list. It would be interesting to see what the current list is, because this one is dated May 2004. Prices have firmed since then (in the US) for many wines due to the "Sideways Effect", the slumping dollar, and general inflation. I've decided against getting the Wine Pkg. on my up-coming Radiance cruise because I'm not going to pay high prices for (mostly) mediocre wines. There is another post on CC describing the out-of-stock problems which make the package unreliable. It's always a shame to see places getting "greedy" with wine, because more people today see wine as an integral part of any good meal. This is all just my opinion, of course.

[Merion_Mom]

uh...um....maybe 'cause it ain't that resonsably price????:rolleyes:

 

Nice to see the list though! Thanks

Are you KIDDING me, Havana?!?!?!?!?!??

 

Princess: Mumm's Cordon Rouge - $44.......... RC - $61

Princess: Domaine Chandon - $28......... RC - $45

Princess: Woodbridge Twin Oaks Chardonnay - $20......... RC - $26

Princess: Rosemount Shiraz - $27......... RC - $37

 

And don't even get me started on what's NOT on RC's list!

 

I could not find a single wine that pops up on both lines' lists that isn't cheaper (and usually by A LOT) on Princess.

 

How much does Veuve Cliquot cost where you live? It's at least $38 here. On Princess, it's $50 - marked up not even by a third! RC's markups are about 400%!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Fairsailing]

I could not find a single wine that pops up on both lines' lists that isn't cheaper (and usually by A LOT) on Princess.

 

How much does Veuve Cliquot cost where you live? It's at least $38 here. On Princess, it's $50 - marked up not even by a third! RC's markups are about 400%!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I agree, on my first Princess cruise last year I found all of Princess' drink prices to be noticeably less than RCI. And the choice sometimes between a "small" and "large" mixed drink.

 

Do you think RCI will eventually lower their drink prices...or will Princess raise theirs? I've got a pretty good guess:D

[BaltiGator]

That is a nice list.

 

Presumably the answer to your question is that right now RCI doesn't feel it would be good business for them to offer a better selection at lower prices. And by "good business" I mean the bottom line.

[Havana Daydreamin]

Merion-Mom

 

Yes I was....just seeing what kind of responses that would as I bounced off on the rhetorical.

 

It is painful to know that a bottle of wine that I can purchase locally for $12 costs me around $30 on ship. I know there needs to be a profit, but really...that is pretty significant.

 

That was a really nice list. Thanks again for sharing it.

[cryscruiser]

That really is a good price list. One of my favorites is Veuve Clicquot, and here at home, I pay normally between 60 and 75 for a bottle. It would be nice to enjoy 2 bottles for (almost) the price of one. Restaurants certainly always have a different price than what you pay in stores. They will up their price 100-150 percent, on the wine list. That is a normal practice. Also on land, I could buy a filet mignon at the market for $10, instead of paying $30 off the menu.

Carol, if we have dinner together one night on a cruise, I'll buy the first few bottles.

[Schplinky]

Those are really great prices, Merion. The Veuve Cloquot was cheaper than we can buy it here in Canada!

[superjerryw]

Some of them there wines is over $100 a bottle. I could buy me a whole truck load of Boones Farm or Night Train for that price. Betty-Lou, fetch me some jugs while I fire up the still. We be bringin our own moonshine on this trip. None of that high price, city slicker stuff fer me....:eek:

[BobBeaSea]

Can the cruise lines buy wine duty-free and without taxes as they do alcohol and beer? I am thinking they can so it's not realistic to compare cruise mark- ups to restaurant mark-ups at home. BTW, how much would "two buck Chuck" cost on a cruise ship? :)

[srlucado]

That's an impressive wine list, with attractive prices.

 

But when I think about how much fuel prices have risen, and that I'm sailing aboard Rhapsody this December for *less* than I paid three years ago, I figure Royal Caribbean has to make up the difference somewhere--and nobody's forcing me to buy wine.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

HI MERION MOM,

 

Your question is completely valid. Why can't RCI have a better priced list than Princess??? The short answer is that RCI is being managed by folks who do not appreciate the history of ocean liners. These people want to push the prices to the breaking point...some of us call the practice "FULL GREED AHEAD". I actually heard the president of one line say..."WHATEVER THE TRAFFIC WILL BEAR".

 

Princess is very smart in pricing their wine list and their alcoholic beverages lower than other lines. Why not...they pay very little for the alcohol...as they are able to purchase it duty free and in bulk. When you go into a shop onboard ship and you can buy a bottle of good liquor for $10.00 or less...you know they are still making a profit on that bottle. Just think how much they are making on a $5.00 drink. Some people argue that it is the same price as they have to pay in New York or Boston, etc...but my argument is that they do not have to pay duty, real estate taxes, local sales tax, high labor costs, etc. etc. Drinking at sea is not the same as drinking on land or in some expensive hotel. Drinking at sea has always been part of the ammenities offered by the line...and I believe that it is being abused by the management in order to boost the bottom line and it detracts from the overall ocean liner experience. So here is to lowering the prices and bravo for Princess.

 

Ross

[kkorman]

Princess is very smart... I bought 4 bottles fo wine while onboard the CB last week. I will gladly pay in the low $20s for a bottle, but anything over and it is not worth it.

[kkorman]

Princess is very smart... I bought 4 bottles fo wine while onboard the CB last week. I will gladly pay in the low $20s for a bottle, but anything over and it is not worth it.

[davidBZ]

So maybe I'm just not understanding something ... what's stopping you from buying this less expensive bottle of wine locally and paying the corking fee to enjoy it on the cruise?

[LAKaye]

Why can't Royal Caribbean have a reasonably priced wine list like this?

 

http://www.smoothseas.com/DiamondPrincessWineList.pdf

 

The wine list is from 2004.

 

Leslie

[time4u2go]

Some of them there wines is over $100 a bottle. I could buy me a whole truck load of Boones Farm or Night Train for that price. Betty-Lou, fetch me some jugs while I fire up the still. We be bringin our own moonshine on this trip. None of that high price, city slicker stuff fer me....:eek:

Do we have to pay a corking fee for wine with screw-on caps?:D

[happy cruzer]

Hi all, The list may be old. But just look at the choices! There is something for everyone at a price that is considered reasonable by most restaurents (even adjusted for inflation). There are choices under 20 for those just getting started drinking wines or on a budget. Then there are really fine wines to select. RCL offers very few fine wines at any price. The Princess list is about 3/4 finer wines that most wine nuts would really enjoy.

 

And for some of us, the multi course dinner with a fine wine is the highlight of the cruise. We enjoy the rest of the cruise too. But we are on the ship for that gourmet experience. If I want to see a port, it's better to go there and get immersed in the port.

 

A fine wine list adds to the experience! Princess knows it and will make more money on volume and happy repeat cruisers. I'm on Voyager for the iteniary and will make the best of it by lugging my wine with me.

[xpcdoojk]

Well comparing apples and oranges is always dangerous. So does anyone have a current princess price list? I found the prices on the Rotterdam in November/December 05 to be almost the same as RCI in February 06 when like bottles were on the list. Since HAL and Princess are both owned by Carnival wouldn't you expect the prices to be similar?

 

jc

[superjerryw]

Quote:

Originally Posted by superjerryw

Some of them there wines is over $100 a bottle. I could buy me a whole truck load of Boones Farm or Night Train for that price. Betty-Lou, fetch me some jugs while I fire up the still. We be bringin our own moonshine on this trip. None of that high price, city slicker stuff fer me....:eek:

 

 

Do we have to pay a corking fee for wine with screw-on caps?:D

 

No, the cruise line will let you screw yourself......:D

[Lightsluvr]

You are helping to keep cruise prices down in spite of increased fuel prices.

 

We appreciate ya! :o

 

LL

[happy cruzer]

Someome requested apples to apples comparision. Here we go....

 

1st let's look at Princess' price increase from the 2004 menu to the list for 2006 I got from the web site today for the wines I was able to find on both:

 

wine price in 2004 price in 2006

Veuve Cliq 50 52

NObilo S B 26 28

Jack London CS 39 41

 

So the old prices have changed around 2 per bottle

 

Now to compare current princess to RCI

wine princess RCI

Woodbridge WZ 22 24.95

Korbel Brut 24 30

Domain Chandon 30 44.95

Asti M&R 24 27.95

 

Could find no reds in common.

 

Compare the corkage fee - On Princess $10 and on RCI $12 (Noting of course that RCI has a policy of not allowing any beverage to be brought on board, whereas Princess clearly states wine is OK)

 

I think Princess is more friendly to the wine crowd which is thought provoking.

 

Happy Cruizin!

[Merion_Mom]

I humbly apologize for linking to a price list from 2004 (I didn't realize). My thanks to happy cruzer for locating a more current wine list.

 

It is fascinating. The profit argument is moot because, after all, both CCL and RCCL are in this game to make a profit. What's true for one cruiseline is true for all, in this regard.

 

It's also interesting that ALL of Princess' wine policies are more user-friendly. Lower corkage fee IF you bring your own, open door policy ON bringing your own, AND lower prices for better wines on their shipboard wine list. It's not as though some things are better on P and others on RC, producing a counterbalance. No, in this matter, all the evidence favors Princess.

 

ON THE OTHER HAND.............

 

Just so you all don't think that I have completely turned traitor, RC has one clearly superior policy, which can easily pay for all the wine I want. (except for the fact that you can't find too many GOOD wines on RC's list at all!)

 

You all know how RC will credit you back for any price drops, even after final payment?

 

Princess doesn't.

 

:)

[Pradagal]

RCI needs to add more wines to their list.Most are wines I can find at my local grocery store. I'm spoiled here in Cali we are so close to many wonderful wine regions I guess I just like more variety(better pricing wouldn't hurt either). Celebrity seemed to have a different selection but still pricey, but I like wine with dinner so you pay the price.Next cruise bringing some of our own for dinner and paying the corkage fee worth it to me. We like to share wine with other tablemates(sometimes it's something they haven't tried before)that makes it fun:) .