Classic/Premium wine package - is it worth it?

[asc341]

Hello all,

My mother and I are going on a 4 night cruise on the Wonder in May, and I'm debating whether to buy the classic or premium wine package, or none at all. We'll be bringing our own booze onboard (after all, who can sail without rum?) but it would be nice to be covered for dinner. I've heard mixed reviews on the wine quality, and while we're not wine snobs, I'm not sure we'd enjoy to pay the $ for rotgut.

Thanks!

 

[rick3236]

We normally purchase a wine package, and I always find that it is a savings over buying wine by the bottle at dinner. The wines in the premium package are fairly good, and there is a good selection for just about every taste. The Classic package wines are a little lower quality wine, but still good. Also, if you want to upgrade your bottle at Palo or Remy to one of their wines they will credit you the difference towards a bottle. We also like that you can have multiple bottles open at the same time, so what we do is open a white and a red so we can pair with meat, fish or pasta. You can also take any unused bottles home with you.

If you are wine drinkers and are going to want wine with dinner (like us), it is worth it.

 

[asc341]

Thanks Rick, that's great advice...sounds like we're on the same page in terms of wine. Thanks again!

 

[ChuckElias]

If you're going to be bringing "booze" with you, just bring a couple bottles of wine. Uncork it in the stateroom and bring a glass to dinner.

 

[tink66]

If you're going to be bringing "booze" with you, just bring a couple bottles of wine. Uncork it in the stateroom and bring a glass to dinner.

They are ok if you do that??? I was thinking I would like to do that and then just order one at the table (I usually like 2 glasses at a meal ) How much is a glass of wine at dinner?? I wonder if Im better off bringing a bottle from my room and paying the cork fee??

 

[ChuckElias]

just bring a couple bottles of wine. Uncork it in the stateroom and bring a glass to dinner.

They are ok if you do that???

Nobody has ever given us trouble. They don't know if you brought it from your stateroom or if you just bought it in one of the lounges. If you go to one of the bars, they'll even give you an empty glass to take back to your room. (That way, you're not walking around with wine in a water glass from your bathroom.)

How much is a glass of wine at dinner??

$8.95 and up, I think.

I wonder if Im better off bringing a bottle from my room and paying the cork fee??

According to the DCL website:

"Guests who arrive in the dining room, including Palo and Remy, with a bottle of champagne or wine will be charged a corking fee of $20.00 per bottle."

So I guess it depends on how much they charge for a bottle of the wine you want. If all the wines you like are more than $20, then you'd be better off bringing your own bottle.

 

[tink66]

Thanks great tips!!!

 

[Phonedave]

I have done the classic package and found it was worth it.

Wines on the DCL seem to be priced pretty much in line with what I am used to (in restaruants) - about 2x retail.

The wine package resulted in about a 15% discount on what the wine would have cost me had I bought it by the bottle from DCL at dinner.

Of course it would have been cheaper to bring my own, but how much am I going to bring?

The package is very flexible. You get X number of bottles, and you can order them whenever you want. 2 on one night, none the next, one the following, etc. If you have any wine left over after dinner you can either take the partial bottle with you, or they will save it for you for tomorrow (no vacu-vin or anything, they just stick a cork in it)

-dave

 

[wdwstateofmind]

We're totally going to the supermarket closest to port once we get there, I think it's a Publix...unless you absolutely have to drink your bottles at dinner you can pretty much double the amount of wine for the same price...

 

[Phonedave]

We're totally going to the supermarket closest to port once we get there, I think it's a Publix...unless you absolutely have to drink your bottles at dinner you can pretty much double the amount of wine for the same price...

The way I see it, DCL is good enough to let you bring your own alcohol on board, AND the wine they sell in the dining rooms is not any more expensive than you would pay in a restaruant. I think they are being very good about it.

So to "thank" them I will order wine with dinner, and I will order the occassional drink at a bar or poolside - just because I don't feel like I am totally being shafted. But, I will also bring my own for the room or for mixed drinks while 'walking around'

-dave

 

[wdwstateofmind]

The way I see it, DCL is good enough to let you bring your own alcohol on board, AND the wine they sell in the dining rooms is not any more expensive than you would pay in a restaruant. I think they are being very good about it.

So to "thank" them I will order wine with dinner, and I will order the occassional drink at a bar or poolside - just because I don't feel like I am totally being shafted. But, I will also bring my own for the room or for mixed drinks while 'walking around'

-dave

We plan on buying other drinks...wine is for the evenings for good relaxation and to get a good nights sleep with those sulfates ... but certainly I cannot enjoy a chilled glass of wine during my day where a nice pina colada might be necessary and usually I prefer a good ale with dinner as it was how we did it growing up in a mostly German household...I just know the best way to stretch my dollar, as wine is very easily consumed in my household, would to buy in bulk the ones I think I will enjoy while avoiding restaurant prices...

On a different note, I feel I'm thanking Disney enough by buy paying upwards of $4,000 for a cruise and the many additional gratuities that will come shortly after boarding. I'm sure they don't let you bring it on to be nice; there is most likely some idea that one who does so will purchase more on deck or something. And while I do understand cruise ship employment, they know what they are getting into when they sign those contracts. I will certainly tip even though gratuity is already on most items I will consume, in no way do I owe them a thanks via purchasing anything (I dunno, maybe it's the fiscal conservative in me)...

 

[tink66]

another wine question from the board wino!! lol If I bring wine to dinner but do not finish can I bring back to room???

 

[wdwstateofmind]

another wine question from the board wino!! lol If I bring wine to dinner but do not finish can I bring back to room???

I dunno if you can leave with it (I assume you can as it's your wine), but there is a corkage fee for ea. bottle.

 

[tink66]

Yes 20.00

 

[Phonedave]

another wine question from the board wino!! lol If I bring wine to dinner but do not finish can I bring back to room???

YEs,

You can take any unfinished bottles with you after dinner. Both ones you brought with you, and ones you purchased with dinner from DCL.

I don't know about your personal bottles, but they will also store your partial DLC purchased bottles for you, and serve them next evening if you so wish.


-dave

 

[tink66]

YEs,

You can take any unfinished bottles with you after dinner. Both ones you brought with you, and ones you purchased with dinner from DCL.

I don't know about your personal bottles, but they will also store your partial DLC purchased bottles for you, and serve them next evening if you so wish.


-dave

Oh that is cool!! I would love them to just hold my bottle so I have it each night for dinner Ok this is a dumb question but Im gonna go ahead and ask it. Will they charge a corkage fee each night for the same bottle of wine???

 

[Phonedave]

Oh that is cool!! I would love them to just hold my bottle so I have it each night for dinner Ok this is a dumb question but Im gonna go ahead and ask it. Will they charge a corkage fee each night for the same bottle of wine???

I have no idea. I don't even know if they will hold a bottle that you brough from outside. I have only had them hold bottles that I bought from them in the dining room.

-dave