Talk to me about Wine..

[Foxes Den]

I saw a price list for a wine package for the DCL? We are going on the four day cruise, and think that would be a great idea. Can you please tell me is the price for X amount of wine, per cabin, or is it per table. One bottle of wine is one glass per person.. so for us - we would need to order at least two wine pkgs. 14 people - 6 are kids. How do you order it? Is it done in advance, day of, on the first day?


Taylor

 

[Capt_BJ]

I saw a price list for a wine package for the DCL? We are going on the four day cruise, and think that would be a great idea. Can you please tell me is the price for X amount of wine, per cabin, or is it per table. One bottle of wine is one glass per person.. so for us - we would need to order at least two wine pkgs. 14 people - 6 are kids. How do you order it? Is it done in advance, day of, on the first day?


Taylor

As I recall from last time we did it

the package was basically aimed at one bottle per day ... there was a 'selection' .... you are simply buying x bottles at one time. You could have X of the same stuff, or dif off the list each nite, or any combo of X bottles off the list. There were two packages as I recall - two price breakdowns. If you wanted a higher priced bottle as a sub' for something on the list, you paid the difference. I seem to recall I got a card and you could even claim a bottle via any bar tender should you be so inclined....they just checked off a box.... it could be bought at any time .... usually thru your server the first nite....

It was not a great savings ..... a little but not great. Kind of depends on if you plan to go thru a bottle a nite....

 

[CapnJackGroupie]

My husband and I picked a wine package at dinner the first night - we were on the 4 night. So we shared a bottle during dinner and most nights finished the bottle, but if you don't - you're able to pour what's left in your glass and take it with you when you leave dinner. We just opted for the 'classic' package and after tips...paid $125. Each of the wines we picked were very good. We loved the leisurely pace of dinner. Enjoy your cruise!!

 

[skylynx]

Though it sounds like you have a large enough group of vino drinkers that you don't want to carry that much booty on board, you might want to consider taking some with you. My DH and I take our wine with us and pay the corking fee when we want wine at meals. We also drink a glass of wine on our verandah some evenings (room service will bring glasses and a corkscrew). The exception is at Palo, where we always enjoy sampling something differrent or not readily available by the glass elsewhere (like Brunello...to die for).

Some (not all) of the wines in the DCL package are those readily found on any grocery store shelf, just with with a huge markup (like in many restaurants). Though we are far from connoisseurs, we'd rather pay a $10-$15 (can't remember exactly) corking fee on our favorite $25 dollar bottle of chardonnay than $35 for a bottle of Beringer that sells in our local grocery store for $7 a bottle. Don't get me wrong...we drink plenty of inexpensive wines...and love them...it just bugs me to pay hugely inflated prices for those same wines just because we are drinking them in a restaurant.

On a four day cruise we bring one or two "special" bottles and let our servers take care of them and bring them to whatever restaurants we are eating at. That way, if we're paying a pretty high per bottle cost for the luxury of having it served to us on the ship, at least we know we like the wine! Again, for a larger group this might be impractical, but it is an option...

 

[kewbrickny]

I never even considered the option of bring it yourself to dinner!! How much was the corking fee and was it per person or per bottle?

 

[skylynx]

I apologize for not being able to remember exactly...I think it was either $12 or $15 (but no higher) per bottle. One bottle lasted us two dinners if we imbibed conservatively (with only the one corking fee.) At least twice our servers literally waved off the fee with a "don't worry about it. We found if we drank more than a glass or so with dinner we'd be falling asleep by 10 (a sad byproduct of getting older). At least if we doze off on the verandah, it's only a short slither to the bed.

The servers have always done a fine job of keeping reds and whites at the right serving temperature, even the second night after opening. Something to consider especially if you are celebrating something special and want a certain wine they don't have (for example, we celebrated our anniversary by bringing on board the same kind of wine we had at our wedding.) Because we don't drink all that much, DH and I just each pack one or two bottles in bubble wrap and stick them in our carryons. It is a nice option to have.

 

[irwins0001]

The corkage fee was $17 when I was on the Wonder in March. A great deal if you ask me.

 

[skylynx]

$17...wow, it went up then since January.

 

[mambrose]

okay so you are allowed to vbring wine aboard? how about beer? the reason i ask is wea reall bigdrinkers and are goign to celebrate a few special occassins- and there is something particular we drink that ido not see offered n the wine packages. also what stops someone from bringing hteri own corking gear? I have a very nice pressurized corker that i sue- ( i drink alot of champagne and sparkinling wines- ? not that i really think corking will be an issue with our gang- but jsut a question?

 

[irwins0001]

You can carry beer, wine, and hard alcohol on at Port Canaveral. In the unlikely event you have any left over I believe it will count against your allowances. You can bring your own cork screw. Wine glasses are easy to get on board. At dinner, it is Disney policy to charge a corkage fee if you BYOW.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I know the MED wine list is different, if anyone has sellections of good wines to try please let me know!

 

[irwins0001]

Sorry I didn't fully answer your question. A pressurized corking system is also fine to bring on board. You can certainly open a bottle of wine (or whatever) before dinner without a charge. At dinner, your servers should charge the fee.

 

[JP-STL]

Its been over 2 years since our cruise, but we had our van driver stop at a store in Orlando on our way to Port Canaveral and bought lots of wine to bring on board. We packed it carefully in our carry-on luggage to avoid breakage.

We did not have a veranda. We just asked for wine glasses at one of the bars and they were happy to oblige. We took our bottle and glasses out on the deck each night after dinner and enjoyed it with no corking fees. We found going to the aft deck was best...less windy. Those were great evenings, enjoying wine in the moonlight with the ocean all around us. And not paying a fortune for the priviledge!

 

[HawkeyeGal]

DH and I just each pack one or two bottles in bubble wrap and stick them in our carryons.

Just remember that you can't bring them in carryons anymore because of the new regulations on liquid. But bringing on special bottles is a great idea! We did the wine package on the 7 night and ended up bringing 2 bottles home. But that was only because I was sick one night and we had some to carry over another night. We even had enough to share at Palo with our friends.

 

[Buckeye Gal]

I've read another tip...if you do bring your own wine and can get through dinner with just one glass , you can take a glass to dinner with you instead of paying the corking fee.

 

[JP-STL]

Just remember that you can't bring them in carryons anymore because of the new regulations on liquid.

That doesn't apply to cruise ships...only airplanes. The carry-on luggage you bring on board the cruise ship can include as much liquid as you like.

 

[TaraMom22]

Question: Does anybody know if there is a Wine List price list anywhere? I looked at the scanned in menu's and I couldn't find a scanned in Wine List. DH and I like good wine, but if there are good wines to be had on the wine list at reasonable prices then we may just pay the markup to save ourselves time.

 

[m4travel]

Question: Does anybody know if there is a Wine List price list anywhere? I looked at the scanned in menu's and I couldn't find a scanned in Wine List. DH and I like good wine, but if there are good wines to be had on the wine list at reasonable prices then we may just pay the markup to save ourselves time.

There is one somewhere - perhaps I have it on my home computer. I'll look for it and post it if it can be found.

Found the list, but it's without prices (it was typed from someone's pictures):

Partial Wine List on the Wonder

Sparking & Champagne

M&R Asti Spumante
Iron Horse Brut, Fairy Tale Cuvee
Dom Perignon
Pommery Brut Rose
Veuve Clicquot Brut, Yellow Label
Moet & Chandon White Star Extra Dry

Alternative Whites and Blush

Beringer White Zinfindel
Selbach, Piesporter Goldtropfchen Reisling Kabinett
Pighen Pinot Grigio
Trimbach Gerwurtzraminer
Caymus Conundrum
Moscato Gaierhof

Fume & Sauvignon Blanc

Mondavi Fume Blanc
Delaporte Sancerre
Brancott
Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc

Chardonnay

Fess Parker 100 Years of Magic
Beringer Founders’ Estate
K-J Vintners Reserve
La Crèma
Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuisse
Cakebread
Far Niente
Benziger, Carneros
Sonoma-Cutrer, Russian River
Domaine Laroche le Cru Chablis
Ferrari-Carano

Pinot Noir & Gamay

La Crema
Joseph Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny
Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages
Byron
Moulin-a-Vent Cru Beaujolais
Volnay, Jean Marie Boilot

Merlot

K-J Vintners Reserve
Shafer
Veramonte Primus
Mondavi Coastal

Cabernet Sauvignon & Blends

B. V. Coastal
Charles Krug
Beringer Founders’ Estate
K-J Vintners Reserve
Mondavi
Silverado Vineyards
Groth
Chateau Gloria
Chateau Cantermerle, Haut Medoc
Les Cedres De Belle Brise, Pomerol

Alternative Reds

Rosemount Shiraz
Banfi Brise (?)
[Sorry, most of the reds were illegible in the photos]

 

[TaraMom22]

Thanks. I sure wish they had prices and a more complete list of reds. I love (red) Zinfandel's and I am guessing that if they have any that they were in the illegible part. Prices would also be very helpful. For example, Fess Parker is at Safeway for $16. If DCL is going to charge $48 for Fess Parker then I would rather treat myself and buy a $33 wine at Publix or ABC and pay the $15 corkage and possibly end up with a wine that is twice as nice for the same cost.

 

[TaraMom22]

Okay, I found it. I hope it is okay to post here...

The prices are high but not as bad as some restaurants. The Far Niente Chardonnay is only 2x retail. It is the lower end wines that have the huge markup. The Beringer Chardonnay is an $8 wine for $28. I guess that is only $5 more than the cost of the wine plus corkage though.

I still think we will buy some at ABC so we can get nicer wines for the same net cost.