Alcohol tasting events...

[Poncey]

I never went to any of these & we will be cruising the end of the month.

Do these events sell out? Do I need to book ahead of time? Can I just drop in at the time of the event? How much do they cost?

Thanks.

 

[steves100]

They do sell out. You need to book them on the ship as far as I know...

 

[dawn117]

Where do you sign up once you're on board?

 

[nearlyfallinstar]

You should be able to find out where you can book tastings on your particular ship. Like on the Fantasy, I believe you go to La Piazza to book tastings. That way, you know where to go before you board and can plan ahead.

 

[CurtisB]

When you get your first Navigator they will list a spot to go to for sign ups. You can also do it at Guest Services. They cost between $15 and $30. You will be charged if you don't show up. They say that once you book it it's not refundable but I think they work with you if you give them a day or so heads up.

 

[Pens Fan]

Check the Navigator you receive when boarding. There will be a designated time and spot to sign up for the tastings. If you don't sign up on the first day, I believe you can go to guest services as well. However, I wouldn't wait. As the PP noted, they can sell out. We went to sign up on our last cruise (Magic at Lumiere's) and were there about 1:00 or 1:30 and several were already sold out.

 

[Quellman]

There are many tastings and events and the price varies. Not all are offered on every cruise and the classes also vary between hosts and ships so they may not always be the same.

• Mixology - make mixed drinks
• Liquor and Chocolate - liquor, champagne, and wine based with different chocolates
• Beer - different styles of beer
• Tequila - different brands and styles of tequila
• wine - different wines
• champagne - varieties of champagne

 

[mikaj3645]

There are many tastings and events and the price varies. Not all are offered on every cruise and the classes also vary between hosts and ships so they may not always be the same.

• Mixology - make mixed drinks
• Liquor and Chocolate - liquor, champagne, and wine based with different chocolates
• Beer - different styles of beer
• Tequila - different brands and styles of tequila
• wine - different wines
• champagne - varieties of champagne

We did the chocolate and liquor tasting on the Dream last week. $35 per person and we signed up at Guest Services. And it was awesome!

 

[dragynally]

I can vouch for Mixology on the Fantasy. We joined with our Fish extender group so someone actually called a head and knew the time and date before hand. The class itself was awesome. People took turns mixing the drinks and drinking them. I think there were 5-6 drinks total... And a shot at the end. The only thing is my DH and I were so drunk we took a nap!

 

[sunshine1259]

I can vouch for Mixology on the Fantasy. We joined with our Fish extender group so someone actually called a head and knew the time and date before hand. The class itself was awesome. People took turns mixing the drinks and drinking them. I think there were 5-6 drinks total... And a shot at the end. The only thing is my DH and I were so drunk we took a nap!

I may have been on this cruise with you. That mixology class was awesome. But, I had Palo reservations right after and boy was I feeling good that night. I usually have a drink once every three or four months and to drink that much at one really had me a bit loopy.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

Some fill up, others don't, but in all cases, I think you need to book it at least a little ahead of time, as the person running it will set out a number of things ahead of time based on the number attending.

I did both the cognac and the whiskey tastings and both were lightly attended (3-6 people). They were both in the evening (like 10 PM) in the Meridian on the Fantasy, but most of the tastings were during the day. I think the ones during the day attract more people, but for me, the evening schedule was perfect.

 

[rhinodadz]

+1 for the chocolate and liquor tasting.

 

[jlynch924]

I highly recommend the Chocolate and Liquor Pairing. So very delicious. And informative, too. Totally worth the money.

 

[Dug720]

One advantage to going to the location listed in the Navigator is they will have a list of what is being offered and when. When I booked my first mixology I asked at guest services when I was putting a gift card on my account and they just picked one. It worked out for me time-wise, but it was nice on the Fantasy when I just went to La Piazza and I could say WHICH champagne tasting and WHICH cognac tasting and WHICH Italian Cocktail tasting I wanted from a choice of a couple of times.

 

[DISNEYFAN3260]

It's definitely best to book ahead, but if you don't you can try to get into one at the last minute. Just show up at the designated time/location for a particular tasting and ask if they have spots available. I've frequently seen them add on a person or two, even when the tasting is listed as sold out. Sometimes booked guests don't show up. I've also seen them turn people away, so I wouldn't rely on this method if you have your heart set on a certain tasting.

I'm a huge fan of all the tastings. If you drink at all, they're they best value on the ships!

 

[ToyStory3]

We were on the Magic out of NYC last week (diverted to Canada instead of Bahamas). Our ship was only 1/3 full so we had our pick of everything (tastings, Palo, etc.) We did several of the tastings and had a great time. It was nice way to numb the pain of not going to WDW and CC. We liked the martini tasting the best and chocolate/wine after that. Both were a lot of fun. Be careful in the martini tasting....they were strong!

 

[Sir William]

We like to attend the wine tastings. Last year we signed up for one on our first sea-day, taking the last two available spaces. At the tasting we just had New World wines and when we asked the sommelier about it we learned they were going to do just Old World wines on the second sea-day. We prefer Old World wines but that tasting was already full, however the sommelier told us to show up anyways as they always had no shows. We've been to one or two tastings (wine, whiskey, rum) on every cruise and only once has everyone shown up.

 

[badbrad25]

I highly recommend the Chocolate and Liquor Pairing. So very delicious. And informative, too. Totally worth the money.

Totally agree on this.. worth the money in alcohol too. The chocolate and liquor tasting I think it was, the last drink we had (chocolate flavored whiskey? Can't remember exactly) was like 20-25$ all by itself if you were to order it in one of the bars.

 

[Claireywalsh]

We did mixology and a beer tasting on the wonder last year, can highly recommend both. Miroslav ran both tasting sessions and his passion came through clearly on both events. Great value for 5 drinks in both sessions, he even gave us the recipe sheet for the mixology because the ginger Collins was to die for!!!!